Chaotic belongs to TCDigital.

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I hope everyone's staying safe with the virus floating around.

There's no way Mount Pillar would survive an outbreak like you guys are going through. That's terrifying.

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Outside

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Day five. I think. There's not exactly a sun down here, and most creatures in the Underworld don't have a sleep cycle that exactly matches with day and night in the OverWorld.

Anyway, lots of Danians are starting to realize that Humans can be useful. The average Human is not at all specialized towards any one kind of task, much like the mandiblor caste, meaning that many Danians are rushing to buy Humans of their own to help with work around the Pillar.

More workers mean more mouths to feed. More mouths to feed means more food needs to be delivered. A lot more.

Tanto is one of several mandiblors pulling a cart full of crates of food. Since "doctor's orders" means I can't be left alone, I'm tagging along while carrying a small basket of honey sticks. It's the usual method of keeping young bugs busy, to give them a small amount of the workload that isn't even a minor inconvenience if it gets lost or ruined.

"You can take one of them for yourself, Bibi," Tanto says, no hint of strain or effort in his voice.

I tilt my head to the side as if in confusion. "They said that these are for the working Danians that really needed it."

"And you are a working Danian that really needs it, yes?"

I nod and take one of the honey sticks out. It's as long as my forearm, and I can barely fit my fingers around it. I awkwardly tuck one end of it into my mouth and start gnawing on it.

Tanto's mandibles lift a little, a sign that he's holding in a laugh at how "adorable" I'm being. "Good, yes?"

"Itsh gud," I mumble without taking the candy out of my mouth.

A few of the other mandiblors chuckle and they turn their attention back to the tunnel ahead-

I force myself to act completely normal when I see him walking toward us. Four arms, two legs. Tall, muscular, light blue. It's Elco.

Elco is like me. Usually, he remembers other lifetimes. Sometimes he's not, and normally I'd need to experiment a little to know if that's the case. Not this time. Without the memories of past lives, Elco would have had little reason to be this close to the base of Mount Pillar.

Elco walks past the cart without giving it a second glance. I let him pass me a few steps, then turn around to follow him. I have to jog a little to catch up, his strides are much larger than mine. When I can see him, I reach out with my mind, tasting the hivecall he's letting out.

Nothing. Not a single sensation. It's like he wasn't there at all.

Elco is also "outside the hive" like I am. It allows him to present any kind of emotional signal, any persona, and even vanish from interest. It's his most powerful tool among his two professions. As a prostitute, he can change his aura to that of the ideal partner for those who buy his services. As a slaver...

Elco's aura shifts to a commanding presence, and a slightly heavyset mandiblor suddenly zips to his side. "Boss, you called?"

Elco speaks, voice deep and charming. "The Humans outside the Pillar that we dealt with some time ago. They sold us a dozen Human vagrants this morning."

The mandiblor blinks. "That is good news, I suppose. How were you so certain that they would follow through?"

"It is not important that you know," Elco says simply, a crooked grin on his face. I feel the aura around him shift, becoming thick and oppressive.

The mandiblor's eyes slide out of focus briefly. "Understood." He turns to leave, but stops with a jolt. "Boss. Someone is following you."

Elco turns and makes eye contact with me.

My blood starts to run cold. If he remembers me, that's it. I'll need to run for my life, find my babas, say anything that would get them to follow me. It's such a huge risk, but if he does remember, it's better that I know now than discover later when he makes his move first.

Elco glances up and down at me. His eyes pause at the basket. "I passed you and those hauling cargo some time ago. You followed me all this way?"

I nod and hold up the basket. "They said that these were for hard-working Danians. Like you."

Elco tilts his head at me. The mandiblor near him shudders, his eyes sliding out of focus, and he wanders away. Without looking back, Elco steps up to me and crouches so he's closer to my eye level.

"I was trying to stay unseen, little one," Elco says, slight amusement edging into his voice. "How did you see me?"

I make myself blink. "You are very big, sir. I do not see how I was supposed to not be able to see you."

Elco laughs a little. He gestures around us, at the Danians unconsciously stepping to the side not to run into us as they pass. "Tell me. Do others tend to ignore you? Has your baba ever told you that you will have to speak louder than most in order to be heard?"

"Yes," I lie. "He says I am hard to notice."

Elco grins. "You are like me, little one. Outside the hive. It is difficult to handle something like that on your own." He reaches out to me. "Perhaps I can help you with that."

I fight down the rising panic in my throat. Elco doesn't remember me, that much is certain. I need to capitalize on this.

I let Elco touch my head. I close my eyes and lean into his hand a little, tracing my antennae over his wrist like a child starved for attention. "You... you can?"

"It would not be free, of course," Elco says. "I have a lot to do, so I need someone to help me. If you help me, I will have time free to teach you."

I shudder a little as Elco's hand slides down to my shoulder. "Help you with what?"

"Carrying things to places, like you already do," Elco smiles, tapping the basket I'm carrying with another hand. "I would give you a list of things to get and where to get them from, and you would bring them back to me. That way I do not have to run around myself."

Someone who can collect less than legal things for him. That's why he wants me, just like every other time I manage to get into his business. "When do I start?"

Elco laughs. "Eager, yes? I will have a list tomorrow morning."

"Where?" I know where already.

Elco blinks. "Ah, right. Then a first lesson. Look at me, and try to touch my face without moving your hands."

I blink a few times as if confused. "Without moving... what?"

"Try. Trust me."

Slowly, as if I don't know what I'm doing, I reach out into the hivecall at Elco. My aura meets his, and in my mind, I see the layout of Mount Pillar, and a focus on one tunnel in particular.

I widen my eyes and gasp. "Whoa..."

"That is where I want you to meet me." Elco stands up and smiles down at me. "As soon as you have time after you wake, alright?"

"Yes, sir," I say while forcing a grin.

Elco nods, then turns and walks away. I let him vanish from sight, then collapse to my knees.

My hands are shaking. My mouth is dry. My blood is ice. At any moment I could have said too much, overplayed my hand. Elco would have no trouble with killing me if he felt it was necessary. Sometimes I envy Michael-

I give myself a mental slap. I need to get back to Tanto. He'll be heading for the East Gate.

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Need a hug?

Yes, please.

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Chaotic belongs to TCDigital.