The hive was as busy as ever, for the Vescarid cared not whether it was night or day, their world was the hive and there was always a new chamber that needed to be carved, food to be harvested, or eggs to tend to. The faint hum of the Vescora's pulse a comforting rhythm underneath the rustling of busy workers atop her surface. Darian leaned against the smooth, fleshy wall of his chamber and listened to her, felt her embrace, he still hadn't found time to try and reach out to the Vescora. His claws idly traced patterns against her, his mind far from the confines of the hive.
The surface.
He couldn't shake the thought of it. As the damp, dark, winding tunnels of the hive beckoned to his Vescarid side, the wide open expanse, the endless horizon of the surface beckoned to his humanity. He was beginning to understand why Fayne had suffered so greatly during her time in his care.
"You still desire to leave?" Caretaker's words a muffled echo against Darian's mind as its hulking form came into view.
Darian turned, his purple eyes piercing the dark. "The hive is thriving, we have met no further resistance from the humans, and even if they tried, we have nearly tripled our numbers since the last attack. The surface offers opportunity and knowledge. It's time I saw it for myself, even if only in brief glimpses."
Caretaker stepped forward, sharing the chamber with Darian, its eyes dull with quiet disapproval. "We have discussed the danger. The surface belongs to the humans for now. If you wait, we can take the surface for ourselves, and nothing will be off-limits.
"Then give me your blessing to explore now, in the dead of night, when the humans are cowering in their homes." Darian knew he could simply leave and they would have no choice but to let him go, but he wanted to convince Caretaker that this was a good thing.
"There is no reprieve at night. Still, some humanoid races roam the surface at night, as do creatures that exceed the hive's combat abilities. It is a time when the strong hunt the strong."
"Then let us compromise" Darian replied exacerbated. "I will stay near the hive, only explore the surroundings that our prowlers have previously deemed safe. We can discuss a new arrangement later."
Caretaker remained silent for a moment, its form seeming to deflate slightly in resignation. "If you must go, you will not go alone. A full contingent of guards will accompany you: a pack of Razormaw, two Hunters, and four Prowlers. No less."
Darian clenched his claws into fists in irritation, "You of all of us should not underestimate our kind. The humans rarely move at night; it's when they're at their weakest. And if the stronger creatures show themselves? All the better. I'll see what we may one day have to contend with."
Caretaker adjusted his request, "They do not need to be near you, just let them secure the perimeter and warn you if humans are near. You may still hunt and explore, but let them be your eyes."
Darian tilted his head, considering. After several deep breaths, he replied, "Agreed. Nothing will go wrong, I will be safe. This is a test run, there is nothing to worry about."
Caretaker's mandibles clicked softly, a sound that could have been approval, or dread. "I will prepare the guards. You may leave when the moon is high."
Darian nodded, unable to hide the excitement that glittered in his eyes.
As he made his way toward the brood-mothers' chamber to observe the latest clutch, he felt a strange mix of anticipation and unease. Tonight, he would step beyond the confines of the hive, into a world that he feared would one day destroy him, or be destroyed.
As Darian took his first step off the Vescora he felt it shudder when they parted, a sad and lonesome feeling washed over his body. Despite the entourage he was requested to take with him, for the first time since he hatched, he felt disconnected, and this caused him a great deal of distress. However, as if taking this burden off of his shoulders, his human side thrilled in the excitement, the cool, crisp air of the late night–or perhaps early morning–pushed back these ominous feelings. Darian felt the vastness of the world around him, not from within the consciousness of his children, but from his own point of view.
The stars stretched endlessly above, like… He didn't know what it was like, it was a unique marvel, unlike anything he had experienced in this life. He longed to turn around, to face his hive again and not leave it behind. Something told him that they were not safe without him, and yet he knew that Caretaker, Lilithar and Nyxalith would be more than capable of managing the hive's affairs for a few short hours.
Behind him, the Razormaw pack lingered, unaccustomed to standing still, growing impatient but unable to take action without command. In the trees, the Hunters perched high on branches, their long spindly legs and light petite form allowing them to maneuver from one tree to another with ease. Should the branches be too far apart, he knew they were graceful enough to leap to another tree on a moment's notice. The Prowlers were invisible to all but Darian, their camouflage perfect, as they slipped between foliage and stone, taking their places, waiting in ambush. The Razormaw looked on with what must have been envy, as Darian commanded the others and left them without purpose. .
Darian picked up on this feeling, snaking its way up the psychic connection between him and all of his children.
"Stay close but unseen," Darian commanded. "I'm no hatchling, I just need to be warned of any significant threat." As was always the case, the words meant little to nothing to the Vescarid, but his intentions were crystal clear and they obeyed.
Kicking up dirt and debris, the Razormaw threw themselves into a mad dash as they tore through the woods in perfect coordination, making their rounds and scouting the perimeter to keep their master safe.
Darian stepped into the open, his claws sinking slightly into the cold damp earth. The forest was alive in a way the hive could never replicate. Every rustle of leaves, every chirp of insects, and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures all acted in accordance with the natural laws. They did not bow before another, the leaves were not directed down a specific path through some grand plan. It all simply existed in its own way, wandering its own path, and there was beauty in that.
The first hour of exploration was pure exhilaration. He wandered through the trees, marveling at the way the moon cascaded light through the canopy, illuminating his path but also draping so much of it in shadows. The forest floor was uneven, dotted with roots and rocks, nothing like the soft even form of Vescora. But as the hours wore on, Darian began to notice... something.
At first, it was subtle, a faint buzzing at the edge of his consciousness, like the mental equivalent of a mosquito's wings brushing against his mind. He paused, glancing around the clearing he'd entered, but there was nothing. Well, nothing that explained this feeling in his mind. The sensation passed, and Darian continued.
It happened again as he reached a shallow stream, He wanted to admire the way the moon and stars reflected in the gentle glow of water, but this sensation was relentless. This time, the feeling was similar in ways, but stronger, it was different. He thought he saw something, but it was a flicker at the edge of his thoughts, like seeing something out of the corner of his eye that vanished the moment he turned. He growled softly, frustration slowing overtaking wonder.
What are you, where are you? What is going on?!
The Razormaw closest to him perked up, sensing his unease. One let out a soft growl, glancing around as if trying to detect the source of his discomfort. Darian waved it off. "It's nothing," he said, though he knew some part of him was issuing a warning, one that set him on alert as his senses focused on every stir in the forest around him.
The feelings came more frequently as the night deepened. They were fleeting, but each time they lingered just a little longer, a little sharper. It reminded him of the Vescora, but they had never connected quite in this way. It was as though something was whispering to him in an alien language.
By the time the first hints of dawn spilled from behind the mountains on the horizon, the sensations had grown unbearable. Darian's claws dug into a nearby tree, ripping a fist-full of wood as easily as one would pick up sand "Enough!" he shouted aloud, his mandibles extending and twitching in violent annoyance. "I'm going back." he said much quieter as he shifted to return to the hive.
The guards around him stirred, the Razormaw gathering closer while the Hunters leaped down from the trees to keep pace on foot, and the Prowlers emerged from their camouflaged positions, falling into close formation. Together, they began the journey back to the hive.
The forest felt different now. As the sun's golden light replaced the moon's soothing glow through the canopy, slowly forcing the shadows back and revealing a world no longer cloaked in mystery. The sounds of the nocturnal life faded, replaced by the chirping of birds greeting the day. But Darian's unease only grew.
The buzzing in his mind sharpened into a persistent itch, a sense of wrongness that made him quicken his pace. As he placed his feet back onto the comforting embrace of the Vescora, a voice rang through his thoughts.
"Help"
Darian broke into a sprint as he dove into his hive-sense, bouncing between dozens of his loyal troops, seeing nothing, but sensing great tension. It was then that he found himself staring through the eyes of a Mireguard who moved to allow one of his drones through from the chambers of Lilithar and Nyxalith. In the edge of his vision, he watched as a singular mushroom snapped and fell to Vescora for no conceivable reason. He swiped the claw of the Mireguard through the air and made contact with an unseen intruder.
"INTRUDER! DEFEND THE HIVE!" he bellowed through his mind, reaching out to every Vescarid in his colony.
The hive roared with fury, Darian's psychic scream rippled through every Vescarid connected to its mind. The Mireguards, stationed like the statue Caretaker once resembled, now stirred to life as their master commanded them. Deep within the hive, the few Razormaw who were stationed underground had dropped their meals and howled much like their genetic donors would; their calls echoing through the tunnels as they leaped into action, their claws digging in but not harming the malleable fleshy ground as they surged toward the source of the disturbance.
Darian ran across the Vescora, closing in on the cave, the constant tiny voice calling out "help, help, help," over and over again, pushing him faster with each step. His entourage kept pace, Razormaw reducing their speed, Hunters and Prowlers increasing as they refused to leave their master, even for the sake of the hive. Their orders were clear and they would not be disobeyed.
The Mireguards at the mouth of the hive had the intruder blocked, or so they thought. Darian could see through their eyes as the air shimmered and bent in erratic patterns, nearly impossible to follow let alone take down. The Mireguards' mandibles snapped with precision, but their target was fast, too fast to be a human. Each of the invader's footfalls painted a picture of their location for the hive, but as quickly as it flashed into existence, it was gone, in an entirely different direction.
A pack of Razormaw surged forward, unable to surround the intruder within the tight confines of the tunnels. As fast as they were, they could not reach full speed without knowing where their enemy was. Their claws tore into the ground as they tried to predict his movements. But each time they lunged, he wasn't there.
"He can't keep this up," Darian muttered to himself. "If we can keep this thing contained, it will only be a matter of time before it is captured or killed".
The enemy was nearing the mouth of the hive, Darian knew the route being taken and issued the exterior Mireguards to respond, their massive forms moving to seal the exit entirely. The Razormaw were the only ones still in hot pursuit as both they and the intruder severely outpaced the other Vescarid.
Darian slowed his pace as he approached the hive's entrance. Through the eyes of his children, he saw the moment the scout faltered. One Mireguard's massive claw swung wide, smashing into the wall and narrowly missing the target. Another swiped low, tearing into the Vescora as the invisible form leaped forward, and for that instant, the hive was completely blind to its location.
By chance or misfortune, the intruder grazed one of the Mireguards with its hand as it threaded itself through the gap like a need. That simple touch triggered an instinctual response, causing the Mireguard to twist its head and snap its mandibles around part of the intruder's leg severing it at the knee.
Darian darted forward as the scout tumbled out of the hive's entrance, landing on the Vescora with a cry of pain. Blood spilled across the fleshy surface, and the Vescora began absorbing, drinking it in as if savoring the taste, relishing in the vengeance.
The scout clawed at the ground, his movements desperate as he reached for something in his pocket, but Darian was already on him.
In a blur of motion, his claws flashed, severing the scout's wrist before the teleport crystal could be crushed. Darian knew what he held, he remembered that day that Fayne saved those humans and he would not see another invader escape on their own terms. The crystal fell to the ground, spinning on the Vescora's surface.
The scout screamed, but Darian silenced him with a single, clawed hand clamping around his throat. The Vescarid King loomed over him, the morning sun casting a shadow across the bleeding human. His purple eyes burned with rage as he leaned in close.
"Why are you here?"