Find Your Wings

Summer

Blade's Hive
Meanwhile, as even more leaves had fallen off of their dying tree, the soldiers of the Queen had come and gone, bringing just enough for her to feed. Yet there was still a mystery about the ants that were supposed to be in one area. Somehow though they had managed to get two small butterflies and a cricket through some kind of personally made tunnel. Not knowing of the state their own home was in at the moment, Thorny rushed his fellows to go ahead of him. He had wedged into a some loose wood and found a compartment going down the tree trunk. There was so much space in this place that it was claimed as a miracle that this tree was still standing. Thorny was sure that he had everyone who was taken, as well as a few extras. The wood whites and the cricket were the last to join them. The fate of the others were sadly carried out long before he planned this escape. Regretful as that was, he could not let that hold him back this time.

His fellow ants climbed on and on, even though it all seemed so endless. Hunger and thirst were the two main problems during this one ordeal, if avoiding hungry and grouchy hornets were not enough. It took some time to avoid being caught by the guards when it came time for another tall order, which did cost almost up to ten lives. All of them were greater in size and mass compared to them; ants. Survival being the primary goal and to get back to Ant Island without being hunted down. Of course, their stony queen wouldn't miss them much, now that a red claw had punched into the tunnel! Thorny yelped, pressing his friends back.

"Back it up!" he barked as the others pinned themselves against the dry wood wall.

With a spare thorn, the brave council member made a stab with it into the guard's eye. He gave a terrible wail before shaking and rubbing his head violently. This bought them all some time to scale down, which was, to them, a huge rough slide all the way down.

"Go, go, go!" he bellowed, ushering the workers who all did their turn of jumping in.

As they all slid down and fast, all the poor captives could hear was the sharp, shrill wings of passing and chasing hornets. A few tried to strike them with their stingers. Once they got to the bottom of the tree, there was one waiting, standing right in front of them. One of the females gave out a cry as she tried to stagger back against the bark. Thorny glared at him and smirked while the group began to split up.

"You won't go far, maggots!" barked the hornet as he grabbed Thorny by a leg.

"You messed with leafcutters, mate!" Thorny laughed. "We're pretty fast."

"How-"

Despite being chased by many others, the dead grass granted them enough time to started digging through the dirt. One almost got snagged once again and it hurt her foot, but she didn't stop trying. Soon enough, Thorny gripped the bark of the tree to yank himself out of the harsh grip of his captor. With one yank, he was freed and he fell. All he could do was scramble off as an entire swarm seemed to take off after them. Now that it had gotten more heated, Thorny had to keep his eyes forward as he ran as fast as his little legs could take him. He felt the heat of the hornet's breath and he felt the strength behind those pinning strikes. Listening for the screams of his fellows, he had to do something entirely risky. Using the blade of some dead grass, he had forced it snap thus making it smack the predator full in the face. Some of them were picked up and then mercilessly thrown against the dirt. Thorny was almost slammed down upon and he rolled under some grass and rock. The others happened to have hidden under there, since it was apparent that their captors were unable to sting them.

"Thorny!? What are we going to do!?" cried one of the female workers.

"We dig!"

"What!? Are you crazy!?"