Eight’s ears twitch when the dwarven queen’s long untouched bookshelf slides to the side and reveals a hidden door which opens into a secret tunnel. She opens her eyes, and with an ungodly sick crunch her neck snaps back into normal shape, but that’s pretty much the extent of her allowed activity. Her secondary armor plating around her belly is still gone, although so is the hole in her chest. Fifty-fifty on the good and bad, then.
Eeeeh, more like twenty-eighty, she corrects herself when she realizes she’s still missing all her legs. This does feel like a grand idea to try at some point with someone, though - fleshlight Eight. She shivers. A dwarf comes into view, someone whom Eight has never seen before, and she just sighs, all sexy thoughts disappearing. This stupid castle is like swiss cheese, seriously. The dwarven digging habit was cute at first, but considering how much trouble the secret passages have brought, she’s reconsidering it to be a mental disorder.
“Well, well, well...” the dwarf growls and pulls out a dagger, “how the tables have turned...”
The very faint, even to a changeling’s nose, but unmistakable scent of brass spike poison on the dagger’s blade makes Eight narrow her eyes. However, that’s not the main thing in the room. There’s something else which doesn’t smell like anything in particular, Eight just knows it’s there. She tries to say something withering to the obvious assassin, but her throat betrays her as she only croaks:
“...who…?”
“A cripple who can’t even speak,” the dwarf chuckles, “Still not a fitting end for a murderer!”
Eight bares her fangs.
”Anyone awake?” she tries to call for help via the hive mind, but hits a mental wall far beyond her power and skill.
“...you’ll have to… be more… specific… than that… heh...”
The dwarf’s eye twitches as he snarls.
“You might be more familiar with my mother, monster.”
Ah, so he’s the old queen’s son. Confused, Eight realizes she killed so few dwarves that he’s easy to identify now that she thinks about it. That doesn’t sound like her. Maybe the boss’ diplomatic approach DID leave a mark after all.
“...riiight… she couldn’t… swim… for shit...” Eight chuckles. It’s weird how much freedom being helpless while not actually giving a damn about staying alive grants you, “...but that might have been… just the… magma...”
The growling dwarf looks like he’s about to stab her right that instant, but he doesn’t. To Eight’s surprise, his mouth curls into an evil grin.
“All bark and no bite, obviously,” he says, “I’ll enjoy cutting you slowly so that you can feel the poison at work. I would say I’d start with the legs, but you can’t have everything in life. And don’t worry, this is personal. I have nothing against you changelings, unlike the dark priests who gave me this,” he carefully swings the dagger in his mouth, “It just took months before I could get into a position to finally avenge my mother. To be completely honest, I’m more than alright with the direction in which the king is taking Brauheim, especially when he fixed the evil you caused.”
“...stop… monologuing at me...” Eight rolls her eyes, “...it hurts more… than the poison will...”
Aaand here’s eye twitch number two followed by a forehead vein pop number one.
“We’ll see about that!” the queen’s son’s muscles strain…
...but he doesn’t move an inch, “What did you do?!”
“She didn’t do anything,” the air in the corner shifts as light suddenly reflects in a strange way off of something which with only the faintest glimmer of green turns from completely invisible into a curvy zebra mare giving the dwarf a gentle and soft smile. With a sway of her wide hips, and her only slightly chubby underbelly which the dwarf has a clear view of, the zebra approaches him, and looks the paralyzed dwarf in the eyes. He can’t say what color those are, because it keeps shifting, the strange phenomenon drawing his attention further and further away from his body. Not losing her friendly smile for a moment, she keeps talking in a soothing voice, “Now, you are a smart and a patient dwarf, which is the kind that your city needs the most. What use would revenge be? Would angering the changelings serve your home in any way?”
The dwarf tries to look down, half in resistance and half in shame, but she puts a hoof under his chin. He’s gritting his teeth, and there are faint signs of tears in his eyes.
“But… my mother...” he whispers, “She killed her...”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that hatred only breeds more hatred,” says the zebra, “And while love can’t stop the world from hurting you, it can stop you from hurting yourself,” she nuzzles the smaller dwarf’s nose with her own, not letting him look away, “Give me the knife. I know a better use for it.”
He spits the handle of the dagger from his mouth into his hoof, and presents it to the zebra who grabs it.
“Thank you,” she says, warm as always, “Now leave, and forget your hate. Working hard for revenge will only eat you inside. Work hard for your city instead. You can be a shining beacon for your friends rather than a martyr. That’s a way more worthwhile goal.”
The dwarf hangs his head low, his eyes wet, and nods. Without another word, he leaves via the secret entrance not to alert the guards outside.
Eight, eyes wide and unsure what has just happened, stares at the zebra. After stowing the dagger away in a backpack previously under Eight’s bed, the zebra picks it up, and strokes Eight’s head.
“Sleep,” she says, and Eight feels a pressure put against her mind. It’s not exceedingly powerful, but it doesn’t take no for an answer. It reminds Eight of One, but One is dead, and she was always more forceful. This power is… calming, which makes it much more dangerous in its essence. It makes her not want to resist and-
The zebra takes her hoof off of now sleeping Eight’s head.
“Have a nice rest, mom. I’ll go check up on dad.”
After putting the backpack on her back, the zebra turns invisible again, and taps the mirror on the wall three times which makes a different section of a wall slide away. Shortly after, there’s no trace of anything ever happening in the queen’s suite. The castle is full of the damn things, obviously, but the secret route used by the zebra at least makes sense.
A quick trip through the tunnel later, the wall of the king’s suite opens, letting cold air and a floating military-tier bag into the bathroom. The invisible zebra puts the backpack down into the bathtub, and peeks into the suite to see if there’s anyone visiting the king. Seeing no one in the immediate vicinity, she steps into the bedroom, and-
*THUD!*
-something incredibly strong clamps around her chest and neck in four places, followed by an almost constant stream of words and slobber.
“ImissedyouImissedyouImissedyousomuch-”
Seeing no reason to stay invisible and quickly tearing up herself, the zebra closes her eyes.
“-bosssaidyouwerealivethatthenicepaladinponytookyouwithhimanddidn’thurtyouatall-”
A green spark runs through her coat from mane to hooves, making the white coat with black stripes disappear and replacing it with black changeling chitin decorated with grey streaks similar to zebra pattern.
“-andyou’resobigandawesomenowandIlookthesamebutI’mhappytoseeyouagainbut-”
Aaaand now the previously floating Three’s legs are clamped around a certainly very VERY female changeling of a similar shape which the zebra before was. The kind of changeling mare for whom the dong of even the most xenophobic pony would raise to attention and salute like a good soldier ready for deployment. Of course, the mare’s attractiveness is completely lost on Three whose snot and happy tears are now staining her neck.
Gem can’t help cracking a smile, sitting down, and returning the crushing hug although with much less bone and chitin breaking effect.
“I didn’t know if I could believe what I heard from Two,” she breathes out.
“-andlasttimeIsawyouyouwerallspindlybutthenIdiedbutIgotbetter- mmhm?” Three stops as Gem puts her hoof in his mouth, “And I’m part lamp now,” he finishes when Gem pulls her hoof away, and goes quiet.
“All in due time, Three. Right now, we need to help the boss if we can,” she winces when Three hops away and his warm love gives way to the burning agony she can physically feel from the boss.
“Can you heal him?” Three jumps up and down.
Gem frowns.
“I did what I could before,” she looks at the sickly grey and skinny changeling king lying motionlessly on the bed with his forelegs spastically clasped on his chest, “Lord Bright Star helped me by stabilizing a minor stasis spell into his paladin amulet which I used to slow the poison down. It’s clear that even changeling immune system can’t deal with whatever this poison is, but I didn’t dare take his blood or anything at first, and later it would break the already weakening magic.”
“Oh...” Three visibly withers, which makes Gem pat his head.
“It’s better and worse at the same time. The bad thing is that due to the time slowing spell, boss has been in this incredible pain for far longer than it was for us. However, few minutes ago a dwarf tried to assassinate miss Eight in the same way.”
“No!” Three looks about to cry, and this time not in happiness.
“Don’t worry, I stopped him before he could do anything, and I made him give me a knife with more of the poison boss is fighting against. If I can have some time alone, I’ve got some alchemy equipment which might help me better understand what we’re facing. I don’t know if my travelling gear would be enough for a proper analysis, but it can’t hurt to try.”
“Huh?” Three tilts his head, “Hey, Six told me the dwarves have super cool technology thingies. Maybe they can help!”
Gem furrows her brows.
“I’ve been scouting around in hiding for few days, trying to limit my exposure to the dwarves. The minotaurs said they don’t let outsiders in.”
“Oh, they don’t, but it turns out they like changelings because there were some around here a long time ago.”
Gem quickly checks Three’s unresisting mind, and finds this to be almost completely true. The dwarves like Three because he’s Three, and they really are alright with the rest of the changeling group. Using Three’s mind, she links up to all other changelings, and finds out to her dismay that Three’s the only one in any working shape. There’s one more changeling, the magic one she met with Two… Seven, was he? But he’s busy panicking right now, and he’s too far to be useful at the moment.
”I wish I could help somehow,” Three frowns, testing the renewed mental connection, ”I’ve been sleeping here whenever I wasn’t with miss Eight, trying to give my love to the boss, but he’s not taking anything. He just hurts...”
Gem nuzzles Three. She’s much bigger than she used to be when she last saw the drone, but all it does is make hugging Three easier.
“Boss is absorbing love, you just can’t sense it. You’re making so much of it that you just can’t even feel the difference. The problem is that he’s taking far too little, even less than his body would naturally absorb from you. You’ve been helping immensely if you’ve been spending your time here. Still… it’s clearly not enough. I can feel only a fraction of the agony he must be in, and it still makes being in the same room unpleasant. I always knew boss was far stronger than he showed, but this is resilience beyond belief.”
“Boss is- well, was a drone. We’re tough, Four.”
“Call me Gem, if you don’t mind. That’s the name under which everyone knows me now, and which miss One gave me.”
“How is miss One anyway?” asks Three, “Last time I heard about her, she was dead, but so was I and I got over it. Someone as awesome as miss One must be super alive now. There might even be two of her!”
“Heh heh,” Gem chuckles, “Cockroaches would be jealous about what we can get through. All in due time, though, Three. Right now, boss is fighting something against which willpower won’t be enough. If the dwarves can help me gather some proper chemistry equipment, I suppose I can finally reveal myself to them.”
“Yeah, they’re super nice. Come with me, but we gotta be quick, because I have to come back here to keep helping the boss,” Three beams, “So… there’s mister Granite, he’s like in charge along with few others. Then there’s Hard Reset, the head engineer of the power plant dist- destroy- distribu-shun spiderweb...” Three scratches his head, then shrugs, “Eeeeh, close enough. Oh, and then there’s miss Black Soil, she’s super pretty, not like you or auntie Battlecry, but-”
***
When the two reach the council meeting room, Gem has been briefed about the general state of affairs in Brauheim, although the knowledge that most dwarves are ‘super nice other than some bald, bearded ones in robes who hurt the boss so it is okay that they have all been eaten’ is rather confusing. She’d have to rummage directly through Three’s mind in more detail later. However, despite Three’s chaotic storytelling and her own worries about the overwhelming number of armed dwarves inside the castle, Gem has arrived ready to face Granite as well as somewhat fed and not just from Three. Turns out dwarves like what Gem did with her permanent body.
Granite is sitting alone at the large round table, reading some documents when the opening door makes him look up and raise an eyebrow.
“Hello, mister Granite!” Three waves at him and hops onto the table before pointing at the arriving changeling whom he’s never seen before. She certainly feels different than any of the others, and not only due to the black and grey chitin, “This is F- sorry, Gem, and she can help the boss, but she needs some labrador equipment.”
Granite blinks.
“Laboratory, mister Granite,” Gem gives Granite a courteous bow, “I’ve managed to get another poison sample from a dwarf who tried to kill miss Eight.”
“WHO TRIED WHAT?!” Granite slams his forelegs into the table.
“From what I understand, it was the son of the old queen, someone whom I suppose miss Eight replaced,” says Gem, undisturbed by the outburst, “Don’t worry. Everyone involved is alright, and it won’t happen again.”
The loremaster takes a deep breath.
“Three, can you vouch for this new changeling? I’m not eager to relax any security measures in these dark times.”
“Of course,” Three nods vigorously, “Four’s been with me, boss, and miss Eight the longest. We split for a while, but that’s okay because she’s here now and all adult.”
Once again. Three’s explanation is persuasive while revealing nothing concrete Granite could use to calm his nerves. The dwarf looks at Gem who clears her throat next.
“So you are mister Granite,” she scratches her head, “I believe an apology is in order then.”
“For what?” he raises his eyebrow.
“For knocking you out.”
“Huh?”
“Remember when the boss told you that something has been released deep underground?”
“Yeah, I closed the flooding seals afterw-” he trails off, looking past Gem, “THAT WAS YOU?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU CAUSED?”
Gem closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.
“I got information about what was happening from Two. I tried to avoid going inside her head too much, because I didn’t know who else could be watching, so I had to rely on what she told me about the city. I also got into a changeling who calls himself Seven, but I didn’t have the opportunity to go for more than a quick glance into the current events, although he knew next to nothing. A very single-minded changeling if ever I saw one. I learned that the boss in charge was my dad way too late, and I got to him only after he’s been poisoned. With the help of my friends currently staying in Rift, I managed to bring a stabilized stasis spell to slow his poison,” she pulls out a sun-shaped amulet from her backpack, “This is an easily enchantable paladin tool which they use in case their horns get neutralized in some way. Thankfully, I sensed Three around, but from all I knew he was dead, so I couldn’t be sure if it was him or whether I’ve been tracked by another changeling who got inside my own mind and was using my memories against me,” she takes a short break, but stops Granite when he tries to speak with a raised foreleg, “I’m getting to it, don’t worry. While I was gathering more information about the state of affairs, I felt panic from Two, and I entered her mind just as she was… transforming into something. I couldn’t help her, so I at least drew as much information directly out of her as I could, which showed me what was happening down in the depths.”
“The black spindlies,” Three nods.
“Yes, those… things, whatever they are. Judging by how strong they were and how quickly they infested Two, I couldn’t let them spread into an inhabited area, so I transformed into the boss, and found you. You know the rest.”
Granite breathes in and out, his anger dwindling.
“Alright, alright. It was less your fault than Rose’s anyway.”
“Huh? What was?” asks Gem.
“Three? You didn’t tell her about Five and Six?”
“Oh...” Three sighs, “Well, as we were running away, the big metal gates started closing and a cave in dropped on us, crushing Five. Six gave her all his love so that she could survive being crushed for few moments before I could get her back here. I had to leave Six there.”
Granite frowns.
“Iron Rose used the bombs her associates planted while Brauheim was split in order to stop a potential war which she didn’t have to use before because the king did such a good job patching things up with the queen. Unfortunately, from what I understand, even if Six was asleep, there just isn’t enough air in the area Three described between the airtight seal and the cave in, and we don’t dare just open that specific floodgate in case the… spindlies somehow got through the rocks. I’m sorry. Six is… dead.”
To his mild surprise, Gem only pouts.
“Not necessarily. Changelings with no love go into hibernation. We barely need to breathe. How long has it been?”
“Just over three days.”
“Then I suppose we still have time, at least from the air perspective. Whether or not the black creatures somehow got to him is a different question. Considering how easily they infested Two. just some of their liquid would be enough to make Six one of them. However, let’s get back to the main issue - helping the boss.”
“Alright then, since Three is vouching for you and, IF you’re to be believed, the boss is still alive only because of you, I can arrange you a full access to our laboratories here in the castle. We can get you probably any further equipment you might want, just say the word. I’m not sure about materials, though. Minerals, sure, but biological materials are a little harder to get here underground.”
“Thank you,” Gem bows and smiles. Then she raises a hoof, and lets a single drop of spittle drip on its frog. Before Granite’s eyes, the green drop turns yellow, crystallizing into gold, “And don’t worry about materials, I can make my own. As it turns out, changelings make the best alchemists.”
***
Seven slams the library door behind him, and unceremoniously falls on the carpet.
“Ughh… I’ve never felt this… inadequate before,” with a grunt, he pushes himself back on all fours, “Oh holes...” he shoves a hoof into his mouth to stop himself from throwing up.
With a flick of his horn, several glowing balls appear in the air and spread around the library. It’s not as if Seven couldn’t just flip the light switch, but…
...but last night sucked. He’s been trying his best to fulfill the boss’ orders regarding gaining love and lust, but he was just too awkward and weird in his real form around others to be effective, so he had to often resort to mild suggestive magic followed by envenoming his target through kisses or biting. Unfortunately, it turned out that too much venom-fueled lust was making him sick to his stomach, and last night it culminated.
Thankfully, burning off some of the excess lust by using magic does alleviate some of his queasiness, and Seven proceeds to throw few weak fire cubes against the charred wall in his practice corner. Unfortunately, feeling physically better brings his mind back to the less pressing matter of him being a changeling barely capable of feeding himself.
He sighs.
“I wonder how the others are doing?” he mutters, realizing the hive mind has been awfully quiet for quite some time, although that might have had a lot to do with him trying to focus on not going full spaghetti in some mare’s company.
Alright, so…
Eight? Out like a light. Oh well, it’s early in the morning and she’s usually been busy humping the boss. No reason to push anything.
Good old friend Five? Huh, completely out as well. Come to think of it, it feels less like she’s sleeping and more like she’s completely unconscious.
“I guess I’m not the only one tuckered out by gathering love.”
Two? Umm… Two’s link is gone. Completely.
“Oookay, she’s way better at mental stuff than I am, so she could just be trying to have some privacy,” Seven tries to persuade himself that everything is okay, which is working less and less with each second.
Six? Exactly like Eight and Five.
“DAMN IT!”
Three? Sleeping peacefully. Finally, at least one contact, and he doesn’t seem too bothered by anything. Granted, Three never seems too bothered by stuff, but touching a calm mind does wonders for Seven. He can’t make himself wake the drone up.
“Alright, the boss? He’s probably asleep with Eight- AAAAAAAAAAAARGHHH!” Seven clutches his head as burning agony coming from the link makes him scream himself hoarse.
There are no guards outside the library on Seven’s wishes, so no one comes during his screaming fit, and in the end the infiltrator finds himself on the carpet again, his throat in sore and raw.
If there’s any good thing about what just happened, it’s that the pain both woke Seven up and drew his attention away from how sick the venomous lust was making him.
“What… the actual… fffffff… was that?! Some safeguard against anyone peeking into boss’ mind when he’s banging Eight? But she’s unconscious, so unless they’re into some seriously freaky stuff… fiiiiine, I’ll go outside again...” he grunts.
After some questions to the guards on the lower floors, Seven asks Granite quietly contemplating the pile of crap he’s found himself in.
“Loremaster, do you know where the boss is, or the queen?” asks Seven.
“Ah, Seven,” Granite welcomes any distraction from his rather depressing thoughts before the early morning meeting, “We haven’t had much time to talk since the city schism ended.”
“With your council around, Eight didn’t need a second in command anymore, which is a fact I greeted with enthusiasm. I’m usually in the castle library, practicing magic. It takes a lot of focus.”
“I see,” says Granite, “Well, a lot of things has happened. I think you should see for yourself. Come with me,” he stands up and leads Seven to the king’s suite, much to the changeling’s growing worries.
“Oh holes...” Seven’s eyes go wide when he sees the king’s withered body and Three’s sleeping head on his chest, “What the hole happened?”
Granite sighs.
“You see, a dark priest attempted to kill the king, poisoning him. The queen followed the assassin, and met something much worse which nearly killed her. Three brought her in a shape which no one should ever survive, but she’s been steadily getting better. Later, he brought a mutilated half of Five, saying Six sacrificed himself to save her.”
“What… the… fuck…?”
“Don’t you folk say hole?”
“Hole isn’t enough for this, Granite!”
“...a well-dug hole is always enough...” mumbles Three before yawning and opening his eyes, “Oh hi, Seven. Good morning, mister Granite.”
“Three, where is everyone?” asks Seven for far too many-eth time this morning.
Three yawns again.
“Can it wait? I’m really tired from feeding Gem for her chemistry homework.”
Seven can’t take it anymore.
“WHO THE HOLE IS GEM AND WHAT ELSE DID I MISS?!”
“You’ll like her. She’s a really nice lady...” mumbles Three before passing out again.
Seven’s whole face twitches.