“Well, you’ve been here longer than anything else, I assume. Surely you have an idea what the chicken has been looking for?”

“Why the hell would I know?!” She snarked.

Symon continued to stare at her, furrowing his eyebrows, knowing full well her nest was full of plundered items from the home.

“Ugh fine,” She relented. “It’s probably looking for the food still in the cabinets. When the old lady croaked they just took her body but left her stuff behind. There’s still a ton of food here, some of it still good.”

“Such as grain…” Symon thought out loud. “I see, I think I may have a plan, but I’m going to need everyone to cooperate. Can we do that?” He glanced back at Ves, aiming his question mostly at her.

“Whatever gets me out of here faster…” She huffed.

❇❇❇❇

Symon had a simple plan, but it was one that had to be executed perfectly to work. The group waited until the sun began to set, staking out the living room and watching the rooster. As the house began to fill in with the orange light of dusk, the bird crawled into its little nook in the fireplace and settled down. As soon as the coast was clear. Ves and Aniso quietly flew out of the mouse hole and towards the kitchen.

They stopped just short of the rows of cabinets and scanned the scene. There were at least a dozen doors in this tiny cabin, counting both the floor and wall cabinets. They absolutely had to pick the right one, as rummaging through all of them would surely wake the rooster and put them in a bad spot.

“How are we gonna find what that thing wants?” Ves whispered.

Aniso's eyes landed on the floor cabinet, closest to the fridge. “That one. Symon said he saw the bird messing with it.”

“You sure? We don’t have a lot of room to be wrong.”

“Positive” He answered. He pulled out his hook and hung it around the knob of the cabinet. “Help me get this thing open.” He said as he pulled the rope taut.

Ves grabbed onto a section of robe and the two of them furiously flapped their wings to get some force behind their pull. With a lot of effort, they slowly moved the cabinet door open, until it was wide enough that it wouldn’t close on them. Taking a moment to land and catch their breath, they investigated the inside. They were immediately confronted by cardboard boxes several times their size. Neither of the two Miinu could read the words  on the box. Human language was entirely foreign to them. 

Ves knocked on the side of one of them. “Great, more choices.”

“Well Symon said to look for the pictures on the boxes.” He flew up to get a better look at them. One lacked any images but even through its thick cardboard container, Aniso could still smell a harsh chemical scent. Definitely not food there. Another box looked promising, but one kick to its lightweight body showed it was almost empty of whatever it contained. Finally one of the boxes showed an illustration of an overly cheerful woman eating what looked like a bowl of white mush sprinkled with brown sugar.

“I think this might be it.” Aniso said, “We just gotta get inside somehow.”

“I got it.” Ves replied confidently, as she raised her nail and struck down at the top of the box. With some force, she was able to rip the top open, revealing a brimming pile of oats inside. Aniso reached down and tasted one. 

“Yep, these have to be what it was looking for. Quick! Let's get this onto the floor.” Aniso rushed and headed to the opposite side of the box and started pushing. Inch by inch, the box slid until it was balancing over the edge of the cabinet floor. It toppled over and hit the tile, spilling oats out all over the floor and making a loud clatter.

The cooing sound from the fireplace informed the two it was time to bail as they cleared the scene and ducked back into the mouse hole with the others.

“Good job guys.” Symon whispered.

The rooster emerged from its nesting spot and waddled over to the source of the noise that woke it, only to be delighted at the sight of the giant pile of oats on the floor. It quickly started greedily pecking at the food.

“Now, now! We gotta make this count!” Symon said, ushering the able bodied of the Miinu to run out ahead. Meanwhile, Aniso started scooping up the injured ants and carrying them one by one to the table near the cracked window. After landing with one he paused when he saw figures approaching. There were more ants, dozens of them, approaching the gap in the window. The older one paused, halting her crew.

“Aniso?” Fours gawked. “What on earth are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in the Grotto.” 

“I know you did but uh.. the problem is more complicated than expected.” Aniso spoked in a hushed tone, nodding his head towards the rooster.

Fours lowered her voice significantly. “Aw crap. Are you kidding me?”

“We don’t have a lot of time here.” He passed on the injured ant to her. “Have your team get these guys to safety.” And he flew back to gather more.

Back on the ground, Dr. Leif was struggling to carry a passed out ant with serious injuries to her head. He turned to Ves. “Please, could you carry this one to the window? I’m struggling with this leg of mine.”

Ves’ lip curled apprehensively, “That might be a bad idea.”

“Please, Aniso is already doing so much. You’re the only other one here who can fly.”

“Urg, fine. Hand her over.” She took the small ant into her arms. It was weird, being so close to another Miinu like this, especially a carpenter ant. She still found herself surprised by just how small they were. It was like holding a nymphling. It was almost impressive how much something so small could handle, if it wasn’t so pathetic seeing them taken to their knees by a wild animal. If it were yellow jackets soldiers in this situation, they would have stung the creature to death, and kept its beak as a trophy. 

Unfortunately, as she flew towards the window, the ant in her arms started to stir awake. And as soon as the two made eye contact. 

The ant freaked out, flailing her arms. “Ah! Enemy soldier! I’ve been captured.” She shouted in her half delirious state.

“Ack! Hey! Hey, stop! You’re gonna make me drop you.” Ves growled as she took kicks to the face and stomach.

“Skipper! She’s helping us! Calm down!” General called out.

“I won’t be taken hostage in your hive!” Skipper raved, instinctively biting down on Ves’ arm, formic acid leaking from her mandibles.

“Ow! Fuck!” She hissed, immediately dropping the ant.

Skipper hit the ground with a thud, and groaned, her body unable to get back up.

“Skipper!” General rushed out to aid her comrade. The commotion however was enough to catch the attention of the Rooster, which stepped away from its feast and finally noticed the procession of bugs trying to make their way to the window. General hoisted Skipper onto her shoulders, but it was too late. The rooster was approaching fast, with no time to get to the window or scatter back to the mouse hole. 

Ves watched from above. Part of her demanded to just gun it for the window, leave the rest of them for dead and find a new spot for her nest. But there was another gnawing part that was disgusted by the cowardice. Yellow Jackets don’t run. Despite her frustration with the ants, Ves decided to handle this exactly how a yellow jacket warrior would do.

She beelined it for the face of the rooster, landing atop the tiny head of the rooster, gripping down onto its feathers. She squatted down to brace herself as the creature tried to shake her off. She raised her striped abdomen, tipped with a fine pointed stinger and jammed it into the eye of the rooster. The creature howled in pain as it took its talons to its face to scratch the pest off. Its claws struck Ves in the chest and knocked her to the floor. 

Still, she pushed herself to her feet, her hand clutching a fresh gash down her torso dripping in golden blood. She snarled and wiped her face, readying herself for another strike as her claws gripped tightly against the hilt of her sword.

“Oh my god are you okay-” General questions before being interrupted by Ves.

“Get the hell out of here! I got this.” Her eyes locked back at the chicken as she took off. With a swing of her sword she stuck out at the rooster's face again, breaking skin and spraying red on to her.

The other ants watched her in awe, before looking to General, all seeming to have the same thought. It was time to fight back. With a single nod, General approved the action. She gently set Skipper onto the ground and blocked her with her body as she drew a bow and arrow from her back. Her squad did the same, all drawing and firing arrows at the creature, which embeded themselves into its skin.

“Aw yeah are we doing this?” The excited smirk that formed on Fours’ face made her look 10 years younger as she pulled out her pitchfork. “Aniso, get me down there!

“Y-yes ma'am.” Aniso replied just as he got the last of the injured to safety. He scooped up Fours and flew in range of the fight.

“Drop me off here kid. Right on its back.” 

Aniso obliged and dropped Fours off. She immediately began shanking the fork into its spine.

“Your father ever teach you to catch something big with that hook of yours.” She asked.

“Once. We caught a goby.” He answered.

“Well, let's do it again, we need this thing on the ground!”

“Right!” He spun his hook in the air before lassoing it onto the rooster’s head and pulling it to the ground. The rooster fought, but with its body growing weak from Ves’s poison, it struggled to free itself. Aniso’s strength alone still struggled, but soon several ants also grabbed hold of the rope to keep it steady. With every desperate spasm of the chicken, it threatened to knock everyone off their feet. 

“You won’t be able to hold on, Tie it to something” Fours shouted as she batted the wings away from her with the utensil.

Aniso scanned the room for something strong enough to tie it down. The closest thing was a loose nail in the floorboard. It wouldn’t hold long, but it’d have to do. He pushed his little wings to the max to stretch the rope far enough, and quickly tied the rope into a knot around the nail. Very quickly the force of the chicken was starting to yank the nail out.

Fours slid down its back and kicked off into the air to get enough momentum to pin her fork into its wing and immobilize it.

With the momentum from her last strike, Ves javelined her nail into the rooster's neck, impaling it she then built up speed as she flew down, yanking the hilt of the sword into a circle, coating the floor and fellow miinu in the spray of blood now spouting from the chicken’s neck. Its claws slipped in the pool underneath it. Soon it stopped fighting and collapsed fully to the floor. The creature took its last breaths before going still. Ves, who had been painted red head to toe by her maneuver landed, heavily panting and clutching her chest, before she raised her bloodied nail with a victorious scream. The rest of the ants cheered at the victory as well, while Symon watched on in horror.

He couldn’t believe his eyes. These tiny creatures worked together and took down something several times their size with such brutality that frankly he felt sick to his stomach. 

“Woo! I haven't taken down an animal that large in a while.” Fours said as she slid down off the corpse.

“I haven't seen you move like that since your days in the military.” General commended.

“Well, you know, retirement has gotten a little boring.” Fours said, before cracking her back with a groan. “Though maybe I got a little too excited there.”

“You saved me.” Skipper spoke while staring at Ves in awe.

“Yeah well, don't get used to it.” She grumbled. “I wouldn't have had to fight it if you hadn't flipped out.”

“Well, could you blame me?”

“Watch it.” She said lowly.

“Hey Ves.” Aniso called over. “You should let Dr. Leif treat that wound.”

Ves stared down at her chest, which was drenched in a reddish orange slick. She silently took the offer, though put on a cool expression to hide any signs of being in pain.

Once the rooster was dead, it was quick work getting everyone else back to safety. The rescue operation was chaotic and Symon found himself disassociating for a majority of it as he and Aniso flew back to the grotto. 

That night, the ant miinu had managed to drag the corpse of the chicken all the way to the Grotto, and had defeathered and gutted the animal and began roasting its meat on a large bonfire. Everyone in the village gathered outside to have a celebratory cookout. Aniso kindly explained that the miinu rarely get to have meat from animals so large, and that normally after a ‘big game hunt’ there will be a late night feast where everyone in the village will come out and eat the meat from the fallen beast.

Soon the outskirts of the tree was bustling with Miinu chatting with each other and filled with the savory smell of cooked chicken. Symon stayed in a small corner watching everyone enjoy slabs of freshly cooked white meat. Aniso flew over with a plate stacked with pieces of chicken.

“Hey Symon, you hungry?” He asked, offering a slice of meat.

Symon shook his head, “Uh, none for me thank you. I'm not a fan of the texture of meat.”

“Awe okay.” Aniso replied with mild disappointment in his tone. 

“Though, maybe she may want some?” Symon said, pointing to the trees.

“Huh?” Aniso's gaze followed and he spotted Ves in the trees. Her stomach was bandaged up from the fight and she was sitting alone, high up on a branch watching the rest of the residents below.

“She came!” He said with a little gasp and flew up to greet her. “Hey, I was wondering if you were going to stick around or not.”

“So what if I am?” She dismissed, not taking her eyes off of the ground. Her tone was quieter than it had been earlier, and her expression was a difficult to read toss up between boredom and longing.

“No, I'm glad you're here. I was wondering if you wanted some food?” 

“You offering?” She asked with a raised brow.

“I mean this is your kill.” He held out a piece. “You should get to eat some.”

Ves stared at Aniso, trying to parse some hint of an ulterior motive, but finding none she caved and took the meat. She took a bite out of it, and it was so savory and juicy with just the right amount of spices. She let out a pleased moan, which was interrupted by Aniso’s giggling.

“What’s so funny?” She glared.

“Nothing… I’m just glad you’re enjoying it.” He kicked his legs over the branch and sat down next to her.

“Yeah, thanks…” She mumbled softly. “I guess.” 

“So… you being here? Does that mean you plan to stay?” Aniso asked hopefully.

She shrugged. “We’ll see, but I’m not holding my breath.” 

“Come on, you just saved a bunch of the ants, surely that’ll count for something.” 

“That was thirteen ants out of hundreds more that feel the same way about me as they did earlier.”

Aniso frowned and looked back down at the crown, and imagined for a moment what it might be like to see Ves enjoying herself with them. “I’ll figure something out.”