Rythica did not like the box.

  She had been inside the box several times over the course of her life. It did not matter. She did not like the box.

  Having grown significantly over the past months, she did not come close to wetting the floor as she had nearly done the first time she was inside the box. She had even grown used to the darkness of the box. Her personal servant had made it a habit to blow out the lights in the lanterns before leaving. It had been a little unsettling at first, but her instincts didn't seem to mind the large, darkened enclosure nearly as much as they had the small box. The large, shadowed room almost felt It was more a combination of the pitch black of the box and its immensely claustrophobic confines that seemed to put her on edge. It felt like she was being buried alive. At least, that's what her instincts seemed to scream to her young and impressionable mind.

  That being said, it could not be understated that

  The unnerved little bug spared no effort in making her displeasure known. From incoherent screeching to banging on the lid to even trying to claw her way out until her fingers grew sore. Yet her pleas went unanswered. She felt the box moving and knew she was being taken somewhere else, again. The girl did not like this either. She feared the unknown and just wanted to return to her nest, where it was safe.

  Blissfully, the ride ended quickly. There was a moment of disorientation as the box was tipped onto its side, making the lid of the box into a doorway. The vex promptly picked herself up off the ground and looked around frantically, despite the box still being otherwise completely unchanged. As soon as the first ray of light peered through the crack in the lid, she was already moving. Hardened chitin slammed into the solid wood as she shouldered her way out of the terrifying space. She made a personal vow to avoid all small, box-shaped objects for the rest of her life.

  Not that she was aware Randell would be using this exact same method of covert transportation to bring her back to her enclosure mere hours from now.

  Rythica, panting from adrenaline, took in her new environment with all haste. Just as she had feared, she was dragged away from her nest and into somewhere new. But, also strangely familiar? It was like she had been in this room before, but everything had been shifted around from how she had remembered it. She chittered uncertainly.

  Directly before her was a passageway, blocked with thin steel bars. It had walls made of a dull purplish wood texture that matched those in the memory of when she was much younger. She remembered the winding and branching tunnels ahead, though the memories were quite hazy. The ceiling of the narrow corridors was made of the same see-through material as the window in her nest room, though she didn't realize there even a ceiling the last time she traveled these tiny halls. Speaking of tiny, the passageway was quite a bit smaller than she had remembered. The last time she was here, she had plenty of room to stand up and move around. Now she had to crouch to avoid bumping her head on the low ceiling.

  Feeling unsure, she lingered in the entrance room; the dreaded box behind her and the barred-off tunnels ahead. Sensing her queen's discomfort, the "Julia" drone appeared above her, a worried expression on her face. She knelt, moving as close as she could to the distressed bug. The glass ceiling was still separating them, but it felt similar to her enclosure.

  "Oh, baby, are you okay?" She gave the box a contrite look. "You don't like that box, do you?"

  Rythica hissed at the box.

  "...Nu...ox..."

  As the translation ring was still in Julia's pocket, the two sounds remained garbled and borderline incomprehensible, but the sentiment was clear from the tiny monster's body language. Julia would still need to figure out how to train Rythica to wear said ring soon.

  "I know, baby, I know. It's a very mean box. I'm sorry you had to go through that horrible experience."

  The "Julia" gave Rythica a compassionate look. The drone pulled out a treat and shoved it through a small gap in the construction to help soothe the vex's twitching wings. It helped, somewhat.

  "Don't feed her. I want her hungry for these next parts. If she gets too full, she won't push herself and it'll skew the test results."

  Rythica paused her chewing at the voice of the "not-Julia." Her twitching wings started to buzz in fury. She spotted the "not-Julia" drone high above her, his hand reaching for something out of sight. In his other hand, he was holding a metal circle thing that was making soft ticking sounds. Rythica recalled the box. She recalled him grabbing her as the other one watched. He had shoved her inside that horrible place. And, for just a moment, her fury at the drone even surpassed her desire for food. As bad as the "Julia" was for making her take baths, the woman had taken care to make the process as comfortable as being drenched in water reasonably could be, even bribing her with snacks the entire time. Sure, she was still out of line, and punishment was inevitable, but the effort was noted. However, this "not-Julia" creature? He made no effort to respect her or be gentle. How dare he treat his queen so? That was unacceptable. In her heart, she vowed to punish this leech of a minion this very day.

  Her glare was so intense that the man hesitated. Immediately after, his eyes glazed over for a second before he seemed to shake off the feeling. He continued reaching down to grab whatever he was reaching for as if nothing had happened. She could have sworn she felt something in the back of her mind. So faint and so distant that she wasn't sure if she imagined it. She dismissed the feeling as it faded. Rythica refocused on the last bite of her treat and finished it off swiftly.

  "Master Randell, she's clearly agitated. Surely a small snack couldn't hurt?"

  "And you have already given her one. Besides, she'll be eating plenty over the next few hours. Now, go fill this bowl with a few bites of pork." He handed the nanny a small bowl. She took it and moved out of sight, returning a few moments later holding something the girl couldn't see from her current position.

  Rythica, still feeling uncertain of what was going on, continued to focus on her recollection of the last time she was here. It was a long time ago, perhaps around the time she met the "Julia?" She looked around, taking in the room and letting the memories of the last time she was here slowly return. She vaguely remembered roaming the twisted and confusing tunnels, hunting for something. And, right on cue, a whiff of something struck her. Fresh meat. Her antennae flickered around, trying to pinpoint the smell, but she only got a fuzzy direction. The walls surrounding her had minuscule holes in them, allowing the scent to come through from every angle. Rythica rushed to the bars blocking off the tunnels. She could tell the aroma of blood was coming from somewhere on the other side. She was still wary of the environment, familiar or not, but the promise of more food settled her nerves greatly.

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  Her senses sharpened and she focused. It was time to hunt. She pressed against the metal rods, trying to locate the scent trail beyond. She was startled when the bars were suddenly pulled upwards, but the path had been cleared, and she took off with excitement in her eyes. She could smell her target. Due to the low ceiling, her awkward crouch slowed her down, but she did not let that deter her.

  The first intersection quickly approached. Her instincts took over, and she was already moving down the left path before her conscious mind made the decision. Another twist, another turn, another junction. In her mind's eye, the entire network of tunnels was unraveling itself before her. Just like last time, this maze was revealed by her inborn instincts with perfect clarity. She honed in on her prey with impossible speed. With one final turn, the bowl of lukewarm bloodied meat was within her grasp.

  It was immensely gratifying to hunt for her own food for once. Having the food brought to her on command was nice and all, but the welling pride within her chest at clawing the victory forth with her own four hands was very much appreciated. (Not that her disobedient drones always responded to her commands, but that was irrelevant.)

  There was a soft click from above her as "not-Julia" stared at the metal circle thing and muttered something.

  "39 seconds." He scribbled something in his notebook. "One of the fastest times I've seen pass through this construct. Though, that's not too surprising for a species that spends most of its life digging underground hives."

  She ignored him as she ate the far-too-small bowl of sustenance.

  He continued speaking to himself as he paced around the room, taking notes. "Subject's time is a massive improvement over her first attempt. Previous time: 72 seconds. Exceptional navigation capabilities are likely hard-wired into her instincts, though agility still appears below average."

  "Good job, Rythica!" clapped the "Julia" with a beaming proud smile. "You did so good!"

  Rythica swallowed the last bit of the far-too-small meal. Seriously, what was with this pathetic serving size? Surely the hunting skills of the great queen weren't this bad. She sniffed around but didn't find any other alluring scenes nearby. She was distantly aware of her servant making happy sounds for some reason but she put the noisy drone out of her mind. She pouted as it became clear there was no more food around.

  The bars from earlier came back down, sealing her into the tiny room. The irate vex clacked her mandibles in annoyance at the "not-Julia" on principal as he released the latch.

  "Miss Julia, would you mind helping me rearrange the labyrinth? The walls can be removed like this." He grabbed a wooden handle and pulled up. A small segment of the wall slid out with little effort. "I have prepared a few more arrangements ahead of time."

  "Ah, yes, Master Randell. Of course." She inclined her head and rushed to obey.

  Rythica paced around the tiny room she was trapped in, growing more miffed with each passing moment. She watched the two humans work but quickly lost interest. The "Julia" would occasionally sneak over and whisper reassurances at the young vex. It did help ease her mood a little, much to the drone's delight.

  "Don't worry, we're almost done. Hang in there Rythica, okay? I know you're bored. Just wait a little longer, okay?"

  Soon after, just as Rythica was getting ready to try and gnaw her way through the bars, a pleasant aroma wafted in. Just like before, she could tell the general direction of the source, somewhere beyond the bars. She perked up, her mood lightening. She was still a bit hungry. Her earlier meal did little to fill her belly, so another hunt sounded pretty good right about now.

  And, just as before, as soon as the bars were lifted, she was off. The maze bent itself before her will, and the passages unraveled like a tangled knot slipping free with a single pull. Within a handful of heartbeats, she was already stuffing her face once again, her antennae twitching happily.

  "35 seconds." He scribbled down the number. "Alright, we'll do one more test run before we move on. Miss Julia, if you don't mind?"

  The "not-Julia" slammed the bars closed again, trapping her once more. Rythica's delighted mood was suddenly a lot less sunny. And, all too quickly, the meager few bites of meat were gone, leaving Rythica trapped, bored, and once more finding her annoyance rising at the drone who was currently scratching something in his "book." Her left antennae twitched.

  The two humans had started to rearrange the maze one last time. The "Julia" kept glancing over at the princess, noticing her once-more rising irritation and boredom.

  "Umm, Master Randell?"

  "Yes?"

  "Do you mind if I rush back to the enclosure and grab a few of Rythica's toys? She's getting a bit bored waiting for us. I'll be quick."

  He waved her off. "No, no, we're almost done here. A few minutes of waiting won't kill her."

  "But-"

  "The faster we finish, the faster she can have something to focus on. Alright?"

  "Yes, Master Randell." Her voice was a bit muted, but her pace visibly increased.

  Rythica watched the exchange. She didn't understand the words but had noticed the two communicating several times that day in a similar matter. Their body language made the dialogue clear. The "not-Julia" had a commanding air to him, while the "Julia" walked away subdued, submissive. The "Julia" had come to the small queen several times to comfort her, but the "not-Julia" kept calling her back.

  This was a challenge. It was a direct denouncement of Rythica's standing. The drone was attempting to supersede Rythica as the queen of this hive. Her rage boiled over and she vibrated in place. Her wings buzzed furiously.

  It was only the sight of the "Julia" rushing over to her that kept Rythica from exploding right then and there. The "Julia" knelt down to comfort the rightful queen of all that the light touched, and the shadows too. Clearly, drone was still loyal to her, despite the other drone's best efforts. Rythica saw that loyalty and would not spurn her for failing to stand up to that charlatan. Nay, she would reward this drone for seeing through his falsehoods and lies and returning to her queen's side. Rythica calmed. The situation was still in her control. The usurper would need to pay for their crimes, of course. But Rythica was still queen, and that despot had failed.

  Her racing heart slowed as her emotions stopped running so hot. The buzz of her wings petered out and Rythica allowed the reassuring noises of her favorite drone to wash over her. She would punish the schemer before long. But they were crafty. They placed walls and invisible barriers between them. The princess would need to bide her time and wait for the perfect moment.

  She refocused on her immediate surroundings, once against smelling the tantalizing fragrance of bloody flesh in the air. She couldn't bring herself to quite the same near-euphoric state of her previous two hunts, but she still let herself be swept up in the moment. As she watched the great deceiver open the doorway, she merely gave him a hateful glare before speeding off to track down her prey.

  "45 seconds. A bit slower. Hmm. Likely getting a bit full, so not as motivated to keep pace. Should I do another run?" He tapped his chin. "No, no. Three is enough for now. Another run today wouldn't reveal anything, and it's only marginally slower than the previous two. This is sufficient."

  "Okay!" He clapped, looking down at Rythica. He spoke as if he wasn't actually speaking her, but simply talking for the sake of talking in her general direction. "The test results were fairly in line with my predictions, but useful confirmation nonetheless. For now, let's move on to the next test. Memory!"

  Rythica continued to ignore the minion, opting to stare at the empty food bowl instead of deigning to favor this disgraced drone a shred of her attention. As a result, she was caught completely unaware when a pair of large leather gloves grabbed her and picked her up.

  She was less than pleased.

  way next chapters.

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