My head whipping back and forth as someone shook me awake wasn’t the greatest way to wake up. I rolled over and swatted away the offending hands then stopped, surprised I’d managed to sleep at all.

I groggily looked up at Clyde standing over me, irritation instantly rising in my chest, not because he woke me up, but because he was shining his deeps taken armor right in my eyes.

“What do you want, Clyde?”

“Change, something weird. You’re going to want to go look for yourself.” The hate and defiance had left his eyes, leaving his face a mask of indifference. A change I could get behind. Indifference always beat outright defiance in my book, me being the king of indifference, I would know.

Alertness shot through me like lightning, and I climbed to my feet, still in my armor. I’d pay for that, no doubt, in aches and pains for the whole day. I did a few stretches, trying to get the blood to flow, then followed Clyde out.

“Is the attack finally coming? Did they send out the Carvers?”

“I don’t know if we’re being attacked or not, you’ll have to speak to the Baron, I have only heard it second hand. It seems the Ilfids have arrived after all, but they’re not doing anything. They just stand there.”

“From the north? From the entrance to the Labyrinth?”

“No, from the south.”

I stopped what I was doing abruptly and looked at Clyde, trying to make sure he wasn’t trying to mess with me. The Ilfid to the south were those that attacked the caravan on our way into town. Given those specific bugs were days away, but I couldn’t imagine too many hives in that direction.

The Baron and Orleander already waited in the meeting room, seemingly ready to go. The Baron sweated nervously, clearly ready to bolt at the first sign of fighting but held in place by Orleander’s steadfast presence. I felt for the man, I really did, but I couldn’t stand spineless people before I wrenched away responsibility for them, and now that I had it, it irked me that I had to prop up that spine myself.

“Good morning. Let’s get going, I want to see this for myself. The deeps damned bugs not attacking can only mean they’re waiting for reinforcements. Damned slavers. How many are there?”

“Hundreds,” Baron Palambre said. “And five Brutes.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. Five brutes.

“Shit. How many men do we have there? How close are they to town?”

“They were already positioned where they are when they were first noticed, a fair distance into the trees in the southern woods. A few squads of men at arms were called in immediately, while more are probably arriving as we speak.”

“Five Brutes. This could get ugly real quick. I can handle one on my own, Kan’on could probably handle another. Ms. Black could probably keep one busy for a while with her speed. That leaves three Brutes free to act, not to mention however many workers they have.”

Everybody followed me out as I made for the courtyard. Someone had already prepared horses., but I ignored them and walked over to Kan’on. I looked down on him, considering tipping him over onto his head. Instead, I kicked him on the knee, trying to knock him out of his meditations.

The kick startled him into awareness of his surroundings, finally, and it took him a second to realize I was looming over him.

“What do you want?”

“Ilfids have shown up. With five Brutes,” I said, leaving the most important thing out. I watched as his face and body language lit up with interest at the mention of the Brutes.

“They aren’t attacking and they’re coming from the south,” I continued.

That threw him, just like it had me. His face changed from interest, to confusion, then back to interest.

“You’re going to parlay then?”

“Parlay? With slaving murdering bugs? Not damned likely. I’m going out there to see what they’re about, then wipe them off the face of the earth.”

“I told you this the other day, but the Ilfid are more than just mindless savages and slavers. In fact, where I’m from, they regularly visit for trade.”

“Do they trade with your school because they’re afraid that you’d wipe them out, or because the genuinely want to be friends? And while you’re playing best friends with them, they’re off snatching people from homes and caravans for food, and whatever other damn abominations they can cook up.”

“You’re not wrong, but how are they different than any other groups of humans that go raiding and take slaves. I don’t see you out there shaking your fists at them. Yet here you are, sitting in judgement.”

“As soon as those people turn into cannibals and start eating their slaves, then come talk to me. In the meantime, if I see bugs, I swat bugs.”

Having said that, I turned on my heel and marched back to the horses. I heard Kan’on sigh behind me. He could think what he wanted. The damned bugs were a plague and treating with them just encouraged them. Better to get rid of them.

“I’m coming, hold on. Someone get me a horse,” Kan’on said from behind me.

We waited. It didn’t take long for the Baron’s men to bring out another animal, and just like that we set out of the estate, heading for the southern forest.

We tore down the road, soon joined by one of the Baron’s men at arms to guide us, not that we needed it. You couldn’t miss them, the Ilfids, milling about like insects under the cover of the trees as we approached the forest.

There was no rhyme or reason to their movements. I felt like there was purpose there, somewhere, but couldn’t understand it. Maybe it was their own messed way of preparing to attack and kill everything in sight, a ritualistic dance to the deep gods or something.

A few units of the Baron and the Count’s men had spread out in orderly ranks, no more than 100 men. One-hundred men at arms wasn’t a lot to begin with. It might have been enough to take on a few hundred Ilfid workers but throw in five Brutes and there was no contest. If a conflict happened, I would have to engage the Brutes, along with Kan’on and Ms. Black, since we were the only ones capable of keeping them occupied.

I always had a hard time remember that the Ilfids that generally wreaked havoc on trade routes and small villages were actually of their worker caste, not even bred for fighting, they still managed to cause untold damage. The difference between their warrior caste and their workers was never more apparent than when seen side by side. The Brutes crouched among the trees, giant and unmoving, waiting for direction, while the workers scurried about, carrying out tasks only their idiot bug minds could understand.

An odd party had parked themselves out in front of the main mass of bugs. A type of Ilfid I hadn’t seen before stood calmly amongst the chaos, seemingly unconcerned with the goings on. He looked more robust than the workers but lacked the worker’s mobility. His chitin was smoother and darker than the workers too. Same ugly face though.

At his feet knelt a human slave, or their lunch maybe, I couldn’t tell. I don’t think they made a distinction. Damned slaving lunatic killers. This is who Kan’on would have me parlay with?

The milling mass of human flesh-eating killers slowly ground to a halt, the silence even more unnerving than their mindless and chaotic activity had been. The odd Ilfid with the slave at its feet still hadn’t moved an inch.

“Anyone know what that one is? I’ve never seen one before,” I said.

“It’s a drone, a male Ilfid, which are rarely seen,” the Count said.

“Wait, you’re telling me that all the rest are female?”

“Yes, the only males are the drones. When the Ilfid decide to interact with the outside world in a way other than raiding, the drones are how they do it. They’re not exactly diplomats though. They have a weird role in the hive that includes helping the Queen produce offspring,” Kan’on interjected.

The bug lover would know. Up in his homeland, the Ilfid apparently like to pretend to be civilized. I wouldn’t be fooled, and I wouldn’t let the damned bleeding heart sword master be fooled either.

Before I could say anything else, the drone spoke something to the slave in its odd clicking language. The man rose to his feet and walked toward us steadily until he was a couple dozen feet away, then stopped.

“The Consort wishes to speak with your leader.”

“Listen guy, the consort can wish whatever he wants. I’m more interested in the fact that a few more steps in this direction and you’re a free man, and yet there you are standing well out of reach,” I said.

“I am bound. It would mean my death.”

“Not to nit-pick, but it will probably be your death regardless. And bound how?”

“I am bound. That is all that I’m permitted to say. The Consort wishes to speak to your leader.”

I sat atop my horse, considering the man. He didn’t appear to be afraid, just tense from the situation. What good could come of speaking with the damned savages? The end result would be the same. I’d stomp their deeps taken faces into the ground like a good bug exterminator.

“Ardashir, don’t throw away an opportunity. We have other things to worry about, and if we can avoid getting our men killed by parlaying with the Ilfid, that is more men we have with which to fight the Inculids.” Orleander’s low voiced comment was a kick in the pants.

It wasn’t just me here, fighting off Ilfid. Taking charge of the situation in the town also mean that I had taken responsibility for all the people in it, including the men at arms. I fought my own instincts, which were to spear the Ilfid all over the field and looked back to the man.

“Fine. For now, at least, I am the leader. If the Consort or whatever you’re calling him wants to speak with me, he can come to me.”

The man immediately bowed and shuffled backward before walking back to speak to the drone. To my surprise, there didn’t even appeared to be the slightest hesitation before the drone stepped forward, walking steadily towards me accompanied by the slave.

They stopped at about the same distance the man had stopped previously. The drone spoke some words in his own language, a series of hisses and clicks, and some sounds that didn’t have an easy description. The slave waited patiently for him to finish before turning to us.

“On behalf of the Queen, the Consort wishes to declare a temporary alliance against The Collective.”

I sat there, stunned. So, it was true then, however the Inculids had arrived at the new Labyrinth entrance, they really had ruffled some feathers on their way through. What did it mean that the Ilfids had attacked us not a few days ago? Was it an attempt to gain resources to fight off the incursion? They were a known quantity in the area, only ever emerging for smash and grab raids, never pitched battles.

“Your hive attacked me not three days ago. Why would I ally with you? Other than almost certain betrayal, what do I gain?”

The slave spent a few moments translating what I had said and listening to the drone’s response. The sounds coming out of the slave’s mouth were nothing like those from the drone. Still incomprehensible, not resembling the bug-like sounds of the drone, yet apparently understood regardless.

For his part, the drone didn’t seem to have any particular reaction to the news that I had been attacked. No doubt it was a cultural thing, making and breaking alliance. Kan’on would know more about them, maybe he should have been the one to do the speaking.

“You are mistaken. The only hive raiding the surface within a week’s journey was destroyed by The Collective no more than a week ago. Those you fought were the last remaining of their hive, those unbound. Similarly, our hive has taken heavy losses. The Queen will not live much longer, sacrificing too much. We will be unbound, and wish to use our last remaining days as a hive to seek retribution from The Collective”

Bound… unbound. These words had meaning that I didn’t quite understand. Moreover, the man didn’t appear to just be translating word for word, he appeared to consider himself part of the hive. Is that what it meant to be bound?

I turned to Kan’on and asked, “What do you think? You know how I feel. If I had my way, I’d crush them. I don’t trust myself to make this decision myself. Orleander? Palambre?”

“I say to make the alliance, but with eyes open to the potential consequences,” Orleander said, Palambre nodding along with him.

“The Brutes are a force multiplier. Now that we know they are within our reach, we cannot afford to let them go, regardless of what your feelings are.” It didn’t surprise me that Kan’on thought in terms of conflict first. That was the kick I needed.

“What does it mean to be bound?” I asked the slave.

“To be bound to the Queen means to be bound to the hive.”

“And if they choose to eat you, is it worth being bound when they’re chewing on your bones?”

“The hive does what is necessary to survive. Sometimes that necessitates sacrifice of the bound.”

“Does the hive sacrifice the bound equally, or are human’s first on the menu?”

“The bound are all equal under the Queen.”

I sat in silence. If the slave… no, the Ilfid in front of me spoke the truth, I’d been operating under wrong assumptions for a long time. The Ilfid were different, alien even.

I sighed. It was time to let old grievances die. Yet fiery rebellion rose in my chest at the thought. When tragedy struck my life into shambles, when the Deep God had risen amongst the ruins of my fortress, the ruins of my family and retainers, the Ilfid had been the ones to lead the charge. The Ilfid murdered my son and daughters. The Ilfid took my retainers and friends as slaves, at the behest of the Deep God.

The deeps damned bugs in front of me brought my life tumbling down around me in a fiery, scream filled catastrophe. Not alone though.

I took a shaky breath and let it out slowly.

“How many of you are there?”

“What you see here is all that remain, save the Queen who has chosen to remain below.”

Inside my head waffled, even though I knew what the decision had to be. I clenched my teeth, then slumped in resignation. I had responsibilities now, at least temporarily.

“I accept your offer of alliance. Let’s negotiate the terms.”

###

As I rode back to the Baron’s estate, escorting to the men at arms as they redistributed themselves back into the ranks, I reflected on my decision to put Kan’on in charge of the Ilfid. I the end, the bugs hadn’t made any requests or demands with one exception; that I use them to our best advantage to fight and kill the Inculids. I could get onboard with that. It seemed like they fully expected to die, down to the very last one of them. I could get onboard with that too.

From what I could gather, being unbound from a Queen once bound led to a slow, boring death, for their ability to make decisions slowly faded away into lethargy. The tradeoff for being bound, even for humans, was inclusion in their collective, the ability to share information throughout the hive, among other things I didn’t really understand. What I did understand was that it wasn’t anything like the Inculids. No mind control.

I jerked my thoughts away from the Ilfid. Thinking about them so much dredged up memories again and again that I wished to remain buried. The biggest boon here, if a boon existed in this mess, were the Brutes. As Kan’on had said, they were a force multiplier, and since Kan’on had been their advocate, I placed him in charge.

I laughed at the look on his face when I’d informed him. The aloof and immaculate sword sage, put in charge of a bunch of bugs. I had no way to compel him to obey and to be fair he had no skin in the game, but he hadn’t argued against my decision.

I arrived at the estate and sequestered myself back in my cozy place. I reached for my cubby and pulled out a flask, took a few sips, then put it away. Just enough to keep the fire in my stomach going. Since the curse had silenced itself, the urge to resort to drink mostly disappeared with it. I was left with a normal urge for booze, but that was a dangerous way to think about it. Best to be careful.

I feared that I’d betrayed my family’s memory, by accepting the alliance with the bugs, but couldn’t work up the outrage at myself that I should have been able to. I feared even more that I’d betrayed myself by allowing my family’s memory and their death fade so much that the outrage wouldn’t even come.

I sat in the silent, dark room, contemplating my decisions, contemplating the curse. The implications of the curse’s silence meant that it hadn’t been a mindless evil placed upon me to drive me mad but reacted to my decisions.

I spent hours rehashing every decision I’d ever made where the curse had reacted by pushing me out, making me leave, breaking fragile connections. The only conclusion that I could come to, the only common thread that I could identify, was that in the end I didn’t really give a shit about any of those places, any of those people. They were so much chaff in comparison to my own bitterness and my own anger.

The only real conclusion to make, based on the available evidence, was that the trigger to the curse was my own selfishness. My selfishness is what caused the tragedy, despite the King’s orders. My selfishness preventing me from seeing beyond my own emotional blinders. My selfishness is what triggered to the curse to drive me away from everything I’d come to love.

The decision to stay and help the people of this town, despite gaining nothing for myself and risking everything I had, such as it was, is what silenced the curse.

Selflessness silenced the curse.