by Pirateaba
I pause. Klbkch is speaking carefully, and if I read between the lines…
“You’re offering to help. Why?”
“Because Erin Solstice must survive. She must live to help the Antinium. And you are attempting to protect her because you both come from the same world.”
He knows. My heart stops dead in my chest for a second. He knows.
I glance around, but the inn is empty. Where has everyone gone? And why is it daytime all of a sudden?
Klbkch says nothing. He just looks at me. Watching. He’s seeing how I react.
Can I take him? He’s got two swords and classes. So…no. My right hand is still injured and I’ve got no weapons.
“I would prefer this discussion remain civil. Rest assured, I will not harm you or Erin. That is the last thing I desire.”
Fuck. But at least I might not die this instant. I try to keep my voice level as I reply. Focus. This is…the Antinium are as bad as Magnolia. If they know…
“Why bother with the niceties? Are you trying to get us on your side so we can help your Hive?”
Klbkch’s gaze doesn’t waver.
“So long as Erin lives, she will help my Hive. But to answer your question: my Queen is not aware that your and Erin come from another world, Ryoka Griffin. If she was, you would be captured and quickly interrogated.”
I feel a chill. But, wait a second. Klbkch is saying—he’s saying he’s lying to his Queen? For us? No. For Erin?
“Aren’t you supposed to be the right-hand of the Antinium Queens, or something? I thought Prognugators were loyal.”
“I am. But loyalty takes many shapes, and I have grown to question the direction the Antinium are taking. I believe leaving you alive is preferable to your deaths. No—I know this is the case.”
My god. Is this…is this Erin’s effect? She created individual Antinium, but affecting the allegiances of a Prognugator? Or is this something already occurring? I reach for a mug to take a drink. My hand is shaking. Klbkch nods, seeing my reaction.
“I have not informed Erin of this because of the dangers involved.”
“But you’re telling me? Why?”
“Because you can keep a secret. Let me be clear, Ryoka Griffin. Your status as a traveler between worlds is not important to me. If my Queen knew of this, she would interrogate you mercilessly. But I only care about Erin Solstice. She is the valuable one.”
“The Individual Antinium.”
“Just so.”
Klbkch nods.
“Erin Solstice must not die. She must live, and help my Queen change the Antinium from within.”
“But—you want to help us. Help her.”
“I will assist you to the best of my capabilities and inform you of the dangers of which you are not aware. I will reveal secrets of my Hive. I will use my command over Soldiers and Workers to defend this inn and your persons, if need be. I will even lie to my Queen for you.”
“Because Erin is important.”
“She is everything, Ryoka Griffin.”
“Why haven’t you told her this? Why haven’t you offered to tell her…all of this?”
For the first time Klbkch looks uncomfortable. He pauses and clicks his mandibles together delicately.
“I had considered that option to begin with, but it grew apparent that Erin Solstice cannot keep a secret. Anything I tell her will inevitably be repeated to all our costs. You are more discreet.”
So because Erin has a big mouth and doesn’t think he can’t trust her. But he trusts me?
Or does he? Is this all some ploy? I have to test him? Hah, as if I’ve got a choice. Here’s an Antinium Prognugator or—Revalantor or whatever the hell he is now, offering to tell me all about his Hive. I can’t turn my back on this.
Take a breath, Ryoka, and plunge in. I don’t know how far these murky waters go, but if this is the case—I look at Klbkch.
“Fine. Tell me what you know. About the Gnolls and their debt, for instance. You said you know something?”
He nods.
“The Gnolls in Liscor are led by Krshia Silverfang. Ostensibly, they arrived nearly a decade ago to facilitate trade, but their true purpose was to acquire information or objects of value to improve their tribe’s standing. The decennial gathering of Gnoll tribes involves bringing a gift to be shared with all Gnolls, and the Silverfang tribe hoped to gain something of true value to improve their standing and influence at this event.”
Holy fuck. I stare at Klbkch.
“You were planning this all along, weren’t you? You wanted to tell me this.”
He pauses.
“My goal is to keep Erin Solstice alive. It is only fitting that I inform you of all dangers to her, and the Gnoll situation has been studied closely by my Hive.”
“Okay, okay, go on.”
I listen with rapt attention as Klbkch continues.
“Under Krshia’s influence, the Gnolls began pooling their profits and purchasing magical tomes from every shop they could find. They gathered many spell books together—most containing Tier 1 to Tier 3 spells—in the hopes that they might offer them as a gift to the tribes.”
Gnolls learning magic? I’ve never heard of a Gnoll [Mage], just [Shamans]. But wait—didn’t Erin mention the Gnolls had a feud with Wistram?
“So the Gnolls wanted to train their own [Mages].”
“Correct. The spell books were hidden in Krshia Silverfang’s shop, to avoid detection, and, I suspect, to enable them to transfer them easily. A few weeks ago, Krshia Silverfang sent word to her tribe requesting warriors to transport the books out of the city. I believe they were also arriving to help guard Erin Solstice, whom the Gnolls had identified as potentially valuable. However, Gazi the Omniscient slew the first party sent.”
The Gnolls on the road. I remember.
“The next group sent arrived too late. Before the spell books could be transported, Lyonette du Marquin destroyed Krshia Silverfang’s shop using a powerful magical artifact which bypassed the normal magical protections on the books.”
“…Shit.”
That’s even worse than I thought. Klbkch nods.
“It is an unfortunate circumstance, but without any gifts for the Gnoll tribes, the Silverfang tribe will lose much of its standing.”
“And that’s why the debt is around fifty thousand gold coins, isn’t it?”
“A considerable sum was spent accumulating the spell books over the years. I believe the Gnolls were ignorant of the dangers a powerful spell could pose to such books. Most spell books are immune to conventional harm, but sufficiently powerful magic will destroy them.”
I close my eyes.
“Damn it.”
“I surmise that you have accepted the responsibility for this debt along with Erin Solstice. She is aware of the issue, if not the cost, but she will be unable to resolve it herself.”
“And I suppose the Antinium won’t help?”
Klbkch shakes his head.
“Erin Solstice is certainly important to the Hive, but my Queen would never authorize such an expenditure of resources for any individual. At the moment. She does not understand how important Erin is.”
“Which is extremely. You think different from your Queen. Are you rebelling against her?”
“No.”
The word comes out fast and flat. Klbkch stares at me and I’m suddenly aware that he’s armed and I’m not. Then he seems to relax, and I’m able to as well.
“I would never betray my Hive, or my Queen. But I believe she makes mistakes. One of them is not trusting others. My Hive, my Queen, we need allies if we are to change the Antinium.”
“Change the Antinium? How?”
Klbkch hesitates. He holds up one finger.
“Allow me to reconfirm that we are alone.”
I twist in my chair, but that’s an idiotic move. Klbkch is clearly doing something. He looks up after a minute and nods.
“The inn is vacated, and there is no one within two hundred meters of
our location. I have reconfirmed that the [Assassins] and [Scouts] sent by Lady Magnolia are hidden several miles to the east of our position and possess no listening artifacts or spells. Selys Shivertail is with Mrsha in Liscor—”
Wait a second, what did he say?
“What? She’s with Mrsha? Where’s Erin?”
“She is exploring the wilderness with Toren and Lyonette. I believe she informed you of this.”
I…vaguely recall something like that? I was thinking about the Gnolls and remember Erin saying something. I should pay more attention to my surroundings.
…Was Klbkch sitting there the entire time? Watching me? Then another thought strikes me. I pause and stare hard at Klbkch.
“You…know where she is? Both Erin and Selys? At any given moment? Are you having them watched?”
I can’t believe Soldiers and Workers are that good at hiding. Unless…is the Hive that spread out underground? Klbkch shakes his head.
“There is no need for physical scouting. A specialized breed of Antinium developed within our Hive is able to listen to movements and sounds at extreme range. They are able to monitor individuals, if given instructions and time.”
‘There are more Antinium types than just Soldiers and Workers.’
“You have more than Soldiers and Workers?”
“They are known as Listeners. A few were allocated to our Hive. Their existence is not a secret; they were revealed during the Second Antinium War along with a few other types. However, only Soldiers and Workers are allowed within the Hive in Liscor.”
“Why is that?”
“Because my Queen stands lowest among the six Queens under the Grand Queen. Her work here is experimental, as are her ideals. And so she is restricted from utilizing the Hive’s full potential, denied certain resources and equipment.”
A power struggle between the Antinium? No way. But that means—
“Are the Queens competing with one another? Are you at odds? Do the Hives fight each other?”
Klbkch shakes his head.
“Competition is strictly based on achievement. The Queens and the Antinium have one goal, but viewpoints differ between Queens as to best achieve that goal.”
Like having multiple CEO’s working towards one end. I nod, slowly.
“And you want your Queen to succeed.”
“I believe in her mission.”
“Which is to create Individual Antinium capable of leveling which will make the Antinium stronger.”
And deadlier. They would overrun the continent. Klbkch simply nods.
“Astute. My faith in you was not misplaced.”
“But if Erin helps you, we all die. We make the Antinium stronger, and you’ll still kill us all in the end.”
Klbkch shakes his head.
“My Queen is alone in seeking to gather allies and forge relations. Yet even she is limited in…vision. She treats other species as pawns; I would have her see them as people.”
So the Queen in Liscor is more progressive than the other Queens, and her Prognugator is even more so. I think I understand.
“You think you can talk your Queen around. But either way, she has to have more influence.”
“Just so. And the proof of her labors rests in the Individual Antinium.”
“Which is why Erin Solstice is essential.”
“Correct.”
My pulse is racing. I have to calm myself and drink more water before I can speak.
“Okay. Okay, let’s say what you’ve said is all true. What happens when your Queen proves herself? She gets special Antinium?”
“She will gain access to the…tools to create such Antinium if she desires.”
“So the other Hives have special Antinium already.”
The ones who killed General Sserys during the First Antinium Wars. Klbkch nods.
“Each Hive’s Queen has special dispensation to create their own unique type of Antinium. The Grand Queen is privy to every Hive’s secrets, but besides her, each Queen hoards her own unique type of Antinium and method for improving our species.”
Bombshells. That’s what this day is filled with.
“So what you’ve told me is that the Antinium aren’t united. Or rather, there’s a power struggle in the Hives and factions for how the Antinium should evolve.”
Klbkch glances at me.
“If any of the Queens—or other Prognugators—learn that knowledge has come from either you or I, we will both die.”
A moment of silence. I read the unspoken words.
“Does that mean you want me to tell someone? Lady Magnolia?”
“I would prefer my Queen to rise in status. She has worked long without permission to create her own types or deviate from the normal Soldiers and Workers.”
“Because she’s a renegade? Because she’s in disgrace?”
“Because she wants to create Individuals, yes.”
“What happens now that she’s succeeded? Or rather, Erin has? Does she need to prove this to the other Queens, somehow?”
Klbkch’s sits very still. He barely moves, even when speaking or gesturing. He’s an entirely different kind of person, more like a robot than a human being. Yes, a robot. One made from chitin rather than metal. A tin man, a bug man. With a heart.
“A delegation of Antinium will arrive shortly. They will assess whether or not Pawn and the other Individuals are truly Individual. Then the Queens will debate and the Grand Queen will decide what to do with the information.”
“And then?”
Klbkch shrugs.
“It will change everything. Or nothing. The Grand Queen will decide whether Individuals will make the Antinium stronger and move from there.”
“And why do the Antinium need to be strong? To conquer the continent?”
“If necessary.”
The cold-blooded response ties my tongue. Klbkch looks at me and shakes his head.
“The Grand Queen is more minded to pursue peace at the moment, at least until she is certain victory would not weaken the Antinium. Moreover, I believe I can convince my Queen to speak against such an action. This continent is not what the Antinium seek. We require strength to take back our home.”
“Your home? Someone chased you out?”
My god, the book—I need to read the second part. What he’s saying changes everything. Klbkch nods.
“It is why we fled Rhir. And why we continue to attempt to build our forces. We left because we were losing, Ryoka Griffin. And now that we are gone, the enemy will soon emerge above-ground again. This Blighted King is strong, but he is unprepared.”
“Unprepared for what?”
“We must be stronger. I must be stronger.”
Klbkch looks at me. I’m transfixed. For a second, he seems huge. Ancient. I’m like a bug—in his eyes.
“That is why you must help me. Why I know you and Erin must be protected. The Antinium must change. Or the Antinium will be wiped from the earth.”
“What. Happened?”
Klbkch pauses. He stares into his cup. And then he looks at me.
“The Antinium Wars? What Drakes and Humans and Gnolls fear so? They were setbacks. Dust. The true disaster occurred on the oceans when we lost our entire people. Even now, we are a fraction of what we were.”
I take a breath. Heart. I can hear my heart and his voice. Nothing else.
“If that’s the case, why did you run? What was so terrifying that you had to flee rather than fight?”
Klbkch pauses. He sits in Erin’s inn quietly, but his eyes reveal what he is. There’s something timeless there, something akin to Ceria’s gaze. Or Teriarch’s. Don’t look at Klbkch and see a bug. See him for what he is. A creature from centuries ago. An old hero of the Antinium, maybe. Something ancient. Only now do I realize how terrifying what’s he’s saying is.
The Antinium. Creatures numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Millions, even. Why did they ever run from Rhir? What could have caused them to flee?
Klbkch’s voi
ce is the only thing in the world. Soft. Yet the words he speaks are so loud I can feel them shake my soul.
“We fled from a God, Ryoka Griffin. There is a God buried in Rhir. And it is trying to wake up.”
—-
It—it’s almost funny. I feel like puking, or screaming, or asking a thousand and one questions. But that issue with the Gnolls and the fifty thousand gold coins’ worth of debt? Not a problem right now.
“Again, I regret that I cannot assist directly with the issue of the Gnoll’s debt. But I agree that their aid would be invaluable to both you and Erin Solstice. The Gnolls possess a wide degree of skills and knowledge the Antinium have not, and they are steadfast allies to those who have assisted them.”
Klbkch and I sit in Erin’s inn and talk. Calmly. He’s calm. I—well, I’m still trying to calm down.
I had a…freak out after his revelation about the God. Just a little one*. But now we’re all calm. Klbkch is speaking about the future, and frankly, I’m inclined to listen to him.
*It was something. I may have become hysterical, for the first time in my life.
The Antinium. I had no idea—what he’s told me is hopeful, strangely enough. True, there are five other Queens who want to kill all other species, but there’s dissent among the Antinium. Hope for change and peace. But do I share that information? Do I help Klbkch overtly or just keep Erin safe?
“May I ask what you intend to do to settle the debt?”
I blink, and refocus on our conversation. I need to think. I can’t be useless, not now. Too much is at stake, although again, Gnoll debt? Small potatoes.
“I’m not sure yet. I’m weighing my options, but I don’t have that many things I can really offer the Gnolls at this moment.”
“From what you have said, there are many technologies available to you, but few or none that you are able to reproduce at the moment. My Hive could assist with the collection of resources, but the Antinium do not shape metal—at least, most Hives do not.”
“One does?”
“I believe so.”