It didn't take any effort to catch up with the wolf ant. Bug followed it, keeping some distance, and to her relief, the beast didn't mind her company. As they proceeded further, the forest looked more and more alien. The plants cultivated by humans had almost completely disappeared from sight. Upside-down trees had replaced the mulberry trees that grew around the village. The young rocky trees popped up here and there, an impossible sight to see near inhabited areas. This was one of Bug's tasks, which she did quite often - weed out the sprouts before they grew hard bark, which was impossible to cut with an axe. When she was a child, she had heard stories about how their ancestors had used explosives to clear territories for arable land, which was a tremendous task. Even today, humankind continues to fight against persistent nature.

Bug glanced at the wolf ant in front of her. The animal looked around and waited. Deep in thought, she slowed down her pace. She felt embarrassed, like a guest who had arrived late. She picked up the pace and caught up with the wolf ant, walking just behind it. She kept wondering how the beast's company felt quite comfortable despite her disappointment at turning into one. They changed their pace from a light trot to walking.

Then she felt the presence of another wolf ant, walking ahead of them. He was also carrying a piece of meat. The beast noticed her, but only glanced at her. Bug looked at the wolf that invited her to come near the steam. 'How far are we going?' she wished she could ask this, but obviously, she couldn't speak.

Fortunately, her patience was not tested for much longer. They reached a hill with a few mature rocky trees growing on it. Between the thick trunks, the ground was covered with low soft grass. At the foot of the hill, Bug noticed a deep hole - the entrance to the den. Its size clearly indicated that they had come to the wolf ants' nest. Bug slowed her pace. Running through the woods with few beasts was one thing, but facing an entire swarm could be deadly. She did not want her dream to become a bloody nightmare. Bug turned around only to run into another wolf ant. This one was much larger than her or those she had met so far. A thick black mane covered its neck and shoulders. The creature looked down at her curiously and sniffed. She remembered the hunter's stories: wolf ants divide their work among themselves just like social insects, from which they got their name. The larger ones are soldiers who guard the nest and defend it from intruders. This meeting could very well end her surreal dream.

The soldier kept sniffing. Now that his muzzle was so close, Bug could examine it in detail she would never have been able to see in real life. The beast had tubercles between its small ears and a massive jaw. Strong paws with dull claws could easily break a human spine, but the workers used them mostly for digging tunnels. A couple of other soldiers approached them. Bug tried not to move as the animals investigated her. It would have been nice if they had tails like dogs to show their hostility or friendliness, but alas, the only sign she could rely on was the lack of threatening noises and a strange feeling like intuition. This was similar to how she felt at the stream. The animals did not speak, yet she knew they were curious, puzzled, and fortunately not alarmed by her presence. She tried to figure out how she could receive this information. It was almost as if she smelled it. But that didn't make sense, at least not to her human mind.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

New animals continued to gather around her. Now, she was completely surrounded and could not run away even if she tried. Surprisingly, she did not feel nervous now. Each beast that approached her and sniffed seemed to look at Bug's eyes like a curious puppy welcoming a newcomer. This absurd comparison cheered her up. Somehow, her mood transmitted to the gathered animals. Wolf ants began to rub their sides against her, almost like barn cats rubbed against her feet when she fed them. She started to wonder what breakfast they would have this morning, when suddenly the beasts stepped away from her. Bug stared at the path the animals had created. Now, she felt nervous and timid again.

The wolf ant was slowly approaching her. It was about the same size as a soldier, maybe even bigger, but its mane was grey. The hunter's tale and the behavior of the animals made Bug certain - she was facing the queen, the only animal that stands above all and leads the swarm. Her subjects' peaceful behavior calmed the girl down, but the queen was sending a different signal. She faced the intruder head-on. The tubercles opened, releasing a pair of sturdy mandibles. The queen hissed, and the atmosphere changed in an instant. Bug felt her heart racing. She was still surrounded and had no way to escape. 'Does she think I came here to fight her or challenge her authority? But I never meant to! I just...' That "just" made Bug suddenly forget about her fear. Why did she follow that worker in the first place? She could have ignored the invitation. Was it because she was so tempted to explore the woods? Was she always curious about the land and its inhabitants?

No. It was the invitation itself that captivated her. The sense of being accepted by the group, the sense of belonging, which she couldn't achieve in the village, no matter how hard she worked. She was so desperate to feel this that she followed the animal. This realization made her feel devastated and extremely lonely. The bullies would have been thrilled to learn their victim had ended up in the beast's lair. At this point, the dream of being murdered by a furious swarm seemed like a less painful outcome.

The hissing stopped. The queen moved closer and rubbed her side against the intruder's. Still feeling devastated, Bug raised her gaze. The queen walked into the nest, and the soldiers returned to their posts. She was left with a few workers around her. Little by little, her sadness started to fade. The swarm did not attack her, and even the queen accepted her as a new member. 'Does this mean I'm part of the swarm now?' Bug glanced at the workers around her. She couldn't read their intentions from their muzzles. Yet again, she felt some sort of invitation. She started sniffing, trying to gather vague information. The wolf ants asked her to join them on their tasks. One was a worker who invited her to follow him at the creek. Another was slowly moving step by step towards the nest.

To carry food or to dig?

Once again, she felt her heart starting to beat faster. The feeling of excitement drove away all her useless worries. There were no bullies here, nor were there any lashes. And here was even a choice. Bug looked at the familiar wolf and mentally thanked him. She wasn't sure if he could feel her gratitude, but she did it anyway. Then she followed the one who had invited her to dig tunnels inside the nest.