Chrysalis Condemned Chapter 3

>You shudder at the memory of the massacre

>The images you had pulled from a number of guards that had participated in the horrendus act

>They had been, of course, dealt with severely

>But it didn't ease your pain

>And it certainly didn't quench the furnace of hatred that burned where your heart should have been

>But again you had failed, again you were cast out with only a few of your children left

>A number that was shrinking all the time

>Nygma twitched in his sleep, from a dream or just a spasm

>You nuzzle him, grateful for the distraction from your brooding

>There was no need for hatred anymore

>Nor for emptiness from loss

>All you had left was your children, nothing else mattered

>The mountains to the East were beginning to glow red from the forthcoming dawn

>You hadn't yet slept, but it did not matter

>Arista wasn't back yet, focus on that

>You roused your hive with a thought

>It was time to go to wherever you had sent your son, and retrieve him

>Whatever the cost

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>An hour later, with the sun now full risen, you come within sight of the source of the fires

>Strange conical tents, each with a smoke rising from a hole in the top, sit arranged in a rough circle

>Their occupants go to and from different tents at regular intervals

>Massive, shaggy beasts with a pair of horns on the top of their heads

>Not unicorn-like horns though, more like cattle

>And some wear strange headdresses, looking quite ceremonial

>You decide there isn't a moment to waste, these creatures look quite savage

>You give the order through your antenna, and your brood forms up behind you

>And then you walk into the camp as though you own the place

>A smallish beast catches sight of you and runs into the largest of the structures

>When she comes out, she is in the company of a gigantic bull

>He's nearly the size of one of your behemoths

>But there's a strangely noble feeling about him, and he moves towards you calmly

>"Changeling. The princess sent word of your kind moving through our lands. If you leave in peace, we will not visit harm on you or your kin."

>His voice is an odd combination of regal and animalistic, and deep as a canyon

>You meet his stare and square up against him

"One of my children came here last night. We will not leave without him."

>The leader of the creatures bows his head to you

>"Of course. We would expect no less from a hive mother. Please, your child is this way."

>With that, he starts walking towards a tent at the outermost part of the circle.

>The chieftan speaks as he walks

>"Please understand, he was an intruder in our home. And though we tried to do him no harm, even the best intentions sometimes go awry."

>Your stomach turns at the statement

>As you reach the front of the tent, the bull steps aside to allow you entry

>With a touch of apprehension, you pull aside the flap and enter the small structure

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>Arista is tied to a crosspost at the center of the tent

>He looks up at you with pleading eyes

>One of which is nearly swollen shut

>He is battered, bruised marring his otherwise glistening carapace

>One of his wings is missing a third of its length

>Two teeth are missing and the left fang is snapped off near the base

>And he has a large number of scabbed over cuts

>But he is alive

>Your magic tears the ropes into shreds and you rush forward to catch your collapsing child

>You cradle him in your forelimbs, nuzzling his broken body

>He chitters contentedly and falls into a deep sleep, partially from his injuries, partly from your magic

>You levitate him onto your back and retreat from the tent

>You stop before the chieftan and glare at him

"Who of your warriors is responsible for this?"

>The chieftan meets your gaze evenly

>"My best warrior, Shatterhorn and..."

>He trails off and turns from your gaze

"And?"

>He sighs, his honour overcoming his aprehension

>"My son, Desert Wind."

>You nod, sympathizing with him

"Bring them before me."

>He whirls on you, anger written over his features

>"You DARE demand me submit my own son to you, changeling?"

>You maintain your wits, your lip curling ever so slightly to show your fangs

>You turn your body so that the bison has a clear view of Arista

"Your people injured my child without provocation. They must be punished. I swear on my brood that they will not be killed."

>The chieftan sighs and he slumps before you

>"We have heard tell of what you did to the ponies many winters ago, when their mining accidentaly collapsed parts of your hive and killed many of your children."

>He looks towards his tent, eyes distant

>"I know I would demand the same of anyone that dared harm a member of my tribe, much less my child. I will do as you say."

>You bow your head to him

>You certainly hadn't expected compliance from this beast

>Perhaps, just maybe, creatures besides you and your brood, knew honour

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>You had moved on when the sun was setting

>The chieftan hadn't exactly welcomed you after what you did to his son and the warrior that had beaten Arista

>You'd heldtrue to your word that you wouldn't kill them, of course

>You weren't a monster, after all

>You had taken careful accrument of the wounds and injuries on your child

>You had then divided them into two even group

>After that, you did precisely what the pair of bison had done to Arista

>Down to the depth of the cuts, the force behind the bruises, and the relevant anatomical area

>Both would recover

>And much faster than Arista, given his lack of nutrition, and the severity of his injuries

>So you carried him away, when it was time to go

>Now, the moon had risen, the desert heat had given way to a bitter cold

>And still you and your family walked onwards

>It made more sense for you to travel at night, than in the day

>You wouldn't get dehydrated as quickly, and your vision at night was better than other desert inhabitants

>Unfortunately, your focus was not near good enough to maintain constant awareness of your surroundings

>Not eating for weeks on end did that to your body

>Any love you harvested immediately went to your children

>They needed it more than you

>The sun was near rising, just barely lighting the horizon, when one of your brood collapsed

>It was Mentum, a birthing nest attendant

>You immediately stopped the march and ran over to him

>He was already struggling to his feet when you reached him

>Besides being a little dusty he was alright

>His exoskeleton flexed in a way that could only be interpreted as embaressment

>You told the others to rest with a signal though the hive mind

>And you glared pointedly at Mentum

"You need to let me know when you need rest, Mentum."

>His ears pressed against his skull

>"I did not want to slow our march, my queen."

>You sighed and your shoulders sank

"Two things, my child. First I would rather slow or stop a march than have any one of you die. Second, stop refering to me as your queen. We have no kingdom anymore. I am just your mother."

>He raises a leg and hides a half of his face

>"Y-yes, I understand...mother."

>You stroke his cheek with a forelimb and smile

"Don't worry, my son. We'll be fine. I will make sure of it."

>He nods and slinks away to join the rest of his brothers