After taming the Ant Scourge Queen, Nox ordered Fluffington and Thirteen to harvest the beast cores. He warned them not to eat the cores, as they needed to submit them as proof of participation in the competition.
Thirteen bobbed its head seriously. Even Fluffington understood; knowing they were far from home in unfamiliar territory, he decided to stop being haughty and listen to Nox's orders.
'This is new,' Nox thought as he watched Fluffington and Thirteen start retrieving the cores from the ant carcasses. Then his face contorted in discomfort as he watched the brutal methods his two pets used to retrieve the cores.
He instinctively glanced at the Ant Queen standing beside him. She seemed stoic and unaffected by the sight of the beasts digging their claws into the ants to retrieve the cores.
"I hope you don't mind," Nox said with a bitter smile.
