Unfortunately, Liseti's district is located far at the top of the hive.

This means in the first place that I have to climb many tunnels leading up, first in the nursery, then over the bridge, and after this climbing more tunnels in the outer layer.

I recall that Liseti said that it would be rather fast to reach her place by flying, but I'm not as stupid to try that.

I have barely any control aside from being able to maintain my pose for a few moments in the air.

And even that is limited.

Trying to fly to cross the distance would surely end with me falling to my demise.

On the other hand, I might as well get caught by all the interceptors lying in wait at their respective stations before I reach the ground.

Not that I want to find out.

Also, Kyska would certainly faint from the shock if I'd try.

Like this, I have only the choice to walk this whole distance on my feet.

All the way up.

That certainly won't be pleasant.

I realize that even if she's supporting me quite much and I spend quite some time with her I never came to visit Liseti's place.

Well, it's fairly impressive.

Like one would expect from a military commander everything looks perfectly in order.

While my courtyard looks a little chaotic as it was built on the fly, with all kinds of facilities strewn around without a clear concept, this here is the complete opposite.

I look at a large plaza, formed as a perfect square.

More interesting is that the ebon ground seems to be stone which had to be carved in this way.

This squared hall surrounds a single building in the middle, also with squared walls but completely coated in this applicant.

From this large hall, there are several tunnels dug into the wall, leading below.

The security is extremely tight, leaving not a single gateway unguarded, while still having continuous patrols on duty.

Interceptors are positioned on the top of the single building, where I suppose Liseti does reside.

There's no doubt that she already knows I'm here.

Presumably long before I even came close to this complex.

While I was never here before it isn't too hard to find my way.

The attending insects, which form a passage with their bodies to the one building in the middle are a good indicator.

Inside the way leads a little down, so that the rooms end up more spacious than one would assume from the outside.

On the other hand, concepts like "outside", "upper" or "lower floor" or even the distribution of rooms are quite meaningless below the earth with all these weird structures as I realize.

At the end of my arranged path, I reach an apparently perfectly circular room.

In the center, Liseti.

She looks as if she's meditating.

But her open eyes are more than enough to confirm that she is totally aware of my presence.

(L)

(E)

(L)

It's a little weird that Liseti acts like a knight with sullied honor and I have to treat her correspondingly.

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

Can she be any more confusing?

(E)

(L)

This means just she knows how this works.

And maybe the queen.

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

Is even this an unknown concept in the swarm?

I should better just explain myself.

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

Liseti has a very pragmatic way to see things.

I guess in this case she is right.

(E)

(L)

I am rather sure the Formicea don't even know betrayal.

(E)

(L)

Wait! Is she angry?

Did I say something wrong?

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

Why do all these insects know better about my body than I do?

This isn't really a calming idea but she is right that I should now run back before it happens here in front of Liseti.

(E)

She bows her head and then I leave.

I rush rather fast past the soldiers.

Apparently, I have to be there or I will suffer the consequences of a laying session out in the open.

That one time in the mushroom forest was certainly unpleasant.

Great.

Just my life.