Madhuri was happy to see me.

W-where are w-we going now? She chirped and fought through the pain that arose every time she beat her wings. She tolerated it until I reached her then slumped to the ground. Her wings were in bad shape.

All the rolling and crashing had done a number on them. Bella said they were sprained, not broken. She was teaching Madhuri to refrain from beating them unnecessarily, but it was taking a toll on both of them. One was irritated and the other was tired.

However, even in pain, she rubbed her beak against me. Let’s not talk about what others thought of this when even I felt scared every time she demanded me to rub her face or climb her beak so she could see me properly. I feared she would accidentally eat me or squish me. There was no difference between them. I would be dead either way.

Even Barry agreed that it was a scary sight. Multiple times the termite soldiers thought the sky predator was attacking me and advanced against her to save me.

I lauded their effort and apologized for the nuisance. Never thought I would say this, but it was a proud feeling to be cherished by so many, even termites.

Unfortunately, they refused to see her as a friend —which I was secretly thankful for. Madhuri couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe. The termites weren’t any different from the moths that she had hunted near the beehive, only smaller in size and larger in number. It was a thought I left buried under my other worries. I didn’t want another thing grating against my conscious.

I rubbed her beak and climbed atop. I released a smidgen of my scent because it calmed her. She looked at me. Her big complex eyes watched me, but she was tired and it showed.

We looked at each other, an ant and a bird. Normally, we would have never made acquaintances, but there we were, away from our homes, half lost and worried for our loved ones, and remarkably trustful of one another. A Partnership of misery, the elder termite called it. I strongly disagreed.

However, we were to part there, and the decision tore at my consciousness like the sharp bladed arms of an assassin bug. I feared losing her too. I parted with princess and danger found her. I feared something similar would happen to Madhuri if I left her. But I had no choice.

A drone of buzzing wings told me the duo had finally arrived. Madhuri had dozed off, but woke up to see who it was and then closed her eyes again. I liked that she could close her eyes. At least one of us could decide what to see and what to ignore. Bella softly landed on Madhuri’s featherless head and took perch. I knew the question was coming even before it was asked. They had been at it since the skirmish, asking after me and everything.

Are you thinking about it again? There it was; at least she left it open by not asking anything specific. She knew about my thoughts and was surprisingly sensible about it. Barry on the other hand had been teasing me ever since he had learned that everything I had done was for a Princess —I meant because of a Princess, stupid antennae.

It was Barry who initiated the conversation.

Is he still occupied with his imaginary princess?

Do you think I should give him some honey? Bella asked him. Maybe that will cheer him up?

Honey, you can’t Honey him with Honey. That only works on me. What he needs is to get off his ass and get going. Or the princess will remain imaginary all his life.

Bella jumped at him, wrapped her legs around his body like a caterpillar clinging to a branch, not intending to let go.

Will you think of me when you are away? She buzzed.

Oh, I would not, really. It was a mistake, but the piercing sharp ovipositor rectified the situation. Because I’m not leaving you, Honey. He added.

I almost jumped to my feet. I thought he was being serious, but he had simply forgotten about our arrangement. It was typical of him. He was someone who had forgotten the way back to his hive; what were an ant and his request in front of that? Thankfully, Bella was there to remind him.

You are going with him. Did you forget that?

Oh, He was surprised and turned toward me and I nodded. They dipped starkly when he stopped beating his wings, but caught up to it quickly. Yeah, there was that.

He asked Bella to let him go, then flew and landed over Madhuri’s neck and hid under the warm carpet of feathers. She stirred when his sharp contours grated against her skin but didn’t come awake. She had gotten used to us meddling around.

Good job. I told Bella, a complaint. Now he’s also sulking.

He’ll be alright. It is you I worry about.

She ignored my bafflement and started cleaning her limbs one by one. She was so sleek, and with the sun to her back, her figure looked far too erotic for my heart to stay calm.

I looked away and accidentally saw two royal termites pointing their antennae toward us. They were telling our tale of bravery and courage to a few soldiers. I turned my antennae toward them to hear what they were saying.

Do you think the ants are friends to all the bees and the hornets?

I have to shit.

Maybe that’s how they subdued a sky predator? Think we can get one?

It’s happening; take cover!

Nope. I cut away from them before I could hear any more nonsense.

We were still in the graveyard. Star was keeping the termites busy by making them gather the dead from both sides. Far too many had died, less because of overwhelming might and more because of the lacking discipline.

The idea of gathering the dead was foreign to the termites. One soldier had even come forward to ask him the point of wasting energy collecting bodies that were of no use. I thought Star would get angry, grow repulsive even, but he was unfamiliarly considerate and polite instead; like a mother explaining to its kids, he explained the reason behind the activity.

It’s to show respect to the dead. You respect the soldiers who fought alongside you and died ahead of you. You respect them for their courage and their bravery. You respect them for giving their life to protect something. So they will know in death that they didn’t die in vain. So that when your day comes and you are down in the dirt, you will know that you didn’t die in vain. That you were protecting something, upholding a value, fighting alongside your comrades, and you were not alone.

He’s a shrewd one. Bella commented. I could not agree. Asking her got me nothing as she refused to explain. You’ll know when you know. It was the only thing she said.

Those who were not gathering the dead were digging holes to bury the infected. We didn’t want another infection spreading from the corpses.

And then there was a third group that was being grilled by Star. He was teaching them discipline and the importance of order. These fifty or so termites were the ones that had shown exceptional talent during the battle and had been promoted to the rank of captain.

The makeshift army that he had created was only going to grow from there. And to put a nail in the coffin, Star had decided to stay behind to teach the termites the art of ground warfare. The rest would be returning on foot, while Barry and I were going to take fly back.

The hateful one had found the idea repulsive. It will bite you on your ass. She had told her senior in rank and age. I was not against the idea, but I didn’t want him to prepare a force that could one day put us in a bind or take us down either. I had asked him to be vigilant and prudent. Star was compassionate, but not a fool.

The 5555th soldier wanted to come with me but I could not agree to her.

Bella tapped my back with her antennae. You are not alone anymore. She let me know.

I know.

If you can save her then bring her back here. If not…

I’ll send Barry—

She interrupted me with a crackling slap on the top of my head and buzzed her wings to anger.

Come back fool, Was what I understood between the buzzing of my head and her wings. Or I’ll come to find you.

I would have released amusement if it wasn’t for the stabbing pain. Don’t mess with a wasp, just don’t. But she was not joking.

I’ll bring all my children and every other parasitic wasp I know with me and we’ll deposit eggs in anything we find moving. So don’t even think about dying or I’ll make sure that everyone follows behind you.

So much for a farewell; thanks for the added pressure. I’m sure it’ll be very helpful. I chocked on the words, buried the thought deep inside my mind, and just looked away from her.

I apologized instead. For both, taking Barry with me and leaving Madhuri to her care. I hoped she wouldn’t be angry over the issue, and she wasn’t or she didn’t show. She buzzed to excitement instead.

Are you kidding me? We are going to have so much fun. She’ll be such a big help to hunt down creatures I could never touch before. I’ll finally have revenge against the shameful mantis that has been stealing my prey. It and its friends will never see us coming.

I doubted they wouldn’t see a bird flying toward them, but even that will still be miles better than me taking her with me.

Someone needed to be there to help her in need, and feed her. I didn’t believe she would be able to hunt on her own until her wings healed. Barry would have been of no help since he fed on flowers, while Bella knew all there was to know about the habits and habitats of prey, and had the means to handle her. And Madhuri feared her ovipositor ever since she had injected her with the paralyzing poison and made her sleep.

That is how Bella intended to keep her from coming after us. I worried the poor bird would become scarred for life, but there was no way I was taking her with me in her condition; I was not possibly going to leave her there all alone. The termites acted friendly, but we had too much bad blood between us. They would be taking over the stretch of land after the infestation was curbed. And I didn’t know where things would go from there.

However, the danger wasn’t over yet. The city in the group of rocks still housed plenty of infected; the only reprise was that their queen was dead thanks to one genius blunder by our very own Bella.

Sooner or later the rest would also meet their maker, Star was staying back to take care of that problem. Maybe my words that the next was his home city had influenced him too much, but he was happy.

Finally, I analyzed my status. It had been such a long time that I didn’t even know what to expect.

STATUS: 5-6-99

Level & Rank

5/10 [0]

Willpower

Low-Low

Endurance

20.7/25.7

Dexterity

Low-Low

Mana

0/12.6

Perception

Low-Med

Species

Ember Ant (Common)

Hardness

Low-Med

End Reg. (.48/hour)

Mana reg. (0/hour)

Calories

16/26.5

Stat gain/Level:

+.1 CONS, +.1 STR/ +.1 AGI

Strength

2

Intelligence

2.2

Agility

1.8

Wisdom

1.9

Charisma

0.4

Luck

0

Greed

54

Constitution

5.3

Titles:

Master of Greed, Loud mouthed Traitor, Royal Guard, TRUTH, Skill collector,

Skills:

Sin

Greed*(-)

Racial

Digging(5), I.C(1+1), Ant sense(3+2), Bite(2), Absorption(4), Pheromone Control(2+3), Climb(1+1), Tracking(3), Hibernation(1), Balance(3+1),

General

Universal Tongue(n/a), Movement(3), Patience(5), Focus(5), Hygiene(7+3), Tenacity(1+2), Toughness(1+2), Anger(1), Sight(1+4), Roll(1), Dodge(1+1), Feather fall(1), Vigor(1+1), Examine(1), Memory(3), Breathing(3+1), Confidence(+2), Leadership(+2), Reckless courage(+4)

Utility

Confusion(1), Premonition(1), Analyze(1), Overwhelm(2), Map(1), Iron Claws(1), Sneak(1)

Resistance

Thermal(1), Poison(1+3), Acid(1+2), Charm(1), Stress(1+1), Strain(1), Mental Corruption(1), Overwhelm(1), Pain(1+1), Hydrophobic(1), Aerodynamic(1+1)

Mastery

Bare handed(1), Sharp weapon(+2), Martial arts(+1)

Charge(2), Stab(+2), Head butt(+1)

There were a lot of small and large changes. I had a few more skills, the stats were way higher —Constitution had a large lead against the others— and there was a change in Perception and Hardness.

No wonder I felt so invigorated and sharper, but one look at my friends, and I knew I had a long way ahead of me. And they weren’t even that strong. I had only seen the denizens of light; real monsters lived where the shade was the darkest.

However, it was also true that I had outlived thousands and grown stronger from the encounter. And if there was no limit to my growth then I only needed to stay alive, and surely the day would come when I’d be able to stand tall in front of even the hisser without backing down.

Something else that had changed was my thoughts regarding the system. I no longer believed it to be a manifestation of Evil, and even believed that Greed wasn’t a menace that couldn’t be avoided. Both acted according to my actions. My fate was in my hands.

There was just one more thing left to do. One of the skills on the status was blinking, and glowing in a green hue. I wondered what that was about.

Call the skill, boy. The voice suddenly spoke in my head. About time you evolved a skill.

Until then only Greed had evolved. And I dreaded being called back into the void where the mist of my memories resided. But the ember slumbering inside my head had news for me.

Don’t worry. This is a good thing.

I believed the voice. I called the skill and a new, more dazzling prompt opened in front of me.

Skill: Hygiene has reached the maximum level. It is presenting you with the option to: Remove or replace.

The words didn’t mean much to me and the voice inside my head told me it was my choice.

Pick one. It said. Well, I picked remove and that was it. Wait—

You have acquired a new skill: Clean.

[Clean][Lv-1/25][Tier-2][Active]

[Cleanliness is the most important thing if one is to survive from infection and general discomfort]

[Effect: It removes all dirt and dust covering your body; the effectiveness depends upon the skill level.]

[Cost: It costs one point of Endurance regardless of skill level.]

It was an active skill and a very useful one from the description. As an ant, I understood the importance of cleanliness better than anyone else. Cleaning my body was a major activity; it was something that needed to be done every day and done right. If the skill could take lace of manual rubbing and scrubbing it would not only save me quite a lot of hassle but also time and effort.

The skill activation felt like a breeze hitting my body. I felt a coldness wash over me and then, surely, my antennae felt a lot less clogged and a lot more perspective to the world. The effect was clearly not very strong yet, but it was a start. In the future with more levels, it was bound to grow infinitely more important than anything else.

This was it. I had done and achieved everything and more than I had started out to achieve. The termites had this place under control and I had what I needed. It was time for me to say my farewells and prepare for the end.

I stood up.

Leaving? Bella asked.

I nodded and she nodded back. I climbed over Madhuri’s crown and found Barry sleeping on her neck under the blanket of her warm feathers. There was a burst of wings and Bella was upon him before I could wake him.

He wouldn’t have wakened at my insistence, but she had him up and full of delicious honey in seconds.

Are you done gloating? He asked me, buzzing his wings to annoyance. It earned him a tight slap right at the back of his head. It was beautifully executed. He buzzed in pain, and I thanked Bella for everything. She accepted.

She buzzed to sadness for a moment then changed it to strength and blessings, and gave me a parting gift, her scent. Suddenly, I smelled of a wasp. It was faint but would be more than enough to scare away scroungers and smaller parasites. It was not just a mere gift, but a mark of friendship and honor. I accepted it gracefully, and the system celebrated this moment with another gift.

Scents, each one is unique, there are none two alike. It is not just a favor when one imparts their scent upon another. The Wasp named Bella-Dire has claimed you as her own.

You have acquired a new Title: Friends with Wasps.

[Friends with Wasps][Title]

[Scent fades in time, but the mark of friendship is forever to remain.]

[Effect: Wasps will refrain from putting an egg inside you and might even listen to you.]

Oh. Barry exclaimed. What about me? Where is my gift?

Bella had the perfect gift for him. She brought out the deferrer, her ovipositor, and curved it toward him.

Did you not enjoy stabbing me? She asked, menacingly, oppressively. I could not understand the meaning, but seeing Barry in a rush to get away from her, I knew something had occurred between them when they were away. She didn’t look hurt, so I couldn’t determine when and how he had stabbed her.

Barry wanted to leave right away, but well, I noticed Star running toward us with his adviser in tow. Star carried the small petite worker in his mandibles like a nymph, and it was an oddly comical sight. His adviser looked scared but also determined. I had no choice but to delay our departure for a little longer.

Let’s leave. Barry asserted, but how could I leave without meeting Star one last time. He was coming straight from the outfields. What if he had something important to say or ask?

I jumped down from Madhuri’s head as Bella tackled Barry into the air right behind me. It’s nothing serious. They are only playing. Deceiving myself with that, I made a short way to Star.

We met a few paces from Madhuri. And I was right; He had a request.

Kid, I’ll be frank. I want you to take my adviser with you. He’s being needlessly paranoid.

The adviser raised her head to complain but faltered under the pressure exerted by Star.

Is that the only reason? I asked.

Of course not, He enthusiastically blasted the pheromones. The adviser fell to the ground right away; I resisted.

Drop him at the 43rdcity, my home, will you? He carried on unaware of the trouble he was causing. Queen Nadiea needs to know everything that has happened here.

I pitied the termites. They would soon learn that the one they had chosen to lead them was far crazier than any infected they would find inside the city of rocks.

That was all he had to tell me. Then he turned toward his adviser and started instructing her at her job.

Request scouts to nearby cities the first thing. Worry about the rest later. Don’t bother her with your stories until you have requested her for scouts and reinforcements. We need to know if the nearby cities are safe or not. And don’t forget to warn her about the mushrooms. Don’t hold anything back. Lastly, I want ten thousand soldiers here in three days. Make that happen. The city in the rocks will be ours.

The last one baffled me.

What about the termites? Don’t they want to take over after the infestation is curbed?

Surprisingly, he said no, and released honor. They promised me they don’t want the land. They only want to kill the infected.

And you believe them? I questioned.

Do you have a brighter idea? He asked.

I had nothing.

The adviser looked like she had a thing or two to say, but knew better than to interrupt Star. Having said his piece Star… left. He obviously did not think it through. I was still thinking about how to take her with us when Barry appeared beside me. He looked, haggard, drained. He was not in the best of conditions but wanted to leave, quickly, right there and then. His antenna hectically swirled above his head. He was scared.

Can we go now, please? He asked so pathetically it made me shudder.

We need to take her with. Can you carry us both?

Huh? It was like he lost character for a second. Are you insulting me? He buzzed with the pride of a hornet. Then he remembered something and quickly returned to his previous scared, scarred avatar. Sure, sure. Just come on.

Alright, let’s go.

Barry wrapped his only legs around my chest and lifted off. My feet slowly left the ground. However, the lift-off wasn’t as effortless or smooth as it should have been.

Did you eat a whole beetle or something? He complained. Why do you weigh so much?

It was not a joke. His fluttering wings created quite a buzz, more so than usual. He never complained when carrying Bella. Did he mean I was heavier than her, a wasp multiples times larger than my size? Things would have become problematic if he had a hard time staying afloat, but the extra strength from the training paid out big, and he was able to become stable.

Carrying the adviser proved difficult but in a different way. Not because of her weight. No. Barry didn’t even feel any additional strain. He compared her to a feather. I was a bit zealous... but he was right for sure. The reason was her caste. She was a worker, just like me, and I had a title called the loud-mouthed traitor.

The adviser made sure that I understood she didn’t want to be near me. First, she escaped every time I tried to hug her and then shuddered in repulsion when I managed to take a hold of her. She didn’t scream for help, but might as well had done that too, for the crowd that had formed around would have loved to see a little more drama. I heard the hateful one complaining to the 555th soldiers about the reason behind my bad reputation.

A burst of wind and we were flying. The termites all stopped working as they sensed us leaving. They raised a scented salute, while Madhuri chirped in distress. She tried to run after us, but Bella controlled her and scared her back.

I saw 5555th soldier and the hateful one standing next to Star, all three stood holding a different set of emotions. One burned with duty, another was in a dilemma, and the last one was being emotional.

I released my farewell and Barry took flight. Up we went and in seconds we were so far from the rock city and the graveyard they couldn’t even be seen.

The adviser continued fidgeting between my legs until her feet left the ground.

You better stop acting up now. She didn’t until I loosened my legs around her a bit. That’s when it dawned upon her that her life was in my hands. A little slipup from me and, oops, she’d be gone.

She became quiet as a corpse after that, but not for long.

Our destination was east. We were going to follow the river, from a distance —we hadn’t yet forgotten about the bird hunter.

Flying with Madhuri was very different than being carried by Barry. Comparing the two was like putting a soldier against a worker. Flying with Madhuri felt like standing tall against the wind, but with Barry, the world blurred past my sight, wind constantly pushed against my body, and the scents constantly slapped against my antennae, opening a new olfactory world to my mind. It was a whole new experience and brought me a rush of excitement that nothing ever had.

And I was not the only one to appreciate the thrill and the opportunity.

This. Is. Amazing! The adviser let out. We were of the same caste, with the same bodily limitations, though given a different set of duties, were bound to never leave the ground. Yet there we were, flying through the sky like it was no one’s business. We were the first workers to fly, even if with assistance.

I know, right! Yes, I replied; and yes, she listened when I told her about the princess and her dream. She won’t believe me when I tell her this. Barry you’ll have to take her for a flight. Is freedom was something physical, this would be it.

You forget your grievances when you are experiencing something so majestic for the first time. The thing between us wasn’t personal. It was an induction of the system, something superficial. And as I learned from the course of our flight, the title and their effects weren’t absolute.

Why. Can’t she. Fly? The adviser asked, mandibles flaring from excitement. Does she not —have wings?

That’s right.

That’s. Sad. She acknowledged. My queen didn’t have wings either. She was. Once. A resident queen of the central city. Until the region around the 43rd city. Was won from the termites. And given to her.

T-that hap-happened? Barry joined into our conversation, but quickly realized he should focus on flying. Those sudden drops in altitude were scary as the shade below.

Yes. And if your princess. Was born in the 43rd. we would have found her. A place to rule. That’s. What. The law dictates.

I was surprised, envious, and then nonchalant. I couldn’t find the right words to say. Barry rescued me from my selfish thoughts with his comedy and wits.

Yeah. And who would have saved you then? He chimed in on my behalf. There were no drops in altitude this time. He must have been feeling pretty well to be able to do both fly and talk. Everything happens for a reason, kid. Remember the past and worry about today. That’s my motto, and I haven’t met anyone who was happier in life than me.

Turns out it was not only Barry who had found his voice again. The adviser also had a few words for Barry.

It’s flawed—

Until she was interrupted. But she wasn’t one to back down. She was usually down to earth and nervous around Star, but there was no way she would have been able to stay his adviser for such a long time without being able to talk back to him. And it showed when the two entered a debate regarding the importance of present on the future, and whether it mattered.

I fizzled out of the conversation at that point. The present, the future, neither would have mattered to me if the city was already dead and the princess had turned into one of the infected. The thought was painful; it made me solemn. I couldn’t tune with them after that. My heart grew numb. I was them in body, but my mind was a blank slate. I was sulking and I had all the right to be down.

The ember stirred when it had enough of my behavior. Are you scared?

I didn’t find its question interesting enough to answer, but it wasn’t done yet.

It is difficult, isn’t it? Coping with your thoughts and reality can be challenging at times. You must feel like a puppet on strings, a fool.

My heart thrummed again. Emotion boiled. That’s exactly how I felt.

And it makes you mad, doesn’t it?

It truly made me delirious. It enraged me. Worst of all, the situation made me hopeless.

Everyone reacts differently under pressure. Some grow silent —like you— and others grow violent. But that’s life. You can have expectations, but it’s usually better to prepare for the worse.

I didn’t want another piece of advice. I wanted a path to follow, a light at the end of the tunnel, something to latch onto. The ember must have heard me, because it had no advice for me.

I can’t advise you on how to cope with anxiousness. But you need to put everything aside for a moment and start planning. You’ll have some leeway if you know what you are doing once you are there. Expect the worst and prepare for the impossible, so that when the challenge is difficult but possibly you have something to fall upon.

I missed the landmarks, the desolations, the winds, and the river because I was planning my steps, but it was worth it all. I had a plan going by the time we reached the 43rd city.

My two companions were engaged in friendly banter about flowers when I put my focus back to the present.

Rise and shine, little guy. Barry was in a very good mood.

Where are we?

We are halfway there. Look ahead.

The 43rd city was right in front of us. I could finally see the city in its entirety and it was truly an absolutely marvelous creation. And visible was the river that flowed right beside the city. From the ground, the distance had appeared safe enough, but from up there I could see that the city was built far too close to the river.

However, the flood braking system really showed its prowess here. The river was not flooding and the system was under repair, but I could imagine how it would all come to work when the river raged.

The tall and thick shields to remove the force from the flowing water, the many wells to collect the excess water, and the channels to drain it all away; it was all too wonderful. Everything was perfectly designed and looked like a gigantic dirt flower mid-bloom. It was not luck that even with regular flooding the city still stood stall.

The last time I was there, the frogs had destroyed a portion of the tower. But it had already been repaired. No croaks rang around the city.

I wondered how the termites could have designed a method so sophisticated, and why they had built the city there in the first place. There were plenty of other places for them to create a tower, but no, they had specifically chosen this place. Why? It was usually princess Tinbuji’s department to wonder. However, since she was not around I picked up that mantle.

However, the most important question of all was not about what the termites had achieved in the past, but what were they up to in the present.

Although the elder termite had promised Star having no plans of coming back, since they were prospering atop the tree, I could not help doubt her claim.

Ask any worker to choose between a life of digging and freedom, and they would instantly choose the latter. I was once a worker, and I knew how difficult the former option was. The outside called to me every day, and I was only able to hold on because of the breaks I took whenever I went outside to dump trash in the pit.

How could the termites give up on the land they were so close to obtaining, and decide to stay trapped atop the tree, with only the desert around them and no place to go? It didn’t make sense.

I discussed it with both Barry and the adviser and we reached the same decision: to listen, but not believe their words as the truth.

I’ll ask the same question to my queen. The adviser let me know. She will know what to make of it.

The patrolling sentries and the workers almost had a heart attack when they sensed and saw Barry, an absolute beast of a creature, landing so close to the city tower.

We dropped the adviser in front of the entrance and then took flight again. The adviser wanted us to meet the queen, but I had delayed the destination enough.

Hundreds of soldiers rushed out of the tower pointing their mandibles at her. Thankfully, they recognized her scent and understood that one of their own had returned before anything bad could happen.

I was sure they’d have a lot to ask her but hoped they wouldn’t delay her from meeting the queen. The information she carried was important and their future depended on how quickly they responded to the situation.

The sky was still blue and the air, warm and stinging, instead of the evenings refreshing. We had plenty of time before night covered everything in darkness and washed the world in cold. We hadn’t taken even an hour to reach the 43rd when the journey would have taken me days on foot.

This was it. The truth was only a few minutes away. We flew high enough that I would have been able to see the city were my sight not limited by my level.

But I recognized everything from there on ahead.

The mound, the swamp, and the sand dunes, nothing had changed, but everything looked so different from the top.

My heartbeat faster the closer we drew to the city. Barry understood me. It wasn’t long ago when he was in a similar situation and had asked for my help to take him to the hive. He was also bringing the news of a moth invasion tot eh hive. I finally understood how he must have felt that night.

Scared? He asked and I wholeheartedly agreed. It’ll be alright. Relax. You’ll know the truth in a matter of minutes. There is no need to get anxious right now.

He meant well, but it didn’t help. If anything, my worry grew into fear as we crossed the mound where I had seen my first beetle and the swamp where the earthworm had hidden from our expedition.

I feared for the state of the city, for the queen, the residents, but the most I worried was for my dear princess. She wasn’t one to hide in the presence of danger. I hoped she was alright. I hoped they all were alright, but my hopes were crushed when we entered the territory adjacent to the city.

It was horrifyingly silent. Nothing lived there. It was empty. Only wind careened through the shrubs and the herbs, the grass, and the ferns. All the intruders were gone. The grass which used to be full of hoppers and other crawlers danced freely in the wind.

The quiet was not a good sign and the scent that lingered there made my heart grow cold.

Barry sped up. He was exhausted but knew the state of my heart better than me.

It wasn’t long before I saw the advanced posts and the city behind the small conical towers.

The tower in the center had been destroyed by a giant white mushroom. It had pushed through the western wing, demolishing half of it. The rubble from the destruction was still lying at the foot of the tower.

A black mass hovered above the curved mushroom head, while a battle played out on the flat field below. A horde of infected residents fought a battalion of soldiers, but they were holding them back.

I didn’t want to admit it but, the truth was in front of my eyes. Everything was over. The residents were infected. The city destroyed. And Princess...

Take me to the tower!

Barry didn’t hesitate and made a beeline toward the tower.

I wanted to see it for myself. I needed to see her for myself. And if she was also infected… if she was no longer the Princess that had saved me when everyone was against me, the Princess I loved, then I would free her, even if I had to die as a result. I’d accept death to free her from a lifetime of rage and anger.