“Though we have lost much and sacrificed our old lives. We have been given a chance to change our fate and it is with great pleasure I give you your new Looord Protector!”

The female pixie’s voice echoed around the expanse of the helmet, and Stygian was thrust into the limelight. Vae and Aldreya had dressed in the fanciest pixie garb they had on hand. They had found a purple leaf toga with golden embroidery that looked like crawling vines. Which was actually two outfits sewn into one because of the deväk’s bulk. They tried to get the bug to wear sandals too, but the bug refused not seeing the point. They had threatened and begged, but the bug wouldn’t budge; they only dropped it when Stygian threatened to go out in nothing.

Which wouldn’t help the bug’s image. Unfortunately most pixies were still afraid that Stygian might turn on them. Especially after someone, *cough-Gwyn*, let it be known that Stygian’s very soul had been corrupted. So Vaelin and Aldreya were doing their best to alleviate that. It had only been a couple days since the creation of their new home, Helms Hearth, yet it already seemed like a losing battle.

Yet the pixie duo wouldn’t give up on Stygian, so here it was. In a tight fitting toga being displayed like a prized jewel. Stygian had been instructed to wave politely and not talk which almost made the bug seem civilized. For a long moment the small crowd seemed wary of the bug, but the voice quickly took control again whipping them into high spirits.

As soon as they had made it back inside of Helms Hearth after the battle, Vaelin had started planning this event. Stygian had spent most of the time sleeping, well sleeping is the wrong word. It was a state of magically induced low activity designed to accelerate healing of all kinds. In other words it was a sort of half sleep that helped our entripped bug fight the corruption in its soul. This was the same treatment our Lady Vae received and it only lasted a few hours for her. Our bug was in this trance for two whole days and it was informed that it was still corrupted, but the damage had been lessened.

So seeing as this was our bug’s first activating in a several days I’m sure you can understand that it was less than pleased to be doing so little. In fact Stygian would even be here if it wasn’t for Aldreya’s promise of vigorous exercise after the ceremony.

Finally with much fanfare the deväk was pulled back behind the curtain it had been shoved out of. In a haze Stygian felt hands take off the toga with ease, our bug had been planning to rip it off at the first opportunity. So it was pleased with the assistance. Aldreya stood close by watching with a pleased smile.

“That was very well done Stygian. I'm pleased you didn’t cause a disruption, and I think the people are growing accustomed to you.”

“HmmMm. ReeWWarrd. Nnnoww?”

“Yes of course.” Aldreya said with a slight laugh, before continuing, “It’ll be just me and you today. Vaelin has to stay up here and socialize.”

Aldreya began guiding Stygian down the stone steps. One side of the wall was a bright white stone while the other was polished metal. The clan had gone straight to work on the structures in Helms Hearth. As the exited the stairwell Stygian once again saw the opulence of the Helm.

The Helm had been reserved for the council and their personal chambers, and a grand courtyard.. The very top of the dome was their meeting room. With their chambers snaking out along the walks divided into nine sections for each council member. A chandelier of great opulence hung from the bottom of the council room floor.

As the duo made their way around the Helm Stygian pulled its eyes down past the top half. There were three balconies that could be used to address the people gathered in the Helm, and there was an open space in the center for a teleportation array. It was doubtful they could find the components, and even more doubtful if a group of exile should. The Helm was only half finished and rough, but it was amazing what the pixie could do when not under the threat of death.

Finally Aldreya guided Stygian to another staircase. There were very few staircases since pixies can fly, most pixies just used holes that connected one space to another. Yet it was unfortunately common for pixies to lose their wings and become permanently disabled. So staircases were an unfortunate necessity in pixie settlements.

Stygian expected this staircase to lead into the Chestplate where everyone else lived, but this one went down and down. Aldreya knew of our bug curiosity and so she began to elaborate, “Right now we are headed down to the feet, which have been merged into a test chamber, but I like to call it the toe-ster.”

Stygian stared at her unblinking. She stared right back. Sygian was aware she had made that statement with no explanation, to get Stygian to ask a question. Stygian didn’t want to give her the satisfaction, for that question would lead to six others. They continued to stare.

Finally Stygian restraint broke and the bug asked. Why had she called it the toe-ster? What was a toe-ster? What was a pun? Why was toe-ster a pun? So a magical device for heating various types of bread was called a toaster, and she called it a toe-ster because it was in the toe’s and test subjects usually got fried in this test chamber. Stygian finally realized that the whole thing was pointless. Which frustrated our deväk and that only made Aldreya laugh.

Afterwhich Stygian stayed silent, knowing that Aldreya wanted the bug to ask why they were going to this test chamber. More silence ensued and this time stygian won out when aldreya spoke first.

“So I’m sure you are wondering why we are going down to this specific test chamber. Well we have been trying to recreate some of our experiments from before our exile. There is a material, often referred to as Faesteel, but I prefer Nature Steel. And before you ask it is because it grows as things in nature do. However, Nature Steel starts as something else, something that requires unique refinement.”

She smiled and handed Stygian a rough spear with a jagged rusty brown tip, and ushered the bug into what must have been the ‘toe-ster’. As they entered a door slammed down from the ceiling barring them inside. They were shrouded in darkness so complete that it could be mistaken for blindness. A whisper, then a rush of noise as another door on the opposite side of the chamber.

The door opened to reveal a torch lit dirt cave filled with a dozen or so caged insects. Dried blood discolored the floor. Stygian took in the room rough spear in hand and Aldreya waited until the bug had had its fill.

“Pick the one you think looks nastiest.”

There were a few hairy spiders, a small scorpion, several tiny ants, but the nastiest had to be the centipede. It was in the largest cage with black and red plating, it was coiled up but Stygian assumed that the centipede was longer. Without a word Stygian pointed the spear at the centipede, which released a high pitched whistling noise. Either out of fear of agitation Stygian couldn’t tell.

Aldreya smiled, “Good choice. Now drive the spear into the centipede, avoid the brain, but anywhere else should do nicely, and don’t remove it.” Stygian did so not needing to be told twice. Our bug watched what could be considered as its distance kin thrash in the cage clearly in terrible pain releasing the same high pitched whistle as before.

As our bug watched in apathy the centipede started glowing faintly. At first it wasn’t very noticeable, but slowly as the display carried on it grew. As the light grew Stygian began to feel waves of heat rolling off the thrashing bug. What before had been helplessly flailing, now seemed to carry more weight as though the centipede was getting stronger and stronger.

Stygian now looked on in concern. This centipede would break out, and when it did Aldreya would be endangered and if Stygian let one of its lady’s servants get hurt or worse. Well Vaelin wouldn’t be pleased. Not to say our bug wasn’t growing fond of the pixie in its own right, but Vaelin’s potential wraith was to be feared more. Yet our bug was under orders to follow Aldreya’s lead, and she seemed unconcerned. Calmly as though there wasn't a centipede turning into some kind of horrible monster in the room Aldreya spoke, “That spear head was a fragment of Heamomorphite. Quite the mouthful I know. It is part of the reason for our exile. That tiny shard would have required at least ten pixie sacrifices. The final drop of an earth pixie blood will crystallize to create Heamomorphite. It is something only earth pixies can produce, yet it is inefficient to continue to kill earth pixies. You can achieve more growth by killing a nature pixie and letting their final drop of blood nourish the crystal.”

Aldreya paused to let the words sink in. Pixies were far more ruthless than Stygian had imagined. They usually seemed helpless, though our bug supposed that didn’t always mean harmless. Aldreya continued, “Yet even that wasn’t efficient enough, so we kept looking for ways to improve it. Then I found a death pixie ritual designed to channel all of their death energy in exchange for their lives. Well it wasn’t easy to rework it, but eventually we changed it to work for earth and nature pixies. With one hundred unwilling sacrifices we created Heamomorphite. An unrefined growing metallic crystal that feeds on blood and life energy. Not only would any amount of blood and life give us a substantial amount of blood ore, but it could be refined inside a living being. Well if done right, if left unchecked then any beast stabbed with blood ore will grow wildly out of control until its life and blood are exhausted.”

A splitting sounded out as the centipede broke free.

“See I have a theory.” Stygian lunged for the centipede, getting in between the rapidly expanding monster and Aldreya, Aldreya interrupted, “Defend us, but don’t kill it.”

Stygian wanted to groan, playing defender was no fun when you couldn’t kill. It made everything significantly harder. However with one punch Stygian showed who was the baddest bug. The centipede’s chitin cracked and caved in exposing throbbing and glowing flesh beneath. The centipede plastered itself into the corner afraid of our bug.

“I should explain that faesteel or nature steel is highly coveted, because as you use it the material takes on additional aspects. Say you have an air mage who casts spells to make their nature steel breastplate lighter, and they do this everyday. Eventually the breastplate will take on aspects of that spell making it a fraction lighter. After a few years you could end up with a breastplate that weighs half what it originally did.”

The hole that Stygian had punched in the chitin was closing at a visible pace, but it wasn’t healing more like regrowing. As the damage was disappearing the centipede decided to attack again. Stygian punch again in a different spot to the same results as last time. Except it started to regrow almost immediately, and this time the centipede didn’t cower. So our bug kept punching.

Aldreya had to raise her voice to be heard over the clamor, but that didn’t deter her, “Pixies are kept as slaves all acrossed human civilization, yet it is earth pixies who are sacrificed buy the thousands to create faesteel for the humans. It must then be refined by an experienced smith. If the fire is too hot the ore will burn away to cold and the crystal will shatter. It is a delicate process that requires fine tuning every step of the way. Even if you do everything proper it is still the most basic product at the end. We are weak as a race and our clan sought to end the torment our species faces at the hands of humans. Yet we were exiled for our effort and our product was destroyed. They didn’t understand what we had created or why. They wouldn’t listen…”

Aldreya trailed off into a melancholy silence as Stygian battered against the centipede. Every punch broke chitin, but as the fight continued the chitin seemed to grow more resilient. Stygian could no longer break holes in the centipede now our bug could only cause a spiderweb of cracks to form with every blow. Yet it seemed as the centipede grew its defense its speed and mobility fell. The joints in its legs grew together as its plated form grew more and more rigid. Slowly as stygian pummeled the centipede it curled itself into a spiral.

However despite the lack of activity upon the centipede side our bug continued to unleash punch after punch. Trying to put more strength into every blow. Trying to do everything it could to continue to crack the centipede's chitin. Finally just as our bug felt it could do nothing more, the centipede’s whistling ended and the curled up bug began to glow.

“That’s enough Stygian. The blood ore has finished consuming the life energy and blood of our centipede here, and it is now refining itself. That glowing means that it is starting to heat up so I’d step back, if I were you.”

As the former centipede began to heat up the shard of Heamomorphite began to grow; it filled every nook and cranny until it had filled up the centipede completely. The wooden shaft of the rough spear turned to ash in a moment from the heat. The flesh of the centipede began burning. Using carbon in the burning flesh of the Heamomorphite the shrunk down cooling for a brief instance before expanding once again. As the centipede heated up again and the blood ore expanded this time it stretched the centipede a bit before cooling down again.

This process happened over and over again until all of the blood had been refined into nature steel. The leftover inerd of the centipede were burned away as it heated one final time expanding into its final shape. The centipede now turned nature steel still resembled its former self. Though now it looked somewhat like a stylized Targe shield, though still just as thick as it was before. The centipede curled in on itself leaving no gaps, towards the center the thick legs of the centipede stuck out creating a spiked center. The whole thing looked like colored gray glass, however when the light shifted just right it appeared opaque and shined like steel.

“That is the purest form of faesteel there is, it is often referred to as glass steel, and often never seen by any but the rulers of nations. Yet you made it in a dank dark cave with no experience in smithing. If this doesn’t stop the mass killing of my people I’m not sure what will. Come along Stygian we should bring that along to Rhind, he can tell us the qualities it possesses.”

As they left the toe-ster Stygian began to wonder if an evil act taken to ameliorate a far greater evil is really evil and not justified. Is evil still evil when all involved do not care? Or perhaps evil is always evil regardless of perspective. As a deväk there were not many lines Stygian wouldn’t cross, killing kin or a hatchmate in our bugs case just felt wrong. Our bug had an innate desire to defend any hatch mates and our bug felt that a pixie killing another pixie would be the same as Stygian killing a hypothetical hatch mate. Both were vile, and yet a deväk that fell in the service of the swarm was devoured and that didn't feel vile to our bug. So perhaps evil for the great good was… Our young bug couldn't decide on an answer so it chose to set aside such questions and chase after Aldreya. Set aside but not forgotten.