Chapter 2
When the Formian emisary returned at last we were let out of the cell under guard, and instructed to take up shovels. Then we were lead through a myriad of twisting passages until we finally came onto scenes of utter disaster. We noted as we progressed that many of the passages in the area we were now in had collapsed. The stench of days-old dead was over-powering, and I couldn't keep myself from vomitting. Catastrophy had indeed struck our Formian captors in the worst of ways, and it was quickly becomming very clear why they'd abducted us to aid in the clean-up and repair of their tunnels.
After I was able to get my stomach back under control, I set about helping dig out the debris and the dead, and clear the passage. This went on for quite some time, maybe days? I lost track. My feelings, though rife with bitter ressentment for being forcibly captured and made to do this work, were also mixed with compassion and understanding for the Formians. I still didn't quite trust them to live up to their word and release us when the clean-up was done though. They hadn't fed us, and my stomach was aching from being empty for so long. At least after we made a good amount of progress they did take us to get water though.
After one such water-break, we returned to our tasks, but were quickly set upon by a horde of spiderlings. After we'd smushed all the wretched arachnids our captors explained to us that the desert spiders had always been a problem, but now because they could feed off the dead in such quantity their populations had exploded, and they had become a real threat to the colony. Surprisingly, we were trusted with rudimentary weapons, and given the chance to show we could do more than dig when we were instructed to clear out the remaining spiders in the nest we'd uncovered. It was a task I was actually looking forward to, what with all my pent up frustration at being made a slave, and my deep hatred for spiders. I wished I had my own armor, shield and bastard sword to work with, but the copper spear I'd been permitted would have to serve.
We entered the spider nest and fought like there was no tomorrow with the hairy, spindly, too-many-legged vermin. We killed scores of them, until at last the biggest of them had descended from their webs to meet their end at our hands. With the spiders all dead we finished the task by setting ablaze the remaining and now un-guarded egg-sacs. It was satisfying. Evidently, our captors were a bit satisfied too, because not long after we were told we'd be seeing the head that directed all the feet.
Once again we were lead through the tunnels, this time to end in a large chamber in which rested the largest Formian I've ever seen, or will be likely to see again. She was simply awe-inspiringly huge, and her mind pressed upon ours with a weight that admittedly I couldn't push off. I don't know everything that transpired in the chamber after that point because I found it impossible to seperate my own thoughts from those of the colony. I asked myself, "how did they manage to live like that, all linked together in one mind?" My own answer to the question resolved to, "Pretty darn well for the most part. Their organization with such a communal link could hardly be matched." I was impressed, somehwere there in the back of my own mind while their communcations seemed to take the forefront. It was dissorienting to say the least. After a time I recovered enough control of my own thoughts that I found I could resist the pressure of the queen's mind on my own, if I chose. Oddly, I didn't feel like resisting much by that point. Such tragedy had befallen the Formians through the earth-tremors, my heart went out to them. I found myself helping to move newly lain eggs to the nursery, though the experience was surreal. I'm not entriely sure if the feelings of tender protectiveness over the egss were more from the queen and colony, or from my own regard for the lives of the yet unborn. I guess one way to decribe the whole instance is to think of being carried by moderate currents down a flowing river, I could have swam to shore at any time, but instead I chose to simply go with the flow.
Though I do find the dreams I've had since to be sometimes a bit disconcerting... In one such dream, I dreamt Amireana and I had finally wed and somehow she bore a child even at her age. Only when it came time for the child to enter the world I found myself taking delivery of a large, slick, soft, and slightly slimey egg like those the Formian queen had laid. But not with any feeling of horror as you might expect, but rather that same gentle, nurturing, loving pride I felt in the confines of the hive-mind, and the phrase, "the new generation will preserve us," turning with significance at the forefront of my thoughts. I suppose the dreams will go away in time. I hope.
In any case, our story didn't end just yet. When I fully returned to my own thoughts, I discovered a deal had been struck by Aylana and Lance with the Formian Queen. We would continue to help serve the colony for a time, and if we did so of our free will, we would be allowed to leave when the colony was restored to self-sufficiency. Our own possesions were returned to us then, and I was greatly thankful. My stomach was thankful too when Daniel Benjamin was able to produce some food for me from his own pack, mine having been rather bare of food even before we'd set out from Audiria days back.
We weren't given much time to reflect on the return of our belongings, however, as a Formian warrior came to us with urgency regarding another, bigger spider nest that had been uncovered. I was only too glad by that point to have another chance to destroy those eight-legged vermin, and this time with all my own battle gear. I followed behind the Formian as he hastilly lead us through the maze of tunnels to the place of confrontation with the spiders. As soon as I caught sight of the spider-nest I charged ahead and began hacking left, right, and every other which way until there were no spiders left to hack up. The Sandman's Adamantium Helper felt good in my work-weary hands.
After that battle with the spiders, we continued to help with the clean-up and repairs of the Formian tunnel system for a few more days until, at last, we were summoned once more before the Queen. She announced her intent to keep her end of the bargain, and then put us all to sleep with the command of her thoughts. I assume it was a precaution to protect the hive from future incursion from outside, and keep it's location secret. We awoke outside Audiria.
Trust may not yet be complete between the Formians and our own kinds, but at least we offered the possibility of a new start with a race that seems convinced of it's own superiority, but which may have had a lesson in humility in those days we were with them. Maybe the Formians will even help that Dwarf, Fenrir, to stop the earth-tremors, since it came out in our talks with them while we were there that he might be part of the cause and solution of the quakes.
