Ari stood at the edge of the battlefield, the ground scattered with abandoned weapons and motionless soldiers. The silence pressed in on him, broken only by the faint crackle of settling debris.
All of them… gone.
Defeated so easily… without a single loss on our side. His voice muttered the words aloud, though unease coiled tight in his chest.
He shifted his weight, as he recalled the enemy general being escorted away earlier. Not even their general killed anyone, and with his strength, that shouldn't be the case, Ari continued, watching the soldiers tending to the minor wounds of the injured.
That's… really disturbing. Ari closed his eyes.
Something about this invasion doesn't sit right. Were they really after our resources, or was it something else entirely?
He exhaled, letting out a sigh of relief and opened his eyes. And now I can have my freedom.
Whatever it was, at least it's over.
His eyes then widened. "Oh crap, that's right! I almost forgot about the princess," Ari said, glancing around as he stepped forward.
If I don't hurry and find that crazy queen will imprison me again for sure and all my progress will be lost...
"Valeria, give me a hand. We still need to find the princess," he added, adjusting his footing before starting to move.
"You're right. It slipped my mind as well. Lead the way," Valeria said, her voice firm, as she fell into step beside him. They ran off together, their footsteps echoing lightly in the passage.
...
After a few moments, Valeria glanced at Ari, her brow slightly furrowed, the tension in her shoulders betraying her concern. "Ari," she said, her voice tight. "Do you know where the princess is?"
Ari's eyes stayed fixed on the tunnel ahead, his lips barely moving as he replied. "Just a hunch."
Valeria let out a soft sigh. "A hunch, huh?" She straightened, squared her shoulders, and forced a small, determined smirk. "Well, that's good enough, I guess I overestimated you."
Why does she have to sound so disappointed about it? Ari thought.
"I'm going to check on something first. I'll catch up to you later."
With that, she pivoted at the next turn, slipping into the shadows and disappearing from view. Ari stopped for a moment and looked at her back then nodded. "Alright then."
Valeria ran through the tunnels, she kept her eyes on Ari for a brief moment, noting the precision in his movements. I get an uneasy feeling when I'm around this ant.
Her jaw tightened slightly as she adjusted her pace. I know he's like us, but there's just something so different about him. He's a great strategist, and he has the speed of the ones in the stories my father used to tell me.
She glanced at him again, noting the absence of any markings. I mean, he has no markings, yet he has that speed. He's quite capable and was true to his word.
Valeria paused for a moment as she considered the truth in her thoughts. I hate to admit it, but part of me almost hope he doesn't leave the colony needs someone like him.
...
Princess Emilia woke in a dark, damp space. The air was cool and musty, pressing lightly against her skin. She could barely make out the faint outline of a log above her.
"Where am I...? What is this place?" she murmured, her voice low and unsteady, the sound barely carrying in the silence.
Shadows shifted faintly in the corners of her vision as she recalled the last moments before losing consciousness and seeing Aixen's face. The sting of the stink bug gas, the disorienting swirl of darkness, and then… nothing.
Emilia's fingers traced the cool, damp ground beneath her as she shifted slightly. Oh, that's right. Aixen betrayed the colony. He used stink bug gas on me, rendering me unconscious, and left me here.
I've known him my whole life… never noticed any evil intentions. How could I have been so blind? I guess Ari was telling the truth. He cared about the colony's safety.
A flicker of frustration ran through her as she flexed her wrists against the resin, the sticky resistance reminding her of how powerless she felt. And what did we do? Call him a liar. I said things I shouldn't have, when all he wanted was to be heard.
Her gaze swept the dark area, eyes lingering on the log above and the dirt packed walls around her. If I hadn't been so focused on my own guilt, I could have asked the queen to listen. Now… this colony may be gone for good.
Tears welled in Emilia's eyes, her chest tightening as a flicker of helplessness washed over her. I have to get out of here.
She flexed against the substance binding her hands, the viscous resistance pulling at her fingers. If the colony is going to cease to exist… maybe I'll disappear with it.
Her jaw set, and she pressed harder against the bonds, the rough edges of the dirt below her grazing her shoulders as she strained. She kicked at the log above her with her legs, but it didn't budge.
"It's no use. It won't move. What am I going to do? Am I going to die here?" Emilia's voice cracked as tears slipped down her cheeks. "I don't want to die here."
...
Ari sprinted through the winding tunnels, barely noticing the sharp turns and uneven floor beneath his feet as urgency drove him forward.
Before the invasion, I asked the queen where Aixen's chamber was, and she gave me that info. I didn't tell her my reason for wanting this information, but that's the only place I think he would hide her, Ari thought.
"To make matters worse, I don't know which one of these is Aixen there is too much. Princess Emilia! Where are you? Princess Emilia!" Ari shouted, his voice bouncing off the cold dirt walls as he looked through each chamber he passed.
Emilia picked up the faint sound and her eyes widened. I can hear Ari calling me. I must be imagining things. Everyone must be dead by now, Emilia thought.
She kicked upward at the log, feeling its weight against her feet, and scanned the area for any weak points. "Ari!" she cried out, her voice cracking, sharp and tense. "I'm over here."
Ari's heart skipped a beat, his stomach tightening as the sound of her voice cut through the tunnels. I hear banging in that chamber. Could she be…?
He sprinted toward the noise, the sound growing louder with each pounding step. When he reached the chamber, he called out again, "Princess Emilia!"
Emilia thrust her legs against the log above her, each kick slow but forceful. Her muscles tensed with the effort, and her voice cracked as she shouted, "I'm here!… Please help me!"
Ari's eyes locked on her figure behind the massive log. He planted his feet and braced with all his strength, the log scraping and inching forward under his effort.
"There you are. I finally found you," Ari said, his voice tight as he took in Emilia's tear-streaked face.
Emilia's voice cracked slightly as she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Ari. I should have believed you about Aixen." She cried.
Ari carefully worked to peel the resin from her hands, his fingers steady as he freed them one by one. "It's understandable. It's natural to trust someone you've known your whole life over a prisoner you've only just met," he said, his tone calm, the tension of the moment reflected in the set of his shoulders rather than his voice.
"But... I'm just glad I made it on time to repay my debt to you. If it wasn't for you I would have starved to death and die."
She was left speechless.
Emilia suddenly searched his face, her tone sharp with concern. "Why are you so calm? What about the colony and the invasion?"
Ari let out a slow breath, feeling the chill of the tunnels. "Rest assured, all of that was taken care of. It's a long story. You should get some sleep and recover your strength before I tell you all that has happened."
Emilia's eyes widened, and she froze as a shadow loomed at the entrance of the chamber.
...
Aixen stood there, his cold eyes fixed on them. He shifted his weight slightly, the faint rasp of his chitinous exoskeleton moving audibly with each motion.
A shocked expression overtook Emilia's face. "No… no, not him…" she whispered, panic rising in her chest. Her hands trembled as she pressed them to her mouth.
Instinctively, Ari immediately grabbed her, pulling her to the side. The tip of Aixen's spear jabbed into the stone floor where they had just been standing, sending a shower of tiny sparks and dust into the air.
It's Captain Aixen... Ari's heart dropped. I should've known the wardens couldn't handle him. Damn… what do I do now?
Ari's grip clutched around her as he steadied himself. I have to find a way to get out of here...
"Looks like you were able to find her…" Aixen said, yanking his stinger spear from the ground. The scraping sound of metal against stone echoed through the chamber.
"To think someone like you could be capable enough to convince the queen … and command in a time of war in a matter of moments… who are you really?" His words came slow, deliberate.
"Well… now it doesn't matter," he continued, drawing out the pause, his hands tightening on his stinger spear. "Because I'll dispose of you."
Emilia's legs shook as she took a hesitant step forward, her antennae drooping under the weight of his presence. Her voice barely rose above a whisper.
"Why… why would you do this?" She demanded, her words cracked, a mixture of fear, disbelief, and pain. "Why did you betray us Aixen? Everything our colony fought for, everything we believed in… was it all meaningless to you?"
Aixen tilted his head, then rested his spear on his shoulders. "Meaningless? No, Princess. I have… other plans. Greater plans. You wouldn't even be able to comprehend."
Emilia's eyes narrowed, her hands trembling along her forearms. "Plans? You mean killing, deceiving, destroying the people who trusted you? That's your idea of a greater plan?"
"I admire how much you have matured over these past few days Emilia," Aixen said, his eyes glinting. "There is something you should learn. Trust… is a tool. Loyalty… is temporary. And absolute power… is everything."
Tears welled in Emilia's human eyes, sliding down her cheeks and streaking the smooth surface of her face. Her wings drooped, quivering with each sob. "So… all the time… all the memories we've shared… it meant nothing to you?"
Aixen tilted his head, his gaze devoid of any warmth. "Admiration is the furthest emotion from understanding, Emilia. You never knew 'Aixen.' You only knew the convenient lie you created to keep your heart at peace."
Her knees nearly buckled. "I… I trusted you!" she choked out, sobbing. "I thought… I thought you were one of us…"
"Trusting someone is merely an act of relying on them," Aixen continued, his voice as flat as the stone walls around them. "And only the weak feel the need to rely. You were simply a fool who made my objective easier."
Before Emilia could steady herself, Aixen shifted forward, the movement deliberate. Ari's exoskeleton tensed as he stepped into the space between them, chest rising and falling rapidly.
His fingers brushed against Emilia's trembling shoulder, instinctively moving to shield her as his gaze locked onto Aixen.
"Please stand back, Princess. He's after me. Get out of here," Ari said, his voice shaky, a mix of fear and determination.
"But I can't just leave you here! He'll kill you!" Emilia cried, her voice breaking as she stumbled backward. Her hands reached out, gripping Ari's arm.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be alright," Ari said firmly, forcing the words out as he forced her toward the entrance. His heart hammered, but his eyes never left Aixen.
Emilia's eyes lingered on him for a final moment before she forced herself to turn away. Her legs carried her down the corridor.
I promised her I'd be fine, but that was a lie. He's stronger than me, far stronger, Ari thought as he recalled his first encounter with Aixen where he couldn't track his movements.
Ari's hands shook before he clenched them into fists. I'm terrified… but if I give in to it, I'm already dead.
"I must commend your bravery, especially since you have no mandibles to defend yourself. You show chivalry even for a prisoner."
Aixen lunged, spear flashing in a blur. Ari ducked low, the tip slicing past his antennae. He staggered back, breath ragged. I managed to dodge, all I have to do is move before he attacks...
Aixen pressed forward, each strike driving him closer to the edge. Ari dodged another thrust, but Aixen's armored feet slammed into his chest, launching him into the dirt wall with a sickening crack.
Air tore from his lungs, and he grunted, forcing himself to rise even as his body screamed in protest. Aixen advanced slowly, spear angled to finish it.
"You've gotten faster than when I first encountered you," Aixen said, his tone cold but laced with cruelty. "But you can't dodge death forever."
The spear lunged again. Ari rolled aside, the weapon's tip grazing stone where his ribs had been creating a hole through the chamber. Relief barely had time to register before a blur of movement caught him off guard, Aixen's fist.
The left hook smashed into his jaw, snapping his head to the side and sending him crashing into the chamber walls, the impact rattling his bones as he slumped to the floor in a haze of pain.
"I told you it was no use. No matter how much a worm struggles it will inevitably be devoured by a centipede. Now die." Aixen raised his spear for a final strike.
Ari coughed, blood running from his lips. This is it. I'll die again… Mom... Keiko and the princess. I couldn't do anything at all for any of them. I'm so useless and weak...
I wonder where I'll end up after this, he thought, closing his eyes in resignation as a tear dropped.
...
There was no impact.
Valeria's mandibles struck Aixen's spear with a ringing clash. The force traveled up her arms, shaking her muscles as she held the weapon firmly. The sound of metal against metal filled the chamber.
"What...," Ari muttered, blinking and opening his eyes in confusion.
Standing before him, Valeria held Aixen's spear firmly with her mandibles, stopping it from striking Ari.
"You must be relieved I got here on time, Ari," she said, her voice steady and her face tight. She pushed against Aixen, forcing him to stumble back several steps.
"I didn't think you could take on Captain Draven by himself in that condition. But I was wrong. I found Draven unconscious on the ground in the lower tunnels. Fortunately he's alive."
Valeria said, stepping back towards Ari, her mandibles glinting in the light of the bioluminescent fungi. "And I knew exactly where you'd go and that's after Ari," Valeria explained, eyes darting to Aixen as she assumed a defensive stance.
Aixen stepped forward almost casually. "If Draven couldn't slow me down, then what makes you think you're capable enough?" he taunted.
Valeria's grip tightened. "I don't need to. I just need to hold out long enough for Lieutenant Brooks and the others to arrive."
"An interesting dilemma. Though I'm already aware that he's on a mission. Lucky for you I won't be sticking around any longer. My main objective is complete. The Queen's essence was not found, which means Queen Celeste doesn't possess it."
"What do you mean by essence? Answer me, Aixen!" Valeria shouted, anger sharp in her voice.
Aixen eyes narrowed. "This will not be the last time you see me. Something tells me you're the key Ari."
With that, Aixen forced his way past them with speed that Ari couldn't even react to, making his way out of the colony. The walls were scarred and cracked from where his spear had smashed through them, splintered stone littering the floor.
Dust hung in the air, settling slowly around them. Ari slumped against the wall, his chest heaving.