Mimi

My scouts took hours to find the cave the vampires were hiding in. The sun was just starting to set, which made it a perfect time to have some fun. No one had been foolish enough to open the storehouse, but just in case I used a bit of silk to bind the doors. An escort entered my shadow, then I realized the cave would be wonderful for setting up an auxiliary hive. Something more than a node, a place for giants. Rations were placed into the shadows between my wings and body.

I smiled to myself as I teleported right in front of the cave's entrance. The sun still setting, as my shadow stretched towards the nearby pile of dried razor mouths. They were starving vampires, and they very much noticed my sudden appearance. I could feel less than a hundred minds, most of them very confused. A single step into the threshold of the cave was met with their domination surging towards me.

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Mimi, The Body

Like grains of sand adding themselves to the desert, I did not fear their domination. The darkness of the cave was nothing before me, as I took another step inside. Over a hundred bodies, as it appears the ghouls were not counted. I chuckled to myself, as the 'me' in the Hive relayed what was going on inside my head. Each vampire body that tried to dominate my mind was frozen, while others huddled around. A few were smart enough to run down the winding tunnels. "Kneel, peasants."

I waved my hand at them dismissively, the ones under my control kneeling in unison. Their fear was growing, as both vampire and ghoul stared at me with wide eyes when over half their number knelt at my command. I slowly clapped my hands for them, "Those of you still here are very lucky. Your comrades that are kneeling, they're playing a little game with me~" It felt wonderful to stand before these creatures. It was soothing, considering everything that had happened in that village.

The confusion was evident, before one boldly spoke up, "W-what did you do!?"

A wagged my finger, letting out a small tsk. "Out of all the questions, no it is silly that you even thought to ask. You see, you are in no position to negotiate. I pity you, I truly do." I tilted my head back to look down on the one that spoke up. "You found signs, you smelt blood in the air. Your ghouls are starving, and you are all so very thirsty. The village you were going to attack tonight, they begged you to drink their blood. You are all so hungry, what choice did you have?"

One of the vampires used their blood to summon a fireball. I let it hit me, using my control over fire to guide the flames away from myself, harmlessly. I laughed, before spreading my wings. My escort crawled out of my shadow in a terrifying display. "Do you truly wish to fight me?" I waved at the offending vampire, "Seize him!" Ten bodies burst into motion, grabbing the kicking and screaming vampire. "Bring him to me." The bodies complied.

Mister talker swallowed hard with every other vampire in the room. The ghouls cowering, while even more retreated into the winding tunnels. "What do you want?" He tried to keep his voice level, but it cracked from fear. I grinned at him, causing the poor thing to flinch.

I spread my upper arms wide, while my lower hands were clasped together in prayer. A single larva was pulled from my shadow, one of the five hundred I always kept on me just in case. "I want so many things, but let me tell you what you're dealing with. Vampires are hunters of men, born from their own blood. Cursed to drink the blood of their former kin, in order to survive. Every last one of you is a monster." I took special note of those few that shook their heads. "Every creature has a predator," I put my hand on my chest. "I am a monster that devours other monsters."

Their fear had reached its peak, as some of the weaker-willed vampires collapsed to their knees, shaking. I held up a finger, as those still in control of themselves watched my every move. "You may yet be spared." The entire cave stared at me, all of them waiting with bated breath. "If you attack me, you will suffer." A scout put the larva in the vampire's ear. It began to change to a jitterbug. "Please, observe what I mean."

The ghouls came closer, the vampires still in front of them. The one that tried their little attack began screaming a few seconds later, the others pulling back. I closed my eyes, savoring their fear through the eyes of my escort. I put a finger on the vampire's forehead, drawing circles. Their body began to seize before the audience as I hummed the catcher's tune. The screaming stopped as the head violently shook, mouth-frothing, as their eyes rolled into the back of their head. A groan escaped my volunteer's lips, as their skull fractured. Four dreaded stingers fell to their shoulders.

"Unable to truly die, completely under my control. I eat; mind, body, and soul." I grinned as every vampire and ghoul stumbled away from me. "Gary, be a dear and take a bow for such an excellent performance." The vampire formerly known as Gary got up and did a bow. Their eyes stared at their former comrades, blankly. "Excellent, now stand there by the wall." I dismissively waved him in the direction. He did so, kneeling towards me.

"Monster," came in hushed whispers as even more fell to their knees. Only a dozen remained standing, as the ghouls broke down in tears.

I grinned, looking at everyone in the cave. My mere gaze was enough to make them flinch and squirm. "Correct, I am a monster among monsters. You might be asking yourselves, why is this happening?" A lot of them nodded, desperate for answers. Others trying to appease me in some small way. All of them clinging to life despite what they became. The sun finally set, as I assumed my combat form. The smarter ones grew even more terrified as they made the connection I wanted them to. "I'm upset with the Count that led your army. He is very much alive, and I want you all to send a message for me."

Everyone was left stunned, murmurs of, "The Count is alive?" and, "I knew it." Some even started laughing madly. I clapped my hands to silence them.

"Yes, your Count is very much alive behind the walls of Eclipse. He took one of my children from me, for lack of a better way to explain it." I waved my hand dismissively, "That doesn't matter too much, what does matter is the message. Repeat after me; The Queen wants her color back." They were confused but repeated it, "Again." They said it again. "Ingrain it upon your very hearts, tell it to every vampire you meet. Again!" They chanted it, some outright screaming as I pinched the air and drew a line for silence.

"Good, those of you standing before me are the smarter ones. For whatever reason, you didn't try to dominate the mysterious monster that suddenly appeared outside your little cave. Any ghouls with their master kneeling before, put your hands on them. Any other ghoul I want you to stand in a line behind your master." I clapped, "Get to it."

A few minutes passed as the ghouls shuffled around, "Those of you touching a kneeling master, you belong to me now. Your master attacked me, but I will not turn you. You have helped these vampires come this far, and I want you to continue serving your masters as they will serve me. Drag them here, and be quick about it." I looked at the ghouls standing behind those still standing. "I will show you the same mercy as those you stand behind. Your blood will pay for your salvation, as you feed the vampires I will turn into teleporters."

They all seemed very confused, and I grinned as half of them soiled themselves from the eight-body teleporter that suddenly appeared behind me. "I will teleport all of you to the walls of Eclipse, but only after you remember the message and promise to tell it to every vampire you meet for the next week. I have all of your scents, I will remember your faces. If the Count doesn't hear my message, I will find you with my other children behind the walls of Eclipse. You will be made to suffer just like Gary over there. Am. I. Clear?"

They all quickly nodded, stopping once I clapped my hands, "Wonderful." I put my hands on the teleporter, "Think about it, weeks' worth of travel, all of that suffering gone. I made this from your kind. The twenty-five of you still here, ghouls included, can make it to safety. All for the price of a simple message being delivered. The ones kneeling, they are already dead. Their fate is to become one of these, or like Gary. Bring me the ones that tried to flee from me, so I may tell them their fate."

There was hesitation until I ordered the kneeling vampires to stand and line up before me. How many years had passed since these poor souls tried to dominate my mind? What kind of game were they enduring in my Wonderland? I knew I would find out as the sun rose once more. The first runners came in and were told to sit and wait for the rest. They were told by their retrievers that attacking me would result in a fate worse than death. My escort spread out, to find a proper spot for a nest.

It took an hour for all fifteen runners to sit before me, all of them terrified as they looked at me. I ignored their requests, as they begged me to tell them their fate. It was annoying enough that I had Gary respond with the same answer every time they asked. "You will find out when the Queen deems fit to tell you." Thanks, Gary.

An army of one hundred fifty brought to their knees before me. Only twenty-five would make it to Eclipse, the other one hundred and ten would serve me in one way or another. Which left these fifteen sitting before me. A smile crept on my lips, as I figured out what I'd have them do. Gary moved back to his spot, "You ran, you abandoned your comrades." I pointed to each one, as they hung their heads low. "Had you stayed, I would have allowed you to leave with the same message."

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I tapped my lips, letting the words settle in. A couple looked at me with pleading eyes, others simply keeping their heads low. "You made the correct decision with the information you had. I offer you a choice, you may serve me, or you may work under me until you save enough to go wherever you wish."

Confusion spread among all their little faces, as I crossed both arms. "This is not a trick, there will be a battle tomorrow. You will follow the vampires that kneel into battle. Your job isn't to kill, but to make certain that no villager is slain. If you choose to run, I shall not stop you. You will not be allowed to teleport to Eclipse with the others, and I will kill you if you stay in my territory."

"You're a liar!" One of them suddenly got bold, "She's going to kill us all, can't you see!?"

I put a hand on his head, "Shush." Like a mother quieting an insolent child. "If I decided to kill you all right now, you would be dead already. I have no reason to lie to you. I won't ask you to kill anyone, in fact, it's the opposite. You're protecting the villagers, and that's just to prove you're willing to serve. After that, I'll have you hunt the local beasts to feed the ghouls that will provide you with their blood. I might think of another use, but not tonight."

The vampire stared up at me, doing their best to look defiant. I couldn't pretend to understand it, now was the worst time to do this. Another spoke up, "C-can we use the teleporter if we work hard enough, M-Mistress?"

I smiled at the adorable vampire, realizing where they stood. "Yes, if you work hard enough you may request as much. This cave will become something more. All you need to do is take care of my bugs and hunt enough beasts to keep them fed. If you wish to become a vampire like Gary, I will make it happen. Though not in the same way, you will gain power and control over your hunger on a level you didn't know was possible. You will retain your memories, and be given more work to do. You will be allowed to leave at any time, even right now. All you have to do is run past me. Though the forests have proven rather dangerous to a small group of vampires, haven't they?"

A few nodded, while a couple others shuddered. "This offer also extends to those sending my message. If the Count receives it and makes his move, then you are free to search for my children in the Underground. You'll find them rather easily if you gather in the Eastside by the brothels. Why serve a Count, that has led you on a death march and failed to provide you with a safe way home? Why do that, when you could serve a Queen?"

There were a few murmurs, that stopped as soon as I waved my hand. "When I have deemed the attack sufficient, I shall make my appearance. By all means, you are free to stay and fight. You may die on the battlefield if you so choose, or you can run away and continue your little death march back to the walls of Eclipse. The ones that placed their trust in me shall be there and will greet you. I don't particularly care, but I feel the best option is to retreat back to this cave. Then you can drink ghoul blood, hunt beasts to feed the ghouls and bugs, and finally get as close to home or wherever it is you want to go. It may take months, it might even take years, but that is nothing compared to the centuries you might be able to live. Under my rule, you do not have to ask if you will survive. If you are worth something, I will keep you alive. I will listen to you and consider your opinions. You have a choice, even now."

I stepped to the side, letting them see the night sky behind me. To their credit, not one made a move to run past me. I wrapped my wings around myself, my helmet receding. "You have much to consider, do not tell the others what we discussed once they wake up. They are already dead as far as you lot are concerned. They will know very well that they must attack tomorrow night. They will wake once the sun rises, that will be the end of your discussions, so reach an agreement before then. Remember, I have no reason to lie to you. Even if only five of you remain to carry my message, I won't hunt the others down." I bowed, "Until we meet again."

The escort was left behind, as they got busy making breeders for the nest. Scouts watched the group, and I heard their arguments. The one that tried to be defiant had already ran out of the cave, even after I brought the teleporter with me. I sent feedback to the Hive version of myself, rejoining it after everything was sanitized. I decided to let my body rest since we'd carry our wagon away in the dead of night.

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Mimi, The Queen

The wall of domination hit us, and I latched onto the connections. I pulled one hundred and ten minds into my own. Either Dixon didn't know how to count or he just rounded down. That, or perhaps only one hundred of these were going to attack. The mind of each vampire was pulled from their bodies, and basic functions were handed to the Hive version of myself. The body made them kneel in an amusing jest at my chosen title. A sprawling field that had been cleaned suddenly stretched out before me.

The minds were given form, as I sat atop the little wall protecting the village. All of them were confused beyond words. Each of them looked around in panic as they stood under the light of my artificial sun. My voice carried into each of their ears, as I whispered. "Greetings. You all made a terrible mistake."

Each of them jumped from my words, all of them finding their gaze filtering towards me. Their mouths moved, as they tried to speak, but I didn't allow it. I felt their questions coming to me as soon as the thought formed. Some were more clever than others, as they tried to influence the mindscape around them with their domination. I hummed, letting them tire themselves out while I just sat atop my wall. There was plenty of time after all.

Those of them that tried to move, found themselves stumbling and falling over. They were unused to thinking about every muscle they had to use. They didn't understand how to think before every action. I laid back, basking in the artificial warmth I created. The stars were hidden behind the brilliant light. "We're going to play a little game. The first one to touch the wall beneath me shall have all their questions answered. The last one shall be made an example."

I savored the sudden panic that came from all of them. "Normally I would have made individual rooms for each and every single one of you. I would have spent my time breaking you down to your basest parts. I don't feel like doing that, and having so many at once is a rare opportunity. Oh, that's what awaits the last one of you to touch the wall. Just so you know. We'll spend centuries together, just the two of us." I let out a small hum as a few of them managed to start crawling.

"If you just lay down, and I get bored, then I will count more than one of you as the last to touch my wall. Hurry, and maybe one day I'll let you all speak." It was relaxing to watch the former men and women start crawling on the ground like bugs. That was the fun thing about vampires, they were either cowards too afraid to die, or they embraced their newfound status as a monster. Those that could never kill another, or wouldn't drink the blood of another. Well, they killed themselves to spare those around them. There was no such thing as a decent vampire because they all needed to feed. The first drink often resulted in the death of another, because through the death of another they finally felt full.

They may be victims of my cruelty, but every last one of them was a killer. Hours passed, as not even a second moved in the outside world. I was more curious to see how long I could keep this going. Though the stress on my Hive was minimal, as I found the optimal dilation to work with. One second would be three years, a few hours down, only one hundred eight thousand years to go. I smiled to myself, assuming night would last only ten hours.

It was going to be so interesting to see how their minds adapted and struggled to grasp how long I'll be forcing them to play with me. How would they change, when put back in the real world? They'll spend lifetimes well past their age stuck here. They still wouldn't perceive an entire day the way I did. Each bug in my Hive perceives every second as an individual. A Hive that stretched all the way to the walls of Eclipse, the numbers measured in the millions. We would be in the tens of millions if I was connected to those in the Underground and within the walls themselves.

It was the paradox I cheated, filtering through all that information with my bugs. Now, I was taking these souls and minds on a march all the way to Rose's garden to the East of Eclipse. Her outposts were growing slowly, but they finally managed to make a bridge between my nodes and herself. All these souls brushing against those bugs we occupied, just for the infinitely small chance another personality might emerge. From the escort, through the scouts, we occupied their very minds as information traveling slowly through the Hive's network.

Our journey would span the entire night, not even a second having passed yet. It took the first vampire five hours in our dilation to touch the wall. He was set back to the start, told to do it again, but quicker. His questions came, as the answers left him bewildered. More touched the wall and were teleported back without answers. Only the thought to touch it again, but faster. The few idiots that tried to crawl away, or had just laid there were given a special room and tortured for a decade. Light punishment for not playing my little game.

The first year passed, as every vampire had learned to walk. They all knew what was happening by now, each of them having touched the wall first, at least once. They understood that I was training them. They were being forged into loyal warriors, those that lost their minds marked for death during our little game. They would be conditioned to serve me, and they would receive the swift mercy of death if they were useless. Those that succeeded, would become elite vampires serving under Mark.

It was all so very simple, the true fun would start when they began fighting the defenders. I received information from the Hive version of myself, about how Di'Rex's training with the others was going. They had been at it since before we entered the cave. Once they were able to run, the true game would begin.

Months passed, as I allowed the mercy of a day and night cycle. Every vampire knew how to run, now they had to dodge arrows let loose by novices that barely knew how to aim. When they took enough damage, they would die and restart. The baseline was set for how long they had to reach the walls, with those that failed being punished. They would feel more pain from the arrows striking them, while if they gave up they would be brought to the private room for another decade of torture. They were taught that giving up wasn't an option, their minds pushed closer to their limits as they struggled.

The second year passed, and I informed them all that not even a second passed in the world outside. The first couple broke, kneeling while begging for death. There would be no mercy, but I let them recover through talking and spending a month drinking blood from the ones firing arrows. A small reward, to goad them into surpassing their limits. I didn't need all of them to become elites. The simulation would have many of them dying, and quite a few were meant to die during the real attack.

The third year passed, and a point system was introduced. They were told this, while I submitted all important information to the Hive version of myself. Everything these vampires knew, was willingly given by this point. Many of them outright begged me to kill them. Examples were made, and such dissent was no longer heard. They now understood they would die when I felt like allowing it.

Centuries passed, as the vampires were made to climb the wall. They were moving more efficiently, most of them barely thinking by this point. The combination of rewards and torture was molding them. Their memories had been taken, and I deemed only ten worthy of surviving the entire ordeal to become elites. Those ten were given the privilege to talk and order their own groups. I smiled to myself, as the true game could finally begin.