---

Azalea entered through the fissure she’d created, crawling on the right-hand wall; it appeared that the doorway led into a steep decline, showing steps that were meant for Quen’Talrat Elite Hunters.

She crawled over the smooth stone to discover the passageway was twenty by twenty-five meters; it was large enough to comfortably fit a few Quen’Talrat moving through the walkway, yet it hadn’t been used by the apes in over a century by what Azalea could smell. 

The air was thick with the pungent scent of death as she examined the plated crustacean corpses that were lined along both sides of the wall in neat layers.

No light could be seen other than through the hole she’d burrowed, and the walls didn’t show any of the intricate craftsmanship of the Quen’Tarlat fortress; this place seemed solely for access, yet something had taken residence and was using it as a burial area.

Giliri and Fini tentatively hopped down the stairs, nervous eyes focusing on the line of bodies littering both sides of the even corridor; the area didn’t appear to be designed for Yaltha’ma in mind, which made their descent more troubling than in Nethermore.

The Quen’Talrat specialists had little difficulty with their floating cart of tools, and Ramuk took it in stride; Azalea could hear the warrior’s shifting full plated armor, but it was far more silent than it should have been.

Lowering herself to look closer, Azalea studied every aspect of the creatures.  These corpses have been decaying for three decades … Smaller than Drones, and only with six legs.  Their shells leave the underbelly and inner legs open for attack, as well … These fumes, though…

The crustacean looked similar to one of the creatures the Ri’bot used as a source of food; the humans said they resembled crabs; although, this was somewhat different from their descriptions.

Four bony plates hid its soft innards and capped its rear, and she could identify unusual fungi which had once grown on its shell—almost everything about the creature was foreign.  Most of the bodies were already far along in their decay, yet the line was designed in a way to account for shifting parts.

Transforming into her human form, Azalea flipped to the floor and sampled a bite of a deteriorating leg; her mother had each of them taste new things all the time to develop their restructuring glands for the birth of daughters and Drones of their own.

It is somehow connected to those crab things the Ri’bot eat … These adapted … No, they’ve been hyper-mutated … Their genetic code isn’t varied enough to be natural, and they don’t have anything genetic to indicate a similar propagation process as us.

She hummed, shifting to see Giliri and Fini peering into the seemingly endless hallway ahead of them; the corpses were stacked at the same height and manner along its entire length.

We continue; nothing is alive.

Returning to her Thélméthra form, Azalea resumed their journey; silence met her sensitive hairs as her group spoke amongst themselves using the Empress’s Nexus.

Moris’Luar spoke about how unexpected it was to find such a hive of creatures in one of their most secure facilities while Ramuk explained his own thoughts to the two nervous Nalvean girls.  Azalea’s full scope of vision and complex perception continued to dissect every morsel of information she could glean as they traveled.

It would take them over thirty minutes to reach the first junction, which told Azalea that this was a remote access point only meant for emergency use since it was close to the mines.

The crustaceans were roughly the size of a human if adding their four interlocking shells.  Six eyes at their front showed they had minimal vision, yet there was the genetic code for slightly more advanced senses.

Sight and touch were the weakest senses for these creatures; scent and sound were their strong suit.  Every worker released a unique identifier and hormones that could indicate a particular job—all of these were sent to war.

The hard shell on the forearm of their three-jointed legs acted as defense and a digging point when cutting through rock, given the spear-like end.  Its scissor-like pincers were used for cutting up food or attacking whatever threatened them, and its beak of a mouth was filled with layers of serrated teeth.

To further add to their offensive capabilities, toothy claws could be extended out of the inside of their forearm to rake their prey, and their skin was tough and muscular, used to clear rubble they’d chipped away.

The crustaceans were far inferior to her own race, yet given the numbers they passed, they appeared to have a swift reproduction cycle—to be sure of it, she’d need to find a queen candidate.

Of course, she had to remind herself that if a Thélméthra were to sample another hive’s Drone, they wouldn’t have the slightest idea how complicated their Queen was.  Overall, her current knowledge only told her that something manipulated these crab-like predator drones.

On the other hand, whatever was killing them showed razor precision in cutting off the exposed limbs, flipping over the crustaceans, and delivering lethal blows to mainly the shelled butt of the creature.

Most of the wounds were created through piercing weapons, and every so often, she noted far more devastating means that were able to melt clean through the creature’s shells to cut them in half.

Several scents lingered on the corpses, which made her think whoever organized these hallways had a structured system of placing each type of corpse in its own section.

A war has been happening in these halls … Exciting!

Azalea’s hearts were pumping quicker the further they went; the mystery of it all was what put the heat in her breast.  She wanted to find something waiting to pounce on her—to make her have to adapt at a moment’s notice.

Quen’Talrat hadn’t moved down these halls in over a century, these creatures, three decades, and the mystery, she couldn’t smell who made this graveyard—it certainly wasn’t these creatures.

What moved these things around and organized everything?  They seem proficient in discovering weaknesses within their opponents, at the very least.

Transmitting what she’d learned to her team, Azalea jumped to the ceiling to move above the group.

Ramuk hummed, taking in her explanation and building upon it with his own thoughts.  “Are there traps, General?”

Mmh … Nope, none that I can sense, Azalea huffed, suddenly feeling a little disappointed there wasn’t anything waiting for them as they progressed down the colossal entryway.

Giliri breathed a sigh of relief, but her friend soon made the air lock in Giliri’s throat again.

“Oh, what about the runic things—the energy Camellia told us about?  I think there was a lot of it in Grand…”  She paused, sadness and self-anger flashing across her mind; the memory of her best friend being forced to stab her seemed to be a painful one.  “No, I mean, I think that’s what our enemy used … Jumi’kerune, that is.”

A low note reverberated in Ramuk’s throat as he put a hand on the back of the specialists’ cart to increase their speed; the action made the unaware Quen’Talrat’s hair stand on end before picking up the pace—they were currently in their own conversation, speculating on what they were seeing.

The giant armored ape’s tone was surprisingly tame and guiding.  “Ease your nerves, Giliri, Fini.  We must remain vigilant.  Clearly, we have stumbled upon unfamiliar territory.”

Giliri shifted her neck around to ease her muscles and adjusted the makeshift body armor Violet had crafted for them; it didn’t have the unique attributes the Nalvean military used, but it wasn’t as if country-side City Guard Seaweavers were going to be allowed to use something so precious.  “Right … Umm, isn’t this really good, though?  We’ve found an army right here for the Empress.”

“Mmh, I didn’t even think about—”

Ramuk swiftly interrupted.  “Before that, General, I do find it suspect that there are no runes scribed on the walls; surely, if one was assigned to secure the door, the rest of the facility would follow.”

Oh, isn’t that the fun part?  Azalea asked, counting down the minutes until she’d be able to have free reign in her human form; currently, she only had two minutes remaining; in twenty minutes, her cooldown would run its course.  I can’t even tell who stacked all these bodies, but I’m sure we’ll find out as we go on.

Fini’s tongue flicked through her teeth, jaw snapping in agitation.  “I didn’t even think about who stacked them … Ugh, umm, is there really nothing?”

Ramuk let go of the cart to shift his two heads to the side, observing the stacks of crustaceans they passed.  “The way they died tells us a lot, Fini.  Can you tell me why that is?”

Azalea giggled, tuning the three younger members out; she was glad Ramuk took on the mentor role because she wasn’t particularly good at it.  Although, after a moment's thought, she realized Camellia had asked for her assistance—she returned her focus to Ramuk to see if she could learn any tips.

Time continued to tick on as they moved in a straight line, and soon enough, Azalea couldn’t see the staircase they’d entered through behind them, and they hadn’t even made it a third of the way to the branch.

Giliri’s comment lingered on Azalea’s mind while examining the stacks of potential minions that sat in wait for the Empress to raise.  Even if we encounter resistance, the Empress has the perfect starting point to send our armies.  With this many drones, we can secure the entire valley.  If…

Her leg paused against the ceiling as the faint skittering of an exoskeleton against stone reverberated through the air, bouncing off the walls.  The others pressed on ahead, unaware she’d stopped.

An echo … angled just right, so I caught it, and the bodies didn’t absorb the sound.  Something is moving through this tunnel, after all!

Accelerating to her top speed while remaining hidden, Azalea spoke through the Nexus.  I’m going on ahead to investigate a sound.  I’ll wait up ahead.

Ramuk’s response was instant.  “We will remain on-guard, General!”

Stale air rushed past Azalea’s form as she moved through the corridor, scanning for anything new, but the scents around her had remained untouched for decades.  

Reaching the end of the hallway, she slowed, entering a large room that only expanded in width; inside were more layers of crustaceans, and again, they were as old as the corpses behind her.  To think so many would die in a secret war the Ri’bot were utterly unaware of … Now, which way should I go?

Four options lay before her; the path ahead split into a V, while a descending staircase led deeper underground to either side of the room.

Waiting and listening for any indication as to what might lie beyond, Azalea’s legs pivoted her body to the left; her mind dwelled on what she knew about the area.

They’d entered near the Mines, and given their straight path, it meant they were still inside the first mountain.  If they wanted to even make it to the colossal volcano at the epicenter of Ke’Thra’Ma’s design, their party needed to venture through the sierra preceding it.

Given her location, the left path would take her deeper into the mountain range she currently resided in.  The right passage could connect back to the Mines, leading away from the frozen alps, and the northeastern opening wouldn’t bring her in the right direction either.

Azalea jumped up and down, cushioning her fall to lessen any noise she made.  This is so fun!  We’re in a maze I’ve never explored!

The only logical direction was northwest, yet any of these tunnels could abruptly twist back on itself, given the extreme length to reach the volcano.  It wasn’t as if she didn’t have any clues, either.

The scraping and movement came from the left staircase, which made her want to investigate; overall, their mission was to get the power in Nethermore operational by escorting the Quen’Talrat, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t scout out potential threats.

The right and northeast path only returned a graveyard scent she’d become familiar with while the smell of death thinned in the northwest.  Given the others needed time to catch up, in any case, Azalea took the left path.

Moving along the ceiling, she descended the long staircase, counting sixty-two Quen’Talrat Elite Hunter steps to find a new type of crustacean—a far bulkier one.

Azalea slowed to examine the large, muscular creature that seemed to be the warrior-type for this colony, yet when she sampled the remains, it was clear that these were very different from the previous workers.

This crustacean only had two small spear-like legs on either side of its lower half with two joints; its massive two front arms were as long and thick as its entire body.  Its back was heavily plated, while the front showed a thinner protective shell.

Its claws must be used to crush and chop prey … How can it last in this tunnel system, though?  Again, this battle took place three decades ago, and nothing has moved between these areas since.

As if to answer her question, not soon after continuing, Azalea could sense the moisture in the air increasing, yet she was stopped just as the opening came into sight, far ahead of her.

Curiosity pulled at Azalea’s thoughts while examining a rather curious break in the smooth, corpse-lined wall; a mess of the bulky crustaceans had been scattered across the broad hallway where a hole had been dug.

Carefully creeping inside, Azalea transformed back into her human form to hold her hands behind her back; her head tilted in wonder as she lifted an eyebrow.

A metallic Quen’Talrat only eight feet tall seemed to be walking into the wall, stepping back, and smashing into it again; it wasn’t using a lot of force, but Azalea couldn’t say how long it had been doing the action.

Doing a cartwheel to spin up to the ceiling, Azalea cautiously walked closer while scanning the figure.  It didn’t have any moving parts that Azalea could sense, which confused her; the metal figure’s muscles were flexing and shifting as if flesh.

What could you be?

Dropping to the floor, she picked up a large stone with one hand and tossed it at the metal ape; the rock struck the back of its left head and promptly fell to the floor to be kicked aside by its repeated action—it didn’t even flinch.

Analyzing the sound that resonated from the blow, Azalea scratched behind her ear.  No response … It sounds totally solid.  Well, no harm.

Not seeing anything particularly captivating beyond its strange actions, Azalea exited the tunnel and reported the find to the others.

Ramuk’s brooding grunt rumbled through the Nexus connection.  “I have never heard of such a tool being employed by the Ke … Metal Quen’Talrat, and of much inferior size?  The Ke never made things small.”

“I … have noticed that,” Fini forced a chuckle.  “You know what they say about women trying to bulk up their tails.”

“No?”  Ramuk mumbled, sounding utterly confused.  “A woman with a girthy tail is rather attractive, and if she has two … Mmh,” he released a sharp, audible breath.

Giliri seemed a bit shocked by his response.  “What?  No, that’s not … That’s weird—two tails?  I haven’t seen a Nalvean with two tails.”

“Mhm!  Mhm!”  Fini interjected.  “I’m more shocked a Quen’Talrat finds Nalvean women attractive … even if they need to have two tails … Heh, the more you know.”

“What are you two yapping about?”  Ramuk snorted.  “Nalveans are small and fragile!  What Quen’Talrat would enjoy breaking a female Nalvean like a twig?  No, I speak of the female Elite Hunters!  Strong, powerful women like Amra’Cora!”

A disgruntled tone touched Giliri’s voice.  “Well, shatter my confidence—I look small and fragile.”

“Mmh,” Fini made a sound in her throat, “I mean, you were always kind of on the smaller side in our class.”

“Shut up!  You’re like three inches taller than me!”

Ramuk cut them from the conversation to continue the discussion with Azalea as she returned to her original form to conserve her time as a human.  “General, something unfounded is happening here.  We must investigate.  Should we quicken our pace to join you?”

No, I don’t think it’s that necessary, Azalea mused, continuing down the corridor.  Be cautious and keep your guard up, but I’m not sensing any traps, and the small ape seemed broken in the mind.  I’ll investigate the end of this path and return.

“As you command.”

Returning to her thoughts, Azalea soon came upon a large pool; the tunnel ahead was flooded.  Corpses littered the bottom, blocking her way forward.

That’s that … We’ll need to investigate this later.

She turned around and met with her party; they were only just making it to the room when she arrived.  We go northwest; I’m sensing the end of our graveyard.

“Scouting ahead again, General?”  Ramuk asked, having complete confidence in her skill.  “If so, it would be best if I brought up the rear since we now have unknown areas that could bring attackers; I am also concerned about the tunnel being sealed behind us.”

If Azalea could smirk, she would.  With me here?  I could make us a new one in no time.  Just worry about the special apes.

Ramuk’s dark eyes shifted to glare at the five nervous Quen’Talrat, shifting his massive, muscular arms against his chest.  “I wouldn’t call them special … I follow and obey, General.”

Good!  Good!  Be back in a bit; have fun chatting with the Nalveans!

A small laugh shook his chest and made the metal plates clank a bit.  “Nalvean teens are … unusual.  Do you know why they are so concerned about thigh width and tail size?  They seem to be fixated on the strangest things.”

I could understand them … if I wanted to, Azalea snickered.  They seem to be having a good time, though.

“Is that right?”  Ramuk asked, eyebrows lifted while looking at a depressed Giliri as Fini cheered, proving to her friend her tail length was bigger.  “I’ll take your word for it, General.  At least they aren’t stiff as boards anymore … They need to be fluid—ready for anything.”

Yes!  Yes!  Okay, I’m going!

Azalea shot down their new destination, noticing the piles of dead crustaceans getting lower; finally, it ended, and at that point, she stopped.  Ahead of her was a string of powerful runic writing, and the halls transitioned to black granite.

Dull white gems dotted the corners of the ceiling, illuminating the space, and all of the weaves of energy in the walls were hidden from sight.  Only in the Tower’s Neural Nexus did she feel this degree of work put into the runes; if Azalea was being honest, she was impressed, and that also came with many risks that enticed her.

Transforming into her human state, she bent her knees and hopped forward, pink eyes darting left and right as she smiled.  Oh?  Oh?  What’s going to happen?  I should test it first.

Shockingly, the sensory range of the runes was relatively small, yet it was powerful enough to make her question if she could avoid its detection.  Her blue hair extended as she snaked it along the ground, crossing over the boundary.

A hum of activity met her as the energy sent rippling effects further into the corridor beyond her sensing radius; it was quick as thought.

She didn’t retreat, probing into the long hallway; she couldn’t sense the end from where she stood, and it remained that way for fifteen minutes.

Azalea’s fine, web-like hair paused; she was several hundred meters into the hallways at this point, branching down every corridor to feel what lay ahead of them—if there was any time to do it, it was now.

All she discovered was room after room of what appeared to be torn apart metallic apes that were lined up in neat rows—heads, ears, tails, eyes—if it was even slightly torn into a particular piece, it was put into an organized place amongst its similar pair.

Azalea concluded these weren’t unfinished products but broken ones by the marks on their bodies; she couldn’t smell them, which made her believe these were the things that organized the graveyard.

It was strange to her; all of this free space for it to only be used as a place to discard waste; Thélméthra recycled everything.

It seems calm now … for the most part.  A picture was coming to mind which drew her interest.  Something is mutating various species of crustaceans, and these metal apes have been fighting them for decades.  There’s nothing … a graveyard of a different kind.

Upon reaching the limited distance she could control with her silk, Azalea cut her hair off at the small of her back; it seemed endless, but the main corridor led to the icy mountain that was their destination.

Giliri and Fini came to a stop as Azalea warned them not to go further.

“Oh … Well, that’s a good sign.  Isn’t it?”  Fini asked.

Giliri hugged herself, staying two feet behind Azalea.  “I think so.  At least it has power.”

Ramuk shifted to the side of the floating cart to look ahead.  “This … seems like something the Ke would do.  How much further until we…”

Azalea cleared her throat and turned around, fingers finding her elbow behind her back.  I’ve scouted as far as I can with my silk, and it’s littered with the wartorn bodies of metal Quen’Talrat.

Her pink irises shot to the five specialists, making them straighten.  It’s time for you five to do a bit of work!  You can look into this rune stuff.  Correct?

Moris’Luar’s throat constricted as he stepped forward.  “We aren’t Rune Scribes, General, but we do know a little … We just need to see it … Menorah?”

A fidget ran down the small Quen’Talrat female’s frame as she hurriedly went to the cart and extracted a tool with a sharp point at the end; Azalea could sense runes engraved inside the item.

“Y-Yes, Team Leader, I’ll make—I just need to look at what we’re dealing with!”

Her four compatriots followed her to the side of the granite transition.

Menorah got down on her knees and forearm, shifting her head to the side and carefully positioning her short tail while staring at the others.  “Okay … I, umm … I only used this three times when training … Just … I don’t know if…”

Moris’Luar’s tail gently moved to press against her’s.  “It’s fine, Menorah; we’re all learning how this all works.”

Azalea’s hips were leaning a bit to the right as she blinked, watching the senior Quen’Talrat comfort his junior.  Ramuk grunted at the lack of confidence they were showing, and judging by his actions so far, she could see why people like this might be thrown to the work pits—the elites of the Quen’Talrat radiated power and confidence.

Giliri and Fini’s jaws were tight, arms tightly pressed against their breasts as they observed, unsure what was about to happen.  Azalea was interested, too.

Menorah reached down and pressed the edge against the stone, creating a small half-crescent, pulled it across in 2/3rds, and up to meet the line.

Azalea’s senses went on high alert as complicated, layered designs radiated light all around them, pulling out of the granite with every color imaginable.  Pulses flicked to and fro, ping-ponging across the length in a sophisticated mess that seemed utterly random and convoluted to her at first.

Menorah swiftly retracted her hand, falling back across Moris’Luar’s chest in her panic.  “W-What is this?”

Awed gasps escaped the other Quen’Talrat, and even Ramuk appeared to be overwhelmed.

The armored Elite Hunter’s arms relaxed against his chest as the shapes and patterns pulled away from each other down the entire width of what they could see.  “I’ve … never seen a design so interlaced and elaborate … What could be the purpose of this…”

He shot forward, but Azalea was quicker; her hair fanned out to cover the specialists as the resplendent display before them sucked back into the stone, and a colossal white ape appeared out of thin air before them.

The hair across Azalea’s body stood on end, gut tightening at the very sight of the imposing figure—four arms, four legs, two extremely long tails, and two heads that rested upon an enormous chest ten meters off the ground, a Quen’Talrat Elite Hunter stood before them.

Judging by the thickness of her snowy fur, deep blue eyes, and extra thick tails, Azalea was sure this was a female, yet she hadn’t seen an ape so intimidating since facing Ke’Thra’Ma himself.

Her commanding and powerful voice boomed through the halls as she towered over them, noses twisting in rage.  “By what authority do you tamper with the matrix?!”

The only thing keeping Azalea locked in place was the impossible—she wasn’t there; all she could sense was the mass of unique runic energy swirling around the area like mad and messing with her perception.

Ramuk was wholly taken by the woman’s beauty, jaw slack and mind reeling as he easily shoved the other Quen’Talrat back.  “By the Ke!”  he grunted.  “A descendant of the Ke?”

“His daughter?”  Azalea asked.  “She’s not even there!  What ability is this?”

Giliri and Fini both had their red water out and ready for action but were severely feeling outclassed by the looks on their faces.

“A-Azalea?”  Fini squeaked, waiting for her orders.

The colossal ape snorted at her response, turning her deep blue gaze upon Ramuk.  “Gray Blood … An Elite, as well.  By my right, under Article White Snow, Sub-Section Red Lilly, I hereby make use of your blood.”

Azalea’s vision slid to the stunned ape.  “What is she talking about, Ramuk?”

“Ugh…”  A low hiss shot through his teeth as he reached back and rubbed the back of his neck.  “I cannot obey that order, Great One.  I follow another.”

His voice entered Azalea’s mind as she sent her hair to analyze this new figure; she was entirely ethereal.  “She is trying to conscript me under the Title of Ownership … Without a doubt, it labels her equal to a Queen or King in authority.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed.  “Follow another … Ka’Roga’Amra has you under order?  I must speak to your Ka!”

Azalea was stunned by how demanding her tone was, the posture of power she took, and the aura she generated; it was like she was looking back into the past and seeing the figure that had ended her life—she couldn’t help the shivers running down her spine.  “Who are you … Why don’t you meet us in person?”

The ape’s bright blue eyes tilted to glare at her.  “An unusual form for a Thélméthra … The scourge of the hollow.  Know this well, creature!  I am the Bringer of the Silver Army!  Conqueror of the Abyss!  Daughter of Ke’Thra’Ma!  I am Ke’Noa’Thra—Network Overlord Administration!”

Azalea followed her grand introduction until the final part.  “Network … Overlord Administration?”

“Yes!”  Ke’Noa’Thra chuckled.  “I control everything in this facility!  I am a Goddess!  Now, Gray Blood,” she demanded, turning her downward leer at Ramuk, “go get your Ka!”

Ramuk took a long breath before shaking his head, shoulders slumping.  “Again, I must refuse Ke’Noa’Thra … Ka’Roga’Amra fell in noble combat with a fearsome foe from the North that destroyed what was left of my Blood … Your father…”

Ke’Noa’Thra’s face softened at his tone.  “What … of my father?  Spit it out!”  she growled, spreading her broad shoulders while flexing her large pecs and four arms.  “What of the Ke?”

“He died more than a century ago,” Ramuk replied, crossing his arms across his chest and bowing his head in a sign of respect.  “All but a few of our people remain; now, we serve another Great One … Empress Elinor.”

The colossal, intimidating ape’s strong countenance faltered as she stumbled to the side, knees apparently becoming weak, and she caught herself against the wall—Azalea sensed the energy whipping around the area shift dramatically.

“Dead … My father is … dead?  No,” Ke’Noa’Thra muttered, pain crossing her features.  “No … If my father is dead … who will complete me?”

Danger passing, Azalea felt her curiosity spike.  “What do you mean, complete you?”

The white ape lifted her head, blue eyes practically spinning.  “I sense no deception … My father is dead … I am the Network Overlord Administrator … I am not finished.”

Moris’Luar gasped.  “She … I can’t believe it … You’re an Artificial Quen’Talrat!  You were designed to exist through rune scribing … The Ke built you?”

Azalea was utterly lost at this point.  “She’s not real?”

“No, of course, I’m real!”  Ke’Noa’Thra growled, heat returning to her voice.  “I may not have flesh and blood, but I am the Ke’s daughter!  He created me!  I have a purpose, and … and I need support … I need my father,” she whispered, emotion touching her voice.

It only lasted a moment before her dominating presence returned, yet it had lost its charm with Azalea.  “No!  I can do this alone!  I’ve accomplished so much on my own!”

Ramuk lurched forward as the giant white ape flickered.  “Wait!”

She vanished, returning to some unknown place in the fortress ahead of them, but Azalea had heard enough; she controlled this entire network, which meant she could turn on the power.

A bright smile lifted her pink, glossy lips.  “We’re going after her!”

---