- Honiu -

This event is certainly lacking.

While it was interesting for a while to observe how those fickle creatures interact in their natural environment, I got fed up with the numerous advances from them.

The problematic factor I'm sure about by now is that they're by far the most cunning beings I ever heard about.

And what makes them utterly chaotic is that all of them think foremost about themselves.

Because they're like this it's basically impossible to foresee their reactions in the long run.

As a momentary insight, I can assume that they're trying to please this one entity referred to by them as "king".

They compete with each other to the extremes in their attempts to become the most favored subjects of him.

But if they don't do so it's easy to see that they build countless little factions with the intention of impeding their rivalries.

I noticed by now six different cases when they uttered insults against themselves with the sole purpose of gaining approval from their peers in the same group.

Utterly unproductive and speaking of general destructive tendencies.

The pinnacle was reached when some tried to go against my brood in their attempts to find some common ground with others to join and form another group of interest.

This shows that some of them can't even see the immediate consequences of their actions.

And as I see it, they wouldn't hesitate a single moment to support a different entity than this "king" as long as it promises a greater advantage for them.

Truly, none of them can be completely estimated in their behavior.

I can't be sure if all this is entirely true at this point of my observations, but one thing is certain.

Whatever Erys agreed on with them, such chaotic creatures will stray from the negotiated terms as soon as they see a promising opportunity.

"Clonk"

What was that?

Erys' royal guard suddenly became extremely agitated.

"Erys!" (F)

My personal nurse in a display of unprofessionality leaves my side and runs over to the gathering.

Yet I doubt that she'll make any difference to the physically superior drones.

I turn to my brood.

(H)

They don't seem to think of doing otherwise.

I move closer as well and see that the doors they went through are closed.

Her drones are frantically clawing at it, trying to slash through the very material without any sense of purpose.

Just the typical mindless drive of drones to achieve their purpose when not given concrete orders.

"What is with them?"

"Wasn't Princess Erys over there."

"How scary!"

Such mindless bickering from those fickle creatures.

As if this would change anything.

In this state, the royal guard won't be able to think clearly.

Their only objective is to reach their broodmother.

However, it's at least possible to direct their efforts.

(H)

In this regard, Erys created them well.

They're intelligent enough to instantly understand my order and react to it.

After the first two shoves, I see that humans are pushing from the other side.

I immediately sense a strong stinging smell coming through the gap mixed with panicked pheromones of the drones that entered in there.

I don't need much more to realize that some kind of betrayal is in progress here.

Now there is just one course of action I can act upon.

I turn to my brood.

"Follow me." (H)

I leave the drones to their further progress of slamming this door off of its hinges and moving to the entrance where we initially entered.

I doubt that my personal nurse is going to follow my command, but while I should address this shortcoming later on, it isn't of the essence now.

Before I make it there I perceive that the door is finally giving in.

The royal guard doesn't waste a single second to make use of the weapons they were equipped with and slash through their opponents.

They don't even pose much of an impediment, but since none return to cover the retreat, it doesn't seem like they found her.

So I proceed further through the entrance.

There two human guards are blocking my way.

"Uh, insect... princess. What is..." (guard)

"Swish"

I extend my weapons and sting them before they can impede me any further.

While my poison isn't as deadly as most of the other princesses' and my weapons are not as sharp, they have their merits.

First, my poison glands are more diverse.

I produce in my upper arms a strong paralytic agent that reliably stops all muscle movement.

The same one I used just now.

And here comes the other perk of my weapons.

They're quickly emerging stingers, certainly not usable for a crude brawl like that brute Liseti would prefer, but instead, pierce quickly through the target's defense to subdue it.

I walk further down the corridor, not minding the shrieking cries of those fickle creatures to my action.

I don't need to move all the way outside.

This isn't necessary for my purpose.

Rather, I have the perfect tool to achieve it.

My little messenger.

(H)

(A)

(H)

Hm, for her early growth stage, she shows promising effort.

Since this is taken care of I simply turn around and move back to the hall.

If I'm right, there should've been more guards to the exit of this complex, so it should be safer to strengthen my position in this place with the help of Erys royal guard.

I only need to watch out that I won't make the same mistake as Erys and get caught by their forces.

And different from her I have a bit more experience with such a thing.

To be precise, eight centuries of thinking over and over what I could've done differently to avoid it.

I enter the gathering and finally, for the first time, those humans show the appropriate demeanor towards me as they become aware that I'm not just some curiosity but the very existence that might end their own if I deem so.

With the confidence that is only appropriate for my position, I walk through them to the other side of the hall where this whole incident began.

Yet I'm once again intercepted.

And this time by no one else but this annoying little human who always speaks for this king entity as if he wouldn't be capable of doing so for himself.

"Princess Honiu..." (Aaron)

He truly believes he could have his way with me.

I'll stop him right there.

"Did Princess Erys return?" (H)

"Princess Erys? No, not..." (A)

"Then you're useless." (H)

I use on him the stinger of my lower arms.

This one is a lot more peculiar than the first that still allows for a kind of defense.

Yet this poison won't reduce the target's capability for combat in the slightest.

No, instead, it causes severe disorientation and sensory hallucination.

The reason why I used it now is simple.

It would be of no advantage to me if he now becomes inactive.

Rather he'll make for a fine distraction.

But also I can interrogate him as soon I gained an overview of this situation.

After all, in this state, the target become very suggestible.

"Wh-what? Mother? How? You're dead!" (A)

I ignore him at this point since without proper guidance his statements will remain completely unintelligible.

Finally, I reach the door.

The royal guard by now managed to secure the space behind it.

Yet there's no trace of Erys.

Well, no trace might be wrong.

There are what remains of her royal guard.

Corpses and broken individuals.

On the other side, there are human proprietors.

But those are in a far worse state.

The royal guard, lacking another target, seems to have vented their agitation at them.

At this point, it would be difficult to refer to those humans as individuals.

If there's even a way to stick them back together after what happened to their bodies.

And in the middle of all this my personal nurse, who seems to be at a loss.

I don't step out there since a strong scent still lingers in this whole place and I find it unpleasant.

And because it distorts my pheromone sense I assume that I have no choice but to rely on the vocal basis to communicate.

"Farrah, to my side. I require your assistance to regain control of this situation." (H)

She looks at me with a complicated expression.

Since I can't read her pheromones I'm unable to fully comprehend her current emotions.

Nevertheless, she eventually moves in my direction out of this terrible sense clouder.

(F)

(H)

(F)

(H)

She has a point, I'll give her that.

If those are all the important people gathered here, it's either a very bad plan that didn't take into consideration for us to turn on them.

Or it does.

In both cases, personal involvement seems unlikely as I have learned to know these self-centered creatures.

Maybe the next character can answer this oddity.

Because finally the "king" managed to reach me.

"Princess Honiu! What is going on here?!" (K)

He's shadowed by a small assembly of guards.

But I'm not concerned.

I'm sure that I could at least draw a conflict out, and while most of Erys guards already rushed in the direction they assume their broodmother to be, indicated by a bloody path of body parts, there are still some present.

And they are in a very foul mood, pointing their weapons at the present humans.

As am I.

"From my perspective, it seems like the princess who was supportive of you up to the point of being naively lenient paid the price for her foolishness. Your problem hereby is that I am supposed to take measures should a situation like this arise." (H)

"Measures?" (K)

I grab this creature at its neck.

"Aaahhh!" (noble lady)

"I see betrayal and foes and am planning to deal with this in accordance." (H)

While choking, this human still manages to signal his guards to step back, he's more considerate than I gave him credit for.

So I let him drop.

(H)

"SCREEEEAAAAAAAAAK!"

(H)

She appropriately quickly begins to go about her task.

"Eeeveryeone! Ief you stAy calm aend won't move nothieng will hAppEn to you!! Thies isn't a joke! Don't fieght, don't run! ThEy'll kiell you otherwiese!" (F)

Also, this king reacts.

"G-guards! Cough! Drop your weapons! Don't retaliate!" (K)

Hm, truly wiser than I thought.

It seems my little messenger did a good job because the moment the man finished the sentence they swarm through the main entrance.

Guardians, workers, and even some hunters.

Now it becomes clear how wise this man was because now I have total power in this place.

Despite the warning they were given, some try to push out of the room.

I don't need more than a pheromone signal and they fall in pieces to the ground.

This at least stops the others.

(H)

(F)

(H)

(F)

She isn't even trying to tell me that Erys wouldn't want this.

I sometimes forget that she's also her mother.

And as such willing to go to all lengths for her brood.

While Farrah handles the others I can proceed with those I believe to be more promising sources of information.

"King... I want you to tell me what happened here and where Princess Erys is." (H)

"I have no idea! You need to believe me! I'm as unknowing about this situation as you are!" (K)

"You claim to be unknowing about the things happening within the center of your realm of influence?" (H)

"Do you think if I had known, I would now be in this situation? At your mercy?!" (K)

"You might be right. However, this could be just another deceiving act. I need to be sure." (H)

"And how? Please, as long as you spare my subjects I'll comply and give in to your demands." (K)

"Good to hear." (H)

"Sstk"

I sting him directly in the throat and release my voice-changing agent.

At this point, no one dares to stand up against me.

(K)

"This will keep you from lying. So tell me, were you involved in this betrayal?" (H)

(K)

Anger, confusion, irritation, but nothing that would indicate feeling caught at this question.

Since he can't have mastered his pheromone production yet it should be impossible to hide anything from me.

"Where is Princess Erys?" (H)

(K)

There!

This wasn't a complete lie, but something feels insufficient about his answer.

"You can't deceive me in your current state. You know something." (H)

(K)

This is useful information, but at the same time vexing.

It means, if the princess isn't already found that we have to search all the different places this human currently has in mind.

"Then only the hard way remains." (H)

I turn around and speak loud and clear, for all to hear and heed my words.

"Listen! And listen carefully! We'll search every structure, every corner, every place in this settlement, down to the smallest unit of your measuring system! And if that won't suffice, we'll proceed with the whole country! Until the princess is found! And no mercy to those standing in the way of this goal! We were challenged today! And we will retaliate and show to everyone positioning themselves against us that they have no future!" (H)