After a tireless campaign, the war with Plegia was finally over. At the behest of the late Exalt Emmeryn's pleas, the war-weary Plegians laid down their weapons and abandoned their mad king. The new acting Exalt, Chrom, slew the Mad King Gangrel alongside his faithful partner, Robin. With the diabolical monarch slain, peace would come to Ylisse once more, until a new power rose to threaten the world once more.
…However, during the lull of peacetime in Ylisse, on the continent of Valm…
The body of a strange creature washed ashore on the Southern coastline of the Valmese Continent.
Chapter 1: A x New x Crisis
The ocean waves crashed against the Valmese shoreline, splashing onto the jagged rocks in the cove. As they washed along the beach, a strange pair of footprints marked the sands as it retreated into a cave. A low growl echoed throughout the cavern as the faint footsteps of a hungry predator rang alongside it.
One fish. Two fish. Red fish… not enough. This wasn't enough food, not enough nourishment. Rest and recovery were needed first and foremost, but the need to consume overtook that instinct. The need to feed, the need to reproduce, the need to bring about the next generation… that was the only thing on the creature's mind as it continued eating, snatching a bat out of the air for its next meal.
"Survival… that must come first. But… I need to see this through… I must give birth to the King!"
Moonlight shone into the cave, revealing a massive insectoid hunched over, devouring its unfortunate prey. Its dull carapace held different hues of pink and magenta, with superficial damages littering its exoskeleton. Its claws dug into another bat as it hurriedly munched away at its dinner. The way it held itself and articulated was oddly human-like, yet its head was clearly an ant's. Its antennae hung lamely on its head; the ant-like creature clearly exhausted from its journey.
It tore into its small meals as it leaned against the walls of the cave. It attempted to let out a small sigh, coming out more of strained groan instead. The food wasn't fulfilling at all, but it had a job to do. So, it continued eating, biding its time until it could devour even larger prey…
"I… am The Queen!"
"…So, you two think you're up for the challenge?"
"Of course! There's nothing my fated ally and I cannot conquer, whether it be battles or discovery!"
"I agree, we'll be a great asset to your research, Mister Kite. It's not every day we get to discover the novelties of the world y'know!"
Kite smiled at the two young men before him. Owain and Morgan is what they said their names were. According to Owain, he and Morgan were cousins, alongside being... Ally-versaries? Whatever that meant. Even though Morgan's head of royal blue clashed with Owain's dandelion blonde hair, their faces bore several similarities, leaving no doubt to their relation. One could mistake them for siblings even. Kite didn't mind their company at all, as he was simply here on a research trip, discovering new and rare endemic life native to Valm.
The silver-haired man met the two boys one day as he was cornered by a group of undead creatures. Before Kite even thought of fighting back, the two boys came from seemingly nowhere and dispatched the horde.
They had told Kite that they had been traveling Valm after reuniting with one another; looking into rumors of 'The Risen' prowling the lands. The very same undead creatures that had attacked him. As a result, they decided to accompany Kite, who they assumed was just a defenseless traveler. Not wanting any delay on his adventure, Kite had asked them to help out with his field research, to which they happily obliged.
The Western Valmese Forest hummed with a spring breeze, trees seemingly dancing to the wind's song. The sunlight poured between the wind-blown leaves, leaving dancing motes of sunlight weaving across the forest floor. The wildlife inhabiting these woods went about their daily business as the sun rose overhead, ready for whatever challenges today would bring them.
As a long, blade-shaped grasshopper bounded from one rock to another, it was rudely interrupted from its route as a pair of rough fingers grabbed it and hoisted it up.
"HA! Found one! I'll name it… The Ragnellic Hopper, due to its shape!" Owain exclaimed. Morgan walked up to inspect his cousin's find and shook his head, pointing to a page in the book they borrowed from Kite.
"Nope, sorry. Looks like that one is already designated as something else, the Pinch Hopper. Let's keep looking, shall we?" Owain hung his head in defeat before walking away with his cousin.
The sounds of scurrying through the wild brush got the boys' attention. A blur of blue dashed through the brush before finding a home within the flowerbed nearby. Owain slowly stalked up to it, careful to not make a sound. With a quick swipe of his hands, Owain snagged a small, furry rodent with a spiral horn planted into its forehead. Said rodent was angered by the blonde's handling and attempted to slash at him with its horn.
"W-Whoa! Here's a freaky looking one!" He exclaimed as the poor thing writhed in his grip.
"I've never seen such a strange rodent before, could it be… a legendary Uni-Mouse?!"
As Owain struggle to hold the Uni-Mouse, a flutter of small wings got Morgan's attention. He turned around and was face-to-face with the sight of a smiling clown. The navy-haired teen was taken aback for a second before looking closely at the 'face', when it flapped once more. To his relief, it was just a moth with a colorful pattern on its wings that closely resembled that of a jester.
"Haha, this one's got a clown face for wings!" Morgan laughed, pointing at the colorful moth.
Owain dropped the mouse to look at what his cousin was talking about, which led to the rodent biting his shoe before scampering off elsewhere. The blonde shared a laugh with his cousin as they continued on with their field study. More and more wild creatures made themselves known to them in a variety of places, such as treetops, under logs, in the bramble itself, or even stuck on Morgan's jacket at one point.
"Man, I'm having a lot of fun with this, what about you Owain?"
"Heheh… I'm-nngh?! T-This feeling…!" Owain suddenly stopped in his tracks, catching Morgan's attention.
"Owain? What's the matter?"
"My sword hand twitches! It's guiding me to slay something... but for what purpose…? Answer me sword hand!" Owain clutched his arm dramatically as he glared down the object of his ire. Morgan followed his gaze, confusion etched onto his face.
Before them was a rather dull-looking anthill. It couldn't have been any taller than a small child. Several holes pocked the surface of the ant nest, the entrances in constant use as the thumb-sized insect workers passed in and out seemingly in rhythm. Some of the insects stopped their tasks to gaze at the new arrivals, and soon, the rest of the ants followed suit, their eyes following the parties every movement. The atmosphere surrounding the hill was beginning to feel tense, as if every single ant was glaring at them. Morgan, however, was still oblivious to the sudden shift in the insect's mood.
"I don't get it, what's wrong with-"
"Get back, both of you!" Kite's voice rang out. Whether it was from the command of their superior or their natural battle instinct, the two boys jumped back immediately. They both heard another voice cry out behind them. When they turned around, they saw what appeared to be a floating clown head right next to Kite.
"I've got a slot machine in my mouth!" The clown head explained. "It goes from 1 to 9. Each number summons a different weapon. This is my… 'Crazy Slots!'" It sounded enraged as it spoke in a rough and annoying tone, indicating that it was ready to snap at any who mildly irritated it. Honestly, it could be chalked up to one word: Aggravating.
Now, give me something good…" It said, the slots in its mouth whirring to life as it spun. "4!" A staff then fell down from the thing's mouth; Kite snatching the weapon from the air before it fell to the ground.
"Damn, bad roll." He muttered under his breath, pointing the shining orb topping the staff at the large anthill.
"Shut up! You should be grateful, you idiot!"
Without warning, the orb at the end of the staff glowed a bright scarlet hue and sent out a fiery explosion, blasting the hill to pieces, sending massive chunks of dirt flying in all directions. Morgan and Owain guarded their faces against the flying debris, looking in awe of the destruction of the anthill.
"W-Whoa…" Owain gaped in awe, wonder plastered on his face.
"What just happened…?" Morgan asked, stunned in the same fashion as his relative.
"Hey, are you two alright? You're not hurt, are you?" Kite asked, walking over to the boys with his staff held over his shoulder. The boys nodded as they brushed off the rubble from their clothing. "Good. I'm glad I got that just in time," He pointed towards the destroyed hill, flames marring each orifice created by the volatile spell. A massive hole pierced the center of the anthill, revealing the burning insides of the hive. Several ant corpses littered the interior and exterior of the ruined mound, their carapaces charred beyond repair. A larger ant's corpse was still in the middle, its pregnant stomach scorched and its fetus reduced to ashes. "That right there was a hill belonging to a species known as Chimera Ants. They're meant to be kept in a controlled environment and under strict supervision. They're a problem species wherever they go." Morgan stared down at the fallen chunks of dirt and hardened mud, recognizing an ant's severed head. It seemed to have been decapitated by the falling debris.
"An ant can cause that much damage…?" Suddenly, the head sprang up and attempted to bite into his thigh, its mandibles snapping. Morgan yelped and stepped back narrowly avoiding the crushing mandibles, before stomping its head in with a crunch of splintering exoskeleton. "Naga above! How can it do that?!"
"A Chimera Ant can survive for about a day without its head. Therefore, you must destroy all of it, including its head. These things can drive whole species to extinction." The bluenette nodded, understanding the danger of these insects. "Luckily, the ants only feast on other insects, but they have been known to consume humans if left unchecked. Didn't think there'd be a colony so close by…"
"Hey, what was that thing you summoned? It was incredible, like some sort of super power!" Owain exclaimed, more interested in the strange magic the lanky man pulled off rather than the killer ants. Kite grinned at the blonde and decided to indulge the two.
"This is my special ability: Mad Clown. It does what it said it did, rolls a random number and gives me a weapon corresponding to its number. Granted, all it does is just gives me trouble." He sighed, prompting the clown to speak up in a rage from the butt end of his staff.
"What the hell did you just say?! I work my ass off to give you weaponry and all you say it 'Bad Roll', 'Bad Roll', over and over like some douchebag acting cool! I should kick your fucking ass!" Kite sighed again, angering the clown even more. Morgan and Owain laughed at the sight of the angry clown, with Kite trying to hide a smile himself.
"That reminds me," Morgan started, getting the lanky man's attention. "You said that you were a researcher, correct? Does this mean there are more guys like you?" Kite chuckled as he made his weapon disappear with a flash.
"Well, depending on what we're talking about. If it's just about the research team, yeah, my guys set up camp further inland. About my ability, I'm afraid I'm the only guy in my group who has one like this." A disappointed sound came out of Owain's mouth, earning another chuckle from the taller man. "Lighten up fellas, I'll introduce you to my friends soon. We just have to continue moving east. From there, we'll go over everything we've learned."
"Right! Lead the way, mister Kite!"
The pulsations of the eggs reverberated throughout the cavern. They beat with anticipation, seemingly anxious to hatch soon. Some still lay dormant in their ceiling cradle, waiting for their turn to roam. Their mother looked upon them with approval before noticing that some of the eggs were starting to give birth to new life. With a simple crack, the newborn monstrosities fell from the ceiling, landing with a wet thud, only slightly dazed from their birthing. Almost immediately they rose to look at their mother, who admired her handiwork.
"Grunts! I require more nutritious food so I may give birth to a strong, healthy King. Go fetch it for me!"
With the Queen's Order, the large grunt ants flew off from their nest, finding whatever they could to feed to their mother, their Queen.
The Queen herself looked upon the rest of her cave, seemingly disappointed in its size.
'…It's too small, far too small. I need a larger cave, with protection from predators and the elements alike… I need to breed better grunts.'
The Queen then retired to the back of the cave; she would need to rest so she could have the energy to feast on whatever her children brought to her.
The continent of Valm was much more exotic in terms of wildlife compared to its neighbor, Ylisse. Alongside the wild versions of many beasts of burden, such as Horses, Pegasi, and even the stray Wyvern or two, there existed many other truly wild beasts. Such beasts include big cats, crocodilians, and even big game animals such as elephants and rhinoceros. The abundance of such exotic creatures on this vast continent meant only one thing to the grunts: better nourishment for their queen.
The ants took down many animals they deemed worthy enough to feed to their mother; some were slain themselves, but most were able enough to deliver their kills to their mother. As one of the grunts was searching for food, it heard a noise. It went to investigate, wondering what sort of prey it was going to find this time. It stepped into a clearing and was met with the sight of a small, bipedal creature with an even smaller identical one next to it. The grunt simply stared at the creature; fear written all over the smaller being's face. It then had a simple thought run through its head.
'Prey.'
The Valmese countryside is home to various small villages, who are simply content with their lives away from the heavy politics of the Northern side of the continent. Although the Conqueror had not made a personal appearance in the area, several of his men have sometimes ventured down into the countryside, but never to inflict harm on the residents. However, they have on occasion conscripted able-bodied men into their ranks for the Conqueror, which many had no objections to. The simple, peaceful nature of the Southern countryside wouldn't be broken by war for a while if all things went well with their Emperor's Conquest.
One such village is home to a family of three, a mother and her two young children, Kurt and Reina. The two children were inseparable, with Kurt constantly protecting his little sister from any harm. He would protect her at all costs, simply because he had promised her. Although they were just children, Kurt developed a sense of responsibility when it came to his sister and mother, determined to help them however he could.
The two siblings finished their fishing trip by the forest's pond. Content with his haul, Kurt motioned to Reina to help him with the fish.
"Heheh, mom's gonna be really happy when she sees all the fish we caught for her!"
"Mhm!" Reina gingerly nodded. "And she's gonna cook it all up and we're gonna have a big ol' dinner together!"
"That's right! Now let's get going, Reina!" Kurt took his sister's hand as they went home.
'This is nice,' Kurt thought to himself, admiring the scenery and his sister's contentment. 'We have all the time in the world to keep at this pace and go home.' His thoughts wandered back to his little sister as he smiled.
'You said you wanted to marry me one day, right? That can't happen silly, we're siblings you know… But I promise, I'll keep you happy until you find someone that makes you happier than I ever could.'
Crunch
The sound of a branch breaking under a footstep sounded out before them, echoing in the small forest clearing. The two children stopped in their tracks and stared up at the large shadow before them. It looked like a crab, but at the same time it didn't. It was also far larger than anything they had ever saw before. The thing before them studied the two intently, wondering what it should do.
Reina was instantly taken by fear, hiding behind her brother and crying. The beast was getting closer to them, inching step by step. She kept sobbing into his arms as the giant crab monster was now glowering over them.
"B-Big brother…!"
"It's okay, Reina! I'll… I'll protect you!" Kurt stammered out, fear shackling his entire body. His knuckles went bone-white as he held onto his fishing pole for dear life. "I made a promise to mom! I'll make sure you don't get hurt…" He continued to stare at the goliath of a beast before him before swinging his pole aggressively.
"Get back! Go away and leave us alone." The monster simply stared at him as he kept swinging. "I said GO AWA-"
KA-KRAK
The sounds of the Queen gorging herself in her latest meal echoed off the cave's walls. She wasn't satisfied, not yet. Suddenly, two thuds were heard next to her as a grunt dropped off her latest meal. She eyed the lumps of meat curiously before grabbing the larger of the two first. She took one bite… then another, then another. She couldn't help herself anymore. Soon, there was nothing left of the corpse. She grabbed the smaller one next and devoured it almost instantly as well.
"This taste… this sensation…! I-I must have more! I need more!"
With one outing, the Chimera Ant Queen has acquired a taste for human flesh. As such, the ants began to evolve in a much more terrifying way…
The Sage's Hamlet, an ancient relic of a bygone era, from when the continent was still named Valentia. A gentle breeze blew through the rustic village, the leaves of the surrounding trees lightly shifting beneath the pleasant wind. The sky began to dip into a blueish-orange hue, late afternoon lazily looming above. The grassy fields softly crunched underneath the boots of the trio of travelers. They then entered the middle of the three large houses in the clearing, the door closing behind them with a thud. The Valmese breeze softly blew through the clearing again as the three daunting structures continued their millennia-old task of watching over the hamlet.
Kite closed the door behind him after the boys went through and was met with the faces of the rest of his colleagues. After introducing them to Morgan and Owain, they caught the trio up to speed on their various findings.
"We found a sect of Wyverns living nearby in a valley!" Spinner Clow, or Spin as she preferred it, told Kite. "Those lot are sure interesting. The Wyverns born there are hardy beings, but they're protected by the Elders of the Valley, so we should have no fears of them being in any harm for the time being."
"Although, it was weird that one time we were studying them," A large man by the name of Monta Yuras, or Mon, said. Although his voice sounded deep, the jovial koala-like face of his broke any misconception of him being anything other than a gentle giant. "That strange man in a mask was with them and they were friendly with him, yet tried to burn us up if we even got a bit close!"
"Yahaha!" Another man, Stick Dinner, laughed. True to his name, he was built like a stick, yet made the dinner for the research team. His insanely large afro was also complemented by the perpetual grin stuck to his face. "Masky got real pissed at us, said we were 'trespassing on private grounds.' We tried to tell him we meant no harm but he wasn't having it!"
'Sounds like Gerome…' Owain sighed inwardly. The rest of Kite's crew, Lin Koshi, Banana Kavaro, and Podongo Lapoy, were also very nice and friendly people. Lin was a short man of Chon'sin origin with a rabbit-like face and large, round glasses. He also seemed to stutter every time he started speaking. Banana introduced herself as a Valm native, sporting short pink hair and a rather simple-looking face. She stood a foot taller than both Lin and Podongo, the smallest of the researchers. Podongo had dark colored skin and wore her silver hair in a topknot. Her Feroxi origin was practically exemplified by her preference to wear her fur-trimmed coat everywhere.
Like Kite, everyone here was involved in the study and conservation of local wildlife. It was a nice change of pace to see people actively trying to help conserve the wilderness. Owain wondered how things would flourish had they succeeded, if Grima hadn't burnt the world down to the ground.
Owain shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think such somber thoughts. He came back in time to prevent that from happening. In the meantime, he'll enjoy these guy's company along with his cousin. Morgan seemed to enjoy talking about this stuff a lot more, so that was a plus. He was also relieved internally with the confirmation that Gerome was alive and well in Valm. They would have to find him soon so they could reunite with Lucina.
"Hey Owain, you heard that?" Morgan's voice snapped him out of his stupor.
"Huh, what?"
"Sorry, didn't mean to break your train of thought. But apparently these guys found some sort of new bug!"
"Oho? A new lifeform for our stalwart allies to study? Or a terrifying new foe we must vanquish?" Owain pondered aloud.
"I dunno! Isn't that exciting?" Morgan happily exclaimed to his cousin.
"I-I wouldn't know anything about a friend or foe for this thing, but it seems like an interesting specimen nonetheless." Lin stated, adjusting his glasses. "H-Here, take a look for yourself."
Lin pushed a glass case over to Owain, who took a closer look at the contents. Indeed, there was a rather large insect leg inside of the case. The swordsman was confused at first, before understanding hit him.
"Hark! Such a magnificent specimen… it must've belonged to a creature of legend! Such a monster would be a worthy adversary to quell my sword hand's infernal lust for action, as if it were calling for me to slay it!" Owain proclaimed, earning him confused looks from everyone at the table, barring his cousin, who was staring at him with awe.
"U-Uhh… sure. A-And my name is Lin…"
"Where did you guys find this leg in the first place?" Kite asked.
"We found it on an island off the coast of Valm." Spin said, twirling a lock of her magenta hair nonchalantly. "The residents of the village there had no idea where it came from, and after we investigated, we couldn't find the body it came from."
"How curious..." Kite inspected the ant leg in the case, apprehension written on his face. "The standard insect leg has only 3 claws, yet this one has 6. Additionally, the entire limb resembles a human's arm almost. Here, you can see how these joints resemble the wrist and fingers." He showed Morgan, who nodded intently.
"Hmm… You guys might not like this hypothesis, but," Pondongo began, grabbing everyone's attention. She took a short breath before beginning. "I think I know what this creature may be. The structure of the limb and how its articulated could only be one thing. This is the leg of a Chimera Ant Queen." Shock settled throughout the table as they digested this new information.
"That's going to be an issue… Those guys never get that big…" Mon muttered, his white hair seemingly turning whiter. Morgan put a hand to his chin as he turned to address the larger man.
"Do you by any chance know how large normal queens grow to be?"
"Hmm…" The big, koala-like man pondered for a bit before answering. "About 10 centimeters at best."
"I see. Given the size of the leg and the size of a normal ant…" the boy was running the numbers in his head, gears visibly turning. Owain was always impressed by his younger cousin's intellect and as past experiences have shown, it has never failed them once. Morgan nodded to himself before addressing the research team. "I've got it. This Queen is about two meters in size, give or take. Big enough to eat a person whole. We need to find out its whereabouts soon, or else it'll cause all sorts of problems.
"I remember you telling us a bit about the ants earlier Kite, what else do you guys know about them?" Kite's expression grew serious as he regarded the teen. Despite his age, he has shown to take up on matters quickly, formulating elaborate plans masterfully. Something a master tactician would do, really. It almost scared the taller man on how intelligent the navy-haired youth was. Kite nodded to the boy before looking over to Spin, who took that as her cue.
"Right. Chimera Ants are dangerous insects no matter where they go. How they breed is through a process known as Phagogenesis, a style of breeding that is exclusive to these insects. When a Queen Ant eats a member of a different species, she can pass down certain aspects of that prey to her offspring. The first-generation batch will simply be a mix of whatever the Queen ate and the base Chimera Ant genetic structure, but as she begins to produce more and more grunts, the more complex the soldiers become.
"The problem arises from when she finds a prey that she particularly enjoys. The Queen will then order her troops to hunt down more of them to sate her endless appetite, resulting in that species becoming extinct in its environment. The Chimera Ants feasting is a death knell to any and all species in its line of sight. Before it was somewhat mitigated by the fact that they were solely limited to eating other insects, but if the rumors of a two-meter Queen is true, we'll be in one hell of a shitstorm."
The room soon fell silent, letting the information sink in. Banana was the first to break the silence.
"Hey, I spoke with one of the men back in that mountain village. He said he's been studying the waves and currents of his island for the past twenty or so years, so he thinks he has a good estimate on where the body might've washed ashore to if it didn't land there."
"Really? Where to?" Kite asked.
"It would've washed up around the Southern Valmese Forest." Banana tapped her chin a bit before continuing. "There's only small villages in that area, so any news of a large monster like that wouldn't travel far, if at all. Hell, even the emperor rarely goes down, I doubt they've had proper contact with their southern half in months."
"Then it's settled." Kite got up from his seat and addressed the group. "We'll be making our way towards the Divine Dragons Grounds first. From there, we'll split up and investigate further. I'll take Morgan and Owain with me, they've proven themselves to be capable fighters. In case anything goes wrong, I need you guys to go and seek help immediately, whether it be from the Empire, Chon'sin, Roseanne, or even Tiki herself. If the worst happens, we'll need as much help as we can.
"Stick, Podongo: you two will be coming along with us to set up camp by the Divine Grounds as our base of operations. The rest of you guys will end up having to disperse and see if you can find and track any suspicious movements from the ants." The team nodded as they began to gather their belongings, readying themselves for the road ahead.
Owain left the house sometime during their packing, but no one really took notice other than Morgan. When he asked, all he got in response was "I must answer the call of my fated blade!" and took off. Sighing to himself, Morgan decided to speak with Kite after gathering his travel bag.
"Hey, Mister Kite? Is it really fine for everyone to split like this? What if we lose track of the others? How will we know that they'll be fine?" Kite smiled at the teen before patting his head.
"Don't worry yourself over them. They may not look it, but they're a hardy bunch. Not trained fighters like you and your cousin, mind you, but they know how to handle themselves if they get into trouble." Kite adjusted his hat before grabbing his sack from the table. "By the way, I chose you and your cousin to accompany me because we're headed to unknown territory. I want you two by my side because I know you'll be capable in case things goes south. I may have only known you two for about a few weeks, but I trust you both." Morgan smiled back at his newfound mentor, eager to begin their hunt for the mysterious Monster Ant. As they began their march, a familiar voice called out hurriedly.
"W-WAIT UP! DON'T LEAVE ME BEHIND!" Owain cried out. The research team laughed as the blonde young man caught up and began breathing heavily. "Jeez, I leave for two seconds and I get left behind?"
"Heheh, sorry cousin. What'd you even stay behind for anyways?"
"This!" Owain brandished a seemingly ornate, blue blade. "Behold, the Legendary Missiletainn! My sword hand's one-and-only true partner, the two complement each other dearly, there is no such sword like it anywhere in the world!" Spin stared at it for a bit before blowing a bubble with her chewing gum.
"Seems like a knock-off of the Jugdralian Mystletainn if you ask me." Spin said with a small shrug.
"W-What?! I am shocked, APPALLED even, that you would suggest such a thing about my fated regalia!" Owain shouted, hurt in his tone.
"Oh, so it's a part of the Regalia now?" She said with a coy smirk, baiting the poor boy. And like clockwork, the boisterous teen took the bait, just as Spin predicted.
"Ack- why you…!" As the two went back and forth, Kite smiled to himself. The two boys made themselves at home with his friends, quickly forming bonds with one another. Hopefully this trip would end smoothly so they could look back and laugh about it later.
With a single clasp of her almost skeletal hands, the quiet whisper of grace to Naga escaped the malnourished woman's mouth. She knelt before the small idol of Divine Dragon before finishing her prayer. After a few seconds of silence, she quietly sobbed to herself, burying her face in her hands once more. All the while, two bowls of fresh porridge laid on the table before her, but with no one there to enjoy it. The woman's sobs finally come to end as she gets up and continues the rest of her daily ritual, stepping outside her home once more.
Her sluggish gait carried her to the forest's edge, where she began her venture into the shadowy woods once more. Several other villagers noticed this and began to call her name.
"Haruna! Come back here!" An older woman called out, but to no avail. She sighed as she watched the woman venture into the woods. "Every day now, she does the same exact thing. She'll get herself hurt or worse if she keeps this up."
"It's no use," an elderly lady sighed somberly. "She just lost her two children, those two meant everything to her. To lose them at such a tender age… poor woman, I can't possibly imagine what's she going through." The other woman nodded silently, concern still showing for her friend.
A pair of children were playing around by the fields when the younger of the two fell down. She got up and dusted herself off, until her attention was brought towards the sky. She then pointed upwards in awe.
"Look at that!"
"What is it?" The boy next to her asked.
Loud heavy buzzing accompanied her next words as an army of large shadows fell over them.
"Giant bugs!"
Haruna kept counting her steps as she made her way back into the forest and out again, her purple hair shadowing her face. Another week had gone by, and still there was no sign of her beloved children. She didn't know whether it was hope or desperation that kept her moving nowadays. She felt like she was going to collapse of exhaustion soon, but her will to find her children refused to allow her a moment of rest. She would just keep walking mindlessly like a drone, not caring about anything other than her children's safety.
Suddenly, a little girl's scream tore her from her stupor. Without thinking, her motherly instincts kicked into overdrive as she ran towards the scream, half hoping it was her own little girl calling for her. As Haruna dashed into the village clearing, she spotted massive bug-like creatures grabbing people and flying off. One of them had begun to stalk over to the little girl that had cried out earlier. Haruna ran in front of the small girl, shielding her from the creature before them, hugging her whilst using her own body as a cover.
Haruna locked eyes for what seemed like an eternity with the creature, steeling her nerves. Haruna's defiant glare met the confused and curious stare held by the human-like chimera ant. The ant broke the stare-down by hopping over the woman and child, grabbing a cowering man behind them instead. The man screamed in horror, thrashing in vain to escape. The ant gave one last look at Haruna, as if he wanted to say something, or rather he was trying to remember something, but ultimately decided against it. His gaze returned forward, leaving the village with the rest of his swarm.
The little girl in Haruna's arms ran towards her mother for comfort once they were safe. Haruna looked on somberly before one of the women from earlier caught her attention once more.
"Haruna! It must've been those monsters! They must've taken your children away!"
Haruna then stared at the retreating form of the creature with a human face and bird wings. But the thought on her mind wasn't of anger or fear, but rather complete and utter confusion.
'That look in his eyes… but that's not possible, is it…?'
'…my Kurt would never hold such a harsh gaze like that…'
'What was that feeling earlier…?' The Condor-like Chimera Ant asked himself internally. The squadron leader didn't understand why he decided to look back at the woman he spared. Was it because he was second guessing his decision? No, he was sure she wasn't of any nutritional value to the Queen, so why did he decide to linger just to stare at her? The Squadron Leader merely shook his head, clearing his thoughts. 'I should focus on the task at hand, not some meaningless internal strife.' The ant's inner musings ended when he arrived back at the new nest, a large mass being built in the middle of a large forest clearing.
As he inspected his team's haul, another squadron leader walked up to him and put his hands on his hips.
"Not a bad haul, impressive." Growled the crocodilian. "However, my team gathered more bodies than yours, how does that feel, huh?" The bird-ant scoffed at this, continuing his inspection.
"I follow Quality over Quantity. We have to ensure the Queen gets as much valuable nutrition as she can get."
"Bah, you're no fun. Have a little sense of individuality!"
"This IS my individuality, thank you very much." He was growing annoyed with his colleague's attempt to get a rise out of him, but the bird ant wouldn't show it. Before the alligator ant could continue, a somewhat shrill ringing noise pierced their minds.
'All Squadron Leaders, Fall in Order!'
The Queen's repeated command echoed in the minds of the Chimera Ants, having all high-ranking soldiers ascend their nest to meet their mother. Along the way, some of the leaders decided to chat amongst themselves.
"Man, I'll never get used to hearing her voice in my head."
"Yeah, it always gives me a headache."
"It'd be nice if she could talk like us, y'know?"
The chatter died as each leader made their way into the Queen's chambers. She gazed upon her children before addressing them all.
'From this point onwards, I'll be dedicating my every waking moment to breed the King.' She declared. 'Therefore, I demand fifty bodies a day! I require the humans as sustenance!'
'Your Highness, if I may?' A Turtle-like Squadron Leader asked.
'Talk.'
'The humans are like us. They have strange weaponry to use and bite back at us with. We need to bolster our defenses so they may not harm us.' The old-looking turtle continued. 'Fear not however, as I have some ideas on how we should do so.'
'Then make and adjust them accordingly. I need to focus my energy on the King.'
'Understood, Your Grace. It shall be done. One more thing, however.'
'Hm?'
'We would like to give ourselves names, if you do not mind.'
'…Why would you need to do that?'
'To distinguish ourselves from each other, so we're not too confused.'
'Do as you please, then.'
'Thank you, my liege.'
As the soldier ants left the Queen's chambers, she stared at their retreating forms in confusion.
'How curious, they possess the desire to name themselves and to express their individuality. Sure, it may help with remembering who's who, but this may end up backfiring on them.' The Queen stared at her claws with apprehension 'Even I feel some eccentricities within me… perhaps I too have human blood within me.' The Queen rounded the corner as she put her claws to her stomach.
'No matter, this feeling I have… I'm sure of it! My King will be our Apex! He will stand at the very top of the World.'
Exiting her small trance, she then brought a claw to where her chin would be.
'Names, huh… Alright then, I too, shall use names.'
Three massive, gestating eggs pulsed on the ceiling of the Royal incubation room. Each egg seemingly kicked with anticipation, ready to be released, yet patient enough to know it isn't time yet. And each one held its own foreboding presence, suffocating the room with their aura. But to the Queen, she felt it comforting. As if the aura was like a soft blanket, gently consuming her in its warmth. She lingered in it for a few more seconds before addressing her eggs.
'The Royal Guard of The King… I'll personally name you three.'
Ah yeah, that's right baby, I'm back with a new story idea! This idea's been running rampart in my head for a while and I've decided to finally get it out there and off my chest. I'm definitely gonna have a lot of fun writing this story, that's for sure. I haven't forgotten my other story "A Horrible Familiar" by the way, I'm actually still in the process of writing the next chapter for it. I sorta hit writer's block for it though, but I'm slowly getting over it.
Huge thanks to my boy Nivilack for helping me out with this story and being my Beta for it. I got tons of writing advice from him and it helped out my final rendition immensely, so I'm very grateful for him! I'd appreciate any reviews, so if you liked it drop one by! And if you didn't like it, let me know what I could do better! That's it for me, I'll see you all next time!