The Outside was getting rowdy and very distracting; I liked it, the situation. The termites were ready to point their mandibles at the enemies. There was fear in the air, of not the hindering but motivational kind. It pulled the termites together. They were courageous, I’d give them that, but their lacking knowledge on war formations and warfare, in general, smelled of trouble.

Fear might be omnipresent, but the termites were also brimming with energy. They were not going to back away. In this sense, they were not much different from us ants, though lacking in every department. They had numbers on their side, but wars are won with strategies, not numbers.

I joined them.

You— A soldier noticed me; she must have seen me in action because she pulled back trembling. What are you doing here?

I’ll be joining you.

NO! She resisted. Fall back, go, and hide. The ants can’t infect us, but you are Not safe.

I answered with silence and by standing my ground. I had gone against all odds to try saving Star, the 5555th soldier, and others; Bella meant the same to me. Truth to be told, I was sure she wouldn’t need much saving from us. If anything, I needed to be there to protect the termites form her. She didn’t know about the status change, after all.

What about the princess? A voice, loud and brazen, rang in my head. I ignored it the best I could. Distractions — I needed distractions. I couldn’t simply leave and let Greed have it either. My decision was all but made.

I climbed atop the advanced post building to reach a better vantage point. I wasn’t trying to see the infected. They were out of the range covered by Sight, even though it had recently improved thanks to the level up and the resultant skill up. But the infected were fast approaching, and they were not far away.

Bella must have truly raised hell in the city.

The flying termites were the first to clear the sky. They were of the royal linage, the new wave of information carriers, and played far too important a role to be sacrificed like regular grunts.

Star soon appeared from the entrance; his troops followed right behind. 5555th was also among them. With the hateful one right beside her, I was not worried about her safety.

What are you doing? The hateful one asked me? Are you trying to die again?

No,

I had mounted the post to feel the wind. I couldn’t see, but we ants sensed the world with our antennae, not eyes. I vibrated mine to higher and higher frequencies, creating a loud buzz, and collecting the finer particles from far. My blood turned cold when I inspected the catch. There must have been thousands of them, all releasing a disgusting rotting stench. What I found was a mass of different scents mixed together, one that only forms when a large group comes together, individuals becoming indistinguishable from one another.

If nothing was done the infected were sure to pierce through the termite’s flimsy barricade. Enthusiasm was the only thing we had going for our side. We couldn’t let them get past us, that would spell disaster for everyone; and If another spreader escaped?

NO! It couldn’t be allowed.

Star! I called and rushed down the post toward him. Take charge of the termites! I blasted around, spreading the scent so everyone could hear me. The termites cringed at my suggestion, but there was no time to think. We needed to move soon if we were to hold back the infected.

They have their own leaders, kid. I can’t do that. The elder won’t agree—

They have none to guide them. They only have their elder, who also has no war experience. You also know it. He still hesitated. I pressed harder. They won’t survive, Star. You have to lead them. Where do you think the infected will go if they managed to escape? Think about it.

That got his attention and put the fear in him. Fear would do him good, challenge his consciousness, and help him decide. I wasn’t worried about him; Star knew how to overcome fear.

I believe the frogs were the only reason 43rd city still stood untainted. I could not for the sake of my sanity fathom any other reason, as to why the infected must have decided to skip the 43rd and go straight for us. Or there could have been more than one of them. Makes one wonder who else had been infected and how far the infection had spread.

You need to stop interrupting me first. Give me some respect, alright.

But—

Now, He exploded with amusement and pushed toward the termites. Who needs some help? Come to me. Hey, you —He pointed toward a royal watcher keeping eye on our surroundings— How far can you see?

Me?

We don’t have time to waste son, how far can you— No, forget that. How long before the termites enter your protective lines?

Do you mean how long before they reach here? The watcher asked, confused.

It'll be too late by then! Don’t you know anything?

Maybe a little too enthusiastic —the watcher was scared— but his energy was required. Battlefields suited him more than narrow and dark confines. This was where he thrived.

The graveyard where I found your trail: how long before they reach it? The place was a good hundred ant length from us. That was enough distance for an imaginary first line of defense.

The watcher consulted with his group and came up with a number.

Ten minutes, give or take.

Star raised his antennae in amazement. So three minutes it is —workable.

No, at least eight- the watcher was left amazed and disgruntled, for Star had already moved forward. He had no time for chit-chat. This was the power of someone who had a handle on the situation they were put in, whether foreign or rural. Enthusiasm was important, bur expertise would always triumph raw energy. There is a reason why workers dug and soldiers hunted.

Star moved through the termite ranks like a storm, pulling them together at places and separating them at others. He made a few to bend their legs to hold position and others to run forward. He placed gunners at strategic places, made a few collect foliage to narrow the channel the infected might rush in through. Most of it was things I didn’t know. He hadn’t used any tactics against the frogs, but that would have been a pointless endeavor; but against opponents like ants, well, he was in the zone.

A few termites challenged his position and power, but he only had to tackle the few to the ground and others easily came through. The termites were surprisingly vulnerable to forceful practices. I was quick to take note.

Alright, that was one part. Star alone couldn’t have handled everything, but he had his adviser and troops. They might be simple soldiers under him, but together they had enough battle experience between them to put the whole might of the termite's force to shame.

He divided his soldiers and promoted them to captains with one hundred termite soldiers under each of them. That was too many soldiers for a single captain to handle, but he only had so many soldiers left. Most of them had lost their lives running from the infected.

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This was the only way to make sure that his orders would reach everyone. The termites had no ranks among them. They had party leaders, but all were independent. No wonder the elder had asked me to help put the fire that was raging in the west. The army must have had quite some fun fighting against the termites. I just hoped they wouldn’t follow them into the desert. That would be suicidal if the stories were true.

It had only been two minutes when the watcher raised the alarm. He felt embarrassed about his prediction and it showed up in his scent.

March! March! March! March!

Star blasted the scent and the captains got their troops moving.

I rushed at the front with Star. He wasn’t one to stay behind, which was actually a bad thing considering he was the commander, but who was to make him stay —well, not me. The soldiers displayed more confidence now that they were all together and moving side by side. This was one of the effects of having others to rely upon. Considering how scared the termites were at first, their newly found confidence was an improvement, even though it was momentary.

—How many will be there this time?

—A hundred, one thousand?

—Does it matter?

The termites talked as I passed through them. These were some heavy thoughts, but none of them ran away. The knowledge sent a shiver down my spine. They released their fear, living it, and pushing through. That was a quality missing in even battle-hardened ants.

A few hundred heads ahead the battle raged. Blood flowed continuously as the soldiers from neighboring posts engaged with the irregularly shaped monsters that were the infected.

The battlefield was a mess as expected.

There was chaos everywhere. The soldiers fought alone, without a leader to order them to fall back, to group up or push through. This was not war but a brawl, and soon to turn into a massacre.

Those present on the site were surprised to see us leading the termites, but there was no time to curb their discomfort. The infected had the upper hand. Thankfully, they seemed more interested in eating after killing than helping another in danger.

ENGAGE! Star released the pheromone and jumped into the fray. The newly promoted captains raised their scents and the termites somehow joined them and raised a united flag above their heads. That was the strength of the termites. You could put two termites from different colonies together and they would work together, no problem; do it with ants and you’d have bloodshed. I didn’t know it at that time, but someday I would.

There was no passing through the graveyard. It stretched ahead all the way through. Just how many battles had been fought to turn an entire stretch of land into a graveyard? How many had been killed, and how many more were going to die again before the infection was curbed?

I pushed an infected to the ground and passed by while others took care of it. I evaded a tentacle by rolling on the ground, pushed Star away as another jumped at us from atop a grass blade, and charged straight into a group that was rushing toward us. I head-butted the one in lead, pushing him into the others, separating them. They were quick on their feet, but the soldiers were right behind me. Small groups of ten soldiers each separated from the main army to handle the injured infected, while star led the rest forward. They were to join back with us afterward. It was a good strategy, but too slow.

I needed to find Bella. I couldn’t smell her, for the air was saturated with all the various scents, orders, and emotions. However, I could hear the drone of her buzzing wings up ahead.

I informed Star of my intentions and moved away from the group.

I hadn’t gone far when I found her in the middle of it all, enjoying the chaos. The ants and the termites —infected or not— had nothing on her. They couldn’t even touch her, but they were many and she was alone. Accidents happen.

Bella must have seen me because I head a burst of wings and she appeared in front of me. The termite’s around me screeched at the sudden appearance of a wasp in their midst. Got so scared they broke formation and ran for their lives. Many found their wits and returned, but only a few stayed in their position, unnerved and holding still. Star was rushing toward me, to help. I told him to do his thing, that she, a wasp was the friend I was talking about.

He didn’t believe me and almost attacked Bella when she wrapped me in her legs and jumped into the air. To him, it must have looked like she was kidnapping me for injecting an egg. I thought the same, but she was simply happy to see me again.

You survived!

I did, Bella, Now, let’s go down.

I really believed I’d have to scrape your body from the termite's den. I knew Madhuri would be sad; At least your precious Shree would have gotten another trinket to hang from the edge of her web!

Not funny. I told her and got a look below.

We were high enough to get a look at the whole battlefield —courtesy of my improved sight. There were thousands of those mangled, monsters below. Star had been taken back, but he was quick to get on his feet. He was an expert at warfare and knew better than to be distracted in the middle of a battle.

The termites had the number advantage, but they were quickly losing that. The infected were strong. Star and his captains stood in front of the ants like immovable stones. His group was also hit hard, but his strategy impressed the termites. They either copied him by grouping themselves or joined his group. However, this was not a small skirmish as the elder had described. This was for worse. It was like the whole of the rock city had come knocking at the termite’s door.

What did you do? I complained to Bella. I didn’t tell you to bring them out!

Oh, live a little. I was afraid the termites would have caught you. I was only creating a little diversion. The previous one worked like a charm, didn’t it?

I struggled to get out of her legs, but they didn’t budge and I had to make do with complaining.

You call this a diversion? Just what did you do to make them so angry?

I might have killed someone… She confessed. I stared and she melted. Their queen… I think I killed her.

Someone? That was someone? No wonder the ants were out for blood! But she had a lot more to say now that the bird had flown out from the nest.

I tied injecting an egg into her, but she simply exploded from her behind end like a caterpillar. I wasn’t trying to kill her. I just wanted my baby to be born of the royal linage, be taken care by others.

Did you… find any survivors?

I hoped but she had nothing for me. No survivors. She told me. But there was a giant mushroom growing in the heart of the city.

It was no help.

What about you? Found your friends? Or was it a dead end. You didn’t kill someone important from their side, right? I don’t want to be lectured now only to later find that you were also being chased by the termites for the same reason.

I found them. I told her and smacked my head on her chest when she tried to congratulate me. It just happened. They are down there, helping the termites. Her expressions changed to confusion upon learning the truth.

The ants are your enemies? I knew your kind couldn’t digest one another, but I thought you were different. It just makes me sad.

Are you?

Not really.

Anyways, we don’t have time for that. The termites are friends. Just remember that. We need to save them.

Curse the salivating mouth of a female spider, when did That happen?

It just LOOK OU—

An infected had flown dangerously close to her back. It had its mandibles open and scissoring, tentacles reaching, and abdomen quivering. It was fast, but she was faster.

She flipped mid-air, dodging it with a burst of wings, and used the resulting momentum to swat it to the ground with her abdomen. She didn’t forget to ask for my opinion, and I truthfully told her it was beautifully executed. But that wasn’t the only infected aiming for her. There were a dozen more winged flyers, with squirming pustules the size of a small head poking out of their backs, and bladed limbs flying toward her.

They could have flown away, but they didn’t. They chose to attack a lone wasp flying in their territory instead. I could only be thankful for their hunger.

The winged infected ants were large and bold. They pounced at Bella without hesitation, mandibles sharp as a blade of grass. They didn’t seem to care about the size difference —they were smaller, like workers in front of a soldier.

Bella noticed her disadvantage before even exchanging moves. I was a burden on her and she was quick to drop me on the ground, before flying back into their midst. I had no time to worry about her health. She could handle her own; it was I who needed to pay attention to my surroundings.