Hive Queen

by Sinclair, Grayson

  “Think nothing of it.” He smiled wide. “As I said, you've grown on me, and you may not realize it, but you being here has had a major effect on all of us."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I've known Duran for a long time. In fact, I met him at probably the worst period of his life. I've seen him at his worst and what I thought was his best…until he met you. It's obvious to those who've spent so much time with him. He's different when he's with you, and it makes us happy to have some light return to his eyes."

  It dawned on me that I didn’t know how Sam and Gil met. Sam called Gil his best friend, and I could see why, but I wanted to know their story.

  “How’d the two of you meet?”

  Gil laughed and tugged on his ear, but his eyes looked away from me. “Um, when he tried to rob me.”

  I snorted. “Really?”

  He nodded but looked at me sideways. “You don’t seem surprised by that.”

  “I’m not. I know Sam used to be a bandit. I don’t like it, but it’s in the past, and he’s not that person anymore.”

  “True, but anyway, back to how we met,” he said and sat beside me. “I was working as an adventurer in the Compass Kingdom. Ran with a guild of gold-ranked players, so we started taking more dangerous quests, trying to earn as much as possible. One day the leader comes back with a quest to guard a caravan of elven merchants delivering goods to and from Yllsaria. The pay was good, so we all agreed and teleported to Siltfall and met the merchants as they came out of the Emerald Ocean. Two days out, and things were quiet.”

  “Until they weren’t,” I said.

  “Until they weren’t. Caravan gets ambushed, and Karen takes an arrow to her throat…she drops, and all hell breaks loose. I rush in with my axe, but it’s clear that we’re outnumbered. My guildmates are dropping like flies, and then out comes this kid, a wild glint in his eye, sword stained with my friends’ blood.”

  My heart sped up as he told his story, cotton in my mouth. “Duran?”

  He nodded. “He fought like a devil, but you’ve seen what he can do. Second best swordsman I’ve ever seen.”

  “What happened next?”

  He looked up and to the side, staring off into space. He stood up quickly. “That’ll have to wait. We’ve got to get a move on. Evelyn just sent me a message, and I’d rather not keep her waiting.”

  Gil gathered up his bag, which hung next to a rack of swords. He took a look at the swords and back at me. “You need a weapon.”

  I shook my head, standing and going to rouse the children. “I’ve got magic, so I don’t need to carry a sword.”

  “Magic alone won’t help you if an enemy gets close. You need something stabby, just in case.”

  I chuckled and ruffled Tegen’s hair as he tried to go back to sleep. I appreciated Gil’s concern, but I’d gotten stronger at controlling my magic, and I didn’t need to carry a weapon.

  “It’ll be easier to show you,” I said and held out my hand.

  I pulled at the magic that thrummed through my veins. The magic that flowed through time and space, connecting me with my ancestors.

  The magic of the Hive.

  My hands pooled with smoke and brought the scents of the Nymirian forest spilling through my fingers. The smoke dripped down my hands to cascade around my feet and pulsed with the energy of every living creature under my bailiwick. The descendants of the once-proud Hive.

  My children.

  I let them rest in their safe havens; I had no need to call them to me. I pulled much deeper into the Hive Mind, drowning myself in verdant smoke and the echoes of the Mnemosyne. I’d never dug this deep into my magic before, and I let the shades of the past whisper to me and guide me to where I thought I needed to be.

  A brush of my own Aspect guided me to the spell I wanted. I had never used this spell before, but I tugged, and it came without resistance. The Aspect wished for to me to stay, immerse myself in power at my command, but I couldn't; my magic was fading quickly, and I needed to see this done. I had to prove I could do this.

  I brought the spell I wanted with me out of the Hive Mind and departed. As I came out of it, the spell activated, pooling chitin over my skin, burrowing out of every one of my pores. Black chitin wrapped itself around my arm and crawled up my hand to form to my desires—a blade of darkness, sharp enough to sever the very air in two.

  Throughout the process, Gil had stood there silent, dumbfounded at my display of power. As the chitin sword finished constructing itself, he whistled appreciatively. He looked at me with a sly smile on his face and wonder in his eyes. "Badass. I've never seen magic used like that. I mean, you didn't even use Script."

  Oh, right. Sam voiced the same thought when he first saw my magic, but I didn't see why it was all that special. Liam could use magic without spells, so why was my magic any different? The Hive was ingrained into my soul; why would I need to use an incantation to use a part of myself?

  "Hive magic doesn't require such things."

  Gil laughed, his eyes still wide at the lingering smoke that drifted down my hands. "Yeah, I can see that."

  He once more stared off into space and cursed.

  “All right, all right. Jeez, have some patience, woman,” he muttered as he turned to me. “I know I promised I’d help you get ready, but I’ve got some last-minute preparations to handle.” He opened the door and pointed at a building across from us. “Head into the storehouse and take whatever you need.”

  I nodded, but he’d already gone around the corner. I glanced at Tegen and Cheira, who’d woken up from their nap and were now drawing in the dirt, completely disregarding how filthy their clothes were getting. “I’ve got to go next door, do you want to come with me or stay here?”

  “I want to finish the drawing,” Cheira said, her voice light, happy.

  “Yeah,” Tegen replied.

  “Okay, but if you need anything, I’m just over there,” I said and pointed to the storehouse. “And don’t be afraid to ask Gil for help. He’s a good human, I promise.”

  They nodded emphatically, not paying me any mind. I smiled at them. It’s good to see things have changed. The old Hive wasn’t like this. Makes me hopeful for the future.

  I got up and left the heated shop. The cool breeze was soothing on my skin; it swept up small leaves and dust that swirled in little clouds as the breeze rolled through. The storehouse was easy to find, as it was the only other building besides the stables and Gil's shop. The wood old and worn, but well-kept, and the thatch roof looked fresh and damp.

  I opened the pine door and was bathed in darkness.

  To my surprise, I wasn't alone in the building. Adam looked up from one of the many shelves that ran through the large building. It was filled with more items than I'd ever seen in once place; even the store that Sam took me to paled next to this. Nearly a dozen rows of wooden shelves were stacked in a neat and orderly fashion. Potions, tools, clothes, and boxes upon boxes of things labeled in small, neat handwriting that I couldn't make out from this distance. Oh, this is a lot of stuff. I don't have the first clue what I need. Thankfully, Adam noticed my utter confusion and graciously decided to show mercy on me.

  "What are you looking for?"

  I smiled sheepishly at him. "I haven't the faintest idea," I admitted.

  He laughed to himself and sat the blue vial in his hands back on the shelf and walked over to me. He looked me over, noticing my clothing, and gave me a nod of approval. "I take it you're needing supplies for the trip?"

  I nodded at him.

  "What kind of supplies do you need?"

  One of the strands of my hair had fallen loose, and I twirled it around my finger. I was a little embarrassed about how utterly clueless I was about so many things. "I'm not sure."

  He smiled a tight smile and started looking around the room, using his finger to count the aisles, looking for something in particular. He shook his head and muttered to himself. Almost so quiet that I couldn't hear it. "No, that won't work." He
rubbed his hands together and clapped. "I've got it!"

  Adam ran over to the wall and grabbed a large backpack. Well, it probably would have been average on anyone else, but it would look ridiculous on my slight frame. He seemed to notice that very thing as he grabbed for it. "Definitely not."

  He went through the many bags that lined the wall until he found a small bag that looked like it would fit nicely. It was made of worn leather but seemed quite sturdy. He smiled, and his eyes glazed over and ran through the tightly packed aisles at random, grabbing things by the handful and stuffing them in the bag. I tried to keep up but was almost immediately lost as to what he was putting in the bag. It took him next to no time to fill the bag up completely. In less than five minutes, he returned to me and handed me the bag. I went to take it from him, only for him to snatch it from my hands.

  "I forgot something," he said in a rush and went over to the racks of potions on the shelves. He snagged a small red vial and a blue one. On his way back, he picked up what looked like a piece of leather.

  "You probably won't need these, as we tend to carry them in excess, but it won't hurt to have them just in case."

  He stuffed both vials into the leather cloth, which had pouches sewn into them. He rolled them up and tied them with a thin cord before dropping it into the bag and handed it to me once more, though this time I was much more careful about grabbing for it. "There you go—should have ample supplies for the trip."

  I opened the bag and peeked inside. "What's all in here?" I asked.

  Adam paced back and forth, scratching at his head as if he couldn't remember what he had placed inside the pack either. "Um, should be your typical adventurers' pack. Tent, pillow, and blankets. Along with two weeks’ of dry rations and spices. Flint and steel with tinder. Dungeon delving kit. Fifty feet of tightly wound rope and two torches. Hunting kit with a knife. Along with a first aid kit and one health and mana potion. Should be more than enough."

  I tried to cram my meager bundle of clothes in with the bag and just managed to squeeze everything in and close the bag. I hefted it on my shoulders and found it cumbersome, but manageable. I had to untie my cloak to secure the bag to my back, but once I had done so and retied the cloak, I found the thick leather concealed the bag nicely and that it didn't jostle or clank when I moved around. I beamed at Adam. "Thank you so much!"

  He looked at me, confused. "For what?"

  "For the backpack…"

  His eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah, right, right, right. Of course, you're more than welcome."

  At that moment, the door to the storeroom opened in haste. It banged against the wall outside with a heavy thump. Evelyn stormed in. She didn't look angry, but the force of the door slam suggested she was. Her posture was one of aggravation, even if she kept it off her face. Her long silver hair whispered behind her back as she strode through the storehouse. The sharp clack of her shoes on the stone echoed, and her bright golden eyes shone with the light of the sun even in darkness.

  "There you are. I should have known you'd—" She took note of my presence, almost like an afterthought. "Oh, little queen, you're here as well." She shifted her gaze to my back. "You're all set to go?"

  I nodded. "I am."

  "Good. Then let’s hit the road."

  Adam seemed to panic a bit at the abruptness of Evelyn's arrival. "Wait, I'm not ready yet."

  Evelyn turned and glared at her brother, her eyes not accepting Adam's excuse. "You've had your bag packed five minutes after we left the dining hall, and you have all of the constructs and creatures that you could possibly need or want, so don't give me that nonsense. Quit dragging your feet and get your ass in gear."

  Adam nodded, crestfallen, his head hanging low as he followed his sister out.

  What a strange family. I laughed at that; I had no room to talk. I quickly followed the back into the biting daylight.

  Chapter 6 - The Salted Mire

  The four of us made our way to the stables. Since I was with them, they couldn't take a teleporter, but the others didn't seem upset at the prospect. Adam opened the door to the stables for us, and we walked inside.

  The others scrunched their noses at the smell of the stable. The raw stench of manure, sweat, and animal blended together with the body heat of the horses. I didn't mind the smell, though. Evelyn, Adam, and Gil immediately went to separate stalls each one housed a different horse.

  The horses recognized their owners and were happy to see them. I didn't have a horse of my own, a fact that became apparent to everyone quickly.

  Adam thumbed his finger back at me. "Who's sharing a horse with her?"

  I walked over to the furthest pen from the door to see a familiar face. I smiled at the obsidian horse. "Why don't I ride Lacuna?"

  Adam laughed. "Don't bother; she hates everyone but Duran."

  I leaned over the pen to run my hand over her face and along her thick mane of midnight hair. Lacuna nuzzled against me. "Good girl," I cooed.

  Adams's jaw dropped, which caused me to giggle. "Well, I take back what I said."

  The others busied themselves with saddling their own horses, while I went to grab Tegen and Cheira.

  They hadn't moved an inch, still playing where I had left them. I picked them both up, dusted off their filthy clothes, and carried them to Lacuna.

  I sat them on the horse and climbed up; it was difficult but much easier than the last time I tried. Sam's not here to do it for you. Do it yourself. It took two tries, but I managed. I let both of the children ride in front of me; they were small enough to fit in the seat together comfortably.

  Everyone else was atop their horses. Evelyn rode a deep gray horse with a snow-white mane, while Adam sat astride and beige and chocolate horse with deep brown eyes. Gil's horse was nearly as tall as Lacuna, but where Lacuna was lean and tall, Gil's horse was clearly a warhorse, with a mountain of muscle. It was a deep champagne with black hair that was longer than the others.

  They were all beautiful creatures, but none could compare to Lacuna. I reached down to stroke her hair.

  "Is everyone ready to go?" I asked.

  "We are, but why do I feel like we're missing something?"

  Gil's question was answered by a high-pitched scream. "Wait for me!"

  The four of us turned our heads simultaneously at the source of the commotion. A shock of bright red hair tied back in pigtails flapping in the wind greeted us as Makenna ran full sprint from the keep. Clouds of dust rose in her wake as she ran with her bag nestled in her arms. She tried to sling it on her back and keep running at the same time, but she tripped and landed in the dirt.

  She sat up with a groan and wiped the mass of dust from her traveling clothes.

  Makenna wore dark green wool pants that hugged her legs quite nicely, and a black sleeveless tunic only a tad big on her. She was maybe an inch taller than me, and even with the dirt, she was too cute.

  She doubled over and tried to catch her breath, gulping down huge lungful’s of air. Gil inhaled sharply and muttered to himself beside me, "I forgot about her. Oh, she's so going to poison me in my sleep."

  His words both confused me and intrigued me at the same time, so I had to ask. I turned to face Gil. "Why would she poison you?"

  I didn't think my question was rude, but Gil shot me a heated look. His eyes pleaded with me, but the damage was done.

  "Gilgamesh! You ass! You forgot me, didn't you?”

  Gil sighed into his hand. "Shit."

  Oh, that’s why. I’m sorry, Gil. I think I just got you in trouble.

  "I'm sorry, Kenna. I got so absorbed in my work that I tuned everything out."

  She huffed, and it was clear she was still angry at him, but she let slip a grin, letting him know he was forgiven.

  Makenna still jabbed a finger at him. “Since you have so much time for your side projects, then you have time to get Cinder saddled for me."

  "Of course I can," Gil said, hopping off his horse and walking as fast as his legs could carry him
back to the stables.

  He returned a few minutes later with Cinder in tow.

  I found her name to be appropriate. Her coat was such a bright brown that it seemed like fire alight under the eyes of the sun, and she had a mane the color of a burning wick, black, which lightened to a bright auburn as it fell down her flank.

  Makenna dropped her pack and ran over to her so she could run her hands over her coat. Cinder reveled in the affection, but the others weren't so accommodating with her. Evelyn hummed under her breath for a few moments, eyeing Makenna before she got tired of it and yelled at her.

  "Quit playing with your horse and let's get a move on, we're already behind schedule."

  Makenna stood with a jolt. "Right, sorry!"

  She leaned to pick up her pack and closed it. She motioned with her hand, and the pack vanished. Makenna expertly climbed onto Cinder, a method that seemed the most natural thing in the world. I'll have to see if I can get her to teach me that. As soon as she was in her saddle, Evelyn led the group to the castle gate, which opened from a sharp whistle from Gil. A young-looking man on top of the wall gave a sharp nod and lowered the gate for us.

  The heavy wooden gate thumped on the dirt road, sending more than a few clouds of dust spiraling into the wind. The whistling breeze muted the clomp of hooves over the wood; it screamed past our ears like the wail of the dead and brought with it a chill from the lake below us.

  I shivered despite the beating gaze of the sun. We rode off the gate, and with a command from the gate guard, the massive gate began to rise back once more. The Gloom Knights all stayed for a moment to make sure that it was secure before we set out.

  As soon as the gate shut, Evelyn took off at speed, not bothering to look behind her to see if we were following.

  With a swear from Gil, the others raced to catch up with her. I followed along, but at a reduced speed. Just enough to keep them in sight of me while I tried to master horsemanship.

  Lacuna was a very smart horse, and she helped me as much as she could. It took around a couple hours or so of riding before I got the hang of it. Lacuna would neigh and speed up whenever I was in danger of falling behind, so she made for a competent instructor.