A group of jewel beetles, their iridescent shells gleaming menacingly, emerged from cracks in the log. The beetles clicked their mandibles in unison, their leader rasping,
'Trespassers! This is *our* log. You’ll have to pay a toll.'
'We have nothing to pay with,' Irra said, her antennae trembling. 'Please, we just want to pass.'
The beetles closed in, surrounding the little ants.
Frra raised his twig-spear with a determined look. 'Stay behind me, Irra,' he whispered.
Before the beetles could pounce, Irra suddenly had an idea. 'Wait!' she shouted, holding up her pouch. 'We have nectar crumbs. Enough for everyone to share!'
The lure of the sweet treat distracted the beetles momentarily, giving Irra and Frra just enough time to spring into action.
While the beetles scrambled for the crumbs, the two ants leaped off the log and landed safely on a clump of moss below, tumbling into one another but alive.
Frra grinned. 'Nice thinking, Irra. See? I told you we make a good team.'
Their escape didn’t last long. As they resumed their search for home, they unknowingly wandered straight into another spider's domain.
Sticky threads clung to their legs, slowing them down as the shadowy figure of the spider descended from above, its many eyes glinting with hunger.
'Uh-oh,' Frra muttered, gripping his twig-spear tightly. 'What do we do now?'
Irra’s quick mind worked furiously. 'Spiders
don’t like vibration!' she whispered. 'Frra, use your spear to shake the web!'
Frra nodded and, with all his strength, began tapping and jabbing at the strands around them.
The web quivered violently, and the spider hesitated, its legs recoiling at the disturbance. Seeing their chance,
Irra and Frra worked together to tear through the weakened silk and scrambled free just as the spider lunged at the empty space they had occupied.
'My spear works!' Frra cheered, though his twig was now bent and frayed.
Irra rolled her eyes but smiled. 'Let’s keep moving before it comes back.'
As they ventured deeper, the forest darkened, and noises grew louder. Chittering and rustling filled the air, and soon they saw the source: a battalion of warrior ants from the neighboring Shadow-vine Colony.
'Intruders!' barked the leader, his massive jaws gleaming under the dim light.