CH 5.2: I believe I can soar

Waz and Orb escorted me from the Queen’s Hall, to a balcony overlooking the hives far below, along with the bulk of the canopy. Webs and branches and leaves, and then a ton of air, and then dirt. Lots of muddy, crawling, dirty dirt. That was the view. Orb herself had disappeared at one point, and Waz waited in silence, presumably allowing me to regain my composure, before he spoke.

“This behavior did not befit the station Her Highness finds herself in,” Waz said. “Perhaps one might share with me the reasons for these actions?”

It took me a second to parse what he wanted to know. It was such a convoluted way to ask ‘what’s up.’

“I look like a monster,” I said. “I went from gorgeous, from looking like someone I’d want to fuck, to looking like this…” I motioned up and down at myself.

“Her Highness speaks of life previous to Rebirth?” Waz asked. “It is true that the change may be be drastic, though perhaps without suitable benefits in return.”

“What could possibly be worth looking like this?” I asked.

Waz held up a taloned finger. “Before we begin listing the numerable benefits of Her Highness’s form, let me ask, if I have your favor, but another question.” When I didn’t object, he kept droning on. He really was a talker. “Why did you gag, when Her Majesty welcomed Her Highness as Her Majesty’s own Brood, and informed Her Highness of proper means of address?”

My head was spinning with all the titles and honorifics. Why couldn’t he keep it simple? But whatev. If that is what he wanted to call me, then I’d have to just get used to that, at least as far as figuring out what he was saying. But that being said, “I will not call any woman I just met Mother. She’s NOT my mom.”

“But Her Majesty is Mother to Her Highness…”

“She didn’t raise me,” I said. “Hell, I doubt she even birthed me, though I don’t know how the fuck this place works. As far as I know, we met the first time today. She ain’t my mom. It’s fine for her to be Queen...but Mother? No...No. Just no.”

Waz remained silent for a while, looking out into space with me by his side. Finally, he shrugged. “Mysteries of Rebirth for another day, perhaps?”

“Uggggh Fine,” I said. “What about those benefits you promised to tell me about? If I have to look like Nasty McNasterson, I might as well get something for it.”

“Yes,” Waz said simply. “If Her Highness allows, I would like to demonstrate one of the most useful benefits shared by the Higher Kin.”

“Sure, yeah, whatever,” I said.

“Her Highness is certain?” Waz asked.

“I said yeah, whatever man.”

Something sharp hit my back in several places. A glance behind me showed two of Waz’s hands on me.

“Her Highness may fly,” he said as he shoved me off the balcony, off the branch, and into the void of the canopy. The branches were shooting past, faster and faster. I turned in air and gave Waz the double bird.

“Fuuuck Youuu!” I shouted at him.

“Fly!” He shouted back. “Remember your wings!”

He murdered me because I called him ugly, didn’t he? I thought bitterly as air rushed past. The ground slowly approached. The tree was that high. It felt like I was miles and miles from the ground. This was going to take a while, I thought, and I resigned myself to death.

Perhaps it was best this way, putting me out of my misery first, before I could get too attached to being this ugly-ass insect lady.

I was nudged sideways, back and forth, oscillating.

What the?!

A buzzing filled my ears, assuming I still had ears. I checked with my hands, and found holes where my ears should have been. Ugh, I was so freaking gross. Holes for ears too? Seriously?

Pressure settled on my chest and back, between the shoulderblades. There was a blur behind me. What the hell are those? As I focused on them, they stopped moving, and I could see them. Wings! I had wings! Fat dragonfly wings. Gross. But the thing about wings, if they aren’t flapping and blurring in motion, then they aren’t working. And when they stopped buzzing, I started falling again, just as fast as before.

Work wings, work! I willed them to start flapping, or whatever they called their flying action. But the more I directed thoughts at them, the less they did. I was definitely falling. Panicking now, I was fairly confident I couldn’t master flight before I went splat.

Fuck.

A white gooey string hit my shoulder and went taught, and I found myself swinging to the side, accelerating towards a large branch, where a familiar spider matron sat, reeling me in just a little too fast.