Chapter Text
It was a slow day surprisingly. Hydrangea, the oldest of the Mantis Lords, sighed as she heard one of her younger sisters muttering in boredom. Triumph got up from her seat, “I grow restless, I will go for hunt a hunt now.” Before she can though, a strange, small bug walks through the door leading to Deepnest. It wore a tattered cloth as a cloak around its ink black body, black thorns seem to wrap around the cloak as a form of protection. Its head was a stark white with smooth mandible-like horns coming out the top of its head and four smaller ones on the side of its head. Its eyes were large holes of darkness.
The strange bug seemed confused and froze when it saw the Mantis Lords. The Mantis Lords all stood up and stared down at the outsider. “Halt creature of Deepnest, why have you come here?” It didn’t respond, backing up slightly. Hydrangea asks once again. “Answer me, why are you here?” Upon getting no answer once again, Hydrangea grows annoyed points her lance nail at the intruder. “Answer me!” The strange bug freezes up and lets out a deafening screech.
Hydrangea nearly drops her lance nail as her sisters cover their ears. Soon mantises come into the room, their eyes seeming to absorb all light. They rush to protect the strange bug as it huddles into a corner. The youngest of the lords, Spore, is enraged at the act of treason, “What is the meaning of this!? How dare you guard an outsider from your lords!?” One mantis responds with simple words, “Protect vessel. Danger.” Spore narrows her eyes at the aforementioned vessel, it was shaking with fear as the Mantis Lords stared it down.
Triumph readied her own lance nail before Hydrangea motions her to stop. “Why are you defending the vessel?” The mantis replied to her question with equal simplicity, “Hear call. Answer.” Triumph whispered to her sisters, “Then why didn’t it affect us?” Spore thought for a moment before whispering back, “Maybe we were too close to it when it called.” Hydrangea thought for a moment before jumping down from her throne. The hypnotized mantises faced her and the vessel tensed up.
“Release your hold on our people, vessel.” When it huddled even further into the corner and the hypnotized mantises stepped forward, Hydrangea huffed. This bug’s cowardice will be met with extreme prejudice. Hydrangea leapt forward and began to fight. She made sure to only incapacitate the mantises, they were not in control of their own bodies. As she reached where the vessel was, she realizes that it’s gone still. It’s still breathing but not conscious. Had it fainted? Hydrangea took a closer look at the vessel and noticed just how little it was. It was smaller than the nymphs and seemed to hug itself.
She’s isn’t aware of how long she’s been examining it until Triumph smacks her. Hydrangea bolts up in surprise and looks around, the injured have already been transported so there was no need to worry about them for now. “So, what do we do with it? Them?” Spore gestures vaguely at the vessel. “You don’t think it’s just a nymph, right?” They looked between each other and back at the vessel, they’ve dug themselves into a hole with this one.