Chapter 1597 – Response

“There’s an emergency!” The scent burst through the command centre, filled with a level of panic and urgency rarely felt within Solant’s presence.

“Bring that scout to me immediately,” the general commanded, waving away the ants gathered around her.

Not waiting to be given space to approach, the scout simply rushed over, climbing upon the others still in her way.

“The Eldest has been taken!” she burst out. “The Eldest has fallen off the platform and been taken by the Krath!”

A chill ran through the chamber, a shiver that crawled along the hairs on every ants’ carapace. A profound silence fell upon them.

“Be clear,” Solant said, an enforcing calm before panic could break out. “Describe exactly what happened.”

She listened intently as the scout explained the situation. Fortunately, she had been present on the platform herself and was able to give her first-ant perspective. The general was keenly aware of every other ant in the command centre listening in, ignoring their other work in favour of hearing of the Eldest’s sacrifice.

“We will need to launch an operation to retrieve the Eldest,” a nearby general snapped, breaking the silence. “The Krath may not have even retrieved them by now. We need to be quick!”

She hadn’t even finished talking before others spoke up, volunteering this battalion or that to brave the fifth and bring the Eldest of the Colony home. The air was filled with pheromones, plans made in haste stinking of desperation and panic.

“Enough,” she said softly.

Somehow it was enough, the force of her will emanating through the air and rolling over the crowd like a wave.

“We will not be launching an operation to retrieve the Eldest,” she said.

Every compound eye was fixed on her, even her closest siblings looking as if they couldn’t believe what she’d just said. Abandon the Eldest? Abandon the Eldest? Abandon the Eldest?! Impossible. Unconscionable. It was un-ant. It was… completely unthinkable.

She could almost hear the thoughts churning in their heads, wondering if she was a traitor, if she had gone mad, if they had gone mad. Nothing about this situation added up to them, and they were unable to put the pieces together themselves. Before things spiralled out of control, Solant took it upon herself to explain.

“Where are the mana levels at?” she demanded.

After a pause, someone scrambled to find the number.

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“They’ve been holding steady at the peak for three days now,” came the reply from a corner of the chamber.

“You hear that?” Solant asked of the unmoving swarm of ants around her. “The peak of the wave. If any of us go out there, we’ll be dead in an instant! There aren’t any measures we can take to protect ourselves from that level of contamination. Attempting to chase after the Eldest will only get ants killed.”

“It’s worth the sacrifice,” Leonidant stated, staring at her leader defiantly. “We are more than willing to die if it means the Eldest can come home!”