Alexa's eyes scanned the darkness, her ears alert. Every now and then, she would hear the skitter of a bug or the hiss of a snake, making her jump and sending her heart racing. But there was nothing to fear. This place had been thoroughly purged. Just common insects and forest critters, coming to claim the now unoccupied territory.

  Eventually, she reached the first chamber. It was a small room, maybe six meters across, with a large hole in the middle that descended deeper into the earth. The room was littered with bones, the bodies of fallen adventurers or travelers that wandered too close. A thick layer of ash had settled over the piles, and the air was thick with a foul odor. The room itself was also coated in a thick layer of dried and charred gore from the purge. The room was covered in a fluid as black as pitch and stunk like rotten meat mixed with tar. She covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve to keep from gagging. This place had seen a lot of death on both sides.

  She kicked around a few of the bone piles but found nothing worthwhile. She stepped carefully over the disgusting layer of the dead hive and made her way to the pit. It was about three meters in diameter, and had rough, sloped walls, forming a tunnel down. She lowered herself down and slid down to the next chamber. Her feet slipped in the slickness of the fluid, and she fell to the ground, her hand sinking into the muck. She gagged in disgust, wiping her hand on her pants. She slowly stood up, trying to ignore the smell and the way her skin crawled. She couldn't help but grimace a bit at the sensation of the slime on her skin.

  She continued onward, making her way through the hive. The tunnels were long, winding, and confusing, and it took her a long time to find her way around. The further she descended, the more Vex corpses she found. The rooms and halls grew wider, the creatures larger and more varied. There were no more skeletons. The army had done a thorough job, purging every trace of life. The occasional human corpse was mixed among the piles, the armor and clothing easily recognizable.

  Alexa snatched a few of the more intact bits of armor on the bodies that were left behind, hoping to resell the parts to a blacksmith or something. It wouldn't be worth much, but she still had plenty of room in her bag. She took what she could and moved on.

  As she delved deeper, the tunnels became more and more maze-like. Worried about losing her way, she started drawing arrows in the dirt to help her find her way back. She was getting tired and her torch was starting to flicker out. Soon, it would be too dark for her to continue searching. She needed to head back. A short while later, she finally found something promising.

  A pile of junk. It was the largest pile she'd seen in the nest, at least three meters tall, and just as wide. It was made up of various items, from pots and pans to old weapons and armor. It seemed that the Vex had been a bit more selective with their collection this deep in the hive. The pile wasn't all just random bits of garbage anymore, it was actually filled with a fair number of potentially useful objects. Nothing of any true value, of course, the pile had clearly already been looted thoroughly, but a few bits and bobs remained that she could sell. She approached the pile and began to rifle through it, pulling out anything that might have survived the intense flames. She set the torch on the ground nearby, its light casting flickering shadows on the walls.

  It took quite some time to rifle through the entire thing, grabbing only the most valuable-looking crap. She even managed to exchange a few of her previous acquisitions for more promising loot. Overall, however, the trip was a complete letdown. Even when only carrying the best stuff, her bag filled to overflowing with random items, she doubted she would earn more than ten delwin for the lot.

  Still, at least she would have something to show for her efforts, she supposed. She was about to turn around and leave the nest when her eye caught something. She never would have noticed it, normally. But the torch had been flickering dimmer and more infrequently. And by pure chance, she noticed a discrepancy in the shadows. It was so well hidden that it was almost invisible to the eye.

  A false wall. It was just behind the pile of scrap and had gone completely unnoticed until now. Alexa's heart skipped a beat; excitement and fear filled her. She had no idea what was in that hidden chamber, but something in the back of her mind told her that she needed to see it. That she needed to know.

  She pulled a rusted knife out of the pile and dug into the dirt, carving out a hole just large enough for her to crawl through. The gap opened up into a small cavern. The chamber was nearly empty save for a single Vex corpse. A hive queen's corpse.

  Like most vex, the humanoid figure looked like an odd hybrid between a human and an insect.

  Alexa's heart raced as she saw it. The queen subtypes were the most terrifying type of Vex in a nest. Not for their strength, or raw power, or numbers. But because they were the brains of the entire operation. They were the true threat in any Vex nest. A single queen could take control of any drone with their mind, directing the entire hive telepathically. They were no more dangerous physically than a human, but they were smart. And when they could summon a hundred drones out of nowhere with a mere thought, they were not easy targets to fight by any means.

  Though this hive was already dead. There were no drones left to control. The crippled warrior took in a deep breath and forced herself to relax.

  She also noticed there was no detectable Aura from the corpse. Not even the smallest hint of Mana radiated off the body. She was no expert on monsters, but she had always assumed that these things were supposed to be a rather high level and have a pretty intimidating presence. Instead, it was almost as if all the Essence had been completely drained out. Weird.

  She approached the body. This one was not burned, unlike the rest of the hive. This room was never discovered, apparently. However, given the wounds the Vex wore, the queen had likely tried to escape and hide in this room, only to die of her injuries. The corpse was already starting to rot, and the smell was overwhelming. She nearly threw up just from being near it. But, her eyes weren't focused on the rotting corpse. No. She was looking at the single egg next to the body. It was the size of her fist and still shone with health and vitality. She knew instantly what it was.

  A hive queen egg.

  She had no idea why the corpse was alone in the room. Normally, queens were well protected by their drones at all times. This one had died hidden away and alone, sealed in from the outside, and only laid a single egg. She couldn't even begin to imagine why. Perhaps, as the queen was dying, the egg was a last attempt to save her species. It made a sort of sense, she supposed. She hoped its death was slow and painful. A vision of Johnathan appeared in her mind, skewered through by the Vex reaper. The ember of fury still burnt brightly in her heart.

  Her attention returned to the egg. Alexa had already raised the rusted and dull knife, prepared to destroy the egg before it could hatch and bring another accursed Vex into this world. But against her better judgment, she hesitated.

  A thought had crossed her mind. A stupid, stupid thought that was surely born from trauma and anger.

  The egg could be worth a fortune. In the right market, that is. It was a hive queen, after all. The rarest Vex subspecies by far. And the most dangerous. Anything dangerous always had a buyer.

  A fully matured Vex queen dropped in an enemy nation could slaughter thousands of civilians, and redirect the attention of entire battalions of soldiers, turning the tides of a battle. It was a cruel tactic, but it wasn't unheard of.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Collectors were known to pay a fortune for exotic beasts and other monsters. Kept in gilded cages to show off to guests. And of course, there was always a place for collections with academia. The study of monsters was essential to know how to defeat them.

  There was always a buyer for this kind of treasure.

  Alexa struggled with herself. This was beyond stupid, even in her irrational, emotion-fueled haze, she realized that. She couldn't count how many laws she would be breaking by smuggling this egg into the city. She would be executed for treason, full stop. And that wasn't even counting all the damage that could be done by the Vex itself should it escape or, stars forbid, be purposely released. This was absolutely not something she should do.

  And yet... And yet she remembered her promise. She would fix things. She would take care of them all. And this egg would be the ticket to make that happen.

  One sin and that little girl would never know hunger or pain again. Just one more stain on her conscience, and her friends' families would live a life of luxury. And so could she.

  She would never take another quest. She couldn't... Not anymore. Maybe it was time to finally retire.

  The weary woman glanced down at the knife in her hand. She let her grip loosen, letting the blade fall to the cavern floor. Then, with a shaking hand, she picked up the egg. The thing was warm to the touch. She shivered as a wave of revulsion rippled through her. But, she didn't let go. She wrapped the egg in an old shirt from her pack and tucked it carefully away before turning to leave. It was time to go home.

  She was done.

  In her emotionally exhausted mental state, she never noticed the faint Aura coming off the egg.

  The wagon rocked and swayed on the rough road, its wooden wheels creaking and groaning as it bounced over every stone and bump. The horses pulling it snorted and huffed, their hooves clattering on the ground. Alexa was sitting in the back of the wagon, her back pressed against the side of the cart. She had her eyes closed, trying to sleep. Her arm was still covered in bandages, and her ribs were still aching, but the pain had mostly faded. Despite two days of recovery, she still looked like hell. She felt like it, too.

  The sun was setting as the distant city of Saltbrook came into view. The walls were tall, almost overwhelming in their scale and presence. They stretched for many kilometers in either direction and stood forty meters high. Smoke from the massive city beyond could be seen rising into the sky. It had been Alexa's home for a few years now. She wasn't a native of Saltbrook, but the city was prosperous. Full of opportunities. She had traveled far when she first started adventuring, and this was one of the few cities that had a warm, temperate climate. It was a place where even a foreigner with a different accent could find work. Her team never stayed in the area for more than a few months at a time, always out on some mission or another. But they seemed to keep finding their way back here in the end. It called to her in a way other places never could.

  She knew the city well. The winding streets, the market squares, and the grand cathedral that dominated the skyline. It was a place she knew, and yet, for the first time, she suddenly felt like a stranger here. She was alone. She clutched the strap of her bag tightly.

  As the caravan finally passed through the gates, the woman didn't hesitate to hop down and abandon the procession. Her sore feet took her off the main road and down a cascade of seemingly random alleyways. She didn't want any prying eyes following her. Not with the egg still in her pack. So, she had to be careful. It would take her longer, but she could make it to her destination without drawing attention.

  After nearly two hours of walking, she finally made it to the seedier part of the city. The buildings here were old and run down, their windows cracked and boarded up. She was not a regular in this area, but she had traveled this route a few times. There were few better places to collect information for riskier missions, after all.

  Alexa paused in front of an unassuming door on a narrow street. She knocked three times, paused, and then knocked twice more. After a moment, the door swung open, and a man appeared from behind it. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had a scraggly beard. He wore a dirty robe, and he smelled of alcohol. His hair was messy, and his skin was pale. The man didn't speak as he looked at her.

  Alexa spoke up. "I've come to sell a copper fish." She said. The code phrase was common knowledge for anyone who knew about the local black market.

  He nodded and stepped aside, letting her in. She entered the house and walked into a small living room. The place was filthy, the furniture worn and stained. A fire crackled in the hearth. There were no other occupants in sight.

  The man walked towards the corner, pushing aside a worn and stained chair, and shifted away the puke-smelling rug under it. There, a trap door was revealed. He lifted the door and motioned for her to enter. She nodded and stepped down a short set of stairs, and the trap door was shut behind her.

  The steps led much further down than the scale of the building would indicate. She had to be at least three stories underground by the time she reached a narrow, claustrophobic passageway. The tunnel led on for half a kilometer before ending in a sudden door. She opened it and stepped through.

  On the other side was an enormous underground bazaar. There were hundreds of people there, buying and selling everything from drugs to weapons to exotic beasts. Every single person hid their face, and she was no exception. She had tied a rag around her face, covering everything but her eyes. A long winter cloak was draped over her shoulders like a cape and covered her bulging pack.

  The atmosphere was tense, as it always was in this area. People constantly glanced back over their shoulders, paranoia running rampant. Many people had one hand near-constantly on the hilt of a blade, ready to draw at a moment's notice. The only reason this market had ever existed was because of its secrecy, and no one wanted to be the idiot who brought it to the guard's attention. But trust was not something the people here tended to share.

  Alexa walked through the crowd, her cloak pulled tightly around her body. She kept her head down and her hand to herself. She passed by many carts and stalls, scanning for anything that looked like a potential buyer for her... goods. Eventually, she found what she was looking for. The stall was selling various exotic monster eggs and hatchlings in cages, all from various dangerous species, both local and foreign.

  The merchant was a middle-aged woman with a severe expression and a sharp tongue. Alexa approached her and cleared her throat, getting the merchant's attention. One glance at her crude and worn attire, and the merchant visibly dismissed her. "You seem to be in the wrong place, girl." The woman spoke. Her voice was laced with contempt. "Cheapest merchandise is 200 standards a piece."

  Alexa gritted her teeth at the dismissiveness. "I'm not looking to buy. I have something to sell."

  The old woman raised an eyebrow, curious. "Is that so?"

  The former warrior pulled off her bag and carefully fished out the bundle of cloth containing the creature in question. Slowly unwrapping it, which was quite difficult to do with a single hand, she exposed the hive queen egg.

  The merchant focused intently on it, before pulling in a sharp gasp. Her eyes flickered up to Alexa, full of both judgment and greed. "Vex egg, still fresh. But not a common drone." It was a statement, not a question. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Is this what I think it is?"

  Alexa didn't answer. She didn't have to. Instead, she just held the woman's gaze.

  The woman huffed. "You've got a hell of a spine, bringing that here." She said. Her eyes scanned the surroundings. "If the city guard ever got whiff of that thing..."

  "They didn't."

  The woman glared at her. "I'm aware. If they did, you'd already be hanging from a rope. So, let's get to business." She glanced down at the egg, her eyes flickering. "How much?"

  "Five thousand."

  The elder wheezed, incredulous. "Five thousand?! Have you gone mad, girl?" She hissed. Her eyes narrowed. "Even if I had the money, you don't have the leverage to demand a price that high. I ought to shout and call the guards on you right now for such a ridiculous request."

  Alexa shook her head. "No, you won't. You and I both know this thing is worth at least that much to the right buyer. If anything, I'm offering this at a fraction of what it's worth."

  The older woman scoffed. "If you're offering it at such a 'steep discount' why even bother? Just take it to a collector. Get a better offer." Her tone was dismissive.

  Alexa didn't relent. "Well, if you don't want it, then..."

  "Oh don't give me that shit. We both know you aren't going to walk away. I see that desperate look in your eye." She crossed her arms. "I'll give you 600 standards for the egg. Take it or leave it."

  Alexa glared at her, but she didn't have much room to negotiate. She gritted her teeth. "Three thousand, paid after you find a buyer. Otherwise, I take my chances with finding a buyer directly."

  The merchant was silent for a second, seeming to judge whether or not Alexa was bluffing. She wasn't. Eventually, the woman sighed and put her face in her palm. "Fine, girl. Three thousand, paid out after the sale. You've got yourself a deal."

  Alexa nodded, feeling both relief and intense disgust at herself. She had basically just handed a living weapon to the highest bidder. Whatever came of this, any blood spilled, any lives lost, it was on her head.

  As she signed the magically binding contract, handing over the egg, she tried hard not to think of what kind of hell she might have just unleashed upon the world.