//------------------------------// // Fight or Flight there is no die // Story: Call me Queenie // by Abaddon spice //------------------------------// Kerrigan grunted as she pulled a huge cartload of wood to the zebra village. It had been at least a few days since the rival changelings attacked and in hopes of getting on the Chieftess's good graces Kerrigan offered to help in the rebuilding. After a bit of heckling and Zeki's puppy eyes, Becio begrudgingly agreed to Kerrigan's help, but still informed her to keep her distance. 'I guess she's finally warming up to me.' I thought with a quiet chuckle as I turned to face my tiny hitchhiker. "We're almost here Zeki. Look alive!" Zeki sat on her small pile of wood and gave a huff, "I am alive as can be, quite sure there is nothing to see." I had to laugh at that, "Well, at least look a little enthused. I don't want your mother thinking I did some mind voodoo on you or something." Huffing, Zeki crossed her hooves, but slowly, a small smile still worked its way onto her face. "Well then Ms. Spirit we must make haste! Turn the dirt into paste!" Snorting, I gave her a mischievous smile, "Careful what you wish for kiddo!" Zeki was literally my biggest fan in the whole zebra village (not counting a most of the other foals) with her brother being in second place. After sprinting like a hellhound out of Tartarus, I slowly decreased speed once I saw a certain zebra stallion waiting right outside the village. He was slightly shorter than me, which actually made him the tallest out of all the zebras I had met so far. His muzzle was mostly black except for a small white triangle which was on his upper lip. Besides that, he was mostly a lanky zebra with brown eyes and his cutie mark that looked like a tribal tattoo of a money bag. Actually now I think about it, about all the zebra cutie marks I've seen has been some sort of tribal version of a pony cutie mark. Anyway, as I got closer I waved to the laidback stallion, "Dakin! How's it going!" I called, and the young stallion gave me a small smile. "To see today I've been rather good. For now though, I'll just check the wood." I nodded and turned back to my charge, "You heard the stallion. Off the merchandise." Zeki giggled and leapt off my cart. After waving goodbye, the little trouble maker ran back into the village. As Dakin checked the supplies I had scrounged up, I decided to phone home base. 'Scout, how are the hive defenses? 'Just finished with the pit traps your majesty. I'll be working on the defense runes.' 'and the Grubs?' 'They have cocooned, your majesty. I'll let you know when they hatch.' It was satisfactory. I'm quite sure the Queen of those changeling raiders is gonna come for my ass soon, so I talked with Scout on hive defenses that didn't require warriors and we decided on using traps and defense runes. Defense runes were quick to make, but had passive effects, like a anti-flight rune. Defense runes prevented beings from using previous abilities or adding abilities (cloaking for example). Runes however, were highly outdated, mainly due to no need for them (queens had warriors) and the fact that queens could train battlemages (side class of warriors) that were more powerful. However, that in mind, I set Scout to create as many cloaking, anti-flight, and anti-magic runes as possible. "By the sun's golden ray, you may now go on your way." I shook out of my thoughts and gave Dakin a nod as he hitched himself to the wagon and made his way into town. I took this as an opportunity to go snag some resources before I headed home. Trotting off into the dusty wasteland, I headed off in some random direction. Having a hivemind meant I literally could not get lost, I always seemed to have some sense of direction that somehow directed me back towards the hive. I was just hoping I would come across something before I got there. 'Hmm...maybe I'll look in the Sandwrither lands today.' Sandwrithers are basically big friggen sand worms which are indigenous to the badlands. Their diet usually consists of anything that fits in their mouth, and by that I mean everything. A day or so ago I swear I saw one eat a mountain. However, the best part about them is that Sandwrither territory is usually filled with useful metal deposits. Since they eat about everything, their digestive tracks usually just absorb nutrients and pass anything without nutritional value. So yes, I was going to dig through Sandwrither shit, but I had a good reason. Well...more of a moderately good reason. Okay, well if I could collect a bunch of different metals and take them home I could experiment on which ones could be properly enchanted and if I got enough maybe make a forge. 'But, Kerrigan,' I hear you say, 'Don't changelings already have natural armor and weapons?' And to that I say...fuck off. Chitin's tough but not Iron or steel tough, and on weapons, I don't care if the other guy's got a shell I'm gonna forge myself a Faust damn war hammer and nobuggy is going to stop me! Did I seriously just say nobuggy? Faust damn I've been here too long. Looking around, I noticed I had already entered the Sandwrither's territory. Scenery wise, it was flat, I mean it was perfectly flat. There were no bushes or trees or even hills, just flat red dirt. Now, most beings would be cautious, I mean, one wrong move and you're literally worm food. However, may blessing be on the ancestor of the changelings because that bitch got us the perfect evolutionary advantage. Case in point, the holes in my legs. Do you know, the holes in a changelings legs provide perfect weight distribution? Yes, ladies and gents, that means I could fucking tap dance all over this place and not one sandworm would notice me. So, I dug around for awhile and I actually got a large boon. I got some pretty big nuggets of gold and other metal looking materials. What? I don't know what they all are and the only one I can identify is gold (which could be pyrite). Levitating my mined treasure, I departed for home. Nothing could possibly go wrong. I felt an itch on the tip of my muzzle. 'no.' It slowly traveled up my nose. 'please no.' I tried rubbing my snout with my hoof but that only made it worse. Then the itch found its goal. "Ah-hah-choo!" Losing my concentration, all the metal I had collected fell to the ground with a small 'thud'. I froze. Oh for the love of- 1592 lapsed into thought as it flew forward. 1592 knew The Queen knew best. Every drone knew the queen knew best. The Queen was the oldest so the Queen was the wisest. Simple common sense. As well, if a few died to make her point, then that only made it more important. However, 1592 felt worried for the Queen, after the recent shortage on food she had been getting more irritable. She'd upped from the occasional weekly execution to that of at least 4 killings per day. Not to mention she'd already slain her seventh Pupa, saying that it was "not enough" or whatever that meant. 1592 also wondered why the Queen had called all the Warriors to follow it. 1592 wasn't a General drone, 1592 was just a worker drone. It thought that a group of warriors would have worked instead using the most of the hive. However, 1592 couldn't reason the Queen's actions. 1592 was just a worker drone. Worker drone was far lower than the Queen and Queen always knew what was best for the hive. The Queen was the strongest so the Queen was the leader. Simple common sense. 1592 however liked to think, even though it knew it was not as smart as infiltrator 6283, it hoped that one day maybe it would get as smart as them despite their recent decapitation. A loud roar however shook 1592 from its thoughts, looking around 1592 saw a dark figure racing toward them. Was that the Feral Queen? 1592 had never seen another Queen before but from his fellow changelings he had heard she was a vicious and ruthless being that could crush a full fed warrior with her bare hoof. Suddenly 1592 remembered its task, but before it could issue the attack order the Queen shot above them screaming something unintelligible. Hearing a rumble, 1592 looked down a saw a gigantic maw of serrated teeth rising up at an alarming pace. Sweet cara- "FAAAUUSSST DAMMMN ITTT!" I screamed as I flew over a swarm of surprised changelings. I could plainly see that they were the same color as the ones I had defeated at the village. By the shear size of this swarm alone probably meant that they were sent out here to kill me. But when having to choose between a Sandy Alaskan Bull worm or an army of changelings, I chose the flipping changelings. The sand worm lunged up again, swallowing a mouthful of enemy changelings before it crashed back into the ground. The swarm below me broke formation and began to frantically attack the writhing sand worm. 'Good luck shitheads, that thing can withstand dragon fire.' Taking this as a perfect distraction to make my grand escape I tried to fly off. Emphasis on tried. A few changelings noticed me and charged their horns with magic. I promptly did what any normal being would do in this situation. Retreat. From far away, one would see a massive worm-like creature diving through a mass of black&purple. Like a fish swallowing gnats on a summer day, the worm would take large scoops out of the swarm as it dove up and down. However, if you squinted hard enough you just might see a red speck weaving wildly through the writhing swarm with a gathering mass of blindly firing changelings hot on its tail. I flew through the fray, wings buzzing around me, bodies flying in every direction, the muffled screams of terror as changelings were being devoured. Maybe I went nuts, maybe I just activated some sort of primitive Changeling Queen instinct, but whatever it was it caused something in the back of my head to SNAP. "HeheheheheheHEHEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I never felt so Alive. The Feral Queen dove through the fray, tearing apart all who were in her path, her eyes completely glazed in some sort madness. Her magic wildly shot in every direction, not focusing on any specific target, it randomly shot down changelings. Trying to go for a kill, a brave warrior dove for her throat. The queen simply caught him with her hoof. "Do YoU wAnT A bAD TiME? HEEhehehahehe!" She giggled as she held the petrified warrior. Frowning at its response (or lack thereof) the Queen shrugged her shoulders and TORE OFF THE WARRIORS WINGS. Hearing its screams pleased the Queen as she then dropped it into the sandwrither's open maw. However, this wasn't enough. How could it be? She needed- no She WANTED more. She wanted pain and agony. AND BY THE EMPRESS she was going to get it. Wings tore, limbs snapped, bodies broke, and shells cracked. Bathed in blood the Queen flew forwards into the thinning fray. Each being she got her hooves onto she killed, and each being that got out of her way she shot. More warriors more blood. More drones more blood. More wounds more blood. The Queen's blood soon diluted the rest. Cracks decorated her hooves, her muzzle leaked blood down her face as one of her eyes began to swell. Her once pristine shell was covered in scratches and burn marks. The Queen didn't even realize the extent of her injuries until she couldn't fly up anymore. Her right wing was missing. Falling toward the earth the Queen realized she was no longer invincible. Bloodlust dimming as the ground grew near, the Queen smiled. 'Your majesty.... wake up.... please wake up your majesty!! 'Hmm... what was that?' 'Don't worry my queen I've got you! Just please-' '!Scout!' My eyes snapped open, luminescent light flooded my eyes as I realized I was in the hive. Scout was kneeling before me, and I couldn't identify the room I was in right now but I guessed it was one of the ones he was working on when I left to help out the zebra village. Wait why was I? "Sc-oout?" Dear lord I sound like crap. I sounded like I just gargled nails and deepthroated a chainsaw, and it didn't help that I felt just about the same. "My Queen! Thank the Empress you're alright!" Knowing my voice was out of commission I communicated through the hivemind. 'Define alright.' 'Oh, alright means that-' 'It was a figure of speech Scout...anyway what happened to me?' 'You tell me your majesty. I was working on some runes in the entrance and then your hivelink started fading. I found your body in the Writher Lands,' Scout gave an involuntary shudder as he sat down. 'I-i thought you died.' We both got quiet at that and I tried to lift my head so I could survey the damage. I the only thing I could see was dark green, unable to hold my head up any longer I rested my head on the ground. I let out a sigh which sounded like claws on a chalkboard. 'Scout what are the extent of my damages?' Scout perked up, "Your muzzle was broken in three places, all four of your hooves were cracked. Your shell took a lot of damage, your left eye is swollen and...um..." He trailed off. 'What is it Scout?' "Well...its..um.." Oh crap I’m missing something aren’t I. 'Scout. Tell me what else is damaged.' "Well you see your majesty...you are missing a wing." The Hive trembled. "WHAT!" Ahhhhhhhhhhh...... Nope never yelling again. Never. As my throat felt like it was bleeding Scout immediately clarified his earlier statement. "It's only temporary damage! With enough love you should be able to grow it back!" Hell yeah! I'll still be able to fly! (Not that I’m a good flyer, but hey at least I can!) Wait. Changelings can regrow limbs? I forgot I hadn't answered Scout so when I returned to reality I noticed he was locked in the "please don't kill me I'm just doing my job" position. Not to worry him anymore I gave him some affirmation and sent him on his way. Now that I had some alone time I tried to recall what had happened when I was out. Okay...left village. Got some metal, I sneezed, this summoned a eldritch death worm which was trying to kill me. Ran into a swarm of purple shiftshits..caused both shiftshits and death worm to duke it out..felt murderous thoughts then darkness. Okay, I’m guessing I got my butt kicked...but since there were murderous thoughts I probably did some sort of hulk thing which was taken down due to shear numbers. Yeah, that's probably the reason why they left my body. Suddenly it occurs to me that I could have died. My heart beats a little faster at that thought but not in fear but more like- excitement? Okay something is seriously wrong with me, and since I don’t seem to have a exorcist or preacher on site I guess I’ll have to deal with it. All I have to do is remember what triggered me, make sure it no longer works, and stay safe. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I was left for dead. But now I will train harder. I will get stronger. And I will strike when my enemy does not expect it. But for now, I'll sleep. ~Deep within the Anise Hive~ “The war party was destroyed?!” “Yes your majesty howe-“ “SILENCE! Useless, you’re all useless! Don’t bother healing the ones that made It back it would only be a waste of love.” “Y-yes your majesty b-but-” “Do you have something to to add 137?” “Your majesty, worker drone 136 is Ah-among the deposing changelings, I was hoping-” “136? Oh, that was your twin right? Wasn’t it the one that lost its back legs? Let me guess, you want it to be spared.” 137 nodded its head frantically in agreement. The blue eyed queen smiled. “No. Now get out of my throne room.” The drone bowed but anyling could tell that it was shaking. As it shambled towards the exit the changeling only stared at the ground. Only when the queen called out it lifted its head. “Oh and 137!” The changeling stopped and looked back at the Queen. “Make sure you dispose of the wounded away from the hive. Wouldn’t want them crawling back would we?” The drone replied hollowly, “No...no we wouldn’t..your majesty.”