Flik sprinted across the bridge, eventually reaching the palace doors. But he was immediately halted by the two guards, in which he expected to happen. He took a few heavy breaths as one asked what he was doing and why he wasn't back in his home.
"I need..to speak to Princess Atta." He spoke breathlessly, but also anxiously, as he knew that any moment, the Grasshoppers would see there was no offering. And lord only knew what would happen then.
"The princess does not have time to speak to commoners at the moment." The guard said, "You are to return to your home immediately."
"It's an emergency!" Flik said in a pleading tone, then lowered his voice as he begged with his eyes, "Please."
The guards exchanged a glance, before deciding that if it was truly dire, then it was worth disrupting the rulers. "Fine. I will escort you to the princess." He nodded.
"Hastily, preferably." The blue-haired worker said as he was led inside the palace doors. Flik was immediately overwhelmed as he stepped inside, following the guard at a respectful distance. Though he was beyond terrified as to what would surely come, his eyes had wandered around the interior of the castle. He'd never been inside, almost no commoner ever had before—unless it was for a serious reason. He found the decors and appearance lovely, like nothing he'd ever seen before. The stain glass windows, the paintings on the walls and ceilings, the hand-stitched tapestries, the long red carpet that led them to a different room. Flik had grown accustomed to living a somewhat peasant life, so seeing the royals' home was surreal to him. Of course, he didn't have much time to admire the beauty of the palace, as there was a dire situation on his hands.
The boats of the Grasshopper clan stopped when reaching the shore of the large island. They were a relatively moderate sized clan, but the number didn't matter so much to them as the strength of their members. Most of them were tall with light, sickly green hair and dull eyes, wearing armor and capes with their clan's symbol somewhere on their clothing.
However, there were two that appeared differently than the rest, to symbolize that the were not just ordinary members. One was chubbier with longer light brown greasy hair, who was slower than the rest, and had a horrid skin condition. He was the less intimidating clan member, and was really only apart of it since he was the leader's brother.
The clan stepped onto the shore of the island, then made their way up the stone steps that led up to the main village. As expected, everyone was hiding away in their homes, not daring to disturb their visitors even by greeting them, as that was not apart of the deal.
Some of the ant hybrids peaked out their windows from behind curtains, just to have a quick glance at their allies as they stormed through the path of the village. Not a word was spoken, just the stomping of their boots and the clamping of metal weapons in their holsters.
As the Grasshoppers got closer to the other end of the island, right near the regal palace, they narrowed their eyes at the table that had clearly fallen over. "What in the hell?" One of them asked.
They all sped up their pace to approach the table, glancing around it for signs of the food that was supposed to be placed atop it. But they soon came to the realization that there was none. They could have just assumed that something happened to the collection, considering the table was knocked over. But the Grasshoppers were not reasonable men. They jumped to the conclusion that the ants had foregone the offering on purpose, perhaps to defy them.
"Oh those little pests!" One Grasshopper groveled, clenching a fist.
"We will not stand for this!" Another declared.
Before the lords could start a riot, they all shut their mouths when seeing a gloved hand raise in the air to silence them. They all saw their tallest member—their leader—stand near the bridge that led to the castle. He stared up at the bricked structure in anger, "Come, let's find the reasoning behind this.."
The guard entered the large throne room, where atop marble steps at the other end were three golden thrones. In the middle sat the queen herself, Atta on her left and Dot on the right, with Aphie sitting at her feet. The council stood just below the steps with proper postures. The room had been completely silent for the longest time until they all looked over upon the doors opening, which had made them nervous at first.
The guard stepped in, "Princess, someone wishes to inform you of an emergency."
Atta knew he was referring to her, and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Send them in." She said, her stomach turning in a knot.
The guard nodded, then gestured for the commoner to enter. Flik stepped in with a nervous, forced smile. Princess Atta immediately sighed, rolling her eyes upon seeing his presence. She figured anything he had to say to her now wasn't as important as he would make it out to be. But as the princess, she still had to be considerate and willing to listen to her subjects' pleas. She remained seated as he approached the bottom of the steps, giving the rulers a respectful bow.
"What is the emergency, Flik?" The eldest princess asked, unable to keep the boredom out of her tone. But it clearly went unnoticed by the troubled man as he stood up properly to face her.
"Forgive me, your highness, but something's happened to the offering." He said with a worried frown.
The princess's eyes went from bored to fearful and urgent in an instant. She tensed up and furrowed her brows at him, "What did you do?"
Before anyone could say another word, the doors of the room burst open. Everyone gasped and turned over to see company they were not expecting to enter. The rulers stood up from their thrones as they watched their lords walk into the room, seeming rather furious.
Their eyes specifically landed on the leading Grasshopper, who stood tall and proud. The stronger brother of the weakest member, messy dark brown hair and long limp antennas atop his head. Piercing brown eyes, one scarred and damaged severely. The island inhabitants, aside from the royal family, had never actually seen him in person, but they had heard tales of his doings, and they knew he was not one to tolerate foolishness or defiance. And he looked just as intimidating as they'd imagined.
Flik stepped aside, staring nervously up at the leader. He swallowed as he kept a safe distance from the lords, standing where the council members decided to remain as they were frozen by fear. "It's him.." He whispered to himself, "H-Hopper..."
The clan leader stepped up onto the marble step as the queen gave him a quick curtsey. "My lord..it is an honor." She spoke emotionlessly, despite feeling quite fearful herself. Dot had stepped away, wanting to run and hide in her room, or anywhere that wasn't occupied by Grasshoppers. But she felt that if she tried to run, she would be unsuccessful and probably disrespectful as well.
"Your highness, do we not have a deal?" Hopper spoke rhetorically, giving her a scowl. "Where is my food?!"
No one said a word. The queen tried thinking of a response, but she didn't have any idea what had happened to the offering, as Flik didn't get the chance to explain.
Princess Atta spoke up after a moment, quietly, "I-is it not out there..?"
"What?" Hopper asked, turning to face her. "Excuse me? Do I look like a fool?"
Atta shook her head, now wishing she hadn't said anything as she saw him step up closer to her. "N-no, my lord." She shook her head. She swallowed and grew pale as he towered over her, nearly backing her up against her throne that she almost fell backward into.
"And who might you be?" He asked with suspicious eyes, noticing the golden tiara atop her head by her antennas.
"My lord, this is my eldest, Princess Atta." The queen spoke, feeling nervous for her daughter that she wanted to protect. But there wasn't much she could do that Hopper would tolerate. She just had to pray he wouldn't lay a hand on the poor, terrified princess.
Hopper nodded in realization, "Oh yes, I remember you. You were just a child the last time I saw you." He eyed her up and down for a moment, only adding to Atta's fear. "You've grown quite a bit." He stepped aside, allowing the other clan members to have a look at her as well. He turned to them and asked, "Hasn't she grown?"
Atta's antennas twitched as he grabbed her chin to 'playfully' shake her head. She gulped as she felt all the Grasshoppers eyeing her figure up and down. She felt harassed by just their gazes alone, knowing they staring at her more prominent places.
Flik watched in pure disgust and fear. He could not stand seeing his princess being humiliated like this. And as much as he wanted to do something to prevent it, he knew he couldn't. He would only cause more trouble if he made his presence known.
Hopper got up in her face and spoke, "Do you remember any of us? We help protect you and your kingdom, do we not?"
"Y-yes, but—" She stammered before he forcefully sat her down on her throne. Dot hid behind her mother, keeping her face on the fabric of the queen's dress as she did not want to see any more of the scene unfold.
Hopper stepped around the throne, leaning down to keep his face close to hers. "And in return for that protection, you are to offer us the food we request. Do you understand?" He asked.
"Yes, my lord, but there's been some mistake—" She said, trying to lean away from him.
"A mistake?" He asked, cutting her off. "Hmm..well, seeing as how you're next in line for the crown, I'm assuming you're going to take responsibility for this 'mistake'." He said with a raised eyebrow.
Princess Atta gave him a confused look, "Why must I take the blame? This was not my doing."
Hopper chuckled, patting the side of her head, "That is just how it works, princess. See, I, as a leader myself, take blame for any mistakes my clan members may make. They're not necessarily my fault, but I take responsibility for it, as their leader. So, you as a leader too should understand. Am I in any way unclear?"
"No, my lord." She sighed, bowing her head in shame. Flik watched her and frowned, feeling the overwhelming guilt and regret eat him alive. He didn't wish any of this on the princess, and hearing her speak so defeatedly after taking blame for his mistake only made him wish he could trade places with her.
Hopper sighed as he stood up properly, "It's quite an unfair world out there, princess. But that is just how things are, and it's best when we do not question them. Now, allow me to explain how our deal works," He faced her again, "The sun grows the food, your subjects pick the food, the Grasshoppers eat the food—"
"And the avems eat the Grasshoppers!" A voice suddenly spoke up. Everyone turned to see it none other than Hopper's brother, Molt, who began to speak rather energetically, "Much like the one that nearly ate you, remember brother?! Oh what a rough experience, I am so glad it was not me!" He turned to another Grasshopper, "Oh you should have seen it!"
"Molt." Hopper spoke, but his brother ignored him.
"The avem has him halfway down its own throat, I tell you!" Molt continued, intriguing the other clan members, as they had never heard this tale of their leader before. Avems were dangerous creatures that were considered devils to the insect hybrids. There wasn't a single soul that didn't fear the wrath and feathered, taloned exterior of an avem.
"And Hopper is kicking and screaming for his damn life, and me? Oh heaven forbid I go anywhere near it! I nearly soiled my own pants!"
"Molt!" The Grasshopper leader growled, but upon being ignored again, he rolled his eyes and stepped down from the thrones to walk over. The other clan members noticed him approaching and immediately stepped away. Molt could barely respond before he felt himself being tugged by the antennas and dragged over to the nearest pillars.
Hopper pushed his brother against the stone pillar and stared him dead in the eyes as he growled, "I swear had I not promised Mother on her deathbed that I would not kill you, I would kill you."
"And believe me, that is greatly appreciated—" Molt responded nervously.
"Quiet!" The leader commanded, giving him a stern look, "I do not wish to hear another word from you while we are on this island. Do you understand me?" Molt merely whimpered in response, earning a harsh shake by the shoulders from Hopper, "I repeat, do you understand me?!"
"I cannot answer! You said I could not speak!" Molt said in his defense. Hopper grew curious and raised a fist, the younger brother immediately cowering, "Remember Mother!"
Hopper, still in his rage, turned away and ended up striking his fist at a different Grasshopper member, who fell to the ground. The leader took a breath, then noticed everyone staring at him in shock and terror. He put on a fake grin and spoke, "Hey now, I am a compassionate man. There's still quite some time before the rains come, so you all could just try again."
The queen frowned, "But my lord, the harsh winter will approach soon. My subjects need this time to gather food for themselves."
"Now listen," Hopper said as he stepped to stand right below the steps, "If you cannot keep your end of our bargain, then I'm afraid I cannot guarantee your safety. And may I remind you that there are people out there that will take advantage of your kindness and trust?! There is a reason we do this every year, and you know it." He stared right into the queen's eyes, who merely nodded in understanding.
He then smirked, "And if something like this happens again, one of you may end up hurt..." He snapped his fingers.
Everyone gasped as they heard a shout in the distance. They looked over at the opened doors to see a ragged, jittery Grasshopper member hastily step in. His antennas were lopsided and thinner than most grasshopper hybrids' were. He was incredibly thin himself, so much that his veins popped out from his skin and a few of his bones would be visible if it weren't for the tattered clothing. He had a metal mask that shielded his face, but his eyes were still perceptible, and they were utterly horrifying.
Princess Dot felt fear rush through and take over her body. She knew better than to run, but her instincts told her to stay as far away from whatever this creature was as possible. She immediately darted down the steps so she could find another way out of the room, but wasn't successful in time, as one of the clan members flew over to land in her way.
He tugged her by the arm and dragged her over, despite her attempts to flee again. Hopper noticed and took her from the Grasshopper member, faking a frown. "What is the matter, little one?" He asked condescendingly, beginning to drag her over to the ragged clan member, "Do you not like Thumper? Does he scare you?"
Dot whimpered and cried, putting her hands up in hopes it would be some sort of protection. Atta and her mother frowned and shared a glance, both knowing they couldn't do anything to help the poor girl, no matter how badly they wanted to rush over and shield her from any Grasshopper that touched her. But seeing as how Atta couldn't even defend herself, she knew she couldn't.
Thumper, the masked one growled as he stared down at her, pulling out a whip from his belt. Dot closed her eyes and turned her head away, bracing herself for anything that they might do. But the whole moment was interrupted upon a desperate high voice calling out, "Leave her be!"
Hopper turned, searching for who would dare speak to him. "Who said that?!" He hissed. No one spoke. No one confessed. Princess Atta and the queen even seemed confused, but terrified nonetheless. And they couldn't blame whoever it was for not admitting to it.
Hopper released Dot from his grasp, allowing her to immediately run over to the thrones and to hide behind her mother.
"Well, it appears that you ant folk are forgetting where you stand." Hopper said, turning around to face the royal family. "So now, we shall double the order of food."
The ant hybrids in the room all gasped in disbelief. The order of the offering was already high enough, and it was already difficult collecting it all throughout the warm seasons. Now with little time to prepare for winter, they were expected to gather more?!
"But my lord, we do not have the resources to—" The queen spoke, holding her youngest close to her.
Hopper cut her off threateningly, "Double quarter or you know what happens."
The queen closed her mouth, knowing exactly what he meant. Atta was confused by his threat, but she didn't dare question it. Not yet, at least.
Hopper walked over to his brother, yanking off a piece of skin from his hand, which had caused him to yelp quietly. "We shall return at the end of the autumn season." He pronounced, then dropped the piece of skin as he stared directly at Princess Atta, "When the last leaf falls..."
Atta watched the skin fall to the floor, then briefly glanced out one of the windows to see the largest tree on the island.
"You all have a wonderful summer." He said quietly, then turned to his clan, "Let us leave!"
And with that, the Grasshoppers flew out of the throne room, some laughing and mocking a goodbye to the royals.
Once they were all gone, everyone left in the room turned to Flik, who was standing in a corner, chuckling nervously. Oh, he was in for it now.