Chapter Text
It was bleeding out.
They had pulled it off, the blazing light locked deep inside the inky blackness of void. Their dream was lost, but the damage would be stopped. But they were still dyeing, the fracture in their crown splintered down their skull, the crack running to their core. The floor in front of their throne shone a brilliant white, it was in such a contrast against the dull blacks of the throne room.
It was in its workshop.
Hornet... was that hornet? She looked strange, so much younger then it recalled. When had she been that small? She was... no, when they were that small they hadn't claimed a gender yet... their birth hadn't given them one.
The child was perched on their worktable, tinkering alongside them. When had they done that? They had not sought the child after their creation... why were they here?
The small figure looked up at them, and they saw their mandibles move, but they didn't hear anything. A ringing filled its ears, and then... whoever it was in the perspective of spoke.
"Genocide? What caste have we committed such a sin against? The children of sleep watch over us beyond our lives, and tend to our spirits. The scholars study and learn in their sanctum. The shamans have been left to their ancient devices. The hive and its queen do as they please with my gift, and have accelerated in all ways for it. The family rejected our call but work in unison with us. The weavers are the only who wholly reject us, for reasons beyond me, and I will not pretend we are on terms approaching reasonable. Their lesser members flood from their darkness and are cut down by my guards or allys, but I have offered peace time and time again, and have paid for my generosity in the lives of my citizens. Through what means has my gift brought the downfall of any of them? Who amongst them are not more powerful for the Beacon I grant and the unity I offer? I brought peace to the tribes, my presence has ceased their ancestral squabbling and wars, is that genocide?"
What was that? they had never seen that which had already happened, and it had certainly not had that conversation... right? The pool had grown beneath their feet.
It was sitting cross legged on a bright patio in the palace, the tiny form of its child's shell infront of it, and herrah beyond it.
It's hand pulled back from the doll like shell, and indicated itself.
"This form was taken with my lady in mind, you will forgive us our unique methods as I did not intend on taking mortal concubines. If you seek god's blood to be in your heir, if you think a heir even matters, then this is the way it will be done."
Herrah indicated the figure, and spoke something. She looked vaguely amused at him, then pointed behind him.
"I live in her shadow, I haven't shame in stating. Our union is the only of its type, and her power in these lands is all that would allow us to accomplish our work. So of course I took a form lesser then hers, I couldn't match her true form regardless."
Herrah nicked her palm, and let blood pour onto the figure. She murmured something quietly.
They put their hand on the figure, and murmured,
"Their body shall hold the strength of metal, their mind that of a god's. Child, may my blood flow endless in your vains, may you have your mother's wit, may my dream thrive in your time as it did in mine, and may you have the strength to do what I cannot."
They pulled a spur out of a lump of pale metal, and they slit a long gash in its arm. The pale room went white as a brilliant flash of light blinded Herrah. Her vision reformed to that of the King laying its arm over the mask of her child, its thick white blood draining into the hollow shell.
Herrah seemed angery, though not about the child... They(?) retorted,
"You view it as disgust? A bigotry against those not like us? You do not know why we do what we have done and you act as though this is a mere alliance of convenience against a larger threat, one which through envoy and speech you stand to "gain". We have lost everything and you still demand what you thought was a deviance against my lady to help me set things justly. Your hubris in your own knowledge and beliefs may be beyond that which I held, Return to your darkness and your schemes, they will not help against that which haunts us."
Were their robes always this white?
No.
They were sitting at a table in a large dark wooden room. This place clearly hadn't been used in years, and the webs covering most of the walls placed it somewhere in deepnest. Across from them were two of their dreamers. The Watcher spoke up, clearly in response to something that had just been said,
"What duty could be greater? As Queen of a progenitor caste, i'm dubious that you would take the same view of the matter, but those who minds the kings light revealed all have a somewhat fundemental understanding of the topic. The king is not strong in the way a venge king or maggot queen is, his power ascends that which we can describe as strength. His motives are obvious to most in their basics, but his methods and ultimate goals are in tasks of which our lives are mere heartbeats. To serve him is to serve a calling far greater then even the greatest King or Queen could offer, with an impact that will both be remembered and celebrated for longer then any mortal kingdom could offer. Regardless of my personal feelings, to serve him is nearly an ethical responsibility, to attempt to hinder him would be the greatest treason, not just to a single person, but to the legacy of the thousands that have come before us. I do not wish to die. But I will; to preserve their memory and to give his plan a chance at perpetuation."
A few moments passed, and the look on the Watcher's face grew more flustered. The Archivist was coldly looking at the table. Lurien spoke up again,
"Well that's rather rude!"
Monomon lifted her head, and stared the figure the king had replaced in the eye,
"No, she is right. With the infection, much has been lost. Not only is the kingdom collapsing, but so too is our King's dream for our world. Of us who know the truth of what has happened, you will not find a jolly face. Even if the best outcome happens, so much of what we've worked for will have been for nothing, and so many have died senseless brutal deaths. Those of us who remain serve with grave duty, but we all know that what we do, we do only so that those who come after may have a chance. We are not all in positions to negotiate our terms."
The watcher had his head on the table, and made an exasperated drawn out noise, "Well now your being rude!"
The teacher rised, and left the table.
"I apologize again for her. Of us she was the one with the most grand plans for the future, so she's lost more than any of us."
A long silent moment passed, Lurien had zoned out.
"I fear for her commitment to the plan, but most of all I fear for her will to live. The kingdom... the archive... they were her pride, and her life."
He turned to them,
"She lived for the future. I think I lived for the present. And while I'm afraid I don't know what's truly in your heart, it seems to me you live in spite."