Episode 2: The Hive


    "Do you know what you''ve done Vixy!?" I could hear an unfamiliar gravelly voice, yelling over me. I groaned as I shifted my weight on the stone slab that I laid on.


    "I thought he was dead, Kaine!" A familiar voice shouted back in response. Two people were arguing above me as I slipped in and out of consciousness. "He was supposed to be an easy meal for the hatchlings, but I was ambushed by hunters before I could put him out of his misery."


    "So you decided to let the transformation complete? What are we supposed to do with an untrained, undisciplined, unknown werescale? You could''ve killed him while he was undergoing the first stage of the metamorphosis, but instead, you let him live? Where are we going to house him? How are we going to feed him?" The other voice roared angrily.


    They continued to bicker amongst themselves until another voice spoke over them, "Get out now! Both of you! The newcomer is still in the process of the transformation and you''re arguing is disturbing his rest! If you want to throw a tantrum then do it outside!"


    "As you wish, Alice," Kaine replied, still scornful of my presence. The two left us alone as the sound of their footsteps grew more distant.


    I rolled my head from side to side, attempting to open my eyes but I couldn''t lift my eyelids. Everything was pitch black. Afraid, I opened my mouth to cry out for help, but all that came out was a weak hiss.


    "Don''t fret my dear," A soothing voice consoled me as a hand rubbed the back of my head in an attempt to calm me down.


    "I... can''t... see..." It took strenuous effort to form the words I wanted to say. My voice and cadence were totally off, foreign to how I originally spoke. For a second, I wondered if I had even spoken at all or if it was just a figment of my imagination.


    "That''s because you have no eyes, newcomer. You''re a werescale now. You see through the radiation of light, heat, sound, and the vibrations of your surroundings. It''ll take some time to adjust, but I''ll be here to help." The woman explained as she rubbed something cold along my arms and chest.


    "I''ve made a healing salve that will ease your wounds. I''ve already fed you a numbing agent to help your body through the final stages of the metamorphosis, but it won''t negate all the pain. However, if the ancestors deem your life worthy, you''ll survive with all your faculties intact."


    "I... hope... I''m not... getting you into trouble." Although it was awkward to talk with a mouthful of long, sharp teeth, I was beginning to adapt well enough to form proper sentences.


    "Trouble for what? You didn''t ask for this." Alice sighed, "Don''t worry about Kaine, he''s just scared of the brood being exposed to the public and the consequences of it. It''s his job to be paranoid and defensive."


    "What''s going to happen to me, now?" I questioned. "Am I a member of your brood?"


    Alice didn''t say anything for a while, "According to the traditions of the brood, you''re an initiate who still has to prove yourself. You''ll undergo a trial by combat when the elder Rumorey and I deem you fit enough to fight. If you succeed in the trial, you''ll be accepted as a full member."


    "And if I fail?" I asked.


    "You''ll be killed." Alice said bluntly, "It''s necessary to maintain the integrity of the brood. Food is scarce and we can''t risk supporting a werescale who can''t fight for themselves."


    I swallowed hard. The last time I had been in anything close to a fight was in high school when I joined the wrestling team. I didn''t last long before being pulled out by the coach after throwing up during every practice.


    "Who am I fighting?" I pressed her for more information.


    "Kaine, he''s the captain of the brood guard. He''s responsible for raising the hatchlings into trained fighters. They undergo intensive combat and hunting trials for years before reaching the age where they must prove themselves in the arena pit. He''s been fighting ever since I was a young apprentice to the previous wise woman." Alice explained. "I''m eighty now."


    "So, why help me then?" I scoffed. "If I have to fight a veteran who''s been fighting way before I was even conceived. Seems pointless to waste the resources doesn''t it?"


    I watched the outline of Alice''s frail reptilian body shrug. My senses were beginning to adapt to my new form. Everything was turning blue with splotches of red and yellow from warmer sections of the environment.


    "It''s my job to tend to the wounded and sick. Whether you''re a member of the brood or not, I must fulfill my duty while I''m capable of doing so. It''s the code of the shaman, or so my mentor told me."The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I sat up from the slab while grasping my head with my clawed hands. Silently, I observed my surroundings. It appeared we were in some sort of makeshift hovel made of brick and mortar. Alice was standing over a table, mixing ingredients together to prepare another batch of healing salve. The sound of water dripping from the ceiling echoed throughout the small chamber.


    After she had finished pounding what appeared to be a mixture of insects and leaves with her fists, she turned and approached me with a bowl full of freshly made paste. Covering her palms with the salve, she spread it along my scaly hide. "Your fate rests within the jaws of the ancestors now, Rumorey will need to see you soon."


    "Who are the ancestors? Unless you know something I don''t, none of my ancestors were ever hybrids."


    Alice chuckled, "No they most likely were not. Yet, the blood of the brood flows through your veins, now. Therefore, you share the same ancestors as mine and every other werescale. Even if Kaine doesn''t consider you one of ours."


    I pondered on her words for a brief moment before asking another question. "How did you guys find your way down here? How long has the brood been living in these sewers?"


    "For a long, long time," Alice explained while applying the final touches to my wounds. "We come from a werescale only referred to as the Solitary Hunter in the legends. He was the first hybrid of our kind who roamed the swamps of the surface world. He was unmatched in his ability to stalk and kill his prey, but eventually met his match. A woman from a local tribe of hunter-gatherers challenged him to a duel. The two fought and chased each other for weeks, with neither of them able to gain the upper hand on each other. Eventually, the woman was able to best him by laying a trap which the Solitary Hunter became caught inside of. However, she had to use herself as bait to entice the werescale and was struck by him as a result. Eventually, she underwent the mutation in the same way you experienced. When it was complete, she realized that she could never return to her tribe and let the Solitary Hunter go. The two grew a fondness for each other, and became close companions who raised several broods together."


    The wise woman looked over her handiwork, satisfied with her skills as a healer. "Yet, despite their talent for killing, they eventually met the same fate as the thousands of prey they stalked together. Humanity discovered better ways to defend themselves against the hybrids roaming the forests, plains, swamps, and every other corner of the globe. Now the only hybrids left are those who seclude themselves in the parts of the world where humans haven''t yet conquered or refuse to explore."


    "So what does the brood do to survive then?"


    "Whatever we must do to keep living," Alice spoke solemnly. "We are the prey and they the hunters. We hold no power on Earth any longer. What we do is dictated by those who nearly killed you and Vixy. Scouting parties are sent out to search for whatever food we can find, but often barely bring back enough food to feed the brood. Our ability to shift into humans only allows us to get so far. We are not as socialized as you are with your fellow humankind and struggle to maintain regular jobs to make money for purchasing food. Many hatchlings grow up without the ability to read or write, preferring to communicate with animal noises rather than human speech. They are unable to adapt to the modern world''s needs to find success."


    Another awkward silence passed before Alice was struck with a coughing fit.


    "Are you okay? Can I do anything to help you?" I asked, reaching my hand out to grab her shoulder. She batted my palm away before I could touch her, however.


    "Thank you, but I''ll be fine." She smiled while sputtering, "It''s a sign of old age, there is nothing you can do about it." Her toothy grin faded when she spoke again after regaining control, "It''s time for me to take you to the elder''s chamber. Follow me."


    Alice led me through the twisting maze of the brood''s territory which she called the Hive. It contained various chambers, each with a specific function. There was the mess hall where the brood cooked and prepared their meals. The hatchery, where eggs were kept until the young inside were old enough to break out of their shells. The barracks were where the older werescales slept and planned their daily routines. Many other sectors existed, but Alice didn''t have the time to show me every corner of the Hive.


    At the elder''s chambers, I was greeted by Kaine, the captain of the brood guard who stood with his arms crossed at the foot of the elder''s throne. He wasn''t excited to see me but kept cordial enough. Rumorey, however, was more welcoming to my presence. A row of protruding horns beneath his chin gave him the appearance of sporting a beard, matching his title and age as the longest-living member of the brood.


    "Welcome newcomer," he bowed his head toward me. "I''m sure all of this is very confusing to you. I hope our illustrious wise woman has been able to alleviate some of that confusion." Rumorey bowed his head toward Alice who couldn''t hide her smile despite her best efforts. Their snouts remained pointed at each other for a while before the elder turned his head back toward me.


    "Yes, your... eldest," I floundered my words, trying to be respectful, but ultimately unfamiliar with the titles and customs.


    Kaine snorted but said nothing. Rumorey seemed to find humor in my attempt to be humbly respectful.


    "You may call me by my name, Rumorey, but I appreciate the sentiment," he laughed. "And what is your name, newcomer?"


    "Seth, sir," I responded.


    "Well, Seth, our hatchlings must undergo many trials and tribulations before they are allowed to become a fully recognized member of the brood. Unfortunately, we do not have the time nor the resources to spare for a full-grown newcomer. As such, you will have to prove yourself in the pits with Kaine. Your background as a human could prove useful to us for navigating the surface, but it would be unfair to those who have dedicated their lives to proving their worth if you did not perform the same trial by combat that we all went through to become members of the brood." Rumorey explained with a hint of sadness and regret in his shaky voice.


    "I understand," I acquiesced.


    Rumorey nodded his head, "You will have half an hour to prepare yourself for combat." The old werescale produced an hourglass from his cloak marked with various symbols to indicate the amount of time that has passed.


    He placed the hourglass down on the armrest of his throne made of stone before speaking again. "For what it''s worth, I do wish you well in the arena, Seth. I take no pleasure in seeing death come to those before their time."