Colony's Hope

Survival

Skye woke with a start, hearing the clicks of many mandibles. Peeking over the edge of their hideaway, they watched with horror as a colony of fire ants marched past. It wasn't the colony that really distressed them, though; it was the fact that they could see some of their sisters being held aloft like some kind of sick trophy. Then they felt the wind leave their lungs, or the equivalent thereof, as they saw what was undoubtedly the fire ant Queen.

They had thought their mother was huge but this Queen...she defied all logic to their mind. She would rival many basketball players in their old world for sheer height alone. Her swollen abdomen, which was twice the size as the rest of her body, was being carried by ten worker ants. Though she wasn't currently laying, it was clear she was a most prolific Mother. She walked with the stately gait of a royal that knows she owns the country and could defend it with her many children.

Skye stayed low in the knot hole, trembling slightly as adrenaline flooded their system. They hoped that any faint trace of them from last night would be mistaken for an old pheromone trail. If not, their escape would be short-lived...as would their life. Luck seemed to be on their side, however, as the rival colony continued on with seemingly no knowledge that they were being watched. Skye didn't relax, however, until they saw no more bodies scuttling past for a half-hour.

Sighing, the young ant scuttled down the tree, looking around with both eyes and antennae. Heading in the opposite direction that the fire ant colony had gone, they started the search for food. They hadn't eaten for awhile, and they could feel their stomach grinding on itself. It didn't help that they definitely saw in the corner of their vision a flashing, red food icon. They had played enough games in their prior life to understand what that meant, though it was strange that it was showing up in real life now.

Looking around, they headed towards where they could smell water coming from. It was a risky move, but fruit and other forms of food could usually be found around lakes and rivers. Unfortunately, so could most animals, many of which would love to slurp up a free, high protein meal like them. It hit them suddenly just how very alone they were; with no colony, they were easy prey. It was also far too quiet for their liking, used to as they were to the sounds of their sisters' footsteps.

They eventually reached what seemed to be a small watering hole, barely more than a puddle. However, there was enough water around that there were a few, easily reachable, flowers. Heading for these, they looked around to make sure it was safe before climbing the stem. They could sense no animals on the ground, which was enough for the very hungry ant to start gorging on flower nectar. There wasn't a lot in each blossom, but there were many blossoms around, ready for harvest.

It was on the fifth flower that it happened: something dive bombed them, sending them falling to the ground. Wincing, they got up, taking stock of their surroundings. The fall hadn't hurt, but getting attack sure had, if the -1 next to their HP bar was anything to go by. They still, thankfully, had seven left, but for how long? Looking up, as they had forgotten to do prior, they noticed what had attacked them. A small, angry bee that was still significantly larger than them

The screen popped up underneath the bee suddenly, giving them some info:

Enemy Detected!

Species: Bee

HP: ?

Mana: ?

Lvl: 2

Course of action recommended: Flee!

Skye blinked at that, before deciding it was better not to question the recommendation when faced with a flying enemy. Turning sideways, they starting scuttling away as fast as their legs could carry them. Behind them they could hear the buzz of wings following, causing adrenaline to rush through them. Out in the open like this, without knowing where the hive was, they were very much outmatched by the larger enemy. They had to find cover, immediately.

Unfortunately, the nearest cover wasn't the best, as it was a dead end. They didn't find this out, though, until after entering the small overhanging root system. The sound of the bee at the entrance now told them they were also very much trapped there. Clicking their mandibles, they turned to face the enemy. They knew that they probably didn't stand much of a chance, at least...not directly.

Their antennae curled in an ant equivalent of a smirk as they realized something: they were faster than the bee. Not by much, but enough that it would provide an edge. Maybe just enough that they could survive this fight, if not be victorious. They ignored the warning that whatever power that was was flashing at them...they didn't have a choice. After all, better to stand and fight, than to die like a coward!

The bee was a ferocious fighter, but her strategy needed work. She tended to go for the suffocating bee ball, which wasn't very effective alone. This allowed Skye to dig their mandibles in several times. Eventually, the bee stopped trying to suffocate and use her stinger instead, but by that time she looked worse for wear.

Skye, meanwhile, was still fresh, having lost at most two health. Seeing their opponent's desperation, they started using the walls to get a better angle. While it didn't always work, it still kept the ant from being stung. Avoiding a one-shot kill was beneficial, after all...being killed straight off the bat was rather annoying.

Eventually it happened; the bee grew too careless. In her desperate attacks, she rammed her stinger into the root of the tree. Thus trapped, she was an easy target for Skye, who took full advantage. Leaping at the bee, they caught her abdomen in their biting jaws. The force of the attack was enough to rip the stinger out of their foe, ending the battle instantly. Skye stood above the dead bee, panting as best they can as an ant

Congratulations!!!

The screen popped up suddenly, startling them into sitting down sharply. Mandibles clicking, they tapped through the screen to see what was being said.

You have completed quest: Survive an Enemy.

For defeating a level 2 enemy, and completing a quest, you have achieved level 3. Your stats have increased!

HP: 24

Mana: N/A

Str:9

Dex: 30

Con: 18

Skills: Bite Lvl 3, Wall climb lvl 2

Evolution tree: Will unlock at lvl 7

Skye blinked, and clicked their mandibles quietly in pleasure. Picking up their prize, they headed back for their small tree nest. They hopefully wouldn't have to leave the safety for awhile, not with the amount of protein they just obtained. Though, they did attempt to grab a few flowers to bring home as well, just to have the needed sugars. Those proved a bit too heavy with the bee, so they left them.

Crawling up the tree, they tucked themselves into the nest. Taking one of the bee's wings, they start eating it. They were exhausted from the battle, and from the fright they got earlier. They looked out towards where they had come from, barely seeing what appeared to be a mountain through the trees. They missed their home, they missed the simple life of living in a colony. It was surprisingly more difficult than they had imagined to survive on their own and it gave them greater respect for the queens.

Putting the half eaten wing with the rest of the corpse, they laid down next to it. Tomorrow would be another day, and hopefully it would be as fruitful as today had been. It was with these thoughts that they drifted off into an uneasy sleep, yearning for a colony burning in their thorax.