"Well, well. Looks like someone was finally taught a lesson," Sloan said as she appeared in the chamber, looking quite smug.
"What are you on about?" I ask.
"Just noting that a certain, overconfident general, has learned that she isn't always right, and can't always win, regardless of the circumstances."
Sheesh. Since when did generals in the Colony get this petty?
"Yes, yes. The tier four general has learned she can't overcome a tier seven mythic monster. Whoo. Now scuttle off, don't you have to manage the defence against the wave?"
The atmosphere between Solant and Sloan is oddly tense and I'm sure there's a story there, but I can get to the bottom of it later. Tiny and Invidia have found their way into the chamber over the past hour, along with various ants who've checked in and filled me in on the goings on down here.
"I'll be out of your antennae in a moment, Eldest," Sloan assures me, "I'll just take Solant with me and we will be on our way."
I'm confused.
"Why would you be taking Solant with you?"
She hesitates.
"So… I can… teach her? If she's going to learn the ways of the Colony's generals, what better way than to learn from Victor and I?"
She's not even finished her spiel before I'm shaking my head.
"Absolutely not. I'll be taking care of Solant's education on the finer points of generalship. The two of you are much too important to be spending time training hatchlings."
Sloan stares at me, and I can tell she wants to say that I'm the one who's too important to be training new ants, but I don't give her a chance.
"Thanks for dropping by, Sloan! Excellent work as always, good chat and all that. Get back to doing what you do best, I don't want to take another moment of your time."
With one leg, I push the general to the exit and talk over her protests until she's out of the chamber and then resolutely turn my back.
"Thank you, Eldest," Solant says quietly.
"Pah! I've no idea why you don't get along, but I'm hardly going to let the next champion be trained in a conventional way. What's the point?! The great thing about the champions in the Colony is their unique way of thinking. Sloan and Victor would want you to operate 'by the book', and you'd turn out to be a fine general, I've no doubt, but your mould-breaking tactics and envelope-pushing mentality would go to waste."
"What's an envelope?"
"Never mind!"
Then I get to thinking.
"Now… I suppose… the best way to train you to be a better general is… to have you plan and execute as many battles as possible. Level your Skills, get some XP, and test your ideas."
I nod to myself.
"Well… that makes sense to me, at least. How do you feel about it?"
The little ant hesitates.
"This is… moving a little fast, Eldest."
I suppose she's never led her squad into a proper fight. The training the Colony provides is excellent, and they've certainly fought monsters many times, but that isn't exactly the same as fighting against a wave in the fourth stratum.
"Not a problem, we can ease you into it. Collecting information before devising a plan is core to your strategy, right? I'll take you and your squad out hunting, you can snipe some experience and Biomass while we hunt, and gather the information you need. Sound good?"
"That works."
She seems a little relieved I'm not going to put her on the spot and demand she start pumping out flawless battle plans immediately. I'll give her a couple of days before that stage, I suppose.
[Come on, Tiny, Invidia. We're heading out to fight.]
Tiny leaps to his feet and slams in a quick flex before he starts rumbling toward the entrance, Invidia fluttering over his shoulder. I don't need to bother asking Crinis, since she's still wrapped around my abdomen, it's not like I can avoid taking her with me.
"Go and get your team together," I tell Solant, "and we'll get going."
A moment later, we are striding through the fortress, and I have to say, they've done a lot of work on this place since I was last here. The fortress feels much more complete, with proper, lane-separated paths connecting the various segments, carpets for goodness sake, more finished rooms, along with the ever-present carving, frescos and statues.
At least I see some of them that aren't me. I even spot a Tiny, leaning forward in the classing macho pose, both arms bulging, in the centre of one chamber.
When we get toward the outer parts of the fortress, the fact that this is, in reality, a nest under siege becomes much more apparent. Hospitals are everywhere, ants scurrying all over the place, the constant sound of roaring monsters, hissing acid and the endless clacking and snapping of mandibles echoes down the corridors.
Eventually, I step out of a wide, open gate and find myself on the battlements, looking down the mountain to the fields of carnage below.
An endless stream of monsters seems to rise up out of the waters, or fly down from the sky, to hurl themselves against the mightiest defences the Colony has ever constructed. There has to be close to a million ants in this fortress right now, judging by the Vestibule, and they are hard pressed to hold off this constant assault, despite their defensive advantage.
I know for a fact that the tunnels below the fortress are just as dangerous, with thousands of monsters spawning in the darkness down there every minute.
"Well, this looks exciting," I comment to the gaggle of tier four ants beside me.
The twenty of them look shell-shocked as they gaze out across the devastation.
"Give me a minute to clear the field for a second, then we can make a plan."