Nis awoke, pouring sweat. His breathing was heavy and erratic. The grass pillow shows signs of being drenched and was still in the process of drying. His throat felt as if it had not known water in ages.
Nis's hand flew around his body, checking himself over and over again. They eventually landed on either side of his cheeks, massaging them slowly.
'Why do I feel kinda good?'
An annoyed voice rang out from across the room. The voice was sweet to the ears, yet deeper than most female voices Nis had heard.
"Will you stop that?"
Nis tried to turn to look at the voice, but wasn't quick enough. His view was replaced with the same female ant from the Commander's office. Her hand was outstretched towards Nis's head, obscuring most of his view.
He jerked back harshly, falling off the pillow and slamming into the back wall.
The look in the female ant's eye spoke volumes more than her words did.
"Stop moving, you stupid child."
She shirked a little closer and placed her hand at the base of his chest. Her eyes quickly closed, and the room settled into complete stillness.
'What is she doing? How do I get out of here? Why does this acursed room not have any windows I can jump out of?'
After a few moments of panicked silence, she removed her hand and stood up, then walked a few steps away,
"You'll live. Your wounds have been healed."
An aloof smile appeared on her face.
"Well, except for the things you already had. Y'know, those things like how your organs are in a different place, how whatever you have on the outside can't even be called a carapace, and, oh, the fact that you're so feeble, that explosion hurt you in the first place."
She almost sounded smug, listing out all of Nis's secrets.
Nis, on the other hand, had alarm bells blaring inside his head. She knew everything, and there was nothing he could do about it. Of course, he didn't even let a little of that alarm play on his face.
"Ah, thank you. I do feel a lot better now."
She quickly stepped closer and hunched her body over Nis.
"Yeah, you should be grateful. You've been out for three days, y'know. You probably would have died on the first one if I hadn't healed you, too."
She backed up again and looked at Nis out of the corner of her eye, a snarky chuckle escaping her lips.
"Of course, you did pay a certain price, so I suppose thanks aren't actually necessary."
Nis still kept a passive and pleasant smile on his lips, but his eye twitched a little at that comment.
'This wench.'
Nis quickly calmed down and let out a small, resigned sigh.
'Nothing I can do about it now. No need to panic. There's still enough room for negotiation. Let's just see what she wants from me first.'
Before Nis could even get a word out, the female ant drifted outside the doorway and disappeared beyond its boundaries.
Nis's jaw dropped open at the sight. He expected a long threatening conversation, with his life hanging in the balance, but to his surprise. She just left. She didn't even tell him to keep quiet about their talk. He had gotten away for essentially free.
Nis never liked free things. Free things often had rat poison in them, back at the colony. Or some other metaphorical form of poison.
Nis wanted to make some off-handed comment, but before he could, she popped her head back around the corner.
"I forgot, but did you have any questions?"
Nis's whole head twitched in fright, but he still kept a dry smile on his face and squeezed out a few words.
"May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
The female ant covered he mouth with one of her four hands and let out a sly giggle.
"Really, that's what you want to know? Well, if it means that much to you, I don't mind. The name's Kreeyabi, it would be best if you remembered it."
As the last few words left her mouth, she was already around the corner. Nis's smile plummeted into a frown.
'Is this what blackmail feels like?'
Nis was just about to lie back down when a head popped around the corner again. Of course, it was the same female ant again, Kreeabi.
"Also, you can rest a little longer. In a while, someone will come alone to collect you."
And then she was gone, just as quickly as she came.
'She didn't even wait for me to respond.'
Nis curled back onto the grass pillow, lying on his back to stare at the ceiling. He let out a hushed scream.
"Is this how you treat a hero who was hit by an explosion while saving innocents?! With blackmail!"
It really did make him feel better to yell about his problems.
***
While waiting, Nis found that his body really was in great condition. He didn't even feel sore from sleeping partially on the floor. Honestly, it felt like the best rest of his life. The same couldn't be said for his memory; he barely remembered his talk with the Commander. Other than that, he remembered that there was an antisocial ant, but not what he looked like. Thankfully, the same antisocial ant came to collect him.
Nis tried to stall for time by making conversation, but the ant just gave him a distasteful look and rushed him along.
NIs found himself back in the Commander's office, exchanging greetings with the Commander and Vice Commander. The Vice Commander, Kreeyabi, greeted him like it was the first time they had seen each other for the day.
After the pleasantries, the Commander started to harp on about the details he had heard from Kragg. He approached Nis and put a hand on Nis's shoulder.
'Why do all the bugs like to touch me so much?'
The Commander thanked Nis for taking action when no one else did and apologized that there were no soldiers there who could have prevented the need for him to take action. He removed his arm from Nis's shoulder, walked a few steps away, and spoke with his back facing Nis.
"So little brother, since you currently don't have a job, and you are in the process of becoming a Reality Warper, would you be interested in joining the defence force?"
Nis was beside himself with joy hearing those words. It was exactly what he needed. Being in the defence force would give him ample resources, and it would put him in a position to affect the incursion as a whole. But he couldn't let others know that.
Currently, Nis was just a simple ant who had grown up somewhat sickly. So that is who he had to continue being.
Nis looked to the side away from the Commander and kept his head tucked into his chest. He reached across and grabbed one arm with his other. His voice shook slightly as he spoke.
"I— I have never been able to fulfil any role. And I had always been too sickly to be of use to anyone. So— I'm not sure if I am really fit to be part of the defence force, who work so hard to defend our people..."
Nis put a bit more force into his voice and looked directly at the Commander.
"But— I promise, as a member of the defence force, I will do everything I can to defend our people, our home, our queen, and our world. From today forth, that is my purpose."
The Commander finally turned around to face Nis once more, a massive grin controlling his face. He patted Nis on both shoulders repeatedly.
"Well said, little brother!"
There was nothing more to be said. Nis was officially a member of a defence force. The commander still sent him back to his room to rest for another day or two, but soon enough, he could start his duties.
Before Nis left, he had to ask just one question.
"Uh, Commander, would you do me the pleasure of telling me your name?"
The Commander had a hearty laugh for a few seconds, then stood tall and stuck out his chest.
"Well, little brother, the name of the Mighty Kragkoan before you— is Krakobain."
***
Nis laid on the grass pillow, back in the room he had been given. A big, goofy grin rested on his face. He was excited, joining the defence force was a real start for him. This was his chance to make an actual difference, and all it cost was passing out once.
In all his excitement, Nis seemed to forget that his only reward for his heroic deed... was a job.