Soldiers and slaves alike moved between the giant barrels that made the underground colony, a centipede hauling piles of twigs and splinters of wood bringing them to the tops of the barrels to make fortifications and repairs. Several Slaver parties return with a Hercules beetle loaded with eggs and pupa, stolen from a near by colony. Hundreds of new slaves for sacrifice or labor, continuing the cycle of life of the colony. Several scouts return with news of new arrivals and reports from other areas of the house, most scouts where killed or captured in their travels. Two small tribes of Hootins where being escorted into one of the hive barrels to be butchered for food along with a group of Kavos cattle. The Pale Queen gives birth to a new legion of slavers, and the Formica Sanguine work through another day.


The Pale Queen sits in the dark depth of the primary nest, deep within a wooden barrel filled with earth. Her myriad of children working ceaselessly to the greatness of the hive. Royal workers fussed over her ensuring that she was clean, and fed. Other workers carried the endless supply of eggs away from the queen to birthing chambers elsewhere in the colony. General Alara came into the royal chambers and gives a report, [b]"Mother, We have new comers, scouts report a large group of hornets and wasps."[/b] The Queen replies, [b]"Thank you General, and what of these lizard folk?"[/b] Ambassador Takah steps forward [b]"They are a strong group of warriors, tribal. They would make poor slaves Mother."[/b] The Pale Queen ponders for a moment before replying, [b]"Very well, Go to them and arrange a meeting this house has become dangerous, and we could use.."[/b] She pauses as though the word where sickening [b]"Allies"[/b] with their orders the General and Ambassador leaves. 

The Queen's thoughts turn towards the past, when she was young and was carefully exerting her control over the deck. The last of the Gods had died, and their corpses fed her and her children during the age of Ash when it fell like snow from the sky. Her sisters did not survive the age of Ash, for they where weak and stupid much like these other Queens who are good for nothing less than subjugation.