Antelligent Design

71. Advance

We lay low in the Dungeon for hours. The dirt and stone surrounding us mean we hear nothing of our pursuers. Even if they pass within ten metres of us. Warfare amongst the regular monsters remains as constant as always, at least when they aren’t brainwashed by some fat ass croc.

Haaa… I really need to get back to the colony. All of this stress is giving me a potty mouth. Some downtime might be nice.

[We need to get back to the village,] Morrelia sends over our mental connection, catching me by surprise.

She’s been brooding and punching the walls in fits of anger. I could tell she wasn’t too pleased by what I’d had to say. Who even knew if it was the truth. To me, it doesn’t really matter why an empire of elderly lizards is unleashing a Dungeon monster on their weaker neighbours. What matters is that they have, and how we’re going to cope with it.

[If we rush back to the colony, won’t we just lead them straight there?] I protest.

Leading the horde and Garralosh down onto my family is not my idea of being a filial worker. I can already see the twenty, rolling their antennae with frustration at this new mess I’ve caused them whilst refusing to say anything about it because I’m technically the eldest.

[We aren’t dealing with back kingdom hedge wizards now, Anthony,] Morrelia growls. [They’ll have scried out the entire south by now, since they know which direction we came from. Maybe they’d done that even before we poked the hive with a stick. Point is, they’ll know about the village and the colony. They aren’t going to leave them be.]

Gawd.

[A tiny little village and colony of harmless ants? Why would they go to all that effort?] I mutter.

Morrelia snorts at my use of the word ‘harmless.’ I don’t think she’s buying just how innocent and loveable we are. Perhaps she knows what we might be capable of…

[They came here to eradicate the people. I don’t think they’ll leave before the job is done. Besides, I don’t think they’ll want you or I to survive, given what we’ve seen.]

Makes sense. It doesn’t really mean much if you’ve raised a secret weapon that nobody knows you can control, if someone has seen you controlling it.

Dammit!

[The only way we actually make it out of this alive, outside of fleeing through the Dungeon, is to rally the colony and village and fight against them?]

The warrior’s face twists at my mention of fleeing through the Dungeon. Like the very thought is repellent to her. Hey! I didn’t actually consider doing it! As if I would leave the colony alone to fend for itself in its time of trial. That is my family right there.

[Correct,] Morrelia said. [I have no idea how, but the only way we make it out is if we fight. If we try to flee, they’ll hunt us down. I don’t know a way that we could hide from their scrying magic, we just don’t have the Skills.]

And fleeing into the wilderness would put the colony at risk right when we were beginning to explode in our potential. If we’d had an extra month, then I wouldn’t be nearly this worried. The number of ants the colony would be able to wield by then would smash the horde following Garralosh and drag the stupid croc down into the mud.

As it is, we just don’t have the firepower.

The villagers are in much the same position. The training and Dungeon expeditions have done a lot to take a collection of former farmers, labourers and traders and put them on the road to becoming proper warriors. They just aren’t there yet. There isn’t enough of them and they aren’t far enough along in their Skill development to turn the tide against a monster like Garralosh.

[Okay then. First thing first, we need to get the heck out of here and we need to do it fast,] I decide.

[You have a plan?] Morrelia asks, her eyes sharpening on me.

[Nope,] I admit. [Plans aren’t really my strong point. I was thinking we could just bust out the way we came in and hightail it south. It’s not subtle, but it gets us there as quickly as possible.]

Morrelia stares at me for a moment before she throws back her head and barks out a laugh.

[Too bad the Legion doesn’t accept monsters in the ranks,] she chuckles. [I have a feeling you’d fit right in.]

I turn my antennae toward the woman, reading the air around her subconsciously. She constantly talks about the Legion, not directly of course, but always mentioning it here and there. I know her father is a massive big shot with them, but what about Morrelia? She’s powerful, very much so. Why isn’t she a member? I refuse to believe she was kicked out.

[So—]

[I quit after my brother died in the service,] she interrupts.

How does someone read what an ant is about to say? I don’t even have facial muscles on the outside! Still, what she said did raise another question.

[How—]

[My father did not take it well,] she answers.

And judging by the steeled expression on the berserker’s face, I’m not going to get any more information out of her. I think I’ve pried enough anyway.

[So, we break through the front?] I ask.

[I think it’s most likely the horde will have returned to Garralosh’s side. They can’t have their monsters rushing around in the Dungeon forever, even if they can replenish their stock during the wave. Let’s go with your idea. If we run into too much opposition, we can retreat back to this position and try to find another way out,] Morrelia suggests.

Sounds good to me.

[Alright then, Tiny and Crinis, are you guys ready to fight your way out?]

At the word ‘fight,’ Tiny literally comes alive, energy and light beaming in his eyes, and his hands clench and unclench at the prospect of battle. For her part, Crinis unfolds a few tentacles and walks her way over to me, settling onto my carapace primly. If a shadowy ball of infinite despair can do anything primly.

[I am ready to fight by your side, Master,] she declares.

Well, good then.

[But I feel compelled to inform you,] she adds after a moment’s hesitation. [I believe I am ready to evolve.]

Ohhhhhhh boy.

[Really? That’s great!] I sputter with excitement, and can’t help but reach back with my antennae to pat and stroke the little ball. [Well done, Crinis!] I praise her effusively. [You even managed to tell me on your own! This is going to be great!]

Her silence and the slight tremor coming from my carapace speaks volumes.

[Crinis?] I ask, though it’s fruitless.

Dang. Too much praise too quickly. She’s short circuited.