Proceed through the tunnel.

The noise of many footfalls tap rhythmically off the tunnel floor. There are so many of them, you think to yourself, and wonder if this is even close to the number Daven possesses. So far, these cute little ants did nothing but watch, so perhaps their skills exist solely in digging, though by the glint of light from your magic torch off the razor-sharp claws of their gloves, you'd rather not find out. Skills and power gained aside, that would be a lot of targets to handle at once, but mostly, it'd be uncomfortable to cut down opponents such as these. It'd be like if Mina was your foe--such a sweet, precious girl with big, funny ears. You just want to pat her on the head.

Is that a prejudice, being affected by whether or not the creature is cute or hideous? No. That's not it. Whether it's Kitty Sense or not, there are certain opponents I just feel different about. I could be wrong. They could all turn ravenous and jump on my any second. But deep down, when I think about striking them, it feels wrong. I can't tell if that extends to the ALICE up ahead. I think it mi--

Vivi pokes her finger into your side. "You look really lost in thought there, buddy. Are you okay?"

"Oh. Yeah," you reply. "There just isn't much to say. I don't even know how long we'll be walking."

Time has passed already. Since you first met up with these ants, you've probably been walking for a couple hours, mostly in silence. Rose carries up the rear with the the lizards being pulled by their reigns.

"Hey, how much longer until we get to something?" Lynx calls out to those ahead.

The ALICE responds, though doesn't turn her head to do so. "Estimation, thirty-one hours and twenty-five minutes."

"That's way too long!"

That's like almost two days away. We're heading about south I think. Where the hell is this tunnel going? So probably like thirty miles or whatever until some sort of destination, heading approximately south from Tolis... Wait a minute. That's Avana. Your eyes widen as you pause for a moment. Daven has a tunnel all the way from Avana to the capital? That's insane! And who's to say that's where it ends. With all these ant-girls, and his magical machinery, he could have subterranean roads to wherever he wants. No wonder nobody ever talks about seeing the guy. But where did he get so many of these insectrin? They're definitely different, I guess, in that they're all sorta telepathically connected, so maybe they were all in one place already. I just don't know what to think.

You take a deep, calming breath through your nose, and then you focus your mind. You'd rather not walk for that long, especially with all of these people. You're going to have to sleep eventually, and for all you know, they could capture you all in your sleep.

Your eyes move between the other girls. They're quiet. In such a strange situation, nobody wants to try anything. If something goes wrong, you're all trapped here after all. There isn't a lot of room to move around. For better or for worse, Lynx and Vivi are more analytical than most of the girls, choosing to observe until they think they can get away with something. Mina doesn't seem assertive in any way. As a ghost hiding in a pack, Mela likely wouldn't do anything either. Though you haven't known Rose for long, somebody in charge of a criminal syndicate likely doesn't make a lot of impulsive moves. So there in the quiet tunnel, things become uncomfortable--tense. Nobody's speaking or making a move, other than continuing to march forwards with an army of ants.