Alice

The fire smoldered while I slept. Slowly waking up, I soon found Wyatt feeding the fire. I was asleep for a few hours at most. Wyatt looked at me, wincing a little. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." His hands were shaking a little, as I understood what he was doing. He let the fire die down, using his magic to carry the warmth around him. Now that only coals were left, he had to feed the fire to start it up again. I started to pull the covers over my head, but stopped.

Wyatt kept watching over me, as I rubbed my eyes. I steeled myself, for what I was about to do. Speaking in the language of our village, I slowly said his name. "Wyatt?" I held the temple of my head, pretending to wince.

Wyatt quickly tossed the rest of the tinder he brought from the tree I exploded earlier. He moved to my side quickly, causing me to jump back and hide under the covers. "Please... don't pretend to be Alice. I won't hurt you. You don't need to pretend." It hurt to hear him say that, but his voice cracked with the words. He spoke them in Richard's language.

I stayed under the sheets, before continuing. "Wyatt, it's me. I'm so tired right now. I'm not sure what happened, but the monster is hiding behind me right now. It's scared, and it said something about Lum'kai? Where... where are we?"

Wyatt seemed to freeze in place, his hand just over the blanket. His voice was low and tired, full of sadness. "If you want to kill me, please just hurry up. I won't fight you, please just make it quick. I don't want to even think what nightmares I'll see after this."

I lunged at him, the covers clinging to my wings as I grabbed him. I swiftly rolled, holding Wyatt and turning him away from me. He had smiled when I lunged at him, the kind of bitter smile someone makes when they are defeated. I wrapped my wings and the warming blanket around us both, resting my head on top of his. The armor felt cold, but not too cold. One of my lower hands going under his chest plate, to feel his beating heart. An upper one restraining one arm, while the other lower one restrained the second. My free hand softly guided the blanket to the corners of his eyes. While we sat there. "Hey Wyatt, I'm a blanket monster." I kept speaking in Alice's native language.

He seemed to shiver a little, "I guess you are Alice... how have you been?"

"Pretty terrible honestly. I was chased by the cultists, and my clothes were torn. I don't remember if they tore them, if I did, or if some branches just caught them. Then I felt something crawling in my ear, and everything went to black for a while." He stopped struggling, and finally let me hold him. My legs wrapped around his own to keep us both inside the blanket as he sat in my lap.

"That does sound rough. I missed you so much Alice, you have no idea." I placed a finger on his lips to keep him from saying anymore.

"I have some idea, moldy butt. How do you think I felt? I ran from some cultists, and woke up unable to control my body. Unable to do anything, as some monster bug took it's first steps. I was stuck watching everything, wanting nothing more than knowing if you were at least okay or not." I huffed a little, already sliding an arm around his neck.

"Yeah... you had it worst. I'm sorry sis." I pulled him just a bit closer, giving him a noogie.

"It's not a contest dummy. What happened to us was terrible, but we're here, we're alive." Wyatt tried to kick and struggle, but was much weaker than me physically. He tapped my forearm with his hand, and I stopped to gently ruffle his hair. "Just so you know, the monster is watching me right now. I don't have complete control, so if something happens you need to protect yourself."

Wyatt stiffened at that, nodding a little. "I understand, I'll do what I have to in that case."

I kissed the back of his head, "Thank you Wyatt. I'd prefer not to die, but if living means hurting my brother, or killing him? I'll accept it. I'm a monster now after all." I let out a bitter laugh, which wasn't hard to fake. These were the words Alice wanted to say to him, before fusing. The talk she prepared with all the time she had trapped.

Wyatt leaned forward a little, "If there is a way to free you... I'll find it."

I pulled him back to me, hugging him. "I know you will, but you want me to tell you the truth right?"

Wyatt flexed his muscles a little, "Yes, I'll help you however I can."

Letting out a soft sigh, blowing his hair a little, I rested my chin back on the same spot. "Wyatt, I told you I don't want to die. I know more than anyone else what this monster can do. I'm trying to guide her, to live out my dream. You remember what it was right?"

Wyatt let out a small laugh, "Which one? The one where you wanted to sing to the whole village and be adored? The one where you became a princess, and ruled over Dark Fall with dragons? I think my favorite was, when you said you wanted to forge a sword out of pure fire and defeat the monster lord."

I gave him another noogie. After he settled down, I laughed a little, "No you dingus. I'm talking about the one where I become queen of the monsters, and unite everyone under me. I mean, I'm a monster. I have a hive that calls me their queen. I'm pretty much half way there."

"You always were able to look at the positives weren't you Alice? I don't think you can... have you seen some of the monsters out here?"

"I ate a few, or well the bug did. You have no idea how much I missed cooked meat. I tasted things you could probably never guess." I spat at the ground in front of us, "They all tasted so bad Wyatt. So fucking bad, you have no idea how much I want to try the cake you made."

He stirred a little, trying to get free, but I held him. "Hey, I brought some, let me get it."

"Nah, cause that means giving you what you want. I'm a hug bug right now, and you're still cold twerp. Now keep your ass in my double hug embrace, and tell me what happened to you. I don't remember you being such a little bitch."

He jumped a little, but started laughing. "Damn, you really are Alice. Okay, so after you were chased, I managed to run from the one cultist. That's when the previous captain of the guard found me. She cut the man down in one strike, before telling me to take her to the others. Which I did. Everyone was saved because of you... everyone but you."

"It wasn't your fault Wyatt. I knew that if I ran towards the city, the cultists might try using us as hostages. What happened after that?" I held him a little more, glad he was starting to warm up.

"I spent my time following the captain around. Training my magic, trying to do everything I could, to find you. I went on missions with the captain, took every patrol that might take me in the area your body might have been. I couldn't find anything. The fire kingdom declared war on us, but that stopped when Oswald and the Count just obliterated their troops. I never saw what happened, but appearently it was one sided enough that the entire opposing army pulled back. Which was great, because we had a horde to deal with on the other side."

"A horde? I never saw anything like that." Wyatt was probably skipping years or decades.

He nodded, "Yeah, every five or ten years a horde will come. It's a hole bunch of monsters, and we had to fight them off. I saw a lot of people die during that time. It was when the captain died, that my talent awakened. I was scared, and made a whirlwind around myself. Everything turned to dust, the bodies were gone while I carried the captain's body back. I was promoted on the spot to the new captain, by the king himself. We managed to get the walls built, and the hordes were less of an issue after that."

These hordes were probably why the Old One kept me from going too far in one direction or the other. I never saw any of them, but Wyatt wouldn't lie about this. I held him a little more. "I spent most of my time with something I came to call the Old One. I don't know what kind of monster it was, but it teleported my hive, and myself wherever it wanted to go. I spent a lot of time fighting monsters stronger than me, faster, and so on. I only moved to back to the cave where everything started, a year or two ago. Well, I say I, but the bug was still in control."

Wyatt slowly nodded, "I'm glad you weren't a part of the horde, you probably would have died. I'm feeling pretty tired now that I'm warm. Can you keep watch for me please?"

"Yeah Wyatt, I'll be gone when you wake up probably."

He slumped a little, "I don't want to lose you again Alice. Is there a way to keep you here with me?"

"I'm sorry Wyatt, but it hurts to be separated from the monster. We can't feel each other anymore, and my soul is fused with the bug. I'll really die if we stay separated for too long. Don't worry though, I'll be guiding the bug from inside. It wants to survive, and it will listen to me. She has my memories when we are fused. You don't have to treat her, like she's me. Though I would prefer if you were nice to us. Can you promise to at least try Wyatt?" It hurt me, that every part of this was a lie. Wyatt wasn't talking to Alice, but me. I knew what she'd say, how she'd act towards him in this situation. Only because she was one half of me, part of the whole.

Wyatt used his magic to move the bag slowly towards us. I pretended to jerk, to keep up the appearence that the monster was afraid. Wyatt sat the bag in front of us. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you Alice, but I spent all night making some cakes. Can we eat together one last time."

I let out a deep sigh, "You are literally killing me twerp." Then I laughed softly, "But, I haven't had Lum'kai cake in forever. Hope you don't mind crumbs in your hair. The fire died, so I won't let you freeze your moldy ass off while we eat."

He laughed a little himself, leaning forward to undo the bag, "Fine, but I'll get crumbs all over your wings and blanket."

"Guess we'll be a couple of 'crumb'y siblings huh?" I laughed at the pun.

Wyatt pulled out two carefully wrapped slices of cake. I took one from him, as he just lowered his head. "Yeah, just like we always were right?"

I ruffled his hair a little, before unwrapping my slice. "We fought sure, but we had our good times as well. We stuck together, even when our dads tried to pull us apart."

Wyatt unwrapped his slice, looking at it. "Yeah, mom couldn't say no to the village chief. Not when the speakers said that I'd have an amazing talent. I didn't want to be chief because of that bastard though."

I softly chopped the top of his head, "Don't need to be. Just need to be you, and keep being you. Don't let others tell you what to do, just because it's easier and shit. Make your own decisions and all that. Not gonna waste my breath on stuff you should know already. You were always smarter than others gave you credit for, just a lazy twerp taking the easy way out."

He choked up a little, "I don't know what to do half the time. Vivian is good at the thinking stuff. Making plans, and every time I try something, I fuck up."

I took a bite out of my slice, and shuddered. It was awful and terrible. My tongue not what it used to be. It was tart and bitter, but exactly right. The sour glaze making my lips pucker. "Well you made the cake without fucking up. This is the best I ever had Wyatt." Fuck me, this is what I get for lying to him. Now I had to eat it all. "Even if you fuck up though, it just means you have to pick yourself back up and keep going."

I could almost see his smile, as he turned and looked up at me. I smiled back down at him. "Yeah, you're right." He took a bite, and looked back down. "This was the best one I made. I ended up making twenty, and most of them went to the Orphanage." He was happily eating his slice now, getting crumbs on both of us.

I thought about just swallowing the thing whole, but I couldn't. Not when Wyatt was so proud of it. I took another bite, pretending to savor it. "Hah, took you twenty tries to get it right. That's your strength though Wyatt. You're relentless, and you never give up. You keep going until you get what you want. It's what managed to separate me from the bug long enough to have this conversation."

Wyatt, reached out to grab two more slices after finishing his. I finished mine, before quickly taking the other. I wanted to cry, because I saw at least eight more in the pack. I thought about reaching for the slices and accidentally squishing them, but managed to keep myself from doing so. This was for Wyatt, this was going to help him. "I'm not stubborn?"

"Nah, thick headed yes. But, you are able to take a step back and admit when you were wrong. You don't need to be stubborn, leave that to the dwarves. A good leader listens to their people, is willing to try new things and will clean up any messes those under them make." I quickly took another bite. It really was the worst thing I ever tasted, no probably the third of fifth. Still, I endured.

"That's everything my dad didn't do. He wasn't that bad was he?" He looked at me, legitimately curious.

His dad was a complete asshole, and I had no idea what Wyatt might have learned from him. I looked him in the eyes nodding, "Considering he let our village burn to the ground, versus listening to the speakers and running. Yeah, I'd say he was a pretty bad leader." It also didn't help that the bastard acted creepy towards me.

Wyatt turned away, "Makes sense to me. I didn't know the speakers told him about it, but it explains why he pulled me out early that day."

I let out a sigh, before finishing my slice as Wyatt offered me another. "Yeah, bastard left me to die with the other kids then. One second, everything is normal and fine. The next, a fiend busts through the walls and starts killing everyone. Then you hear the fighting going on outside, as the warriors are already being overran, so you can only start running. I'm not saying everything he did was bad, but learn what you should and shouldn't do."

Wyatt balled his fist, "That's why there were so few of us that made it then. He said he told the teachers." He slowly ate his third slice.

"I don't know what he told them, but it sure wasn't start running." I finished my third slice quickly, to give my poor tongue a break before Wyatt finished his slice.

He swallowed hard, "People were using me back then, weren't they? Lying to me and stuff, telling me what I wanted to hear. All because I was supposed to be special and amazing after I got my talent."

"The kids didn't know, but I'm pretty sure the adults did. You were the chief's son and all, even if they didn't know you'd still get special treatment. You do have a great talent, even if it's just throwing a tantrum." I poked his side, "One more slice for me please. I feel really tired."

He quickly ate his third, before giving me a forth, and grabbing his own. "It kind of is, now that you said it like that. Is it okay if I try to bring you back out? To try and separate you to talk again Alice?"

I ruffled his hair, picking some of the crumbs out, "I'd prefer if you didn't. Though, I'll make the bug promise only to talk to you with the truth and stuff. It has my memories, and can tell you what I would have said. I'll be guiding it going forward, and I will become the queen of all monsters. I'll do the other dreams if I have time or get around to them, probably not the dragons though. I mean, how silly would that be?"

Wyatt laughed, "Yeah, but I will try my best to help you." He finished his last slice, before struggling in my arms. I let him go, to see what he was doing. He turned around, to give me a hug himself, "Can... can we sleep together one last time Alice?"

I hesitated, before hugging him back, "Don't worry twerp, I'll keep the nightmares away. You know why?"

"Cause you're my sister?" He smiled at me while I finished the last slice he gave me.

I grinned back down at him, flicking his forehead, "That's part of it, now it's because I'm the biggest baddest monster in all the land. No one fucks with my family, and the monster considers it's hive her family. Want to join the Hive Wyatt?"

"Sure, but don't tell Vivian or anyone else. I said, I'd help you where I can." He made himself comfortable, like he used to when we were kids.

I held him back, laying on my side with him. Still hugging him, "I'll help you where I can too, and the monster will as well since you're a part of the hive now. Must feel pretty lucky having two sisters now Wyatt."

Wyatt groaned a little, "One was enough, but I'll accept it anyway. Is the monster still scared of me?"

"Yeah, you scared it pretty good. Just don't aim your magic at her, and she won't be jumpy. We all have a long way to go, but we're family and hive now aren't we?"

He nodded, closing his eyes. "Yeah, goodnight Alice... and goodbye."

I closed my eyes as well, just listening to the sounds in the area. I had to keep watch while he slept after all, "Yeah, goodnight Wyatt. I love you, don't forget that."

He nodded, before going to sleep in my arms. The rest of the night passed quietly and peacefully. Wyatt slept with me holding him, while I dozed. The blanket keeping both of us warm, despite how cold it was outside. My escort staying warm in their cylinder, but unable to help me clean up, or get the awful taste out of my mouth. The cold months always were hard on us.

Captain of the Guard, Lindell

The sleep I enjoyed was the best I had in a very long time. There was no nightmare, just the simple bliss of sleeping with someone in what warmth we could manage. I woke up, to find the monster still hugging me. She seemed to be asleep still. I tried to get free, to restart the fire, but it woke her up. Looking at her face, she seemed to realize something and quickly covered it in that mask again. I swallowed hard, looking away, "You and Alice... you're together again?"

She nodded, "Yes, I am sorry." She released me, pulling her arms to herself.

"Don't apologize, I didn't understand what was going on." I got out of the covers, "You want some Lum'kai cake before we go? Alice said it was pretty good."

She shook her head quickly, "No thank you, I still taste it. It was awful. I shouldn't lie to you, so please keep it away from me."

I tilted my head, "It was bad huh? Alice seemed to like it though."

"She ate it, because she wanted you to be happy. Our tongue is different." She stuck out the forked thing before pulling it back in. "Not a dark elf tongue. Different, does not like bitter or sour."

I couldn't help but laugh at that, "Fine, that sounds like something Alice would do. You don't have to eat it, if you don't want to. More for me in that case."

She got up, holding the blanket around herself. I reached into the packs, grabbing myself a coat to put on under my armor. "Keep watch, while I change. It's colder today, so keep the blanket around you. We're still hunting the spider." She nodded while I got dressed. I noticed her wince when she looked at the scars on my body. Reminders to never let my guard down around people I did not trust, as well as making certain a monster is completely dead.

It didn't take me long to get dressed. The monster, no Mimi picked up the supplies and packed everything else up. It was morning now, and we had something to hunt.. I remembered the direction that was pointed out yesterday. I could hear something struggling, likely from being caught in the webs. Then the sound of something large moving. "Will you help me?"

I turned back to Mimi at her question, "Only if you need it. I'm supposed to observe how you fight, and write a report about it. There are bounties placed on specific monsters outside the walls, but not a lot of people can act on them. The Tamers usually run around taking care of them, because monsters tend to stay away from other monsters. If you do well enough, I could ask that you be allowed to come and go from the outer walls as you'd like. I would need a noble to sign some papers, saying it's okay though."

She nodded back at me, "Can I keep Richard inside the walls, to hunt by myself?"

"You need someone to come with you, if not your tamer, then at least two guards. I think that was put in place to keep monsters from talking about ways to get in and out of the city or something. You said you had talents, how did they work again?" I turned away, not feeling the need to watch her anymore. She was a monster, but Alice was in there. We could have killed each other plenty of times by now, there was no reason not to trust each other at this point.

"Symbiosis, and Devourer. Devourer is the important one, I need to deliver the final blow on something, then I can eat it's brain and heart to grow stronger. There is a lot I do not know about it yet, but I'll tell you if I discover something. Symbiosis was Alice's talent, it allowed us to fuse like we did." She moved behind me, her ears flicking a little while she carried the supplies.

I nodded, "Fair enough, are you able to hunt in this weather? I know it's cold, and you can't use your bugs."

"I have hunted in worse weather, as long as my hive is safe the silence shouldn't hurt me." She moved past me, "The spider is that way?" She pointed in it's direction.

I nodded, "Yes, do what you need to prepare. Pretend I am not here and all that stuff. What is the silence exactly?"

She started walking and I followed, "When I cannot hear the voices of my hive, it drives me mad. It makes me angry, as I start to lash out at others. It happened a few times, and it takes a week before I can control myself again. I can be brought back, if I get close enough to my hive however. Think of it as going into a frenzy, or going berserk. I need my hive, as much as they need me."

"I see, hopefully that won't happen. How did you survive the winters without your bugs helping you?" We continued walking, as wind blew leaves off the trees above us.

"We learned to store food for the cold months. When we ran out, we ate each other, and when it got dangerous the Old One would bring us a fresh kill." For some reason thinking about asking questions related to the Old One made my head hurt.

I merely shrugged the slight pain off, "Got it, can you hear the spider now?"

Mimi nodded, "Yes, I can find it now."

"Good, I'll be flying in the trees above, to watch. If you need help, just call out to me. I'll come and try to weaken it because of your talent. Stay safe... Mimi."

She nodded, and continued towards the monster's nest. All while I flew from branch to branch with my magic. I wasn't ready to accept her as Alice yet, and it would take time for us to become more comfortable with each other. Thankfully we had enough time going forward with the week we were to spend out here. If she was comfortable with it, I'd take her flying above the tree tops to try and lure any flying monsters into thinking we might be an easy snack. It should satisfy Vivian, and keep the the caravan safe. Something that maybe only needed a day or two. Things were going to get better, I wasn't going to just let Vivian tell me what to do anymore. I needed to understand what I was doing and why. Alice wanted me to be a proper leader, and damn it, that's what I'm going to be.