The air was thick with an unnatural stillness as Fayne trudged through the forest. Each step crunched through brittle undergrowth, her eyes scanning for any sign of the Vescarids that had once swarmed this area. The absence of activity was unsettling. No drones skittered among the roots, no prowlers darted through the shadows. She would have thought that things had gone back to normal, except for the strange lack of wildlife. The thought left her uneasy as she contemplated how Darian may have been able to improve the stealth of his minions, perhaps they were all around her but she simply had no idea. Her mind went deeper down the rabbit hole, envisioning his swarm eradicating all life in the area, maybe it was hunted to extinction, and if so, wouldn't that mean that the village was next on the chopping block?
This isn't right, she thought, her grip tightening on her staff.
As Fayne approached the edge of the forest and the beginning of the hive's territory, she saw the familiar fleshy expanse of the Vescora spreading across the ground like a blight.
The Vescora, or what she called "Gross spongy stuff," had expanded significantly, nearly reaching the tree line now, leaving the earth leading up to it a sickening blood red. It was unnerving, but she had no idea what to think about this turn of events. Instead of the usual hum of activity, there was only silence. Then, the ground rumbled.Massive figures emerged from the hive's entrance, their hulking forms glistening with strange patterns that pulsed in tandem with the Vescora and matched in color. Two Mireguards, their immense bodies covered in jagged, segmented armor, moved to block her path. Their heavy spiked limbs appeared delicate when in contact with the fleshy floor as they stood sentinel.Fayne froze, her heart pounding in her chest. These creatures were new, unlike anything she had encountered before. Their size and presence suggested a force far larger than what she could see. Yet, despite their intimidating appearance, the Mireguards made no move to attack her. Instead, they loomed, their eyes fixed on her every movement."
I need to speak to your master," she called out, her voice wavering but resolute. "I know you can hear me!"The Mireguards remained silent, their forms motionless except for the slow rise and fall of their breaths. Fayne took a tentative step forward, only to halt as both creatures shifted slightly, blocking her advance, more a warning than a threat.
"Please!" she pleaded, frustration creeping into her voice. "I just want to talk. No harm, no fighting."Minutes passed, the silence stretching unbearably before she finally felt a presence; a subtle, crawling sensation in the back of her mind. Then, he emerged.
Darian stepped forward from the shadows of the hive, his regal yet monstrous form glinting faintly in the dim light. His chitinous armor was newly repaired, though the scars of the previous battle were still evident in the cracked plating and dulled glow of his body."You return," Darian said, his voice resonating both aloud and within her mind. His tone was measured and cautious.
"Why?" Fayne straightened, trying to summon the courage needed to speak with him again, she had rehearsed over and over for this moment. "Your Majesty," she began, forcing herself to meet his eyes. "Something terrible has happened. My people are unable to return." Her voice caught in her throat, she wasn't sure how to proceed so she continued to plead, "They are good people, though their intentions were wrong, and I need your help to free them."
Darian's head tilted slightly, a gesture that might have been curiosity—or dismissal. "They came here. They spilled blood. They are… compensation."
"What do you gain from keeping them like this?"He was silent for a long moment before answering. "They are sustenance. They fuel the hive. With humans gone, the hive has a chance to thrive"Fayne's breath caught. "You're feeding off them?"
"Yes," Darian said slowly, the word laced with indifference. "Their bodies sustain the Vescora. Their souls… linger. They cannot be rebirthed while they remain within my domain."She clenched her fists, anger simmering beneath her fear. "Then let them go. Release them."Darian's eyes narrowed. "Let my hive starve? Let the humans attack again?"
Fayne took a step forward, desperation breaking through her anger. "There has to be another way! I'll bring you what you need, whatever it takes. Just don't let them stay trapped like this."Darian studied her, the weight of his gaze almost unbearable. Finally, he spoke. "To release them… an equivalent exchange. One thousand times their weight in meat. Humans have taken much, the hive must recover. Creating a brood takes much energy. Do you accept?"
Fayne faltered. "One… Thousand?! That's... an impossible amount." she shot back, holding back the urge to vomit upon hearing the sheer quantity of mass this thing requested. He no longer held the humanity she may have previously seen. He was clearly a monster and a terrible one at that."
Then they remain and we will find our own meat, wherever it may be," Darian said, his tone final, his statement threatening. There was meat nearby, a lot of it, but Fayne would not appreciate this alternative.Her mind raced. She couldn't let this be the end. "I'll find a way," she said, her voice shaking but firm. "I'll get you what you need."
Darian regarded her for another long moment before inclining his head. "Bring it here. The hive will endure... The hive will feast."As Darian turned to retreat into the shadows, Fayne's heart sank. One thousand times the mass of twenty players. What could that even be? Fifty tons, one hundred tons? Regardless, she would return the players. This was the only way she could assist them. They were stupid, they were naive, but they didn't deserve to die. After all, they thought this was only a game, and she couldn't let them suffer for this, and when it was all said and done, they might actually believe her.
Fayne returned to Ashvale under the dim glow of the setting sun, she couldn't stop running through the numbers. She cycled through what this area had to offer: Giant rats, wolves, boars, bears, probably goblins, maybe bats, and whatever else comes out at night. Bears would be the quickest way to power through to the goal, but they didn't exactly roam around in groups. A pack of wolves would add a decent amount, again though, they have territories and a single group wouldn't make a huge impact. As much as she hated the thought, even though they were bits of code, they were still humanoid, and could she be responsible for genociding an entire goblin village? It would be dangerous, but it would bring in a lot of meat. The thought was disturbing, to say the least, but figuring out the first step needed to take priority.Marching down the cobblestone streets, she kept an eye out for her friend, trying to steady her thoughts and calm her heart. The bug king didn't give her a deadline, but she was already working with one. Some of these players could have already spent a long time in-game and she might only be working with an in-game day or two before their lives were seriously at risk, or maybe that would already be too late?
The sound of her hurried steps echoed in the quieting town as NPCs closed their stalls and adventurers mingled at taverns. At the center of the square, she found RangerDanger sitting on a fountain's edge, idly sharpening an arrow, his face etched with concern.
"You're back," he said, standing abruptly when he spotted her."I spoke with him," Fayne began, her friend in front of her, she couldn't afford to be long-winded. "He'll release them, but there's a catch."
Ranger's eyes narrowed. "What kind of catch?"Fayne sighed, her shoulders slumping. "He wants meat—enough to make up for the loss his hive suffered. One thousand times the amount for each player he's holding."
Ranger swore under his breath, running a hand through his hair. "That's… a lot of meat. You're talking weeks, maybe a month of constant hunting!""It's our only option," Fayne replied firmly. "We can't just leave them trapped."Ranger nodded slowly, his expression grim. "Alright. Let's gather a group. We'll need more than just us if we're going to pull this off."
"If we're going to do this, you need rest. Log out and send me the info you received. I know I should have messaged you earlier, but this really threw me off. When I see are safely offline, I'll get started." her tone was resolute as she didn't want him to get wrapped up any further, in his current state.
"But Fayne, this is..." he was interrupted almost immediately."This is the safest part of what I have to do. I will be safe until you get back. You promised me Ryan, don't go back on that," part of her felt that he would ignore everything and leap right into the new tasks, but even in this fantasy world, he looked like he was going to pass out at any moment.Ryan sighed, adjusting his bow on his shoulder. "Okay, I'll log out... but who's going to want to risk their neck for something like this? That hive scares people, Fayne. Nobody's lining up to dive into that mess, let alone feed the damn creatures.
"Fayne stopped abruptly, turning to face him. "Then we'll give them a reason. I have plenty of money, I'm sure I could--"
Ranger cut off her, "You're going to pay them for virtual meat? But isn't that... I mean didn't it belong..." he didn't know how to finish his sentence and understood the delicate nature of the topic.
"They are gone Ryan, and it's more than I ever will need. I think Mom would be proud to know that I was using it to save lives," her voice was shakey but persistent. She stared at Ranger, fire returning to her core as she pushed away the memories, "Now go," she said, rushing forward to hug him.
"Be safe," he replied, "I'll be back soon" were his final words before logging out. It wasn't long before she received the message she was waiting for.
RangerDanger 21:32: Heading to bed shortly. Managed to track down the poor bastard that escaped that raid I told you about. Also had a... chat with the tiefling sorceress Zaelith. Here's what I have so far: Didn't get the name of the guy, but he was really shaken up. Said there were reports of them being watched long before they made it to the hive. They thought they had the jump on the bugs, but several of his teammates were cut down in ambushes. They worked in four teams of standard five-player groups. Everything about that boss is like we saw except a few key differences. He used magic this time! He started casting spells, blasting fire that were hot enough to melt steel.
Anyway, this player was able to witness him go down at the end. He wasn't dead, but he went down. He said they had it in the bag, but just as Dravok, the err... Dragonkin guy you met. Just as he was going to deal the final blow, that statue we saw shattered open like how the big bad bug did in our first meeting, and that thing is apparently a massive monster as tough as it is deadly. Killed pretty much everyone left on its own. Dravok defended them as they fled, but those ranged bugs took down his friend and dragged one of the guys back into the cave while this guy managed to make it to the tree line and escape.Oh, one more thing, he said he missed most of it, but I guess there were traps set up all throughout the entrance that took out their fair share of players themselves. This... Darian, or whatever you call him, was pretty well prepared in a very short time.
As for Zaelith, she wasn't much help. I couldn't get much of any info out of her and she was in no mood to talk. Last time I met her, she was a bit of a pain, but something happened to her in there and I didn't want to pry too much. She confirmed she was there when the raid happened but the bugs caved in her chamber, some of it piling up on her. She dug her way back into what was left of her room and waited it out until the drones came to clear the way and bring her to the boss. I asked how she got out and she just claimed that he let her leave when the fighting was over. I asked her if she knew that Darian knew magic and she went dead silent. I'm wondering if he tortured her for that info. Though, honestly, the feeling I got from talking to her was that she didn't seem to hate the guy, despite what he did to everyone. She just seemed to want to be done with it all.
TLDR: Hive's a death trap, Darian's a fucking enigma, Zaelith is a pain in the ass, and whatever they were working on before, is likely going to be more aggressively pursued this time around.
I seriously doubt we will be able to take another crack at the nest even if we have thirty or forty people at this point. Just gathering the players would take too long. With the idea you have, once he gets that's food, we're fucked... but I get it, we can't just let them rot away in their pods. We're going to figure this out, Fayne. I'm passing out as I type, so I'll get ahold of you when I get back. Again, please stay safe!