Disclaimer: There are chapters where everything finally clicks. Where plotlines I've been planning and developing for chapters and chapters finally come to fruition. Where everything finally, finally, converges into one glorious ~3500 word scene. I adore writing those chapters, and I imagine this will be no different. Because finally, for the first time in far too long, I will be writing that kind of chapter, in all its unscientific glory, right now. Still don't own it though.
If I release this chapter really late, blame finals. Hell hath no fury like a review sheet scorned. Also, happy discount Hanukkah.
Season's greetings, I guess. ~f
(I started this chapter before the last one was even finished. How's that for a transition?)
*feauxen shrieks in untold agony*
(Finals be stressful)
Catalyst
Bane faced towards the centaur hunting party. "Are we ready to make these forests safe once again?" The only response was an eager wave of shouts and the sound of stomping hooves. The hunters' faces were determined, their resolve firm. Today was the day they took back what was theirs.
"We attack at dusk. Be prepared."
(Transition)
"Abathur, as much as I'd like to see whatever it is you want to show me, do we really have to go this far into the Forbidden Forest?" Luna asked as she followed Abathur through the trees. "Daddy always says that that's where the Rotfang Conspirators like to hang out, and I wouldn't want to run into them. They probably don't like what Daddy's written about them at all." Overhead, the light was beginning to fade from the sky.
"Necessary. Subject, only located here. Sole location on planet," Abathur responded. He wished he had more broods setup, but for now, he still was learning psionics from the humans, and he only had so much range of control. Perhaps if he worked with the essence from Aragog...
"Oh, well why didn't you just say so?" Luna asked, beaming. With new vigor, she skipped forward.
Abathur was dumbstruck. They had been walking for several hours, and he'd had to cajole Luna every step of the way. If only he'd known that all he needed to do was tell Luna that his brood was unique, the trip could have been much more pleasant.
The unlikely duo continued into the woods, blissfully undisturbed. By now, the native creatures knew to avoid Abathur in either form, so he and Lune were undisturbed by any potential attackers. A pity, really. It would have been interesting to see her unmodified reaction to danger.
Before long, the duo had arrived in Abathur's territory. Almost everything here was under his direct control, and the local wildlife was either repurposed, reduced to biomass, or no longer present. And so, the first major encounter that Luna had with his brood was when a few members of the Hive chewed a branch off a tree, and dropped it directly onto her head.
"Ow!" she yelped, before putting a hand to her head. "Where did that come from?" Abathur put a hand to her head and pulled back her hair to examine the wound. He pressed his fingers into the wounded flesh.
"Abathur, stop it! That stings." Abathur ignored her, and flexed his finger. A single drop containing millions of copies of the hyper-evolutionary virus oozed from the tip, and dropped into her wound. He released a quick pulse of power, directed at her head. The wound closed in an instant, sealing in the green goop, and leaving Luna's head undamaged.
Luna lifted her hands to her head, feeling where the branch had knocked into it. Her fingers ran over the smooth, unblemished skin.
"Abathur, since when could you do wandless magic? You've been holding out on me!" Luna exclaimed.
"Cannot. Different process. Will explain later," Abathur responded. Whatever the human psionics did was beyond his ability, at least without the aid of a wand. He would have to look into exactly how they worked. But the simpler things, such as the manipulation of flesh and bone were all too easy. Abathur began walking again, moving further into his home base.
"Um, Abathur?" Luna asked hesitantly. "Are those... dragons?"
Abathur glanced over to where Luna gaze was pointed. She was looking at the infested dragons, who were patrolling his borders until he found some other use for them.
"Mostly. Have been... altered," Abathur answered.
"Wait, are these the dragons from the tournament? So that's where they've been hiding," Luna commented. "Oh, that one's hurt!" she said, before running straight at them. Straight at a trio of highly dangerous, highly aggressive, fire breathing reptiles dozens of times her size. "Oh, this one has a big scar on his head!"
Abathur made a note to improve their regeneration later.
"But where's the fourth one?" Its essence had been harvested and the rest of the beast had been reverted to biomass. But now was not the time to tell her about that.
"Interesting, but not destination. Must go further," Abathur said.
"No."
"What?" Abathur had needed to stop himself mid step. Luna was supposed to keep following him. She was supposed to accompany him into the heart of his brood. Why was she stopping now?
"No. Come on, Abathur. Look at these dragons! They're friendly. Look, this one's eyes are so pretty!" The eye in question was bright red, narrow, and calculating. Abathur couldn't fault her taste. Still, the delay was intolerable. He was pressed enough for time as it was, he couldn't afford to waste any more. He ordered the dragons took wing, leaving behind a disappointed Luna and an impatient Abathur.
"Wasted enough time. Objective elsewhere. Must continue," Abathur demanded.
"Fine." Luna pouted. "But we will look for them after this."
"Acceptable."
After another minute, they were walking on creep rather than dirt, and the trees had more webs than branches. Scuttling noises came from every shadow, and the ground teemed with insects that scurried every which way. Luna began to emanate some hesitation as her eyes drank everything in.
"Abathur?" she began. "What exactly are we looking for?" Abathur pressed onward, not answering. Not yet. Either she would relax when she saw the Swarm, or she would panic. Reassurance either way would not change the outcome. Today, Luna would become a member of the Swarm.
Abathur felt the outer edges of the wards rippling over his skin as he walked through them, with Luna following close behind. As she crossed the wardline, he heard her breath catch.
"Abathur...what is this?" she asked, her eyes full of wonder. She couldn't seem to keep her eyes on one thing for very long. Her eyes were darting between the massive domes that were the ritholisks, bearing the eggs that would grow his brood, and the acromantula strains scuttling along the trees and webs, moving in every conceivable direction. She saw the creep, pulsing and flowing along the ground. The site was still woefully inadequate, but it served its purpose.
"Zerg Swarm." The words were still almost painfully dangerous to say, even surrounded by his entire brood. But he had to take the risk. And Luna had yet to show hostility at the mention of the Swarm.
"Really? You found them? I'm so jealous! Daddy and I have been searching for the crumple-horned snorkack for years without success, and here you've already found what you were looking for," Luna gushed. That was... an unexpected reaction. Had the terrans of this world really never heard of the Swarm? Or was Luna even more anomalous than she first appeared?
"Partially correct," Abathur responded. "Some errors."
"What do you mean?" Luna asked.
"Not full Swarm. Fragment. Assimilated local species, improvised. Also...did not find," Abathur said. Then he began to transform. His true form grew out from and over the human shell. His skin became covered with dull grey scales. His fingers elongated and sharpened into claws. From his back, four new limbs extended, ending in long scythe like blades. His eyes grew smaller, closer together and much brighter. Several plates grew over his head, forming a large crest. When he spoke, it was with two voices, only just out of sync. "Am of Swarm. Made this. Made them."
Luna stood silent, with her mouth gaping. Abathur could sense over a dozen conflicting emotions competing for dominance. He couldn't get a solid read on any of them. As a precaution, he quietly moved a few teralings into position behind her. Luna was enough of an anomaly that she probably wouldn't attack immediately, but he had long since learned to be prepared for anything.
"That's so cool!"
Well, he thought he'd been prepared for anything.
"How long have you been a zerg? What's it like? Have you seen a crumple-horned snorkack? And why are you telling me now?" Luna asked breathlessly.
"Have always been of Swarm. No experience of being human. Zerg, superior. Have not met snorkack. Last question, more complicated answer," Abathur answered. "Telling you, because you are most able to accept. Telling you now to invite you to join Swarm."
"What?" Luna's had been excited, surprised, curious. Now, all she was was shocked..
"Swarm, can assimilate species, individuals. Add them to self. You, could be member. Improved. Made better," Abathur said.
"Abathur, I appreciate the offer but..."
"Will not accept you."
"What?"
"Terr- humans. Will not accept you. Have not accepted you. Will keep rejecting until personality is removed. Any variation, will eliminate. Swarm, will not change mind. Will let you be self, if you let us."
Abathur could feel Luna's conflict as she digested her words. Hesitation, reminiscence, loneliness, all of these were competing within her mind. It seemed as if her decision could go either way. She could reject his offer, expose him to the world, let the nukes rain down. She could join him, cast off her species and join something that would never abandon her. It should have been the most stressful moment of Abathur's life. It would have been, if he hadn't already fixed the outcome.
Within Luna's brain, the virus he had put into her head wound was rapidly making changes. Nothing big, as he didn't have time to take full control, especially of a psionic's mind. But a little burst of pleasure when she thought of the zerg, a modicum of despair when her housemates entered her mind. The more he tipped the scales, the longer Luna hesitated, and the longer she hesitated, the more control he had over her decision. It only took a few minutes before she came to the conclusion Abathur knew she would.
"Okay," Luna said quietly. "What do I have to do?"
"Little. Will do work. Only need to enter this," Abathur said, leading her to a small pit that nearly overflowed with raw essence. She hesitated, but then stepped in, immediately sinking into the essence, where he rapidly sealed her into a large cocoon. His limbs stretched over the pool, a membrane being secreted between them. When it was large enough, he placed the membrane over Luna, sealing her in.
As an afterthought, he directed some spiders to the ward scheme, and directed them to spin and alter few lines. The wards along the borders collapsed as a new barrier formed around Luna. It would leave him with less defense, but it would also keep any mental cries of distress Luna made from calling to anyone, as the Queen of Blades had when he was working on her. A worthwhile risk.
Now where to begin? Probably with the connection to the hivemind, and after that...
(Transition)
Luna was warm.
Or at least, she knew she was warm. Her muscles were loose and her sweat glands were producing. But she didn't feel much of anything, wrapped in the cocoon. Oh, she knew she was in absolutely horrible pain. Her muscles were breaking themselves down to make way for something better, and her bones splintering apart at the seams. But she didn't actually feel anything. Her body felt almost completely disconnected from sensation. It was almost peaceful, not feeling and just thinking.
And there was plenty to think about. Luna had occasionally considered what the world looked like from the eyes of a spider. Now, she felt the thoughts of the seemingly endless multitudes of spiders around her, and she could look through their eyes at will. It was amazing what she could see with all eight eyes. She could see behind the spider almost as well as she could see what was in front of it. And more than that, she felt the spider's numerous limbs impact the rough bark, shifting the small hairs to the side. To her surprise, it felt her presence, but let her in with open arms, or whatever the mental equivalent was. Eyebrows? She would have to ask Abathur and see if he knew.
It was a truly wondrous experience to explore the minds of the Swarm. To be able to know what each was feeling and thinking so intimately. Even as her body was wracked with distant pain, the sheer wonder kept her more than occupied. Unfortunately, it also left her totally unprepared for when the acromantula she was riding was riddled with arrows and fell to the ground, dead.
The pain was so sudden, so intense that it left Luna reeling. But worse still was the sheer nothingness that came after. Where there was once a brilliant light, a mind full of thoughts and sensations, now there was only a void. Was that what death was?
She hadn't been the only one to notice the demise of the soldier. Its death rippled throughout the hivemind, drawing attention. And with a primal shudder, the Swarm responded. Big and small, the zerg converged on their dead comrade, searching for a cause. The centaurs who had shot the acromantula, however, weren't hiding. They were already firing another volley into the gathering soldiers.
Abathur had taken notice of the disturbance. His own thoughts wrapped around the hivemind, an intricate web of strands and flesh. He asserted his dominance over the entire Swarm, pulling it together, binding it with a single purpose. Luna could sense his physical body rapidly moving towards the disturbance.
In the meantime, the Swarm had reoriented itself, and was fighting back. Most of the acromantula converts were rushing into melee with claws and fangs, tearing deep into the centaur's flesh. A few others hung back and fired some green liquid that burned centaur flesh. Abathur himself had entered the fray, stabbing centaurs or crushing them with his odd wandless magic.
Meanwhile, the centaurs were still launching volley after volley of arrows, creating a constant pain in Luna's mind. Intellectually, Luna knew that their little twigs tipped with flint were doing next to nothing. But that didn't help when the pain of every death washed over her, when she felt the void that was once a life. In desperation, she looked into Abathur's mind for a way to stop the agony. To her immense surprise, he let her in just as easily as the spiders had. In his mind, she found nothing but determination to defend the Swarm. To protect her.
Every single zerg was out there fighting just for her, dying for her, at great cost. Every death in the Swarm sent shockwaves through the hivemind, echoing the pain and loss of each member. How could the centaurs be willing to cause so much pain, so much death?
How could she stand by and let them?
The thought raced through Luna. How could she let them do this? She had her magic, she could make a difference. She could protect them like they were protecting her. Really, what reason was there not to join her kin? With that thought, something clicked into place. Her mind snapped back into her own body, and immediately she felt all of the pain of her recently repurposed limbs. But, more importantly, she could now break free of the cocoon. With a wet tearing noise, Luna ripped her way out.
Luna took no time to examine her new form. Adrenaline flowed through her mind, guiding her towards the constant pulse of conflict. With only a thought, her wand flew into her hand. She practically glided over the ground, as the creep urged her towards the sounds of battle. Within seconds she was there.
"INCENDIO," she shouted. A wave of flame washed out from her wand, bathing the centaurs in heat. Their skin cracked under the intense fire. Screams of pain came out across the enemy line. Good. They would feel pain, just as they had caused it. Luna continued to rain down fire on the centaurs, who were driven back by the sudden onslaught.
In the meantime, the Swarm flanked the centaurs, attacking them from all sides. The centaurs were being whittled down, forced into a circle that grew smaller from second to second. For every zerg felled, there were another dozen to mercilessly destroy the remaining centaurs.
The tide of battle was clearly going against the centaurs. Their numbers were dwindling rapidly, and soon enough, the last centaur was surrounded. It seemed as if the threat to the Swarm was finally over. But Luna's adrenaline was still pumping. It couldn't be over, could it? No. There were still other centaurs out there. There was still a threat to the Swarm. That was unacceptable.
Luna mentally commanded the zerg to step away from the last centaur, running to face it herself. The centaur, injured as it was, put up little resistance when she wrapped her tentacle (Tentacle? She had tentacles now? Cool!) around its body, with the barbed tip pointed directly at its face. With a grunt of effort she pulled it up and towards herself.
"Where are the rest?" Luna asked bluntly.
"As if I would tell you, monster," it said. The centaur was dazed, wounded, and surrounded by its dead brethren. But it still managed to be defiant. But Luna was not in the mood for games.
The centaurs mind did not open its eyebrows to her like the zerg had. Fortunately, it was quite easy to force her way into it and pull the location from its memories, despite its meagre attempts at resistance. When she was done, she stabbed the sharp tip of her tentacle into its brain, then dropped the corpse, ready to hunt down the remaining centuars. Before she could do that, however, she was interrupted.
"Luna. Wait," Abathur said. He must have come up behind her while she was distracted. The other zerg had left at this point, leaving them alone in the aftermath.
"Abathur, there's no time. I know where the rest of them are. I can make sure they won't hurt any of us ever again," Luna responded.
"Am aware," he stated.
"Then what? Do you want me to just leave them to be? They attacked us, Abathur. They killed us. And you want me to let them be?" As she said this, she felt something like amusement from Abathur's mind.
"No. Take dragons," Abathur said. The flying beasts had landed just behind him. "Require testing."
"Oh," Luna said.
(Transition)
The scent of smoke and ashes was thick in the forest's air. If he looked carefully, Abathur could see the light of the dragon fire in the distance. Various acromantula strains scuttled about, attending to their various tasks. The transport lines of the Hive flowed almost like lava. Taking it in, Abathur found the whole scene quite pleasant. It reminded him of Char. His creations were being tested, enemies were being slaughtered, and he would soon begin his work, evolving the Swarm until it was finally ready to strike out.
Queen of Blades: Queen with not-actually blades, built-in high heels, and purple face paint. Hey, look at me, I know real facts for once! ~f
Queen of Blades: The Queen of Blades has possibly one of the most complicated histories in the Koprulu sector. Infested and manipulated by a dark god, then freed by the terrans, before once again willingly donning the mantle, the path the Queen has tread has been long, winding, and chaotic. The greatest leader of the Zerg Swarm, the psionic powerhouse led her subjects on a brutal crusade against the terrans and protoss, slaughtering anything in her way. She conquered whole worlds, infesting or killing everything on them. Entire armies shattered and worlds burned at her command. The Queen herself often took to the field of battle, and she was more than capable of combat. At the height of her power, she could turn whole armadas to ash in mere seconds. Vicious, manipulative, and above all deadly, the Queen of Blades was, by any reckoning, the most fearsome force in the Koprulu Sector.