The Lost Changeling: Rolling Ends

by AizakkuHorooee

Chapter 14: The Wake Up Call

I wake up on the nest I chose last night to find that I’m in my normal form. I get up and stretch my wings before I change back to what I was disguised as yesterday. Suddenly, I hear a call in the hall, a voice that sounds quite familiar.

“CARVE?!? AREOLA?!? WHERE ARE YOU?!?”

I dart out of the nestroom and tackle the source of the intruding voice. Okay, I know exactly who it is.

“Correal! Do you want us to get caught?!? Because it sure as hell sounds like it, you-”

“What is it, Correal? Can’t you see I just woke-”

Carina comes out of her nestroom, initially with a tired expression as she rubs her eyes, that is until her eyes shoot open. She lets out a loud gasp.

“Carve! What’re you doing?!?”

“Looks like somebody found us, Carina. We were searching for her this whole time, yet the changeling came to us. And now, she wants us caught, even after we kept her secret. Nuta fu hunur eldeyen.”

“Carve! DO NOT ever call me that again! Now, GET off of me!”

Correal pushes me off of herself, leaving me staggered for a few seconds. Recovering, I see Correal in the process of getting in a standing position.

“Well, I was originally here to see how you two were doing, but apparently...”

Correal points at me when emphasizing her continuation.

“someone doesn’t want to talk with me, going as far to calling me someone who lies about their-”

“Correal, stop it.”

Correal’s eyes shoot open, just like Carina’s when she found me. She turns around to see Carina standing in front of her, looking near deadpan as she scratches the ground.

“You too?!?”

“Well, I will admit, Carve pinning you was negatively surprising. But I can definitely understand her anger. So, what did you tell Carve not to ever call you again?”

“That last word before I shoved her off...”

“Oh, uh, LJN? I don’t get it.”

“Eldeyen.”

Correal groans immediately after repeating what I called her.

“It’s Lingo for someone who lies about their virtues,” I finish.

“Oh, I got it. Well, I can see where Carve’s coming from then. So, if you continue to keep up with behavior like that, I suppose you don’t mind us telling Thorax about what you told us yesterday, or better yet, about the wake up call.”

“No, Areola! You can’t disturb him just as he’s getting re-”

“That’s it. We’re telling Thorax.”

Carina trots past me, prompting me to follow her to the top level of the hive.

“NO!!! Areola! Carve! You can’t do this!

“Yes we can, Correal!” Carina shouts, looking back briefly. “Carve, you were very right to call her something like that. Thorax was just like any other changeling in form at one point, so that doesn’t excuse how we can get a wake up call the moment we wake up while Thorax has to get ready for the day before getting one.”

“Well, maybe we could just tell Thorax about our wake up call when he is ready for the day.”

“Well, I told Correal we’d be telling Thorax what she told us about the hive. Shouldn’t we be true to our word?”

“Cervix may be hard to get along with, but at least she doesn’t have two simultaneous views. That’s why we can tell him about our wake up call.”

“And tell him that his changelings act worse than Chryaslis’? A little far-fetched; don’t you think?”

Carina?

A voice makes us stop and turn around, Carina turning around three times.

“I-is somebody there?”

“D-don’t you mean someone, Carina?”

And where we look after turning around, there emerges a large changeling, about the size of Queen Chrysalis. He has two antlers, three gems on his neck, and huge wings for the unusual features. His large primary coat is a bright field yellow with a sunset purple secondary coat on his torso, his eyes also said shade of purple. Carina gasps.

“You’re the source of that voice? Phew. For a second there, I thought my mind was playing games on me. I can still remember being brought home by a changeling that had a voice just like that.”

“Huh? Carina, you’re saying you don’t recognize me? But I did that. I did bring you home.”

“Thorax?”

The changeling sighs.

“Yep. That’s me.”

“Yeah, for a second there, I thought you were somebody else.”

Thorax shakes his head.

“Nope. This is the real deal. Not to snoop, but what were you talking about? I heard Chrysalis’ name and I thought I’d find out what exactly it was that you two were up to.”

“Well, Carina and I were actually talking about a wake up call we got from Correal this morning.”

Carina chuckles and sighs.

“Yeah, we were not very happy campers about that. Not at all.”

“I imagine so.”

“Correal even told us not to tell for the same reason that me and Carina’s day started out so rough.”

Thorax takes a moment to think, then sighs.

“Okay, girls. I’ll go talk to Correal about this whole wake up call. Does that sound good?”

“Yes. Thanks, Thorax. Carina and I would appreciate that.”

And with that, Thorax walks off.

;=;

After seeing Carina and Carve, I decide to walk about the entirety of the hive. As I look, I try, and fail, to find some clues to where Correal is. But after about ten minutes of walking, I finally find her.

“Oh, hi, King Thorax!”

“Hi, Correal.”

“So, what’s going on today?”

“Well, not much. I finished my morning routine, which was before I heard a nearby conversation.”

“Really? What was it about?”

“To my knowledge, the two changelings were victims of a wake up call.”

“Who were they?”

“Carina and Carve.”

“Hey, I saw one of the- ohhhhh... those two. Don’t you me-”

“I know what you’re thinking. Areola, not Carina. But don’t forget that that era for Carina is completely erased from her memory.”

“So, where are you going with this?”

“Correal, were you the source of their wake up call?”

“Well, uh, yes.”

“Alright. Just be careful not to do it again. Changelings wake up at different times and some of them may wake up later than you, so try to be courteous of those changelings that wake up the latest when you’re first out and about. Are we clear?”

Correal nods at me.

“Good. Now, if you need me, I’ll be all around the hive.”

“Okay, uh, bye...”

I look back, seeing Correal wave goodbye. I wave back before I finally continue onward.

Comments

[Bluecatcinema]

The plot is thickening by the chapter. Keep it up.

[AizakkuHorooee]

8223463
I really liked the way Chapter 13 came out.

[Bluecatcinema]

8223477 It was pretty good. And funny how Aita was annoyed at all the chanting.

[AizakkuHorooee]

8223484
I especially like the end of the chapter.

[Bluecatcinema]

8223493 It was a sweet way to end things.