Drip

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Drip

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Crackle

'That's a new sound' the elder tytomorph's head lifted. What fell in his small domain? Trying to raise himself to his feet, he balanced out awkwardly to the right to stop his rump from tumbling over due to his missing leg. His scarred muzzle brushed the ground around the drop spot, it felt rugged and flat as usual but he sneered hoarsely at the appearance of four unknown rocks in his space.

He had his secluded spot mapped to the smallest detail and these four where new, had something else fallen into his chamber. He let out a airy bark, his esophagus trembling to call out as his weakened tone stopped before it even had the chance of echo'ing out of the tunnel above. He knew of its existence but could never find the strength to climb out, not that he'd ever be accepted back into his hive as a proper drone anyways. He was a hated outcast, a loose tie, a leeching outsider. The sudden chirp of a drone made his spine tremble, who in their right mind would travel to his queen forsaken space. He felt more pebbles fall against his battered head, reeling back to the farthest corner he could press himself into.

He found himself belly deep in the freezing water that sustained him, the unbalanced weight suddenly even in the liquid. He heard the creature land with a solid thump, they where a decent size but had to be new. They sounded strong and confident, quills rattling to call out for him but he couldn't answer. He was stripped of his communications, he was born with no quills due to a bad shed and with hardly half a tongue, his calls where weakened. The brush of their blades made him hyper aware of their tail that sounded like more than one, was their more than one drone here? Their loud roar for attention made him stumble, the splash revealing his location to the stranger as their claw steps grew closer.

He let out a weak hiss that went ignored, the water sloshing while their snout came close enough to rub against his horns. A deep purr rumbling through their chest that confused the tormented elder as he waited for the blades to strike his weakened skin in hatred. "I didn't believe that this tunnel led no where, who are you?" They questioned in curiosity, their tongue flicking against his muzzle and finding the start of his scars. This pushed the stranger to brush along the trembling drone's skin, feeling the abundance of scars taking nearly the entirety of his hide. The feeling of their pedi arm's setting against his chest, searching for his own. Only to find the right mangled and the left being nothing more then a stump.

'What happened to you? What creature could have possibly done this much damage.. does the hive know your down here?' The worried chatter made him pull away, nearly falling as he dashed out of the waters. His maw opened to speak, but they cluttered in his throat. He had no right to speak to them, who ever this drone was clearly wasn't told of his story and what happened when you tried to be in the queens favor. "T-theh... ey.... nn.. knoh... know. d-donn.. cah...are.." He struggled with his words, hardly able to say the words with trying to get the letters to sound right. The young drone flocked back to his side, their curiosity peaked at his flighty behavior. "I'm sure they wouldn't be that way, how about i help you to the tunnel so you can crawl out?"

He felt a nudge near his rump, making him rasp in fear. "Nn..nooh!! C-cahh...an't!" He could hardly push against the strength of them, squawking awkwardly in his fumble before the bellowed roar made them both freeze. He lowered his head as far as the ground would allow, trembling as the sound of a even larger drone clambered down the tunnel. The shrieking roar of authority making the two freeze at the dominant tone of the new comer. "Get away from him two. He is an outcast." The young drone slowly moved away from his side, quills shaking in their restrain to ask questions. "Dung Beetle, have you said anything harmful to this drone?" They snapped, oh he knew that voice. It was the drone that was introduced in his early years. He remembered this voice, this was stinger's voice. "N-nnn...aaoo..." Stinger snorted between his parted maw, keeping him low as stingers talons set on his back.

His blade pressing on top of dung beetles weapon less tail, a show of dominance to the unarmed elder. "Good.. Two, return to the sleeping chambers immediately. You are forbidden to come here." The small croak of the young drones protest went quiet before they climbed out through the tunnels end. "I'm surprised to see you still alive. Don't get use to the sound of company." He removed himself from pinning dung beetle, the scrapping of stingers claws giving him relief that he was alone once again. That young one nearly got him killed just out of their own curiosity. His muscles relaxed as the danger was gone, dragging himself to the closest wall while he pressed himself against the hardened rock. Feeling the mix of blood and drool seeping past his fangs at the use of his voice, a mistake he shouldn't have done.

The sticky mixture pooling at his chest while he raised himself to not let it touch his already delicate skin, the saliva would harden the mix within the hour and he'd rather not tear his scars open to free himself. It would be best to wait until his saliva glands harden over once again, remembering their original tearing in his punishment. Head held low as the pangs of guilty conscious stung his mind with memory that he deserved this, he broke the truce of the hive and for that he paid the price of being the living embodiment of an example until his live withered. His maw slack as he held himself up on his front talons, left to wait for the pain to ease once again to forget this dreadful encounter. He never wanted to speak again, as much as he craved the attention from... anyone at this point, he'd rather die lonely then experience speaking again. The numbness washing over his body as he felt drowsiness crawl through his muscles to send him into a better mind space, joints locking in place while his mind became blank.

He never wanted to face another tyto again.

Again..

Drip..

Drip...

Drip...