Travel Deeper

You decide to travel deeper into the caves, to better scope out the area. As the sunlight fades, you see clearly in the dark. You're accustomed to dark spaces, your clear vision being granted by your night vision. After several minutes of nothing but damp rock and empty tunnels, you spot a figure. It dashes away you pursue it, calling out to it, "Hey! Wait!"

You and the figure reached a dead end. As you draw near, the figure cowers, covering their head with their arms, begging for mercy, "Please! Please don't hurt me!" Once close enough you see that it's an Ant(kin) monarch, a king himself. He looks about your age if not slightly younger. Now you understand why he ran. Beekin and Antkin have radically different relations depending on which hive they hail from. Some are allies, others simply co-existence, and some commit bloody genocide campaigns against one another. One must always be leerie. Despite never having met an Antkin, you can clearly tell this king is fearing for his life. He's slightly smaller than you in stature, roughly 130cm tall. However, Antkin are revered for their titanic strength. He could be a powerful ally.

You stoop down and ease his panic, "Easy there. Easy. I'm not going to kill you." He sniffled before looking up at you with sad eyes, "Reh-Really?" You reassure him. "Yes. Now, what are you doing down in this cave? Is this your hive?"

He looks down at the ground, "It was supposed to be, but I've been too scared to go to town since seeing a patrol of knights shortly after I arrived here. So I've spent the past few weeks digging out deeper tunnels instead." Nodding your head, you pat his back.