Chrysalis
chapter-708

The nameless one idled against the side of a tunnel for a brief moment, checking her surrounds. Activity had been furious within the nest ever since the siege had lifted and opportunities to enter the Dark Passage had been harder to come across. Thankfully, the Eldest blessed her and the tunnel was, for this brief window of time, empty. She leaned against the deep shadows, ingeniously created by a collection of wrinkles that were so unobtrusive it was hard to even notice them. Even if one were to see, would they ever realise that each centimetre, every angle, was a deliberate choice designed specifically to create this convergence of shadows.

As the pressure increased, there was a small 'click', and she felt a brief sensation of falling before she landed on her feet in a tunnel shrouded in complete shadow. The Dark Passage. A feeling of comfort overtook the nameless one as she was embraced by the darkness, this was the place where she felt most at home. There were no scent trails in the Passage, a strange oddity for any place within the nest, but she wasn't surprised. She reached out with an antennae, seeking along the wall until she found what she was after, a groove, dug in a particular way, that told her just what she needed to know. Now confident, she turned and began to move, her antennae always seeking along the tunnel wall as she ran.

Before long, she began to run into others, but they did not greet each other, no scent was exchanged, for such was forbidden. Instead, they ran alongside each other, working together whenever they came across a vile Dungeon spawn infecting the tunnels. The wave had complicated things, but she had learned of the great working undertaken by the mages to peel back the Dungeon veins. It would only be a matter of time before the same method had been applied here, their work was too important to allow for distractions. As they ran, enshrouded in perfect dark, they came across more tunnels, each bringing more of her siblings into this main branch. Every tunnel was lined with the same enchantment, powered by pure back cores filled with Shadow Mana, the light eaters.

They ran together until finally, the tunnel, which had been growing wider as more branches folded into it, came to a dead end. A wall loomed before them, studded with light eaters to the point where it appeared more as a wall of pure shadow rather than stone. Without pause, the nameless one approached and extended her antennae, feeling this, then that, until she found an almost imperceptible indent. The first located, it wasn't long until she identified the second and pushed against both at the same time. She had to concentrate, if the timing was even slightly off…

'Click'.

So soft she nearly couldn't hear it, the mechanical device slotted into place and in a second, the wall that blocked the way was suddenly gone, dropped into the floor below. What lay beyond, was the sacred ground of the order, the Sanctum. Each of her siblings ducked their heads to pay their respects as they crossed the threshold, as she herself did when it came her turn to enter. If anything, the darkness was even more complete in here, not a single speck of light allowed to exist within. There was no scent either, which meant each of the order was required to rely on their other sense, that which marked them apart from the rest of the Colony.

Once inside, she found herself within the antechamber, staffed at all times with several acolytes who stood as still as statues, mimicking the state of torpor as best they could. The nameless one had intelligence to share, so she approached the acolyte of knowledge.

Greetings, Sister. You have wisdom for the Sanctum? The acolyte signed, her antennae performing an intricate dance in the air.

A test? Too obvious, the nameless one had been part of the order since its very foundation.

The Eldest rests, she signed.

Eight hours a day, the acolyte wryly signed back, before both performed the eightfold genuflection.

It was a sacred number, the ideal amount of sleep, as proscribed by the Eldest. It was central to all that the order sought to accomplish.

Yes, Sister, I bring news from the mining shafts.

The acolyte's antennae twitched in surprise.

I thought the shafts were closed for the time being. They weren't planned to be reopened for thirty-one hours.

Trust the Acolyte of knowledge to have such intricate knowledge, it was her role, after all.

Some of the workers have banded together with a team from Vibrant's army. They have arranged to reopen early, though it is only possible if they agree to work double shifts.

This cannot be borne, the acolyte showed dismay, without rest, the workers will be sloppy, the soldiers, unable to properly perform their duties. All shall suffer from their greed to work! How dare they shun the wisdom of the Eldest in so blatant a manner. She shook off her irritation. The Sanctum thanks you for this news, sister. Be welcome, and find rest within.

Her task complete, the nameless one backed respectfully away from the acolyte of knowledge, who had already turned to the acolyte of strategy, and made her way deeper within the Sanctum. Passing through the antechamber, she found the outer training grounds, where new members for the order endured the harsh training necessary to achieve full membership of the order. At the moment, it appeared as if a fresh induction group was being trained. An acolyte of instruction hung from the ceiling by a single leg, waving her antennae in slow, exaggerated motions, instructing the initiates in the hidden language of the order. Twenty young ants hung from the roof in front of her, each gripping the ceiling with only a single leg. Their weak grip Skill was evident in their wobbling and the nameless one knew from experience it was only a matter of time until one fell to the stone floor below.

In fact, before she passed by one did indeed fall. The crack of chitin on rock was impossibly loud in this silent place and the initiate lay on the floor, leg twitching in pain for only a moment. Several other acolytes of training appeared from the walls to minister to their sister. In short order, the leg was tended to, the initiate righted on her feet, and sent back to the ceiling. Now she would train the next leg until it too was no longer able to bear her weight.

The soldiers were always the first to fall, their increased strength not enough to offset their higher mass.

It was necessary though. A high rank in Grip was the foundation on which the order was built, running claw in claw with Stealth. Observing targets from above, from the side, hiding on pillars and anything else they could hang onto was a necessary part for any member of the order. The nameless one herself had spent an entire week hanging upside down once, even entering torpor whilst hidden on the ceiling.

Moving past the outer training grounds, she reached the main part of the sanctum, the most sacred of all of its many chambers. Inside she found thousands of her siblings and fellow members of the order, each engaged in their most sacred of duties: torpor.

The Eldest had decreed long ago that it was the responsibility of every member of the Colony to ensure that they rested, and from that moment on, the order had begun to take shape. Members of every caste had been welcomed, for theirs was difficult work and every advantage and strength was needed to ensure it was done perfectly. Too many within the Colony spurned the Eldest's wisdom and worked beyond their measure, but they could not escape the order for long.

The grand resting chamber was carved in the shape of a great wheel divided into eight segments. An acolyte of rest stood at silent attention on the outer area of one segment and the nameless one made her way over. Each segment of the chamber was filled with ants at rest, but soon it would be time for one segment to wake up and return to their work, then it would be time for the nameless one to sleep. She was looking forward to it, her sixteen hour shift had been all to brief, but the work had been hard. She was ready.

This nameless one greets you, one of her siblings signed to her.

I see you, she replied, this nameless one is pleased to see you once again.

Was your work fruitful?

I was able to uncover a planned breach.

Excellent! The sleep cells will once again be filled I see.

The two friends chatted for several minutes, as they tended to do whenever they met here at the end of a shift. Before long, the acolyte indicated to them that is was almost time and they readied themselves for rest. Already the deep lethargy of torpor was beginning to take its grip on the nameless one and she waited patiently for the others to wake.

Which gradually they did. Up and down the segment, hundreds of ants began to stir, jolted into wakefulness, they turned and moved to exit the outer ring of the segment and clear space for the incoming shift.

I hope you rested well, nameless ones, the acolyte signed to them as they passed.

Once the last ant had exited the segment, the acolyte turned to them.

Good work, nameless ones. Please take your deserved rest, as the Eldest intended.

They each performed the eightfold genuflection, slower now that they were each on the verge of sleep, before shuffling into the segment, ensuring that all had room. The nameless one felt her consciousness slipping and gladly let it go, surrendering herself to torpor. After all, when she woke there would be so much work to do, and only sixteen hours in which to get it done.