Mimi

The sun was starting to rise on Richard's final day with Pandora. He had grown quite attached to her, but he still seemed willing to let her go as promised. It was unfortunate that she had to spend the rest of her time under Cheshire's custody, if only to show how committed we were to working together. Pandora herself was taking it very well, but she understood that she will always be able to reach out through the Hive.

I stepped out of my home in the orchid, pleased to see the hives spread among the trees, and blooming flowers. Gray was using vampire bodies to teleport food into the hidden tunnel below. The breeders working hard to output enough workers for the deal with the two minor nobles. It was nice to see no flesh going to waste. Brick was still making progress on his algae farm, and Beru was already past the walls building nests to the East. Everybody was busy, and working, with the exception of the people that needed time to rest.

I noticed Nina standing in the portal room, waving at a few bugs to get my attention. She silently whispered Alice's name to them, while holding a small stack of papers. I connected to her, |"Yes? What is it?"|

Nina jumped a little, while I considered what to do with my day. I figured Vivian would have the key at some point tonight, so I would have that cleared out before heading back to Richard. |"Hey Alice, I talked to Wyatt."|

That was a little unexpected, but Nina was capable. Still, I expected her to take a couple days at least. |"Oh? Already? How did that go exactly?"|

I walked back inside my home, going to the tunnel. I might as well carry the bugs to the farm land. Nina naturally stayed in front of the bugs by the portal, to talk to me. |"It was unexpected, I just happened to bump into him. Did you know other people tried to take your home from you already?"|

I rolled my eyes, while my workers crawled under my wings, a few breeders carried with them. |"I didn't, but it makes sense. The fact that your tribe hasn't heard of someone taking our land only means they failed at starting the springs. Which should make it easier since monsters might already be cleared out of the place."|

|"Wyatt was a bit upset about it though. He wants to talk to you tonight, if you're able to. I think it'd mean a lot to the man."| Nina was fidgeting a little, it was clear she was leaving out some important information about their exchange. Most likely the bit about accepting him back into the Hive. She either didn't tell him, or he didn't accept.

|"When and where? You're completely right about needing to speak to him. I shouldn't have used you to convey a message without meeting him. It was... childish."| I left my home again, heading for the further of the two lands.

Nina smiled warmly, nodding a little. |"Yeah, it was childish, but I didn't mind too much. I'm glad you understand at least. Do I need to go somewhere to get some of your bugs on me? I'm not familiar enough with the streets to tell you the place exactly, but we're supposed to see him there at midnight."|

I smiled a little, realizing Wyatt probably set the time. |"I can meet you in the portal room you're standing in, or you can go to the Harper territory in the slums. I have a few nests there, and that is the quickest way for me to put a few bugs on you to learn the location."|

She blinked in surprise, |"Harper territory? You mean the spiders in the slums? No, I shouldn't even question it. You control bugs, I just didn't expect you to use those spiders."|

I continued my stroll past the trees, a few of the people workers looking at me. Their breathing stopped, but one did wave at me. I waved back with a gentle smile, making sure to flash my fancy badge. They relaxed considerably at that, going back to work. |"The Harpers and I have an agreement of sorts. I don't control them, but they let my Hive nest and grow in their territory. They protect each other, and we both work together to protect the children they want to keep safe."|

Nina laughed softly, |"Damn Alice, that's pretty amazing. What do you do about the bodies?"|

The trees gave way to fields already being harvested by prisoners and slaves. A few of the wardens recognized me, while I flashed my badge at them. This was the last harvest before they start growing their summer crops, and no body dared to stop my walk. |"The bodies? Sadly I keep the nice gloves on up here. I would kill the people chasing after children, but that would make the Guard look into it more. Which means I have them put to sleep. The Harpers bind them, and they are dragged to a spot where the Guard can deal with them."|

|"Wait, you mean the Guard doesn't even know you're there?"|

|"It's complicated, important people know though."| I took the time to have a few scouts spread out to watch how the harvesting process actually worked. I considered different jaw types, and new workers to make this more efficient. Even the people working these fields were replaceable with a new breed. It certainly was worth making an attempt. |"Anyway, which do you plan on doing?"|

Nina considered my question, her ears drooping a little. |"I'm not sure actually, I'm probably going to spend some time with the Crusher. He's really good at knife fighting, and I feel a bit rusty."|

|"Go have fun with him Nina, these are your final days here in the city, you should enjoy them. I'd like it if you could convince him to potentially teach me a few things in the future."| I had a few hours of walking before I got to the farm land at this speed, but still there was nothing more to do. The sky was clear after the rain, no doubt thanks to magic.

|"I'll make sure to let him know, it'll be nice to have your gang as a sort of agent or something. I forget the word, but the thing where you act as a person representing one group to another?"|

|"Intermediary is the word, Nina. We'll be acting on behalf of both parties without a direct connection. I'm sure the Minotaur would welcome that, though you'll probably need to coax Cheshire."| It really was a nice day today, this walk would have been nicer with Richard and Pandora though. I shook my head, trying to focus on what needed to be done.

|"Yeah! That's it. I'll talk to Cheshire before I go. How are things going with your daughter anyway?"|

|"She's growing fast, and developing well. Quicker than expected, but that appears to be a theme today. She's looking forward to working with 'uncle' Cheshire tomorrow."|

That made Nina smile, |"Daw, she sounds adorable. I'll have to see her before I go. I never thought someone I used to babysit would have kids before me. Now you have to tell me more Alice."|

Naturally I did, spending my time walking to the farm lands of the skinny farm minister. All while telling Nina about Pandora, and how she and Richard were getting along. It helped to calm my body a bit, but it somehow hurt realizing that I hadn't been there in person to experience such simple joy.

Nina for her part had to spend an hour walking to the Arena to practice with Jordan. We disconnected from each other, to focus on the things we had to do. The promise was made to meet up at the portal room half an hour before going to meet Wyatt.

Walking along the fence that marked the farmer's land, I saw the individual in question toiling in the fields himself. Looking around I saw a few younger individuals that smelled like the man in question. One of them noticed me, and started screaming about a monster. Naturally they all stopped what they were doing, the slender farmer wiping his face with the towel draped around his neck. He yelled for the young men to go inside, before straightening his back. "What brings you here?"

I lingered at the gate of the fence, not crossing the threshold yet. "I came to personally drop off some of my Hive to get them situated, as it were." This brightened his mood a bit, as he walked towards the gate. "Did I catch you at a terrible time?"

The man shrugged, "I made a bad deal, but I won't back down from my word. I'm worried about how little I'll make this year, but I can cut costs with free labor from my family." He moved aside to let me walk on his land. "How good will your hive be though? I'll admit that a part of the reason I let you here was because I want an alliance with the Butcher (Richard). The Manfred family drained my coffers, and fought me for far too much. It was wonderful to see them brought so low."

I nodded a little, "That's for him to decide, since he wants to avoid balls for a while. That said, I do appreciate the honesty. I have no idea how good you can consider my Hive at this, but we'll both find out. I know very little about farming, and you appear to need a hand. Would you mind showing me where I may place my bugs, and then I'll aid you in field work?"

He raised a brow, before laughing. "Sure thing, it's a breath of fresh air to find someone willing to work. Do you want me to pay you any coin or did you want to ask a favor?"

I shook my head slowly, "That will not be needed, I feel the information will be more than enough." With that said he walked me over towards a run down shed.

"I don't keep bees like my rival, but hopefully this will be enough for you?" He gestured to the run down thing, that clearly had holes all over it. He had clearly been doing poorly for some time now. I parted my wings, letting the workers and scouts fall to the ground. The breeders were carried a bit more gently. A few warriors flew ahead, slaying any pests that set up their home inside the shed.

"It will do, but they are going to need a few wooden planks to really fill in the holes, and build inside. Unless you have some raw wood they can have?"

The man scratched his chin, before nodding. "I think I have some in the cellar, hope you don't mind it being a bit old."

"Have your boys bring it out, and set it beside the shed. Now, what are your biggest concerns going forward?" We spent hours discussing how the man usually farmed the land. How he'd hire wardens to generally tend to most of the physical labor. He explained how the harvest went, and the crops he'd be planting this season. Where he needed to go for fertilizer, while his sons watched me work by his side. Noon finally came around when they stopped to take a break.

The farmer, who now wanted to be referred to as Kyle, gently wiped his sweat away while drinking iced tea. The man laughed gently, "Forget about hiring prison crews, you work quick Mimi." I didn't quite understand how or why a day of hard work seemed to constitute us being on such friendly terms, but I accepted it.

I nodded slowly, deciding to drink the water brought to me. A sizable portion of the place was already done, since my strength combined with four hoes were able to make short work of any tilling that needed to be done. Even the plowing was laughable, but I chose to not boast. "Our time together has been rather informative, Kyle. I'll go pay your rival a visit now."

This got a frown from the man, but he nodded. "Just so you know, we won't really stop fighting each other. Even if you talk to him about it."

"I don't understand it, but I will not show more favor to either of you, so long as I can help it. Rivals should be on equal footing, correct?" This made him smile, while I simply left his farm. It was frustrating that I couldn't fly or run without causing alarm. Which meant I had to continue walking back to my home. The walk, and farm work was rather calming compared to the more fast paced growth I was used to struggling with.

Even walking to the other farm minister's land with a small hive's worth of bugs took some time. He accepted me as readily as his counterpart, explaining how bees worked, how honey was important. Hence why his fields were full of bushes that served as protection and a great way to keep his bees happy. I could have guessed a good deal of it, but it was nice to have a few nuances clarified versus discovering it all myself.

I knew I wouldn't meet the two in person again, but I kept their names in the Hive's memories. I might need to purchase some farm land in the future, if everything goes well with the two. Night was approaching when I finally made it home for the last time. I checked in on everything I could, to still find everything was still going wonderfully. All I needed was to get the key from Vivian, meet Wyatt, then clear out a warehouse for the renegade hive to move in. I made the decision to have Carter join us in the Underneath tomorrow, so Richard and myself can finally bond.

It felt a little lonely without his emotions and thoughts coming to me. I had so many minds to speak to, but having someone that thought completely differently was enjoyable. Pandora helped a little, but the scar I gave her left her, and her youth wasn't the same. There had to be something I could do instead of just waiting here until midnight. I didn't want to continue lingering on these thoughts.

I realized the markets should close soon, as the night continued. I should pay a visit to the vendors, and even mother Oak. If only to have rumors spread about me. It wasn't much, but it was something to do, even if the people might treat me with disdain. I grabbed a few coins, gathering a bit more to my escort, and walked to the gate to enter the innerwalls. A quick flash of my badge, and they reluctantly allowed me inside.

People were moving about the streets, most of them hurrying to return home. More than a few stopped to stare at the monster, or very unique dark elf. I held my badge over a wing, allowing them to make their own connection. Most of the people stared, before walking or running away. Conversations would become hushed, but I could hear them regardless. I wanted to move into an alley, to avoid all these stares, but this was something that needed to be done as well. The people need to know about me.

A brat threw a rock, but it was so weak that there was no damage done. I glanced at the juvenile causing its mother to move to protect it. There didn't need to be a scene here, so I continued walking. I heard hushed whispers, as a few people from the sermon were among the crowd. They mainly ran away, as a priest stumbled upon me. They were intelligent enough to merely watch me. I continued on while most of the people still went about their day.

Finally I reached the center of Eclipse, the spot that all roads led to, as stalls and buildings were displaying their goods. The scene was much the same, with people from all over the world brought here to trade. I saw Dwarves, all flavors of Elf, and even humans with the symbol of their kingdom. There were no monsters, and where I walked I had a meter between and anyone else. The buildings should have the best prices according to my memory, but I wasn't ready to enter one yet, especially with their small doors.

Music filled the air, as a cheeky bard saw me. He began playing a song about heroes defeating monster hordes, and slaying dragons. A rather poor choice, but there was nothing I could truly do about it. I walked towards a stall, listening to the merchant selling raw foods for a decent price. The man in question didn't have an emblem belonging to a certain kingdom, but his smile immediately faded as he saw me approach. I waited for a few minutes while he dealt with his customer.

The same customer that was startled when they turned around to find me behind them. They almost dropped their goods, but I helped them catch it. Watching as they ran away. So many eyes were on me, the memories of those who had been here before surfacing. The merchant didn't even bother putting on a fake smile, "What do you want?" He tilted his head back, clearly feeling he was superior to me.

I looked down at him, not needing to play his games. My eyes glowing while many other merchants began closing their stalls early. Even a few shops were closing thanks to my presence. "I wish to purchase a sizable amount of food."

He crossed his arms, "We're closed, everyone knows that shops close at night."

I shook my head, "It is hardly an hour past sunset. You were serving someone before me, and your sign even reads, 'Open until late.' Do you really want to deny me?" I flashed a few silver coins, making his eyes widen just a little.

He grinned to himself, "I suppose I can stay open a little later, what would you like?"

I ordered a couple large baskets with different fruits and vegetables. After some tense haggling I managed to get them for a few silver coins which was more than it should have been. Still I had to pick and choose my battles, the point was that I had coin and could afford to spend it. Rumors would spread, and the merchants would become more agreeable in time.

People followed me as I carried to two loads of food with ease. A priest even stayed behind while the shops appeared to magically start reopening with my presence waning. I walked the roads towards the orphanage, a few smarter individuals running away to likely find Guards. After all, there was a monster heading towards an orphanage. They likely thought I would make some kind of stew with all the ingredients I acquired.

The children outside the building took notice of my approach, many stopping their games and running inside to safety. A few lingered, their eyes staring hungrily at the food I carried. They were hungry little bodies, kept from the worst of it by Wyatt's contributions. He truly didn't understand the good he was doing, but in time he would learn. The caretaker opened the door, her cotton hair falling well past he shoulders, a bit of petals opening along the edges. Her wooden frame marked with deep grains that reflected her age.

She was the same wood elf Alice had seen all those years ago. Her body changed with the season, her posture a little less straight thanks to age. She hesitated for a moment, smiling softly before her eyes glowed. I knew she was an oracle, and merely let her magic wash over me. She frowned slightly, then began to tear up. I set the baskets, that were a heas shorter than herself, in front of her. She grabbed my arm, before hugging me. "A mother never forgets her children, even after all these years."

It was a surprise, but a pleasant one. I hugged her with a single arm, before starting to pull away. She grabbed my hand, looking up at me with determination. "Please, you're hurting... may we talk?"

I focused on her, confused by what she meant. A few guards had come, taking in the scene while others started to filter away. They realized that I had not come to do harm to the orphans or Mother Oak. Instead I focused on the pleading look in the wood elf's eyes. The night was still very young, and I had quite a few hours before I needed to see Wyatt. Reluctantly I nodded, if only to see why she felt I was hurting. I wanted to see if she was like Richard in that way.

With my nod her eyes lit up, a smile spreading over her face, while I picked up the baskets. I carried them inside, ducking under the door frame. A few of the children ran to them, eating the fruits, while a couple even thanked me. Others took some to prepare with dinner, some porridge with salt or sugar by the smell of it. Mother Oak whispered to those around her, letting them know that we'd be a few hours.

The place was a bit too small for me, as I had to keep my head lowered to not scrape the ceiling. I shifted my weight with each step, as the floorboards creaked. There was likely a cellar to keep their food from Wyatt, and I really didn't want to fall through. I was led to Mother Oak's room, which was adorned with all manner of drawings from the children on the outside. She was pulling on my hand, like a mother guiding a child.

Entering the room, I found it much the same as the outside. Even her desk was likely full of the drawings she probably cherished so much. I sat on the floor, not wanting to destroy the feeble looking chair. Still I was taller than the wood elf in question, but she hugged me as I sat, before going to her chair after closing the door. There was a slight look of confusion on her face as she sat down, unsure as to how to talk to me. She wanted to approach some kind of subject, while I just stared at her.

My escort moved about, watching the children and the guards lingering outside. The crowd that had followed me dispersed, seeing as actual guards were nearby should anything happen. I could feel Mother Oak's eyes watching me, her magic still washing over me. I focused on how it was different from the oracles at the sermon, what it could mean. Then the intensity spiked, as I saw the wood elf's eyes bleed a red sap. It felt more intimate somehow, as if she was looking for some way to help me. She was peering at my very soul, attempting to find what the cause of my perceived pain was.

Naturally it was easy enough to keep her from finding anything important, though she got a good look at my soul. "You really should ask before doing that."

Mother Oak blinked, before looking down, her eyes closed. "Yes, that was rude of me. Especially after you helped me so much with the gifts you brought. You can sense magic, can you not?"

"Yes, and there are many other things that I can do. Though I am a bit upset you tried to look so closely without asking. Give me a reason to stay and continue this conversation."

She kept her eyes closed, nodding slowly. "Because I will let you do the same to me, Alice. I'm afraid I don't know a way I can help you, but please talk to me. Tell me what I can do to reach you, my child."

"I want your memories, if you have anything that can help me, then let me see for myself." The mother frowned, considering it.

Finally she smiled gently, "Promise to take care of the young ones if anything goes wrong, then you may. I doubt someone that would bring food to the hungry would seek to harm those she helped. I will trust you, my dear child."

I let my antenna perk up, leaning forward to touch the wood elf's forehead. I wasn't petty enough to hurt her over such a small thing, but I did need to know if she would use what she saw against me. Depending on what I saw, she might even forget this entire exchange even happened.