"Come back here!"
"Gotta catch us first!"
"Jerra! Stop!"
Several small black specks darted across the ground in frenzy; hiding behind grass blades, leaves, twigs, anything that made it hard for their babysitter to find them. The largest of the group was able to keep up, but she wasn't familiar with this area of the woods near the colony so it was difficult. She checked behind a few leaves before warning, "You just wait until the Queen hears about this!"
"Yeah right! You'd never tell the Queen, you're too scared!"
"Scaredy bug, scaredy bug, Gypsy is a scaredy bug!"
The black ant's face grew a reddish shade that matched her eyes, and she stuttered a few times. With a shake of the head, Gypsy continued to search. Determined to find all the young scouts who had run away. She may have been a wrangler but certainly not for pupas! Unfortunately, the white antenna tipped ant could never say no to the head nurse. Who, also unfortunately, was Gypsy's mother.
Raecer was a very kind ant, but took her work a little too seriously. If someone as so much as caught a hatching pupa wrong, she nearly yanked off her antennas for it. The head nurse was…grayer then normal. Both from her age and being part of the council. Raecer was highly disappointed that Gypsy went against her birth job to be what she was today. But being a nurse just wasn't appealing to her.
"Jerra, I swear when I find you I'll-" Gypsy cut off when her antenna began to twitch and she looked up sharply, seeing four shinning eyes looking back at her. Screams irrupted from her throat as she began to run off. The eyes chased after her.
"MICRATHENA! MICRATHENA!"
The young scouts just laughed at her as they watched her run. They knew this was just some trick to get them to com out of hiding. That is, until, they were splattered with blood as the spined spider sunk its fangs into the thorax of the smallest member. A chorus of screams filled the air as they all ran off to catch up with Gypsy.
Once they had reached the safety of the nest, the scouts clung to Gypsy's legs. She stroked their heads and antennas before asking slightly out of breathe, "Where…where's Chercio?" Whimpers were her answer and that's when she realized why they were covered in blood. Her face paled and she collapsed onto the ground. The last thing she saw was someone reaching out to her.
"Wake up. I said wake up!"
A sharp pain filled Gypsy's senses as she was jabbed roughly in the lower thorax. She groggily got to her feet only to be grabbed and hauled off. Looking at the guards with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and fear. What on earth would they treat her like a prisoner? What had she done? Gypsy never had a chance to ask, for she was roughly shoved onto a platform before the entire Council.
"Mother I-"
"SILENCE!"
Her mouth shut tight as the Head of Council snapped at her. He was glaring at her, as were everyone else in the colony. The Head of Council, Mefar, called everyone to order before calling to the confused ant.
"Gypsy, you are held for murder of a pupa. Sentencing shall be bestowed by the Queen."
"WHAT?! I've never harmed a pupa in my life!"
"But you allowed one to be killed by the Mircathena! And so you shall be held accountable for it. Chercio was under your watch, and because of your cowardliness he is dead!"
The white antenna tipped ant winced before stepping back a bit as large moth wings were pulled apart to review their Queen. She was quite large, with bright yellow eyes, unlike the rest of the colonies green and Gypsy's red. The Queen smiled and gestured to her children before looking to Gypsy.
"A fellow ant as been killed by our greatest enemy. It is no ones true fault, but action must be taken. I sentence Gypsy to be banished from the colony. If she ever steps foot inside again, she will taken as a sacrifice to the Master Spider."
Gypsy hung her head in shame and didn't put up any fight as she was removed from the any hill and tossed to the ground. She did not look back as she stood and started walking away. There was nothing left for her here, so there was no reason to stay.
After walking for what seemed like hours she arrived at a hollow at the base of the largest tree in the area. Taking a deep breath she stood firm and called out, "Meurtrier! Show yourself! I know your there!"
A pair of large gold and black legs creeped out of the opening, soon followed by the rest of the monsters body. No one was really sure what he was exactly. He had the body of a Corinnid Spider but the legs of a Golden Orb Weaver. Meurtrier crept out into the open, mere inches from her and chuckled, "Well well well, what's this? A little dessert?"
He began to circle her slowly, but she just glared at him and stood her ground. A very thin piece of wire was in her hand, but the demon took no notice. She took a shaky breath before stating, "Why? Why did you kill that poor scout? He didn't deserve to die. You could have just taken me."
Meurtrier just chuckled and continued to circle her, slowly getting closer to her. The mutant of a spider took in her appearance with his many black eyes. There was a band at the base of her neck that was white, along with the tip of her antenna and the bend where they curved were ivory as well. "Because my dear, he was easier to get to. And the young ones are quite….delicious. However, I've never seen an Ant like you. Braving to come to my hollow. A pity you will have to die."
Before Gypsy could blink he lunged, but she was faster still. Jumping onto the back of his head she managed to tie up his fangs as if she was a rider on a horse. Meurtrier tried to get her off but it was in vain. The more he tried, the tighter she pulled and the more painful it became.
"Enough little Ant. What do you want from me?"
"I want nothing, just to prove that I am more then an outsider."
"Ah, banished you are. No wonder you came here."
A wince came from the large spider as she yanked the wire and he turned one eye to look at her. "Will you get that off? I swear on my honor not to eat you, but stop doing that!" Gypsy considered him for a moment then smiled as her crimson eyes brightened, "I have a proposal for you. You come with me and help me get out of here safely." He clicked his fangs with a snort, "And what do I get in return?"
"You won't get killed because the colony plans on attacking you so they will be rid of you forever."
That got his attention. Meurtrier was silent for a moment before he started walking away from his hollow. Gypsy gave a light tug on the wire, "Where are you going?"
"I'm taking you out of here. You may use the wire as a steering device in times I need you to be quiet. But otherwise refrain from using it if you would be so kind."
The black ant smiled as she rode atop the Master Spider. She had never felt so….independent. And perhaps if she was lucky, Meurtrier would warm up to her. Gypsy yelped as the spider took a dive into a hole, while he just laughed at her.
Or not.