"There is in every one of us, even those who seem to be most moderate, a type of desire that is terrible, wild, and lawless."
― Plato, The Republic
"Daddy!"
Huan scampered through the rain of broken stone, a smile on her face. A familiar power billowed from the craterous explosion, the aura of a dragon. Her feet led her forward, a rush to find its source.
"HUAN!"
An explosive bellow ripped the air. The dust shifted, pulled through the sky by the wings of a dragon. The King rose from a deep crater, his eyes aflame.
"Over here, Daddy!" Huan jumped up and down, hands raised toward her father. "I'm here!"
"What about me..." Jun staggered over, eyes dim. "I'm..."
"SHUT UP," Huan lept on her brother's back. "You'll ruin his entrance!"
The Dragon King angled his wings, a dive that brought him straight to the ground. Taloned feet met compacted rock in a spray of dust and rock. The King strode from the haze, concern on his face. He walked forward, arms wide for an embrace.
"Daughter!" The white-haired king roared. "What have I told you about the labyrinth!"
"I'm sorry..." Huan hung her head, hug eyes filled with tears. "I just wanted to get strong, like you..."
"She's only here because of me, Father," Jun bowed his head. "I wished to gain strength and she followed along."
"You're a fool if you think you can surpass your betters," The King scowled at his son. "You were born as the weakest of our clan," His eyes softened. "You gave your all, it wasn't enough."
"Master Vendak promised..."
"That idiot can't give you any help," The King shook his head. "He knows nothing about cultivation, and..."
"HE'S NOT AN IDIOT!" Huan's fists pounded against the king's chest. "HE'S MY FUTURE HUSBAND, NOW BE NICE!"
"Haaaaa..." The King closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. "Where is the bas... 'Master Ven' now?"
"Husband went to hunt a worm and find the way home!"
Huan's pride overflowed. Her husband would return in triumph, the head of the mighty beast in hand. They would eat a feast of its meat and bathe in its blood!
"I came from the way... wait, what did you say?" The King squinted his eyes. "What about a worm?"
"Master Ven left to hunt the worm that buried the door," Jun offered. "He assumed it swallowed the gateway..."
"Hunt..."
The King's eyes widened into plates. His hands disentangled Huan from his side, his gaze locked on the clouds above. The yellow mass hid them from sight, but the king knew they were there.
"He'd better not..."
"GAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
An explosive cry, filled with rage and fear, collapsed the sky. The clouds fled before it, a great dome that exposed the king's worries. A nearly emptied ring circled the gas giant. The parents of the lesser worms had finished their meal. They closed in the skies, larger than any moon.
"THAT IDIOT!"
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"Not very talkative, are you?"
The swarm of ants held their metaphorical tongue. The hoard carried Ven forward, deeper and deeper into the hive. Smooth, green stone walls, barely lit by thin bands of fluorescent-style lights.
"We are going to the gate, right..."
Ignored, Ven rolled his eyes. He could fight, but their numbers were huge. Not to mention their technology. If they had nukes, or something similar, they might shred this planet. Can't have that... Ven smiled, a Cheshire cat on a bed of insects. This planet called to him, a well-lit signpost in the dark.
This place smells like one giant core.
A core this large would contain unimaginable power. If this thing was an Earth Deity, Ven could feast on a much higher grade power than even the golden fly.
I wonder if the ants will mind if I eat their planet...
The hoard stopped. Ven was deposited on the ground like a sack and the bulk of the ants returned the way they came. Before him stood a huge insect, over three stories high. Surrounded by soldier ants, her vast head filled Ven's vision.
"Greetings, Vendak Soth," A whisper drifted into his mind. "Why do you seek the gateway?"
"Uh... Hello," Ven bowed to the Queen. "I'm just trying to find my way home, that's all."
"You live beyond the gate?" The Queen's voice carried a hint of confusion. "You are strong, but not so strong as that, I think?"
Her antennae waved, a pulse that spread through the air. Ven stepped back, on guard against attacks. Her voice murmured, amused, in his ears.
"We do not seek to harm you... If we did, you would not be here with us." Her antenna curled and a huge, crimson disc floated into sight. "This is the gate we possess, but it leads to a land of fire and demons..." Her large head leaned closer. "Though, you do LOOK like a demon!"
That must be the gate to the third level...
Ven frowned. He found a way deeper, rather than a way out.
"Sorry, that's not the gate I'm looking for," Ven sighed. "Looks like I'll have to head back out and start digging."
"You can leave?" The Queen tilted her head. "We can't understand... the barrier beyond the system is impassable."
"I got in just fine..."
"So did our ancestors, although they did come through the creature's mouth..." The Queen's voice drifted between calm and confused. "Show me how you damaged the walls!"
"Alright, I..." Ven managed to nod his agreement before a tide of ants swooped him up once more. This time it was an ocean, instead of a river, a wave that carried the queen as well.
"It will take a few minutes to reach the system's edge," The Queen said. "What else can we offer in exchange for help escaping this place?"
"Well..." Ven tapped his chin as he relaxed into the current of ants. "I am a bit interested in this planet..."
"The planet... Why?"
"Can't you smell it?" Ven licked the drool from his lips. "This world is like a fresh fillet of meat, fragrant and delicious!"