Chrysalis paced the green crystal room, a grimace set on her black features.
“The upper hand,” she mumbled to herself. “What’s one way we can get the upper hand?”
She paused and pawed at the ground in frustration. “What does my army have that theirs doesn’t?” she growled angrily, her mind racing back-and-forth for a simple answer.
“Hmm, well my army can replace itself quicker…” she mused before an idea hit her. “Ah hah! I can make my army exponentially bigger than theirs’! Every time I lose a Soldier, one takes her place almost immediately. If they lose many soldiers, sure they can recruit more, but who’s going to want to fight in a losing battle?”
She quickly turned around and briskly walked down the rock chambers. She approached a changeling chipping away at the rock. She looked up and bowed when she saw the queen.
“Go, and order your group of Workers to make more larvae and chrysalis chambers!” Chrysalis demanded.
“My dearest queen, in order to plan for more offspring to arrive, we must also create extra food and waste chambers. How big shall we make the new structures?”
“As large as it needs. And tell the other workers to gather more nectar and mix it in with the love to feed copious amounts of protein to three-quarters of the larvae. I require more soldiers!”
The changeling worker nodded and trotted away to complete the queen’s wishes. Chrysalis was approaching one of the center rooms of the hive, which was currently almost empty, as most of the Changelings were busy on the other side of the gigantic structure.
“Drones!” Chrysalis called, her voice ringing throughout the network of glowing green tunnels of crystal and rock. A larger, buffer female, who was carrying food to her fellow Guards outside of the hive, heard the queen and rushed over.
“Dearest hive-mother, we only have but one Drone on premises. The others died days ago.” She said, straightening up. Chrysalis looked at her.
“Send me an available messenger at once! I need to attract more Drones.” The Guard galloped down the tunnel. Almost the moment she disappeared, a Worker approached.
“Yes, mother-queen?” The changeling said once she reached Chrysalis. She buzzed her wings.
“We need to attract more Drones. Have all of the entrances sprayed with love, and tell the Guards be on the watch for them. Once they are in, have them sent to the Drones’ quarters and send for me. I shall be in my chambers.”
The Worker speedily hovered off, her blue exoskeleton back flickered as her small wings bounced light at different times. Chrysalis walked towards the center of the hive.
She entered her chambers and closed the emerald door. The lavish room was adorned in green changeling silks. She sat on her stone bed and stretched across the green covers, feeling angry at the slow pace the war was progressing.
She clapped her hooves together and another Worker appeared. The worker used her magic to bring a brush from the stone vanity across the massive room. She pulled the brush through the hive-queen’s mane and tail while, at the same time, filing and cleaning Chrysalis’s hooves and horn. She had just begun to polish her mother’s back chitin plate when a loud knock echoed from the door.
“The door is open.” Chrysalis stated loudly, and the door was pulled open by a light aura. A Worker informed her, “The Drones were attracted quicker than expected and are in their quarters.” Chrysalis dismissed both workers and departed towards the Drones’ quarters.
Walking through the now busier tunnels, the other changelings parted when Chrysalis approached, but were close enough to cater to her every demand. Her green aura encased the Drone doors, and she pulled them open.
The Drones all were lying about, lazily helping themselves to whatever food the Workers brought them, and were chattering to each other in an inaudible buzz. They looked up when Chrysalis entered the room.
“Follow me,” she commanded. The Drones obeyed and stood, following Chrysalis out the door.
“Let’s get this over with.”