Treasures of the Deep

Lips quivering in impatience, he pushed himself off his makeshift chair and clapped his hands to command attention.

"Let's ransack the place and return."

His subjects stretched their limbs as they moved to the tunnel's maw, as eager to call it a day as he was.

The horrible acidic stench assaulted his nostrils and throat when he stepped inside again.

Chitin fragments cracked under their feet, resounding in their ears with each step they took toward the colony's depth.

As they pushed the carcasses that bloated the passage a few meters ahead and engulfed themselves further in the darkness, his eyes brightened with a sudden idea.

His territory was still in its infancy, but once the grace period ended, he would conquer others and increase its size. Eventually, it'll envelop this entire verdant forest, meaning this intricate tunnel's network would be his.