I move back to my courtyard.
This grand plaza kinda became the center of my life.
All the new things important for me enter through the one big gateway.
And all the people important to me share a home cave which is directly connected to it.
So yes, it's the first place I head to whenever I'm looking for someone.
Or just anyone to talk to.

But it's also interesting to simply stare at the bustling courtyard.
All the insects carrying stuff, the guardians at their positions.
Nurses who look particularly unhappy with me sitting out here.

 

"If you're idling your time away, my princess, you could as well eat a bit. It would be good for your production and your reserves are far from full." (K)

 

Does she have to point at my chest?
I don't like to think about them as nectar sacs.
But well, if I want to talk to someone, why not her?

 

"Kyska, say, do you think I could handle leaving the hive and founding my own?" (E)

 

Okay, this eruption of stress was a bit of an overreaction.

 

"Are you seriously considering this? At this stage?!" (K)

"Well, naturally only when I am objectively ready. Like having enough food or workers for the task. But Liseti said that if one princess has to leave the hive it should be me. Uh, it was worded a bit more friendly." (E)

"This is because of your fascination for human words. In your natural communication there'd be no chance to say anything different from what you intend to." (K)

"Back to the topic. Do you think I am fit for the role of a leader?" (E)

"Naturally you wouldn't be on your own. Your brood would still be with you. It would be mostly a question of the right distribution. There are certain procedures for establishing a new base. Those should be part of your natural knowledge." (K)

 

Natural knowledge?
Wait, I once had a moment when I perfectly knew how a hive has to look.
Could this be it?
Do I instinctually know where everything should belong?
It's actually a bit weird to consider that I have insect instincts, but it would make sense.

 

"Still, I should talk to my family about this. Founding my own hive is quite a big thing, right?" (E)

"Naturally it is. It marks how the swarm's influence as a whole spreads. With the other five hives this would be the sixth." (K)

"There are five more hives?!" (E)

"Naturally there are. Two belonging to formerly captured princesses in the south, one of the queen's direct descendants in the north, and one of both in the west." (K)

 

She didn't tell the directions but rather roughly pointed the right way with some corresponding pheromones, which could basically be translated to just that.

However, this is a big revelation.
I’ve always been here and kinda associated the hive with the whole swarm.
But now I hear that there are more places like this one, spread over the whole world.
Or rather under.

And then there are those other swarms.
Just how big is this underworld?
I'm pretty sure, if I'd find a map of the whole currently known world, their's might exceed it.
At least at some places since I don't know how evenly this tunnel system spreads.

I contemplate this for a while till finally, my brother returns from the chamber of knowledge.
A short time later my father from the lower mycelium fields.
And the last to return is my mother.
I've informed the other two that I have to talk to them about something big but wanted to wait till we all are together.

Finally mum comes back from her assignment at Honiu's place.
And yes, it's still weird.

 

"Ehk, hello mum!" (E)

"Ery? Did somethieeng happEn. You feeel... EcstAtic to mee." (F)

"Quite much actually. I wanted to talk with you and the others about this." (E)

"Okay. LEt's talk about that over dinner wieth everyone." (F)

"Let me help you!" (E)

 

I find it kinda wrong that mum, who had the longest day, has to prepare the meals.
Okay, we can't allow dad to enter the kitchen and Toris is too young but I also can't complain to them if I'm the only one doing nothing.
Well, apart from pumping out enough insects to found a nation.
However, that's not really how I want to earn respect from my family.

Since I'm, like dad, not really a great cook, mum only lets me do easy chores, like cutting vegetables.
Kyska helps as well, and as usual, she's totally excelling at everything she does.
Yet I doubt I can claim her part on my record.

Finally, we sit all together at the table.

 

"Youu wanted to tEll us somethieng, Ery?" (F)

"Just theoretically, how would you feel about leaving this place?" (E)

"You meean so that a whole swarm would hunt beehind us?" (F)

"No, no. Completely official, with permission." (E)

"I like it here." (T)

 

Great.
Toris became an insect fan.

 

"What is thies about?" (R)

"You remember about my many, many subordinates?" (E)

"Hard to forget about them. They're everywhere." (R)

"It might be possible that I can order them to establish a new base." (E)

"Makes sense. You know that I used to work in the nursery, right?" (F)

"Yes? That was actually a thing for quite some time." (E)

 

Not like I find her current assignment any less concerning.

 

<I saw first-hand how your little ones become big ones. The other nurses already mentioned to me how much they expect from them. So it's not surprising to make them do something important.> (F)

"Ehk, yes. Right. The thing is, we could not only build such a place but probably live there. You know, a bit remote from all this trouble here." (E)

"Iet's actually quite calm here at thee moment." (F)

"Still, some independence would be good for me, I think." (E)

"Ie can't disagree about thies. At least, I belieeve it would hElp you to grow and maybe also get a little bit more used to eeverythieng down here." (F)

"But I like it here! Everyone is nice and I'm learning really cool stuff!" (T)

"If it really happens, it would be still quite some time in the future, Toris." (E)

"It might be important to mention here that usually most information from the chamber of knowledge gets copied and sent to a newly established hive. So he would be able to continue his studies." (K)

 

That's actually quite relevant and interesting.
While I somehow know how a hive would have to look, I can barely fathom the logistics behind establishing one.
If what I have is truly an instinct, it can't be more than a base version for me to establish on my own.
But if they're able to set one up properly and in a developed state then this is certainly preferable.
I realize like this I still don't know about all the essential parts of establishing a base of my own.

 

"Kyska, would you know what is the most important condition for creating a new hive?" (E)

"Hm, my knowledge is limited, but I'd say it's water, my princess." (K)

"Water?" (E)

"Ah, I know! It's about  farming. From my work on the mushroom fields, I've gotten some ideas about how they plant those mushrooms." (R)

"What do you mean?" (E)

"As your father says. The mycelium requires in the first place a humid environment. The earth can be kept fertile by redirecting corpses and excretions there, but this all won't work without a greater source of water. This is also the reason why this hive cannot sustain our queen and the brood of three princesses. The mycelium can't be expanded and the reserves won't suffice to sustain all of them permanently." (K)

"Well, if your... units grow they will naturally consume more food. To make up for this it's only logical that they have to create a new field to supply them." (R)

 

Wow, dad really knows his stuff here.
It's interesting to see that he has gained insight.
But well, it's basic farmer logic.
One should grow enough food to avoid starving.
I can get behind this.
So, greater food supplies would be beneficial.

 

"However, while there are some confirmed sources, the territory is limiting them. The other hives claim them and in the free area there's no known source great enough to sustain a whole hive." (K)

"But this sounds a little problematic. Wandering too far away would be inefficient and pretty risky for a not yet established hive. And we don't know about any other water source. They said it was hard to build the one here. Aside from this, it could already be used for wells and such. This wouldn't be good." (E)

 

For some reason, my head goes rampant when I think about building a hive.
As if a thousand alarms start and at the same time some well-meant advice shout at each other in there.

 

"Ie mieght have an idEa about this matter. How about taking it from the surface?" (F)

"I can't really follow you. The surface isn't our territory. We can't simply go there and cultivate land as we please. That would certainly spark a war." (E)

<But what if we simply drain water from there? We don't need the land itself. Only the ground beneath.> (F)

"That would be just as bad. If we drain water from a river or lake this could be reason enough to start a war." (E)

"We would just need enough for your needs. If we take it from the right place it's not too much. Somewhere, where no one will miss it." (R)

"Ehk, what do you mean?" (E)

 

"You know that the Galanas flows directly through Tarsona?" (R)

"Yes. But I also know that almost half the population's lives are depending on that water. So you can't run it dry." (E)

"But what if we place the drainage close before it hits the sea in the west? Like this, we would only receive what otherwise would mix with seawater. And we would only need a part, not the whole river. No one can take offense with this and the swarm receives a water source that would replenish as long as the river flows." (F)

 

I need to admit, that this plan is sound.
But it would be a gigantic project.
Alone, the idea of building a channel to drain water from the river to the underworld and establishing all the facilities for a lasting base speaks of a ridiculous effort.
But it would also be something to do for my brood.

However, there are two problems.
The first is that the Galanas leads at the end through Caradis, one of our largest ports.
As one might imagine, the combination of sea access and water supply was just too promising.
And no matter how careful and complex we go about this, as soon as we drain water people are bound to see that change in the local water level.
But on the other hand, if I negotiate, it shouldn't be too much to ask for.
The second issue is that I have no idea if it's actually okay if I start such a project completely by myself without at least consulting the queen or other princesses first.

 

"I am not sure if I can just decide this on my own. I have at least to ask Liseti." (E)

 

This sounds like the smartest decision.
Liseti was always on my side and won't be displeased by my proposal if I assess her right.
I mean, this whole project will afford some diplomacy with Tarsona and I shouldn't decide it on my own.
Yet my chances to convince her or the queen don't seem too bad.
A new, secured food source that's going to last for a long time sounds beneficial in my opinion.

 

"So, now that that's sEttlEd, was there anything else ientereesting today? Toris?" (F)

 

Kinda nice that everyone can report and they're not just inquiring about which outrageous things happened to me today.

 

"Oh, I learned about all kinds of little animals today! Some were really cool. Uh, but then I had the memory of one that got attacked and... It was scary." (T)

"Mye poor boy!" (F)

 

Damn!
He looks fine, but I'll certainly have to talk with Miwa that she has to be more rigorous regarding what my brother can access.
I should maybe change the topic.

 

"How about we play a game? There were some I didn't know yet." (E)

"How niece. There was thies one that looked interEsting. It'z about havieng factions and you roll thee dice to deetermine whose army wins." (F)

"Isn't this gambling?" (E)

"No, no. There's some stratEgy to iet. But I'm not compleetely sure if I've got thee rules right." (F)

"Okay, let's try it." (E)

 

And so we're playing this weird game, where one has to conquer different territories with one's game stones and through this gain access to more stones.
The other players meanwhile try the same, which leads to complicated situations.

Mum was always our gamemaster, while dad usually just tags along.
But surprisingly Toris wins the most games.
But only because he acts all cute and tender so that no one's going to attack him.

And I think mum goes after me the most.
Maybe as some kind of practice, because I have real soldiers to lead?
This brings me to the point that I need to say it's weird to control armies on a map of my country.
However, it's not boring and everyone has fun, which is enough for me.
One should cherish the time with one's family.