IMPERIUM INSECTUM

The water around me swelled as several watery tendrils grew around me. “It's been a while since I've fought,” I said as the tendrils circled around me. The two assassins stared at me with a focus I'd never seen before. Their eyes scanned every part of me as they tried to figure out what I would do next.

“Don’t Just Stand there, Andre! Kill the fools already!”

I looked down at Diva, and Whooo boy, if glares could kill, I would be dead a million times by now. She was not happy.

“Yes, ma’am.”

In an instant, the tendrils lunged forward toward the two assassins, Marking the start of our battle.

“Bullseye Now!” The large one yelled as he took on a fighting stance

Suddenly, there was a loud audible woosh as a large plume of smoke filled the room, Blocking any line of sight I could have had. The tendrils struck forward but didn’t make a connection. Shame.

“Nice laying a smokescreen for cover. How clever. However, I think you’ve forgotten something.” That’s right, they have forgotten about the very ground they are standing on. Suddenly, my feet started to jiggle uncontrollably. Left, right, left, right, they wobbled, and not just my feet, my thighs, torso, arms and head. They all jiggled like Jelly until suddenly, Like a water balloon that had hit its limit and exploded, I collapsed and fell into the water, becoming one with it. A familiar sense of calm and happiness washed over me. Yes, how could I forget this is my true element. My consciousness mixed more and more with the water. I could feel every part of it like it was my own skin. Suddenly, The water moved. It was them. Their feet, More specifically. I could feel them splashing around as they moved across the water. Sporadic, uncontrolled, and annoying  Those are the words I would use to describe their movements. Each of their movements disturbed the gentle, restrained, calm water I had put. I can't have this! I can't have these headless chickens scrambling around and ruining my peace. I think… I think I'll go for the big one. Without warning, I lept out of the water.  My hand melted and shaped itself into a thin, watery spike.

“OH HELL NO!”

In this same breath, an electrical axe formed in his right hand. Our weapons collided In an explosion of blue and yellow energy. His axe made easy work, destroying my weapon as he planted it easily into my side.

“Heh, All bark and no bite.”

“You really aren't that bright, are you?”Suddenly, water gushed out from where his axe was. And before he could react, my entire body instantly turned into water. Like a bullet, The electrical current shot through me and dissipated into the water. And well, you know what they say about electricity and water.

“AHHGGGGGGGAAGGGGGGGGAGAGGGG” He screamed as The electrical current arched from the water and coursed through his large veins. His body spasmed, but he still held firm With the axe.  

“Brute! for the love of god! Cancel the spell! You’re gonna-”

“He can't”, I interrupted. “Do you know when your body gets hit by lightning? Your body ceases to function properly, Your muscles twitch involuntarily, Your skin burns, and your bones fracture. You Lose control of your bodily functions as your brain goes through hell, seizures, Headaches and, of course, brain damage. If it continues for long enough, you will eventually go into cardiac arrest as the high voltage current messes up your own body's natural electrical current.”

“GYAAGHAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

“However, guessing by the fact he is still screaming, that part hasn’t sunk in yet.”

“Die, you asshole!”

I sniggered as I looked to the side, and a barrage of several small purple arrows flew towards me. Not the brightest, are they? Instantly, a wall of water rose next to us. The arrows burrowed into the wall and came to an immediate standstill Before turning and dissipating into the water.

“Dammit!” He yelled as a large plume of smoke exploded where he was.

“Good grief. How annoying. Are you still going to do that trick?”

On cue, several more arrows flew towards me from the opposite side.

“If that’s the only move you have, you are never gonna save your friend.”

Another wall erupted, absorbing all the arrows.

“Gyaghhhaa! Let him go!”

“If you say so.”

I dropped his body into the water below. His body was covered in even more burns. His eyes were greyed out, and he was muttering gibberish. He was effectively out of the fight. But It doesn’t hurt to be certain.

“Ya know. I read somewhere that drinking water Really helps with lightning burns.”

Suddenly, water gushed into his mouth. His body started to convulse and splutter as it instinctively tried to survive, but It was too much, and soon his movements stopped altogether. I looked up to the archer and gave him a grin.

“Your friend's dead. What will you do now?!”

“No………DAMMIT” His eyes darted around the room, Looking for something. Eventually, they settled on the door behind me.

“Ah Ah Ah, If you think you can escape, guess again.”

The water suddenly surged up against the walls of the hall, trapping everyone inside.

“Now I ask again, what will you do?”

******

Diva pov:

I watched as the two of them clashed in a flurry of water and purple energy. It was like a battle straight out of a fantasy film, and here I was, lying helplessly on the ground. Dammmit, this is annoying. What went wrong?! This Shouldn’t happen to me. I should be the one giving out the beatings, Not the other way round! So why!? Why am I in this situation again!?

Another large blast rocked the mansion again As Andre clashed with the asshole assassin. Dammit, this is so vexing! This has happened before with the wolf and again with the golems. Even though I won, it was a stroke of sheer luck that I survived. Suddenly, my status menu popped into view. Could there be something wrong with my stats? I had looked over everything, looking for any sort of detail I could have missed, but Nothing was odd about it except one thing. One thing that on its own didn’t mean much was still very important. My race. It was still blank after all this time. I know it is such a small thing, and it shouldn’t matter at this current moment, but This was the only thing that didn’t make sense to me. Why didn’t I ever name my race? Was I too busy? Too scared? No, I don’t think it was that it was something else, something much deeper. A question that I've always had but never really wanted to answer. Just what am I?

I focused on the section that had my name.

It didn’t say much, of course; however, one thing caught my attention. Hive Queen. According to the system, I am a hive queen. Well, that’s it. Question answered, riddle solved. We can all go home and live happily ever after. Haha, I wish the answer was that simple. Yes, I am a hive queen. I know that, But have I been acting like it? I mean, I can tell everyone I’m a professional boxer. But if I don’t ever step in the ring and fight to prove it, can I really be considered to be one? I Am a hive queen, but have I been acting like one? Sure, I’ve brought many children into this world, but so do other insects like flies and spiders. Besides doing that, Can I truly say that I have been acting like a hive queen?

I shook my head. Okay, let's slow down a little and think more broadly. What is the Biggest strength of a hive queen? Well, The answer is simple: Their hive…..My hive…. my children. My children are my strength. If that’s the case, then Why do I never use them When I fight? If I think about it, every fight I've had could Have been so much easier if I had my children. Hell, I guarantee I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now if I had a few of them by my side right now. Then why? Why did I never want to use them when I fight?

I turned my attention back to the fight. Andre was hammering this guy with ease, Sending jets of water towards him. The man lept out of the way, but it was too late. The jet crossed one of his legs, slicing it cleanly. The fight was over. Hmm.

“Wait, Please! Let me go. I'll run far from this place. You will never see or hear from me again.”

“That’s a nice offer, but I'm not the one you have to bargain with. Hey! Are you able to move?”

My body ached and groaned as it slowly managed to get up. I checked my health, and I was at 150/300 hp. Not great, not terrible. My feet splashed in the water as I slowly approached them. Soon, the clear water started to turn into a murky pink And then a dark crimson as I arrived before the man.

“So, Aren’t you going to Bargain?” I said coldly. The man looked up at me, his bottom lip quivering and shaking like an earthquake.

“Ple-“ Before he could finish, my pincer sprang forward and pierced his brain, killing him instantly.

“You could have at least let him say something.”

I glared at Andre before looking back towards the body. The dead, lifeless, limp body. In an instant, this man's life was snubbed out, gone. Like it never happened. No second chances or anything. This could happen to anyone. This could happen to my children.

“H….Hey”

I snapped over to Andre, who was looking at me with concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I'm just finally coming to terms with something.”

The reason why I never fought with them, Why I always kept them out of fighting with me, was because I didn’t want any of them to die. The thought of My children being snuffed out and forgotten Is too much. I Kneeled down to eye level And stared into his lifeless eyes. Even if it’s too much, I can't afford to shelter them anymore. I can't keep hiding them and treating them like precious items that can't ever be touched, even though it will hurt. I have to put my children's lives on the line For the sake of my, No, our survival.

I closed my eyes and reached into the [hive weave]. Like a floodgate that was opened, my mind was filled with a nearly incalculable amount of information. But I pushed through and sent a single order to the closest children. That single order was the words.

<Come to me>

I instantly closed the weave and stood up to look at Andre.

“Is everything okay?” He asked again.

“Everything is fine. Thank you for your help. You can go home now.”

“Are you sure? I can-“

“Yes, I'm sure. This is a family matter, after all.”

Andre stared at me briefly before giving me a smile.

“Good. I don’t know what's changed, but you seem a lot calmer and more centred. You won't lose now.” He instantly turned around and started walking.

“I'll stick around in the nearby area. From all this fighting that is going on, we've probably attracted the attention of many people And the authorities. Don’t worry ill go out and handle them.”

“Thank you, I Owe you.”

“Owe me what? I’m here because I want to remember.” And with that, he left the room. As soon as he stepped out of the room, all the water started to glow a pale blue before vanishing into thin air. He’s a strong one, that one and yet he is number two to Titus. Just how strong is Titus? I shook my head. Questions for later. Now, I need to focus.

I held out my hand, and a small swarm of 15 flies flew out.

<Find them and Apollinaris>

In an instant, they all darted off around the mansion. “And now we wait.” Seconds turned into minutes as I waited for any sort of lead, but Nothing came from them. Could they have left? No, I don’t think so. I would have heard or seen something. Apollinaris wouldn’t go quietly. Suddenly, The ground below me started to rumble. Hahaha, Right on time. I took a step back just in time to see 2 Big brown workers tunnel out into the main area.

<Sorry Mother. We came as fast as we can!>
<It’s fine> I said, patting them both on the head. Their mandibles grew a bright green as  green mana swam around the hole, sealing it up.

<Intresting what else can you do>

<Well, I can->

<MOTHER!> Another voice yelled. I shot my head up, and there they were, another 5 Workers. Unlike these 2, these 5 were regular workers with no magical ability.

<We came as fast as we could.>

<That’s fine. Did anyone see you?>

<No. We were careful.>

<Good. Now, attention, all of you. This is gonna require all of us to work hard together. There are 2 intruders in this mansion, And they are after Apollinaris. I know you are not meant to be fighters. But you are all I have. Do you understand?”

<Yes! Mother!> They all said in unison. Good. I closed my eyes and felt out for my royal flies. I could sense all 15 of them. However, there was something wrong with 2 of them. They were completely still not moving at all like they were sleeping. I don’t know what's Going on, but that's where we have to go first. Instantly, I shot up and started running. The sounds of dozens of feet pattering across the floor filled my eardrums. Haha, yes, This feels right with my children going into battle.

<Mother!>  One of them yelled. Instinctively, I jumped into the air. One of the Workers then sped up until they were under me, and I landed on him easily.

<YES THAT’S IT! FASTER> I Yelled from on top of my worker. Don’t worry, Apollinaris, I'll find you soon. In no time, we arrived at where the flies were.

The party of my children ground to a halt as I leapt off his back and landed right on top of the sleeping flies. They were Lying completely still in the centre of the sitting room. Just what happened to them? I gently swiped them into my hands. They were like motionless statues. This wasn’t just sleep; THEY WERE UNCONSCIOUS!. I hid the two flies in the grooves in my armour and stood up. Just what happened here? How do you knock out a fly? I thought about it, but no answer in my head made sense. I let out an annoyed sigh. Either way, the trail has gone cold.

<Looks like this is a dead lead. Let's go back to the start and retrace our steps> I turned around and was suddenly met with an empty corridor.

<What the? Where did they go? They were jus->

“Diva” A familiar voice rang out. My head shot around, and there she was. Apollinaris. A wave of relief washed over me. She was okay! Minus a few bumps and scrapes. She was okay!

“Apollinaris!” I yelled as I sprinted towards her. I can't believe she’s okay. It feels like a massive ton of bricks have been taken off my shoulder. I ran closer to her. However, as I got close for a hug, she stepped away.

“Apollinaris? What's wrong? Why are you backing away from me?”

“Diva, I know this is a bad time, but I must tell you this now!” She said with a completely straight face. What did I do? Did those guys do something to her? If they did. I'm gonna-

“Diva, I think we should break up.”

“……………………… What?”

“Look, I know this is a bad time, but after all this stuff with these guys coming after me and…… Everything else….I can't do it anymore! For my safety a..a and yours. I think we need to break up.”

“What? Nothing you said makes sense. I….I...I’m not responsible for ANY of this. This is all out of my control!”

“Diva!” She yelled; it felt like I was getting scalded by a teacher

“I know it's hard to hear, but I’m sorry, but… we have to split up. I know you don’t wanna hear it, but.. That’s what's going on.”

My heart sank to the ground. This can't be happening! None of this makes sense! Why would she? A wave of uncertainty washed over me. No! NO! Something is off here. Apollinaris wouldn’t just break up with me like this, not so abruptly and Definitely not just for some stupid asinine reason like this! I looked up to Apollinaris's eyes. There was something off with them. Actually, something was missing. A fire that she always had, a deep burning and vicious fire fueled by the hatred of that city. It was always there, but she always did a good job keeping it hidden. Who or what this is can copy her voice and her body, but they can't copy her spirit. However, before I can move, I need to be sure.

“Okay. Before you leave Apollinaris, let me ask you something.”

“What?” She said with a hint of sadness.

“What was the name of the person who killed your mother?”

“What?! Diva! stop being…… Why would you bring that up right now? Just deal with it. I'm breaking up-”

“ANSWER THE QUESTION!…..Please..”

She looked at me for a few seconds. Her face filled with puzzlement as she thought of a name.

“I don’t know, Diva, it was so long ago my mother died. It doesn’t matter any more. Ive moved on”

“I See….” Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, I crossed the gap between us and plunged my pincers through its stomach.

“D…eevahh… Why?”

“6 points. Whoever you are, you had me. But you misjudged just how much I know this girl. She would never EVER forget who killed her mother, And she would never EVER get over It!”

Blood splattered onto my pincers as blood poured from her mouth. Suddenly, the world around me started to break away and fall like a mirror that had just been shattered. “Apollinaris's face swirled and twisted as it suddenly warped into that of a man.

“Hahaha, I knew the odds of that working were slim with the basic information I had. *Cough* *cough* I usually like to research my targets a bit more before trying them. But I had to buy time.”

I yanked My pincer out of his body and held him tight.

“Tell me”,, I said coldly. “Do you want to die?”

“Of course not *cough* *cough* Who would say yes to that?”

“Then tell me. Where did your boss go? Give me what I want, and I’ll take care of your wounds.”

“Haha. You expect me to believe that?” He said weakly

“Beats dying, doesn’t it tho and besides, if the tables were turned, would he die for you?”

“Haaaa, you are right About that. He’s up in the large library ahead. You're too late. He’s probably found the girl by now.”

Suddenly, a large green and black burst of black mana erupted from my hand and started healing him. In no time, the bleeding stopped. I healed him enough that he wouldn’t die but not too much that he could become a problem.

“Thank you for the information.”My hand shot across his face like a lightning bolt, knocking him out. It’s tempting to kill him, but his ability is too unique. I want that ability. Its usefulness is incalculable.

“I have a feeling by the time I done with him, He’s gonna wish I killed him.”

<Mother?.....What happened?>

I turned and was met with the sight of several of my children waking up. I guess whatever he did knocked out my children.

<There was an enemy. I took care of him. Come, our main target is ahead. I’m gonna need you all for the fight ahead. You ready?>

<Yes. Mother!>