Hopper sat atop his jagged, stone-like throne in the heart of the fortress, each passing minute eroding what little patience he had left. His thick arms rested heavily on the armrests, one of his clawed fingers twitching with irritation. His eyes scanned the open hall in front of him—still no sign of Denzil.
A heavy silence lingered in the air, broken only by the tapping of Hopper's leg against the stone floor, the rhythm growing more aggressive with every second.
"Where is that bastard?" Hopper growled under his breath, his fury sending a ripple of tension through the room.
Courtois, a simple patrol grasshopper standing several paces behind the throne, swallowed nervously and dared not speak. Where could Denzil be at this time? Baracko wondered silently, eyeing the warlord's tightening fists. Gianna, bold and sharp-tongued, voiced what many were thinking.
"That idiot Denzil is getting on Lord Hopper's nerves," she muttered, arms crossed as she leaned against one of the stone pillars. Her voice was low, but not low enough to go unheard.
Sly, ever the slouching shadow of the group, stood nearby with a languid posture, his half-lidded eyes betraying no emotion. He looked almost bored, as if none of this truly mattered.
Suddenly, Hopper's fist shot forward, slamming into the fortress wall beside his throne with a deafening crack. The stone split and crumbled under the force of his punch, sending a small tremor through the entire fortress. The ground vibrated ever so slightly, and deeper in the dark, damp recesses of the prison cells in that section, Princess Tanya stirred.
The sound roused her from a light sleep—though her dreams were more like vivid memories, bitter and filled with fear. Her throat was parched, her body weak from hunger and dehydration, but her spirit had not yet broken. As she sat up, her wide eyes scanned the dim area from behind the bars of her cage.
In the distance, she saw them—Hopper and his inner circle, towering and fierce. A flicker of fear sparked in her chest, her legs shaking slightly beneath her, but she did not allow it to blossom into panic. She steadied herself. She would not cower. Not anymore.
"I'm losing my patience. I'll find him myself," Hopper snarled, turning toward the corridor that led deeper into the fortress.
But before he could take a step, a familiar figure blocked his path.
Tanya's heart skipped a beat. Her antennae twitched violently as she recognized him. Her breath caught in her throat, and her body reflexively recoiled.
She remembered him well—the cruel enforcer who once delighted in torturing the enslaved ants. The memories came rushing back unbidden: the cracking of bones, the screaming, the way he laughed as he watched others suffer.
"Monster…" she muttered under her breath, inching backward in the cage, her back pressing into the cold stone wall behind her.
Hopper narrowed his eye, annoyed. "What's the matter, Viser? There better be a good reason for you to block my way. If not, I'll cut you down where you stand."
Viser bowed slightly but did not step aside. "My lord, there has been… an altercation. Our fortress has been invaded by a small group of ants."
"And what does that matter? All of them will die before even making it past the gates," Hopper scoffed, waving a clawed hand dismissively.
Viser shook his head. "Based on reports from our sentries, there are around ten of them. Six have been confirmed as ranked officers from Queen Celeste's army."
"What?" Hopper's expression twisted with disbelief, his eye flaring with rage. "Did you just say Queen Celeste's army?"
Tanya gasped. Her eyes widened, and her heart pounded. "Mother…" she whispered, antennae stiffening. For the first time in weeks, hope ignited in her chest. "So… Ari really did come to save me…"
Tears welled up in her eyes, trailing silently down her cheeks.
Viser continued, "The other four are unidentified, but based on what we've learned, one of them defeated Behemoth with a single punch."
Hopper paused, then growled, "One punch?"
Sly finally raised an eyebrow at that.
"My interest is in that ant," Hopper muttered. "The one who defeated Behemoth so easily… and the others. Could they possibly be part of Queen Celeste's army, hidden all this time?"
He shook his head. "No. Unlikely. Then they must be from a colony outside our control. One we've yet to discover."
"Denzil has engaged the group, my lord. Meanwhile, Queen Celeste's officers have split up within the fortress," Viser added.
"I see," Hopper said, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "So they've walked right into our fortress. They must have a death wish… With their high-ranking officers so weak, I never expected them to attempt a rescue mission. I even refused the agreement I made with them to retrieve the princess. Such a pity."
He turned to his generals. "I want all of you to find them. Kill them. Bring me their heads."
"Oh, I'll do more than that. I'll definitely find that ant who defeated Behemoth so easily," said Sly with a menacing laugh as he left.
"Such a pain, dealing with these puny insects," muttered Gianna, frustrated, as she stormed off.
Before Baracko left, he looked at Hopper and mumbled, "Something feels off. I feel it."
"Go with them as well, Viser," Hopper commanded.
Viser bowed. "As you command."
Tanya clutched the bars of her cage. "I have faith in you, Ari. I believe you can defeat them. Even Hopper. But please… be careful."
Elsewhere in the fortress, Anastasia crept silently along a dark corridor, her antennae lowered, her breathing controlled. Her eyes darted toward every corner, scanning for movement.
A group of grasshoppers stood at the end of the hallway, speaking in low voices. She paused behind a support column, holding her breath.
Then… clang.
Her foot accidentally nudged a rock. The sound echoed slightly.
"What was that?" one of the grasshoppers asked, turning his head.
They looked around, weapons drawn—but saw nothing.
"Must've been one of our slaves working," another muttered.
They wandered off after a moment. Anastasia let out a slow breath.
"I'm strong enough to deal with them," she whispered to herself. "But I don't want to tire myself out before I encounter Hopper… or one of his generals."
She pressed forward, moving swiftly and silently. But soon, she rounded a corner—and stumbled straight into another patrol.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" said one, smirking as he raised his four mandibles.
"An ant in the wrong colony," another hissed. "You lost, sweetheart?"
Anastasia didn't respond. Instead, she took a fighting stance, her mandibles gleaming.
"Oh, she's got fire," one chuckled.
"She won't last long," another growled.
The four grasshoppers charged at once. Anastasia's movements were fluid—each attack countered with precision. She ducked a swing, slammed her elbow into one's neck, spun around, and sent another flying with a swift kick.
In less than thirty seconds, all four were downed, groaning and twitching on the floor.
"Useless," she muttered, brushing dust off her shoulder.
As she turned to leave—
"Impressive."
A voice echoed from behind.
Anastasia froze, slowly turning to see Viser standing there, arms folded.
"You're not bad," he said, clapping with amusement.
"I don't have time for you," Anastasia said flatly, stepping away from the downed soldiers.
"I'm not one of Hopper's main four generals. I know that's what you're thinking," Viser said, stepping forward casually. "But make no mistake—I'm the strongest immediately after them."
Anastasia's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?"
He nodded. "Unlike the others, I don't parade around with a title. I serve Hopper from the shadows. My power lies not in rank… but in ability."
She drew her mandibles again. "Then show me."
Viser smirked. "Gladly."