Ari stared at his mandibles, the cool metal catching the faint light. The smooth surface pressed lightly against his fingers, grounding him in the moment.
I can't believe this… I actually beat them.
"I… I managed it," he whispered, voice barely audible over the rustling leaves. My first real fight, and I stayed calm. Their attacks… slow, predictable. Even their acid never touched me. These mandibles Valeria gave me… they saved us. I saved us.
He ran a hand over the mandibles, feeling their weight and balance. Even that acid, up close, never touched me.
And these mandibles Valeria gave me… they saved us. His voice trembled slightly, the weight of his own words sinking in. I—I saved us.
Rory placed a hand on Isla's shoulder, the pressure gentle but steady. "You holding up?"
Isla nodded, though her eyes kept drifting back to Ari, wide with a mix of awe and uncertainty. He… he actually did it.
"Yeah," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm fine."
Rory followed her gaze, watching Ari flex the mandibles with careful fascination. He's stronger than I expected… and if he keeps this up, he might actually be the one to take down that monster this winter.
Shaking himself out of the thought, Rory crouched near a pale blue flower tucked among the blades of grass. The cool evening dew dampened his fingers as he touched it.
"Got it," he said, tugging gently at the roots. "This is the one we need to move on to the next step."
"Let's head back quickly," Rory said, his voice steady now, the cool wind ruffling his hair. "We can't risk running into more termites."
"Yeah… you're right. Let's go," Ari added, his armored feet crunching softly against the underbrush.
But Isla hesitated, her fingers lingering on a bent blade of grass. "What about the others who ran? We should try to find them." Her voice wavered, guilt creeping in with every word.
Rory grimaced, his shoulders tensing. He ran a hand through his hair, the tips catching on damp strands. "For all we know, they're either dead or hopelessly lost. If we search aimlessly, we might all end up dead."
He paused, eyes scanning the shadowed forest. "Worse, we could stumble right into their colony. Their acid… it's not something we can gamble against."
Isla lowered her head, fists clenching so tightly that her knuckles whitened. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I know… but it still feels wrong."
Ari's voice softened, the rasp of his breath audible as he crouched slightly to meet their level. "I know this may feel wrong, but right now… we need to get back. We have to warn the commander."
They moved quickly, their armored feet clicking and scraping against the forest floor, twigs snapping under the pressure. The silence between them felt heavy, broken only by the sharp rhythm of their steps.
Back at the colony, Valeria stood near the entrance, arms crossed, her gaze tracking returning squads as they trickled in. The faint tang of soil and the metallic scent of exoskeletons filled the air.
"Beatrice, any updates? Have any groups cleared the task?" Her voice was steady, though her antennae twitched slightly with unease.
Beatrice kept scanning the distant treeline, shifting her weight on her feet. "No, Commander. But if they stayed on their assigned routes, some should be arriving soon." Her tone was calm, but the tension in her posture betrayed her worry.
Valeria nodded, her antennae twitching slightly. "Good. The sooner, the better. We won't be living in peace much longer."
One by one, the squads returned, each carrying their assigned plants, exoskeletons gleaming in the dim light. Their movements were stiff and grim, but all were alive. Beatrice's eyes softened as she observed them—until her gaze fell on a gap in the formation.
"Commander," she said, her voice tightening, "that seems to be everyone except…" Her mouth dropped slightly as she spotted Rory, Isla, and Ari approaching alone, their steps uneven but determined. "That's… that's all that's left of their troop."
Beatrice stepped forward, antennae flicking with urgency, dread threading her voice. "Where's the rest? Did you run ahead?"
Rory shook his head, mouth set in a flat line, eyes heavy and darkened from exhaustion. His shoulders sagged slightly beneath his armored exoskeleton. "Over half were killed. The rest scattered in panic. We're all that's left."
Beatrice's throat tightened, her antennae twitching nervously. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the click of her exoskeleton echoing softly. "I… I'm sorry. I can't imagine what you three went through."
"Don't apologize," Valeria cut in, her voice firm but not unkind. Her antennae twitched slightly as she leaned forward, eyes scanning the group. "This is the reality outside our colony walls. Death follows us. Sometimes it claims us. If you aren't ready to face that, you don't belong in the military."
She paused, then tilted her head toward Ari, Rory, and Isla. "The three of you, come with me." Her fingers flexed against the hard exoskeleton of her arms. "Beatrice, keep the other recruits occupied."
Inside the command post, Valeria folded her arms across her chest, the sheen of her exoskeleton catching the dim light. Her antennae swiveled forward as she fixed her gaze on the group. "Tell me exactly what happened out there," she said, her tone sharp, scanning for any hesitation.
Rory recounted the attack, his voice low but steady. His antennae twitched nervously as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "They fired some kind of toxic substance from their hands. It melted our comrades to the bone in seconds. From what I saw… they were termites. We managed to kill two, but one escaped."
Valeria's brow furrowed, her antennae leaning forward as she processed the information. "Termites…" she muttered, her voice tight. "We scouted those paths carefully. Termites don't usually wander far from their colonies."
Ari nodded, his antennae angling forward slightly as he steadied his stance. "Their colony has to be nearby. A few days away at most."
Valeria touched a finger to her chin, her brows tightening as her antennae shifted. A strand of hair brushed against her cheek, but she didn't move it aside. "I've dealt with termites before. They're easy to kill, but their acid is death itself. And if one escaped, our colony could be in danger."
Her posture stiffened, the faint creak of her exoskeleton carrying in the quiet. She fixed her eyes on Ari, lips set firmly. "I'll send four hundred ants to wipe them out. I'll discuss it with Queen Celeste and the elders."
"Wait," Ari said, stepping forward, his antennae tilting sharply as his brows knitted. The urgency in his voice surprised even him. "That's reckless. We don't know their exact location or numbers. Charging in blindly will get hundreds killed."
Valeria raised an eyebrow, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Any suggestions then?"
Ari began pacing, the plates of his exoskeleton shifting softly with each step. His antennae quivered as his thoughts raced. "Yeah. I think it's the most effective way to get rid of them. Listen. Termites build in wooden terrain. A direct assault is suicide. We need to surround the colony first—three hundred ants to form a perimeter, a hundred to flush them out."
Isla blinked, her antennae twitching slightly. "Flush them out? How?"
Ari's smirk was faint, almost unreadable. "You'll see soon enough," he said, letting a beat hang before adding, "Just… trust me."
Valeria studied him, arms crossed, her gaze sharp. Her silence stretched long enough that Rory shifted uncomfortably. Finally, she spoke. "You've got guts. And your plan makes sense."
"Looks like I'm putting my trust in your decisions once again, recruit. Don't let me down—fill me in on the details later," Valeria said, her lips pressing into a firm line as she turned briskly and walked away, antennae tilting with each step.
"Are you going to fight the termites too, Ari? I mean, we're still recruits—it'll be dangerous. So… will you?" Isla asked, her voice trembling slightly, antennae quivering.
"Yeah, I need to be there. I'm the one who came up with the plan," Ari replied, his shoulders squared, eyes steady.
"In that case, I'm coming too. Can't let you hog all the glory as the only recruit who gets recognized," Rory said, a smirk tugging at his lips. He shifted his weight, one foot scraping lightly against the ground.
"I'm coming as well," Isla added, hands clenching briefly at her sides, lips pressed together. "I'm scared… but I won't be left behind."
Ari let out a soft sigh, eyes fixed on the path ahead. Doubt flickered in his chest, but he pushed it down, straightening his posture. "I wonder how all of this will play out… hopefully my plan actually works."
The next morning, just as the first light broke over the colony, Commander Valeria stood tall before her gathered soldiers. Her sharp gaze swept across the lines of determined faces, each one ready to march into battle.
The air was thick with anticipation, a quiet tension humming beneath the steady shuffle of feet. Ari, Rory, and Isla stood near the front, their hearts pounding for different reasons—strategy and fear. Valeria's voice cut through the silence, steady and firm.
"Listen well! Today, our mission is to crush the termite colony. This operation will be led by recruit Ari."
She let the silence hang for a moment, her eyes sweeping over the ranks, catching the flickers of surprise and doubt on several faces. Her antennae twitched slightly, sensing the shift in tension.
"You will follow his orders as if they were mine. Anyone who questions that… will answer to me."
Beatrice's eyes flickered with doubt, her lips pressing together. "With all due respect, Commander… trusting a recruit with the lives of four hundred ants?"
"He survived what most of his platoon didn't," Valeria said without hesitation, her gaze steady and unwavering. Her antennae shifted forward slightly. "And he's the only one thinking three steps ahead. That's the reason Queen Celeste made him a part of our colony."
Beatrice glanced at Ari, her lips pressed together and antennae tilting slightly. Faith… in a recruit? I've never seen Valeria trust anyone like this. Who is he? What can he really do?
Rory watched Ari move among the troops, his hands resting loosely at his sides. His brow furrowed slightly as he followed Ari's calm, precise movements. He really is something else. It's not just the way he strategizes so effortlessly… there's just something about this ant that even the commander feels. I mean, she puts her trust in him, and he's just a recruit.
Isla trailed slightly behind, legs dragging a little as her breath came in shallow bursts. Her antennae twitched uncontrollably, catching every movement of Ari ahead. He's going to lead us into battle. I hope he knows what he's doing… but part of me believes he does.