Formicea

 

Unfortunately, Liseti's district is located far at the top of the hive.
This means in the first place that I have to climb many tunnels leading up, first in the nursery, then over the bridge, and after this climbing more tunnels in the outer layer.
I recall that Liseti said that it would be rather fast to reach her place by flying, but I'm not as stupid to try that.
I have barely any control aside from being able to maintain my pose for a few moments in the air.
And even that is limited.

Trying to fly to cross the distance would surely end with me falling to my demise.
On the other hand, I might as well get caught by all the interceptors lying in wait at their respective stations before I reach the ground.
Not that I want to find out.

Also, Kyska would certainly faint from the shock if I'd try.
Like this, I have only the choice to walk this whole distance on my feet.
All the way up.
That certainly won't be pleasant.

I realize that even if she's supporting me quite much and I spend quite some time with her I never came to visit Liseti's place.
Well, it's fairly impressive.
Like one would expect from a military commander everything looks perfectly in order.
While my courtyard looks a little chaotic as it was built on the fly, with all kinds of facilities strewn around without a clear concept, this here is the complete opposite.
I look at a large plaza, formed as a perfect square.

More interesting is that the ebon ground seems to be stone which had to be carved in this way.
This squared hall surrounds a single building in the middle, also with squared walls but completely coated in this applicant.
From this large hall, there are several tunnels dug into the wall, leading below.

The security is extremely tight, leaving not a single gateway unguarded, while still having continuous patrols on duty.
Interceptors are positioned on the top of the single building, where I suppose Liseti does reside.
There's no doubt that she already knows I'm here.
Presumably long before I even came close to this complex.

While I was never here before it isn't too hard to find my way.
The attending insects, which form a passage with their bodies to the one building in the middle are a good indicator.
Inside the way leads a little down, so that the rooms end up more spacious than one would assume from the outside.
On the other hand, concepts like "outside", "upper" or "lower floor" or even the distribution of rooms are quite meaningless below the earth with all these weird structures as I realize.

At the end of my arranged path, I reach an apparently perfectly circular room.
In the center, Liseti.
She looks as if she's meditating.
But her open eyes are more than enough to confirm that she is totally aware of my presence.

 

<You came to me?> (L)

<Ehk! Creek!/Ehm, yes. I wanted to ask a favor if that's possible.> (E)

<I am to blame for the issue regarding your mother. While I won't even claim to understand your personal feelings on that matter, I am aware that this means a not arguable negative infliction against you. I failed to keep my part of our alliance. Therefore, I am in your debt because of my faults. A favor is your very right to claim.> (L)

 

It's a little weird that Liseti acts like a knight with sullied honor and I have to treat her correspondingly.

 

<It's nothing big, I believe. My mother told us how she was forced to inhale a strong scent. After this, she could understand Formicea or pheromone speech. Now that things are like they are, I wanted to ask you if it would be possible to give this stuff to my brother and my dad. So that they can understand my mum again.> (E)

<I see. But are you aware what you are suggesting there?> (L)

<Ehk! I know it was very unpleasant for mum. So I wanted to ask if there is a less invasive method.> (E)

<You don't understand. What you describe isn't just about receiving a new ability. It's the forced inducement of an adjustment. The body gets changed, as it happened to you. Such a process is naturally extremely invasive. > (L)

<But couldn't you make it less unpleasant? I doubt that Honiu cared the slightest bit about how it would feel to mum and how to ease the burden.> (E)

<You have a misconception here. I cannot tell you anything about the method Honiu used. This is not part of my knowledge.> (L)

<How can this be? She used her stinger. Like the queen with me. Isn't this a princess thing?> (E)

<Yes and no.> (L)

 

Can she be any more confusing?

 

<That isn't making any sense.> (E)

<Alternating the physical body is unusual. This has nothing to do with the role of a princess. Honiu is by far older than I am And different to me she isn't occupied with controlling hundreds of thousands of drones. Because of that, she spends much time at her leisure. She had more than enough time to research this kind of ability.> (L)

 

This means just she knows how this works.
And maybe the queen.

 

<So there's no way to do this? Well, I wasn't this much for doing this to dad and Toris in the first place.> (E)

<It's not impossible. I can request this information from her.> (L)

<I am not sure if I want to owe her something.> (E)

<Owe?> (L)

 

Is even this an unknown concept in the swarm?
I should better just explain myself.

 

<When one is obligated to pay for something in the future. She could ask in the future for a favor for giving this liquid. And I don't want to be in such a position> (E)

<That's a strange concept. I ask she decides if she wants to. There is nothing else about this.> (L)

<I don't know. I just want to make things easier for my family. Changing their bodies doesn't sound too great, but if they could understand mum this would help them.> (E)

<Your predicament is understandable. But the ability to make a decision is part of your role. For now, there's no harm to advance by collecting this information.> (L)

 

Liseti has a very pragmatic way to see things.
I guess in this case she is right.

 

<Fine. Thank you for your support.> (E)

<This is part of our agreement. Naturally, I act in accordance.> (L)

 

I am rather sure the Formicea don't even know betrayal.

 

<Still. It's nice to know that someone is on my side.> (E)

<As it should be in an alliance. I would suggest you leave now.> (L)

 

Wait! Is she angry?
Did I say something wrong?

 

<C-criik!/ S-sorry, if I said something unnecessary.> (E)

<It was. Yet you seem to have misunderstood. I was merely suggesting that you should head back to your quarters and prepare for the extensive laying session that might soon start.> (L)

<E-extensive? Why do you think so?> (E)

<You should start to be more conscious of these matters. Your royal guard was already laid. That means you return to your old schedule. Yet since until now all your strands produced at full capacity they should still be active. So in fact, all the vacant places your royal guard occupied before are now again used to create your usual brood. And I am rather sure there is not much time left.> (L)

 

Why do all these insects know better about my body than I do?
This isn't really a calming idea but she is right that I should now run back before it happens here in front of Liseti.

 

<R-right. Then goodbye.> (E)

 

She bows her head and then I leave.
I rush rather fast past the soldiers.
Apparently, I have to be there or I will suffer the consequences of a laying session out in the open.
That one time in the mushroom forest was certainly unpleasant.

Great.

Just my life.