Mimi

Mother Oak stiffened when she was brought into the same mental room Raul had been in. She was uncomfortable, but determined all the same, folding her hands in her lap. I saw her earliest memories, from the strange pod she was birthed from. Her race fully grown whenever the fruit of their grand tree burst. How each of them held a job, and a connection to that same tree. Their understanding and insight coming from those that returned to their grove upon death.

It was similar to my Hive in that the minds of the past lived on, but different in that they all experienced lives as they chose. Many wood elves simply following their nature. They had no guidance beyond what they were born with, and the other wood elves around them. A singular goal to nurture their grove, and bring back new things for the next generation to be aware of.

The wood elf race was a beautiful one, taking their time to understand the world around them. They were not afraid of death, but their worst fear was the death of their tree. The only thing that unified every member, was that when it was attacked they would all hear it from a kind of psychic connection.

Mother Oak's tree was attacked by a dragon, and frozen solid from its breath. Her life was a difficult one, filled with loss and pain. Yet, she chose to help those that needed it most. She sought to understand the other races, hoping to prevent such a tragedy befalling another of her kind. I was able to see how those goals slowly shifted and changed, while ultimately being the same. She was there when Eclipse was born, watching the entire city rise from a trading outpost run by a bandit queen.

There was so much history, so much she understood about the other races. How her thoughts and assumptions changed as time went on. Everything changing slowly over time, similar to how an elf's mind might, but definitely faster. These memories were what I needed to bridge a few more gaps. They showed me the mistakes I could make on my path going forward, and the benefits to be gained. I was going to lose battles in the future. I couldn't protect everyone in my Hive, nor could I make everyone get along. I truly did have to pick and choose what mattered most in the moment and go from there.

I saw hundreds of children grow over the course of Mother Oak's life. All of them so precious to her, and how she'd cry if any of them went missing or died. She remembered Alice, and I got to watch Wyatt grow into the young man he was today. Finally, I saw what she saw earlier. Seeing her magic, through her eyes. I realized that Oracles and the other seers saw what they did, based on their personalities. They looked for what was important to them, or the individual they were checking. Many seers were selfish, looking for what happened related to them. Mother Oak was not, and only searched for what she could use to aid those she used her magic on.

She was afraid of me, but to her my soul was still young. My soul was a swirling thing made of gold and black. She saw the pain I took from my Hive, and interpreted it as me hurting. While she wasn't wrong, it was merely a fact of life. I was rather pleased to see that there was nothing wrong with the core of my being, no apparent cracks, no strange thorns like in the Banshee's memories. It was calming to know I wasn't about to break apart and become two, that I would cease to be while my mothers returned to this world.

I let out a slow breath, remembering everything important here. Letting the understanding flow to my Hive, the relevant memories moving through it. Mother Oak looked up at me, having seen her life move before her eyes. She watched what I was doing, and understood exactly how dangerous I truly could be. Her voice was low and calm, doing her best to hide the fear. "How long have we been here?"

I checked outside, realizing it took a couple minutes to properly digest it all without harming her. "Not very long, the children are still finishing dinner." I lowered my head, "I'm going to leave a nest here, to protect you and your children. Mother Oak, may I kill and eat you in your final days?"

She swallowed hard, fighting against herself to not back away. "May I ask why?"

I looked into her eyes, "It's a part of what I am. What I kill becomes a part of me, and your tree is gone. There might be a chance that I can get a connection to the frozen thing, to break through the ice and retrieve a part of it. I might be able to revive it somehow, but I'll need to feel it. I won't kill you anytime soon, unless the rot sets in. In exchange, I will take over the orphanage when you pass. I will carry on what you will leave behind."

She looked down at the desk, knowing full well it wasn't real. Her hand tracing along the top of it, as she considered my proposal. "If I refuse?" I could feel her emotions, the conflict inside her. There were so many things I could say to get what I wanted, but this wasn't about me. It will be her choice, and I will accept that as I did with Isaac.

"Nothing bad will happen to you, or those you care about." She was trying to hide her magic from me, trying to see if I lied to her. I just smiled at her when she looked back up. "It is your choice, and I will put a part of my Hive inside the orphanage or around it to protect you regardless. It is thanks for helping me, even if you aren't sure you have."

She smiled gently, "I will give you my trust, until you abuse it. I'll need time to think about you eating me however. You promise to not touch the children?"

I shook my head, "When they are adults they will have their choices to make. Though I don't eat children, or the young of any creature. I learned early that my talent demands a certain level of maturity. Not to mention humans give me nothing when I eat them. Elves might, and I haven't eaten a Dwarf yet, but there are plenty of monsters out there I know I can gain something from. It's just easier for me to avoid eating people, or to just use their bodies for something else. Though I promise that I haven't eaten any person that didn't deserve to die."

Mother Oak relaxed at my words, nodding once more. "Thank you for coming then, and I am happy to hear you aren't truly a monster. I also apologize for my rudeness. I was hoping I could save my lost daughter, to have her soul somehow overcome the monster side bound to it."

"Don't worry about it, I'll tell you how I came to be one day. Though that won't be soon. Do go to the Church of Bo'chi whenever you're running low on food. I'll have it arranged so that you won't have to worry about going hungry again." I physically pulled my body back, ending the connection and the conversation. Mother Oak teared up a little, as I headed outside. Half of my escort was left in the orphanage, as plans were made to have breeders move in later at night.

A quick chat with Cynthia, and Mother Oak would have her food. People filtered into the orphanage to make certain I didn't do anything awful. Guards lingered, a few starting to follow me. I went into an alley, figuring that I did enough. The general population was still unaware of me, and I could no longer pass as a dark elf with my wings and chitin. I might pass from a distance, or in the darkness, but it was clear to others I was a monster now.

I traveled through the shadows, deciding to visit the Harpers. It was nice to see they remembered me, and nicer still to physically see their hair getting darker. Their fangs were turning white, and now they had jet black spines running down their backs. A few waved at me, before they started playing their music. I had a few screamers join in, adding more depth to their song, and even made a few chirps with my fingers. It really had been a calm, but rewarding day. Something that I needed, without even knowing.

Hours passed, a few wayward children coming to check on the Harpers and the music. Most froze when they saw me, before hiding. A few simply enjoying the music, or getting their friends. They weren't brave enough to come closer, even with the Harpers resting on top of me. I rolled a few coppers their way, while pretending it was simply a game.

I moved a little, getting the Harpers to hop off me. A couple screamers letting Vivian know I was coming. I traveled through the shadows as the night became darker. I had saw the key I needed brought into her building, which meant that was going to happen a little faster. A quick meet and greet later, and I had the key and a map telling me where I needed to go. The map was burned, while I only had a couple hours before midnight.

With nothing better to do, I patrolled the slums from the shadows. To my surprise I found Wyatt's scent, and decided to follow it. I came upon a beggar that was watching the area. A metal pot where very few coins were deposited. I could see magic was altering his form, and it was very interesting to see the source was an amulet. I made a mental note to ask Vivian about it next time I saw her, but it was clear Wyatt was up to something.

A few minutes of watching him from the shadows, I was able to see him spread out his wind magic. He was trying to listen in on a few different spots. Without a sound, I moved to find a couple individuals from the Minotaur moving goods between empty homes and deserted stores. More than a few of those crates held goods I traded for through the gang. I briefly wondered why Wyatt would even bother listening in, before I realized they might move to capture the goods in the future. That, or they might lock down the illegal warp gates built in the area.

Vivian was in charge of her Guard up here, and I was established beneath. I couldn't stop them from disrupting the trade, but I could certainly help the Minotaur with this information. The same kind that might endanger Wyatt. I lingered in the shadows, contemplating the best possible ways to deal with this issue. The minutes ticked by when I noticed new spiders slowly approaching the nearby area. A powerful entomancer pushing out magic to suddenly have all bugs ignore said creatures.

The Berries of my Hive did not report the entity, nor the influx of magic being used in the area. It was nowhere near Oswald's level of power, but it was still a dangerous entity. Then I heard the soft gentle humming. The people moving the crates started to stumble, before slowly closing their eyes. The Princess was nearby, walking down the street while humming a strange lullaby. The spiders moved around her, the entomancer not revealing themselves.

More spiders filtered out onto the streets, before larger ones began crawling out of different alleys. All of them moving towards the crates, while I heard Wyatt start walking towards the area as well. The Princess looked in my direction while I used some of my escort to watch her. She grinned, "You might as well come out, my dear sweet child~"

I frowned a bit, stepping out into the moon light. Wyatt staying a safe distance away, his magic listening in. The Princess just smiled at me, "It is always a pleasure to see you. You made me quite rich with my safe bets at the Arena, some time ago. Did you enjoy the fights yourself? My dear sweet child?"

I shrugged in response, "What are you doing here?" I could hear Wyatt gasp quietly, while he stayed hidden. There was no reason to keep my own presence hidden.

The Princess tilted her head, "Such a cold reception, and here I thought you got everything you wanted." She gestured at my form, which sadly lacked any true improvements. I was only a little taller, and stood out just a bit more with my wings. I was certain I had a winter coat for when it got cold again, but most of the creatures didn't change a thing. I needed different prey.

Crossing my arms I looked down at the mad woman. "I thank you for the oppurtunity, and it was pleasant. Though you did force me into such a thing. Why are you here? What is the purpose of all this?" I gestured to the spiders that started to move into the crates, the larger ones placing webs to drag them away with the smaller ones. It was frustrating, but I knew I wasn't ready for a fight with her.

She smiled, "I just wanted to chat is all. I'm taking a few of your toys from you, so the big guy doesn't have a cow. After all it would be suspicious if you were the only one with your trinkets untouched. Fret not dear child, all your toys will find their way back to you in time. Though your playground has grown. I'm warning you to not spread into the South side, or Mal's playground." She put up a finger wagging it, "I don't want my children fighting each other."

"Understood, I'll leave the South side alone in exchange for you returning my goods. I'll also stay away from Mal's territory for the foreseeable future so long as they do not attack me. Is there anything else we need to discuss?" She probably knew Wyatt was right there, and wanted to make it a little more annoying.

Princess grinned, "No dear child, you are already doing exactly as planned. I cannot wait for the day your silent sin is born. Two will become one, and all shall become whole. Do enjoy yourself, before you are exiled."

I narrowed my eyes at the figure in front of me. A part of me wanted to wring her neck, but it would be a fruitless endeavor. I lowered my head, "Very well, I shall take my leave. Do be careful, I would rather avoid trouble if I can." There was a lot to consider from her words. The threat was clear, and she was planning something. There was no point in provoking her here.

I walked away, the princess laughing, "You seek trouble like a moth to fire. Though I realize whom you are trying to protect. A dog, listening in on a mother and her child. I shall not punish the thing." She snipped Wyatt's magic, not allowing him to hear her own words. I simply left through the shadows to simmer by the portal. Nina came up about an hour later.

I naturally kept watch of the Princess' movements, while Wyatt made the smart decision to get a group of guards moving. The Princess took a decent number of goods, while the guards were going to take the rest. Thankfully there was no real conflict between the Minotaur's men waking up, and the Guard. They were restrained, but would likely be released with a few coins given the contraband had been taken by the Princess.

Nina waved her hand in front of me, "Xentos to Alice." I looked at her, as she smiled. "Good to see you're awake. Everything okay?"

I shook my head slowly, "The Princess stole from the Minotaur and myself. I'll have to discuss a few things with Cheshire, and move accordingly. There are plans in motion, and I just realized the Princess is able to use Mal, or her own magic to keep me from watching her movements. I need to get stronger, Nina."

Nina frowned a little, "No, you need to see Wyatt tonight. A lot of people have tried to take the Princess down, a lot of gang leaders as well. Play nice with her, and avoid her as best you can. Did she steal anything important?"

I shrugged a little, "I'll find out when Douglas gets the report." I hugged her, which she returned, "I truly do hate the feeling of being forced to do as a stronger individual wants me to."

Midnight smiled at me, "Welcome to how every peasant feels, but at least you'll get strong enough to get over it. It doesn't matter if you die though, so thanks for swallowing your pride."

I relaxed a little, nodding at her words. With a small sigh we went to the meeting place, chatting casually while waiting for Wyatt. He was a little late given how he had to lead the guards in arresting the gang members. He approached without the amulet, clad in his full armor a small smile on his face. He was glad that not one of his men were harmed, but it was a shallow victory since they were already knocked out by someone else.

A part of me doubted he understood that, but I really did want to give him credit. He strolled into the alley, smiling at us both. His gaze lingering on me, before he finally came to a stop. "Alice, it's been a while. How are you doing these days?"

I gave him a nod before gesturing to a crate he could sit on, while I leaned against the wall. "Been better, but I have definitely been worse. How much has Vivian told you about my new occupation?"

His shoulders dropped, before he sat down with a deep sigh. "Not nearly enough, honestly. I see you ran into the Princess, well more heard really. What exactly have you been forced to do?"

Midnight sensed the tension in the air, her ears going low while she looked up at the sky. She pulled her papers out, holding them in her lap, before deciding to listen to our conversation. I gave Wyatt a small shrug at his question, "A few unsavory things, to be honest. I had to enter an arena and fight people. Then I had to reenter to fight monsters to the death. I probably would have done as much without the threat, but it clearly was a means to make me feel powerless to oppose such a force."

Wyatt scowled a little shaking his head, "I won't lie, I really do hate that woman. She's done a lot of terrible things to good people. She's even the reason Vivi is missing an arm. Yet, the Guard can't do anything against her. Anyway, ranting about the lady won't get us anywhere." He turned to Midnight, smiling gently. "The papers please, and thank you for bringing us back together."

Midnight raised a brow, but handed them to him anyway. "This conversation is going much quicker than I expected."

Wyatt shrugged, while taking the papers and looking them over. I moved a couple bugs to read the documents myself, but found nothing wrong with it. I smiled at Midnight, "Well he probably wants to talk with me alone, and thinks you're only here for the papers. You don't have to worry about us fighting while you're gone. We're well past that point, aren't we Wyatt?"

Wyatt rolled his eyes, but smirked a little. "She's mostly right. I wouldn't mind chatting with you, but I need to go back and file a report about what I saw and heard. Confidential stuff, about matters that may or may not involve Alice. We almost killed each other once, but even at our lowest point she still risked her life to save my own. I betrayed her trust after that, but I don't think she'll kill me over it."

I grinned, "Yeah, and with all the guards around I would rather run away. I'll see you around Nina."

Wyatt finished signing everything, while Midnight pouted. She took the documents with a small smile, before getting up. "Fine~ I know when I'm not wanted. Thanks for everything, and you two talk it out. You might be older now, but I was still your sitter. If I need to, I will come back here and spank you both. But really, please get along for me? I know a lot has happened, but I want you two to succeed here in the city."

We both nodded to Midnight, while she walked away from us. Wyatt used some wind magic to block our voices from those that might listen outside our small sphere. It wasn't needed, and I did trust Nina, but I had no reason to stop him either. Wyatt swallowed hard, "Are we good now? I mean..." He looked away, before continuing "I didn't meant to hurt you like that."

I walked over to him, gently wrapping a wing around him. "Our home didn't mean much to us Wyatt, just a place with bad memories. You giving it to Nina wasn't the correct way to go about making things right between us."

He looked up at me, "She said you promised to trade it for letting me back into your Hive."

I flicked his forehead, "Yeah, I did say that. I would have let you back in even if you said no though. I don't think as clearly as I should when I'm cold. I wanted you to give away our village so we could move past that. We're going to keep things from each other, but no matter what happens I want you to understand that I do not want to hurt or kill you in any way."

He rolled his eyes a little, "You're a jerk, but I kind of get it. What have you been up to exactly?"

"I'm always doing a lot of things, and one day I do intend on telling you everything. Right now, I need you to promise to stay out of the Underground, and keep your guards safe. If Vivian hasn't told you anything, then she probably has a reason. You should ask her, and tell her that I told you to do so. Beyond that, what I've been doing can best be described as taking over the Underground slowly."

Wyatt pushed against me, standing a little. "Really? What are you, some kind of gang leader now?" He looked me over, slowly realizing the answer on his own. He gritted his teeth, "Are you insane!?"

I looked into his eyes, "In the words of a dead friend; evil is a tool to be used as much as good. A cancer grows beneath the city, but it cannot be removed with goodwill alone. I cannot clean up the Underground by being nice, nor will I purge it with poison. My influence will grow, and the Underground will be mine as much as I will hunt the true monsters of Eclipse. You are a part of my Hive, and I am telling this for your benefit. Do not stand in my way Wyatt."

He glared at me, "Have you killed anyone Alice?"

I grinned back, "I am a monster that hunts monsters, Wyatt. What did you think happened to the ones holding those children I brought to the Guard months ago? How do you think Brian's curse was lifted? Why are there suddenly less children being snatched away, less slaves being abducted? Surely you noticed a lull in the reports and cases?"

Wyatt gritted his teeth, "You're using the law to justify killing, aren't you?"

I blinked, "You use it to justify slaying monsters, while I go after the real monsters. I truly thought we were past this Wyatt."

He was clearly conflicted, finally looking at the moon above us. "It's hard to think about it that way. I've been fighting monsters for a long time. I have this line, where I don't kill people, because it's not my place to judge them. We have a jury for that Alice, we aren't supposed to kill people. It makes Eclipse weaker when the monsters come."

My eye twitched a little, but going through Mother Oak's memories again, I realized the issue. Wyatt hates gang leaders, and monsters. People aren't supposed to be killed, because they can be put to work in the fields in case the walls fall to protect the innocent. He spent his life building up to these morals and ideals. He couldn't change how he thought so quickly, and this friction was unhealthy for his mental state. I let out a small sigh, "I'm not a gang leader Wyatt, but I will lead some people in the Underground eventually. I just need you to stay up here because I know people are looking for you." I wasn't about to spend decades or years within a room with him. Especially since I knew he had a pact with the King. It was too risky, without knowing the extent of his power.

Wyatt relaxed a bit, but shook his head slowly. "Just go... if you're going to lie to me, then it's better like this. Don't let anyone see you in the city. The Guard will capture all murderers and bring them before a court to be tried. Even if the reasoning could be justified, you still have to stand before a trial. The next time we meet, I will do everything in my power to bring you in."

I felt a bit of rage flare up, but simply nodded my head. I noticed the faint glow of divine energy from some other entity. The pact he held with the king making it impossible to break the law as he interpreted it. I effectively admitted to killing people in front of the captain of the Guard, and this was his warning. I slipped into the shadows while watching Wyatt tear up. He had to file a proper report, and go through Vivian to have an investigation launched. All because of a simple misstep on my part.