My tour through Renewal had been just wonderful, but it was only a portion, merely half of the equation when it came to this remarkable place. The people I met were delightful, open and friendly folks who had pieced their lives back together after an unspeakable tragedy. I can't speak highly enough of them, really! On the other hand, I was yet to unravel the true mystery, that of the ants!
I was somewhat shocked to learn at just how open the insect monsters were to people. I'm honestly not sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn't what I found! When news of this strange place, where monster and human worked together in harmony first reached me, I pictured savage cultists feeding their children to the monsters to ensure their cooperation or something equally horrible. Instead, the people were just lovely, and the insects?
Well that's a story of itself now isn't it?
After completing the tour, I approached our guide, Emilia Cretherton, and asked what the chances were of gaining some access to the Colony. I was halfway to offering a bribe before the bright girl smiled widely and praised my bravery.
"Most people are a little hesitant to approach the Colony at first," she assured me as she took me by the arm, "but they're quite lovely, really. The hill is this way."
I don't think it's ever been this easy to talk my way into a dangerous place!
My two guards were far from pleased when they learned of our destination, but the two strapping lads had been well paid and Emilia was quick to assert that no danger would come to us. After all, had any of the ants posed a threat to us thus far? Clearly not! So persuaded, we made our way toward the outskirts of the city. Already I could see the massive anthill we had spied on our approach to the city from the air peeking at us between the buildings. As we walked, the human traffic didn't diminish, but rather thickened, as well as an increase in the number of ants moving to and fro.
Eventually we make our way out of the large gate on the western side of town and the second we are through it looms over us like a mountain. It's ridiculous to call it an 'anthill', such a word doesn't do justice to what I see before me. It's a castle! It's a fortress! It's a palace! It's a mountain!
So large it must stretch hundreds of metres into the air, if not a kilometre, the entire thing is formed of gleaming, polished rock that shimmers in the air, revealing its reinforced and condensed nature. A wide road has been built between Renewal and the hill, expertly constructed and lined on both sides with imposing statues of ants carved in such loving detail that each one appears almost lifelike. For a moment, I actually thought that they WERE alive, just preternaturally still but a quick question to Emilia relaxed my nerves.
She smiled and laughed as she gestured to the mighty edifice that rose before us.
"This is the first anthill that the Colony established after fleeing Liria during a wave. It was here that they took their stand and the Great One defeated Garralosh, ending her rampage and slaughter once and for all. The Colony doesn't name their nests, as such, they have a unique identifying scent, but that doesn't really translate into a name. For our part, we call this Anthome. Be welcome."
· Excerpt from Chapter Six of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'
The battle raged all around me the moment I set foot in the city, a flood of sensory information flowing in and threatening to dazzle me with its intensity. Teams of ants roamed everywhere in the city, pouncing on any demon who showed a sign of resistance. Through the Vestibule, I quickly learned that there were two main pockets of resistance to be found, both of them unsurprisingly centred around the two tier seven demons remaining. It was an easy bet that Grokus himself was fighting close to the pillar near his palace. I could sense a huge concentration of ants in that direction, whereas the other clump was likely to be where Mongo had holed up.
[Let's split here!] I tell the group and immediately dash toward the centre of the city, my legs a blur of movement.
Gotta go fast! Drawing on my inner Vibrant, I channel the power flooding through my spirit nave and turn it into strength, filling my body with vigour and helping me run even faster! Aha! Behind me, Invidia and Al disappear as they split off to deal with another threat whereas Crinis and Tiny continue with me.
We race through the tangled web of buildings and any demon unfortunate enough to get in our way meets a grisly and sudden end. We don't have time to mess around! I can hear the roar of the fighting before I see it, the constant hiss of acid being released into the air along with the percussive impacts that rattle through the stone beneath my legs as spells are hurled from both sides. The smell of my family is everywhere, layered pheromones of commands, cries for assistance and battle cries that echo against my antennae.
I'm coming!
We burst into the clear to find quite the scene before us. A literal wall of ants has formed, gnashing and spitting acid as Grokus himself, surrounded by a cadre of his most loyal demons, attempts to storm out of his compound. The city lord has undergone a hideous transformation, if that is even possible. The humanoid torso that sits atop his bulk is bellowing and cursing constantly, spitting a stream of abuse toward my siblings. The main mouth that splits the front of the body in half is off the ground for a change, revealing the wide elephant like feet underneath that crunch into the stone with every step.
The mouth itself is the stuff of nightmares, similar to Crinis' in that it appears less a mouth but more a portal to a separate dimension entirely reserved for suffering. His throat yawns like a void behind rows of needle sharp demon teeth.
The moment I burst onto the scene, a chorus of cheers rise from the assembled ants.
"The Eldest is here!"
"They've arrived!"
"Slacker! We've been working over here!"
"Stop being lazy! There's a job to do!"
"YEAH, YEAH! SHEESH!" I curse my own siblings as I rush forward to do battle. "Give me a break already. Nobody told me when you were attacking the city!"
My protestations are met with a chorus of boos and jeers which I have to admit is a little hurtful. Ingrates! Nothing for it though, time to get to work. My minds come together and forge a powerful mind bridge that I ram directly into Grokus' head before the huge demon can react.
[Hey there, big guy! Are you ready to dance?]
The moment I connect to him his smaller pair of eyes focus on me with laser-like intensity.
[DAMNED INSECT!] his voice rumbles in my mind, full of wrath. [BECOME MY FOOD AND I MIGHT FORGIVE YOU!]
[I don't think so. Look around, we've got a lot of mouths to feed in the Colony, so I think your Biomass is going to wind up in a good place!]
With nothing else left to say, I charge forward, my loyal pets by my side as we draw closer to the wall. The ants part before us, giving us a clear run and then surging forward behind us. It'll all get decided here!