I do not own Chaotic nor anything related to it. It belongs to TCDigital.

-\/\/\/-

THe DaNiaN HiVe

-\/\/\/-

Mount Pillar has been in view for a while now, the massive tower looming higher and higher as the time passes. It looks like our two groups are traveling alone, but occasionally I spot a scout peeking out from the scenery to check on us.

"Don't worry," Sarah says to me, "they know I'm bringing your group. Nobody's going to open fire on you when they see you."

That ins't the reason I'm so nervous, but Sarah doesn't need to know that. "Thanks for the heads up," I mutter. "It must be amazing being surrounded by living cell phones."

"What's a cell phone?" Phelphor asks.

Why do I get the feeling he already knows?

{SiLeNCe.}

Of course he can't possibly know.

-\/\/\/-

We pass a wall, the official beginning of Danain territory, though in reality they control much more land than that. The gates into Mount Pillar are now maybe a couple hundred feet away.

Sarah whistles, and the beetles pulling her chariot slow and stop. One mandiblor pulls a door open on the side of the chariot, and another attaches a small stepladder leading down to the ground.

"The Danians know how to care for kozorr, don't worry," Sarah reassures us as she steps down from the chariot. "Just make sure you have everything you'll need while you're here."

My company dismounts, and the soldiers and servants start going through the wagons. Malvadine removes the tarp of the rearmost wagon, then calls out, "Prince Osiris! The gift intended for Chaor is still in here!"

I raise my eyebrows and head over to take a look. The package wrapped in red cloth is indeed sitting in the back. "Didn't we...?" I call out to Isis. "Do you remember why Chaor didn't take the gift we brought?"

{HoW LoNG HaS THaT BeeN BaCK TheRe? iSiS, THe CReaTuRe iN THe iCe MuST HaVe DiSTRaCTeD HiM.}

"Maybe he forgot all about it when we discovered Phelphor," Isis suggests.

I glance at Phelphor, who is being helped out of the chariot by a couple mandiblors. "Makes sense, he did come as a bit of a shock to everyone." I turn to Malvadine. "Find a good place to put it, we're not lugging that thing around."

After everything is in place, we start walking to the gate. Isis repeats the list of things I need to keep in mind about diplomacy with Danians. "Make sure you always look like you know what you're doing. Answer questions quickly, or don't answer at all. Don't make eye contact with nobles, look at their antennae instead. If you forget whether a Danian is a noble or not, assume he is a noble, you won't offend anyone. Don't ask for anyone's names, you will be told unless you aren't allowed to know. It's rude to thank servants directly, you're supposed to thank their employers. Refuse any gift offered to you twice before accepting."

Danian customs are bizarre.

Sarah raises her left hand as we approach the gates, and several mandiblors hurry to push them open.

...Holy crap.

Holy. Freaking. Crap.

This place is crowded! The hall is huge, maybe the size of two football fields, and it's absolutely packed with Danians and Humans!

"Welcome to the ground floor, the market," Sarah says. "Stay close to me."

-\/\/\/-

Perfume, cloth, fungus, alcohol, books, ink, jewelry. You name it and I've probably passed at least three shops selling it. Paper, mugics, swords, fruit, sculptures, glass, clothing. Ordinary and unusual, dangerous and harmless, I've seen the gamut of it all.

I see a fenced off area, and inside the pen are three creatures, unmistakably former Humans turn Danian. They look like their skin has been replaced by Danian exoskeleton, and an extra pair of thin arms protrude from their sides. A natural-born Danian stands near them. Unlike the rest of the hall, he isn't loudly advertising the wares. Apparently the simple display of the now-Danian Humans is advertisement enough.

I feel numb. My mind is buzzing with memories of a past life whereI was almost assimilated. Almost, before I threw myself off Mount Pillar to my death.

Sarah stops in front of the servant-merchant. "I need to confirm the papers for those three."

"Right away, Lady Sarah," the Danian says with a bow before handing over a stack of papers.

Sarah flips through the papers. "Hm, Alexander, age fifty-seven solans, male, voluntary infection. Recent acquisition?"

The merchant nods. "Sold three months of time starting yesterday. Poor guy, he was half-starved when he came to me."

"I can easily verify this one," Sarah says. She hands the paper to one of the mandiblors following her. "Scribe a copy and return the original to him."

"Yes ma'am."

My pulse is racing again. Half of me wants to scream at the sight of this exchange, and the other half wants to grab Isis and run far, far away to safety.

Sarah looks at the next paper. "Johnathon, age eighty solans, male, punishment infection."

"Multiple counts of assault and attempted murder," the merchant explains. "Two solan sentence."

Sarah hands the page off to the Danian behind her, who is still making a copy of the first one. She looks at the third page. "Pamela, age forty solans, female." Sarah raises an eyebrow. "The last day of her contract is in a week." She flips the paper over. "Already sold? Who purchases a servant with a contract that expires that soon?"

The merchant's mandibles click together. "Her family. They want to be absolutely sure that they are the first thing she sees when her service is complete, so they purchased her last few days."

"I see." Sarah hands the paper back to the Danian scribe behind her. "And do you swear that these servants were obtained legally, will be sold legally, and that their rights will be protected while you hold their contracts."

The merchant balls his upper left hand into a fist and presses it against his chest. "I swear."

"Good," Sarah nods. "I will, of course, check these servants' registries."

"I understand," the merchant replies. "Lady Sarah, are you aware that you are being followed by a group of Mipedians?" He turns his head towards my group. "And one, no, two Humans?"

"I am aware," Sarah replies. Her scribe hands her a larger stack of papers than the stack he'd received. Sarah looks through then, then hands half back to the merchant. "Prince Osiris, is something wrong?"

My heart is trying to beat it's way out of my chest. My throat is dry and painful. I'm going to start hyperventilating at any time. "If this is what it feels like when you're dealing with someone cooperative, I don't want to know how I'll feel when you deal with someone who resists."

-\/\/\/-

Sarah stopped three more times along the way to the elevators, checking out various servants and collecting copies of their papers. Now we're all gathered in the elevator, which starts to ascend.

Before Sarah can say anything, I turn to her. "Isis and I spoke, and, as much as we want to help, our nerves won't last long while we're here."

Sarah glances at me from head to toe. "...You're right. I don't know what I was thinking." She looks confused. "I don't even remember why I thought you'd be able to help."

Phelphor's eyes dart between Sarah and me. Why does he look anxious?

{TRy To HeLP FoR THRee DayS.}

Maybe I can last three days? No, wait, what are you thinking?

Phelphor's eyes widen.

{TWo DaYS.}

I rub my eyes. Where are these crazy thoughts coming from?

{ONe DaY! You WiLL NoT Be aBLe To LiVe WiTH iT iF you SiMPLy aBaNDoNeD ThoSe PooR HuMaNS!}

"One day," I mutter. "Well stay a night, a day, and a night, and be off in the morning. I don't know what we'll be able to do in one day, but we'll at least try."

"Has anyone seen Sett?" Ashley suddenly asks. She sounds panicked.

I do not need this right now! "Crap. When's the last time anyone saw him?"

The elevator slows, and the doors open. Standing before us is Sett, doubled over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath and coughing hard. "I hate... the stairs... in Mount Pillar..."

"Where'd you go?" I snap. "Ashley just about had a heart attack!"

Sett stumbles in. "Ashley... I got that... ring you wanted..." He holds up a small box.

Ashley blinks, then lifts the box from Sett's hand. "I... You..."

I turn my attention away from them. They can work that out on their own. "That hall down there..." I shiver.

Sarah quickly changes the subject. "I'll have a few rooms of my home set up for your company to spend the night in, if that's all right with you."

I hesitate. Is this one of the things I need to refuse twice before accepting?

Sarah must have realized what I'm thinking. "Technically I'm not a Danian, so-"

"Ah, well, then thank you very much," I respond.

Sarah turns to Phelphor. "I don't have enough rooms to give Phelphor one of his own. Would it be all right if he shared yours?"

An odd chill runs down my back. "I don't think-"

{you WouLD LoVe To SHaRe a RooM WiTH THe M'aRRiLLiaN, MiCHaeL.}

"-that we have any problem with that."

Isis gives me a confused look. "Are you sure-"

{you Too, iSiS.}

"-that Phelphor would be okay with it?"

"I don't have a problem," Phelphor says.

-\/\/\/-

I think it's midnight. The lights are all out, the curtains are all closed. Isis and I are in a simple double bed, and Phelphor has another double bed to himself on the other side of the room.

I can't sleep.

{WHat aRe you, MiCHaeL? WHaT iS So WRoNG WiTH youR BRaiN THaT I MuST CoNSTaNTLy MaKe SuRe you aRe THiNKiNG WHaT i WaNTyou To THiNK?}

I roll over and wrap an arm around Isis, who thankfully is getting her sleep. I wish I could fall asleep as easily as you, Isis.

{youR THouGHTS aRe SCaTTeRed, DiSCoNNeCTeD FRoM eaCH oTHeR. ReaDiNG youR MiND TaKeS MuCH MoRe eFFoRT THaN iT SHouLD.}

I hear Phelphor shift on his bed, and he snores loudly. Gee, thanks.

{i MuST MaKe you TRuST Me iF i aM To SuCCeeD iN My MiSSioN. i WiSH i CouLD SiMPLy KiLL you aND Be DoNe WiTH iT, BuT i aM Too FaR FRoM THe DooRS.}

I sit up. "Did you say something, Phelphor?"

{HoW DiD you-? Go To SLeeP!}

-\/\/\/-

uP NeXT: THe WaY To LuRe a CRiMiNaL

-\/\/\/-

Like I said before, Chaotic belongs to TCDigital.

If you like the story, please follow and leave a review!