Chapter 803 - Where?!

I don't mind sharing with you, my dear readers, that as much as I enjoy travelling around the wonderful world in which we live, exploring its many incredible, unbelievable sights and relaying them to you in my own quirky fashion, I do miss my bed. Oh! Such comfort! Such bliss! The means with which you have so graciously afforded to me my readers, they have not gone to waste! Enchanted stone-wood frame, carved ever so intricately with doves and vines, the mattress, with its three layered structure providing the perfect level of support and softness. The bottom layer, made from earth infused deep sponge, is my personal favourite. Stern and unyielding, but forgiving and with a warm heart. This is topped by the second, a cheeky four inches of water infused sea-king reeds which give the mattress that slight wobbly feel I love so much. Finally, the top layer, a full, luxurious six inches of tight stuffed down from the Cloud Ranging Sky Goose. It's like resting atop the fluffy pillows of the sky itself, dear readers.

Needless to say, this was not the level of comfort I enjoyed when staying at the Hill of Rest in Renewal, but Mrs Bellweather's establishment comported itself far better than I expected this distance from civilisation. I awoke refreshed and excited, ready to face another day in this remarkable land of ant and human.

After a short yet hearty breakfast, I was greeted just outside the establishment by my guide for the day, arranged by Mr Bellweather the previous day. A chatty know-it-all who would be more than happy to spend hours answering endless questions from an old duck, he assured me. I was quite pleased to find this was indeed the case when the young girl in question, a Ms Emilia Cretherton, greeted us with a warm smile the moment we stepped out the door. The first thing I had to ask was the nature of the particular garment she wore, which included a rather striking set of antennae like attachments to a band she wore through her hair. As Emilia was delighted to share, all members of the community who chose to take the ant related Class line wore such a headdress as an indication to others that they are available to work as translators between the ants and the residents!

A special Class line! I was stunned to hear of such a thing! Especially being shared so openly! Of course, I had to know more. Luckily, the cheerful young girl was all too willing to share. Supposedly, this information isn't even an open secret throughout the city, it was just something that was freely shared. Emilia informed us, quite proudly the dear young thing, that she had reached the first Class evolution, turning her 'Antmancer' into the well regarded 'Antspeaker'. This Class gave her the incredible ability to utilise mana to produce pheromones, which in turn allowed her to communicate with the ants without the need for any sort of mental magic! Incredible! Indeed, this ability was soon put on display as we made our way throughout the town. Some might have thought the residents would hide their close affiliation with their insect-monster allies, but nothing could be further from the truth. Ants roamed throughout the city, walking right alongside everyone else. The monsters themselves were of various sizes, ranging from large dog all the way up to a bull.

When one of them walked past us, I just had to know, so I turned to our guide and asked if she could please interpret for us so that we might converse with the fascinating creature. My two bodyguards were not at all happy about being so close to a monster they weren't allowed to kill and I was repeatedly warned from this course of action, but I heeded them not! If you have a chance to speak to a giant ant-monster reader, you take it!

Through our interpreter, I was to learn that this particular individual ant (unnamed, though I discovered than many ants choose to take a name, a fascinating subject all of its own) was in town to study the growth of crops. Of crops! She had recently graduated from the ant 'academy' and d.e.s.i.r.ed to study agriculture on the surface before attempting to take the lessons learned and apply them below ground. I had to ask, as I'm certain that you are also wondering, reader, what on Pangera an ant would need crops for, and she replied it was for the sapient population living under the care of the Colony, as if it were the most natural thing in the world!

And watching our Antspeaker communicate was a fascinating thing all of its own! Both Emilia and the ant made no sound, all our human translator did was raise one hand, glowing softly with the tell-tale light of mana to produce the pheromones, the scent that the ants use to communicate with one another. Just incredible!

After a brief chat, our ant friend went on her way and we continued our jaunt around town. Fear not, dear reader for there was so much more to see!

Excerpt from Chapter Four of 'Traveling Tolly in the lands of the Colony' published in the Monthly 'Pangera Gazette'

Brilliant? I should have named her Idiot! Has her insane level of curiosity not been sated yet? I thought she'd been cured of the worst of it, yet here we are, in the middle of a literal city of demons, and she runs off on us?! If I hadn't been so distracted she never would have been able to slip from our grasp.

[Dammit! We need to find her!]

"Protectant! Are you telling me that none of you saw her sneak off? How is that possible?!"

A rather disgruntled looking Protectant appears behind me.

"Our role is to watch you, not her. Though it is remarkable that none of us noticed…"

"She doesn't even have the stealth Skill! I looked at her core myself! How is it possible that one little ant can be this slippery!?"

Protectant scratches at her head with one antenna.

"Perhaps she has an impeccable sense of timing? Or just pays close attention to everything around her? It's a remarkable talent…"

If the Colony had any need for an escape artist, then this would have been a massive missed opportunity.

"Well get out there and find her!" I roar at my erstwhile security detail.

"But…" Protectant hesitates.

"GO! If she dies do you have any idea what the Colony has lost?! GO! GO! GO!"

[Tiny! Crinis! Invidia! We have to hunt down that damned hatchling.]

I switch my focus to Al, floating patiently alongside us.

[I hate to do this to you Al, but we need to go and find the hatchling who was with us, she's a curious creature who hasn't quite developed a sense of self-preservation yet…]

Something I will rapidly move to fix.

The eye flashes with interest.

[A curious creature? Such a thing should not be discouraged. I will make myself hidden and assist as I can from the shadows.]

[Alright then.]

Charge! With any luck, I'll be able to find the little interloper through the vestibule before long and we can avoid having anything dramatic happen in the meantime. Even now I can sense the twenty bodyguards scattering from this location, diving here and there amongst the buildings, twists and alleys of the city as they hunt down the scent of the runaway hatchingling. Where is she? Where the heck could she be? My attention sinks deeper into the vestibule, seeking, questing for that infinitesimal sliver of energy and regeneration she provides to me.

[This way! Let's goooooo!]

Changing directions, my legs grip hard at the ground until stone ch.i.p.s fly into the air. Tiny screeches to a halt before he unleashes a mighty roar, bounding forward like a force of nature, his eyes blazing with electrical energy. The demons in our way scatter like pigeons, unwilling to get in our way.