Richard Adams

What was there to do in this situation? The blood worms knew that I knew, now. They understood I had destroyed the eggs they wanted to use to infect others. The simplest thing to do would involve just taking them to Mimi and having them slaughtered... It didn't sit right with me. I knew these worms only killed others when they took over their host. The worms themselves weren't able to kill anyone and only took the body over when their host died. Right now, they hadn't actually hurt anyone.

I jumped when Rex shouted my name, "Are you going to make our bowls anytime soon, Richard!?" He chuckled, while the worms caught the bowl I almost dropped.

There wasn't time to think as I grabbed the ladle and started serving the broth. It was a light meal since they were going back to work soon. All the eggs had been killed by the heat, and the worms made no move to put more in the other bowls. "Sorry, it was just so nice seeing the kid eat something." I forced a grin, thankful that no one caught on. Mister Max whispered his thanks to me after getting his bowl.

Mrs. Betty smiled at the worms, "Would you like to eat with us, dear?"

The worms clung to my side, "I want to stay here, he's leaving soon." Yeah, that made sense. The worms knew I held their life in my hands, they wanted to watch me. Mrs. Betty was a bit torn by that response, but just nodded her head before eating with her husband. After everyone was busy eating they looked up at me, "What do you want?"

I shook my head slowly, "I don't know, I just don't like others dying if I can help it."

"Are you a freak like those cultists? We don't mind, we just want to..." I hit the worms over the head making them stagger back. I was glad no one saw that.

"Don't ever suggest that about me," I harshly whispered while they rubbed their head. "If you infect anyone, you are dead, and the one you infected will die as well. Just... give me time to think, okay?"

They gave a slow nod, carefully making another bowl for themselves. "We understand, if you allow it, we will run into the forest and never come back."

My jaw flexed as I chewed on the idea. Mimi had a hive here, she would make sure they never came back. Blood worms did make their body stronger, but I doubted they'd be stronger than a vampire. Especially since they were using a kid's body. It was a death sentence, but there was a chance for them. They might even make it to another village... I blinked at the thought. An idea was coming to me.

The worms made me a bowl and pressed it to my hands, "Eat, or they will get suspicious. Please." They added as an afterthought, thankfully not even trying to guilt me the way kids might try.

I took the bowl and started eating after I made certain it didn't put any new eggs in my broth. "We'll talk tonight, I have an idea."

The worms tilted their head but stayed silent as they watched my every move. They wanted to know what I had planned, but I needed to think this through. They finished their bowl, while the others were telling stories about their kids. The whole village was somber, with a few sneaking glances between mister Max and the worms. There was some envy there, but they didn't know the situation. The worms quietly spoke as they made another bowl. "Where will we meet?"

"The storehouse, I guess you know I'll be gone the day after tomorrow. I'm going to explain the situation, so don't do anything rash." I watched as they took a moment to drink the cooled broth.

They wiped their face on their sleeve, "Who are you telling?" They narrowed their eyes, no doubt thinking up plans to get out alive.

"Red," I whispered back, "she's the same person that found you. It's hard to explain, but she'll find a place for you."

The worms paused at that, "What do you mean?"

I ruffled their hair, "Like I said, we'll talk tonight." The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I cleaned the dishes with the worms, as they made it seem like a kid sticking with their hero. That, or they just wanted more food. The villagers weren't suspicious, and Rex made it a point to throw rocks at Dixon's window when night came. Evidently, they were going to break it twice a day for the next month since he didn't tell them about their kids dying to cultists.

We did some fieldwork with the others, preparing it for winter crops. Mimi had plans and Red told those plans to the others. From what I understood, she had found the Raven's village and was getting seeds from them. She lost me when she said that Raul had contact with some farmers and that they were going to sell seeds through the Underground for the Raven to buy. I just didn't understand why she had to sell them to the Raven, and couldn't just bring them here. I just had to trust she knew what was best.

The sun started to set, while we sat atop the wall watching it go down. Village life was simple, you just worked until there wasn't anything else to do. Then you did whatever you wanted. The worms stuck by me the whole time, they did their best at fieldwork and were slumping against me like any kid would do when they were tired. Terrible situation aside, this wasn't a bad day.

Night came and I shook the worms awake. We headed to the storeroom, where I was surprised to see Rex leaving it. He glanced at the kid and shrugged. "Richard."

I tilted my head, "Rex." He smirked and walked away. The worms looked at me and I shrugged. It was weird, but whatever. I opened the doors, walking towards the torch on the front of the wagon. I closed the doors, before walking there with the worms beside me. "Red?" I called out, as I rounded the corner.

She was sitting on a throne of still living vampires. Their arms and legs uncomfortably interlocked, but thankfully not fused, as she nodded at me. "Welcome back, Richard." She tapped her cheek.

I wiped my face, getting some of the dirt I hadn't noticed. I coughed, "Anyone come offering blood today?" She was in a mood, she wouldn't go through the effort to make a throne if she wasn't. Something had to be bothering her.

"A few people, they were desperate for me to bring their children back to them. I had to explain, in no uncertain terms, that I couldn't. Then the other me read the ritual, and it might be possible." She was keeping her voice low.

"I'm sensing a 'but' here." I folded my arms, as the worms hid behind me.

"They won't be able to inhabit their old bodies at best, the ritual might have ruined their souls and so many other possibilities. Either way, I wanted your input on this, Richard." She waved towards me, curling her fingers in a circle in the direction of my heart. "How would you feel, if I put the souls of children into my bugs? I didn't kill them, but Rex said it was an awful idea."

I swallowed hard, knowing she wanted my input. It was nice that we were talking more about these things, but it compounded that she didn't think like anyone else I knew. I let out a small cough, "I think it might vary from person to person. I could ask a couple of people to come here and talk it over with you. I want to say it's a bad idea, but everyone is different. We need to ask if they are okay with it and if that is what they want."

She tilted her head forward, considering what I said. "That is a more appealing option, and it lets me test a few things. Is there something you want to ask?" She looked back at me, a small smile on her face.

Red was doing the same thing Mimi did when she was disappointed about something. I let out a small sigh, "Why are you upset?"

There was a moment of silence, as Red pursed her lips. "Straight to the point, tonight." She grinned, staring at me. Mimi really liked staring at people, but the creepiness wore off after I spent so much time with her. She finally shrugged after a few seconds, "Very well, my other body has failed to slay the monster in that dead village. They are gathering petals and flowers for one final attempt tomorrow, but the fact that we didn't win tonight bothers me. More time is being wasted, and I'm being made to instruct her while she's dim. How do you deal with me, Richard?" She was teasing me, and probably asking me an honest question.

It was a loaded question if I ever saw one, and I knew she wouldn't like it if I took too long to answer. I grinned back, telling her the truth. "Very carefully." I gave her a wink, "I know you can kick my ass, and that you are doing a lot of stuff all at once. I just try to understand what you're doing, and hope my best is enough." It didn't feel like my best was enough, but she smiled anyway.

"Great answer, as always." She adjusted herself, "My scouts told me that you know the truth, I just finished telling Di'Rex my plans." The worms tensed behind me. "My other body isn't aware, as we will be keeping secrets from each other."

I tilted my head, bringing the worms out in front of me. "You're lying... to yourself?"

Red rolled her crimson eyes, "Guess that makes me human." She let the words linger, before continuing, "The short answer is yes, I am lying to my other-self. I'm doing this to see if we would have figured it out before anything awful happened."

I scratched my chin, "Well, kind of late for that. The blood worms tried to infect everyone through the broth."

A crimson claw waved the notion off, dismissively. "You caught that, and it would only become a problem when somebody died."

The worms interjected, "What are you going to do with us?" Their hair was standing on end, as their skin crawled. "We're more than happy to leave, just please allow us to live."

Red's eyes fell onto the worms, the smile gone. "I have plans, but I'm curious as to what you decided on, Richard." The worms started to say something, but two vampires suddenly appeared on either side and pressed their face to the ground.

The worms tried to get free but stopped as soon as they realized it would be in vain. "We can be useful! We won't try to infect others! We..."

"Enough." The word was said with finality, Red taking her eyes off the worms and looking towards me. "As much as it pains me to admit it, you did discover them first. I had planned on keeping watch and making certain, but here we are. Can you forgive me for not trusting you?"

A small sigh escaped my lips, "My breach of trust was worse, and you forgave me. Besides, no harm was really done." I looked in her eyes, "I'm also not convinced you didn't suspect something before me." Red started to say something, but I held up a hand. "I also know it's kind of pointless to prove if you did or didn't. I love you Mimi, all of you, even Red and the bugs."

Red cracked a smile, "The Hive loves you as well, Richard. Now, about that idea, you've been thinking about all day."

I shook my head, "I kind of wanted to know what you were planning." The way her smile changed to a grin told me she wasn't going to tell me until after I said what she wanted to hear. The worms were looking at me with pleading eyes. "Blood worms can infect monsters. It is very unlikely, it has happened before. We know ichor worms are basically blood worms, but stronger and more dangerous. Oswald theorized that ichor worms came about when a human was turned into a vampire while infected with the worms. I kind of want to confirm that."

"You put a lot of thought into that answer." She slowly clapped, "I'm genuinely impressed, Richard." It kind of hurt, with how she phrased it. I know she was trying to give me a genuine compliment though. "You managed to think of an idea that satisfies my desire to experiment, mixed it with the knowledge that the worms need to infect others to survive, and made a compelling reason for them to be kept alive. All in one satisfying answer that I had briefly considered."

The worms struggled to look at Red, "Does..."

She glared down at the worms, "You will speak when spoken to, we're having a moment."

I coughed into my glove, "You said you considered it, but didn't decide on it. What was your idea?"

Red smiled at me, "Have them infect some beasts since I have eaten them in the past. There isn't much I can gain from them, and I doubt the ichor worms are much better. That said, a community of blood worms does sound interesting. There are few records of what happens to a village after it is infected. Most times they simply try to keep their village established and continue trade until their bodies die. What happens if we get rid of that illusion? How will ichor worms respond to blood worms? There are a lot of questions, and it is worth doing it as an experiment."

She got that look in her eyes that told me she was considering too many things at once. I looked down at the worms, "I don't think she'll let you go, are you okay with living like that?"

The worms looked back at me, "We get to infect others, and learn new things. Is this a bad deal?" I pursed my lips, realizing I asked a dumb question. They wanted to live, and this option gave them the potential to spread.

"It's probably the best you're going to get, just some advice..." I rubbed the back of my head, "Try to be useful, and if an offer is made for you to join the Hive, take it. You won't die if you're a part of the Hive." I looked back at Red, who had finished contemplating all the experiments she was going to do. "Hey Red." She looked at me, tilting her head, "Please don't do any experiments on this kid's body. When it breaks down, I'm certain they'll want to bury it."

She shrugged, "Very well, Argus has been dispatched to gather some pedophiles. Any experiment I could have run on him can be run on them instead." Red suddenly sat straight, "Oh dear..."

I blinked, "Oh dear?" That wasn't a good sign. Mimi only did that when she fucked something up.

"It appears that Di'Rex was not the correct choice for explaining what happened to Di'Lee. The zealots believe this is a test of faith, while a few think it's a good idea to sacrifice the body to me. Di'Rex is trying to calm the situation down, but factions are starting to form." She closed her eyes, probably trying to get more information on the issue.

The worms were quiet as they were still pinned to the ground, "Hey, want to make yourself useful?"

They looked at me, nodding a little. "We do not have many options, and we have been told this is the best outcome."

I nodded back, "It is, she can see and hear through her bugs. Not only that, but she can teleport anywhere they can see. All it takes is one of them and suddenly you're surrounded by vampires." I gestured to the two holding him down. "We're going to walk outside, and bravely push this incident back until tomorrow."

"How are we going to do such a thing? Would it not be easier to reveal what I am?" Their voice was cold, devoid of emotion. On some level, it was nice to know they were being as honest as they could. On another, it was so damn creepy.

"There is a retired death priest out there. If anyone would want you dead, it's that guy. Right now you are only as valuable as the experiments she thinks she can use you for." I gestured to Red. I thought back to how Mimi tried to explain economy to me, or at least what she thought she understood about it. "You have superficial value, and she is aware of that. Revealing yourself to a priest of death will potentially make him write a letter to his friends. Friends that will also want you dead." I explained slowly, ignoring the smug look Red was giving me. "If the death priest's friends become involved, then you lose value because that is a mess that needs to be cleaned up."

The worms slowly nodded, "Meaning, if I revealed what I am, then my value drops below what it is now. If it drops too low, I may be offered to the death priest to offset the value of potential harm that might be incurred." I swear, it's the weirdest creatures that make me feel like an idiot.

Red grinned, "It is splendid to realize that you can put such simple concepts together." Thanks, Red. Making me feel like a genius over here. I rolled my eyes, as she continued. "Play along with Richard's plan for me."

The vampires disappeared, probably gathering petals with Mimi or something. The worms got up, "Would it not be effective for me to slay the death priest? No letter to his friends, and surely that would prove my loyalty." I'm glad that the distinction between monsters and everything else is the fact that they have black blood. It gets so confusing otherwise.

Red looked delighted, "That would be your first thought, and it would be mine as well. However, as I have learned, people will ask questions if those they are connected to begin to disappear. It comes with a unique set of problems that need to be resolved as well. This is also why Richard is so valuable, he is able to explain such oversights." Yep, that's me. The guy trying to make sure you don't flay someone alive in front of a crowd to send a message.

The worms nodded, "That makes sense, but how will we push all of this until tomorrow night?" They both looked at me, as I scratched my chin. I'm thinking about it okay? Definitely not wondering what my life has come to.

"Glad you guys are hitting it off," I said, in a bid to stall for precious time. Sadly it didn't work as they both continued staring at me. I rolled my shoulders, "You'll see what my plan is when we get out there. I'd like both of you to follow me, please." I pointed at the worms, "I need you to keep up the Di'Lee act for now."

They both nodded and followed after me. The villagers were properly worked with some very heated arguments going on. Di'Lee's parents were sobbing while some of the villagers noticed us coming. Rex raised his ax, "I have informed them as gently as possible!"

Red gestured to the crowd, as all eyes were on us. "How is this gentle?"

Rex tilted his head, "Everyone knows you don't peel a scab. You need to tear it off, otherwise, it hurts more because you're prolonging it."

Red looked at me and shrugged, "It makes sense when he puts it like that, and there is no honor in keeping secrets from your peers." I squinted at her, before looking at Rex who nodded along happily.

I crossed my arms, shaking my head. "I need all of you to calm down for me. Rex, what did you tell them?"

Rex walked over, with the worms staying a healthy distance from him. "That the kid is infected with blood worms, and needs to die."

Face, meet palm. Glad they were acquainted again. "We believe he is infected, and he needs to die before the worms take over. He isn't dead yet."

Rex tilted his head, he was confused. He shouldn't have been made to bear the burden of telling everyone their kids died. He wasn't thinking straight, I was starting to figure him out. He's putting on a brave face, but inside he was raw and hurting. He knows how important the kids are to this village. He looked at Red, "Did I mishear?"

Red shrugged, "Richard is the speaker of our mistress. He has no reason to lie." The crowd calmed down.

I gave Rex a nod, "You misheard, and I'm glad we're here. Mister Max, Mrs. Betty." I looked at Di'Lee's parents. "I know it's been hard on you, but it'll be even harder if the worms stay in the kid's body. We're going to take him with us to Mimi, and she'll fix him up. She can't do it right now, because of all the miracles she did, but with more faith, she will rid Di'Lee of these terrible parasites." How do you like that? Making me clean up your mess, I'll make more people pray to you. The fact that Mimi hated people treating her like a goddess meant it was the best way to punish her for creating a situation like this.

Red looked as if she bit into something sour as the two parents immediately clasped their hands together. I waved my hands around some more, "We're leaving tomorrow, and if there is enough faith she might even be able to pull back the souls of the dead." There were gasps as the other parents gawked at me.

"Richard..." Red said quietly, her attempt at getting me to stop.

I hopped on the table, so people had to look up at me. "Bo'Chi supplies her with the power to perform miracles. Who better than a spirit to retrieve the souls of the departed? Offer blood in the storehouse, offer prayers to Bo'Chi at night. Your kids won't come back in the bodies they died in. They can be brought back as beetles, however." I let my words sink in. "It is your choice, as parents to make this decision. Will you be able to accept your child, regardless of form?"

A lot of them cried out in affirmation, as Red's eyes went wide. I clapped my hands, "Are you willing to pray for one hour, listing off everything with your words? There should be no silent prayers, mothers must pray in front of the crib, while fathers pray at the foot of the bed." I spread my arms, "I do not make the rules, and these are what is desired. No one will judge you for not wanting your child to come back as a beetle, but know such a form is temporary."

There were gasps as everyone was whipped into a fervor. Mrs. Betty exclaimed her prayers, "Please! Please, great and wonderful, Bo'Chi! Please cleanse my child of blood worms and bring him back to me! I will accept whatever form you are gracious enough to return him in!" Mister Max started chanting the same prayer with her.

I gestured at the two parents, "Exactly! Pray just like that, and they shall be answered!" I walked atop the table, standing before them. "Are you willing to suffer the same as everyone else who lost their child? Just one night of prayer isn't enough to make miracles happen! Will you be willing to let your son's flesh help the other children return to their parents!?"

There was silence, as all eyes moved towards the two. Mrs. Betty wailed her affirmation at the top of her lungs, begging Bo'Chi to let the others have their children back. Mister Max looked at the worms with tears in his eyes. He hesitated before lowering his head, "Yes..." I don't know if he knew something was different about his son, or if he was reluctant but agreed anyway.

The worms tried to say something, but Rex covered their mouth and dragged them to the storehouse. Red moved ahead to the storehouse to open the doors. I pointed at the storehouse, "Offer blood, offer prayers! You must give before you receive! You must have faith and believe! This is only the first step, and all those who announce their prayers with truth in their hearts shall be rewarded! Bo'Chi was once human! He is forgiving! If you change your mind, he shall make the beetle slumber while your child plays with the others! Do not be afraid!"

The villagers got up, surging towards the storehouse with Red holding the doors open. She teleported to a seat close to me, staring with a bit of betrayal. "You don't know if I can deliver on this." She harshly whispered at me.

I clasped my hands together, bowing my head in prayer where I stood. I opened one eye to look at her, "Just tell your other self to save the souls if she can. If she can't, then I guess you need to connect to their minds while they're sleeping. I know you can make some personalities to fake it." I quietly said, so only she could hear me. Anyone watching might think I was praying as well.

She let out a hiss but smiled. "I thought you said something like that was wrong and awful."

I shrugged, "I'm sure you'll get the souls, and help the kids. That's just the kind of amazing person you are. You are a bad influence though, but I don't see us leaving this place peacefully, otherwise."

Red let out a small sigh, "I hate how it took you less time to pull something like that off, compared to me spending a day with the silks and everything. At least it doesn't seem like I'll have to worry about blood problems for my vampires for now." She looked at the storehouse.

I followed her gaze, almost everyone in the village lined up and waiting. "Are your vampires able to drink that much?"

"Most of it will be stored in the dispenser bugs. I only need to feed the teleporters when I want to use them. The short answer is yes, I could use all of it, but rationing is better."

A smirk spread over my lips, "Bet you regret making me your acolyte, just don't send someone with ties to a place to tell the others their kids are dead. Rex has been through a lot." I looked at her, as seriously as I could.

Red nodded, "I see that, I'll keep that promise. At least, until you do something like this again." I smiled back at her, accepting the compromise.