Sunlight filtered down through the upper tunnel shafts as worker ants carved new tunnels, pickaxes striking packed earth in a steady rhythm. Fine grit fell from the ceiling in loose streams.
In the colony's grand meeting chamber, Queen Celeste sat upon her elevated throne.
Captain Valeria and Ari stood side by side before her.
Luminara stood several paces ahead of the semicircle, positioned between her two guardians. Ignatia and Seraphina flanked her on either side, while Nytheris remained quietly behind them.
"Our allied meeting will now begin."
Celeste lowered her hand onto the arm of her throne.
"Our foremost priority is the elimination of Magnus and his Moths, and the threat they pose."
She paused briefly.
"Our secondary objective is the retrieval of the Moonveil Blossom."
"I'll be clear, Your Majesty," Valeria said.
"Even with the treaty in place, the Moths still hold the advantage in the air. They outnumber the Butterflies, and that gives them control we can't match. Our forces are ground based, which limits our ability to inflict significant damage on their ranks."
She crossed her arms.
"So even with this alliance, we should expect heavy resistance and casualties. This won't be an easy battle."
"There is a solution," Ignatia said.
"The Butterflies and Ants can coordinate their attacks to force the Moths out of the sky. If we pressure them from the air, they'll have no choice but to descend, allowing your soldiers to engage them."
She stepped forward.
"I will personally oversee the aerial formations."
"Very well," Celeste said. "Captain Valeria, Monarch Ignatia, I leave the battle formations in your hands."
Seraphina rested a hand on her hip.
"Daylight weakens the Moths, but it doesn't make them harmless. If we fight them inside their caves, they'll overwhelm us."
"Still, it would be foolish to underestimate them. They release a black mist made from the dust on their wings. Prolonged exposure causes hallucinations."
Her eyes shifted toward the ant soldiers.
"They can also fire quills from their wings. Crude... but effective. Not unlike the mandibles your soldiers use."
"To add to what my sister said," Luminara said, "the Moths are highly sensitive to direct sunlight."
"Extended exposure weakens them and leaves them in a dulled, suggestible state."
"Subduing them becomes far easier under those conditions."
"Information like this is what changes the tide of war," one of the elders said.
Ari listened in silence.
His eyes remained fixed on Nytheris.
Could he really betray his own Monarch...?
Garren's words resurfaced in his mind.
"That wretch... Nytheris has been acting strange lately."
"When my squad was ambushed by the Moths..."
"When we were being slaughtered..."
"I caught sight of him."
Garren's jaw tightened.
"Whatever you do..."
"Be careful around him."
His breathing grew uneven.
"If he'd only stepped in..."
His voice cracked.
"Loir..."
"Grey..."
"Aris..."
"They might still be alive."
"He just watched us die..."
"As if our lives meant nothing."
Ari's eyes narrowed.
His fists slowly clenched at his sides.
"We are speaking of only two days," Elder Junon said.
"How do we intend to locate Magnus within such a limited time while preparing for war?"
"I know the location of the Moths' main lair. They call it the Hollow Foundry of Shadows. It lies not far from our meadows," Ignatia said.
"While engaging Magnus' forces, I observed Moths dispersing from a cave. Their movements confirmed the lair's proximity."
"You truly do possess immense strength," one of the elders said. "To notice something like that while fighting an opponent such as Magnus..."
Queen Celeste's eyes narrowed.
"Tell me... reports suggest that you and Magnus, the moths, and your guardians were locked in combat. Ari's report indicated that you were gravely wounded."
Her gaze traveled slowly from Ignatia's head to her feet.
"Yet your body shows no sign of decay. How is that possible?"
"I was never struck by his mandibles," Ignatia said. "I avoided them at all costs. I learned of his decay long before our first encounter."
Queen Celeste's expression eased.
"Very well."
The elders exchanged glances.
"How should we go about selecting soldiers for a war as dangerous as this?" one elder asked.
A second elder straightened, his fingers brushing once through the hair along his chin.
"The threat level alone places this mission at Sergeant grade, at minimum."
"I don't mean to interrupt..."
Ari turned.
Nytheris stood facing the Queen.
"I wanted to report that I discovered another hideout south of the colony."
One of the elders leaned forward, his eyes widening.
"What...?"
Another elder drew in a slow breath.
"Are you saying there is more than one Moth cave?"
"Yes," Nytheris said. "While out on patrol last night, I discovered it."
He paused.
"A few Moths were lurking in the shadows. I believe it could be their main lair, though that much is unclear."
"After following one of the Moths, I discovered they were using the Earthworms' burrow as some kind of lair."
A quiet silence settled over the chamber.
"So that's why..." Celeste murmured.
Her eyes lowered in thought.
"They were the ones who led the centipedes to the burrow to hunt the Earthworms."
"Even so..."
Ignatia exhaled.
"There isn't enough time to reach it, and dividing our forces now would only weaken us. It remains a low priority. We'll deal with it later."
Nytheris inclined his head in a respectful bow. Black hair slipped forward, partially obscuring his face.
"As you wish, my Monarch."
As he straightened, the glow of the fungi caught briefly in his dark eyes.
He fell for the trap... I didn't expect him to confirm my suspicions so eagerly...
Ari closed his eyes for a moment.
So he believes he already knows the outcome.
Regardless... this puts us on the right path.
He opened them and looked toward Ignatia.
Their eyes met.
She nodded.
"The decision has been made," Queen Celeste said.
She turned toward Valeria.
"Captain."
Valeria stepped forward.
"Lance Corporal Ari and Seraphina will lead this mission."
She glanced across the chamber.
"Two Butterfly guards will accompany them. From our colony, three Corporals, twelve Lance Corporals, and twenty Privates."
"You as well..."
Valeria looked at him.
Nytheris' clicked his tongue.
"...That's all? Against someone like Magnus? It won't be enough. Not with the number of Moths under his command."
"You Ants have no idea what you're up against."
"It surprises me that you think that," Seraphina said.
Her expression never changed.
"As though you could place me in the same category as yourself."
She folded her arms.
"Are you a fool? Magnus won't sit idle while we're gone."
Her eyes narrowed.
"He could attack the colony at any moment."
"Our reserve force must be stronger than the assault."
"I expected better judgment... especially from someone who serves Monarch Ignatia."
Nytheris' fingers slowly curled into a fist.
"And with that, this meeting is adjourned," Celeste said.
"Begin your preparations for departure."
The elders rose from their seats.
Nytheris' eyes lingered on Ari before he finally turned away.
Ari made his way toward his chamber.
An ant stood outside the entrance, leaning against the tunnel wall.
Ari slowed.
Then stopped.
"Good... you're finally here."
The ant pushed himself away from the wall. Brown hair fell back from his face, streaked with gray along the sides.
"Who are you?" Ari asked.
"I am Sergeant Argent. I serve in Lieutenant Brooks' platoon."
One hand rested near the hilt at his side.
"So Brooks sent you?"
"Yes."
"I'm here to deliver a message."
Silence settled between them.
The only sound was the distant echo of pickaxes striking stone.
"Last night, a Butterfly left the colony. We were ordered to tail him."
"He tried to gain altitude over the forest to shake us."
"That confirmed our position had been compromised."
A Butterfly...
The only one who left the colony was... Nytheris.
Ari's brow tightened.
"He's more perceptive than I gave him credit for."
"However," Argent continued, "we also confirmed the area Lieutenant Brooks suspected."
"The Moonveil Blossom the Monarchs seek is hidden there."
"So Lieutenant Brooks believes Nytheris has the Flower?"
"Yes."
Argent nodded once.
"Based on the Monarchs' testimony and your report, the Lieutenant believes Nytheris is responsible."
"He hid it away."
"Magnus doesn't possess the relic..."
"...Not yet."
That's it...
The missing piece.
Ari rested a hand against his chin.
The information Nytheris gave during the meeting could mean one of three things.
He fabricated it to create confusion.
He wanted to draw our attention away from the southern craters, where the Moths are most likely gathering.
Or...
He's trying to keep us from reaching the Moonveil Blossom before Magnus does.
His fingers pressed lightly against his chin.
Unless...
Does Nytheris have his own reason for wanting the Blossom?
If Magnus doesn't have the Moonveil Blossom yet... then this might work out in our favor after all.
Ignatia is probably right.
The Hollow Foundry of Shadows is most likely their main lair.
But if Nytheris truly betrayed the Butterflies...
He could've warned the Moths beforehand and guided them toward the southern Earthworm burrow.
His hand slowly lowered.
I'm still not convinced he's completely abandoned them...
But his actions don't add up.
"Lieutenant Brooks instructed me to tell you to assemble a small retrieval squad."
"They're to recover the Flower."
Argent turned.
"Thank you, Sergeant," Ari said.
Later, Ari sat on his bed, woven from leaves and sticks. The rough fibers pressed against the plates of his armor.
Lily stepped into the chamber first, her hands swaying lightly as she walked.
Lancelot leaned against the frame with his arms crossed.
Isla lingered just behind him.
Nova entered last, hesitating at the threshold before quietly stepping inside.
"So... Ari," Lily said with a smile.
"Calling me to your private place?"
She tilted her head.
"That's... surprisingly bold of you."
"I'd also like to know why I'm here," Beatrice said.
"A lot has happened today."
Lancelot muttered.
"I'm still trying to make sense of it."
He ran a hand through his hair.
His shoulders rose with a weary breath.
"First we're sent to exterminate Earthworms."
"Then you disappear."
"And somehow you come back wrapped up in all this Butterfly mess."
He looked straight at Ari.
"Seriously..."
"You always manage to drag us into danger."
Ari chuckled lightly.
"Ari..."
Isla clasped her hands against her chest.
"I'm really glad you're okay."
She hesitated.
"I'll help however I can..."
"...But do I really have to fight?"
"The reason I called all of you here..."
"...is because of the Moths."
"Your objective is to retrieve a hidden flower known as the Moonveil Blossom."
Ari said.
"Whatever happens..."
"It cannot fall into Magnus's hands."
"It possesses enough power to shift the balance between entire regions."
"If the Moths obtain it..."
"The colony will be in grave danger."
Lily smiled.
"I'm flattered you have that much faith in me."
Her shoulders lifted.
Ari let out a quiet breath through his nose.
I know she's capable...
But can she take this seriously for once?
Lancelot nodded slowly.
"I get it."
"So if we recover the Flower first..."
"We gain the advantage over the Moths."
"That's basically it," Beatrice said.
"Yes."
Ari lowered his gaze.
Though... I hope Brooks' instincts are right...