Forgotten Children

Time started to pass slowly for Roddi. She did not leave the bed, only moving when he came to use her again. Usually afterwards he would fall asleep and she would cry for a while. When he woke he would leave, often urging her to come with him, but she continued to lay in their shared bed. One day when she awoke, she found him missing.

Roddi leaned out of bed, and listened, but didn’t hear anything. She very slowly climbed out of bed and walked into the hall. It was empty and quiet. She stretched, and yawned loudly. She looked over herself briefly. She could not see the marks that she knew were on her neck, but she hunched over, instinctively trying to hide them.

Roddi paced around for a few minutes, deciding what to do. Afraid of what the guards might think, she settled on heading back to the archives. She very carefully made her way out the sets of doors, and carefully looked up and down the dim hallways outside. Seeing no-one, she followed the walls, trying to remain out of sight.

Each time Roddi approached a corner, she would carefully lean around it to make sure she was still alone. Winding her way back to more familiar territory, she began to play all the possible scenarios in her mind. She saw disgust on their faces. She imagined them shunning her. She saw elation, although that one was short lived and quickly descended into mistrust and fear.

Sooner than she expected, Roddi was back at the entrance to the archive. She ducked her head low and started inside, where she promptly ran headfirst into Fici.

Staggered from the collision, Fici exclaimed, “Ow! Watch where you’re...oh! Roddi, I was just coming to find you.”

Roddi barely lifted her gaze off the floor. Meekly, she asked, “What did you need?”

Fici narrowed her eyes. “Roddi, come here.” She motioned for Roddi to come closer, but when she did not, Fici walked the few steps to her. “You’ve been acting really strange and then you just up and disappeared. What’s wrong?” Fici sat in front of Roddi, concerned.

“Fici, I just...I really don’t know.” Fici noticed that Roddi appeared to be crying but didn’t interrupt. “Things have very suddenly changed and I don’t know what to do anymore. I always knew, now...now I don’t…” Roddi trailed off as tears came more freely.

Fici took Roddi’s head and leaned it against her shoulder. “Aww, don’t be like that. Aren’t you the one who always told me you wished something would happen?” She stroked Roddi’s head, and noticed the marks on her neck. Turning Roddi’s head to the side, she asked with deep concern in her voice, “Roddi, what happened? Did he do this to you?”

Roddi yanked her head back away from Fici and scrunched her neck down, trying to hide from Fici’s eyes. “Don’t worry about it,” she stammered, avoiding Fici’s stare. “Things got a little rough, but its okay. I’m okay.”

Fici leaned forward slightly. “Are you saying that to me, or to yourself? Look, if you’re trying to get away from him, you’re in the wrong place. He’s actually back in the stacks, reading. I was trying to translate some of the older books for him, and left to find you. He knew where you’d be. Why don’t you just ease on out of here and-” Fici stopped short when she noticed Roddi’s wide eyes staring past her.

The voice from behind her questioned, “And what?”

Fici turned slowly, afraid of what she might find. He stood a few feet behind her. She took a step backward, frightened. “And, uh...and…”

“You treat me with such disrespect so suddenly, Fici,” he said, stepping forward. “Were we not just having a lovely discussion about rites and traditions of the old Hive? What will you do, call the guards and have me killed, because you are frightened? You will shun that which you do not understand?”

Fici glanced around and not seeing anyone who might help her, drew in a great breath to scream when Roddi grabbed her from behind and closed her mouth.

“Fici, don’t,” Roddi said to her, her voice suddenly low and in charge. “We’re leaving. I’ll be back to talk to you later.” She released Fici from her grasp and motioned for him to follow. “Come on, lets go.”

He grinned and walked past the stunned Fici. Fici watched them ascend the stairs until they were out of sight.

Outside, she asked him as they walked, “What were you doing in the archives?”

He smiled. “I do have things to do. Apparently there are a number of changeling young that will be along soon. Chrysalis allowed me to name them, and rather than just make stuff up, I thought I might go through the archives and find names of great past changelings. Besides, I do find it interesting.

“Moreover, I’m glad you finally found the will to get out of that sack of hay. I was starting to get worried about you. That’s partly the reason I was sending Fici to find you. I thought she might be able to rouse you. Or… switch places?” He grinned at her.

Roddi stopped walking, and furrowed her brow at him. “What, you would replace me so easily? You just use me and toss me aside, is that it? Tell me!”

He turned briskly to face her. “Yes, if you can’t keep at my level, yes I would. I didn’t ask for you, you asked for me. You promised to be mine. You promised to wear my marks proudly. And yet I see you hiding them. You didn’t rouse from bed for days on end, what should I think? That it was a sign of strength? I think not. But every time I see you having to confront something, I do see strength. Why can’t you be like that all the time?”

Roddi looked down. “Look, I’m sorry. Things are changing so fast. I don’t know what to do.”

“Ah, but are you not a changeling? This should come natural to you. You must learn to harness your ability to change to fit the situation. Come on, I need your help carrying stuff.” He motioned for her to keep walking.

She resumed walking, but kept slightly behind. “What would you have me do? I’m not as strong as you are.”

“Maybe not physically, no,” he said, shaking his head. “But I really do believe you possess a great strength. We just need to figure out how to draw it out of you, Roddi. At the moment, we need to get some things out of the armory.”

They turned, and walked back down into the armory. Gathering a few pieces from the walls, Roddi used her magic to hold as much as she could on her back as she was able to. Spears, chains, and plate armor. He gathered up iron bars and broken pieces from the floor. “I need to find someone to teach me to mend iron the way Chrysalis or the guard do. For now, let’s head back home.”

Roddi followed him out. “Mending is a different process than forging. You mean, how to shape iron?”

He nodded slowly. “Yes. Do you know how?”

Roddi grunted under the weight going up the stairs but did not protest. “Yes and no. I know much about it but have never practiced. There is a book all about the subject. Later I’ll go and retrieve it for you.”

“Thank you Roddi. I’ll have to find some suitable reward for you.” He smiled back at her.

She shot him a grin right back. “Hell, I can get ‘that’ anytime I want it. A reward needs to be something special.”

“Oh?” He slowed down and allowed her to catch up. “And what might you consider a suitable reward?”

“I’ll think about it,” she said mischievously. “Lets get these damn heavy things off my back.”

…

Back in the treasury turned training rooms, they arranged the weapons and armor. Mostly stacked in a corner, he took a broken spear tip and turned it over in front of him. “I remember in the caves, the guard there had obsidian-tipped spears. Cruder than these.”

“These were instruments of war,” Roddi replied, taking it from him. “They were designed back before changelings had to hide underground. We used to have great empires...though not all the races felt we should.” She placed it back in the stack with the others. “The books speak of great battles. And great shame in our defeat.

“I think there is more shame in living the way we do now. We had allies. We fled. We hid. And now we are known by it.” Roddi turned and walked past him, rubbing her haunches against him. “You are so strong. Would you change it, if you could?”

“I’ve never been asked,” he replied, bending over to bite at her backside. She deftly stepped forward, causing him to miss. “I don’t know if I would. It seems an awful lot of work, bring a race back from myth and into the spotlight. I doubt that we would ever be accepted.”

“The races that live in the darkness might accept us.” Roddi wiggled her butt at him, teasing. “Have you ever met a bat pony?”

He followed along behind her. “Bat ponies are fiction. A story made to frighten the young into behaving, lest they be carried away in the night.”

“They were, at least at some point, very real. The monsters that haunt the dark places are always misconstrued to be more than they are, and possibly on purpose. I’ll read you the stories of them sometime.” Roddi stopped, wagging her butt at him again. “I want my reward.”

“And have you figured out what it is that you want to make it special?” He sniffed at her backside, giving it a lick.

Roddi sighed in pleasure. “I want it to be like the first time. Take me hard.”

He ceased his licking and climbed onto her back, wasting no time in fulfilling her wish.

…

Afterwards, she lay on the floor, licking his member clean. She whined as it retreated back into him and rolled over. Standing, she made to move to the exit, wobbling slightly. “Ooh, you do that well. Let me go retrieve some books for you.”

He stretched and moved up behind her. “Let me go with you.”

She bowed to him. “As you wish.”

They walked back out and to the archives, Roddi following slightly behind. Whenever he would slow to allow her to catch up, she would match his speed and maintain her position behind him.

“Is there a reason you are back there?” he questioned.

“I think it’s appropriate that the master leads. I’ll stay back here.” She bowed to him again and he smiled.

“Are you embracing your new life? You seem a lot more calm than earlier.” He glanced back and smiled at her.

“I think I’m learning to go with the flow, as you mentioned. I don’t need to change my appearance to fit in around you. I just need to act appropriately.” She smiled and continued, “And to me that means being submissive.”

Without looking back, he asked, “And do you enjoy it?”

“Its not as bad as I feared it might be. But yes, I do enjoy it. Letting someone else make my decisions has a certain appeal to it.”

Walking down the steps to the archive, he muttered, “At least someone feels that way…”

Near the entrance, Audax was sweeping the floor. She frowned at his approach, and more so seeing Roddi trail behind him like a captive. “Do you need something?”

He glanced back at Roddi, who stepped forward to Audax and said, “We’re here to borrow some books. You may continue your duties.”

He motioned for Roddi to go first. “Lead the way.”

Roddi held her head tall and walked past Audax. Audax looked at the scars Fici had told her about, but said nothing. After they passed into the archives, she took flight and with haste sped to Chrysalis’ room.

In the stacks, Roddi picked out a few books and stacked them on her back. “We have changeling history, war, and what else was I supposed to get?”

“Forging iron,” he reminded her.

“Ah! Yes, thank you for reminding me.” She wound her way to another part of the archives, and scanning the shelves, picked a book out. She used her magic to scan it briefly, and put it back. She repeated the process until she found the book she needed.

He shook his head at her. “How do you memorize all these books? I don’t understand how you can know exactly where to go and where to look.”

“Well, its not exact, as you can see.” She started to lead him out of the archives. “It takes time. And I’ve had a lot of time to learn it. You know many things too. Is it really so strange?”

“I suppose not,” he replied. Looking ahead, his eyes went wide as he saw a wall of changeling guard, spears ready, blocking the exit. “Roddi, stop!” He quickly moved in front of her to confront the wall. “What is the meaning of this? Why do you block my exit?”

Parting in the middle, Chrysalis stepped through. “Why do you hurt my daughters, I think is the better question.”

He scowled at Chrysalis. “We agreed no violence. and as you can see,” he motioned to Roddi without looking away, “She walks freely. Now move.”

“From where I stand, I think you lie.” Chrysalis looked past him at Roddi, and then back to him. “No scars have even been attained but through violence.”

He narrowed his eyes and hunched low. He knew there was little chance of escape, but he summoned strength to go out in the most brutal way possible. “Your true motives do come through, as I always knew they would. You’re here to remove your opposer rather than than tolerate him to live. Your promises are, and always have been hollow.”

Chrysalis motioned to her guards, who started to advance on him. “Don’t make a scene. Come quietly and I’ll make it as painless as possible for you.”

He growled deeply and his body started to shimmer when a book hurled past him at speed and into the head of one of the guard. Staggered from the force, the guard toppled sideways into her sisters.

Surprised, he shoot a look backward just in time to see Roddi run past him and stand in front, blocking him from the encroaching spears with her body.

“And what? Do I not get a say in this!?” Roddi shouted at Chrysalis as much as the guard, standing tall and firm. “Do you intend to pass judgement so easily? He only did what I asked of him. And for that he deserves death?”

Roddi shook with rage. “It takes so many of you, does it? Are you so weak that you show up in force for one changeling? Go get more, for now you stand against two!” Roddi snarled as her body was enveloped in a brilliant green flash. Falling away, the leathery wings and jagged teeth of a monstrosity the likes of which he had never seen stood between them.

Roddi’s form had become mottled and warped. Her wings flapped tentatively at her sides, but where matte black carapace had been before was now black fur, straggly and wild. From behind he could see her head had taken on a flatter shape, and rows upon rows of teeth revealed themselves as she opened her wide mouth to roar at the wall of guards.

Chrysalis pushed past her guards to confront the transformed Roddi. “Roddi, stand down. We are here to protect you.”

Roddi did not move back, but leaned forward to shout at her mother, “And when did I ask you to come protect me? Do I not appear to be capable of doing that for myself? Let us pass, and do not follow. If he should die, let it be by me.”

Chrysalis, taken aback, glanced back at him but Roddi blocked her gaze with one of her wings. “You deal with me first,” she stated firmly.

Chrysalis stepped back and told her guards to leave. Grudgingly, they obeyed, retreating backward without raising theirs spears.

“I do hope you’re making a wise choice,” Chrysalis told Roddi. “For now, consider yourself relieved of archivist duty. I’ll hold you as accountable as him for all of your, and his, actions.” Chrysalis turned and, unfurling her wings, took flight back to her chambers.

Roddi sighed and let her form fall in another flash of green. She picked up the thrown book from the floor and gathered the ones from behind her. “You need to leave,” she told him, thrusting the books at him. “I’ll be along shortly.”

He looked at her in shock and surprise. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to find Fici and explain the price of ratting me out,” Roddi said in a rough and determined voice.

“I didn’t do it,” Fici spoke meekly, coming out from behind the stacks. “I told the others here because I was concerned. But I’ve been never left the archives since I last saw you.”

“Well, if it wasn’t you, then who?” Roddi swiveled her head around.

Thrax flew up to meet them from the rear of the archives. “Audax is missing,” she said simply.

Roddi looked around. “She was here sweeping up when we came in.” Roddi scowled, “She has no respect.” Looking back at Fici, she said, “Fici, you are in charge. Thrax, you’re second in command. If and when Audax returns, do as you will.”

Roddi motioned that it was time to leave, and carrying the books she had thrust upon him, he made his way out and started up the stairs.

Fici called out after him, “Hey! Can I still come visit sometime?”

He turned and put an arm around Roddi. “To continue our talk, yes. For anything else, no. I have all I need.” He planted a kiss on Roddi’s check and they turned together, walking away from the archives.

Back in their shared quarters, Roddi snuggled up against him in their bed. He reached an arm around her and hugged her close to him. “I’m really proud of what you did back there,” he told her. “I knew you had great strength. It appears we just needed the right stimuli to pull it forth.”

“Then why do I feel so bad? I stood up to Mother and I came away feeling like I was in the wrong. That doesn’t seem like strength to me.” Roddi sighed, but enjoyed the embrace.

“Being strong is not the same as being right. But I think you were in the right anyway.” He kissed the top of her head. “Are you going back to the archives?”

“No, not anytime soon,” she replied. “For now, I’m content to stay here with you. I have the books I needed. We’ll learn to mend and forge steel. I’ll read you some stories. We’ll get ready for your daughters. And, if you’ll have me, I’ll keep your bed warm for you.”

“There is nobody else I’d rather have right now.” He kissed the top of her head again and laid his head down.

Feeling him begin to fall asleep, Roddi cooed and said softly, “I love you.”

…

When he awoke, Roddi was still in his arms. He nuzzled her gently but found her still awake. “Trouble sleeping?”

“I’ve just been thinking, is all.” She pulled away from him and got out of bed. “What Chrysalis said. What I said. Do you think she’ll forgive me?”

“I think,” he said, following her out of bed, “That she’ll have no choice but to. You stood up for yourself and what you believed in. I think it’s going to become a trend around here pretty soon.”

A low creak alerted them that someone was coming in. The doors opened slightly, and Thrax came through. Roddi smiled. “Thrax, what brings you here?”

Thrax entered further into the room, saying, “Fici sent me. Audax, it seems, is not coming back to the archives. Not that we really care. We’ve been talking and we approve of you two. We hope that you two find happiness in one another.” She bowed to them.

“Thank you, Thrax.” He bowed back to her. “But I sense that is not the only reason you came by.”

Thrax shook her head. “No, its not. Chrysalis has already laid the first of our new sisters in their pods. It won’t be long. She tells us that within this day, they will be fully grown and ready to hatch. And at that time, she’ll need Fici, myself, and Roddi to come and write their names in the book.” Fici paused, and looked at him. “You’re also going to need to be attendance to give them names. I recommend that we leave soon.”

Roddi nodded. “Agreed. Has...Mother said anything about me?”

Thrax shrugged. “I’m going off what Fici told me. But Mother does not seem overly angry at what happened. Not that I can tell, anyway. But come, I’ll walk with you two.”

All three of them left the treasury room, Fici in front and Roddi trailing behind her master. They walked in silence, and Fici led them past the guards on the bridge and through the jagged bars.

Roddi, don’t let Chrysalis fool you. She still loves you. And you’re the best at what you do. I can’t hold a candle to your knowledge. Fici and I still need you, even if Chrysalis says she does not.”

“Thanks, Thrax, that means a lot to me.” Roddi paused, and changed the subject. “Are we heading straight to the nursery? Do you have all the materials?”

Thrax nodded. “We are nearly there. Put on a good face, this is an important time.”

The wall in front of them parted, and they stepped into the nursery. Much unlike before, it now bustled with activity. Changelings buzzed about, and the air was humid and fresh from their constant motions.

Thrax motioned for Roddi to follow her. “Fici is over here, with the book. Would you please direct us? You may not be head archivist but we default to your knowledge.”

Roddi nodded and went to follow Thrax. She took a few steps backward and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Don’t make Mother angry, okay? Lets just smile and get through this and we can go back to bed.”

He smiled at her, and nodded. Looking past her, he said, “Thrax, do you know where I might find Chrysalis?”

Thrax looked around. “I do not, but I expect she’ll be along shortly. Just wait there and she’ll probably find you.”

He nodded again and moved to the side, out of the way, and sat. He watched the changeling workers buzz about, each preoccupied in her own task. He yawned, getting comfortable as best he could on the stone floor.

He sat there for several hours, and was pondering a nap when a changeling worker buzzed up to him. “Chrysalis will be here soon,” it said. The worker flew away briskly as the changeling wall next to him parted and Chrysalis stepped through.

He stood up as she approached him. Chrysalis waited to see if he was going to speak, but when he did not, she told him, “It is time. Come, lets go find the archivists and get this done.”

As they walked, Chrysalis told him, “I’m not pleased about what happened, but I’m willing to look past it. I did make you a promise and I intend to adhere to it. I don’t like you, so lets just be civil, okay?”

He nodded to her solemnly but kept his mouth closed. They found Fici, Thrax, and Roddi in the far corner, sitting amongst books and laughing with each other. Upon seeing their mother, all three straightened up and waited for orders.

“Fici,” asked Chrysalis, “What is Roddi doing here? I asked you to handle this.”

“She knows more than both Thrax and myself combined,” replied Fici. “I’ve asked her to help us. Just this once.”

Chrysalis scowled, but allowed it. She turned to the rows upon rows of pods, and moved between them. Looking back, she stated simply, “Come.”

He and Chrysalis walked among the pods, with Fici, Thrax, and Roddi following along behind with their books. Changeling workers waved at them to come over. As they approached, one of the workers said, “This pod is ready, and the others will be soon as well.”

Chrysalis looked at him and asked, “Do you have your names ready? There are a lot of your children here.”

He smiled warmly back at her. “I’ve been doing reading, and I think I have enough.”

A soft crack turned their attention to the pod in front of them. The workers gingerly pulled back the shell as a fully-grown changeling poked its head through and took its first breath of air. Chrysalis moved forward and picked it up out of the pod. She smiled and kissed it on the nose. She turned to hold it up for him to see. “Your first daughter! What is her name?”

He looked it over. It had a shiny black shell, and green wings. The newborn’s eyes were the same emerald green as his, and did not appear any different than any of the other changelings of this Hive. “Nix,” he said. He glanced behind him and saw Thrax and Fici writing in their book, and overseen by Roddi. He smiled at Roddi and she winked back, mouthing the word ‘later’ at him.

He turned back to face the front, where changeling workers were carting off his daughter to be cared for. Chrysalis motioned for him to continue down the row of pods, where new young were already hatching. “You need to be faster than that. This is going to take forever if you have to think about each one,” she told him, stopping in front of another pod.

He nooded, and as another newborn changeling was brought forth, he said, “Bolla.” Chrysalis nodded, and as she handed that daughter off she picked up another one. “Gallu,” he said.

They walked around the room, and he named each in turn. “Homa. Skrzak. Yuxa. Jaud.”

Time passed, and at some point a changeling was held up in front of him that looked different. This one had one green eye, but her left eye was milky white. He put his hoof in front of her eye, but she didn’t blink. “She’s blind in this eye,” he said.

Chrysalis sighed. “Unfortunate to lose one so early. Take her to-”

“Fext,” he interrupted.

Chrysalis stopped. “No, you can’t name her. She’ll be disposed of and-”

“Fext,” he said again, more firmly this time. “I want her, and if you don’t, then send her to my training room.”

Chrysalis looked at him but eventually shrugged. She turned to one of the workers, and instructed him where to take Fext. After he departed, Chrysalis turned back to him and said, “Are you sure about this? Fext won’t live a normal life.”

“Not under your care, she surely won’t,” he said, “I won’t have any of my daughters grow up under you with the chance they could become another outcast. No, I’ll take her.”

Chrysalis scowled but said nothing. They continued around the room, and he continued with his list of names; “Kapre. Obia. Valravn. Lauma. Moroi. Maero. Aitu. Víbria. Minka.” Pausing a second time, he leaned in to inspect one of his daughters a little closer, he noticed she had small thorns growing from the back of her neck, almost like the spines of a dragon. “You’re coming with me, Kishi,” he said to her. He kissed her on the nose and motioned for the worker to take her.

Every time he found a newborn with different traits, he sent it to his training room. The others he passed by with a quick naming. Roddi trailed along behind them and watched over her former assistants.

As he named off more and more of his daughters, a commotion sound from around the corner. Curious, he and Chrysalis went to investigate. They found several changeling workers trying to subdue a newborn, who was thrashing about wildly. Chrysalis knew what was coming and said to him, “No. You can’t take this one. She’s obviously got something seriously wrong with her.”

He didn’t respond, but instead reached out a hoof towards her, which she bit at. He chuckled, yanking his hoof back, and said, “Mara, you are quite the firecracker.”

“No,” Chrysalis stated firmly, “This one is not fit to stay with either you or me. What are you going to do, chain her to the walls?”

“Let me try something first, then we’ll see,” he said, sitting on the floor and closing his eyes. He focused hard and reached out to feel the emotions around him. Behind him he felt love and sorrow at the same time; Chrysalis, who loved her children but regretted seeing any not make it. In front he felt anger, and fear. He touched upon her mind, and found it not broken, just overwhelmed.

He opened his eyes again and stepped forward, taking Mara away from the other changelings. She hissed, trying to bite at his face. He deftly moved his head to the side and allowed her teeth to fall on his hard shoulder plates.

Quickly, he wrapped his arms around her holding her in a tight hug. Sitting on the floor with her bound in his arms, he whispered something to her low enough that only she could hear.

Undeterred, Mara continued to bite at his plate, her hissing becoming louder.

He cooed at her, still speaking softly, and after a few minutes, her arms slowed and her hissing quieted.

Chrysalis and all other changelings looked on in astonishment as he pulled his newborn (but fully grown) daughter away from him as Mara asked, “You promise?”

He smiled. “I’ll do all that and more, but you have to be good until then, okay?”

Mara nodded.

He let go and she stood on the floor on her own legs. “You have to go wait for me with your sisters,” he told her, pointing out of the room. “You be good and don’t hurt anyone, okay? Then I can get you what you want.” He leaned in and kissed her nose, to which she recoiled. He chuckled as she was led away.

Chrysalis walked up to him. “Okay, now I need to know, what did you promise her? How did you do that?”

“She’s definitely my child,” he responded. “She’s not all that much different than me. I promised to give her the opportunity to indulge her wildest desires, when she’s old enough.” He turned and looked at Chrysalis with a smile. “If she keeps her anger under control, she will rival even myself in ability.”

Chrysalis stood still, unsure of what to say next. She decided not to ask more questions as he had a bad habit of not answering them and instead said, “We’ve only a few left to name. How many of your daughters have you chosen thus far?”

He closed his eyes and named off each one as he thought about it. “First was Fext, then Kishi. Then Acheri and Lamia, and just now Mara. So five?” He opened his eyes and looked at her. “Lets go have a look at these last few so I can get back to my room. They’ll be waiting for me.”

At the far wall, workers had already brought the newborns from their pods and paraded them in front of their mother and father.

Looking at each one as they passed, he called out, “Bies, Preta, Danava, Nav, Asag, Rompo…” He trailed off. The last alcove had a pod and a very sad-looking changing worker standing in front of it. He walked over solemnly and looked inside. His last daughter lay in her pod, breathing shallowly. She whined softly, and he reached in to pull her out.

The newborn winced noticeably, and he saw why; her rear legs were severely deformed, twisted and grotesque. He sighed deeply and kissed his daughter on the head, holding her tenderly. He looked past Chrysalis and said, “Roddi, come here.”

Roddi obeyed and came trotting over. He took the deformed changeling and put her on Roddi’s back, face down. “Roddi, very carefully, please carry Chakora back to our chambers and find her something soft to lay on. I’ll be along very shorty.”

Roddi nodded solemnly and very slowly made her way out of the room, cooing and looking back at her passenger every so often. Fici and Thrax closed their book and hauled it away, retreating back to the archives.

Chrysalis shook her head at him again. “I don’t understand exactly what you intend to do with them. I thought you’d be taking the biggest, strongest daughters. Why did you choose all the different ones?”

“I’ve noticed,” he said, starting to walk away, “That the ‘different’ ones here seem to be the most versatile and therefore the most suited to what I need them for. The ‘normal’ ones will make fine soldiers for you, I’m sure.”

“Hey!” Chrysalis called after him, running to catch up. “Don’t assume you know what my plans are. I will remind you, once you leave, you are not allowed back. And I’ll be coming by every day to let your daughters feed off of me until they can pick up on it from farther away. So don’t think you’re getting away from me that easily.”

“I remember,” he said, shrugging her off. “Trust me, I’ll be as happy as you when that day comes.” He walked away more quickly, tired of this conversation.

Chrysalis fell behind and let him exit the room on his own. Changeling workers were already clearing away the used pods and making ready for more. One of them gestured to her, saying, “Come, Mother. Your new daughters are being cared for. Let us help you get some rest.”

Chrysalis sighed and retreated back to her bed for a nap.