Chương 44: Harm's Up

Harm took a deep breath and composed himself. Standing to one side, and slightly behind him, Primrose fidgeted.

The double doors opened and the priestess that had escorted them this far waved her hand. "You may enter," she said.

He nodded and strode forward, Primrose following several footsteps behind. The cavern was as he remembered it. Dark and warm. Webs hung from the ceiling, and there was a feeling of being… watched.

He followed the black path through the chamber up to the dais steps, where he stopped and knelt.

A shadowy form moved slightly within a giant cocoon on the platform. "SSsso, you return." The voice was a soft whisper.

"I have."

"Where issss the child?"

"I have…" Harm paused. "It is within reach. I've returned to request more troops."

"And what became of the onesss you were assssigned?" Harm thought he could see long thin legs waving about in the mass of white.

"They were, er, lost to various enemy forces. There was more resistance than anticipated."

"I sssssee. Lossst." The voice paused for a moment. "That is mosssst careless of you commander."

"If you could provide us with further support…" Harm broke off.

A large shape had scuttled forward with blinding speed. There was a sudden cold stabbing pain in his stomach. He looked down to see a thin black tube piercing his abdomen.

"No…" he gasped.

Silken cords dropped around him, binding his arms to his side and rendering him immobile. His insides bubbled as a cold shape was ejected from the tube and forced inside his body. Another soon followed, and then another.

The webs tightened further, and he was lifted off the floor to be skillfully and smoothly manhandled up to the cavern roof, where unseen legs fastened him to the ceiling. Another sharp pain, and the tube pulled itself free from his body, leaving a dozen hard objects resting uncomfortably within his abdomen.

"You appear to be no usssse asss a ssssquad leader. I've therefore assssigned you a new tassssk. You will keep my eggssss warm, until they hatch. Then you will provide them their firssst meal."

Harm tried to open his mouth to scream, but his body wouldn't respond, paralyzed by the Black Queen's poison.

As the light faded he dimly heard it speaking again.

"Now, Primrosssse isss it? What an interesssting name. I've a misssssion for you. I hope you have more successss than your predecesssssor…"