For a second, the great eyeball flashes green, then it fades.
[Still not able to keep up with your brainpower, but I’m getting better.]
It’s true, though it doesn’t hurt to try and deflect the covetous orb every now and again. I’ve never really discussed his envious nature with him, but it does seem to be a little inconvenient. He seems caught in a state of perpetual want for things he sees others have. Can’t exactly be a very satisfying way to live… Maybe that’s just part of being a demon from the third stratum? I don’t know. I just want the little dude to be happy.
Now fully awake, I try to skitter left and right a little, just getting used to my new body. This room sure does feel more cramped than it did before. Like, I know I’ve grown larger, but I didn’t think it was going to be by this much. I really did pour a ridiculous amount of energy into my stats in this evolution, both the mental and the physical. I can’t wait to see how it feels to fight in this new body.
There’s no rushing the proper process, though. Back to basics!
I hum a little song to myself while rapidly shifting my legs, dodging left and right as I avoid attacks from imagined enemies. Every now and again, I snap my mandibles with a satisfying CRUNCH! I can really feel the added power from the increased musculature in my head. Which means my head is bigger than before, yet again. I really don’t want to end up as one of those big-headed ants. They just look… unbalanced.
I can say from experience that it takes a little while to grow accustomed to a new body, and although the change isn’t as ridiculous as going from human to ant, it still takes a bit of time to get my sense of balance back. The changes to my mental prowess are probably going to be the hardest to get used to, since the greatest change took place there. I can’t wait to start throwing some spells around to see what I can do with all this firepower I’m packing. Going to have to get out into the nest and see what’s going on, then make my way into the Dungeon to smack some monsters around. I can’t wait! There’s a fair whack of Biomass lying about, possibly a snack left by the Colony? I’ve got a lot of mutating to do, so I gladly tuck in and stuff myself full.
Feeling more in control of myself, I step into the tunnel and pause when I spot a little worker passing by. She makes way for my bulk as she heads up the tunnel wall to squeeze through, and I weave a quick message to her with my antennae.
Thank you, nameless one. Rest well.
I almost don’t notice when she freezes for a second before sprinting down the corridor and out of sight. Ignoring her reaction, I make my way through the tunnels, clacking my mandibles in irritation when I find a few paths I can no longer use due to my increased size. Is this how irritating it is to be the Queen? What a pain!
Eventually, I find my way. It wasn’t far, but getting onto the correct tunnels was more difficult than it should be. Soon enough, Crinis, Invidia, and I find ourselves in one of the greatest places in Pangera: the brood chambers!
And I spot some grubs that need a tickle!
32. Mother’s Love
Eager to begin my tickling spree, I rush into the chambers only to pull up when I notice someone rather unexpected in the room. I spin together a Mind Construct, marvelling at how powerful my mind feels handling the Mana.
[Hey there, Sarah! How’s things?]
The giant bear is sitting in the centre of the chamber, grubs and Brood Tenders swarming around her as she rolls the larvae around with her big paws.
[Oh, hey, Anthony,] she says. [You look different. Did you evolve?]
Although the polite tone is still there, there’s a certain listless quality to her, a sort of lifelessness that wasn’t there before. I’d heard all about the battle that had been fought here in the brood chambers, how Sarah fought to the brink of death fending off the golgari, and how she’d turned on the Queen in her blind rage. I wish I’d gotten a chance to speak to her before the evolution, but there was never enough time, the pressure to reach the next tier was high and I felt like it needed to be done as fast as possible. Right now, though, I’m not about to let this chance slip past.
[Sure did! You’ve certainly made yourself at home,] I say, indicating the gleeful grubs wiggling around her furry form. [The Brood Tenders were happy to let you in here?]
The massive bear manages to almost look shy. Almost. She fails in the end—she just looks too scary.
[It was… the Queen’s idea. She thought it would be relaxing, and it is.]
She scritches a grub with the tip of a claw and the little thing shivers with delight.
[Of course it is,] I say, rather indignantly. [Brood tickling is the greatest pastime there is!]
And I may as well get to it. Nobody said I couldn’t tickle and talk at the same time. I bustle into the chamber, which is quite crowded, now housing two tier six creatures alongside the usual inhabitants, but it’s more cosy rather than crowded, and I happily settle down, my antennae already extended to start rolling the grubs around.
[I never got the chance to thank you properly,] I say, tormenting my first victim with an initial salvo of tickles. [You went way above what any of us could have asked of you, and you didn’t have to. Without you, thousands more members of my family would have died. Thank you.]
The great bear shifts uncomfortably.
[I’m not even sure if I was fighting to save your family or just because I wanted revenge on the golgari. Or… perhaps I just… just wanted to fight. The rage is addictive… It wasn’t easy to turn my back on it the first time. I thought I’d be free of it once I escaped the Cult and their plans, but I threw myself into it the moment I had the chance.]
She grows still, her paws coming to rest on the ground at her side. Haha! That means more grubs for me!
[From my perspective, it’s so much simpler than that. You helped us, and we’re all grateful for that help. In the process, you managed to give the golgari a whack on the nose, what’s not to like?]
She rolls her massive shoulder blades and goes to speak but I cut her off before she can get started.
[I know that you lost control at the end.]
The hulking monster that Sarah has become seems to fold up on herself at my words. I can practically smell the shame coming off her. It actually makes me a little mad.
[But nothing happened in the end. Nothing. Happened. You fought off the enemy and the Queen was able to calm you down. There isn’t a single ant in the Colony who holds it against you, not after what you did and what mother said. Like it or not, you’re part of this family now.]
[…Is that really true?] she asks, her mind full of doubt. [I’m not an ant. And when I think that the Queen nearly died because of me…]
She trails off and I can see that her mental scars go deep, not just due to this incident, but everything that had gone on in her life. This life as well as the previous. It wasn’t my place to try and talk to her about her past, but there was something that I could assure her of.
[Look around you,] I invite her.
A little confused, she raises her huge snout and takes a look around the chamber.
[Where do you think you are?]
[…In a brood chamber?] she replies, confused.
[EXACTLY. You think we let just anyone in here? This is the brood we’re talking about! Every single ant in the Colony would throw down their life in order to preserve the future generations. If you weren’t family, do you really think that we would let you in here? Would these Tenders tolerate your presence if it weren’t the case? They barely put up with me being in here! Me!]