Chrysalis

When the mana starts to drop, it drops fast. One second I’m up to my eyeballs in the stuff, absolutely drowning in energy, the next it’s receding so quickly I feel like I’m going to get swept down a stratum if I don’t hold onto the ground.

So. That’s it? Just like that?

Hanging from the top of my tunnel, I feel relieved and a bit… disappointed? Look, I’m not asking for the Legion to come knocking on the Colony’s door every wave, but I kind of expected something. This wave has ended with a murmur rather than a roar.

Ah well, it is what it is.

I drop off the roof, stretch out a bit, clean my antennae, then walk back into the nest. Time to go find something else to do, I suppose. Back in the central command chamber, the generals are running around like mad, as always. I find Sloan right in the middle of it all.

“Hey there, Sloan. What’s happening?”

“The wave is ending,” she says, obviously distracted.

I poke her on the head with an antenna.

“Yeah… so why is everyone so busy? Shouldn’t you be winding down? Slowing your roll a little bit? The wave is over.”

She sighs and turns to face me properly.

“The wave being over means the siege has ended. It’s once again safe to venture out of the fortress and into the tunnels.”

“Right. So?”

lower sections of the nest as

Ah.

we’ll come under attack? I hadn’t

have forewarning of an impending attack, Eldest. Better to be prepared. If you’ll excuse me, we are in the process of organising over

sure you send Solant out there,” I tell her and the general pauses

battle. Leaving the generals to it, I go find a nice nook to tuck myself

who gets to feel it like this in the entire lifetime of my family, which is

vision, their own wants and needs, all working to better the

here? And I

them to find me, either. A procession of robed priests, each with antennae rising from their hoods, make their way into the chamber before they congregate nearby. Not close enough to bother me, but not so

been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on

use any pheromones, so none of us ants are all that bothered. I decide to just ignore them, hoping they’ll go

humans have decided it’s safe for them to come and live at this level. That’s

lives, then I’m willing to put up with a bit of chanting and kneeling. In

to assemble. Come

glomps onto me the moment she’s in range, moulding herself onto my carapace and retracting all of her flesh until she’s about the size of a beach ball. It’s not always easy

of satisfaction radiating from each

have you guys reached the magic