Another hissing horde of Ankarog Warriors crawled out of the Nightmare Portal, eager to join the battle, but as soon as they spotted the Patriarch's lifeless body sprawled on the ground, their morale dropped, and they fled back inside the Nightscape.
The Patriarch's death was no small event for an Ankarog Colony. Without a leader to guide them and breed with the female drones, they were nothing but a band of disorganized cryptids. And since these Ethereals had one of the most rigid hierarchical setups, no lower-ranking Ankarogs could replace the fallen Patriarch.
Xander knew Silver Pine was now safe from attacks. There was now no chance of the Ankarogs continuing the hunt since they would be too occupied sorting their own societal mess.
Abigail wiped his knives clean and walked up to the defeated Patriarch. He kicked it in its abdomen just to confirm it was really dead.
"What now?" he asked, staring at the oversized mantis.
