Shockwaves ripped through the room as the explosion took only two people unawares. The class of noble students had assured themselves of Louise's imminent failure and had fortified their positions behind desks or stacks of textbooks. As the dust settled, the prone form of the Professor could be seen lying not far from the shattered remains of the podium, her school robes torn from the explosion. As the dust settled more the students could see that Louise was not standing in her original spot. Where she was standing were the bowed shapes of her nightmarish familiars. As they stood the students could see that they had cradled Louise and shielded her from the blast. Though fierce, the blast seemed not to have fazed them. Indeed, Louise looked as if she herself had just walked through a dusty room, a far cry from the destruction she had wrecked.

"I seem to have made a mistake." Louise said conversationally as she took out her handkerchief and dabbed lightly at a smudge on her cheek.

Kirche popped out from under one of her innumerable boy toys. "Mistake!? You could have killed us!" she yelled. Around the room students called out their taunts and agreements to Kirche's statement. Walking calmly while cleaning her face, Louise walked over and looked down at the teacher.

"I believe she has fainted." Louise said to herself while turning to stare at the window.

A scrabbling could be heard from outside the stone window and suddenly the Runners were gliding in and along the walls. Leaping down and over the students they bounded off of desks and empty benches to reach Louise. The familiars that remained in the room fled, throwing caution to the wind with the fearsome xenos and explosions.

As the Runners landed around Louise she pointed to the Professor. Envisioning the infirmary and the path to reach it she said "Take her there." As one, two of the Runners lifted the Professor up and started to carry her to the door. A Runner had taken the lead to open doors while one held back to close them. Following the carrying pair were Louise and her Praetorians with Louise calling "Gently now, be careful with her." every now and then.

When the last xeno closed the door behind it with a flick of its bladed tail the students in the class were left staring with dumbfounded expressions.

"She took the Professor. Is she going to finish the job?" one student asked randomly.

Scene Break

After dropping off Mrs. Chevreuse with the water mages of the infirmary Louise and her brood were heading for the Dining Hall. Training accidents were not unheard of in the academy (especially with Louise around) so with little preamble or explanation the physicians had taken Mrs. Chevreuse under their care. After missing the first class of the day, and the second one being cut short do to some strange accident, which left lunch time and the afternoon classes. Mornings were dedicated to Etiquette for Lords and Ladies and Basics of Alchemy. After lunch was Elements for Second Years and a Self-Study period before dinner. Though Louise was an avid student, until she had conjured her familiars she had not succeeded in any actual magic. In the past, this worrying thought would have been crippling in scope. Now….an amazing patience had settled into her. 'It would come' she told herself. 'I have my brood.' Anything else, well, that is merely a shadow of the joy she felt within herself at the moment.

The causeway between towers came to an end and Louise and her small group entered into the north rectory of the Dining Hall. Her peers quickly cleared from her path as she strode confidently to massive archway of the Hall. The large oak tree that stood away from the entrance of the Hall that she had eaten at earlier in the day still had her table set up beneath it. Seemingly the servants did not wish to risk her anger by taking away the table had set up. With the ghost of a smile on her lips, she sat in the lone high backed chair. The Praetorians stepped up to flank her. With a gesture at the Dining Hall the Runners made their way speedily towards the door. A moment later they returned and laid a feast in front of Louise.

"Too proud to eat with the rest of us, Zero?"

Louise looked over her shoulder to see Kirche and Tabitha regarding her.

"If it is too far for you to walk, Zerbst, I can have a proper meal brought closer."

Kirche laughed. "This is Tristain, you won't find a proper meal in the whole country. Now Germania, there is a place to find proper food for a noble."

Louise sniffed derisively as she turned back to the table. "Anyone can cook Germania food. Just serve it half raw and smothered in butter."

Kirche scoffed as she and Tabitha walked around the table. They stood for a moment and watched as the Praetorians arranged different food and drink for their master to try. Louise watched the two girls intently, more sure of herself and bolder than she had been days ago. Kirche smiled to herself.

"So Zero, are you going to fetch us a chair or must we call for the servants to do so?" Kirche said as she folded her arms across her chest.

Without looking away or slowing her dainty eating two of the Runners behind her broke off from the pack and headed for the Dining Hall. As they breached the doorway screams could be heard once again as the familiars had surprised the occupants within. In short order they returned with two more high backed chairs. Both girls sat and began pulling food onto their plates.

"So tell us Louise, what manner of familiar are these." Kirche asked.

The calm demeanor that Louise had held seemed to be strained. She dug mightily at her plate as her face strained to hold a calm visage.

"I'm not sure what you mean Kirche." Louise replied. "They are just some familiars. I'm sure they appear in some book somewhere."

"That's just it, though." Kirche said leaning forward and with a nasty smile. "Both Tabitha and I have searched through the library and no mention of your familiars has turned up. It's almost like they never existed before…"

Louise was sweating under the intense stare she was getting from Kirche. Tabitha was eating slowly and staring at her plate but Louise was sure she was paying close attention as well.

"They are just some ordinary familiars, nothing to see here!" Louise stammered while waving her hands in front of her dismissively.

"Humph." Kirche leaned back into her chair and speared a piece of potato on her fork. Brandishing the fork at Louise she continued. "Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière I am many things, but I am not a fool. To assume that we do not have eyes and cannot see what is going on is an insult I will not stand for. Now be frank with us, these are not natural creatures."

Louise put down her fork and knife and bowed her head. Beside her the two Praetorians moved to the ends of the table and faced outwards. The pack of Runners fanned out and formed a loose perimeter around the girls. Kirche watched the movements of the creatures and then looked on Louise expectantly. Tabitha put down her utensils and regarded Louise for the first time.

"I can't tell you everything." Louise said, holding up a hand to forestall an outburst from Kirche. "I'm not allowed but I will tell you what I can. These creatures are called Xenomorphs and they are not from this world."

Tabitha leaned forward with a curious expression, more expression than Louise had ever seen on her face. Kirche put down the fork she had been brandishing and leaned back in her chair to listen.

"When I summoned them I took them from their world. On that world they were under attack and now they are mine. They are hive like. The big one was the Queen and the leader of the hive. The small ones around us are called Runners and though they are small they are the fastest and most agile. The big ones here are called Praetorians and are second only to the Queen. There is one more class, Warrior, but I do not have any here." Louise explained, trying to gloss over a lot of the details.

Kirche nodded as if to herself. "I remember seeing some different creatures when you summoned them. So they are from a different world…." Her words trailed off as she put her finger to her chin as if in thought. "What I don't understand is how you communicate with them. I never hear you speak and yet they react for you. When I myself wish to direct Flame, my salamander, I have to tell him what I want. How is it you get your familiars to move in such complex orders with so little as a gesture?"

Louise wrapped her hands around her goblet to keep them still. "I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about."

Kirche tsked her tongue and furrowed her brow. "What are you hiding La Vallière? You just now sent two of those Runners to fetch chairs with no instructions. In the class you were able to summon them back without a call. No familiar I have ever read about could respond to its master's will without the need of words."

Pulling her goblet to her Louise stared down into the watered-down wine.

"I can't tell you." She said quietly. "We are so close now, me and my familiars. We are as one, extensions of each other."

Looking up at Kirche and Tabitha, Louise moved one of her hands to touch her head at the temple. "Here," She said, moving her hand over her heart, "And here."

Leaning back in her chair with her arms across her breasts Kirche regarded Louise. "How connected are you with them Louise? Can you hear and see what they do like we can by casting our Connect With Familiar spell?"

Louise gave a small nod. "I don't have to cast a spell or anything. I just focus on them and I can see and hear through them."

Kirche gave a small nod, as if she expected nothing else.

"But it doesn't end there." Louise continued, pulling Kirche back into the conversation. "I can direct their movements. Direct their actions. When I do so it's like having another body but one that doesn't feel like it's not mine. It's like….they are another set of arms or legs just waiting to move…" Louise stared into her cup once more.

"Kuso!" Kirche exclaimed tossing her fork onto her plate. "You La Vallière are always having to try and one up us Zerbst. Honestly, I thought you would get the point when I summoned a salamander from the Mountains of Fire, but here you are keeping up in every way a true rival should." Kirche stood sudden, posed and with finger pointing at Louise. "But think not that I will back down from this challenge! " With a flourish of her cloak she walked away from the table with Tabitha following her while reading a book.

Louise stared after them puzzled for a moment then a slow smile began to grow. She wasn't sure why, but she felt better all of a sudden.

Scene Break

Louise sat in the classroom diligent but bored. Elements for Second Years was taught by droning, monotone example of a man that bore little use for practical applications of magic. He taught history and content, theory and application, minus the application. Dutifully she took notes for the upcoming test. She was somewhat thankful of the professor's lack of magic in the curriculum for when it came to studying she was on a level playing field with her peers. Only in magic did they outstrip her ability.

Her first year had been difficult but it was thanks to classes like this one that she had not been sent home. While her magical ability was still waiting to be discovered her mind was agile and fast learning. The upcoming test would present little difficulty to her. She had taken detailed notes and studied as much as was possible. If only magic were as easy as studying. She would have been a Square mage long ago! But alas, no amount of study could give her insight into what her magic was, what element could be her focus. Then came the familiars. A noble's familiar was supposed to support that mage's element, like with Kirche's salamander or Tabitha's dragon. What then was she supposed to see in her familiars? They had no element that she could connect them to. They were not even from her world!

At the thought of her familiars Louise remembered that the Headmaster had promised her Hive some meat from the Academy's store. That also meant that she would soon have a new hive brooding?, hatchling?, member? What do you call it when a creature burst out of a host and was fully formed a few days later? Anyways, she would have a new member soon. Reaching out her mind to the Queen far away Louise sent her desire for two Warriors. The two Warriors should have no problem getting the cow there even if it protested. The Queen seemed distracted but acknowledged that the Warriors were on the way. Louise could feel them, so far away but approaching. Feeling quite pleased with herself and the idea that soon she would have another member of her hive Louise focused on the class.

Scene Break

Siesta stood at the edge of the forest holding the leash to a large farm cow. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for this far away from the Academy but the head chef had given her orders to lead the cow to around here. Maybe Lady Tabitha's dragon wanted a larger meal? Siesta stood holding the leash loosely while the cow grazed around the grass.

Suddenly Siesta noticed that the sounds around her had gone quiet. There were no birds chirping and even the cow had stopped grinding its teeth. Looking at the cow Siesta could see it was standing stock still and staring at the forest. Turning to the forest she thought she could hear something approaching. It was silent but every now and then she could hear the sound of a branch grinding against something or a twig snapping.

Peering into the shadows of the forest Siesta thought she could a shape moving in the gloom. The leash in her hand jerks her suddenly to the side as the cow lets loose a braying moo and turns to run. Digging her heals into the dirt to keep the cow from dragging her away. A loud hissing arose from above and behind at once startling her and the cow more. Leveraging against the leash even more she could see something above in the branches of a tree. Keeping her eyes on the dark shape in the leaves Siesta lets loose a deep scream when two huge monstrous arms reached around her and gripped the cows head. Looking up she could see a maw of clenched silver fangs and the dark luster of chitin.

With its monstrous claws closed over the head of the cow it turned its head down toward her, pulled its lips back from its fangs, and hisses low and long. Siesta was rooted in place in abject fear. So afraid was she that she almost didn't notice the other dark form dropping behind the cow. Lifting together, they lifted the struggling cow off the ground and moved away from Siesta. Weaving expertly through the trees the two were soon gone.

Siesta slunk slowly to her knees staring after them, still too afraid to move back to the Academy.

Scene Break

The Queen regarded her results. A smile had worked! The little host, no, the girl had not run from her Warrior after the Warrior had smiled at her. This would make the Queen of Queens pleased for sure. She had a greater understanding now. There was so much more to learn but so far it was paying off.

Scene Break

Self Study was set at the end of the day to allow the nobles of the Academy time to unwind from a day of study and to focus on interests of their own in the fields of magic. Access to the library, tutoring from a professor, or simply spending time on works of their own, Self Study was the part of the day where most students shared what they had learned and pursued their most advent of ideas.

Tables had been set around the courtyards for students coming and going, drinks and snacks and deserts. Some students lounged among the tables discussing books or classes, some were just lounging and enjoying the sunny afternoon.

Louise had gathered her familiars in one of the corners. Her plans were academic but not in a way focused on her classes. The idea had come to her to find a use for her familiars and to maybe get an insight into their nature more. Her plan was if she could find a clue about their element then she would also have a clue about her own. It wouldn't hurt to also have a use for them besides following her around all the time.

Louise started by sending the Runners out to different parts of the Academy to see how many and how far away she could control them. First she moved them individually into place and then opened herself up to each of them until she had all six in her mind. It wasn't painful but neither was it what she was used to. Taking over one other mind wasn't difficult. Taking over six wasn't any more difficult. Each Runner opened themselves to her will eagerly. The problem she experienced was the feedback from six different minds, six different points of view. At once Louise was able to see six different facets of the Academy, each with its own angle and happenings. It was defiantly something that she would have to practice.

Seeing one of her Runners had strayed close to the Library gave Louise an idea. Maybe she could use her familiars to gather information. Urging the runner into the upper window of the Library she set the xeno to the bookcase closest to it. While the xeno didn't make sense of the marks on paper Louise could understand them though its mind. The book it was holding was from a much higher level than Louise was currently on but it was a promising discovery. If she could use her familiars to learn for her then she wouldn't have to sit through boring classes anymore! She could spend more time with her hive and still not miss much.

If she could learn from lessons and books, what else could she learn?

Scene Break

Siesta had finally made it back from her ordeal near the forest. Never in her life had she ever felt something so frightening. She had been sure she was going to die for a moment there. When the creature had hissed at her she thought she would be drug off with cow as well.

Stumbling into the kitchen she gave a tired sounding "I'm back Mr. Marto." Coming down the stairs she turned the corner by the woodpile that fed the great ovens and entered into the kitchen proper. Sitting at the break table, where the staff took their meals, she poured herself a cup of tea to relax for bit.

Teacup in hand Siesta got up again to find head chef Marto. Soon preparations would begin for tomorrow's meals. Thinking Marto would be by the bread making tables she headed in that direction. Turning once again around the corner Siesta started to scream as her teacup fell and shattered.

There in the kitchen was one of those monsters that had almost killed her! It had followed her back!

Turning to run she took one step before she bounced off the chest of a large man. Siesta landed hard on her bottom.

"Siesta? What is the matter?"

Looking up Siesta saw head chef Marto standing over her.

"Sir! There is a monster in here!" she cried in warning.

"Eh?" Marto said curiosity etched on his face. "A monster?"

"A monster is by the bread table! We need to get out of here!" Siesta exclaimed getting to her feet.

"Ah! I know what you mean! Our new student!" Marto said grabbing Siesta by the shoulder and dragging her towards to bread table.

"S-s-s-student!" Siesta wailed as she was drug towards the bread table.

Scene Break

The next day proved to hold some changes for the Academy as a whole. The first was when the students arrived at the Dining Hall there was a new member of the staff, kind of. The morning pastries were being handed out by one of Louise's familiars wearing a bright pink apron. Louise herself was no where around but the creature was following the orders of a haggard looking Siesta. She was overseeing the actions of the creature and correcting it when required, praising it when it accomplished tasks without direction. While it was performing its job she could be heard muttering "It doesn't sleep, it doesn't sleep," over and over again.

Those visiting the Library would find two of the creatures perusing the stacks of books. They would pick up a book, quickly leaf through every page, and put it back. Together, one on each bookshelf, they worked their way through. If they encountered a student carrying books they would move around them and pick up where they left off.

Across the Academy another a xeno could be seen working with the gardener placing flowers along walkways. The head gardener was showing it placements and color coordination as it planted the new flowers.

Students that went to the water mages would see a xeno wearing a white nurse hat assisting a water mage who was describing how water magic healed certain ailments depending upon direction of magic.

Louise herself was nowhere to be seen. Even when the students arrived at class with a patched up Professor Chevreuse. In Louise's seat was a Runner Xeno with a small chalkboard tied around its neck sitting patiently at attention. The other students in the class watched it wearily as they took their seats. It wasn't long until rumors were circulating around about how the familiars had eaten Louise and replaced her or how they were more of a mage than her and had come to learn instead.

Professor Chevreuse was taken aback by the monstrous familiar sitting where her student was supposed to sit but the familiar just held up the chalkboard that had the message 'Everything is fine. Please continue.' wrote on it. With a feeling of relief that at least the familiar wouldn't explode her, Professor Chevreuse continued class with no interruptions from the creature.

Scene Break

The noble in question was lying in her bed on a mountain of pillows. Lounging back with her eyes closed Louise was keeping track of all the input from the minds around the Academy. Keeping them separate in her mind as well as taking in all the memories from them had proven too much for her to do while also moving around. Her plan was to attend meals in person but as practice to use her familiars to do her classes as well as learn as much as she could. It wasn't just her who was learning though. The hive sucked up knowledge like a sponge. The more she sent them to learn the more the hive asked for more. Their curiosity was almost insatiable.

The cooks in the kitchen seemed to have mixed feelings about teaching her familiar. In the beginning its appearance had scared them but once they saw its desire to learn as well as it didn't need to sleep they had been overjoyed to have it. Louise would never have known that cooking took such passion and hard work had she not experienced it through her Runner, affectionaly dubbed Cookie. It had worked throughout the night soaking up their experiences and teachings, prepping the foods and assisting in the work to be done.

The gardener had been much more enthusiastic than the cooks. One look at the bladed tails and long claws and he had been making plans. Showing the familiar how to use those natural weapons as tools as well as which plant combinations appealed to the students, the head gardener had taken over the training of the familiar personally. Waking up early to begin teaching the duo had covered much ground. The more he discovered their boundless stamina the harder he pushed not only the xeno but himself as well.

Once class had ended Louise retracted her mind from her six extensions and headed for the Dining Hall. For doing so little during the day physically she was hungrier than she would have expected. Flanked by her Praetorians she started moving towards lunch. As she walked the Runners dropped into formation around her as they arrived. Arriving at the Dining Hall she was met with her final Runner and a serving girl by her table outside. The Runner had a pushcart laden with food in front of it and the serving girl was standing beside of it looking bone tired.

Louise sat in the chair and the Runner nicknamed Cookie began to serve her in true noble fashion. Each plate was laid with a small flourish in the manner she had seen the head chef present food to the faculty. Though she could see the training that went into the process the finished result was amazing. Once Cookie had finished laying out dishes with a flourish and a bow Louise stood with a smile and applauded.

"That was truly amazing." She said looking at the serving girl. "Siesta, is it? This was just after one night of training?"

Siesta gave a tired nod. "Yes Lady Louise. Your familiar has an amazing aptitude for cooking. Only show it once and it can repeat the process flawlessly. I've never seen the like before. And…may I ask my Lady, how did you know my name?"

Louise was tasting the dishes laid out in front of her, all of her favorite dishes at that! "It told me your name." she said dismissively. Gesturing to one of the empty seats left by Kirche and Tabitha the day before Louise said "Sit. Sit. You were up all night teaching my familiar. You look dead on your feet. Sit."

Ordinarily Siesta would refuse as it would be improper for a servant to sit at a table with a noble. Ordinarily she would have delivered the food to the table and retreated to the safety of the other staff. Today, she was tired and a little curious herself. She sat gratefully. She watched Louise continue to eat as the largest of the monsters yet placed foods and drinks within reach without a word from their master. Suddenly one of the creatures put a cup of mulled wine in front of her. Carefully she looked up at the creature, who pulled its lips back to show its fangs again, and then to Lady Louise. Lady Louise was watching her closely while still eating.

"They like you." Louise said to Siesta simply. The words hung in the air between them for a little while as Louise ate and Siesta thought of the implications.

"Siesta." Louise said as she put down her fork and picked up her cup. "My familiars like you, and that is saying something. I would like for one of them to follow you around so it may learn from you in your everyday tasks. Teach it everything it will need to know to serve appropriately. Can you do this for me?"

Siesta boggled at the young noble. These monsters liked her? Didn't she know how close she had came to being killed by the ones at the forest?

"I can Lady Louise, but may I ask, why?" Siesta responded.

"Why?" Louise responded. "Why indeed. The simple answer is that they will be better equipped to serve me. All that you teach them they will then use to better my life in every way. Also there is the fact that they are curious that cannot be overlooked. Learning is a new joy for them and I enjoy them learning as well."

"I understand better now Lady Louise. I will be honored to help you. But what of my other duties around the Academy?"

"I have spoken with the Headmaster. He has allowed me the use of one of the staff for this purpose. He too is curious about a familiar that can learn, one that can be more than a bonded animal. Let us show him how great my familiars can be."

Before Siesta could respond their conversation was interrupted by another voice.

"Eating with the servants now, Louise? At least you don't need magic for that, so you should succeed for once."

Louise turned and looked to the speaker. Guiche was standing there with his arm around the shoulders of a young girl wearing first year robes.

"Well, if it isn't Guiche the Pervert. To what do I owe this annoyance?" Louise replied evenly.

Ignoring the slight Guiche carried on. "When I heard you didn't show up for class I had to see if you had finally given up this farce of yours at being a noble. Then I find you here petitioning a servant for work, I should have guessed you were never a noble in the first place."

Louise glared daggers at Guiche as if she could set him aflame with only a look. Then she turned her look to the young girl. "Is this the newest conquest Guiche? Have you been denied by every woman your age that you have to aim your perversions at the younger ones now? What will Montmorency say when she finds out?"

Guiche started to sweat as the young girl on his arm looked up at him curiously. "What is she talking about Guiche? Who is Montmorency?"

"No one, my dear, just Louise being petty in her anger." Guiche replied.

"Yes, no one." Louise replied. "and she is standing behind you."

"Mon-mon! It's not what you think!" Guiche spun in place with his arms in a warding stance. Only too late did he open his eyes and see it was Kirche and Tabitha approaching and not Montmorency. Calming down a bit Guiche was about to turn and reply to Louise when he heard from his side "Guiche!"

Looking down to the young girl there he was caught by surprise when she slapped him.

"How dare you lead me on!" she yelled and stomped off.

Guiche stood still for a moment holding his face. Louise started to giggle, then to laugh outright. "Serves you right Guiche, for your words and actions." She said as she stood up to walk away.

Guiche began to turn red and not from the slap. Never had he been so angry before. "Louise, how dare you do that. Go fix things immediately."

Louise however ignored him, walking off with her familiars.

"Louise, I said wait!" Guiche yelled reaching out for Louise.

As his hand gripped around Louise's arm he heard someone yell and hissing erupted around him. The large familiar beside Louise hit him and he lost his grip on Louise's arm. Stumbling back, he thought he heard a scream as he leaned back against the wall behind him. Odd, it wasn't raining, yet something was in his eyes. Wiping it from his eyes he pulled his hand back and stared at it. It was crimson red. Then the pain came…

Scene Break

Louise felt Guiche's hand close around her arm and her vision was overcome with a red haze. "You dare!" she roared. The hive bond quivered around her. She withdrew the walls within her and was flooded with the compounded knowledge of her kind. With her tail thrashing in anger and her dorsal stacks pumping air to engorge the acid in her blood she reached out with her nearest defense, her stalwart Praetorian, and struck this vermin host loose from her noble body. The vile host released his hold and staggered back holding his face. Around her she could feel her brood responding to the threat, six extensions of her will moving in tangent to her desires. The pulse of the hive bond thrummed through them, their need to solve her plights, their desire to throw themselves at any woe of hers until it was gone.

Guiche leaned back against the wall behind him and removed his hands from his face. Staring blankly at the blood covering them he suddenly started screaming as if the pain had been delayed by his stupidity.

"It is one thing Gouache, to have your hands on the women around you. But you will never, NEVER!, lay a hand upon me! Do you understand?" Louise screamed as Gouache sank to his knees holding his mangled face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" he repeated over and over again.

"Yes you are." Louise stated. Turning she strode towards the main gate of the Academy, her familiars forming a half moon behind her.

"Louise! Where are you going!" Kirche called out.

Without looking back Louise called out, "To our home."

Scene Break

Kirche and Tabitha looked through the bushes at the dark entrance of the cave. The outer entrance had been built up as if by a giant spider, bits of some hard webbing holding pieces of rock and trees in place to further conceal the entrance. The only marring of the illusion was that the plants ensnared by the webbing seemed to have died quite abruptly. A sudden death of foliage in an otherwise verdant forest did stand out.

Tabitha looked up to the taller girl. "Shouldn't." she said giving a shake of her head.

Kirche stepped brazenly out of the bushes and turned on Tabitha with her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about? This is Louise! Her own familiars have probably dragged her off and now she needs saving. It would be just like a La Vallière to be done in by her own familiars. We will find out what is going on."

With a scoffing laugh, and a much bolder step than she felt, Kirche started towards the hive entrance. The entrance to the cave had an alien look to it once Kirche was able to see into the tunnel mouth. The walls were hardened by the stuff coating them. It seemed to have been patterned in ridges and swirls as if by a nightmarish designer. Although hardened, it appeared to almost sweat with moisture and deeper in the cave a slight fog seemed to hover close to the ground. Taking out her wand, Kirche held it over her head and with a flick of her wrist the tip alit with a small but very bright flame. With Tabitha behind her Kirche lead the way into the cave.

Kirche walked brazenly down the tunnel, slowing only to peer down side tunnels or into little alcoves that branched off. The click of her heels carried down the tunnel with each step with only a slight crunch from the hive webbing along the floor.

"Wait." Tabitha suddenly spoke.

Looking back Kirche saw her bending down to look at something on the floor. Tabitha was poking through the webbing with the tip of her staff. Leaning closer with the light Kirche looked at what Tabitha had found. A bone lay on the ground covered in webbing, partially eaten away by the acidic nature of the webbing.

"Animal." Tabitha said gesturing to the wall.

Turning Kirche examined the webbing on the wall. Bones were held in place by the thick webbing, stripped of flesh. A large skull of some animal hung above the remains of what was its body.

"Look" Tabitha said while pointing with her staff.

Below the skull the rib cage was suspended in the webbing. From the large hole in the bones it looked like something had smashed through it.

"Probably where those creatures killed it after dragging it back here." Kirche replied.

Shaking her head Tabitha traced around the hole with the tip of her staff. "Came from within." Leaning closer Kirche could only marvel on how the ribs had been folded outward until they had indeed ruptured. "What could cause this?" Kirche asked looking up at Tabitha. When she looked up however, Tabitha was staring down the tunnel the way they had come.

"They are coming." She said silently.

The scrabbling of claws over stone could be heard from down the tunnel, coming closer to the two girls. Kirche held her wand up high to cast light as far as she could but could still not see them coming.

"Above!" Tabitha said while raising her staff.

Looking up, Kirche could only see the same nightmarish ceiling that they had been walking under since entering the cave. About to ask Tabitha what she was talking about Kirche paused when she noticed some movement among the strange waving texture of the ceiling. She watched in grim fascination as one of the nightmarish familiars pulled itself out of a slight recess in the ceiling where it had apparently been nesting. It seamlessly blended in to the textured pattern of the ceiling so well that both girls had been up under it for some time until Tabitha had noticed it beginning to stir.

"Run." Tabitha said raising her staff and sending a strong wind down the tunnel, scraping the creature off the ceiling and pushing it along into the darkness. A colophony of hisses erupted from the dark tunnel, not happy about the wind Kirche thought.

Leading the way with her wand held high for light, Kirche and Tabitha ran down the tunnels to escape the monsters that were swarming behind them. Taking turns at random the girls would alternate using fire and wind to keep them at bay. They would come to forks in the tunnel with dozens of fanged mouths and dark chitin down one tunnel and the other free and clear of any obstruction. It was an easy choice but after the third time it had happened Kirche was beginning to have a nagging feeling that something was wrong.

"Its… like… they….are…leading…us…" she gasp out. It had been sometime since she had run for so long.

Ducking into the next safe entrance both girls came to a skidding halt. The entrance had opened up dramatically into a huge underground cavern. Across the cavern floor were knee high leather sacks sticking up out of the slight fog that had dominated the tunnels.

"Trap." Tabitha said with a sense of finality.

Two of the sacks closest to the girls opened silently, but the only motion in the cavern drawing their eyes.

"Kirche? Tabitha? What are you doing here?"

Looking up from the strange sacks, both girls could see Louise standing next to the large familiar they had not seen since she had summoned it.

"Louise?" Kirche said. A noise from behind caught her attention. Turning around she saw Tabitha clawing at something with long legs that had covered her face. Raising her wand, Kirche was about to free Tabitha when something with too many legs and a pasty color filled her vision. Suddenly she could not breathe and something was forcing its way into her mouth and down her throat. Gagging and struggling to breathe Kirche heard Louise scream as she slowly blacked out.