Not that any Worker here had lived long enough to remember the beginning, ten years ago when the Free Hive had been founded here. Only Klbkch had been there. He and the Free Queen.
It was not the first time Klbkch had thought that. But it was a rare thought these days. When he had contemplated his coworkers, and this foreign city, it had been out of self-defense. The Free Hive was meant to be a link between the Antinium and other species. A pact, for both to learn of each other and gain something.
“Thanks to you, the only Antinium Guardsman in the city is dead. The fourth highest-level [Guardsman]. A Senior Guardsman—the liaison to the Free Hive…”
“Who? No, not that Human. The Necromancer. From Terandria? The end of Silvaria? Az’kerash? Come on, Erin. Practically every Human north of us knows about him. He was from a while back and—well, we lost a lot of the area around Liscor. He destroyed entire Terandrian nations, but here, at Liscor, he met his end. The Antinium and Zel Shivertail brought him down, and that’s how the Free Hive was allowed into the city.”
“Coward. All of Liscor is fighting! Guildmasters are in the streets—the Free Hive swore to fight with us! We took you in when every city in Izril refused! You fought with us against Az’kerash!”
“Long has the Free Hive of the Antinium pursued its goals independent of the other Hives. As was agreed. But the hubris of Humans means that it is well-placed to enact a gain for the Hives as a whole. Free Queen, Klbkchhezeim. Are you there?”
“The Workers will continue the tunneling. The Free Antinium will dig from their end as well. We will complete the tunnel. Not to be used as a staging ground for an assault, but to connect the Free Hive to the others.”
“My Queen. The Free Queen has given her response. This was clearly an error. An appraisal should be made of the Free Hive, but I am sure the Free Queen must explain the incident to the Liscorian government.”
She broke off. The Grand Queen had probably been intending to censure the supply of resources sent to the Free Hive. Or demand a higher tribute. But the Free Antinium had been in exile for nearly a decade. The Free Queen almost raised her mandibles in a smile. Almost. The long struggle alone with Klbkch had been worth it for this moment.
Ahead of Mrsha, the thrumming noise resolved itself into countless footfalls. Antinium, moving in Liscor’s Free Hive. They had dug a secret passage to the inn, a secret tunnel, like the one they had used to invade the inn during the Creler attack. Everyone had assumed they’d dug it fast, but it had always been there.
“You are wrong, Klbkch. We are that we are. I will not obey wrong orders. I am of the Free Hive. But it is not you alone. The Free Queen disagrees with you.”
“Yes. It will take some getting used to. The Antinium must fight together. The Hives are always separate. But this will be a beginning. I have a plan to strengthen the Free Hive.”
