Who The Hell Are Ya?

As I approached the colony's exit, I couldn't help but notice a bustling scene of activity. A group of ants, diligently carrying and transporting various building materials, caught my eye. I overheard nearby ants discussing blueprints they had scattered haphazardly while others carefully coordinated the delivery of materials. The ants closest to me toiled away while building dozens of sturdy spiked fences around the room's perimeter, with rows of smaller fences sectioning off the entrance and any other hole with it.

While going about my way through the lamentable conditions of the poorly thrown-together construction site, something caught my attention. Out of my peripheral appeared a diminutive ant clad in a yellow — well-nigh-sallow — hard hat and the matching clothing to boot. The ant was striding towards me as if it were proud of its unsightly headgear. My face subtly convulsed as the ant's stench got closer to me, but I still couldn't help but wonder why hard hats and construction gear were on the market. As it drew closer, the ant puffed its chest and cheeks, attempting to appear more intimidating. Its action puzzled me; I couldn't figure out why until we got nose to nose. The ant was way smaller than I was imagining. And its hard hat, its hard hat, was so freaking colossal that it could effortlessly cover the ant's entire freaking body!

"How does that even— ah- eh- mm- never mind," I stuttered with confusion before ending my thoughts with a deep breath.

"It's called shrink magic, ya idiot. Ya know what? Why are you even here—who the hell even are ya?" He said quickly, sounding a wee bit insecure as he seemed to notice my intense stares of judgment.

"Uhm… my name is Gray, and I got sent here on a mission that Queen Maria and Sage Valarie gave me," I said while plugging my nose and putting on one of those false smiles you give to little kids when they think they're doing something impressive, but in reality you're just sitting there contemplating whether it was a good idea to watch somebody's child for five bucks an hour.

"Ahhh! So you must be the new kid that's not from around here, right?"

𝘒𝘪𝘥?

"I don't smell that bad… Do I?"

𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩?

Noticing my squinted eyes and furrowed eyebrows, I gave out of misunderstood confusion. The ant took a deep breath and started on a long tangent. "Alright… let's see… Every year, the Queen hosts her annual 'ceremonial jamboree.' Everyone knows it's just a 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘺 guise that the Queen uses so the Royal Council won't press their suspicions on her and eventually get her dethroned. While the council doesn't know much about the ants' working conditions, they turn a blind eye because the colony is so well maintained. But! Back to the main topic! She holds the festival to show her 'sincere gratitude' towards the dozens of worker ants. After all the food, booze, and entertainment, the Queen brings every worker to the secret hideout of the Committee of Wizardry, and they cast black magic on every single one of them. 'Eternal Youth Magic' is the major spell they use. What sucks is that they use these types of runes that they can implant into our bodies and control them. Although I am sure as hell strong enough to destroy it, I can't understand the high level of Runics the Chairman uses."

"What does this 'Eternal Youth Magic' exactly do?" I asked.

The ant took another deep breath and started on another tangent. "'Eternal Youth Magic' is a spell of the black magic category, in which the opposing party—when inflicted—stays young for- for basically forever. We can't get tired, hungry, or thirsty. It's basically a living hell. The Queen has us continuously slaving away, no breaks, while she sits on her throne, guffawing about how she doesn't have to waste a single material because she's got us tied around her two little antennae!"

"Uhm… Damn, I guess… That must be uh- rough," I replied reluctantly, as I couldn't think of anything to say. "How rude of me. I got so interested that I forgot to ask for your name?"

"M' name's Cyrus. Nice to meetcha." He monotonously replied.

"Yeah, nice to meet you. M' name's Gray." I said mockingly. "If it's not too much of a bother, may I ask you one more question?"

"Go fer it! I'm all antennae!"

"What are these for? The fences, I mean," I said, pausing in between my words.

"Are you deaf… Or were you just not at the Queen's speech?" He asked with concerned eyes.

"Haha~ Well… You see… I was sort of, you know… incarcerated halfway through it, and yeah."

Phuahahahaha! So you're the feller that got thrown by the Queen! Hehe~ Maaaaaaan, are you famous! I tell you; you are one famous ant! Haha!" Cyrus laughed hysterically as if I said the funniest joke that has ever set foot on antkind. He continued to laugh heartily for many more minutes after that. "Whew~ Calm down, Cyrus. Calm down. Phuahaha! I haven't laughed this much since the dark ages!"

"Can you just calm—"

"I tell you what, Gray. You have a talent for this," Cyrus said, masking his laugh. "I tell you what, there's an open spot here on the site; we need a Jester like you… Hehehe!" After finishing his thoughts, Cyrus rolled on the floor, completely ruining whatever was laid out. He tossed and turned and tossed and turned some more before his hardhat flung off and hit a worker ant.

"I'm sorry!" Cyrus hurriedly grabbed his hat and apologized.

"Oh, it's okay. I'll keep working," the worker ant replied in a puppet-like-manner.

"ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT! VERY FUNNY!" I said with my teeth gritted a little too hard. "Now, then. Can you pretty please tell me what the fences are for?" I asked with a higher-pitched voice and the best manners I could muster at the moment.

"For sure!" Cyrus replied, struggling to put his hard hat back on. "We're basically building these off of orders from the Royal Capital and the Gaia guild. I'm sure you heard about the Tempest Colony, correct? If you haven't, you're outta luck! Okay, so these fences are enforced so those Tempest bastards can't get through. And apparently, the Queen has some grandiose plan that can kill all of them in one fell swoop."

"Hmm. that's—"

Cyrus looked at me for a couple of seconds, and before I could finish my part, Cyrus started badmouthing the Queen.

"To be honest, I don't believe in the Queen. In fact, I've never believed in her… At least before the whole Royal Calamity happened. Maria is just the stinky dung that always seems to find its way on the bottom of your foot, the scraps left by the previous Queen, so the Colony doesn't starve."

"What is this 'Calamity'?"

"You didn't hear it from me, but I heard that after this war is all over, King Rhoam and the Council will have Queen Maria stripped from the royal family and be permanently dethroned!"

"Dude, just let me talk, will you!?" I snapped.

"Okay, Okay. No need to get all bent out of shape. I did nothing to you."

I sneered at the ignorance Cyrus had shown. "What is this 'calamity' you speak of?" I questioned inquisitively.

"Um, Cyrus hardly sighed with his eyes closed, "That's a pretty long story. I'll have to tell you the next time we meet. Oh, wait, actually, if you can do something for me after your quest, I'll answer any question you ask! I've been here for a long time."

"Sure—" I quickly stopped my thought. I didn't know what his "favor" was. And if I accidentally agreed, I'm unsure what I would have gotten myself into. "What exactly is your 'favor'?" I asked.

"It's simple! All I want you to do is infiltrate and investigate the secret hideout of the Committee of Wizardry. I just know they're hiding something… Something dangerous." Cyrus replied with an unfitting seriousness.

"Eh. If I ever feel like it," I said nonchalantly.

Cyrus stood there, shocked. His face screamed: "You're really going to pass on this 'GREAT' opportunity!" And yes, Cyrus. I'm sorry that I won't infiltrate a secret hideout full of overpowered magical ants that can shoot meteors out of their asses, and I DO NOT want to die again.

"Oh, would you look at the time!" I said with sarcastic enthusiasm.

"There's no clock—"

"I better get going on my mission before the Queen comes and throws me out herself!"

"Goodbye, Cyrus! It was nice talking to you~!" I sang.

"I wouldn't leave if I were you! Especially with no armor!" Cyrus yelled.

"I'll be fine!" I confidently yelled back.

As it was now time for my journey of uncertainty, I stepped two feet out of the colony and immediately got a foreboding sensation that tickled down my spine. Not wanting to admit Cyrus was right, I stopped in my tracks for a few minutes and contemplated. And not after long, I threw away my pride and ask Cyrus if he had any extra hard hats left.

"Haha! I knew it! I knew you couldn't resist the indisputable charm and style these hats offer!" Cyrus kept on poking fun at me with his irritable, wry smirk. "I'll get one for you, so don't you fret!"

He ran toward his desk, which was next to the massive stack of lumber. He rummaged through the depths of his desk before pulling out a dusty-white hard hat, perfect in size. "Whew. Here ya go!" Cyrus said with a strained voice as he wrestled his way out of the drawer. "That- That'll be twenty silvers, please!" Cyrus said, full of sorrow as he was catching his breath.

"Oh, shut up!" I snapped with eyes full of indignation as I violently snatched the hat out of Cyrus's mandibles.

As I turned away, I faintly saw Cyrus's somber eyes fill with regret as he softly laughed with a few hiccups and tears swelling in his eyes. It made me feel guilty about what I had said earlier, but I only thought of it as a ruse to get me to pay the money I didn't have.

"Oh, Gray! Before you go, I have to tell you something," Cyrus yelled, still in melancholy. "I wouldn't put much of your trust in the queen. Especially her little sidekick, Sage Valarie. She has a strange aura to her… It's dark and dense; it creeps up your back. It's almost as if it's waiting to strike. Waiting for something to happen."

"Okay! I'll keep that in mind! Thank you, Cyrus. It was nice meeting you!" I yelled back.

As I walked out of the colony, Cyrus put on a mellow smile and waved goodbye. Reciprocating his feelings, I warmly smiled back. Although I couldn't figure out why, but Cyrus felt familiar; it was a pleasant feeling.

***

"Agh!" My head jerked from the abrupt change in light.

Still in the after-jerked position, I rubbed my eyes to shield them from the sun that glinted like a ferocious giant yellow eye. As I continued to look at the sun through the gap between my mandibles, an abnormal pressure crept up my back. It felt as if a deity was looking down on me, watching my every move as though playing a giant game of chess.

After my eyes adapted, an unbelievable scenery came into view and held my eyes captive. Under the jagged floating island stood a deep valley dampened by the river dancing so youthfully across the land, growing different colored tulips as if it were performing a divine ritual. The river also gave its blessings to the crop fields that adorned its fingertips with the greenest grass. Closely by it was an ebony mountain range hugged by sheets of snow and greenery, only slightly veiled by the thin flowing clouds that painted the sky.

"Wow." whispers of infatuation unconsciously left my mouth, entirely mesmerized by the breathtaking sight before me. The beauty of the landscape seemed almost otherworldly, like a scene from a dream or a fairy tale.

As I stood there, letting the gentle breeze hit me as I took in the view, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, carrying my thoughts back to my past life and the home I had left behind. Few memories flooded my mind—the happy times, the sad times, the funny times—all intertwined with a deep longing for the familiar. A bittersweet smile formed on my face as I reminisced, but soon, an ache pierced my heart, the weight of separation becoming unbearable.

"I miss my family. I miss my home! I want to go back!" The words escaped my lips, filled with both yearning and despair. A sense of loss enveloped me, and the picturesque landscape before me seemed to amplify my longing. The beauty of the world felt distant, almost mocking, as I grappled with the pain of being far away from everything and everyone I held dear.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but no matter how hard I tried, they refused to fall. "I really wish I could fucking cry right now," I whispered, my voice trembling with emotion. The frustration of being unable to express my grief intensified, and I felt the weight of my emotions crushing my chest. Gasping for breath, I collapsed to the ground, my body shaking with sobs as the overwhelming weight of homesickness consumed me entirely.

With blurry vision, the only thing that I could see, the only thing clear enough, was the ledge of the floating island. That small, lowly thing became my one and only goal, and I fought stubbornly to reach it. The one thing that no one would give a second thought to - became the only reason for my struggle. I crawled and crawled, resisting the urge to give up, and with one last stretch, I successfully reached the ledge. As I looked below, I made a bitter smile and I looked back fondly at the only memories of my past life that I had remembered.

And I jumped

As my descent hastened, a mix of fear and regret coursed through my veins as a familiar voice cried, "Live!" For the brief moment before, everything was a blur, but that voice yearnfully called for me as if I was the last piece of a puzzle.

In that fleeting moment, the urgency in the voice resonated deep within me, stirring a surge of determination and desire. As I hurtled through the air, a newfound resolve took hold of me. I spread my arms wide, embracing the rush of the wind against my body.

The landscape rushed past in a blur of colors and shapes, blending together like strokes on a canvas. Time seemed to distort as my descent continued, and my senses sharpened, allowing me to take in every detail of my surroundings. I desperately reached out toward the rock face, spreading all my arms to stabilize myself against the immense wind, hurriedly trying to find anything to grab hold of.

I aimlessly contorted my body in any direction in hopes I get closer to anything. Fortunately, I latched onto a rocky protrusion. Unfortunately for me, the force of my fall was too much for my frail limbs; my front-right leg tore off with excruciating pain, and a green blood splatter covered me like a blanket.

But before I could fall, vibrant, emerald-green blobs converged by my missing limb with a message: [Activating skill, 'Regeneration' for the host].

The blobs subsequently formed a phantom limb before completely synthesizing a new one.

In a split second, I grabbed a protrusion right below the previous and dangled helplessly by my upper-right leg, still suffocating from the pain. My gasps for life as I helplessly held on to the tiny protrusion; the tiniest bit of hope I had left in this world. 

The pounding pain went numb along with my body as everything went dark with my mother standing with her arms out and a warm smile. I ran to her as fast as I could, not noticing I was back in my original body, and embraced her with my tears rolling down her back. I could feel the light spring breeze as my mother let go and walked into the endless abyss. Subsequently, as if my mother left me with something, a memory flushed into my brain. One I held very dear.