Captain of the Guard, Lindell

I leaned against the wall, watching the creature softly rock on the ground. Swaying to the movement of her own breathing. She seemed peaceful, as it were. Though it still had the face of my sister, and that still bothered me deep down. She gasped awake with a jolt, causing me to put my hand on my pipe. Now that it was awake, I began to wonder what it was going to do. Though I was ready for anything. She looked around as if unsure of where she was. It even had my sister's eyes, save for the fact these were glowing.

The creature seemed to focus on me, as I gripped the handle more. Calling in a flow of air, I prepared myself. Then it began clicking it's tongue to make words I had not heard in so long. The language of our village, before it fell. "Does my brother Wyatt still live?"

Blinking at it's words, I was left reeling. I did not want to believe what I heard, but I ended up uttering a, "Yes." People turning into monsters, at best had a terrible case of amnesia. The fact that she could say such a thing was revolting in a way. I wanted to slay the monster that dared to pretend it was my sister. Gritting my teeth, I watched as it smiled, closing it's eyes. Was it toying with me now?

"Good, give him a message from me please. I was his sister, Alice. Sir, kind sir, please call him moldy butt. He will know it is from me. Tell him that this was not his fault. Tell him that I love him, please sir. I might not remember him after I fall asleep again. I am losing myself, but I want to keep living for the chance to make him smile again one day." I had dealt with monsters that could make you doubt yourself before. Though none would dare call me that nickname. Did it really not know who I was?

Then it started to cry, with that same smile our mother used to give when she was hurting. It's way of speaking, and even the way her ears moved all too real. The mon... she started crying. She fumbled her words just like Alice used to do when she got choked up. "I know this sounds strange, especially if you think I am a monster now. Please grant a poor dying girl's last wish kind knight. Tell him I love him, and goodbye."

It was so over the top, so familiar. I rushed towards her, taking my hands off my weapon. If this was a trick, it was too well thought out. Too perfect for playing with my emotions. No one could fault me, but all I needed was to survive it's attack. Still some part of me desperately hoped it really was her. As I lunged towards her, I saw her arm start to give out, clear that she was about to fall. Clear that she was losing her strength. This wasn't a lie! It was her! "ALICE!" I was there to try and catch her head in an instant. She had passed out again.

I held her head, while buckling under it's weight. Falling to my knees, I cradled it, in my lap. There was no reason for that to have happened, no explanation. This wasn't a monster that would take advantage of someone's past like that. There was no way for it to have known those tender moments. Still I needed to get it examined by the oracles properly, as well as some fortune tellers and soothsayers. Only then, could I truly accept what it said to me. A part of me truly hoped it had all been a lie. If it wasn't... I might have lost her all over again.

Quickly wiping away the few errant tears that had started to well up. I pulled away, to return to my spot. It was unthinkable for the captain of the guard to give any kind of preference to a monster; no matter who they used to be. I leaned on the wall, taking the few brief moments I had to calm myself. The sound of footsteps approaching rapidly.

The kid had done what I told him to do, which was good. The priests had come with a wagon under my orders, and no one would dare lie using my name. The priests struggled, as I watched. The kid coming towards me, "Did anything happen while I was gone sir?"

I glanced towards him, before looking back to the monster. "No, nothing happened. She has been sleeping, until even now."

The kid let out a relieved sigh, "That's good to hear, I'll be going with her to the church. I don't want her freaking out when she wakes up. Especially if I am not there to calm her down."

Grabbing the kid by the shoulder, he turned to look at me again, "I will have oracles and others taking some in depth looks at her. You are Oswald's apprentice correct?"

The kid shifted unsteadily under my grip, but I didn't let him go. Finally looking at him, "Y-yes sir. Why do you need to check her so much?"

"She is a unique monster, and I need to be certain that she will not become a threat. Am I understood?" I looked him square in the eyes.

The kid seemed uncertain, and extremely reluctant for some reason. Though he nodded, "Yeah... I'll get the old... I'll go get Oswald, but if I remember correctly you two are not on good terms right?"

The nerve of this kid! Biting my cheek, I decided to loom over him. Letting him ponder just who he talked back to, "Did I stutter punk? Now go get your master and bring him to the church these priests work at. If you don't, I will remove your badge with force for allowing your 'tamed' monster near an orphanage. Am. I. Clear?"

The kid paled a bit before nodding, "Crystal sir." He ran off as quickly as his stout legs could carry him.

I turned my attention back to the priests that were still struggling. I moved to help them get this creature on the wagon.

----------------------------------------

Richard Adams

I was really starting to understand why a lot of people weren't fond of the Captain. After convincing the priests to come over with a wagon. He had the gall to threaten me after I ran what felt like a marathon. Pushing my legs one after another, I jogged towards the old man's place in the slums. At least Mimi should be safe with the captain, and I didn't have to worry about finding her a place for now.

Though I had wanted to avoid showing her to the old man. He was a loon when it came to new subjects to study. He practically turned obsessed whenever a new specimen or undocumented mutation came in. He also had a habit of collecting all sorts of unique things, which made his lab more a land fill than an actual place to do research. Which made me wonder if he kept me around because of the talent he saw in me, or if it was because I was a hybrid.

Still, it was better to see the old man sooner than later. I kept jogging until I arrived at his 'lab.' Which was just a whole bunch of abandoned buildings that were assimilated through walk ways and cheap stairs. With no one living this close to him, he just paid cheap labor to 'expand' into other buildings. Naturally the man was extremely wealthy, working directly under the king and publishing his guides to monsters. He was also the leading alchemist in all of the kingdom. Though I wondered if the king just let him get away with so much, because even by dwarf standards the bastard was old.

Checking the sun for the time, I walked up to the central door, before knocking on it hard. Taking a step back, just before the trap door fell. I let it slide back into place before opening the door. Walking into the main lobby of what used to be a hotel, I could see many taxidermy heads. All of them mounted on the wall with their names, and important advice on what to do if you saw one. Looking at the fiend head, I shivered at how close I came to death from it.

Looking away from the head, I saw the mystery stains that littered the formally red carpeted floor. This place used to belong to some kind of slum king, before the captain took it over. Now whatever nice designs it once had, were all discolored or otherwise torn. There really wasn't much furniture left over, besides the random chair for the old man to rest when he got tired of walking. Each chair held a stain, that the old man moved before sitting on it. Something about mimics, despite the fact that they were very rare in the city. Still he liked being overly cautious.

Walking up the stairs to the next floor, it was pretty much be more of the same. Save for the hotel rooms that were repurposed as make shift freezers for new specimen to be studied. One of them were likely stuffed with enough frozen meals to last a month or two. The room where the old man studied the bodies had to be walked past to get to the next set of stairs. The lay out of the building made to make someone have to spend actual time walking. Likely a security measure from the previous owner.

Finally on the third floor, I found the old goat. He was hunched over a table, mixing some liquids and swirling them around. Honing his skills as an alchemist by keeping the two separate despite their volatile nature. The trade mark of a master alchemist at work. He was able to keep his products from reacting with each other, versus keeping the reaction from going off. It gave him a lot of versatility, but also required a lot of focus. Something he had honed and trained until he had it in spades.

I softly set the satchel with my life savings on a nearby chair, while letting out a deep sigh. The bitter stench of the room all too familiar with me. I watched as the old man swirled his concoction above his head. His leather trench coat glowing along the edges with an unnatural light. His thick gloves like dark spots compared to the glass that shined as he held it. Thick green goggles with leather trim sitting squarely on his face, making him look every bit a mad scientist. Save for the hair, that is. He lacked it all atop his head, where liver spots lined his scalp. Thick wrinkles falling all over his forehead. His beard straight save for a single long braid down the middle that reached under the suit he wore under his coat. Like a living contradiction between sanity and insanity. Formal, and informal.

Oswald stopped swirling his mixture a few minutes later, before turning to me with a grin that I could barely see from the thickness of his beard and mustache that joined into one. His yellow teeth just barely showing through the hairs. "Oi lad! You finally made it back didja?"

Giving him a small smile in return, I nodded, "Yeah, and I would love to tell you about the trip, but a certain captain wants us to check on a monster."

This caused him to raise a white brow in both curiosity and disappointment. "Lad, what happened? Why do you seem so down?"

"I'll tell you later old man, you have never seen a monster like this, so get excited okay?" I tried to put some cheer in my voice, but he saw through that.

Scowling a little, he'd put his mixture to the side before grabbing his long cane with a silver spider at it's top. He took a step towards me, one of his goggles dimming to give him a single glowing green eye. The mixture behind him combusting, and letting out a black cloud that seemed to move around him as he tapped his cane. "Was the captain giving you trouble lad?"

I swallowed hard at the intimidation the old man just showed. Shaking my head, I watched as the old man seem to force the reaction back into the glass. The whole process happening in reverse. "It wasn't the captain. Just the monster I brought back, I'm worried about her."

He tilted his head, "Her? Lad, you shouldn't go about assigning genders to monsters. Especially if you don't know how they reproduce."

"That's the thing though. She saved my life, and has a chest like you wouldn't believe!" Putting my own hands in front of my chest made the old man laugh.

"Oi! You shouldn't be makin' me laugh like this lad!" He tapped his cane a few times as he kept laughing. After a few seconds, he calmed down. "Seriously though lad, what about this monster makes you worried?"

"Well the captain of the guard himself is being an ass hat and wants you to check her out. Yes, it's a her. The same captain wants to have oracles, and others look at her as well. So, I don't know what the fuck is going on. I knew you would want to see her anyway, but now it's being forced. She is unique and seems to be a dark elf that monsterized. She controls bugs, and has one the amazing ability to bring people from near death, back to life."

This managed to get his attention, "From near death, back to life you say? Got proof to back that up lad?"

I lifted up my shirt, to show him the scar that was still there. He moved closer, "I met a nasty fiend while exiled. Tried running, but it chucked a huge branch at me. I managed to dodge it, but a splinter got me good."

I jumped as he put a put his cold glove on the wound. "This wound seems old lad. Definitely not something you'd walk away from. I can see hints of intestinal tissue in the scar itself. Though I also see something like a ring? Did she use it on you more than once?"

Thinking back I nodded, "Y-yeah? I think she did it when I got sick from some freezing rain. Why do you ask?"

Tapping my head with the top of his cane, he'd pull back. "Because lad, that means she isn't using magic! Do you know what that means?"

My eyes widened, "We could recreate it, if we found out how she makes it!?" I felt a bit of excitement at this revelation. If we could make the same stuff she did, then there was no telling how many lives we could save. "I-I didn't actually look before, but I know she has stingers that look like dreadlocks."

The old man pulled back grinning, "That's where she keeps it then? Anything else I should know?"

"Nothing that I'm sure you wouldn't want to find out yourself. Her stingers grow in sets of three though, and I saw her using one set on the same fiend."

He hobbled to grab his sack, but I quickly moved ahead of him to carry it for him. He'd smile as I put the pack on my back. "You must really want to see her, if you're offering to carry all of that lad."

"Hey, I'm just being nice so you might listen to me." Grinning at him, as I felt better myself.

"Oh? Why would I listen to you lad? You're far too green and new to be bossing me around." He chuckled lightly, as I followed behind him.

"Well, I was hoping you wouldn't try taking a piece off of her? She isn't hostile, but I never actually tried doing anything to hurt her, you know? Plus, she is a monster, and she killed a fiend by herself."

"Oi lad, you can just say you have a crush on a monster. A lot of Tamers get like that." He turned to tap my badge with his cane while laughing a bit.

"Hey! It's not like that! She saved my life, I owe her some comfort don't I?" Getting a bit embarrassed myself, I huffed.

The old man just laughed, "Sure, whatever you say lad. Now where do we need to go exactly?"

"To the only church that you can trust with monsters old man."

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Ah, the church of Bo'chi then? I could see why you would do that. Not a very popular church, much less likely to have an accident with monsters. Especially since they heal the monsters under the Tamers. You always were a smart kid."

"Did you hit your head or something old man? You never gave me praise like this before."

He laughed a bit, "That's because you were always too stubborn lad. Got more dwarf in you, than you realize."

We made small talk the whole way. Mostly me telling him what happened while I was in exile, while he caught me up on his experiments. He was rather proud when I explained that his methods for getting more focus was working out for me. Though that may have just been my own pride on the subject.

Coming across the church dedicated to the god that was dedicated to healing monsters and Tamers, we saw quite a few priests milling about. It only took us a good hour or so to get here. I started to wonder if Mimi was awake. Heading up the stairs, but slowing down when I realized I was starting to leave the old man behind. I let him grab the back of the bag to help himself up the stairs. Upon reaching the top, we found a man without a shirt on flexing a single arm that looked brand new and didn't match the scars on the rest of his body. The priests seeming ecstatic, while others seemed to be carrying things into a single room. The Captain hanging just outside the room.

Looking back, I saw the old man's goggles lighting up with excitement himself. I whispered, "Did you figure out what happened?"

Oswald grinned, "It seems you were right about your monster girl. Though, I wouldn't have guessed she could help people regenerate recently lost limbs." He pointed his cane towards a wall with some splatter that was being cleaned up. "Things are about to get very interesting around here."

----------------------------------------

Alice

We were now one. The two that had been separate, were now fused into a pair of voices that would help guide my actions during times of uncertainty. I opened my eyes, to see a group of very concerned looking Richards staring at me. Sitting up, I found myself on a stone floor, with torches strewn about a room. Ropes tied around my wrists to the walls, as fresh air filtered in from above with sunlight. I was not asleep for too long it seemed.

"A-are you okay?" One of the older Richards started to ask me. I could feel something dripping from my nose as they offered me a black stained towel.

Taking the towel, I came to realize it was the blood and pus that was pushed out from the union of us. I knew I smelled pungent blood, but had not expected it to be coming from inside. I had to get it properly cleaned later, as Richard told me that nothing should crawl on someone's face. I looked to the older Richard, and nodded while wiping away the mess. I was given a wet, but clean towel to attempt cleaning the dried stuff.

Pulling at the ropes, I realized that they were tied to get tighter the more I pulled with some kind of loop. The old Richard held up his hand slowly. "Do not be alarmed, this is the church of Bo'chi. Many tamers bring their monsters here to receive aid. We may be a small religion, but our priests excel at healing your kind."

Nodding, I gave them a friendly smile. My lower arms holding my hive still. They were thankfully sleeping during everything. I looked around the room again, before tugging at the rope around my wrists.

The old Richard waved his hands in front of me. A motion that meant he wanted me to stop what I was doing. I ceased, as he seemed relieved, "Forgive us, but until your master returns we need to have you restrained. Those ropes are enchanted, and will likely sting you if you attempt to undo them."

Tilting my head at him, I looked at the ropes again. They had a very small amount of ambient energy running through them. Certainly not enough to cause me harm, but it would probably make the old Richard happy to not test them. Nodding, I tried to move my legs to find they were bound as well. Pouting a little, I rolled on my side.

The old Richard let out a content sigh, as he turned away. I could hear more of them outside my room. The other Richards slid some water and meat towards me before leaving. The old Richard was talking to someone, "I am pleased to say that the creature is restrained captain. I would advise against provoking it, unless it's Tamer is present to calm it." It bothered me to be called a creature, as if I were mindless.

"I want to try talking to it. As the Father of this church, surely you can act as an intermediary in that punk's stead?" A different Richard was talking, a slightly angrier one by the sounds of it.

"S-sir, that would be a grievous misuse of your powers. May I remind you that, you already are pushing it by having so many people coming to check this creature? Where is the Tamer exactly?" The old Richard sounded a bit nervous, but also wanted to stand his ground.

"I can carry the consequences of my actions, but can you carry the consequences of denying me?"

"I-It's not that sir! With so many rookies, we have everyone on staff today. So many creatures to tend to, and so many wounds to heal. Even our own new priests are here and accidents are more likely. I must oversee them!" The old Richard was getting more upset.

Though the young Richard was adamant about this. "Seems I must be stuttering a lot today." I could hear him leaning closer to whisper. I flicked my ears to pick up what was being said, "Need I remind you that the guards are currently overlooking the fact that your church is lining it's pockets with coin from the underground gambling rings?"

"P-please sir... we don't get tax breaks like the bigger churches do. It costs a lot to take care of so many different types of monsters and their unique needs." The old Richard was whispering back.

"I understand that, but can you manage without the illegal coin? I don't have time or the permission to crawl into the various holes, to kill this problem at it's roots. Though I do have plenty of time and extra recruits that would be more than happy to report this church if it were doing such things. Need I say more Father?"

"N-no sir, I will act on the Tamer's behalf in this instance. I trust the guard are otherwise too busy keeping our fair city safe from criminals and untamed monsters." There was still reluctance, but the Father relented. Yes, that's right, the Richards were called different things.

What sounded like a soft clap on the Father's back, was soon met with some shuffling and the young Richard walking into the room. The Father closing the door behind himself as he entered last. "Father, I trust that what I say here will not reach other ears?"

"O-of course sir." His robes rustled as he bowed.

"Very good, the creature is awake?" The Richard softly nudged my shoulder with something hard. I really didn't want to talk to someone so rude.

"Y-yes sir, and it seems to recognize words to some extent. It was able to understand when I wanted it to stop tugging on the ropes, before it hurt itself. Please do not poke it with your weapon sir, we do not wish to upset it." The Father already sounded a bit tired, as if he were dealing with a child for too long.

The Richard pulled whatever it was poking me with, away. "Alice, can you hear me?"

I moved a little to look at the Richard behind me. A young dark elf that was similar to the others in that village. It called me, by the name of one of the voices. I could feel it's joy for some reason. I couldn't help but smile a little.

This caused the Richard to look at me darkly. It changed it's tongue a bit, to speak in old words that I had trouble remembering. "Are you truly Alice?"

Blinking at the words, I softly shook my head. I was not the Alice he probably wanted me to be. "No more?" I tried speaking back to it with the words I did know. Though this seemed to upset the man more. His suit glowing with more ambient energy than the ropes themselves. It was a bit too shiny for my liking however. I paused on his glowing green eyes however. Tilting my head, a name came up, "Wyatt?"

The Wyatt gritted his teeth, as he seemed to glare at me. "What did you do to Alice!?" He thankfully kept his sentences simple this time.

Holding out two fingers on different hands, I tried my best to explain. "Mimi." Bobbing one hand and flexing one finger. "Alice." Doing the same to the other. I brought them both together, before having both thumbs pointing at my chest. "Me."

This seemed to confuse him, and he shook his head. "Did you eat Alice?"

I just tilted my head in confusion. Which seemed to anger the Wyatt, ah that's what dark elves are. They are Wyatts, not Richards. No wonder this one was so confusing and aggressive. A soldier type within the hive no doubt. Though I do not know of anything I could have done that may have provoked it.

The Wyatt was frustrated by this and wanted to say more, but a Richard screamed very loudly. This made the Father jump, and he glared at the Wyatt. He reached for the door, as the Wyatt gave the nod. They quickly rushed out of my room, not bothering to close the door. I went back to laying comfortably on my side, while workers helped to clear the blood from my nose. Now that no one was looking.

A few minutes passed, as the workers completed their task, but I could still smell blood in the air. I could hear a lot of Richard crying out to others while one sounded like it was groaning in pain. I tried to pull at the loops to find they did nothing to me. Freeing my hands, I poked my head out to see the Richards and a Wyatt gathered around a Richard that had it's arm torn off. A dead creature dragged by other Richards to it's room. It seemed the beast charged free from it's bindings into the now dying Richard. It was a shame the dead shaggy thing had it's brains so completely mashed in. I wanted to see what I could have gotten from eating it.

The Wyatt noticed me, just before I started to pull back inside my room. He held a strange bumpy thing with holes. If it could mash skulls in with that, I wouldn't want to get hit by it. Though the Richard was dying. I was torn between helping the Richard, and not provoking the Wyatt. Though the two inside seemed to agree that helping the Richard was the best action. The Wyatt was angry because a Richard was hurt, and if I made it better; that anger would be gone.

Approaching the Richard slowly, other Richards moved out of the way. They were yelling that 'another got free.' They seemed very worried while the Wyatt took a stance before me. I slowly raised my hands, "Help?" Clicking my tongue in the way it spoke to me earlier.

The Wyatt lunged at me, and I moved an arm to take the blow. Thankfully it stopped before it hit me, as if it were testing me. It seemed a little more cautious however as the other Richards were blinking. They always seemed so slow, but the Wyatt was quick. I needed to be careful not to fight it. I slowly moved towards the Richard that had the Father pressing clean rags to the Richard's torn shoulder. There wasn't much time left for the Richard.

Pushing the Wyatt away, I hurried to the Richard. The others moving out of the way, while the Father looked at me tearing up. I softly moved him aside with one arm while tearing the wrap and rags away from the Richard. He was pale from blood loss, and needed help now. The Father cried out with a 'no,' as a spurt of blood came from the Richard. The Wyatt seemed to fly somehow as the ambient energy around it was moving. I could hear it controlling the wind, and see it guiding the energy. Clearly the Wyatt was able to use powers just like the Richards. Maybe Wyatts controlled the air?

Stinging the Richard caused the dying Richard to gasp and writhe as he fell over groaning in pain. His body shaking like the other Richard's did. The Wyatt glided to me quickly, striking my forearm, as I protected my head. I almost stung him, but remembered the promise to run instead of fight. Looking back to the room I came from, I leapt towards other Richards, while the Wyatt's eyes glowed green. He flew along the ceiling taking another strike at me. I was relieved after the first strike didn't seem to leave so much as a scratch. Though the second strike held more force to it.

The Wyatt was testing me it seemed, a brilliant idea. He was trying to control how much damage he might do instead of ending me right away. Then the third strike came, which was much stronger than the second. I felt a slight ringing in my arm, as I moved under the next strike. "Please stop?"

"You killed him you filthy beast!" He took another swing, and I ducked under the strike, grabbing for his wrist. If I could take the weapon away, he wouldn't be as strong right? I was very wrong, as his fist slammed into my forearm. I felt the forth strike causing minor shakes and fractures in the armor, as I threw him back towards the healing Richard that almost fully recovered it's arm by now. He managed to stop himself, before looking at the Richard and stopping. He seemed even more confused as I quickly ran back into my room closing the door.

I shook a little because that forth strike hurt a little. It was smaller than me, but also stronger. Even when I saw the forth strike give it some pause, I saw the faintest smile as if it wanted to strike harder still. I really didn't want to lose an arm, so I put the loops around my wrists and feet again. There was a lot of movement going around outside again, some yelling from the Father, and the Wyatt yelling back. Thankfully the Richards seemed to keep it from trying to come in again. I was worried when I heard the door slowly opening.

The Father walked in, the Wyatt behind him. I showed the Father the ropes that were on my arms, and he stopped the Wyatt at the door. "Are you okay?" The Father spoke in the tongue of Richards.

I looked at the Wyatt, then the Father. "I don't want to fight Wyatt. Will run, told to run by Richard. No fighting."

The Father give the Wyatt a withering glare, before closing the door. "I told you not to keep me from my duties. We lost a Tamer's Bew because of you. We almost lost Eric, since you decided to keep me from helping the poor boy!"

"I had to put the Bew down to save him! Unless you wanted it charging down the halls and hurting others!?"

"It wouldn't have happened if you didn't force me to stand in for the Tamer in the first place! I will make damn sure your secretary hears about the damages! I don't care what the hell you say you're going to do, I am not letting you go back in there when you have already stressed enough of the monsters here out. You can sit in front of the door, but you better not even peek inside the room unless the Tamer allows it! Now I have to go fix the problems you caused, because you couldn't be bothered to wait! Unless you want more priests to almost die!" The Father was panting after his rant, clearly tired.

Thankfully the rant seemed to diminish the Richard's desire for pursuing me further. As he seemed to mutter a heartfelt, "Understood." I could hear him regretting his actions a bit, but it was too late for that.

I held the ropes in front of me as the door opened again. Just in case the Richard tried to sneak in past the Father who seemed a little confused seeing me with the ropes in front of me. He closed the door softly behind him, and I moved the ropes away. "How did you get free from the ropes?"

I pulled on the loop, and slid one hand free. This caused the Father to scratch his chin, muttering something about vampires not being able to do such. I looked at the water, and started to drink a little from the bucket. Then I started to lick the small cracks on my forearm, small divots that bled slightly from where I was punched. This seemed to cause the Father to wince a little.

"How are you feeling? What did you do back there?" He was almost cooing with his words. Trying to seem passive, but he did not fool me. This Father was scary enough that a Wyatt would back down. The wrinkles and it's hunched over stance must make it a different creature from the Wyatts and Richards. I was happy I assigned the name Father to it.

Not wanting to get into another fight, or even see what kind of beast this Father might be when angered enough. I gently set the bucket beside me. My healing already stopping the bleeding. Though I was going to lose the chitin on my left arm because of the Wyatt. I rubbed it a little, before looking at the Father's feet. "I want my Richard, where is he? He said he would help me, but the Wyatt attacked."

The Father seemed shocked by how many words I knew. Richard himself was more than happy that I knew so many. The Father scratched his chin as if thinking some more. "You helped someone under me. Thank you for that, I do not know where your tame... Richard is. Though the Wyatt said he would be coming soon."

Smiling at this, I nodded, "Yes, I helped Richard. He was hurt, so I heal. Richard says I heal good. Richards like healing. Wyatt was angry because Richard was hurt. Want to help, but Wyatt attacks Mimi. Do not like Wyatt, will not heal."

The Father raised a brow, as he seemed to understand what I was saying. Clearly they were better speakers than Wyatts. The Father pointed a finger to himself with a small laugh as if he figured something out. "Am I a Richard?"

Shaking my head, I looked at his wrinkled face, "You are Father. Wyatt called you Father. You guide Richards, and scare Wyatts when angry. Don't scare Mimi please." I tapped my chest a little to let him know I was Mimi, even if I went by Alice when Wyatts asked.

This caused the father to chuckle softly, as he nodded. "Very good, I will not scare Mimi. Mimi is nice, so Father is nice." He pressed his hand to his chest to show that he really was father, and that I was right to think so. Tricky tricky, but I knew better. "Mimi is so nice, father will give Mimi something good. What does Mimi like?"

Letting out a happy chirp, I answered honestly, "Hearts and brains. Richards cook meat well too. Warm places, keeping hive safe. If Wyatt hurts hive, I hurt Wyatt."

The Father held up a hand, telling me to stop. "I will see if we cannot get you anything that is cooked. We might have a few pickled hearts, will that be okay?"

Tilting my head in confusion, I had to ask. "Pickled? Hearts are good."

The Father nodded, and left. A few moments passed, and Richards were coming into my room with hearts suspended in a clear green goo! Richard might have to be careful, because the Father was very nice as well.