The Changeling's Way

by Blight Shallow

What Lies Beneath

Feeling himself drift back to reality, Tim slowly opened his eyes to dim lights. He realized that he was lying in the middle of a hallway of sorts, the floor was tiled with dark looking marble, probably the walls were the same. Grunting, he tried to get to his feet but quickly fell to his knees from the sheer pain encasing his body. Struggling to get back up only resulted in him propping himself to a nearby pillar, the pillar he found to be made of granite, but very sanded making it very fine to the touch. Whatever was happening to him, it wasn't going to stop him. With a huff and great willpower he moved on, fighting the pain with each wobbled step.

Even with great determination it does have its downfalls. Tim stumbled here and there, catching himself on the granite pillars supporting the dimly lit maze. Minutes felt like hours to Tim, feeling something pushing him on, keeping him on track. Even at the intersections that unknown force led him on, straddling into the endless hallways. He stumbled once more, the pain taking ahold with a firm grasp. Wincing and with some grunts Tim leaned on the granite pillar, trying to take in the dry air. Something caught his eye. he didn't know why but he felt like that was what the force was telling him that he was close to where he needed to be. The urge was too great for him, bounding with heavy feet towards the devoted destination.

Within seconds he stood in front of an wooden door, its own presence made Tim feel a slight warmth throughout his body. the urge from the force still lingered and greeted Tim to lead him through that gateway. Tim shifted his feet towards the door as the warmth grew. The warmth swirled around Tim easing the pain away from his tense, aching muscles, rejuvenating him. He reached the door but broke down to his knees panting, his mind slowly drifting back to the abyss of unconsciousness. He was close to his goal, but he wasn't going to lose it. He reached up towards the knob as leverage to prop him back to his feet. reality came back to him and at once, twisted the knob and swung the door inwards.

Tim was more amazed at what he saw more than anything. A vast array of plant life was everywhere. Plants from different countries from his world and some he couldn't recognize. Observing his surroundings his eyes fell to a trail in this garden. he followed the trail to something he hadn't seen in a long while. in front of him was a single rose lying on the ground, seemingly it fell from one of the various bushes that thrived here. he knelt down and picked up the rose, avoiding the thorns around the stem. without realizing it the petals turned black and the thorns fell off one by one. Tim looked down at his feet only to see the plants around him wither and die away. he stepped away from the very spot, only to have the plants regrow and replaced the dead ones, but looked more lively. shrugging he walked past them going back to the trail though this natural maze. wandering through the plants he saw something black off behind some of the flowers. Curious as he was, Tim made his way towards it.

He waded through the dense plant life as they wilted and died around him still holding that black rose. Less than a minute later, he found the thing he saw earlier looked like it was sleeping on a wooden bench, the vines intertwining in between the legs. he stared at the creature, observing it while it slept, it had insect like wings folded back along the onyx colored chitin by the looks of it. The creatures body had a charcoal color coat but looked shiny, more like an exoskeleton. What looked like a curved horn protruded out of its head. The thing stirred making Tim jump a little. It raised its head, he took note that it had a horse like head, and yawned loudly, showing its fangs. it open its eyelids its light blue eyes getting focused on its surroundings, then seeing Tim standing there in the middle of the trail. Tim stared at its light blue eyes covering its eye, its pupils transparent.

The creature finally broke the silence. "Its been awhile since someone came the this garden," it began, its tone was obviously male, "so it must be my lucky day". Tim stayed silent as the thing stretched out its front two limbs that looked like hooves with holes bored through them. Rest assured, Tim could conclude that this creature was horse like, perhaps an equine, as it looked small compared to his size. But he couldn't put his finger on it, but it seemed oddly familiar, like a past memory you couldn't properly remember. before he could think his mouth moved and words came out. "You seem familiar".

"Oh?" it said letting a small smirk show from his charcoal colored muzzle, "Then you should at least know what my kind is called."

"You are a . . . uhh. . ." Tim began, scratching his head trying to remember.

"I am a Changeling," The thing replied impatiently with some annoyance in his voice, "Surely you met one of them if you were able to get here, not wasting my time."

"Ah right, but you look smaller than the one I talked to," Tim explained.

"A bit smaller?" The changeling cocked his head slightly.

"Yeah. It was quite larger and had some sort of crown on its head, it sounded pretty female to me." Tim said remembering bits and pieces, " One question though. Are the females dominant for your species?"

"YOU met the Queen?!" The changeling chirped in shock, "well this is extraordinary, please follow me," The changeling got up from the wooden bench, the changeling standing to the top of his stomach, walked a little way away then turned his head, his pupiless eyes glancing back at Tim. "Ya comin?"

Tim nodded, then walked quickly over to the Changeling, walking out of the maze of plants and flowers, the changeling going through all the plants with ease. Tim had some trouble going through the same path the Changeling was taking, the plants withered and dying around his footsteps as he held that same black rose from earlier. They made it to a door covered in a green moss, making it seemed like it was there for a while. Untouched. Unused. The changeling charged his horn with a light green aura, startling Tim as the door illuminated under the same aura as the knob turned and opened, the door moaning from the pressure. He trotted lightly over to the open door as Tim followed looking into what looked like a hallway with the lights bright enough to see yet not blinding as the marble glistened from the light above. cautiously Tim walked into the hallway, the Changeling closed the door with a loud moan as it clicked back into its frame.

"Hey I didn't get to catch your name," Tim was the first to break the silence between them.

"Me?" The changeling said trying to hold back the surprise from the question, "For now, call me Fae, I was the leader of the fifth scout team".

"Ok, well names Timothy Raymond. just call me Tim".

"Well pleasure to make an acquaintance with you, Tim," Fae replied smiling at him kindly. They started their way through the corridors and vast hallways, keeping to themselves. Tim looked around him, seeing the same pattern of granite pillars. Every other one had a banner he couldn't recognize. Fae turned to his bipedal follower, who was now eyeing one of the banners up close. He cleared his throat catching his attention and ushered him forward.

They turned another corner and spotted a flight of stairs spiraling upward towards the ceiling. Fae started first, taking to the stairs as Tim followed right behind him. "So, why exactly is this an extraordinary event?" Tim asked like a curious child.

"Put it this way," Fae started buzzing his insect wings slightly, "its extremely rare for a queen to do the converting herself, usually its the drones job to grow and multiply."

"Well that might explain it," Tim said hinting at sarcasm as he continued on. Step after step they climbed up the towering staircase, not knowing what lurks above them. Fae carried onwards, almost on instinct as Tim kept up with him with his lanky legs skipping a step or so. After a few minutes of climbing, they find another flight of stairs but with a door at the left of it. The Changeling proceeded up the other staircase as Tim looked at the door. It looked like it was recently put there, maybe as a replacement for the last door. Fae turned to see that his follower had opened the door and walked through. Groaning, he made his way down the stairs and stood in front of the door, charging his horn and opened the door, cantering his way towards Tim as the door shut silently with a soft click.

Tim found himself in a large room with a giant window on his right, the large pair of purple curtains swaying slightly in the windless chamber. He saw what looked like a small stone table with a long glass dome behind those curtains. he parted them away to look at it better. the glass dome glistened under the sun as Tim looked at it, then picked it up gently without him realizing he did so. He set the dome down to take a better look at the table. it had a small hole in the middle of its design probably made to keep something upright. He looked at the rose in hand. Maybe it was made for this to be there. He had to test this theory, he held the blackened rose in his hand reached out to place it into the hole and felt relieved as the rose slid easily into the hole in that table.

Nothing happened...

Tim sighed, knowing he was wrong so he placed the glass dome on the table once more, leaving the black rose there. All of a sudden he heard a loud noise of something opening and something else being moved on the tiles. He looked where the sound came from and saw that there stood, at the other side of the chamber, an emerald door with a gold knob. "Wow," a voice spoke behind him, making him jump out of his shoes, Tim looked to see that it was Fae chuckling at him. Tim scorned him but he ignored him and went to stand close to the door, Tim followed in suit. He now stood before the door, its emerald surface emanating a glow of green amongst the two of them. Tim stepped towards the door, but stopped to look at Fae, who was now trotting towards the door they came through. "Hey," Tim called out making the changeling perk his splayed ears and turn his head, his light blue eyes staring back, "where are you going?"

"This is your stop, not mine," Fae replied back, his words echoing in his ears.

"What do you mean?"

"You got a whole new life ahead of you, I was waiting for someone like you to help me through my own last remaining hours in this place."

Tim brimmed his eyebrow. Fae gave him a friendly smile for the last time. "Have a good life Tim. And best of luck to you. I have afterlife to enjoy." Fae turned back around and trotted away towards the door but didn't stop to open it. Instead as Tim watched him, he phased through the door, never to be seen again. "Have a good one Fae, without you I wouldn't be here."

he turned back to the emerald door, stepped closer to the door. Without skipping a step, he held the golden knob and felt the surge of energy flow through him and made him feel warmer than he was. He twisted the knob, hearing it click as it unlocked from its frame, and opened the door. The light then shone brightly in Tim's eyes that he had to shield his eyes before he was engulfed by it. All he could feel is himself being lifted by the light and the energy began to surge through his body like it would a light bulb. Feeling him self fall away from himself, he closed his eyes and let it consume him.

Tim opened his eyes again, but he was still seeing the light around him, but it seemed to be dimmer than he had seen it. he tried to breathe but couldn't, as if something was in his lungs. He tried to grab for his throat but instead of hands, he saw a faint looking hooves that suddenly made him panic. He franticly tried to look down to see his image, but something below him opened and he fell down to the ground on his side, making a loud thud as he did so. He hacked and coughed trying to clear his lungs from the stuff inside. All that came out was a clear yellow liquid that now puddled around his self.

"Oh! He's awake!" He heard a voice chirp. He could only look up with his eyes to see something standing a ways away. He couldn't really see what it because all he saw was charcoal looking limbs, holes seem to strewn throughout them. he tried to ask something, but the yellow liquid was still in his lungs and vomited out the rest. The thing giggled before approaching Tim, now seeing what it was. A changeling that looked just like Fae look at him its light blue eyes looking back at him.

The changeling stopped right in front of him, "W-where am I?" was all Tim could say before he was then giggled at by the changeling. The Changeling pondered over to Tim's ear and gave him a simple reply. "You are in the conversion chambers. Welcome to the Hive."

Author's Note:

Apperently when I first put this up, this chapter didnt add up to the word count to the overall story... Guys I think that I just glitched this site.

Comments

[Death2205]

Interesting I await more

[Ahrazell]

More soon please!

[AdamAperture]

You wanna know what's funny?
Prologue: Encounters The Changeling Way
The Price We Pay,
The Changeling Way.
What Lies Beneath The Changeling Way?
They all fit in with the name, lol.\
Well, the second one is kinda a rhyme.

[Blight Shallow]

4363733 Thanks for noticing that I didn't intend on that for happen heh heh heh