Being this close to the centipede, I get a better view of just how horrifying it is. It’s reared up behind us, those legs dancing in and out that are lifted off the ground. It’s fangs drip with venom as it clicks at the guards.
After a few minutes, the centipede makes a sound of displeasure and the ant leader’s tone grows more aggressive with his clicks. The centipede hisses and then turns away, disappearing back into the darkness to hunt something else. Relief fills me, even if I’m now worried about the creatures in front of us.
“Your name and business,” the ant guard says again, focusing on us.
I stare at him, taking in his entire strange appearance. What the fuck is even going on right now? “Vesper and Locke,” I answer finally. “And, uh . . . our business is just to survive.”
“Players?” he asks.
I raise my brow, confused by the question. Who else would we be? From what I’ve seen of NPCs, they only ever exist around buildings and safehouses. “Yes. Both of us.”
The ant nods and lowers his weapon. “Follow us, players.”
I look around. “We appreciate your help,” I say, looking for a way out. “Can’t we just?—”
“It wasn’t a request,” the ant guard says, his large eyes meeting mine. His mandibles clack together ominously.
I hold up my hands to show I meant no harm. “Okay. We’ll follow you.”
Locke and I glance nervously at each other, but when the ants start to march, we fall into step. After all, if they hold enough power to send that centipede away, I don’t want to know what they’ll do to us should they decide they don’t like us after all.
CHAPTER23
VESPER
Ihesitate when the guard ants lead us to a large mound of dirt and trek up it. One of them pokes me with their spear and I glare at him before scrambling up the mound. My boots slip in the loose dirt as I attempt to follow the leader. The ants don’t seem to have a problem getting up it since they have an extra set of legs, but Locke and I struggle. One of the ants behind us laughs and mumbles, “Stupid homo sapiens,” as we do our best.
At the top of the mound, I straighten and stare at the large hole in the center of it as I push my hair out of my eyes. The leader gestures for us to follow again and then disappears inside.
I glance at Locke. “I don’t know if this is a good idea or not.”
“Doesn’t seem like we have a choice,” Locke replies. “Any advice, Cipher?” Cipher says nothing. “See? No choice.”
I sigh and slowly start easing into the hole. At first, it’s just tunnels carved into dirt. But the deeper we go, the more intricate things start to get. Pretty designs are carved into the dirt, small lanterns set there that light the way with soft warm glows. We pass other ants as we go deeper, most of them dressed the same at the three ants directing us. After we’ve been walking for what feels like an hour, we start seeing ants in different outfits, mostly a variety of dresses and trouser outfits. The ones in trousers are covered in dirt, like they’ve spent the day digging and are only just finished. The ones in dresses seem to be carrying strange white, bulbous . . . bags? Containers? I don’t know what they are. They wiggle in their arms, as if there’s something inside of it.
“This way,” the leader commands before walking through a doorway into a large cavernous room.
“Here goes nothing,” I say, stepping behind him.
BOSS BATTLE INITIATED: DIPLOMACY MATTERS
What do you call an ant who is very fancy and wears a crown? Eleg-ant! The elegant Leaf Cutter Queen rules her kingdom with an iron tarsi. Don’t worry: I am confid-ant you got this!
Note: The Leaf Cutter Queen is a diplomacy boss. Defeating her depends on you.
I tense as Cipher’s voice purrs in my mind as we walk inside the throne room. “Fuck,” I whisper as I get a good look at the new room around us.
The queen ant can’t be missed, not because she’s dressed differently, but because she’s literally massive. She sits on a massive pile of pillows and blankets at the front of the room, lounging there as she watches us being led into the room by her guards. Her ass is where most of the size comes from, easily five times the size of the other ants. She has it draped on the pillows beside her, all the comfort afforded to her. A large shiny crown sits on her head, and she wears an intricate dress that flows around her, but only partially covers her rear thorax. She doesn’t get up to fight us. She just lies there and watches us as we step to the base of her raised dais.
Around her lounge a dozen ants, all male I assume because they’re completely naked with their strange-looking dicks in their hands. They all gently rub themselves, some of them making strange moaning sounds as they stroke the appendage.
“What the actual fuck?” Locke whispers, jerking his eyes away from the scene to focus on the queen, but he can’t help but side-eye what’s going on.
I have to agree with his sentiment. I force my eyes on the queen so I don’t look at the ant men stroking themselves where they lounge around her. I don’t know if it’s considered rude or what the etiquette is here. Maybe we’re supposed to ignore them. They seem to be there specifically for the queen’s entertainment, but even she doesn’t acknowledge them.
“Players,” the queen says, gesturing to us. “Step closer so I can see you properly. Speak and tell me your business.”
Her order is clear. She intends for there to be no questions.
