Along my travels in this wide and wonderous land i came upon a lone wondering Rhino Ant which was strange in itself because Rhino ants are known to be a collective group. I decided to follow the RAGS (Rhino Ant Grunt/Scavenger), i soon discovered that the creature had a very poor sense of hearing when i inadvertently stepped upon a twig which snapped rather loudly. The RAGS line of the Rhino Ant has excellent eyesight which meant i had to stay unseen. These creatures are remarkable dumb on their own and will charge a target blindly with a shoulder charge.
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Rhino Ant Grunt/ScavengerThe RAGS are just a step above the lowest spawn of a hive; their jump is to scavenge for food rather it be dead or alive. They have very little tacticle knowledge and rely on brutality in fights. They are; like all of a hive part of a collective mind that is an extension of the Queens own conciousness.
I followed the RAGS into the hive which i might say in hindsight was not one of my most brightest ideas. Once inside i had many close calls at being seen but i did discover the inner workings of a hive and had what may be arguably the first glimps at both the Rhino Ant Larval Caretakers (or RALCs) and the Queen herself.
Rhino Ant Larval CaretakerThe RALCs have no exsoskeleton at all and their skin is a pastey gray. Their eyes are a slight grey; all these characteristics are from never leaving the Queens chamber in the hive. From the moment they are born they are stored in the Queens chamber untill they metamorphos into an adult where upon they care for and help the larva of the hives future inhabitants.
The very look of the RALCs made my skin crawl for they looked like deformed elderly men. I turned toward the queen and noticed two things at once; the first of which was that she was nearly four times bigger then even the RAGS i had followed in which had stood a full two heads higher then i. The second thing i noticed was that the Queen was stareing straight at me!
Queen Rhino AntThe Queen is both the heart and mind of the hive, she alone controls the collective mind of the hive and she alone gives birth to the larva that shall make her more minions to control.
The queen let out a scream so terrible i swear it shall haunt my dreams for years to come! then i took notice of the RAHFs that she had called to slay me. I fled the hive as quick as possible with two of the RAHFs giving chase.
Rhino Ant Hunter FighterThese Rhino Ants are by far the ones to watch out for; they are extreamly leathal and show absolutely no mercy what-so-ever to their target. If you are being persued by these Rhino Ants your best and only hope is to get a mile away the hive center which will break their contact with the hive mind in which case they will lose interest in you and wonder back. Your other hope is to jump into the nearest body of water and stay submerged untill they leave.
Having spent the past few minutes running for my life at the jaws and claws of the RAHFs i finally managed to get them far enough from the hive center to break the link. They gave up on me and began to wonder back. Sometimes i wonder if writing this book shall be the death of me.