Formicea Chapter 91

I move back to my courtyard.

This grand plaza kinda beca the center of my life.

All the new things important for enter through the one big gateway.

And all the people important to share a ho cave which is directly connected to it.

So yes, it's the first place I head to whenever I'm looking for soone.

Or just anyone to talk to.

But it's also interesting to simply stare at the bustling courtyard.

All the insects carrying stuff, the guardians at their positions.

Nurses who look particularly unhappy with sitting out here.

"If you're idling your ti away, my princess, you could as well eat a bit. It would be good for your production and your reserves are far from full." (K)

Does she have to point at my chest?

I don't like to think about them as nectar sacs.

But well, if I want to talk to soone, why not her?

"Kyska, say, do you think I could handle leaving the hive and founding my own?" (E)

Okay, this eruption of stress was a bit of an overreaction.

"Are you seriously considering this? At this stage?!" (K)

"Well, naturally only when I am objectively ready. Like having enough food or workers for the task. But Liseti said that if one princess has to leave the hive it should be . Uh, it was worded a bit more friendly." (E)

"This is because of your fascination for human words. In your natural communication there'd be no chance to say anything different from what you intend to." (K)

"Back to the topic. Do you think I am fit for the role of a leader?" (E)

"Naturally you wouldn't be on your own. Your brood would still be with you. It would be mostly a question of the right distribution. There are certain procedures for establishing a new base. Those should be part of your natural knowledge." (K)

Natural knowledge?

Wait, I once had a mont when I perfectly knew how a hive has to look.

Could this be it?

Do I instinctually know where everything should belong?

It's actually a bit weird to consider that I have insect instincts, but it would make sense.

"Still, I should talk to my family about this. Founding my own hive is quite a big thing, right?" (E)

"Naturally it is. It marks how the swarm's influence as a whole spreads. With the other five hives this would be the sixth." (K)

"There are five more hives?!" (E)

"Naturally there are. Two belonging to forrly captured princesses in the south, one of the queen's direct descendants in the north, and one of both in the west." (K)

She didn't tell the directions but rather roughly pointed the right way with so corresponding pheromones, which could basically be translated to just that.

However, this is a big revelation.

I’ve always been here and kinda associated the hive with the whole swarm.

But now I hear that there are more places like this one, spread over the whole world.

Or rather under.

And then there are those other swarms.

Just how big is this underworld?

I'm pretty sure, if I'd find a map of the whole currently known world, their's might exceed it.

At least at so places since I don't know how evenly this tunnel system spreads.

I contemplate this for a while till finally, my brother returns from the chamber of knowledge.

A short ti later my father from the lower mycelium fields.

And the last to return is my mother.

I've inford the other two that I have to talk to them about sothing big but wanted to wait till we all are together.

Finally mum cos back from her assignnt at Honiu's place.

And yes, it's still weird.

"Ehk, hello mum!" (E)

"Ery? Did sothieeng happEn. You feeel... EcstAtic to e." (F)

"Quite much actually. I wanted to talk with you and the others about this." (E)

"Okay. LEt's talk about that over dinner wieth everyone." (F)

"Let help you!" (E)

I find it kinda wrong that mum, who had the longest day, has to prepare the als.

Okay, we can't allow dad to enter the kitchen and Toris is too young but I also can't complain to them if I'm the only one doing nothing.

Well, apart from pumping out enough insects to found a nation.

However, that's not really how I want to earn respect from my family.

Since I'm, like dad, not really a great cook, mum only lets do easy chores, like cutting vegetables.

Kyska helps as well, and as usual, she's totally excelling at everything she does.

Yet I doubt I can claim her part on my record.

Finally, we sit all together at the table.

"Youu wanted to tEll us sothieng, Ery?" (F)

"Just theoretically, how would you feel about leaving this place?" (E)

"You ean so that a whole swarm would hunt beehind us?" (F)

"No, no. Completely official, with permission." (E)

"I like it here." (T)

Great.

Toris beca an insect fan.

"What is thies about?" (R)

"You rember about my many, many subordinates?" (E)

"Hard to forget about them. They're everywhere." (R)

"It might be possible that I can order them to establish a new base." (E)

"Makes sense. You know that I used to work in the nursery, right?" (F)

"Yes? That was actually a thing for quite so ti." (E)

Not like I find her current assignnt any less concerning.