I found the delegation on the tenth floor, splurging on meat, wine, and sugar to their heart's content. They were getting ready for a long journey. Star was among the rush somewhere; along with a few know scents. I recognized one as the soldier that the entrance to the forty-first floor, and another from the military encampment of the thirty-fifth floor —she had shown me mandibles in warning outside the royal chambers, so of course, I remembered her— was wolfing down the meat of a brown dotted caterpillar.

I wondered what it was with the guards not liking their positions. Any ex-harvester or gatherer would have given a leg or more to get their jobs. Those that had seen the outside were content to say inside, even mining, while those that had never had an adventure in the outside world were ready to join a foreign delegation to fulfill their dreams. It was a surprising realization. I was once one of them; maybe still was.

There you are. Star, the burly delegation leader, noticed me. I almost thought you weren’t coming. Then he noticed that Princess was not with me. She isn’t coming, is she? He asked.
Right, but I’m coming along.
Well, eat up then. We have a long way to go and too little to take. I followed his antennae and found the treasury disturbingly empty. Bah, we’ll hunt on the way.
He left me to myself and went away to have a conversation with his adviser. He heated up easily, but that seemed to do it as his adviser agreed to the demand.  

I went forward to dig my jaws into a berry when I felt a familiar scent rising toward me. My senses tingled as I was caught and lifted in the air. I have finally caught you! The scent wrapped around my antennae. I remembered! It was the soldier that had chased me outside the pit, whom I had caused to frenzy! My hair stood straight at the silent implication of her words. I got ready to act but found myself being politely lowered back to the ground. She did it slowly as if afraid to break me by releasing too abruptly.

I turned. She wasn’t alone. Soldiers from the advanced sentries stood behind her. Most of them dropped an antenna to the ground in a polite apology, instead of actually apologizing. I — wasn’t expecting it. There was an awkward pause causing, almost forcing me to initiate the conversation.

I have my passport now.
I know, just give me a second to organize my thoughts.
Just don’t panic this time. I don’t want to be chased again. She was taken back at first, then one of her companions let out amusement and we all joined him.

At first, I was like, no way it’s him. Then she said no I remember it exactly, this sharp scent that he has. Then I was like, but why would he be joining the delegation. Then she panicked, but it turns out she was right all along. How crazy is that?
Right, I said, putting my attention back on the rest of them. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked agreed to hear her story. It was oddly mind-numbing. That talkative one was called 344 after his number 176344, making him the youngest among them.

So you want me to join your group? I asked the 5555^th soldier. She was also of the fifth generation, from the current crop. No wonder she froze during the chase. There were five of them who had decided to join the delegation. Their leader was another giant of the fourth generation numbered 2568. They called him 2K. There was one who didn’t like me. She didn’t introduce herself. She was the marksmen who had hit me in the pit and she was angry that I hadn’t died. It was a different kind of craziness.

I had fired with the intention of killing you. That was a 100% poison bullet. Why aren’t you dead?

I ignored her question like she ignored my introduction; both of which left the others irritated. The last one was a scout and she was only tagging along.

Yes. We feel bad about what you had to go through. One said, and another continued. Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of you.
Is it alright? I asked the one who wasn’t so happy with my presence.
She waved her antenna at my face. Don’t ask me to save you on the way.
That won’t happen. I stubbornly told her.

Are you sure? My inner voice questioned. I wasn’t. Though was there another option? It didn’t have a suggestion for me.

Soon we were out of the colony and surprisingly, the harvesters I had seen leaving were waiting for us outside. Their royal captain whom I had asked to take me to the 47^th city was surprised to see me but didn’t react otherwise. He got busy explaining something to Star before we got moving.
 
Of course, they were also going. The Queen had demanded frog bodies in return for our help. Someone had to bring them back; and who else would be better than them? Their whole job was based around carting food back to the city. I just wasn’t expecting to see them. It hadn’t been long since they had left. Just how were they back so soon?

We left in a hurry, at a running pace. The delegation ran at the front, with the harvester’s right behind them. Volunteers like our group of soldiers and workers followed the tail. It was a progression numbering three hundred lives, including the twenty original members of the delegation.

Is this your first time going to a foreign city? The 5555^th soldier asked. The returning delegation followed harvester rules. That meant pairing up and she chose me out of everyone else. Maybe it was her way of apologizing. I didn’t ask or fret about it.
I nodded. Mine too. She replied and continued. I heard the princess took you under her wing, making you guard her?
Everyone knew that.
She spent a few minutes hesitating, figure out how to broach the subject, before giving in. Thinking wasn’t her strong suit I was starting to learn.
You know there are rumors about her.
What kind of rumors. I asked in part interest and equal part fear.
The kind that says she’s helping the injured soldiers to build a force; that she wants to overthrow the old queen.
What nonsense! I released. She doesn’t actually want to be a queen of this city.
Oh, then what does she want to be?
I knew the answer. Princess Tinbuji’s ideas might be farfetched, but we both wanted the same thing in the end.
She wants to be Normal.

I didn’t fall prey to the ant lions charm this time around. But a few of the soldiers, including my partner, did. They were helped out. I caught her before she could rush off and jump down into the funnel. I held her by the rear leg when she persisted and slapped her bottom with my antennae. The snap caused others bafflement, but it stunned her for a second. Quickly I dabbed water on her head, bringing light back to her eyes.

She thanked me and pulled her antennae to the ground to not stray from the trail. However, it also caused her to stop talking. I had reacted in much a similar way during my first time out. And it was only thanks to the worker who was then my partner that I had managed to make it across without a mental scar or trauma.

To tell the truth, I missed her. She had helped me unconditionally, going as far as to pester me to get help. She had asked me for water every time I fell into thoughts, initiated the conversation, and always kept me on track. The truth that she was no longer with the harvesters only brought me a stabbing pain.

Would you like some water? I asked the 555^th soldiers, my partner, causing her to slip out of her thoughts. She said no. It felt terrible to be rejected, but I kept my spirit up. That nameless worker had preserved through my rejections until I accepted. I decided to preserve through too —if not for me or my partner, then to show her wherever she was that she had helped me.
 
I didn’t see any hoppers around this time. The reason could be the boiling scent of our army that still lingered, or they were simply afraid of our numbers and were in hiding. Even the slightest shift from normal would have screamed of an ambush out in the open land, but there in our own territory, it only meant respect.

The rain however had turned a large part of the land around the mound into a non-traversable marsh. We had to go around it. There was also higher activity of fliers in the air, pulling my partner's attention out of her thoughts.
So they are everywhere. I always believed they only lived around our city, to feed on the corpses and garbage we throw out.
What? Do these things also live around our city?
Of course, he exclaimed. That one that has an odd smell to it —she was talking about a smaller than average flier with flat wings and a tubular nose— they are always around garbage and rotting corpses. You’ll do well by staying away from them. They carry parasites and infections of the like you have never seen before. And those other ones that smell of grass and dirt —there was one sitting atop of a grass blade. It had long spiky rear legs, grey chitin armor around its body with black lines, and two large antennae dancing in front of its eyes— we call it a cleaner around the city. You will find them moving around the pit at night, creating a loud clicking buzz and letting you know of its arrival. They don’t eat meat but clean anything organic, even something old and stale.

Around the marsh, I saw my first worm. It was squirming in the mud when we passed close by and hid under the muddy water upon sensing us. No one was going to hunt it in there. That was a death sentence in waiting.

The flyers also kept their distance.

East of the mound a family of beetles rolled balls of dung toward us. They also changed direction upon sensing us.

It was a sweltering day, but the ground under the shade of grass rarely ever felt direct sunlight. The result of which was our sticky-wet path. Usually, the trail would have faded under the elements, but it was still strong and stable. The members of the delegation were seeing to that.

The food in our bellies held for a few hours before it became apparent that we would need to hunt soon. The harvesters sent scouts ahead to find us tidbits to gorge upon and reduced our pace to preserve energy. By noon we were barely walking and I was starting to feel hungry again. That’s when the harvesters took led from the delegation commander and steered our progression west of our destination, toward a large brown mountain.

It was an oddity in the middle of a green wonder. It was such an unusual sight I almost fell into a pit. My partner saved me this time around. Keep track. She said. There were many such pits, all too similar and equidistance to be natural. But none had a predator waiting inside.

There were whispers among the soldiers of giants and gods, but there are always whispers. You just have to learn to ignore them. There is no point in controlling them. Also, complete silence is eerie.

Some even climbed down one and came out the other side to join the delegation again. I also took the 5555^th soldier down one. She was afraid at first, but excitement won her over. The pit was peculiarly deep and smooth, not natural at all. There was vegetation at the bottom, crushed and flattened. At first, it seemed like a sign, but we reached the bottom of the mountain without anything unusual happening.

The shadow that stretched form it darkened the shade. There finally the harvesters gave the anxious and hungry soldiers an explanation they deserved.

We’ll hunt here. The royal captain started. We’ll have to be quick. This place is called a moving mountain. It moves. If you stay on it for long you might never return.

 

We all let out amusement. It was pretty funny coming from him. There had been complaints of hunger and this was his answer.
You are already far from the city with no way to return. Out here I’m your supervisor, your captain, and your commander. You don’t have to like the orders. You only need to follow them.

The way he handled the complaints was very professional and direct. Even Captain Star liked him for dealing with the soldiers as he had.

I sensed vibrations from the ground. There was also uproar in the air. It brought a tingling sensation every time, filling me with nervous energy.

This will be the easiest hunt of your life. He addressed everyone. The enemies up there don’t run. They are parasites hurting the mountain, and you all will be catching them. Reach in grab one and eat it. Don’t dwindle. One will be more than enough to fill you for a day. Don’t be greedy. Keep a tight hold and help each other. They will try to run once you have pulled them out of the skin. Don’t give chase. Their bite can crush your skeleton. So beware. Our leader morosely announced. If you start feeling vibrations, forget the bugs and run for your lives. The ground is our turf. If it takes you too far away you‘ll be lost forever.

The mountain was of an indistinguishable height. The grass that grew on it was thin, tall, and brown. It was dense enough to form a traversable carpet over the unnaturally colored ground.

Small groups formed and they started climbing over the carpet of threads that separated into individual follicles when pressed. The six of us naturally formed a group and followed the others. We were also hungry and curious —later being the driving force among many of us. The leaders had called it a moving mountain. Not to give attention to the unnatural grass cover, but the odor that permeated from the land was strange in itself and deserved attention and investigation.

The carpet opened a little ahead, giving a peek of the smooth ground beneath. The thin brown grass was far smaller than its counterpart on the ground, but it formed a dense jungle that was not easy to get through. It was strong enough to not break when pulled and flexible enough to tangle around my limbs. It happened often enough to give me a headache. This place had the beginnings of a nightmare written all over it.

Our feet ever even touched the ground. None of us wanted to go down there and get screwed. It was easier for me to traverse through the countless spikes, because of my smaller size, but the others struggled.

Don’t go too far ahead. Stay close. The 5555^th soldiers scented. This place is like a maze and is really easy to get lost in. So stay close and stay focused. We are on enemy grounds now and they can attack from any…

I heard something moving.

There! I let others know. Something fidgeting under the tangled mess of the curling strands to our right, a few heads away.

Wall, 2k scented ordered then realized the impossibility of creating a formation with our unstable foundation. We could barely move in there. Still, a formation was required for our safety. So one way or another we moved the heavy hitter to the front and the marksmen to the back, which put in the center of the two who wouldn’t save me if the situation arose. It was an awkward lineup for me. However, they were professionals at this and knew their priorities.

I can’t sense anything. 5555^th soldier was vibrating her antennae at five thousand times per second to collect odors from the air. She was not satisfied with the result. If it was princess… well, she was not around. I had to do this without her. She had her own problems to take care of.  

Its odor was not distinguishable from the land, but I knew it to be there. Confidently, I was playing the role of a scout.

I’ll guide. I scented.

Don’t be a fool and just guide; you also need to keep a lookout since only you can sense what’s happening around. The ground situation is always different from the reports. The one who didn’t like me —let's call her stank for now, because of her personality— gave it to me. It was surprisingly useful information. I wasn’t expecting that —well, anything from her.

Vigilance transformed our slow trek into an infuriating crawl through the dense jungle of spikes. There was barely any light or scents down there. All depended on my ability to sense our surroundings. Being dependent felt nice, but I wasn’t good enough to grow complacent. There were signs of something living down there. But it was the excreted black droplets of waste that put us on the right track.

Stank sensed it first, which was ironic. It had a foreign smell, like water running over solid stones with high iron content. All I heard were slurping sounds. It was wide and big with an armored red back. It’s had dug its head into the ground, six legs all recalled underneath its soft bottom.

That will be our way in. The careless one said.
The bloodsucker stayed nonchalant as we were told. The plan was for the captain to hold it and stank to sting it. That would take care of it. Nice and easy. But it dug its head out and ran when it noticed us, leaving a leaking well of red fluid behind. It was aromatic enough to demand attention, but my group was battle-hardened and focused.  

They gave chase.

It rushed through the brown jungle, leaping from one strand to another like an acrobat. It was on its home turf and knew exactly how to handle a chase —that is until Stank aimed. A large 80% bullet of poison stuck its back. It fell dramatically, suffering as it had never before.

It was our chance. Stank might have hit, but that thing had an armored back. It was only in a daze, not injured or immobilized.

2K clamped his mandibles around its torso, but it struggled for life. Its legs were strong and it tried to pull away by holding a strand. 5555^th soldier couldn’t cut through its armor. It was too hard. The bloodsucker even managed to spat on carefree's face, which made him itch. It got out of 2k’s bounds and lunged at him. I charged straight with my mandible pointed at its back. For the first time, my attack failed.
I simply bounced off instead of penetrating its hide, but my momentum managed to deflect it away from captain 2k. It fell toward carefree who fought through the itch and held onto its legs, barring it from running away again. 5555^th soldier saw the chance and cut again, this time getting hold of its fleshy underbelly.

It screeched, leaking more spit. Stank didn’t miss this time. He pierced the wound that the 5555^th soldier had given and pumped its body full of venom. The bloodsucker sank to the ground, twitching, but slowly losing focus and energy. It died.

As she said, captain 2K broke the silence. The ground situation is always different from the report.

The thing was so hard to catch. I felt it wasteful to splurge on its meat and gooey insides. At least the delegates were right about was one thing. It was enough to fill one of us, but we all had a bite or two before searching for another one.

A little while later we found another stuck in limbo with its head dug into the red ground, and dealt with this one with serious vigilance. This time around the plan was followed to the note. 2k held the thing before it could vanish into the jungle; 5555^th soldier opened its belly and stank finished it off with an injection of venom.

We also came across some eggs. They were round and black and soft enough to nibble on the way. Our paths crossed another group that claimed to have found four already. We went separate ways. They turned toward the ridge and we sank down toward the warm valley. The place had a rhythm to it that we all could distinguish. The ground rumbled under our feet every few seconds, and it was warmer. There we found something completely different from the brown hard-shelled sucker.

It was grey and fat. Its face was the same size as the previous ones, but its behind was swollen out of shape.
She looks like a queen ready to lay eggs. The 555^th soldier commented. We all agreed. It was thrice as large as the captain who was the largest among us. It sensed us but didn’t move. Its behind had grown so disproportionate to its body that they weren’t even touching the ground anymore. They simply wriggled at the side, until carefree, the fifth original member of the group snipped them off as a failsafe.

Out of curiosity, I went forward to fondle its swollen end, and eggs rolled out of it one after another; lots of them.

Whoa! We reacted. We ate them to our fill and even went in to dig into her soft and juicy behind. It exploded a black odorless liquid at our faces, and finally, let go of the ground to make an effort to save her life. it was too late by then.

Right about when we were finishing it up the ground shook. The rhythmic beating rumbling the ground intensified and the spikes moved as air passed through them.

The mountain’s moving. I announced, horrified. They didn’t believe me. However, they also couldn’t ignore the fact when there was a sudden jolt and the quakes become rampant and violent.

It’s really moving! Some scented in panic as we were thrown into the tangled lots of the grass strands.

I hurriedly gripped one to not get tangled in them; the others followed the example.

My world shook. I tightened my grip around the strand. What passed next was a very long minute. I know we were told to get off the mountain as soon as it started shaking, but they didn’t tell us how hard it would shake. The important thing is that the quakes stopped. I climbed up the strands dazed and scared once they did. I imagined the worst for us. Darkness welcomed me above the carpet and I fell into the dark solid sky when let go. It was the ground. The mountain had moved alright, but not into some distant faraway place.

The delegation was waiting for us outside when we crawled out from underneath it. The mountain hadn’t moved but flipped on itself. As for the reason or purpose behind the maneuver, even the harvesters didn’t know.

Everyone was scared and at alarm while the mountain loomed behind our backs and its shadow encrusted us.

However, the moment we found the familiar trail back under our feet, full stomachs and pretend safety calmed the unnerved hearts, and routine replaced dread. It wasn’t long before the soldiers were sharing their experience, and a tale was starting forming to tell those back home. What could have been a disaster was distorted into an adventure and everyone was back to their normal self —except me.

I believed what we had witnessed was not a mere mountain, but something much more, much worse… something alive.