They peeled off the wall and landed on the hard stone floor, unconscious.
"Tsk! Tsk! Need to keep up!" Vibrant laughed.
SNAP!
So close!
The nameless one had known the others would not succeed and had run straight through, trusting that Vibrant would clear the obstruction for her, which she did. Her sneak attack, launching from the wall, was so close to being a success, but she was noticed at the last second.
"That wasn't half bad," Vibrant clacked her mandibles joyfully," but you'll need to better than that to put me to sleep!"
The nameless one felt helpless as she saw the soldier set her legs. Once she dashed away, there would be no chance of catching up to her…
"See you next time!" Vibrant laughed.
DASH!
BAM!
It took a moment for the nameless one to understand what she was seeing. Instead of vanishing into the distance, Vibrant had somehow tripped herself up and landed flat and on her face! What could possibly have happened?!
"Crin-Crin? … why … would … you?" Vibrant croaked, her face half buried in the stone floor.
Only then did the nameless one notice the bottomless shadow that had formed beneath the escaping soldier, and the many barbed limbs that had emerged to seize hold of her legs.
The Shadow!
Unwilling to let this chance slip the nameless one launched herself onto Vibrant's back and clamped her mandibles down just below her head.
"Don't worry, Vibrant," the nameless one couldn't resist saying, "You'll be in our care for a looong time. Rest well."
"Noooooo….ooooo....oo..."
Struggling to the end, Vibrant finally went limp, but even then the nameless one held and counted to eight before releasing her grip. Her job done, she leapt down from Vibrant's back and bowed toward the deep shadow and the tentacles that were already fading back to nothing. She imagined that one of them waved to her before it sank into the dark, but it may have been a trick of the light.
Later.
And that's how we finally caught Vibrant, the nameless one signed to her friend.
Wow! The shadow in the flesh! You've had a busy shift to say the least! Where were the council when you saw them last?
In the cells, the nameless one couldn't help but have a smug slant to her antennae as she signed her reply, they're getting the full treatment. Massage, carapace wax and shine, aromatherapy, full body clean, the works.
They'll wake up so refreshed!
Yes, the nameless one sighed in satisfaction, yes they will.
Good work, nameless ones. Please take your deserved rest, as the Eldest intended, the acolyte signed to them.
The ants shuffled onto their segment of the fulcrum, the nameless one already feeling her entire body going slack. Torpor awaited, and she readily allowed it to drag her mind to stillness. In eight hours, she would wake, and the hunt would be on once more…