Chapter 12 The Collective Hive Part 2 Hive, Haven or Hole
Chapter 12 The Collective Hive
Part 2 Hive, Haven or Hole
Gladiator Marcos the Black cautiously moved along the wall of the dark tunnel, his eyes beginning to adjust to the darkness. As he moved through the tunnel his boots kicked up small clouds of a fine powder. Ahead and around a corner Marcos could hear some commotion. Kneeling down behind his shield with his back against the wall, Marcos peered cautiously around the corner. The fine powder clouds now began to settle and his armor became covered with a fine layer of the dust. There were several of the giant Ants he had fought above heading toward his direction, seemingly in some form of discussion in a series of clicks and snaps similar to Terrathans language. Realizing his back was literally against the wall he looked and noticed that he was blending into the background now that he was covered with the dust. Marcos lowered his head and virtually looked like a shield leaning against the wall covered in dust. The Giant Ants moved around his corner and continued toward the giant hole that he had fallen from. In a giant leap they were up and out of the tunnel.
Marcos released a deep breath and began to continue down the hallway toward a glowing mauve room. As Marcos reached the opening he saw giant beetles lumbering in the far tunnel across the room that was covered with mauve colored fungus. These were the same fungus that he had found on the Giant Ants he slain, perhaps these were the Ants food source. If that was so, this room is not a good place to hang out for long Marcos thought.
"I am not going to be desert tonight, I best get out of the kitchen"; Marcos said to himself to ease his own tension.
Another pair of massive beetles passed by and Marcos slipped in behind the behemoths as they lumbered forward. Every so often the giant beetle ahead of Marcos would flex a bit of its carapace and he could see layers of its shell almost like a honeycomb. The tunnel started to widen and empty into a large room. Marcos slid again against a wall as the Giant Beetles continued through the room and into another tunnel. Just as they disappeared into the darkness a handful of Giant Ants moved into the room and down the hallway Marcos had just come from. Deciding to try and catch up with those Giant Beetles, Marcos moved across the room. This rooms floor was soft and as he reached the center, deep down in his stomach he could feel this was not a good decision.
Rising out of the ground itself behind Marcos a pair of tusks began to shudder and shake and with that pounds of dirt and rock began to fall away from the figure. As Marcos slowly turned he could begin to hear a hissing noise that was being made by millions of small hair-like fingers on the underbelly of the towering bug. In a bellow the beast spew out green liquid, of which Marcos blocked with his shield. As he readied his sword he now smell the poisonous liquid that now coated his shield. Marcos parried the first blow from the giant tusks and then cleaved off one of the tusks with a mighty swing. The towering bug raised up and then plunged down into the ground. Marcos stepped back and around looking for any sign of where his foe had gone.
VOooomMMM. His wondering ended as he was catapulted into the air as the massive bug surfaced directly below him. Marcos regained his feet and scurried toward his sword, as he grasp it he could see his shield would not be as easy to obtain. The towering bug now had it impaled upon the remaining tusk and it was blocking its view as it swung its head back and forth trying to free it. As the beast turned its back to scrape the shield from its tusk, Marcos saw his opportunity and took it.
"A gladiator never turns his back to his foe my friend."; Marcos said aloud as he leaped onto the back of the beast.
Holding on to a row of carapace plate, Marcos drove his sword repeatedly between the layers of the beast. The giant beast now bucked and shook to remove Marcos from its back, but Marcos continued to have at the shell crevasses. The beast bellowed one final cry as a strike landed deep within its heart. As the giant bug fell to the ground, Marcos dismounted it and pried his sword from the shell. As he did this a piece of the shell broke off and he could see within the honeycomb beneath dirt, a few gems and sadly the remains of someone who was a meal some time earlier. Several of the tunnels now filled with noise, growing louder..all except one. Marcos headed for the quiet tunnel since it was his only safe option, now that he had lost his layer of powder and dust that concealed him before. Looking only once over his shoulder, Marcos could hear the tearing apart of the giant beast he had just slain that fought with the heart of a lion that would not be ridden. If Logan the Heran, the new Decurion, would have seen that..he knew he would never live that down. A Gladiator never rides, he rather his feet be solidly planted on ground and not up in the air away from the down and dirty matters of battle.
The tunnel opened up into a room and in the back of it stood a commanding figure. The Matriarch looked toward Marcos with no worry or threat. As Marcos returned gaze at the Queen, she motioned for him to approach then began to speak with him. The two discussed matters of her concern and of his mission and while this occurred a pair of Ant Warriors entered but were motioned away. Marcos was offered safe passage within the Hive in return for assistance in dealing with the Hive's enemy which was attempting to infiltrate their territory. Marcos understood this feeling since this was how the Ants were perceived on the surface as well to the human race. Surprisingly to Marcos was able to diplomatically come to an agreement with the Queen. Marcos again now found himself dealing with a once mortal enemy now friend, as a diplomat..something he would rather leave to the Emissaries and Governors.
Marcos headed out of the tunnels and sought the Infiltrators and standing side by side with Giant Solen Warriors, they destroyed the invaders. As the remaining Solen Warriors and Marcos headed back toward the Matriarchs Lair, the group paused and one of the Solen Warriors motioned and a Giant Beetle approached. Another Solen Warrior lifted Marcos and placed him onto the back of the Giant Beetle. Thinking again to himself that this would just be what Logan would love to see, Marcos bit his tongue and nodded appreciation toward the Solen Warriors and they moved toward the Matriarch's Lair. As Marcos held onto one of the shell layers the Giant Beetle lifted a few others and then clamped them down across Marcos legs.
"Hmmm....snug as a bug in a rug."; Marcos chuckled a bit then shook off the notion of riding after this mission was complete. Marcos was truly glad Logan did not hear that.
Upon meeting with the Queen, Marcos was escorted out of the Hive with a bag full of powder, not the same as the powder that covered the tunnel floors, but a white sparkling dust he aimed to have the Senator of Arcane investigate further its properties. As they were about to leave the Hive, Marcos spotted a younger female Queen motioning to him. He continued though onward toward Trinsic..thinking to himself what could that young queen want from him?
"She must be an ambitious one...I don't think I am her type though, aye Blue?"; Marcos said to his big blue bug he rode off on toward Trinsic. The honeycomb cells of the mount filled with gems for the Empire coffers.
"Now If I could figure out how to get my legs free from you Blue....that would be good before we arrive home. Please let Logan not be there."; Marcos said chagrined.
Posted by Borg
Friday, October 25, 2002 12:00 AM EDT