A Monster Life

100 - Queen

The centipedes led both halves of the party deeper into the mine, first through the mining tunnels, then through rougher and irregular tunnels dug out by the centipedes themselves. 'I think we're inside their nest.' said Ulric through the familiar link.

'I believe we are as well, darling.' said Elzbieta as she looked around as much as possible from her bound position on the centipedes carrying her. 'We are entering a larger chamber now, as far as I can see.'

Ulric followed the leading centipede inside one, and was glad to see it was the same chamber where his girls appeared at the other end. 'My loves! I'm glad we're not separated.'

The centipedes led them all through another tunnel while Ulric checked on each of the girls, and noticed what he thought was missing. 'Isa? Where are you?'

Isazea sneaked from cover to cover with the spider golem, staying barely out of sight of the centipedes at the back. 'Behind you. I hid when I saw centipedes take the others from the office, then followed.'

Ulric sighed silently in relief. 'I'm glad you're not hurt or worse, cutie. And know we have more chance of escape while you're not captured like us.'

Isazea bit down on doubts rising in the back of her head. 'I don't know what I can do, but I'll try to find a way.'

Ulric smiled slightly. 'I don't know what I can do now either, but I hope we'll find an opportunity to do something about this mess. For now we'll have to go with the flow and wait.'

In a lower chamber, dimly lit by fluorescent moss and some thin, crystal veins in the rock, the centipedes stopped around a low rise in the floor with a pile of items behind it. Small statues, daggers, books, tools, stone, wooden, and iron artefacts in all shapes and sizes lay scattered around. 'What's with the mess?' asked Tipper.

Valdys understood as she sensed the magic power. 'All those things possess magic. These must all have been gathered from the city and areas around it.'

Ulric peered into the darkness in the back, which seemed to be another entrance. 'We're dealing with another wizard?'

The answer came in the shape of a woman passing through that entrance. But as she stepped forward into view, the party realised she was no woman they'd ever seen before.

'What the..' said Ulric as he looked over the centipede, whose black and segmented body was more or less shaped like a human and possessed a pair of segmented legs, and extended from her behind as that of a centipede to twice her length. The legs at each segment fanned out as if she wore a dress with a long trail, and two long antennae sprouted from the top of her humanoid shaped head. Ulric was glad she did not have segmented insect eyes, but simply plain black ones which were less disturbing to look at.

Her legs moved in elegant waves as she came closer. She looked slowly at her captives while her antennae seemed to caress the air between, and her gaze rested upon Ulric in the end. Iphigenia noticed the trembling of the antennae. 'Uh-oh.'

Ulric glanced at her. 'What do you mean, uh-oh? You think she intends to eat me?'

'I have a hunch she might in a certain way.'

Valdys chuckled. 'I think you might be correct.'

The centipede moved closer to Ulric and probed his head and upper chest with her antennae, then spoke in soft clicks. 'You will provide.'

Ulric already imagined himself on her dinner plate. 'Provide? Like in food?'

'Mate. Time is soon.' she said, and moved backwards. 'Store them.'