By the time Silver reached the source of the scent, the group had expanded by another six soldiers to a total of twenty-three ants. The other group, the one that had set off the alarm, was busy shearing a pile of aphids to shreds. They were too few, and the pile was getting away.

It was a terrible sight.

The mountainous pile of aphids was neither defending nor attacking. It only focused on running —even with all the weight it carried. It was moving down an offshoot branch, banking upon reaching the plant shaft and opening a straight path to the ground.

The group was trying to contain it, but the pile of dead aphids it carried on its back protected it from all kinds of harassments: the soldiers couldn’t get its legs or sting it. They were basically planting themselves in its way and obstructing it with brute force; not a bad idea against someone that wasn’t fighting back. However, they were right in calling for help.  

That’s the corpse piler.
I don’t know whether we are lucky or unfortunate.
At least, no one will get hurt. The whispers rose among the soldiers.

Marksmen, their leader called, and as many as fifteen soldiers separated for the group. You all know the routine. As for the rest of you —she told the rugged bunch of which Silver was an unusual part— Drag it to a leaf. Don’t fight it on the branch. Half will help the other group, and the rest will wait. It will make a run for it once the pile is off. Catch it. Anchor it to the leaf and spread its legs. Hold it down. Don’t let it run. It runs, it hides, and it’ll be back again later. Let’s catch it this time around.

It was a simple plan of action, nothing too complex that a newcomer like Silver wouldn’t understand. Silver expected some kind of pushback by the soldiers. There was none, which was unexpected since the groups in the outer region fist decided the compensation and talked about the rest. Either, it was already decided or the compensation was based upon your effort, something Silver could get behind.

However, not everything was as clean as it looked. The group leader clearly held animosity against the dirt ants, for all four of them were put in the group that was to stop the corpse piler from running, which was coincidently the most dangerous task of all. Silver asked to be a part of that group.

What kind of a beast is it? Silver asked, causing a few heads to turn and antennae to follow him.

It is our greatest enemy. The group leader said and they were off, down the leaf bridge and up the plant stem. The first group intercepted the intruder near the node and pulled it back. A single soldier couldn’t even budge it, but together they managed somehow. It took all seven of them and the soldiers of the other group to successfully bring it over a nearby leaf. It was strong for sure. Well, someone that could carry the dead bodies of over a hundred aphids on its back and looked like a beetle was sure to be strong.
Silver and the second group created a barricade around it as the others started shearing the pile of its body.  There was nervousness spreading among those who stood around him. Not everyone wanted to be there.

Silver was observing the process when the soldier standing to his left opened a conversation with him.
You are new on the farm, right?
Yes. Silver answered, allowing the soldier to lead the conversation, which she did.
Of course, you are. Only young, ignorant, and crazy ask to be a part of this group. Which one are you?
Maybe she expected a rise out of him because she was taken back when Silver accepted that he was ignorant.
Of course, you are. She continued, pressing harder. Do you even know what that thing is? I believe you have never seen anything like that in your entire life.
What should I expect?
Death! She said with great seriousness, but again, Silver casually accepted her remark causing her to grow flustered. A few antennae turned her way, circulating amusement.

Other newcomers would have already started shaking with fear. Why was this unusual looking ant so different? Shall she get someone else? No. She had her pride. The ant might be tough, but he smelled of pompous upbringing. His body was as pristine as a nymph’s sleek bottom. No way had he ever been to a battle with armor so clean. He didn’t even have the scent of death lingering around him, or dirt sticking inside the folds of his exoskeleton. Actually, the more she noticed these uncanny coincidences the more she hesitated. How had the silver ant lived his life to be so calm and clean?

Their leader raised an alarm, telling them to stay focused. She straightened at first, nervousness reaching its peak, but relaxed and let some fear leak out upon noticing that the situation hadn’t changed much. There was a long way to go. The pile was dense and high. The aphids might be dead but they still held their scent, which was spreading. It was a cause of concern. There was a chance that another predator might follow the scent back to the farm.

She was so lost in thoughts that she almost missed when Silver asked her about the corpse piler. That was not calmness she had noticed, but confidence. She was sure of it. She decided to play it safe this time, to do him a favor. She could con someone else if she lived. And if she was right, well, that was great then wasn’t it?

It’s a hideous killer, she scented —not that she could see much but others called it hideous and so it was.  It sucks the aphids dry and covers its body with their corpses. The corpses mask its scent and keep its hidden while it goes around feeding on the aphids —truly vicious. Even the beetles don’t come close to it in terms of viciousness.

The great beetles are also interested in the farm?
What do you think they eat? She pressed, maybe a bit too hard, for even she felt embarrassed about it. The corpse piler, the beetles, and the caterpillars, all of them love the aphids! Sometimes I wonder whether it’s really the honeydew that we are farming or the other way around.

Silver nodded.

That went better than she was expecting. Now that her hesitation was out of the way, she decided to press for some information, too. The merchants were not the only ones who dealt with information. And he didn’t give her the impression of someone hard to deal with. He was basically of the silent type. The farm was more than what it seemed from above. One needed to be prepared out there, or there was no knowing when a fake alarm might lead to an ambush.

Say, which of the eleven cities do you belong to? I am ⁴36786₅ (number 36786, fourth-generation, sixth lay) from the city, Miti-da-mehal, of the west. She started lightly. Usually, everyone carried the pheromone of their city like a flag, but the silver ant was scentless. It was not information worth much, but how he reacted would allow her to decide her next step.

The merchants brought us.

It was not an answer 786^th was expecting. She had heard about the situation related to the merchants. What was it? Something about warnings, and extortion —the army!

Say, Silver suddenly initiated the conversation and she almost had a heart attack. Will I get into the tower if I can kill ten others like this corpse piler?

Wha-What? Her next words made no sense. That was so unlike her! What was she doing, getting flustered over his words? However, where did that come from? What’s the motive, the reason?  The ones brought by the merchants wanted to get into the tower! She had unexpectedly hit huge.

Maybe he wanted to enter the tower because of the safety, the same reason as everyone else, or to give a show of strength as a warning? How could it be so simple? Alright, alright, no need to get excited, but there was nothing wrong with keeping their activity in-check, either.   

It could be her ticket out of the farm and back to her home. Well, not that place. They shunted her out here into danger; maybe someone else would like her as a mercenary. Everyone likes information gatherers: especially ones they can dispose of later. There was no need for the sarcasm but, duly noted. It was a good point.   

Did your shepherdess say that? She did not tell you the whole truth if she did. In the inner region, you have to protect.
Protect the farm?
And the residents, 786^th nudged Silver on the side and instantly regretted it. She didn’t show it, however; she was a professional. Can’t have a farm if no one is there, right?

Kill, that? She scented out loud, attracting another group of antennas and another round of amusement. There really was no place for outcasts like her. Well, that suckered all enthusiasm from her.

The soldiers were almost done with the pile. It was half of its previous height and slanting toward the left. It would be coming at them anytime. The others forming the barricade were already getting ready. She got ready too — ready to run.

It is not a caterpillar that won’t fight back. 786^th scented, morosely. The things that attack the inner region aren’t so easy to kill. Our best effort is always to keep the aphids safe whenever there is a swarm and keep them from destroying the plants. Rarely anything is ever killed in the inner region. Take the corpse piler’s example: this is the fifth time that we have caught it. It escaped the last four times.

I understand. Silver said.

786^th felt relieved for some reason. She had gotten overly emotional at the end. The heavy chest was not a feeling that she liked. The amusement of her group was the cause. Well, they were not in the wrong either; since it was her meddling in the desert ant’s affair that had brought them all in their current situation, after all.

The other group was almost done peeling the layer of aphids from the corpse piler. It wouldn’t be long before the intruder was caught, and if it managed to slip past them again… well, that was that then.

However, things didn’t pan out the way she expected. First, the pile of aphids folded upon itself. That bit was expected. It always happened like that. But Instead of getting caught, the intruder instead managed to catch a soldier during the commotion; which was new. It usually made a run for its life, but for whatever reason decided to give a show of strength. Who knew whether it was tired of running or there was some other reason behind the change, but it lifted a soldier in its large curved pincers and started shaking her as a warning to everyone. Come close and I kill her, the aggressive gesture meant.

Don’t hesitate! Hold it before it escapes! The leader bellowed, and it was suddenly their turn to act.

Eight serrated legs, an armored back, pinched face, and pincers that were larger than its head. A layer of thin bristles over the unarmored parts; It was bulkier compared to a hopper but sat flatter on the leaf. All in all, it was one nasty looking bugger.

It snapped its pinchers shut, killing the soldier and pushed another as he tried to hold its leg. A second later, it was suddenly rushing toward them, the last barricade. It would be free if it managed to get past, for the fifth consecutive time. And that would be a shame.  

Poison flared, bullets were shot, but the beast was too fast for the marksmen to aim. It crashed into them and blasted through. Call it luck or misfortune, but it came straight toward the 786^th soldier. A rock crusher ant managed to get a hold of its bloated bottom, but it slipped through before the others could pounce. It shed the extra weight and sped up even faster, blurring through the formation at ease. The poison irritated it more than anything, but it managed nonetheless.

Now the beast only needed to find a safe place to hide for some time before the ants lost interest and it could go back to feeding on the soft, plush aphids. The last barricade didn’t even enter its eyes. He had a fart just thinking about the easy life ahead.

786^th was getting ready to… do something, whether to escape or try her luck she hadn’t figured out yet when Silver moved forward.

Don’t be heroic. She blurted out. It has already escaped four times; one more time is not going to change anything. Her remark earned her scowls, which she found less annoying than dirt.

I’m getting into the tower.
I told you to protect the farm if you want to get into the tower!
That’s what I don’t understand. Silver scented. Won’t I be protecting the farm by killing this thing?

And he off, charging toward the corpse piler that was equally as confused about his actions as 786^th. What was he trying to accomplish by charging alone? The others had tried to stop it, hadn’t they? They were mercilessly slaughtered for nothing. However, history was written that day.

It was not an equal fight. Everyone watched as the two collided. It was Goliath versus ant, and unbelievably the ant won. It was fast, but Silver was faster. He slid under its mandibles that were trying to cut him in two, jumped when he was right under its jaw, causing it to lift up.

It was still confused when his mandible glowed a shimmering blue and snapped. That was the last thing the corpse piler saw before its head fell on the leaf, rolled, and stopped at 786^th soldier’s feet. She couldn’t believe it. No one could.

It was an impossible feat, but also the truth.

The corpse piler was dead.