---

Camellia cycled through the various scents scattered throughout the corridors they passed, finding hidden passageways behind the artwork, walls, and illusions, following the flow of runic energy.

It was a bit unnerving and distracting how layered this place was with the stuff, far worse than the Quen’Talrat’s former stronghold, which was also bad in her opinion, but there was something itchy about the came with the flow here.

Practically everything was somehow influenced by the strange writing, and one reason for it was that the Quen’Talrat always hid their runes—this place seemed to layer them so much that it was impossible because they were everywhere—it was just like Violet, flooding their home with silk as some kind of fashion statement.

On the positive side, it was causing her to be more accustomed to dismantling and reading the stuff.  Even the air was charged with the shimmering, colorful force, flowing throughout the atmosphere in clear waves she could see with her keen senses.  It made spotting the flaws extremely easy.

If she were looking by sight, the halls were utterly pristine and sterile, but with her acute hairs, Camellia could smell the plethora of scents and waste left behind by thousands of unique individuals over the years—some were more easily identifiable than others.

The issue was how large the place was, its diverse occupants and population masking her target’s scent—which she hadn’t even identified yet!  Jumi’kerune was still a mystery to her since the barriers in the entrance hall allowed voices to filter through, yet barred smell, which was a tad annoying.

It should have been simple to discover the elderly man, yet with over six hundred and seventy-eight unique male Nalvean scents to filter through, it was proving to be a challenging task.

Nalvean sweat, spit, and hormones, among other identifiers, lingered on the carpets, walls, and objects adorning the hallways—in such a static environment where the elements rarely touched, she could track numerous lingering phenomena in the corridors.

By various metrics, she managed to narrow the number to a hundred and seventy-two after twenty minutes of aimlessly wandering through the halls, gathering more data for her to use with every hidden passageway.

Camellia was growing frustrated, though—she’d never used her senses in this way, tracking down a target she’d never actually come across, narrowing down the possible target by process of elimination … The aggravating Nalvean woman’s voice echoing through the halls didn’t help, either.

Imiunarus spoke through the Nexus along their way, advising her on which direction they should go when coming to branching areas; she focused on what was unseen, and him on the aesthetics to help lead them down promising avenues.

Packs of Nalvean soldiers, acting more like the Empress’s zombies than living creatures with wills of their own, came at them in waves, usually in packs of four to eight.

In Camellia’s opinion, each group carried useless devices, testing them out against them on Hisuki’s orders, and the infuriating woman kept triggering traps in attempts to kill or hamper their progress—all with commentary.

Camellia dealt with the Nalvean drones like any other worthless creature, swatting them aside and ignoring who was left—it’s not like they could follow after her strike.

Imiunarus was having difficulty keeping up with her after her transformation came off cooldown, shrinking to the size of a human.

She laughed at him when he picked up one of the armor-like glove heat weapons one of the useless guards had, pulling it off what remained of her dead corpse.

It was powered by one of the small pink gems—a worthless, low-grade object, given the waves it emitted.  A radiant orange ball was created from its palm to disintegrate things, but it couldn’t even damage stone—only cause minor harm to the flesh under Nalvean scales … It did nothing to her.

Hisuki’s voice was like the digging noises she heard as a child she could never find the source of—aggravating beyond words.

“Hmm … Fascinating—it makes sense, the dead would not need to breathe, so decreasing oxygen levels is worthless…

“I was sure the pulse weapons would dispatch this invisible support you’ve brought … Huh...

“To think the thorn effect of the armor would have no adverse consequences—No, your unseen friend is quite the conundrum...

“Bah … The security in that section is worthless—if only it could detect what is hidden … Nalveans are useless in general … What are you, my hiding gem … Hmm?”

“Camellia … hold up…”

Camellia paused, turning to give the man a questioning look as he scanned the lavish hall.  What?

“...If we are in a weakly secured area, then it’s not important … We aren’t going in the right direction … We need to go back—reach the 3rd-level to see where Jumi’kerune went.  It’ll be easier to follow his path after discovering how large this place really is.”

Camellia’s lips pulled in, glaring at him.  We’d waste another twenty minutes backtracking—Why don’t I just break open a hole in the ceiling, and we can go back that way?

“Mmh … There are pros and cons to that approach, and perhaps you’re right, but returning to that exact location could be tricky—still, if you can manage it, we might be able to further narrow down his scent along the way and find a better path.”

Camellia was already on the ceiling before he finished reasoning through her approach, scanning the fields of color for a flaw—she found it.  Pulling back her stiff hand, she sent it through the weak point like a spear, shattering through both layers at once to create a twelve-foot gap in the shell.

You waste so much time thinking instead of moving!

Hisuki seemed intrigued by their change in course.  “Hoh?  How mysterious you are, my invisible creature—I was correct, you can find flaws in even powerful barriers—I personally handled the etchings in that area myself—mildly impressive, I’ll admit.”

Shut up!

“Without your aid, the Nalvean you have with you would be utterly worthless … Humph … A change in tactics is required.  Perhaps I should prepare some hidden creatures of my own—stealth is such a valuable skill to possess when facing foes of similar attributes—a few more tests before such measures are needed seem in order, though … You are providing me with lovely data.”

 

* * *

 

Imiunarus’s jaw locked at the woman’s comment; her cold, calculating tone—disappointed at the lack of performance her guards made—living men and women of all ages, even children less than twenty years old, and her voice hadn’t broken a note.

Her comments reminded him of a story his father told about a deceased general during the Fire Wars—Nalveans without a heart for the lives they held in their hands, sending their people to their deaths in fits of madness to test out possible tactics—for him, it was against the Quen’Talrat Blood Legion, and for her, experimentation to strengthen security measures.

He jumped through the opening Camellia made, running after her, knowing his rapid movements were very slow to the Elite Warrior; the fact she was so quick, and when agility was supposed to be his area of expertise, showed the scaling difference between Grades.

Trying to get anything more about Hisuki or just understand her better, he spoke to the walls as Camellia continued to decimate the foes she sent against them, unable to even get a chance to attack—he’d hoped to be more help than this—keeping up was hard enough.

“... What are your subordinates’ lives worth to you?  Surely they must have some value?”

Hisuki paused in her low mumbles.  “... Heh, he-he-he … Interesting, hearing such words from the dead.  Nalvean minds are too frail and swayable for proper security—scared to function on their own when faced with adversity, which is why a master in charge of their well-being is needed.  Hopeless souls wasting their potential that can be made into a work of art—doing whatever I tell them without resistance … beautiful.”

“Is that right?”  he laughed.  “Isn’t that ironic, considering you’re the one being controlled!”

“Stupidity,” she huffed.  “You are in control and being controlled—that is how the world works, Dear.  Play your game, paint your scene, and believe you will succeed, but in the end, my design will bring about your last moments … Struggle for me … Give me more data to enhance the next performance I invent.”

Imiunarus’s nose twisted in disgust.  “Do you feel guilt at all for the things you’ve done to your own people in this city?”

“A conscience?  Heh, I rid myself of such foolish, archaic sensations that held me back long ago to achieve true enlightenment.  It is enjoyable, though … seeing the eyes of a worthless creature before their deaths … knowing the end is nigh … Hmm, I will savor that look from you soon enough.”

“Just because you dream something and write it down doesn’t mean it will...”

Imiunarus cut himself off as Camellia came to an abrupt halt, causing him to dance around her and almost trip on the rug.  W-What’s … Why’d you stop?!  he asked in shock, regaining his balance.

She didn’t respond, eyes defocused before turning to stare at the wooden-layered stone wall next to them; soon after, she bent down to glare at the corner, confusion in her glowing light red irises.

Camellia?

Again, she ignored his inquiry, and Hisuki fell silent, observing his sudden movements.

Her jaw tightened, fingers sliding across the floor before rubbing together, ending in a fist.  Without warning, wood and stone exploded inward as the Thélméthra’s hair smashed through the barrier, peering below as the rubble disappeared into the oblivion below.

Hisuki’s wordless study was unnerving; she’d been so vocal about his failings and Camellia’s fascinating discoveries before this point, and the Thélméthra was far too focused on the darkness for his likings.

“We go down,” she stated in a confused growl, hopping inside; he noticed the small web stepping points she made for him on her descent.

Thankful for at least that level of support, he followed—likely eight to nine floors below the surface.  

We can’t get distracted—Why’s this so… he mumbled, landing on top of the splintered wood and shattered stone at the bottom.  

“I’ve narrowed Jumi’kerune’s scent down to twenty-four possibilities—this isn’t right … Why are there Thélméthra here?  It would require a Queen to be present…”

A chill ran through his bones, implications spinning in his head.  So … something like your mother is here?!  No … No, that can’t be right!

“Maybe, but … This is my mother’s brood—her unique identifier, yet the scents … They’re young … It makes no sense!”

He’d heard her agitation from Hisuki’s taunts since entering, but this was different—Camellia was unnerved, which clearly wasn’t a good sign for him.

She stepped into the branching corridor beyond the wide entrance, more than large enough for a Thélméthra to fit through; it split in three ways from where they found themselves.

The complete darkness was even too much for his Night Vision Skill, only allowing him to see so far down the endless, smooth stone pathways—too uniformly made, as if meticulously chiseled.  Camellia’s expression only deepened the pit in Imiunarus’s stomach as she glared into the abyss.

Hisuki released a disappointed sigh.  “How … unexpected—Perhaps you are your own masters, yet you have chosen death—Still, I was able to gather some rather fascinating data.  Although, I did not want this outcome.”

Camellia!  Why are we just … standing around?!  he growled, glancing back at the entrance and wondering if he should jump back up the hole.  They’d literally jumped into a Thélméthra pit, and even if Camellia was a princess of the species, she was far from what she once was when alive, which was a terrifying thought in itself.

Hisuki hummed.  “Why would you choose this path is beyond me … Could you tell me before you die?  How did you even discover it?  What a twist of fate.”

However, all thoughts vanished from his mind when he caught movement, twelve feet away—out of the darkness, he watched in horror as thin, spear-like legs emerged from seemingly nothingness.  Two meters tall, which, granted, was much smaller than Camellia, yet the terrifying part was it wasn’t alone; two more appeared in the remaining corridors—their only path was up, and Camellia was practically paralyzed.

What are you doing—Why are you just standing...  he screamed, jumping back in shock as the nearest creature thrust its sharp leg into Camellia’s gut, forcing her to take a step back from the kinetic force and causing her to double over, hands trembling around its leg; the others closed in.

W-What … You should have dodged that … Right?!  What can I do?  I can’t fight these things if you can’t!

His head darted between the three, eyes scanning for any hope he might be able to do something—anything to help Camellia, but they were already converging, and thread was shooting out of their butts; he hadn’t noticed before, but the walls were covered in the stuff, which made to look like stone.

 

* * *

Drones … dozens and dozens of Drones…  Camellia thought in disbelief, listening to everything the surrounding webs fed her.  A nest … I’m in a nest, but … Why is there a nest here … My mother’s nest…

She was in utter denial as a Drone’s arm cut through the air, slamming into her stomach and forcing her to take a step back; it was actually somewhat strong—it pierced through her internal defensive shell, which protected her organs, but it hadn’t been deep enough to reach anything important.  No, that wasn’t the issue.

She watched its gaping mouth bare down on her, glistening, pointed fangs and poisonous tongue sliding out to clamp down on her skull.

Impossible … Unthinkable … My own brood … Mother’s defenders … Attacking me … Me?!

Body quivering with rage, Camellia’s red silky locks shot out like a whip, wrapping around every leg of the three advancing Drones closest to the area, pulling them off the ground and into the air.

Nose twisted, she glared at those below her before Camellia’s irises lowered to her damaged stomach, red Death Energy shimmering through the opening—it would take an hour for it to heal, constantly sapping a small portion of her strength.

“You … attacked me,” she hissed, flaming eyes digging into the struggling creature as it screamed.

“You will die for invading the Queen’s nest!”

“I will bring your dead corpse to the Queen!”

The other two mirrored its response, trying to spit weak acid at her that wasn’t even strong enough to melt the outfit her mother made; it was pitiful compared to what Azalea or even she could produce.

They’d already sent warning signals across the entire scope of the silken network, yet Camellia could care less.  “Queen?  This is … is inexcusable!  Drones … Drones!”  she yelled.  “Who is your Queen?!”

Hisuki’s voice returned, mystifying by what she was witnessing.  “Huh, so the invisible stalker is … I’ve never seen a creature such as yourself … What is this…”  she grunted after the Dones had been subdued.

Camellia’s nostrils flared in disbelief as she stared at the symbols hidden underneath the layers of web.  “Is that your Queen?!”

They responded in shrieks.  “The Queen devours all!”

“The Queen is without equal!

“The horde will slaughter you!”

“... Abominations,” Camellia whispered, eyes wide with horror.  “You’re all abominations…”

Who’s to blame for these … these things?!  Certainly, not mother—she’s perfect … these Drones are perfect by all measurements of the brood—yet they don’t serve the lineage—my mother—me—no, no, Hisuki is on mother’s throne … unthinkable … weakness on the throne!

“Unforgivable,” she muttered.  “Intolerable—unjustifiable…”  Her murderous presence exploded, tone soft and frigid.  “... Submit to the Thélméthra natural chain of command.”

The three paused for a moment, bodies stiff, and then their struggles became explosive.  They shrieked in one wrathful voice, which carried throughout the nest.  “Deceiver!”

It was beginning to become challenging for her to keep them restrained—but she’d heard enough—more than enough.

 

* * *

 

Imiunarus was petrified as Camellia’s threatening aura erupted through him like a heatwave, the girl’s eyes bugging out at the shouts emanating throughout the nest.

“C-Camellia!”  He shouted.  Camellia!

She’d utterly tuned him out in ear and Nexus; as a much higher rank than him within the Empire, he could do nothing to force her attention—she was only ordered to listen to his advice when dealing with Nalveans, but during battle, everything was to her directive.

All of her current actions only put dread in his gut; he didn’t want to even get close to her with the torrents of murderous intent rippling from her.  She was anything but fearful.

“... Deceiver … Deceiver?!”  she growled, thick, red locks quivering while holding the screeching eight-legged creatures in the air, bellowing their ire at her demand.

Imiunarus watched in shock as, leg by leg, the legendary creature’s limbs were ripped off, side to side, by Camellia’s silk.  “You all … call me—ME … a deceiver?!”

Her hair split, spreading and attaching to the Drone’s own extending thread, taking control over the entire network, reaching far into the dark, and proving without a shadow of a doubt she was of a far higher class than the lowly slaves around them.

“Me?!”  Camellia screamed, and he had no doubt if she was in her original form, hot steam would be billowing out of her joins.  “You are my mother’s spawn—and you accuse me of usurping the order?!  Traitors to nature … The lot of you must be purged…”

Greenish-blue liquid exploded out of the damaged Thélméthra joins as she tore them apart, the sea of web that the three had been producing shifted like waves as they continued to spread throughout the abyss beyond Imiunarus’s sight.

“... Impossible…”  Hisuki whispers.  “Impossible … How are you controlling their silk?!”  she demanded in anger.  “It makes … Your mother’s spawn?  No … What do you mean by that?!  Answer me!”

For the first time, fright and confusion touched the Nalvean woman’s voice, but Camellia didn’t hear it, systematically ripping apart her own brood without moving a step, cold fire in her red irises as she glared into the darkness, vision darting to various angles as she tracked the horde.

Hisuki was losing control of her tone while watching the slaughter across the dark halls, and Imiunarus began to hear the tapping of the Thélméthra on the stone corridors—dozens and dozens of roaring voices screaming their ire in defense of their Queen—only causing the Thélméthra princess’s fenetic stare to deepen.

“Whatever you are ... You will die!  Kill the invader!  Slaughter it, my children!”  

“Children … Children…”  Camellia hissed, agitated twitches cascading down her limbs and features.  “They are my mother’s children!  You believe—you are my mother?!  The audacity … the arrogance!”

Imiunarus could do nothing but stand inside the hollowed entrance that led to the manor’s 3rd-level, watching the crawling, massive creatures come into sight in droves to be caught in Camellia’s writhing web, forced against the cracking walls as they struggled, only for the thread to tighten and become reinforced.

“You believe you stand a chance against me—Drones against me—the eldest daughter of the Queen?!”

He stepped out, following Camellia as she walked from entangled Drone to Drone, fist driving into the critical weak points on their abdomen and cephalothorax, between joints, and other vulnerable areas that looked more solid than a metal wall, yet were pierced like cream—Imiunarus had no illusions that they were excellent areas of attack.  Still, his strength wouldn’t be enough to crack the metallic armor.

Camellia went from one terrifying creature to the next, ripping into their exoskeleton and sending more greenish-blue blood and organs across the floor.  The horrifying screams they made as she tore at their plating and dug into their muscular innards was entrancing to watch.

He’d heard stories about these jungle fiends doing this very thing to entire military companies of Nalveans—over two hundred soldiers that would vanish in the thick foliage, armor, bone, and blood, never to be seen again.

Hisuki was in a fit, sending odd beasts and other such creatures pouring into the halls, yet the biggest mistake was giving the Thélméthra princess an entire pre-build network of web that she could hijack—there wasn’t a thing the Drones could do to counter their superior—yet not one would submit.

Walking with her as silk parted for them to walk, he watched her slay another two dozen screeching creatures down the next hallway; he’d already accepted that this was something Camellia couldn’t ignore.

“... Why won’t they recognize you—Should you change back?”

Camellia shook her head, nose twitching with disgust as she killed another Thélméthra that had come from her mother’s eggs.  “... They’ll never submit … Not until I kill their Queen … If they don’t recognize my authority by my scent—clearly identifying where I stand within the hierarchy, then something is wrong with them—and this Nalvean will tell me what she has done with my mother’s brood…”  she hissed, blood-soaked fist punching through the abdomen of another of her kind to crush its hearts.

“Hierarchy?  What nonsense are you speaking?!”  Hisuki snapped.  “No—It doesn’t matter—You will die for what you’ve done to my precious children…”

A bright green light flickered in the adjacent hallway, Imiunarus catching sight of something even more frightening than the assassins around them—a Thélméthra engulfed in JadeFire, rushing them in a frenzy while burning through the web around them.

“J-JadeFire!  Run!”  Imiunarus shouted.  “Are you trying to destroy this entire castle?!  Kill us all?!”  He took several steps before noticing Camellia wasn’t with him; she’d jumped right at the flaming Drone, silken garments stripped away in seconds with much of her red hair as the flames licked across her frame.  “Camellia!”

His lips dropped open as she wrapped her thin arms around the Thélméthra incensed head and twisted, using its own flailing legs for leverage to tear it off, throwing it to the side; the green light was already spreading across the web.

“No … Camellia…”  He mumbled in shock, falling to his knees, but the girl kicked the carcass to the side of the hall with a furious scream.  Her red hair swiftly regrew, faster than the flames could eat away, enclosing her body within forty seconds, and the fire transferred to the silk before she tossed it against the wall.

Her skin was heated and a bit blistered, mostly around her abdomen where the stab had penetrated her inner shell, but it was already showing signs of clearing up as she walked toward Imiunarus, utterly naked.  “Pathetic!  Where is your Queen?!  If she truly is at the top, then why does she not fight me?!  You are no Queen!”  she spat.

“No … No!”  Hisuki cried as she watched the flaming host, her own attack now spreading across the rest of the nest.  “What are you!”

Victory was actually in sight; Imiunarus laughed, following after Camellia’s silent, brutal march back the way they’d come.  She took them down the path to the right of their entrance; the web in this section was noticeably less evident of the eight-legged creatures—they were reaching the edge of the nest.  “What’s wrong, Hisuki … Is this not entertaining enough for you?”

“How … How do you know exactly where to go?!”  Hisuki yelled.  “Their weak spots—control their web … Where did you come from?!  You…”

She trailed off as Camellia reverted to her original form, her massive frame almost double the size of the Drones.  “I have already told you, Usurper … I am the eldest daughter of the Queen—and you will die for your sin.”

Imiunarus didn’t hear Hisuki’s voice again as they traveled further into the labyrinth, going from room to room, where dozens upon dozens of large, pulsating cocoons were located, runes dotting the interior that appeared to be cloning the creatures at a staggeringly slow rate.

According to Camellia, it would take several years to copy an egg; Hisuki must have discovered Iris’s nesting grounds and stolen all of the eggs within, and the princess eradicated them with prejudice.

It was in one cloning room in particular that Camellia slowed to a stop.  Something wrong?  Imiunarus asked.

It seemed no different than the last five areas; in fact, much of the stark floor seemed to be dedicated to Thélméthra.  Stores of dead Nalvean men, women, children, fish, and other nameless failed experiments were thrown into heaps for those that hatched.

Camellia was back in her human form, her expression showing disbelief as she stared at a giant, empty cocoon.  “Mother…”  Camellia whispered.  “How?  This doesn’t make sense…”

He folded his arms, glaring at the spot.  Your mother was here?  How long ago?

“Nearly a year … She was here…”

Uh … Isn’t that impossible?  Your deaths were just before the Fire Wars, Imiunarus muttered.  Are you sure?

His mind worked to come up with an answer, glancing between the symbol-etched equipment around the room.  Camellia didn’t respond, bending lower to brush her hands across the broken silk and dried liquid around it, ripping some off to taste it.

“... No … it’s so similar, but … My mother never told me she was preparing another daughter—There wasn’t enough time, and I never saw the egg.

It felt like a stone had been dropped into Imiunarus’s stomach.  Hold up … You’re saying you have another sister … A Queen candidate that is under Hisuki’s control … That’s living?!  What are you telling me?  he demanded.

Her eyes grew, fingers trembling against the old web.  “How did she survive without my mother’s care?  To be only born a year ago—after so long … It’s not possible.”

These devices…  Imiunarus mumbled, turning to glare at the glowing objects, softly pumping and releasing a whirring sound within from turning parts.  If they can clone the eggs—maybe they could also keep her alive—It just took a long time before she was ready to hatch … But that means…

He cut off, a lump forming in his throat as the implications opened up before him.  … Klaus told me Thélméthra grow more gifted by the generation—She’s alive, which means her initial strength hasn’t been lowered…

 

* * *

 

Camellia didn’t immediately respond, still trying to comprehend what she was sensing—the taste, scent, feel of the silk, dried fluid on the ground … everything pointed to the impossible.

A sister … younger than Violet?

A quake ran through her at the branching dots that connected within her brain … It was terrifying … horrifying … When her mother discovered the truth—a rogue daughter … A daughter that refused her supreme authority—that harkened to another—a weak, pathetic Nalvean, yet…

Camellia couldn’t process it; in a partial daze, she followed the scent, utterly unaware of the man that trailed behind her.  She’d already dispatched the traitors; no Drones remained on this floor; she’d made sure of it with the network they’d built.  There were other cloning stations—it was a very unfamiliar thing to her—a device that could copy a creature and reproduce it.

Her thoughts were stuck in a loop, emotions conflicted on too many levels to even comprehend, which was a first for her—everything about this was new—alarming—hideous … yet, she couldn’t get the truth out of her head—she had another younger sister.

She felt sick with every step she took, getting closer to the areas her sister frequented most—where Hisuki’s scent grew more assertive.

She’s a year old … What would Mother want me to do … What should I do?  If she attacks me … Yet it’s not over territory, or the brood—she has no understanding of the hierarchy—she doesn’t recognize it—Shouldn’t I kill her like the Drones?  … I don’t know … I don’t know…

Camellia’s gaze was on the stone ground, quivering lip tucked under her teeth as she hugged herself, shivering while rubbing her shoulders—she’d never felt so vulnerable—conflicted.

Would Mom be angry if I killed her … If I didn’t kill her?  She’s my sister … Mom said I’m no longer in competition with my sisters … We aren’t supposed to kill one another—but this sister doesn’t know about the Empress … Shouldn’t she be given the chance to join the hierarchy?

“... Camellia, please … Talk to me…”  Imiunarus pleaded; Camellia hadn’t even realized he was touching her shoulder, shaking her a little while he followed her through the silent, seemingly endless corridors.

N-No … No!

“What … do you mean?”  Imiunarus asked; there was frustration and fear in his voice.  “Where are we going, Camellia?  We have a mission given to us by the Empress!”

I know!  she growled, her mind beginning to clear.  I’m just … I just need to kill Hisuki … If I kill her, everything will work out!  Everything!

He gave her a suspicious frown.  “Work out … You mean your new sister will see you as her new leader?”

Yes!  If I kill Hisuki, then … It’s the only possible option I have!  It’s natural!  Inside of our very core!

“... And what if that’s not the case,” Imiunarus bluntly asked.  “Can you kill your sister?”

… I can’t … I can’t fight with my sisters, Camellia cried, nose burning as she tried to reconcile the conflicting emotions twisting her insides.  It will work!  It has to work!

 

* * *

 

Imiunarus’s black tongue slid between his teeth, licking the air.  This has become more complicated by the minute … Camellia’s breaking down, but how could we have foreseen something like this?  I can’t change her mind—I don’t even know how I would deal with this in her place … I need to help her succeed then.

“How soon until we reach the pair?”

Camellia’s hair tightened around her throat, coiling around it with agitation.  “I … soon—three hallways to our left—at the end…  Her throat caught, arms pressing against her exposed chest.  I hear her … She’s with Hisuki … Trying to make a web to block our path—She’s so young.

The creature beside him had been soaked in her own kind’s blood not eight minutes ago, burnt skin already mending and reducing the affected zones of the JadeFire; the inferno was continuing to spread to the other nests with the thread Camellia had manipulated across the floor, but this area was separated from the main hive.

Camellia slaughtered her former brood with extreme prejudice, yet now, she was like a small, frighten Nalvean child, trembling and hoping for her parent to come and rescue her from the horrifyingly complicated decisions before her.

… Do you think I stand a chance against her—could I slip by her and end Hisuki myself?  He asked, hoping to take the load off her shoulders, but she shook her head, taking a deep, shuttering breath before returning to her original form.

“No … without preparation, possible—she’s only a year old … less than two feet tall—tiny, yet if she’s even half as talented as Violet—you wouldn’t even see her before you were dead.”

Well … note taken, he mumbled.  So … how do you want to proceed?

Camellia’s fear soon hardened.  “My darling child … She has the nerve … She is not her mother!”

Imiunarus stiffened as Camellia blurred into action, rushing down the halls in a storm of fury as her murderous intent paralyzed him—this was somehow worse than before—the heat pressing against his chest felt enough to kill, and it took several seconds for his disabled muscles to work again as he lurched after her.

The air in the underground passageways was somehow kept fresh as his legs fought furiously against the invisible barrier holding him back.

 

* * *

 

Hisuki growled, teeth snapping with agitation as she moved between consoles, activating key components that took time to set into motion—her darling hive was destroyed—the decades she’d dedicated to those beautiful creatures had been burned to allow her time to escape.

To think the higher echelon of their species can shapeshift … Why was there no stories—no data on such phenomena!  If I knew she was similar to Imiri, then I would have approached this experiment from an entirely different angle!

Still, valuable information was gained—the losses, though.  They were never supposed to make it this far—but being able to shrug off JadeFire so easily…

She shifted her gaze back to the deadly little eight-legged terror that was carefully manipulating the thread across the hallway and room to protect her.

Interesting … Imiri should be in the same category … She should be … yet her age could hold a significant disadvantage.   If she can control Imiri’s thread like the others … No, I cannot risk it.

“My darling child,” she cooed, beckoning to the creature, remembering a few of the phrases its relative spoke.  “Thélméthra … Queen … Are you a female?  Hmm…”

Cute steam shot from her tiny legs as she hopped over to her, indicating she was happy, yet one slight twitch of her leg told Hisuki something was bothering her.

Her sister must be closing in to prevent our escape … I suppose this hasn’t been a complete loss.

 

* * *

 

Camellia rushed through the hallways to save her little sister from the usurper, but fear twisted her gut as a rumble worked through the stone beneath her feet—walls were moving, the structure changing as a passageway opened up in the room where her kidnapped and brainwashed sister sat.

Just before she managed to touch her webs to have any chance of interfering, the doorway sealed.  By the lingering impulses in the silk, her sister cut them to not impede the shifting stones.

She felt like crying, even if this body didn’t have tear ducts, as she explored her sister’s weaves in less than a second—so simple but strong, nonetheless, for her age and experience—Her pattern was beautiful, like Violet’s.

Proceeding with hatred in her beating hearts, Camellia smashed through the barrier, but the pair were gone and the room empty except for humming instruments.

She knew every crack of the place as she utilized her sister’s discarded web to probe the room, and before Imiunarus arrived, Camellia was cracking through the first barrier, digging through the rock beneath; however, dozens more were closing below—it would take hours from just the number she sensed sliding into place.

“Grrrrahh!”  She shouted, blowing out a massive hole in the ground to drop below.  “Give me my sister, Usurper!”

Her senses went to their limit, scanning every inch of the area she’d landed in, finding a path to the next floor without going through the trouble of crushing the double barrier-infused stone she stood on.

Follow me!

 

* * *

 

It was a challenge for Imiunarus to keep up, passing dozens of slaughtered creatures the girl had dispatched without so much as slowing down—most were paste, splattered across the brightly lit hallways, filled with precious jewels, artwork, exotic materials, and more extravagance.

He had to race after her screams of frustration at some points as he lost sight of the massive creature, but when the Juggernaut was forced to take several seconds to break an enchanted wall or floor, he managed to catch up.  One thing was for sure, though—they had her on the run.

Camellia spent a full minute working on what appeared to be the most challenging shells yet on a rather unassuming hallway, far less gilded than the rest, and upon making the hole, they were treated to something spectacular.

A massive hall opened up before them, the stone crumbled to the ground, four meters below—the ceiling stood ten meters higher, and balconies separated the two floors.  Brilliant faceted gem lights illuminated the space; the area was filled with strange devices … It was also where Lecra’Moro reconnected with Imiunarus’s personal Nexus.

“... Imiunarus … You must destroy the metal thing he’s working on … Camellia!  The blue creatures can shift locations without notice in the smoke—it has hidden dagger-like weapons!”

The red-coated Thélméthra crawled over the edge and down the walls as the throng inside noticed them, and a colossal shadowy blur appeared right beside Camellia; without warning, both were a blur across the ceiling, floor, and walls.

Imiunarus had no clue what was happening with the pair, feverish combat far above what he was accustomed to, but what he did see was Lecra’Moro—or what was left of the Quen’Talrat Elite Hunter.

Lecra’Moro’s third arm on his back and left hand were now pinned to a board beside him for study with all of his toes and a few fingers.  One of his heads was missing, eyes and tongue removed, his chest ripped open to expose the internal glowing energies that kept him alive.

… What have they done to you?!  Imiunarus gasped.

Another, much smaller green-furred Quen’Talrat was standing nearby, heads darting around in a panic while watching Camellia and her opponent go at it.

Hisuki and Camellia’s sister were standing beside Jumi’kerune and his assistant; the two made detailed etchings across several plates, fitting them into place on the slim, armored object they were designing—the young Nalvean boy nervously glanced back at them while handing the elder the final piece for inspection and tweaking.

Jumi’kerune had the thinnest instrument Imiunarus had ever seen in his hands, touching specific parts of the metal figure as energy sparked across it.  He was humming a soft song, not even glancing at them.

The blue, armored-like thing Camellia was facing shot to the floor on one leg, part of an arm missing as Camellia deflected his blade, jumping on top of him as his shadows followed the high-speed contest.

She was back in her human form, likely close to her transformation limit at this point; he hadn’t even noticed the tens of thousands of threads she was creating around the room, but an invisible shell protected Hisuki’s group from the silk.

Lecra’Moro entered both their minds again, eyes screaming urgency.  “He is crafting a vessel that Demon can manipulate himself, you must…”

His plea faded as they watched Jumi’kerune release a boisterous laugh, placing a pure white spherical gem the size of a Nalvean fist into the center of its chest.  “It’s done, Lord Kazan’aru!  I, your dedicated servant, have crafted a body worthy of your magnificent influence!”

He jumped down from his pedestal as the three-meter tall ancient device lit with a yellow force, sparks releasing a soft hum with its illuminant eyes.  The sections separated, hovering in place as it reached over to a similar mace-like weapon, fingers closing around the shaft to activate its core.

A deep, metallic chuckle emanated from the awakening device.  “Heh … he-he-he-he-he-he-he-he … Well done, Jumi’kerune … Well done—although, some tweaking is in order, first…”

Its fierce yellow gaze settled on Camellia, slowly making headway at destroying the blue metallic creature she was facing; it phased within the darkness it produced, but she could predict it—Camellia wasn’t unscathed, gashes across her skin showing the red light within, but the girl managed to keep all of her bones intact, meaning she would heal over time.

“... It seems I should clean up this mess…”

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