Formicea

 

-Farrah-

Maybe this was a bit rash.
This nurse right now brings me over to this giant pillar in the middle of this stupidly large structure.
For a while now, she proceeds to explain the routines one has to follow.
Nothing too difficult I believe.
With some training, everyone could do this.
That might be the point.
All of these nurses do this, so it can't be too difficult or some would eventually mess up.
Still, I listen carefully while I follow her.

First, I had no idea how we would get to this pillar, but then there was a bridge.
The fact that it has no railings while the abyss goes for an eternity down to the ground troubles me a bit, yet at the same time it is rather wide, so I can walk in the middle.
However, the other point would be that I don't know what kind of material supports it.
It's unlikely, but it could break any moment.

Before we enter, four of these really big insects, with those bladed hands and large tails stop us.
Welu, the nurse, says something insectoid and they promptly give way.
Seems like I am fine to enter.
And they truly don't look as if they would let anyone inside this place.

I directly notice how much more frequent nurses are here.
Each one looks like she's busy.
I get some glances, but no one seems to mind my presence.
Quite a contrast to the human town, where one insect can cause a mass-panic.
I follow Welu some floors down and at one point we stop.

 

"We have arrieveed!" (W)

 

Not a pleasant voice, but not so bad that I would need to cover my ears. Liseti can be hard to bear.

 

"What is here?" (F)

"Your assiegned station. Youu wiell work heere." (W)

"Ehm, what exactly shall I do here?" (F)

"Simple! You wiell look for the larvae. Theese are alrEady at the second stage, so they wiell be more resilient, yet not able to harm you. This makes them the perfEct starting subjects." (W)

 

Right now I see them for the first time.
Alone in this room are hundreds of tubs and looking into the one closest to me I find a tiny creature.
They are between white and slowly getting a bronze color.
Most look rather frail and give not the slightest impression of the later, really intimidating, adult forms.
To think that they will grow so much.

Yet it reminds me of Erys when she was a baby and then grew up.
It's just a little sad to think that no one gives them any personal care.
Seems rather loveless to me.

 

"And what shall I do in specific? Surely not just look." (F)

"You wiell look for their alcoves! Make zure that all of them are alwayz filled with the nutrietional liquid." (W)

"Nutritional liquid?" (F)

"Thee nurses produce iet by throwing up mycelium harvezt mixed wieth water. Inside their stomachs, iet becomes a nutrietional white liquid. This is the perfect supplement for thee brood. They're submerged inside and get nurtured like thies until they evolve to theeir nExt form." (W)

 

Well, that was certainly nothing I wished to hear.
And I don't think I can replicate this.
Also...

 

"Won't they drown?" (E)

"Doez human brood? They have no neeed for air supply at thiez stage. The liquid is stored in a cEntral container, in case a nurse has no reserves to perform the act. We will go theere next! Yuu will take an earthen vessel, fill it, and head back." (W)

 

She points at them.
Some kind of convex plate.
In fact, these things are the only object I have ever seen one of these insects carry.
They are clearly made of some kind of earth or stone, which got scraped in the middle, so it can keep the fluid inside.

 

"Anything else?" (F)

"Yuuu wiell also inspect the alcoves for their contEnts. If the liequid is yEllow or even brown, yuu grab the larva and brieng it over to another filled alcove with suitable contEnt. Yuu can also recognize iet through thee smell! Then yuu empty thee alcove with a vessel and bring iet to thee respective container, Ie wiell show yuu. Theen you fiill some fresh liquid insiede!" (W)

 

Sounds fairly easy.
Aside from the fact that her voice is difficult to understand.
The work seems a bit unusual, but doable.
It's a bit like changing their wraps.
Just that foregoing this would be a far more irresponsible act.
A problem might be that it is not very bright in this cave.
I guess the amount of light stones is enough to see the color, but I'll have to watch closely.

 

"Ie am sure yuu are aware of thee importance of your assignment. Ief you're neglectful they mieght die. Thiez would bee a great harm." (W)

"Sure! As if I could let babies die." (E)

"Ie thought so. Epeeciallye theeze." (W)

"These? What is with them?" (F)

"Thiz brood all originated from prienzess Erys. Iet was specificallye arranged like thiez." (W)

 

A shiver runs down my spine.
I'm basically am responsible for my daughter's children.
And they are all insects!
This is too crazy.
Nonetheless, I start to work.

I want to show some effort here.
While I am sure I wouldn't have to, it doesn't sit well with me to just subsist on the cost of others.
Like this, I can feel like I earn myself the right to be here.
I follow Welu and copy her actions.
It's not so nice to empty the vessels per hand, but after we brought them to the drainage one regular step is hand washing.
They seem to value sanitation at this place.
Yet touching the "clean" liquid is not that much better for me.
The first time touching one of these larvae is a strange sensation and it might be that I am at a disadvantage with fewer arms than the common nurse has.

Welu isn't saying anything negative about my efforts but corrects me when I make a mistake.

 

"Thank you for your help. I know it might be hard to train me in addition." (F)

"Not a probleem! Yuu do rather well. Iet miegth even be better ief they can bond lieke thies. Theey mieght have freequent contact to humanz ien thee future." (W)

 

Knowing Erys this might be true.
I hope they will have some good experiences with humans before other people show them different.
I have seen how fearful they are.

Yet these nurses take no offense.
After some time it seems that Welu doesn't think she has to look over my shoulder anymore and I find myself alone doing this job.
Well, alone with the babies.
And a little bit later some other nurses come.
I get short glances, but none of them is distracted for a longer period.

One suddenly comes over while I have a larva in my arms.
She takes it away from me.
Not forceful, but slow and careful, like you should treat babies.

 

"Scriek!" (nurse)

"Ehm, sorry. I can't understand." (F)

 

At first, I thought she just didn't want me to hold it, but she stays in front of me.
She seems to ponder something.
Then she points with her free arms around.

I realize what she means.
She wanted to show me that my technique was wrong.
She supports the larvae differently than I did.
Careful not to clamp the legs and to put not too much pressure on any body parts.
Like this, she meticulously demonstrates to me the right way of holding them.
Then she gives it back to me while directly correcting my posture until she's satisfied with the form.

After this, she proceeds with performing a technique different from mine for emptying this vessel.
Hers makes sure not to scrape the tub itself.
Otherwise earth and concrete might mix with the liquid as she points out with gestures.
If I could just understand her.
But this visualizing is already very helpful.
It might be that I made a friend here.

She stays for the rest of the time close by my side and after some hours I see Welu again.
I wave at her, but she tends to the nurse beside me.
They exchange some creaks and after that, I get addressed.

 

"Iet seeemz yuu diid welll." (W)

"I had some help. She was very supportive." (F)

"Keeera iz a senior! Iet iz her duty to guide thee inexperienced. Yet thiez shows that yuu are accepted." (W)

 

Nice to hear.
I was a little worried that they might look down on me.
But aside from touching weird stuff, the work wasn't very hard and not too bad.
I think I can manage to do something like this.

We even get meals here.
Just some mushrooms and water, but I cannot complain.
The mushrooms are sweet and the water is clean.
It seems they don't want to overburden me, so after six hours I'm done.
Welu guides me back home to Erys and this was it.
When I pass the bridge this place directly looks less intimidating.
I mean everyone was rather welcoming.

I think we might be able to settle in.

 

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"Screak!/What is this?" (?)