Then we were off! Deeper into the Dungeon once more, in the company of several rather imposing ant soldiers.
I have to say, in terms of excitement and danger, there really wasn’t much to enjoy on this particular journey. I hardly saw a monster, other than the ants themselves, of course. We approached a well-guarded building that contained several portals, each heavily trafficked. It was only thanks to the skilful negotiations of Emilia Cretherton that we were able to proceed at a reasonable pace.
“This portal will take us just inside the second stratum. While we wait out the mandatory acclimation period, we can tour the farms, visit the smelting facilities, and see a few other sights. Is that sufficient?”
“That will be wonderful, dear.”
Once through the portal, a process that took several hours of waiting, we were embraced by the dark mana of the Shadow Sea. It had been some time since I had delved to the second stratum, my lovelies, and it stirred the most wonderful memories of the adventures I experienced in my youth! Plumbing the dark depths, hunting for dark whales with the mariners of light beneath the grand pillar. All tales that you have no doubt read many a time!
So it was that I experienced a jovial mood as Emilia began to guide us through the darkness. Even here, the Colony had gone to every effort to ensure our comfort, offering warm clothing and enchanted light globes to ease our passage. Even without such considerations, there would have been no struggle at all, since the pathways were so expertly carved and well-lit. One would think we were strolling through an avenue in a well-heeled city borough, rather than plunging into the depths!
It was quite strange, but pleasant.
From there, we spent several days touring the fields of the Colony, and I must say, what an impressive sight it was. Hundreds of acres of once-wild and untamed expanse, humbled before the might of the Colony. Literally thousands of workers toiled without pause, tending to plants, delightful little aphid creatures, and tea leaves—so many tea leaves!
“Not all of the expanses within the Colony’s territory have been utilised in such a way,” Emilia told us, ever eager to continue her role as guide. “Some are left in basically their natural state, mainly to provide hunting grounds the ants can use to secure experience, cores, and Biomass. They have their own private areas in which they cultivate spawn points in an attempt to increase the number of monsters they can fight, but I personally haven’t seen them.”
“Can you explain those small creatures atop the trees to me, my dear?” I asked.
She was only too happy to launch into an explanation of the origins of the aphids, the progenitor of whom was apparently a reconstituted pet of The Queen herself! I do admit to some confusion when she first utilised the term ‘Queen.’
“Which Queen?” I asked.
“The Queen,” she replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“Aren’t there many Queens?”
“Oh, I see what you mean. When I, or any ant, says The Queen, they are talking very specifically about the first one.”
“You mean, the first of all the Queens?”
She nodded solemnly.
“Indeed. Second only to the Eldest in terms of the respect afforded to them amongst the Colony and the faithful.”
She must have seen the light flare up in my eyes, for she was quick to continue.
“Don’t even think about trying to meet The Queen. It just won’t happen.”
I have to say, I was a little put out.
“Why would that be?” I enquired.
“The Queen has a reputation for risk-taking and bold action, so the Colony is extraordinarily careful to limit her opportunities to put herself in harm’s way. She famously still hunts for herself, refusing to allow the soldiers and scouts to provide her meals for her. The only way to see The Queen would be to fight through an army of tens of thousands of ants.”
I let it go, though reluctantly. Very reluctantly, dear reader! The Queen, it needn’t be said, sounded like a bold adventurer after my own heart!
100. The Tally Man
“I’m telling you! We found a super, suuuper fishy scent trail and we decided to follow it!”
“How much of that was wanting to investigate a possible threat, and how much of it was just wanting to keep running once you got your speed up?”
“Both-both! Running is fun! Investigating for the family is important!”
I mean. That’s true…
“Just try a little harder not to run headlong into dangerous situations, alright? If I hadn’t shown up, you and all of your followers would be dead right now.”
“I’m sorry, senior.”
And she actually looks like it, for once. Vibrant’s grown up big and strong compared to that miniscule grub I saved way back when. Endangering herself and her squad wasn’t something she intended to do, and I’m pleased to see her properly reflecting on her behaviour.
“Well… don’t beat yourself up too much. It looks like the lizards set a trap, and we weren’t ready for something like that. If they can mask or somehow create scent trails, then that’s something we’ll need to investigate. If they can manipulate our sense of smell, then we may not be able to rely on our own trails. That’s a nasty swerve.”
“I’ll-go-let-the-others-know-okay-byeeeeeee!”
Unable to contain herself to a normal pace of conversation anymore, Vibrant blasts me in the face with words, then dashes away, kicking up a wave of dust that further smacks into my already reeling mug. That wasn’t necessary! Neither of those were necessary!
Ugh, whatever. Damn, I’m tired. It takes a lot to get me tired, but this whole escapade has managed it. The constant construction work, followed by a battle, followed by more construction, then the chase after Vibrant and another battle. Even ten thousand ants providing regenerative energy through the Vestibule isn’t enough to fully soothe my fatigue. More to the point, I’m mentally exhausted after the many ups and downs. I need a snooze. Badly.
“Eldest! Vibrant has been running around telling everyone all sorts of things about a giant mountain nest and bombs and lizards. I’m confused.”
Poor Victor looks it too, her antennae twitching as she tries to make sense of what Vibrant had been saying as she roared past.
“It’s not that complicated, but the implications are serious,” I sigh. “Basically, Vibrant was lured all the way to the termite nest. Well, a termite nest. I suppose we don’t actually know that there isn’t more than one. Anyway. It seems the lizards have managed to find a way to produce pheromones via mana in some fashion, so we’ll need to be extra careful and not rely on our trails too much. When I turned up, they had Vibrant trapped under a shield, along with her crew. My squad and I broke in, caused a bit of havoc, and then got them out. No problem.”
“No problem?” Victor doesn’t seem convinced. “It doesn’t sound like it was no problem. I’m guessing you’ve left more than a little of the story out of your telling.”
I shrug.
“The details will get out there soon enough and aren’t really relevant.”