Amy the Fire Ant
We are children of earth
The queen is our mother
The earth our father
Crossing light and darkness
We toil to survive
Alone we perish
Together we flourish
The colony is all
The colony is all there is
What one grain of sand before mount of dune
What one soul before the whole races
Nothing
Nothing and everything
Amy Ante Formicidia
‘Why would they choose Eirian over me who perform better and get our group more point’ Amy thought to herself after Eirian got elected as their team leader. In the moment that Calamity choose Eirian she want to shout in anger but stop herself for she knew that the group come first.
‘In the colony we choose what best for the colony first, always. So I have no problem follow what was decided but here with them they refuse me because I chose the group first rather than its member?’
‘What do I do when the group member doesn’t care about the group’ Amy climb down the hole in the dark undercity looking for someone to talk with.
Look around there is only a workers who can barely speak properly and one ante so she approach her to ask for Levana.
“If I have to guess she should be at wemba432” the ant then spit on the floor. A small spit just for Amy to know what to look for not to command the worker since each colony has different pheromone, a result from the land and food they eat. This small different help ant figure out which command to follow and not confuse with other group.
Retreat/break
“Should lead you to wemba on level 4”
With that Amy and the ant walk past each other without saying another word.
Following the path she climb deeper into the dark undercity with only little light in tunnel but with the combination of pheromone and help from worker ant she find Levana in one of the wemba for worker to relax and take a break.
In the center of the room Levana is talking the a group of worker about Amalthaea, god of Amalthorian. The room is cover in darkness with only little lamp by Levana side which shine a light on a book Levana is holding in her jaw.
“Oh Amy come sit with us. I was just talking about how great Amalthaea is and why it’s important that we all worship him.”
“What? But we ant don’t believed in god. We don’t need to.” Amy is taken back by such a wild idea.
‘I know the second colony allow for Almathor priest to preach about their god but to think there would be any ant who would believed in such a thing.’
“Isn’t he a goat anyway? Why would we have anything to do with him.” asked Amy.
“He’s the creator of all thing of course it got everything to do with us. Water is in all thing, the first element you know.”
Amy don’t know about which element is first but a lot of worker here is seem very fascinate with Levana story about a god up high in the sky.
“Isn’t there also other god that other race believed? Why should we believed in Amalthaea. We already have our queen and colony who need god?” said Amy.
“Other god is cruel Amy and they only care about their own race Amalthaea love everyone and everything.”
“And how do you know this?” Amy question.
“A priest told me and the holy book of Droverbum speak the same thing. We should all unite under his grace, only then we will found peace.” Levana hold the book with two of her legs to show off to worker ants.
“We already unite under a queen.”
“Of course we ‘re still loyal to our queen but Amalthaea is a god of all creation Amy, we need to honor him as well. All of us come from different colony but we share in our blood the water of life. It was this life that Amalthaea gifted to all creature so we should all join together to pray and thank him.”
The worker around the room seem confuse at the idea that there is more to life than just queen and colony before Amy came Levana spend a lot of time try to explain the meaning of word like god and how to pronounce Amalthaea.
“You all don’t have to worry how believing in Amalthaea would effect your work too since all you need to do is pray to Amalthaea inside a church or in your private time before you rest once a week or as often as you like should you need his guidence. I start devotes my life to Amalthaea a few year ago and since then I have found my peace my purpose ”
“I thought we already have all that.”
“A higher purpose Amy. A much better purpose.”
As other worker start to ask Levana more question Amy look around and spot Arthur among them so she walk toward him. Worker ants pull back to make way as Amy get closer.
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“Arthur how are you doing?” Amy stop at the little ant who look around uneasy at other worker.
“I’m fine my lady” he tried to ignore other worker who seem to whisper and bite their jaw among each other.
Amy noticed him shaking and seem to have problem standing still “Are you sure? Did you get enough rest here?”
“Na-no I don have pro...”
“Worker cannot lie to ante” Amy can tell he is keeping something from her.
“Well...I have lidle problem sleeping since some worker keep inderup me in my break dime.”
“What? Who?” Amy speak louder and look around to find who is responsible. Disrupt other ant rest time is quite serious since it can effect the ant health and work performance.
Several ant immediately speak up when Amy look their way “da dat becas he was reading my lady. He jus a worker like us he hav no bisness reading in res dime.”
“Reading?”
Arthur now seem more sick than before.
“You can read Arthur?”
“A little my lady.” Arthur look down not dare meet Amy eyes.
'Worker who can read? I never heard of such thing.’
“Do you finish all your work on time?”
“Yes—always my lady.”
“Then there shouldn’t be any problem.”
Arthur look up “Really? My lady? I can read?”
“I don’t see why not” Amy look at the group of worker who bully Arthur “And you guy leave him alone, an ant rest time is very important. You should all know better.”
“Yes my lady.” several ant agree but still staring at Arthur.
“Amy what are you doing?” Levana approach after seeing Amy casing a commotion that distract half the room while she speaking.
“Just resolving an issue between worker.”
After Levana heard about Arthur reading ability she sound quite impress “A worker who can read? That is very impress indeed. Do you ever read Droverbum Arthur?”
“No sir.”
“Where do you get a book from anyway” asked Amy.
“De librarian of Alana—Mr. Doran kindly borrow for me in his name since he saw me sdaring ad hem. I cad borrow because I don have a name so he cad make a library card for me.”
“You do have name now” said Amy.
Arthur seem shock and then excite at the realization that he can borrow the book by himself now.
“Well how about I gave you this copy of Droverbum I have with me now so you can read without worry. This book is quite thick so it will take a long time to read all of it.”
The room came to a stop when Levana offer a book to Arthur and then follow by a loud whisper and jaw biting when a smaller Arthur take the book from ante Levana jaw with his own jaw.
‘Levana might as well rip one of his leg off’ Amy can’t help but think but she already order other ant not to mess with Arthur so she is not worry too much.
Worker must follow ante command.
‘And all ante command is for the colony.’
“Thank you my lady” Arthur right now seem like he want to run away as fast as possible and buries himself in a hole where no one can find him.
“As for the rest of you who can’t read don’t worry” said Levana “I’ll be coming back here when I can to teach you all about the glory and love of Amalthaea.”
Afterward Amy and Levana leave the underground so Amy tell her about what happen in her team and ask what Levana think while they climb up.
“Chose its member rather than group? Hmm...other race sure have strange priority.”
“You devote yourself to Amalthaea first, I find this is strange too. Is there a lot of ant in second colony who chose to become Amalthorian too?”
“I can’t say we are the majority in our colony but we are certainly gaining number more and more everyday. I understand if you would question this Amy but in time when you come to learn of his teaching you will start to believe too. His way is salvation”
“Right but let’s stay on the topic” Amy don’t want Levana to go off and keep talking about Amalthaea again.
“Sorry” Levana think for a moment “Since Eirian is now a team member then do what I do, follow your team leader. We are here to learn about other races after all. Blake really has surprise me with his plan for more than once and I came to trust his judgment enough to follow his order without question.”
"But your team loss in the last assignment isn’t it?”
Levana stumble a bit “Yes but that partly on me for not offer Blake perspective on our people and that cause him to miss judge your reaction”
“He didn’t ask you?”
“He did...I just didn’t understand the significant of that question at the time and miss the point.”
Soon they will reach the surface so Amy ask about Levana plan since she is one of a few ante here “Are you going to be a diplomat for the second colony too?”
“I used to but now I think of becoming apostle for Amalthaea we’re going to spread his word to everyone and learning about each race will definitely be helpful for that.”
“Wait does your colony agree with this?” would they allow Levana to do this?
“Some ante back home is working on it I believe and with Amalthaea blessing it’s will surely goes well. So what do you think about Amalthaea so far Amy?”
“I don’t know...” after listen to Levana talk about her god Amy feel confuse at Levana who chose to prioritize something else other than the colony. She feel like Levana have something she doesn’t and for a moment felt like joining Levana in becoming apostle so she doesn’t have to be a diplomat anymore.
‘But that is impossible the colony must come first I can’t be selfish now.’
When they both finally climb back up under the sun a sound of people arguing nearby caught their attention. They all look at something on a wall nearby but their body block the view so Amy and Levana climb up the wall of nearby building to get a view.
On the wall is a word spray in red
Black Murdurer
Get out of our city
“What?” Amy confuse then realize the written word refer to crow and raven in this city. Below 3 wolf and human is shouting at 2 crow and raven, one shout to ask who wrote this while other question the black bird innocent.
It’s doesn’t take long before the city guard arrive and push everyone out. The goat question people nearby while the wolf wipe the vandalize word out like it was never there.
“Well that is weird” Amy about to climb over to the roof when she spot Biscuit.
“Biscuit!” she shout. Biscuit look around but couldn’t find Amy until Amy shout again.
“Amy” Biscuit look up “Hello Amy what are you doing?”
“Did you see the writing on that wall?”
“Yes, it so horrible. Who would write such a thing.”
Amy then noticed Biscuit and Levana looking at each other so she introduce them while wave her antenna “Biscuit this is Levana; Levana, Biscuit you both met before in the race.”
“Hello Levana” Biscuit greet her which Levana replied “Hello Mrs. Phibi, it’s an honor to meet the daughter of Pan.”
“Oh err...your welcome please just call me Biscuit.”
“As you wish”
"Please leave to area!” three of them being interrupt by city guard shouting.
“It’s seem the city is going uneasy for a while still.”
“Good thing a school trip is coming up we won’t be here when they look for who ever painted that.”
“Do you excited Biscuit? We are going to my home in the first colony.”
Biscuit took a moment to think but when she see that Amy is waiting for her she then speak her mind “To be honest I’m a little scare since I never left my home town before coming here and now we’re going to even further away from Amalthor...but since we’re all going together I been look forward to it.” Biscuit smile at Amy.
“Good, I’m excited too can't wait to see if the first colony will look like our home not to mention human town and Nikki. Filia Cross bridge is also rumor to be quite impressive."
“Yes, It’s nice to meet you both but I should go now” Biscuit step back “I’m going to the church to pray.”
“Oh can I come pray with you Biscuit?”
“Err I don’t see why not.” Biscuit look at Amy visibly confuse.
“Apparently Levana worship Amalthaea as well.”
“Oh you come from second colony right. I do heard of an ant who convert let’s us pray together. what about you Amy would you like to come too?”
“I’ll pass thank” Amy wave antenna as she watch Biscuit left with Levana. Seeing Biscuit make Amy feel guilty for abandon her in that pit.
‘I should find a way to make up to her and other. In the end it seem I fail the team though however wrong their priority maybe. For now our team here is my colony so I must follow the team wishes. I need to find a way to make it up to them somehow’