(Ivory pov) 4 days after the battle
The Fair Lands held a different beauty at night. Where the twin suns cast their ethereal glow during the day, the darkness brought forth an entirely new symphony of light and sound. Bioluminescent fungi pulsed like slow heartbeats along the forest floor, their soft blue and violet radiance creating pools of gentle illumination beneath the twisted canopy. The air carried the scent of night-blooming flowers mixed with the organic musk of the Hive's expanding presence.
Ivory moved quietly through the corridors of her domain, her footsteps barely audible against the living walls that pulsed with faint luminescence. The Hive had grown substantially since its initial spawning, its organic architecture adapting and evolving to accommodate its inhabitants. What had once been purely alien flesh and chitinous surfaces now showed signs of... domestication, perhaps. Or maybe it was simply responding to the presence of the children.
She paused at the entrance to their chamber, peering inside at the transformed space. The room itself had undergone a remarkable metamorphosis. Where once there had been a simple platform of living tissue, now there was something that could almost be called cozy. The bed's surface had been overtaken by a carpet of soft moss that seemed to glow faintly from within, interwoven with delicate vines that formed natural patterns across the sleeping area. Tiny flowering buds dotted the organic bedding, their petals closed for the night but emanating a sweet, calming fragrance.
The three dryad children lay curled together like a litter of kittens, their small forms nested deep into the moss-covered platform. Their breathing was synchronized, slow and peaceful, their leafy hair intermingled as they slept. The oldest had her arm protectively draped over the middle child, who in turn had pulled the youngest close against her chest.
Ivory stepped carefully into the room, her wooden left arm catching the soft bioluminescent glow. She knelt beside their makeshift bed, her movements deliberate and quiet. One by one, she adjusted the living blankets that had grown around them—thin, membranous sheets that the Hive had somehow produced, warm and surprisingly soft to the touch. They responded to her presence, the plant matter seeming to recognize her as kin.
"Sleep well, little ones" she whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to each of their foreheads. The youngest stirred slightly at her touch, a small smile crossing her peaceful features before she settled deeper into the moss. The oldest's eyes fluttered open for just a moment, meeting Ivory's gaze with sleepy recognition before closing again with a contented sigh.
As Ivory stood to leave, she noticed something new. Small tendrils of plant matter had begun to spread from the bed outward, creating intricate patterns along the walls. It wasn't the aggressive expansion of the Zerg creep, but something gentler more like a garden taking root within the living structure. Jack waited for her next to the door, his spectral form casting no shadow but somehow seeming more solid in the soft lighting of the Hive's interior. His ice-blue eyes held their usual mischievous glint, but there was something softer there too as he watched her emerge from the children's room.
"They're getting comfortable." he observed, floating beside her as they made their way toward the main entrance.
Ivory nodded, her fingers trailing along the wall as they walked. She could feel it through her connection to the structure the subtle shifts in its growth patterns, the way it was beginning to accommodate life that wasn't purely Zerg. "It's learning from them. From their connection to the World Tree. It's... adapting."
"That should probably be more terrifying than it is" Jack said with a slight grin. "But somehow it's not."
They emerged from the Hive into the cool night air, and Ivory took a deep breath. The transformation of her domain was even more apparent from the outside. The creep still spread outward in its characteristic purple-black carpet, but now in very small areas it is dotted with patches of natural vegetation.
They turned right after exiting the Hive, heading toward what had become the military quarter of her growing domain. The path was lined with pulsing bio-luminescent nodules that provided enough light to navigate by their gentle glow pulsing in rhythm with the Hive's heartbeat. The air here carried a different scent, more metallic more organic, the smell of growing creatures and preparing defenses.
Ahead of them, two massive structures were nearing completion. The Roach Warren rose from the creep like a twisted mountain of flesh and chitin, its surface riddled with caverns and passages that would soon house the armored assault units. Its design was intended to simulate the humid, mountainous depths needed to create roaches—and from the steamy vapors rising from its vents, it was succeeding admirably. Beside it, the Baneling Nest had taken on an entirely different form, bloated and pustulent, with a grotesque brood mother attached to its main growth. The structure pulsed with barely contained volatile energy, its chambers designed to nurture the explosive strain that would emerge from morphed Zerglings.
As they watched the ground beneath their feet shift subtly, rising and falling in gentle waves, her connection to the Hive mind allowed her to perceive what was happening below the surface. Tendrils from the Evolution Chamber were snaking through the underground passages, seeking out the new structures and establishing the biological connections that would link all the buildings into a single, unified organism.
"It's about time we got some real defenses" Jack said, floating a few centimeters off the ground as he surveyed the new construction. His spectral form bobbed slightly with each movement, giving him an ethereal quality that seemed perfectly at home in this alien landscape.
Ivory nodded, though her expression was thoughtful. "Defenses are good, but we need more than just ground forces. We need aerial units for scouting, reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. The last encounter with those humans showed us how blind we are to threats approaching from beyond our immediate territory."
Jack's eyes lit up with interest. "Mutalisks?"
"Among others" Ivory replied, pulling up her system interface. The translucent display materialized before her, its soft glow barely visible in the darkness. She navigated to her resource stockpile and as soon as she clicked on it the display changed to what she requested.
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[Current Resource Stockpile:
Minerals: 1000 Vespene Gas: 500
Supply cap: 156/170 ]
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She then switched to the detailed supply breakdown, which showed the full extent of her growing army:
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[Supply Allocation]
Overlords: 20
Zerglings: 70 (consuming 35 supply)
Queens: 8 (consuming 16 supply)
Drones: 45 (consuming 45 supply)
Hydralisks: 30 (consuming 60 supply)
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"We have the resources." Ivory mused, studying the numbers. "And we're approaching our supply limit, but we're not there yet."
Jack peered at the display with interest. "So what's the plan? Build a Spire and start cranking out flying death machines?"
Ivory smiled at his enthusiasm but shook her head. "First, we need more workers. More drones to expand our mining operations and prepare for larger constructions. The Spire will be expensive, and we'll need a steady flow of resources to maintain aerial production."
She focused her thoughts and sent out a psionic command through the Hive network. Eight of her existing drones responded immediately From various points around the territory, the ground began to shift and bulge. Small mounds of earth and creep rose like organic volcanoes, the surface cracking and parting as the summoned drones burrowed upward from their subterranean mining sites. Each emergence was accompanied by a soft chittering sound and the gentle hiss of displaced air as their float bladders adjusted to the surface environment.
The drones broke through the surface with surprising grace, their sleek, segmented forms glistening with traces of mineral dust and the organic residue of their underground work. Their webbed appendages twitched as they oriented themselves, compound eyes scanning the area before locking onto Ivory's position. Without hesitation, they began their approach, their movements synchronized through the hive mind's collective consciousness.
While the eight workers made their way toward her, Ivory's attention turned inward, her consciousness flowing back through the neural pathways that connected her to the Hive complex. She navigated the familiar corridors of the structure's nervous system, seeking out the throne room where she knew several larvae had been developing along the walls.
Three larvae responded to her mental touch their young, malleable forms that pulsed with potential. They were nestled in specialized alcoves near the throne room, their translucent bodies showing the faint outline of developing organs beneath their soft membranes.
'Transform into drones' she commanded through the link, her will flowing into their primitive consciousness like warm honey. 'Resume the mining operations that the others have abandoned. Maintain our resource flow'
The larvae reacted immediately to her directive. Their bodies began to twitch and convulse as the metamorphosis process initiated. Enzyme cascades triggered rapid cellular restructuring, their soft forms hardening and elongating as they evolved from simple, worm-like creatures into the sophisticated biological machines that would serve as her workforce.
The eight summoned drones had reached her by now, their bodies gleaming in the bioluminescent glow of the surrounding structures. She gestured toward the area opposite the Spawning Pool, where a stretch of creep-covered ground lay empty and ready for construction. The space was ideal—flat, well-connected to the underground network, and positioned to provide optimal access to both defensive and offensive operations.
"You" she said, indicating the lead drone with a slight nod and a focused pulse of psionic energy. "There. That's where we build the spire."
The designated drone chittered softly in acknowledgment and without hesitation it glided toward the designated spot, its movement creating subtle ripples in the creep beneath as the living carpet responded to its passage.
Ivory opened her system interface, the familiar translucent display materializing before her with its characteristic soft glow. The menu system responded to her mental commands, pages and options flowing past as she navigated to the variable structures. She found what she was looking for quickly.
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Zerg Spire (Cost: 100 Minerals, 100 Vespene, 1 Drone Required)
Type: Biological Structure
Tier: Intermediate
Function: Unit Evolution – Aeria
A towering, spiral-shaped bioform that hums with latent psionic energy, the Spire serves as the Zerg's gateway to aerial dominance. Its twisted, chitinous tower radiates waves of high frequency pulses that stimulate larval mutation into airborne units. Nestled deep within its core are mutagenic sacs suspended by nerve-tendons, each containing rapidly shifting genetic material tailored for flight adaptation.
Passive Effect: Psionic Beacon – Increases mutation speed for flying units in nearby hatcheries.
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The resource cost was well within her means, representing only a fraction of her accumulated wealth. More importantly, the Spire would allow her to build units that could fly. Without hesitation, she confirmed the selection with a focused thought.
The transformation began immediately, and it was unlike anything either had witnessed before. The drone's body started to convulse and expand, its outer carapace cracking along predetermined stress lines as internal organs rapidly restructured themselves.
The process was based on genetic templates absorbed from the towering spires of ancient mantis screamers magnificent creatures that had once dominated the airways of distant worlds before being incorporated into the Swarm. As the drone's form continued to expand, thick muscle stalks began emerging from what had been its core section, growing upward with startling speed. These stalks were designed to be flexible, capable of bending with strong winds while maintaining the structural integrity necessary to support the complex organism taking shape.
The sound of the transformation filled the night air a symphony of organic growth that was both fascinating and unsettling. Wet, rhythmic pulsing mixed with the sharp crack and snap of rapidly hardening chitin. Layers of bio-armor began forming over the emerging structure, creating the distinctive ridged pattern that would help the Spire weather the magical storms that occasionally swept across the Fair Lands.
Jack floated beside Ivory, his spectral form flickering slightly as he watched the construction process unfold. "That's definitely something you don't see every day" he observed, his voice carrying a mixture of awe and mild revulsion. "It's like watching a building grow itself from the inside out."
Vestigial air sacs began to form along the growing structure evolutionary remnants from the original mantis screamer design that would serve as specialized chambers for aerial unit production. These chambers pulsed with their own bioluminescent patterns, already beginning to synthesize the genetic codes that would soon enable the creation of Mutalisks and Corruptors.
"How long before it's operational?" Jack asked, gesturing toward the rapidly expanding structure.
"Not long about 2 minutes."
As they watched, the Spire continued its relentless growth, reaching skyward with each passing moment. The muscle stalks thickened and began developing the characteristic spiral patterns that would help stabilize the structure against both atmospheric pressures and the unpredictable magical forces that permeated the Fair Lands. Bioluminescent veins started appearing along its surface, connecting it to the broader neural network that linked all of her domain's structures.
The other seven drones had arranged themselves in a protective perimeter around the construction site, their sensory organs monitoring for any threats that might attempt to interfere with the critical building process. Their vigilance was unnecessary—the night remained peaceful—but their instinctive protective behavior spoke to the importance of what was taking shape before them.
"So what's next?" Jack asked, though his tone suggested he already had some tactical ideas forming. "Besides the obvious build flying death machines and rain terror from above part of the plan."
Ivory's expression grew more serious as she considered their current vulnerabilities. The Spire was a crucial step forward, but it also represented a significant investment that needed protection. " You were right about Defenses" she said firmly. "We have offensive capabilities developing, but we're still vulnerable to an assault. The encounter with those human adventurers showed us how exposed we are to threats if a few things go differently."
Jack nodded, his usual levity replaced by tactical consideration. "Right. I remember how close that got. So what exactly are our options? I know you mentioned some kind of defensive structures earlier, but what do they actually do? How do they work?"
Ivory drew on the knowledge she still had from when she played Starcraft. "We have two primary defensive structures," she began, gesturing toward different areas of the territory as she spoke. "Spine Crawlers and Spore Crawlers. Both are mobile defensive units they can uproot and relocate as conditions change."
She pointed toward the ground near the Spawning Pool, visualizing the deployment patterns in her mind. "Spine Crawlers are our anti-ground defense platform. They're essentially mobile artillery pieces armed with a massive impaler tentacle that can extend nearly twice the height of the structure itself.
Her wooden fingers flexed as she spoke, the grain of the wood shifting with the movement as she demonstrated the striking motion. "The tentacle is incredibly versatile it can penetrate most armor types and has enough force to punch through reinforced barriers. The key limitation is that they can only attack while properly rooted. When they're mobile, they're completely defenseless."
Jack whistled softly, his spectral form bobbing with interest. "Mobile artillery that can move between battles. That's nastier than it sounds."
"Spore Crawlers handle aerial threats" Ivory continued, her gaze turning skyward. "The ability that will be important is their detection capabilities. In game they were able to spot cloaked threats within a significant radius around their position but I'm not sure how that would work in reality."
"Both structures require creep to function properly" she added, gesturing toward the purple-black carpet that spread outward from their base. "If the creep recedes around them, they'll slowly deteriorate and eventually die unless it's restored. But as long as they're on creep, they benefit from accelerated healing and enhanced performance."
Jack absorbed this information, his expression growing more thoughtful. "So we're talking about a flexible defense network that can adapt to changing battlefield conditions. Mobile enough to respond to threats, but requiring infrastructure to maintain. That's actually pretty neat."
The Spire was nearing completion now, its towering form reaching impressive heights while still remaining below the flight paths that aerial units would use. The structure pulsed with organic energy, its newly formed air sacs beginning to fill as air flowed through the pathways formed in the structure.
"I'm glad you're finally coming around to the tactical necessities" Ivory said with a slight smirk, her wooden fingers flexing as she gestured toward the various defensive positions they'd been discussing.
Jack rolled his eyes, his spectral form bobbing slightly as he crossed his arms. "Yeah, well, someone has to keep you grounded when you start getting all conquest-happy. Let's take a walk around and see what we're working with."
They turned together and began moving along the perimeter where the creep had spread, the seven remaining drones following them in a loose formation. Their float bladders hummed softly in harmony, creating an almost musical backdrop to their strategic discussion. The clearing had grown significantly larger since the early days of the Hive's establishment—teams of drones had been systematically cutting down trees around the perimeter and carefully extracting the stumps, expanding their operational space with methodical efficiency.
What was most fascinating, however, was how the creep itself had begun to adapt to the forest environment. As the purple-black bio-matter spread outward from the central structures, it didn't simply stop at the base of the trees, instead it began climbing up the trunks themselves, creating spiral patterns that extended several feet up each tree. The sight was both beautiful and alien as if the forest itself was being slowly incorporated into the living network of the Hive.
"The creep's getting creative" Jack observed, noting how the bio-matter seemed to be drawing from the vegetation instead of simply consuming it.
As they walked, they discussed positioning strategies for their defensive structures. The expanded clearing provided numerous tactical opportunities, but it also created vulnerabilities that needed to be addressed.
"For the Spine Crawlers, I think our best bet is to position some of them in the woods themselves," Ivory said, gesturing toward the tree line. "Hidden among the trees, they'd be much harder for attackers to spot until it's too late. The creep coverage should provide them with the support they need, and the forest canopy offers natural camouflage."
Jack nodded approvingly. "Ambush predators. I like it. And for anything that gets close to the main buildings?"
"We establish an actual perimeter of Spine Crawlers around the clearing and among critical structures" Ivory continued, her mind already visualizing the defensive network. "eventually there will be enough to provide overlapping fields of fire, but for now we should position so we can fill in gaps as we build more. The goal is to create layers of defense—anyone trying to assault the Hive has to fight through multiple lines of resistance."
"And the Spore Crawlers?" Jack asked, floating higher to get a better view of the terrain.
Ivory studied the layout of the clearing, noting 2 natural high points and areas with good sight lines. "How about a triangle formation at those points around the clearing's perimeter. Maximum coverage with resource investment. Their anti-air capability will be a saving grace when an aerial attack eventually comes.
As they completed their circuit of the area, Ivory felt satisfied with their defensive plan. It would provide robust protection for their growing infrastructure while remaining flexible enough to expand as their territory grew.
"Alright" she said, focusing her thoughts and sending commands through the psionic network. "Let's put this plan into action."
The seven drones responded immediately to her mental directive, spreading out to their assigned positions throughout the area. Five of them moved toward predetermined locations in the forest and around the clearing's perimeter, guided by the tactical coordinates Ivory transmitted through the neural link. Two others remained nearby, taking positions just a few feet away from where she and Jack stood at the northern edge of the clearing.
"Begin construction" Ivory commanded.
The transformation began simultaneously across multiple locations. The five distant drones were too far away to observe in detail, but Ivory could feel their progress through the hive mind connection. The two nearby drones, however, provided a perfect demonstration of the morphing process.
The first drone's body began to swell and distort, its chitinous shell cracking along stress lines as internal organs rapidly restructured themselves. Its form elongated and hardened, developing the characteristic impaler tentacle that would serve as the Spine Crawler's primary weapon. The tentacle itself was a marvel of biological engineering—capable of extending nearly twice the height of the base structure and striking with devastating force.
Meanwhile, the second drone underwent a different but equally remarkable transformation. Its body developed specialized sensory organs and its stomach began to expand as its acids became stronger slowly as the building progressed, forming the formidable anti air that would make it an effective Spore Crawler. Bioluminescent detection arrays formed along its surface, creating a sophisticated sensor network.
As they walked back along the pathways, Ivory pulled up her interface and navigated to the unit menu. The Spire was now fully operational and ready to produce aerial units. Her mineral count had increased to 200 during the time spent on their defensive planning—just enough for what she had in mind.
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Name: Zerg Mutalisk
Type: Biological Flying Unit
Tier: Intermediate
Function: Aerial Assault – Mobile Skirmisher
A sleek, serpentine flier with razor-edged wings and a twisted, aerodynamic form. The Mutalisk is the Zerg's primary aerial harassment unit, capable of launching Glaive Wurm projectiles that ricochet between enemy targets. Its muscle-tissue membrane wings shimmer with bio-electric tension, enabling erratic, high-speed maneuvers that make it difficult to target with conventional weapons.
Passive Glaive Ricochet: Attacks bounce between multiple(3) enemies, allowing one strike to damage multiple targets.
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She confirmed the order, feeling the Spire respond to her command. Deep within its bio-chambers, two larvae began the rapid transformation process that would turn them into the airborne predators that had once terrorized countless worlds.
Mutalisks were evolved from mantis screamers, magnificent creatures that had once dominated the airways of distant worlds. The current form featured eight eyes, leathery wings, and a serpentine body that terminated in a fanged secondary mouth. They were approximately seven meters long. As they approached the main Hive entrance, they passed two Zerg Queens moving purposefully in the opposite direction as they moved the massive creatures acknowledged Ivory's presence with subtle psionic pulses. Their destination appeared to be one of the outer defensive positions, likely to begin establishing creep tumors that would extend their territorial coverage even further.
By the time Ivory and Jack reached the entrance to the Hive, the distinctive sound of wing beats could be heard overhead. The two Mutalisks descended from the Spire's upper chambers, their forms silhouetted against the star-filled sky of the Fair Lands. They flapped their wings gracefully in front of Ivory and Jack maintaining their height in front of them, their eight eyes reflecting the surrounding structures.
'Go' Ivory commanded through the neural link, her mental voice carrying both authority and purpose. "Scout for settlements, civilizations, anything of interest in the surrounding areas. Find our neighbors. Report when you discover."
The Mutalisks responded immediately, their wings snapping open as they launched themselves back into the night sky. Within moments, they had disappeared into the darkness, their forms becoming indistinguishable from the shadows that moved between the trees.
"There" Ivory said with satisfaction, watching the last traces of their departure fade into the distance. "Now we'll finally have some idea of what's out there beyond our immediate territory."
Jack floated beside her, his expression amused. "Good call. Though I have to say, this whole military expansion thing is exhausting to watch Aren't you getting tired you've been up for a long time today."
"You know what?" she said, stifling a yawn that seemed to come from nowhere. "You're right. It is getting late."
Jack's grin was immediate and mischievous. "Tired? Me? I haven't felt tired since..." He paused, his expression becoming more thoughtful. "Actually, I'm not sure I can get tired in this state. Perks of being a disembodied consciousness, I guess." He stuck his tongue out at her in a gesture of playful defiance.
Ivory rolled her eyes, a gesture that had become habitual in her interactions with Jack. "Of course you don't get tired. You don't have to deal with managing a growing alien empire, planning military strategies, and keeping three magical children safe all at the same time."
"Hey, I provide valuable tactical input" Jack protested, floating along beside her as she headed toward the Hive's interior. "Plus, I'm excellent company. You'd be bored out of your mind without me."
"Debatable" Ivory replied, though her tone carried warmth rather than annoyance. They made their way through the living corridors of the Hive, past the chamber where the dryad children slept peacefully in their moss-covered bed. The structure seemed to settle into a quieter rhythm as the night deepened, its bioluminescent patterns dimming to a softer glow that was conducive to rest.
Jack followed her into her chamber, his spectral form taking up a position near what passed for a window—a translucent membrane that provided a view of the outside while maintaining the room's internal environment.
"You know" he said, his voice carrying a more serious tone than usual, "we've built something pretty impressive here. A week ago, this was just empty forest. Now it's... well, it's home."
Ivory paused in her preparations for sleep, struck by the truth of his observation.
"Yeah" she said softly, settling onto the bed and feeling it adjust perfectly to support her form. "It is home, isn't it? Strange how quickly that happened but will still have a lot left to do."
Jack's form flickered slightly, a sign of his own version of settling in for the night. "Get some rest, Your Majesty. Tomorrow we get to see what our scouts found, and probably deal with whatever political complications come from having new neighbors."
Ivory flopped back onto the bed with a content sigh, feeling the day's tensions flow out of her body as the living furniture responded to her needs.
"Good night, Jack" she murmured, already feeling sleep beginning to claim her.
"Sweet dreams, bug queen" came his fond reply from somewhere in the growing darkness.
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The dawn crept into the Fair Lands with its characteristic twin-sun glow, casting ethereal shadows through the bio-luminescent membrane that served as Ivory's window. She stirred restlessly, her consciousness pulled from the depths of sleep by something urgent and insistent—a mental pulse that thrummed through the psionic network connecting her to her Swarm.
The sensation was sharp and immediate, cutting through the drowsiness like a blade through silk. It wasn't pain, exactly, but rather an overwhelming sense of awareness suddenly flooding her mind. One of her Mutalisks was trying to communicate something important.
Ivory groaned softly, her body protesting as she stretched against the warm, yielding surface of her living bed. The bio-organic structure responded to her movements, adjusting its firmness to support her as she slowly pushed herself upright. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, catching the dim morning light filtering through the chamber.
"Morning, sunshine" Jack's voice drifted from somewhere near the membrane window, his spectral form gradually becoming more visible as her eyes adjusted to the soft illumination. "You look like someone's been having a conversation in your sleep. What's got you looking so serious this early?"
Ivory ran her hands through her hair, trying to shake off the last vestiges of sleep while the psionic pulse continued to demand her attention. "One of the Mutalisks" she said, her voice still rough with sleep. "It's... sending me something. Give me a second."
Jack floated closer, his expression shifting from casual morning humor to genuine concern. "The scouts? What did they find?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Ivory shifted to sit on the edge of the bed, her feet touching the warm, slightly yielding floor. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, centering herself as she had to do when accessing the deeper levels of the Hive mind.
The transition was disorienting at first. Her perspective shifted dramatically as she linked with the Mutalisk's vision, her consciousness suddenly occupying a body that was seven meters long and suspended high above the ground. The current mutalisk form features a total of eight eyes and through them, she could perceive the world with clarity and depth that human vision couldn't match.
The Mutalisk was hovering perhaps a kilometer above a settlement, its leathery wings beating in a steady rhythm that kept it aloft while it conducted reconnaissance. Through its eight compound eyes, Ivory could see the settlement spread out below and what she saw made her breath catch in her throat.
It was a city, medium-sized but clearly well-established, with stone walls that rose in concentric circles around a central keep. The architecture was predominantly medieval in style cobblestone streets, timber-framed buildings with steep-pitched roofs, market squares with wooden stalls. But scattered throughout the traditional structures were unmistakably modern elements that seemed jarringly out of place.
Ivory could see what appeared to be street lamps with crystalline bulbs that glowed with steady magical light, far too uniform and bright to be simple torches. Some of the larger buildings featured glass windows that were too perfectly transparent and regularly shaped to be medieval craftsmanship. In the central square, she spotted what looked remarkably like a fountain with multiple tiers and precise patterns clearly the work of advanced engineering.
Most intriguingly, near the city's gates, she could see structures that looked almost like modern warehouses or administrative buildings, their clean lines and uniform construction standing in stark contrast to the organic irregularity of the older medieval sections.
How far did you travel? Ivory projected the thought toward the Mutalisk, feeling for its sense of distance and direction.
The response came as a mixture of sensations rather than words—the memory of flight, of wind resistance, of the changing landscape below. Mutalisks make effective scouts and skirmishers... Their strength lies in their mobility and this one had covered significant ground. Based on the sensation of sustained flight at maximum speed, Ivory estimated it had traveled roughly forty to fifty kilometers to the northwest.
The Mutalisk's attention was drawn to movement near the city's main gates, and Ivory focused her shared vision on the activity below. A convoy was forming up horse-drawn wagons being loaded with supplies, armed escorts taking their positions, what appeared to be officials or merchants giving final instructions to drivers.
From this height, she could see the systematic nature of the preparation. This wasn't a simple merchant caravan setting out for routine trading. The number of guards, the careful loading of specific wagons suggested something with significant money invested in it.
Ivory watched for several more moments, absorbing every detail she could observe through the Mutalisk's enhanced vision. The convoy consisted of at least twelve wagons, accompanied by what appeared to be thirty or forty armed escorts. Some of the escorts wore the standardized equipment that suggested professional soldiers rather than hired mercenaries.
The loading process was methodical and purposeful. Certain wagons were being loaded with chests that required multiple people to lift—either very heavy or very valuable cargo. Other wagons received what looked like barrels and sacks of provisions, suggesting this was intended to be a long journey.
As Ivory watched, she realized with growing certainty that this convoy was likely heading in her direction. The northwestern route from the city would take them near where she thought the forests where her territory was located. Whether they knew about her presence or not, they would inevitably discover the expanding influence of her domain if they werent aware yet.
She opened her eyes, severing the connection with the Mutalisk but maintaining enough of a link to issue a final command. 'Continue observing. Follow the convoy when it departs. Maintain distance and report their progress.'
The Mutalisk's acknowledgment came as a brief pulse of understanding before the connection faded to background awareness.
Jack was floating nearby, his expression expectant and slightly impatient. "Well? What did you see? Please tell me it's not another bunch of angry adventurers with oversized weapons."
Ivory stood up, her movements quick and purposeful as the implications of what she'd seen began to sink in. "It's much bigger than that. There's a city about fifty kilometers northwest of here it seems like a substantial settlement, maybe five thousand people based on the size. It's got this weird mix of medieval and modern architecture, like they've figured out how to blend magic with more modern techniques."
She began pacing, her wooden left arm unconsciously flexing as she processed the information. "But here's the immediate problem they're putting together a convoy. Big one. Lots of guards, heavy cargo, looks like they're preparing for a significant journey. And given the direction they're staging from, there's a good chance we have an opportunity for a chat with them."
Jack's expression grew more serious, his usual lighthearted demeanor shifting to match her concern. "How long do you think we have before they arrive?"
"If they're moving at normal wagon speed through forest terrain, probably two to three days. Maybe less if they know some magic to speed them up which they probably do." Ivory paused her pacing to look directly at Jack. "We need to prepare to 'meet' them. And by meet them, I mean we need to decide whether we're going to attempt diplomacy, avoid them entirely, or..."
"Or introduce them to your friendly neighborhood bug army," Jack finished with a sardonic smile. "I vote for option one first, but it's good to have options two and three ready to go."
"The Mutalisks will keep us informed of their approach" she said "but we need to start making preparations immediately. If they're bringing that many guards, they're either very valuable cargo or they're expecting trouble. Either way we should build a few more buildings and have a few ultralisks."
Jack floated along beside her as she began the process of preparing for what could be either a diplomatic encounter or a military engagement. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "this could actually be a good thing. First contact with civilization. Maybe they're reasonable people who won't immediately assume that a woman with a bug army is automatically evil."
Ivory paused in her preparations to give him a look that was equal parts skeptical and amused. "Jack, I literally command an army of alien insects from a living fortress made of flesh and chitin. I'm not sure 'reasonable people' is going to cover it."
"Hey, you never know" Jack replied with his characteristic optimism. "Maybe they're into that sort of thing. Maybe this is a very progressive medieval fantasy kingdom."