//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: The Brood Mother, Metamorpha 
// Story: Excalibur and the Zerg 
// by Disciple of Chrysalis 
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 Excalibur tore into the creatures flesh like a starving animal, which he was, but still. He was shaken by what he heard in the beast's mind and he needed his strength to survive whatever this place was, and just from seeing one animal he'd almost died and the creature had seemed overly confident in its attack like it could call for back-up at any moment, but had prefered to 'play with its food'. He came up to breath and think for a second "That thing proved to be an extremly serious threat, but there could other creature stronger then that thing" he said to himself between breaths, and began to think of the other creatures that this place might be home too, and they were all dangerous.

"Get a hold of yourself, you'll be fine, just eat" he whispered, and plunged his head back into the creature, but the message kept playing itself in his head as he fed and he shuddered to think of something stronger then that beast. He ate until almost nothing but bone remained and he was content with his meal, but sadly nothing can be simple for him, and he heard a loud crashing coming from a little ways off. He froze in fear, but he quickly recovered and with his newly regained strength, flew to the closest tree and took shelter behind a clump of leaves right before a large spider-like creature came into sight.

It walked towards the nest of infants, but it didn't reach it because it caught sight of his meals remains. "Who killed my Zergling!" It screeched over the skeleton, atleast he knew what the beast was called now, he caught a scent and he realized it was pheromone, angry by the scent of it, and he realized the spider was female. He shrank deeper into the leaves and watched as the spider screeched in grief for the death of her Zergling. He shrank as small as his body would allow, but it didn't help because he felt a mental radar going around the area, and it was all via Hive mind.

Excalibur was unlucky enough to have a hive mind system that was extremely similar to this creatures and she found him. She turned to look directly at him "Show yourself, you little murderer!" she yelled at him, and he heard it again in his mind and he was compelled to obey. He stood up in his hiding place, still mostly concealed by leaves so she couldn't catch sight of him, but he moved his wings and lifted upwards and flew towards her. He appearered before her, but didn't land because his instincts were still free from this thing and its control over his mind and body.

She regarded him curiously, seeming to have forgotten her grief, "What are you?" she asked, more a demand then a question, and she reached a claw to touch him, but he drift back before she could "I am a Changeling ma'am" he said politely and fairly dull, like a bad actor. "What in the name of the Queen of Blades is a Changeling?" she asked, but it appeared she actually meant it as a question this time, because he felt her influence leave his mind, but he stuck to the air. Excalibur shrugged "I am a Changeling" he said with a flair of backtalk in it, and she obviously didn't appreciate it because she quickly struck him across the face with one of her limbs. "Do not sass me insect" she whispered threateningly "now tell me your name"

Excalibur rubbed his cheek with his hoof and spoke "My name is Excalibur" he answered plainly, making sure to add no insult. She seemed satisfied with his response "Greeting little pest Excalibur, I am Metamorpha" she said, sounding proud of both her insult and her name which was just Metamorph with an A at the end, and little pest was a common Changeling insult, but he didn't bring either of these up at the risk of being struck again.

He greatly mistrusted this creature, but it was currently the only one around who could speak so he had to settle for it, but he refused to land. "So Excalibur, what brings you to my nest other then to kill my Zerglings" she said and she kicked to skeleton away so nonchalantly that he felt sorry for the dead creature, even if it tried to kill him. He noted that she didn't seem in the slightest angry or have some evil motive against him so she probably hadn't been the recipient of the mental communication.

"I'm here entirely by mistake actually" he said slightly embarrassed to end up this far away from home, even if it wasn't his fault. Metamorpha seemed especially intrigued by this "And how did you get lost?" she asked him, trying and failing to hide her interest. He grinned "Well my Queen came up with a crazy idea to attack a kingdom stronger then our, but we almost won the battle had she not revealed herself so foolishly" he said, glad he was far from his queens hearing range.

Metamorpha froze at the sound of a Queen "Q-Queen?" she asked, but Excalibur had no comment to give to it so he decided it was time for him to get away from this one. "Well it was nice to meet you" he said a bit awkwardly, and he began to fly upward. Metamorpha watched him go, making no move to stop him "Farewell, I hope to speak with you again" she called to him as he zipped away and into the jungle.

He landed on a tree in a denser area of the jungle, why had she been so worried about a Queen "What an odd creature, but she wasn't that bad I suppose" he said quietly. He lazed on the tree, thinking about the encounter when his mind began to go blank "What the hell?" he said, rather sleepily, and his mind was about to slip to unconsciousness when he felt a presence enter his mind, and speak, it was a chilling and terrifying voice and he was sure this is the one the Zergling had sent the message to and it spoke in his mind, when he passed out on the branch he was lazing on and the new message echoed in his mind


"Befriend my daughter, Shapeshifter, and you will become more then you were before"