The queen gave him no time to understand it. A shrill screech echoed across the canyon, and the entire colony moved at once.
Workers no longer rushed him blindly. Some burrowed beneath the snow while others climbed the canyon walls, surrounding him from every direction.
Above, the scouts spread into a wide formation before beating their wings in perfect synchronization, redirecting the blizzard until the queen's enormous figure disappeared behind layers of snow.
"Right," Gideon sighed. "At least let me enjoy my newfound creative way to use my power, would you?"
The first worker lunged toward him with its serrated forelegs raised high. Gideon flicked his wrist almost experimentally.
The crimson sphere shot forward like a bullet, passing cleanly through the aberrant's head before continuing into the worker behind it and another after that, leaving nothing but finger-sized holes through their bodies.
