Chapter Text
[Awaken Lissa-Broodmother-To-Be, Schemer returns!]
Lissa shuffled in her bed, groaning in her sleep as she struggled to open her eyes.
[Do my bidding, Stubborn-Drone!]
She felt her body move of its own accord, the words of control seizing it and forcing her to stand upright at the side of her bed. Her mind was still half-asleep as her body moved over to the private washroom and dunked her head into the cooled water of the tub, now it had been left unattended overnight!
She jolted back to her senses instantly and she struggled for a second, before her head was lifted clear of the water, leaving her gasping for breath as her own control was returned to her body. She was convinced she could hear the Queen laughing in her thoughts as she replied silently in her mind, ‘there was no need to do that!’
There was a sarcastic edge in the reply as she heard, [Stubborn-Drone not obeying Queen!]
Lissa dried her hair and took the chance to relieve her naked body on the latrine, before returning to the tub and refreshing her entire body, washing it from head to foot and making sure she was dry before asking her Queen, ‘did you say Balson is returning today?’
[First Warrior returned in chill last night, sung of victory! Flesh traders taken as prize, to be returned as offering to their Queen!]
Lissa shivered a little at the words. When she had been a Warhound Raider they had plundered and looted, but flesh trading and slavery were never their objectives, and while they frequented their settlements and hideouts on their nomadic wandering, she had always stayed away from the places that slaves were housed and traded. Their boss had purchased a few himself, but he always emancipated them, freeing them to become full members of the warband. It was a cheap way to replace losses after bad fights....
[Lissa-Broodmother-To-Be dislikes flesh traders too! Can sense feelings towards them!]
She nodded and replied, ‘I was always fearful that they would trade me, if I pissed them off....’
The Queen sighed in her head, [lose many good warriors to flesh traders! Only foes we hunt as we guard borders of claimed lands, others like you we lure! Many more come to mountain to trade fairly, respect given and fair offers from reserves we farm!]
Lissa understood and began to leave her quarters, asking, ‘where should I serve today,’ as she did so?
[Schemer return soon, Lissa-Broodmother-To-Be will greet him! Courtesy of Dronewife! Until then, Stubborn-Drone work in fungal fields, harvest to gather! Do my bidding!]
She allowed the Queen to guide her through the many tunnels within the mountain, delivering her to the correct field, where three of the other Broodwives had gathered, alongside a small workforce of tribal pickers, while a collective of the Drone-Males were stood ready to ferry the harvested fungus away.
She looked at the naked Drone-Males for a moment as she was handed a gathering basket and given a patch of the field to focus on. She’d become used to their presence, bearing the same tattoo upon their wrist as she did, showing they sang to the Queen like she was supposed to do. Their blank expressions belying the fact they were singing a constant hymn among themselves, not only to the Queen, but to each other about their current tasks and conditions.
They were the primary labourers in the colony, given free rein to travel all the tunnels on their duties, cleaning, maintaining cooking fires and the torches mounted upon the wall, or moving all of the goods that the Black Chitin relied on, using sacks mounted on their backs like these Drone-Males were doing. It was a simple, hardworking life, but she also had seen why some of the men accepted it willingly, as she had come across several of the unmarried women publicly and happily mating them in the darker tunnel corners, aiming to fall pregnant and boost the numbers of the tribe. All Drone-Males had a short lifespan and Lissa knew why, but the fact they could please many women and sire lots of offspring in that time was too tempting an offer for some males to turn down when they were given the option....
She concentrated on her work and began to pick the fungus, before placing it in her basket, working quickly to fill it, and it was then emptied into the sack of the nearest Drone-Male, before she set to filling it once again.... She worked happily for several hours, the Queen staying silent in her head and not ordering her around, allowing her to let her mind be free and wander a little. The only breaks she needed were to take a drink of water from the always offered barrel, or to have a short break relieving herself at the nearest latrine, so she was happy, and to a degree, at peace for the first time since she had been taken as a Brood-Drone.
It had only been three weeks since her arranged marriage to the Schemer, Balson.... She’d been at his side that first week as he settled into the reality of being married himself and being seen as an important, high-status member of the tribe. He’d treated it like a honeymoon, and to be fair, even though she hated what he had done to get to where they currently were, she had begun to feel a little warmth towards him. He had been impeccable in his behaviour around her, even in private, and when he was mating her in the permitted way, he was always gentle and respectful of her, making sure she enjoyed herself as much as he was. He had no clue that it wasn’t Lissa he was pleasing, it was only her body, since the Queen was often controlling her actions while the pair of them were discussing other matters in her mind, totally detached from the actions satisfying him.
After that first week, the Chief had called for a hunt, insisting that Balson was included in the numbers setting out. The other tribals were a little confused as they knew the season was already ending, but they had assembled their numbers and set out with their new Warrior-Husband at their side. Lissa had watched them depart from the darkness of the entrance to their tunnels, and she was secretly happy he was leaving. She had only been alone for a few hours when the Chief came to find her and explained his reasoning for the Hunt.
Balson needed to learn what being a Black Chitin actually entailed, especially since he was destined to be the New Chief soon, while the Chief would also be given ample opportunity to take her to the Vault of The Broodmothers, to educate her on her future role within the mountain. Lissa was thrilled when the Chief told her the countless stories of the woman she was rising to stand alongside, making her understand that the stories she would write would become the legends future Broodmothers would rise to be told.... It was two weeks of blissful peace as she become more knowledgeable of the Broodmothers of old, without thinking that the Schemer would discover what she was doing when she was not at his side.
Now she knew he was returning, and her little bit of freedom was about to end. She was never truly alone with the voice of the Queen in her head, but when she worked, she didn’t seem to intrude on her own thoughts in any way, leaving her alone to hear the chorus of her own Brood as they sang for her and the Queen. Their voices were changing now, from the choral pitch they sang so sweetly before, to something more adult, stronger and deeper…. A few had become a little muffled and subdued over time and she understood they had begun to pupate to obtain their adult form, while others were being left to grow a little more before they entered the final stage. They would take on stronger forms, become the warriors rather than the workers, but their song would never cease, even if they were the only Insectoids in the colony, other than the Queen, who knew of her presence for now.
Even the other Dronewives and Drone-Males barely registered her as they conducted their work. They all shared the blank expressions, but they all sang the same tune together. Lissa often joined them in eating around the same table in the dining hall, seemingly not saying a word between them, but clearly chattering away like schoolchildren in their heads. But she didn’t hear them, and until her time of ascension, they wouldn’t hear her. The Queen kept her mind to herself and her enforced silence, the vow of every Drone, made Lissa feel lonely, which in turn made her miss her husband. No matter how much she hated what he represented to her, at least he was someone to talk to, instead of perching on the end of the table of the other Drones to give the impression she was one of them to the other tribals, and not having another friendly soul to talk to.
[Hunt returns soon, time to meet return of Schemer, Stubborn-Drone! Do my bidding!]
Her body stood up and walked away, without a single complaint being offered from the other workers. Her tattoo and naked form gave her a degree of freedom in that regard, since every observer assumed she was acting upon the actions of the Queen directly, which was correct in her case since she had never accepted the Queen and sung her song. So, the Queen was forced to make her perform every action she needed her to!
Lissa’s body walked through low lit passages, towards the limits of her current world, the cavern where she could look across and see the light of the outside world, while standing in the darkness of the archway entrance to it. It was the other thing that was difficult for now, not being able to stand in the sunlight, she had always loved the daylight, and given the climates she was used to it was bad enough missing it during the cold winters. It might be cold outside already, but everyday in the sun, just for a few minutes would be enough to make her happy, she already felt like she was getting cabin fever stuck in the darkness, especially since could see the first of the light snows had begun, leaving the land she could see framed in a little dusting of white.
She made it to the entrance cavern for the mountain and felt the chill in the air, compared to the stable warmth they experienced deeper inside the tunnels. They had cut a bench from the stone that allowed people to wait for arrivals without walking outside, and Lissa noted that the tribals had begun to erect a stone wall and wooden gate, to block the entrance during the winter months, helping to keep the cold out and the heat in. It made her feel worse though, since soon she wouldn’t be able to sit here and see any daylight, no matter how fleeting.
The Queen sensed her thoughts. [Soon, Stubborn-Drone! Soon the Calling comes, then you walk out to stand under the light once more! Bide your time, hide, build strength, learn!]
‘But why must we keep ourselves locked in during the winter?’
[Blood of the brood runs cold! The Warriors slow and chill easily, must wait for warmer seasons to run free! Why Calling is in few seasons, when Spring turns to Summer, allows Queens to spread, build, start anew!]
She nodded and settled down to wait, watching the workers as they kept building stone blocks up across the wide cavern entrance and using some form of cement to seal the gaps.
[When spring returns, wall removed! Human-Drones will trade and be welcoming again!]
She looked across and could see a hive of activity all around. Tribals were milling everywhere, bringing in the last of the harvest from the outdoor fields, which included a sizable haul of late season hay to feed the domestic livestock that spent the summer on the grass pastures. She had already spent time in the deep tunnel stables and knew that these were not the animals they usually ate, this meat was for the meals they traded, rather than the placid insectoid creatures the Queen supplied for them to consume or draw milk from…. They even had a sizable creature that supplied eggs. Smaller, infertile versions of the eggs made by the Queen herself, but they cooked like other eggs and Lissa found the taste rather nice, compared to the fungal growths and grey meat she usually ate. She hated to admit it, but she’d become a fan of an omelette when they were offered by the kitchen.
She was shocked to discover the Brood were all fertile to a degree, they all could carry eggs and rely on a form of asexual reproduction, meaning that small, isolated pockets of Insectoids could spawn larger broods given time, without the support of a Queen, if the necessary resources were available. Although once one appeared, they suppressed the behaviour of the brood under their control, making them infertile workers under their command….
Her train of thought was broken by the appearance of the Chief, alongside the sound of cheers and rumbling roars of victory. Lissa looked up to see the sight of a wagon, pulled by two muffalo, and a large group of mounted Warriors escorting it into the cavern entrance…. The wagon stopped and the muffalo were instantly being patted and calmed by waiting stable hands, while the Warriors drew aside and lined up before the Chief, their bound captives tied to the horses behind them.
Lissa watched as the Chief addressed them, “brave warriors, you return victorious!” One of the warriors dismounted and kneeled before the Chief, making him react with a degree of surprise, “Warrior Greyspear, it is good to see your return. Your capture in Spring was hard to bear.”
Greyspear kept his head bowed as he replied, “I owe my freedom to your decision to allow the late season hunt, you answered my prayers to our glorious Queen and her Warriors have gifted her the flesh traders that wished to profit from me!”
He waved to the bound prisoners still tied to the saddles of their towed horses and the Chief barked at several of the tribals milling around. “Take these to cells! As flesh traders they never given chance to join Black Chitin, they will face their selection before our Queen soon!”
The tribals followed his orders, quickly releasing them and dragging them off into the deeper tunnels and the cells. They knew their freedom was gone but had no idea what was awaiting them.
The Chief asked, “what are spoils of victory?”
Greyspear waved at the wagon and the former slave still mounted and waiting by it. “We bring those they trade, promised safety over winter, alongside coin and resources of foul business to use for ourselves!”
The Chief nodded, “very well, we accept terms for freed people.” He waved at a few more of the tribals milling around. “Bring them to me, no harm or danger will become them in our care!”
The others still not working aided the former slaves as they descended from the wagon, while the rider dismounted and offered the reins of his tired animal to a waiting stable hand. Lissa realised they were dressed in little more than rags, with a few extra layers to help them withstand the cold, and that one young woman was even cradling her baby in a makeshift sling. She watched the woman bring her child into her arms, and carefully shifting her scruffy top to allow her to discretely offer the child a little milk from her thin body.
The Chief waited for the four of them to stand before him. “Who speaks for you?”
The four of them looked between themselves, before the young mother decided, “I guess, I do?”
He smiled at them, “welcome to our Mountain. You are safe here, honoured guests of the Black Chitin Tribe, here to wait out the coming winter snows.”
The four of them shifted uneasily, before one of the others asked, “we’re not slaves any longer?”
“No,” the Chief confirmed. “We hunt those that trade in flesh, and those we free we treat fairly. Food, warmth and rest are yours for as long as you need!”
They gave warm, happy sounds of relief between themselves, but the mother noted, “Greyspear suggested we would be asked to work over the winter though?”
The Chief nodded, “that true, but terms fair, payment for safety.”
“Then we’re still slaves,” one of the males wailed sadly.
“I explain,” the Chief replied softly, defusing the reply with his tone. “We tend woods on slopes of mountain, plant groves and cycle over several years. Supply fuel to heat all tunnels during cold months. You work with us over winter, we team. Clear paths in drifts, cut wood, bring back lumber. Work hard three days to make stockpile, then rest fourth.” He pointed to one of the side chambers leading off from this cavern, “in return you given lodging we offer to vising traders in summer months. Warm beds within mountain, along with new clothing and hot meals to last all winter. You treated as equals, as members of Black Chitin,” Lissa saw him point at the baby still suckling at her breast, “even little one is one of us for winter months. You not slaves any longer and free to choose own future when Spring returns….”
The four of them looked between themselves for a few seconds, before they nodded at the woman and she replied with a smile, “we accept your generous offer….”
The Chief bowed his head at them, welcoming their respectful reply, then he turned to the tribals still patiently waiting. “Warrior-Greyspear, show honoured guests to trader lodging. They can rest until dawn of day after, then begin working with teams bringing lumber in.”
Greyspear nodded to his Chief, then moved over to the woman, “come mother, I show you to place of rest.”
Lissa watched her smile in reply and turn away, but as she did so, just for an instant, the pair of them made eye contact, and Lissa could sense something in the woman. She was curious about her naked form while Lissa wanted to ask about her baby and her determined spirit, but then her attention was distracted by a voice she had secretly missed. “Lissa, my beautiful Dronewife, you are here to see my return!”
[Do my bidding, Stubborn-Drone!]
Balson wrapped her in his arms and Lissa could feel the chill of the outside world on her bare skin, while her own body hugged him back and the pair of them shared a romantic kiss.
“I missed you so much,” he continued, “I have so many stories to tell you!”
Lissa wanted to talk to him so much, just to share some normal conversation with someone. But she knew that was impossible until later, when the pair of them were alone in their own quarters…. She felt like she wanted to talk to the woman as well, but she didn’t know why?
[Mother makes you curious!]
Lissa wasn’t given a chance to answer as Balson was already leading her away, and her body was complying as it followed the orders of the Queen. “Do my bidding my beautiful Dronewife, come and share a meal with me and we can talk in our quarters.”
She felt her head nod in agreement, but her mind was thinking she might be able to at least get some answers from him about who this newcomer and her baby were…?
