“I’ve heard they live like actual animals. All of them crammed in those small hives, and they quite literally worship their Queen as some sort of living god. The idea that we Chicagoans should even stoop so low to the point of diplomacy with these putrid animals, should be considered treason.”
[A quote from a Talon Knight, giving his thoughts on Changelings]
[Pov Dar]
I awoke to the sounds of the water. Looking through a window I saw that it was early morning, with not a single cloud in the sky. Starting to get to my feet I finally had a chance to properly glance around at the room Mukar said we could stay in, it being about what I expected. A room full of what were basically hammocks, where with everyone bundled inside it felt cramped and humid. I was the first to awake and after thinking for awhile I decided just to let everyone sleep. When I put my things on I head out, going up to the deck, to see just exactly where we were. Once I get up I look and to my disappointment we weren’t here, still just endless plains of grass to see all around. As I was about to head back down I am startled as I hear Mukar’s voice coming from the bridge.
“Mukaw sees ‘ou am awake! Amazin’ biew isn’t it!?”
I turn to look at Mukar, me seeing him smiling down on me. I give him a short smile and speak, turning my head back out at the river.
“Do 'ou know when we wiww get dewe?”
Mukar speaks in a neutral tone.
“Simpwe, Daw. When we see dah white awchway, we’ww be dewe.”
“White awchway?”
“A wuin of dah owd wowwd it am, 'ou nu can miss it…”
20 minutes after speaking with Mukar, everyone else had awakened. With us all heading into the Bridge to eat the breakfast Mukar had prepared for us (It being bread with cooked fish) And Emily speaks, her looking at Mukar.
“Mukaw, once we get dewe… Do we just entew?”
Mukar hearing this rubs his chin, speaking not long after.
“If Mukaw says 'ou am wiff me, 'ou’ww be abwe to stay at dah docks. Buh to get inside of dah hibe itsewf. That’d wequiwe in inbention, ow a pwison sentence…”
Damn! Getting in this place won’t be easy, but we have to do something. Maybe if we make our case to the guards, they’ll give us the benefit of the-
“How does one get an inbitation?”
I was so deep in my own thoughts that when Emily spoke, I was a bit off guard. Mukar speaks quickly after, giving a sigh.
“That Mukaw does not know…”
I was the first to finish eating and I guess just wanting to get some fresh air I head outside, out to the vast grasslands.
To a bit of my shock the grasslands had disappeared, instead now replaced by overgrown ruins of many of the old urban areas. And not just that, over the vast distance of crumbling structures I saw it. The white archway, it looking almost ethereal over the rot. I speak as I get my grips with this new sight.
“Emiwy, Aubwey, Kwi! Come an’ wook!”
A few seconds later each and every one of them started coming out, their faces also full of shock when seeing the sight. Emily speaks, smiling.
“it’s wike we stepped in a pwace 100 yeaws ago, su many owd buiwdings!”
Aubrey after her initial glance starts looking confused, speaking.
“Whewe am aww dah Changewings?”
Emily is quick to respond, her tone a mix of condescension and joking.
“Who knows Aubwey, it’s not wike dey wibe in a undewgwound hibe…”
Aubrey looks down her face giving a look of slight embarrassment.
“Oh”
As the ship got deeper inside the city for the very first time, we saw the first sighs of civilization.
It seemed to be some sort of multi leveled farm we were sailing past, all around we saw crops of all kinds being grown, with their also being two giant scarecrows. But strangely their seemed to be no farmers or structures for the farmers, it was quite trying to find them, and just as I was about to ask Mukar about it, he had already spoken.
“'Ou see dah wawge howes in dah gwound, that’s whewe dey wibe.”
Hearing this I look back at the farm, and I saw them. All around the farm there were these mounds with hole’s with doors painted to look like soil and tiny windows. And not just that, a few moments after Mukar pointed this out, the residents of these underground homes started coming out and I saw the residents of Hive City for the first time. They looked very much like I had imagined, that being like Ix. furless black bodies, thin insect wings, those cyan eyes. The only thing that made them look different was the different clothing they wore and the slightly different body types (Like the 50/50 chance of them having tusks, or a slightly different tint of cyan) As more and more Changelings left their homes, they began to make there way towards the river, looking confused and pointing at us. Shortly after Mukar begins waving at them, giving a warm smile as he spoke.
“Gud mownin’ fine fowks! Sowwy if mukaw awakened 'ou!”
Mukar gives an awkward laugh and begins heading back to the bridge, speaking as he does.
“we’ww be dockin’ in 10 minutes.”
10 minutes later Mukar had dropped anchor, we had arrived. The place was located under the archway and despite my initial expectations, the port was a lot smaller than I had expected. You had of course the dock, a few dozen above ground buildings, and what looked like some sort of fortress, but that was all of it. As we were preparing the wagon I saw two armored Changelings make there way to the ship, one of them looking extremely strange. The one of the right was more lengthy, almost unnaturally so. He had wings that were double the size, and his armor had a golden stripe painted down the helmet (Changeling armor in general looked quite sturdy, with it being some sort of reinforced metal that was painted black, with it also having multiple long curves) As they stepped onto the ship Mukar speaks, giving a smile.
“Just hewe fo’ some westockin’ befowe Mukaw heads back to Abbewtu”
The lengthy Changeling speaks, him looking at us (as there eyes passed Kri they gave shocked expressions)
“Mukar c’mon don’t play with me who are these… Passengers”
His voice sounded both regal and authoritative, and scratchy. He passed us with his nose in the air, with him looking at my and Emily’s armor. Mukar speaks, trying to keep a positive spirit.
“Dey needed some assistance, Commandah Biwwow. Dey am on a mission 'ou see.”
Billow looks unconvinced and as he circles to Kri, he speaks.
“And Mukar what is this… Thing.”
That seemed to have made Emily reach a boiling point, she speaks looking right at him.
“She am a dwagon fwom dah east, an’ she am wiff us! We am fwom dah Kingdom of Motow, on a bewy impowtant dipwomatic mission. If we nu speak to am Queen at once, bewy bad things couwd happen!”
Hearing this left Billow awestruck, and after a short moment of confusion and shock he speaks, looking at the Changeling guard.
“Send a letter to the Grand Queen at once…”
The Changeling guard spoke, sounding a bit hesitate.
“But- But- Sir! The Grand Queen said she wants to be left alone, only in dire emergencies does she say tha-”
“This is an emergency! 3 fluffies from Motor and one… “Dragon” From who knows where come here saying they need to see our Queen at once, or “bad” things would happen! Go!”
The Changeling guard leaves at once and Billow looks back at us, speaking.
“And you… You are about to experience a privilege not many outsiders even get close to experiencing. follow me to Hive City, I got to ask you some “questions”” Fin
Thank you for reading my story! I hope to have the next part done either this week or early next, and of course constructive criticism is appreciated. May you have a good day!