Carried forward by her momentum, Leeroy smashed into the golgari themselves, splintering defences and stumbling to the ground, her legs giving way beneath her. The colony swarmed over her back as the soldier took a moment to check her body and collect her thoughts.
She was injured. The impact against the shield had crumpled her armour and a web of stress fractures had appeared on her carapace. Yet, she lived. Still, she lived. Her body protested as she forced her legs to the ground and pushed herself up, regenerative fluid already sloshing through her body. The pain was intense, but she ignored it, hope igniting within her. The battle still continued, after all.
“THE SEARCH GOES ON, SISTERS!”
The battered Immortals responded in chorus.
“WE SEEK!”
Advant, directing the fight from close to the front, could only twitch her antennae, a mix of irritation and bemusement rising inside her. At first, it seemed like a good idea to take those soldiers who, like Leeroy, struggled with the concept of valuing their own lives, and put them together with Leeroy, forming the Immortals. Armoured to the utmost limit of the colony’s skills, they were the hardest to kill of any soldier. Instead, Leeroy had turned their lack of care into a fanatical desire for a glorious death.
When the eldest got back, they weren’t going to be pleased.
She shook off the stray thoughts. The battle raged and she had a job to do. The golgari were surrounded on three sides, the colony closing into melee on every front. It had been a deliberate decision not to surround them completely; they still weren’t sure of the fighting strength the golgari possessed, and it had been deemed wise not to find out when they were given no escape.
Advant climbed a nearby rock to better see the conflict. The ants pressed hard, the barrage of acid and magic never-ending. Though their front shield was destroyed, there must be mages maintaining the barriers on the flanks, since the acid barrage wasn’t getting through. The ants were, though. From her elevated position, she could see soldiers engaging the enemy with their mandibles.
Details were hard to make out, smoke and steam had begun to fill the tunnel, but the fighting must have been fierce. Healers were working hard, dragging injured ants out of the conflict, risking their lives to fetch their wounded siblings back to the pits they’d prepared. With that tiny bit of cover, they set about administering what treatment they could. From behind, Advant spotted reinforcements still pouring from the fort, the ants crawling over each other and every surface of the tunnel in order to close with their opponents.
The colony had committed five thousand ants to this battle, the first real test against the golgari. Not a number that could contend with the full force brought against them, but enough to take a fight if it presented itself. When the enemy dared to advance with only a small portion of their numbers against them, Advant and her siblings decided they had no choice but to commit.
The main battleground was a heaving mess, the small details of the conflict completely lost in the crush. But that wasn’t what she was looking for. All of her senses strained to their utmost as she focused, trying to see the overall picture of the battlefield. The golgari were shocked by the charge of the Immortals, but they were holding their formation. The ants increased the pressure, gripping their enemy in the mandibles formed by their three-pronged assault, and slowly, the golgari began to pull back. A fighting retreat.
Advant was tense as a bowstring. For thirty minutes, the fighting raged until finally, there was a response from the golgari camp. Massed ranks began to appear, led by figures in gleaming armour. It was time.
“PULL BACK!” Advant roared, her pheromones flooding the area.
In moments, her message had been relayed, blowing away the other scents as every ant passed it on. In an instant, the seething mass of insects that pressed the golgari from multiple sides broke away and ran, carrying their wounded with them as they went. The acid and magic barrage continued as the soldiers retreated, until that too was over, and the ants vanished into their hidden tunnels.
In ten seconds, what had moments ago been a raging battle was eerily silent. Advant watched their enemy closely. The golgari appeared confused, several wanting to press forward to take advantage of the open field, others pulling back, and yet more milling about in confusion.
After observing for a few long moments, she too made her withdrawal, the first major battle of the conflict complete. There would be much to discuss and analyse; no doubt the generals would have much to say. For the moment, the enemy advance had been halted.
A victory for the colony.
90. Ah, Nards
She’s really gonna kill me this time. I mean, Crinis grew absurdly clingy after my last disappearance, so what’s going to happen this time? I’m afraid, afraid, GANDALF! The image of Crinis burrowing her tentacles through my carapace and taking residence within my skeleton rises in my mind, causing me to shudder.
She would do that! She would totally do that!
No-no-no-no. Having her stuck to my carapace all the time is bad enough. It’s like having a second skin that disapproves of my every decision. Imagine what that’s like! A disagreeable SKIN. I can’t handle it getting worse, I just can’t!
BOOM!
An impact detonates under my claws, sending me sprawling, and I scramble to get my legs back under me and run. Can’t you guys leave me alone? I’m trying to deal with real problems here!
The five heavily armoured soldiers chasing me don’t seem all that sympathetic to my plight. In fact, they’re rather insistent that they continue trying to poke holes in me with various pointy implements. Having foreign objects inside my carapace is exactly what I’m worried about right now. I don’t need this as well!
I fire a quick air blade hoping to scatter them, but the big one bears his shield, absorbing the impact as the others run around to flanking positions. Come on! How is this fair? If I had my full squad here, I’d show you!
With my legs under me, it’s time to DASH! Blows slash into my carapace, carving deep slices into the precious diamond as I flee into the dark. Stop marking my shiny exterior! How am I supposed to lie to Crinis about this if she sees me covered in blade marks?
DASH! DASH! DASH!
POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!
Acid launches from the rear-zone as I run, trying to shake my pursuers. Just my luck I decide to poke my antennae at the camp right when a patrol was coming back. How the heck was I supposed to know? All I wanted was a little peek, just to see if I was needed—I was being careful! They must have been using some kind of Skill or technique, because they practically tripped over me before I noticed they were there.
Not even heat signatures! How the heck are these people so damn cold?
HAP!
BOOM!
I leap just in time to avoid a vicious thrust that fires a ray of sword light straight for my head. These people don’t play around. In fact, with their bulky armour and helmets covering their faces, it’s hard to believe they aren’t the monsters rather than me!
How do you like this, then?
With a sound of tearing wind, I unleash three wind spears at once, the spells twisting and warping the air, spreading the acid in all directions. Chance! I’ve explored these tunnels before, at least somewhat, and I know the tunnel wall right over there is super thin. I run with all speed, firing more Acid and Wind Magic as I go, trying to conceal my movements.
Made it to the wall! Here we go!
CHOMP! CHOMP!
I rip into the stone with wild abandon, and in only a few bites, I manage to open a hole and dive into it! Only to get my abdomen stuck…