Chapter 162 The endless nightmare (1/2)

It's been two hours now and the little worker just. Won't. Stop!

”Why is your carapace so s.h.i.+ny?”

”How'd you get so big?”

”Can I do the magicky stuff?”

”Isn't talking FUN!”

”What are you doin'?”

”What are you doin' now?”

”Do you like eating? I think it's the best!”

”Should we dig something? I love digging!”

And on, and on.

It turned out the little lump on her back was Crinis who seemed delighted to grab hold of my antennae and migrate onto my back. She even quietly spoke up, saying [Welcome back master] after she'd settled onto my carapace.

So polite! Her voice was very soft and reserved, not at all like the image of the full grown JellyMaw I remember.

All that effort I spent making her more intelligent seems to have paid off! It'll be nice to have a pet I can have a decent conversation with. Tiny is great at the whole silent companions.h.i.+p thing but isn't much for a detailed conversation. Only thing is the little pet seems extremely reticent, no matter how I prodded I wasn't able to get any more words out of her.

Maybe she's just shy…

Vibrant on the other hand…. Apparently the bizzarre hatchling doesn't seem to struggle with this public speaking.

She won't shut up!

As soon as she could she climbed onto my head once again and practically danced with joy as she pelted me with endless questions, observations and random statements! I can seriously feel a headache coming on…

I tried my best to answer her at first but my responses became shorter and shorter the longer the conversation went on. Eventually I just had to shout ”I need to talk to the Queen!” and started ignoring her for a moment.

Anything for relief!

The Queen seemed slightly amused by my predicament. I can only imagine that the Queen has been enduring Vibrant's endless thirst for conversation in my absence, seeing as she's the only other ant capable of talking back to the little thing.

My esteem for the Queen has risen to an even higher level. What saint like patience! What incredible tolerance for her own children!

Choking back my emotions I speak to the Queen. ”Mother, we need to move the colony once more. We aren't safe if we remain where we are. The humans will come again, and soon”.

Hearing of the creatures who killed so many members of the colony and wounded her, a faint anger can be felt from the Queen.

”I know a place where we can go that they won't follow. The problem is that you'll have to move across the surface if we are going to escape quickly enough. Do you think you can?”

Mother seriously considers my question for a moment before nodding. ”I believe I will be able to sustain myself for some few days” she says, ”I will let you know when the feeling of weakness returns”.

”That's great! Make sure you tell me ok?! If you keep it to yourself again you really might get killed this time!” I plead.

The Queen simply acknowledges my words with a wave of her antennae and begins to mobilise the workers to return to the surface. As she makes her own way to the enlarged opening they created for her to enter the layer of workers around her just shuffles along, maintaining their defensive positions as she moves.

Vibrant had managed to hold herself in whilst I was speaking to the Queen but as soon as she begins to move away she pipes up again with her Squeaky voice.

”Where are we going?”