Chrysalis

Morrelia was very grateful not to be on a boat any longer. She would serve no matter where the Legion chose to send her, but she much preferred to have her feet on dry land. However, she didn’t necessarily think her current position was any safer.

“Relax, tribune,” Chyron chuckled. “Unless these monsters are a lot more bloodthirsty than you’ve said they are, we are not under threat.”

The younger woman restrained her glare, as this was her commander.

“I still believe we should exercise caution. We did directly attack their leader in plain view. They could easily use that as an excuse to eliminate our entire Legion.”

She tried not to make her words sound too clipped, but she failed miserably, causing the veteran commander to bark out a short laugh.

“If they kill us, they’ll destroy the reputation they’ve laboured so hard to build. You can’t be an enlightened, peaceful species of monsters and murder entire legions at the same time.”

“With respect, commander, if we were to die here, would anyone know? We are directly beneath the Colony.”

It had been a difficult march, plunging this deep into the tunnels beneath the ant mountain, but commander Chyron had proved her strength and that of her legion. The soldiers under Morrelia’s command had performed admirably, even better than she had expected, and the force had scythed its way through the monsters.

The difference between this and the Liria Legion under commander Titus was stark. It wasn’t that her father was a poor leader, far from it, but that the gap in experience between the rank and file was that wide.

So now they were here, deep within territory newly claimed by the Colony, close to the entrance to the fifth stratum.

“We would get word out, I can assure you of that,” Chyron stated with absolute confidence. “You’re being too much of a worrywort, tribune. We are here to complete a mission. Focus on your duty, not these extraneous concerns.”

Morrelia swallowed her anger. It wasn’t her place to bicker with the commander, even if she did feel the woman was being somewhat cavalier with the lives of her soldiers.

“The target is in the fifth

up soon enough. No one can stay

the higher ups were prone to fall into. It was something the Legion actively guarded

to be remarkably adaptable. I remind you, commander, the stated intention of the Colony is to cleanse the fifth stratum. I have little doubt they are

taken without permission.

survived the attempt. As unfortunate as it may be, we are

Despite the presence of Legion facilities within that stratum, it wasn’t as

moment, a scout approached the

“Reporting, commander!”

“Speak.”

the ants have withdrawn from the fifth.

was what she’d been expecting

we have any idea how successful they

the scout looked at her as if she were talking complete gibberish. “What

any

have no way to tell, tribune,” the scout

honest, that was the sensible position to take. Yet Morrelia knew better than most just what the Colony

off something as insane as this, it would be them. Commander Chyron turned to

it would be worth investigating to see

for a moment before she

of the fifth has been a dream for all of Pangera for thousands of years. Any attempt should be studied in the hopes

her lips as she considered

We can’t go into the fifth and follow