Nana very slowly woke from her stupor, only to find Rei standing over her. The girl was tensed for combat, one hand on her blade and nervously shuffling her while she tried to find a good position to defend both herself and Nana. For a moment Nana wondered what the odd taste in her mouth was, smacked her lips a few times, then sat up and found out what had Rei so on edge.

“Oh,” she said, pushing her hair from her eyes and looking around, “That’s new.”

She pulled herself to her feet by Rei’s wrist, flinching when she felt the sharp pain in her hip. Even though she knew whatever hurt her probably required direct attention, she took her time to look at the Pagga that surrounded them. Most were armed with light throwing spears and they were as colorful as they were numerous, though one blatantly stood out. Thinner than the rest and a skin that was so green she might have mistaken it for a plant. Red bands wrapped around its arms and legs and it would have been an impressive side if it hadn’t been cowering behind the others.

Nana glanced at Rei, who was still nervously preparing to fight to the death against them.

She considered her options, then fixed her eyes on the fattest of the Pagga, assuming it was their leader. Bringing her hand up, she formed an impromptu mouth with and tapped her fingers together a few times.

“We… talk?” she suggested.

The fat Pagga leg out a rumbling cloak and put its hand into its clothes, only to produce a thick bluish worm from it.

It brought its hand up, imitating her while the worm twisted around its webbed fingers for a moment, until the Pagga suddenly shot its tongue from it mouth, bringing the juicy worm in and swallowing before finally speaking.

“We talk,” he agreed in a strange accent that sounded like it was forcing mud from its throat.

“We want to leave,” Nana said.

The Pagga licked its lips in respond.

“We need your meat,” it threw back.

“Must be better things to eat around here,” Nana shrugged, “Some nice grubs.”

The Pagga let out a weird rumbling laugh, “We don’t eat you. They eat you.”

It pointed to Nana’s leg. Relieved that she could finally see what was hurting her, Nana looked at her leg, bit back a sound of shock, then turned back to the Pagga, who had patiently waited for her.

“And then we eat them. Till there is no more shumen.”

“And when we’re gone?” Nana responded hastily, “Where will you grow your flies?”

She subconsciously swept a hand past her leg, sending some of the maggots scattering to the floor while others sank their teeth into the skin of her hand.

“We find other dead,” the Pagga said and licked its lips again, “Not all are as good as you, the war-shumen, but others will always come.”

“Can’t you eat mushrooms?” Rei tried.

The Pagga laughed, then lashed its tongue past her head, “No, female.”

It pulled its tongue back, its eyes wobbling as it studied Rei.

“You are a female, right?”

Rei looked down at her chest, muttering to herself, “They’re not that small.”

“Ah,” the Pagga said, as if it remembered the difference between male and female humans, “The extra flesh…”

“As lovely as her extra flesh is,” Nana interrupted, “That’s not the point. Look… Do you have a name?”

The Pagga rumbled, “My name is Eiru.”

“Look, Eiru. If she and I don’t reach the Gunari soon, the empire will be plunged into war again.”

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The Pagga inflated its throat, then croaked a chuckle.

“I do not see how that concerns us.”

“Don’t you need living hosts for OW! These little monsters.”

She pulled a few of the maggots free from her wound, then held them out to the Pagga.

“If we’re killing each other, these only have corpses to feed on.”

“All the same,” Eiru said contemplatively, then its pupils suddenly narrowed. As did those of the other Pagga.

“Nana…?” Rei asked, concerned at the sudden extra focus on them. Nana however was transfixed by the same thing as the Pagga.

On her hand, one of the maggots had turned a bright yellow, hardening its skin and was now rapidly transforming. It struggled as it changed shape at a dizzying pace. It thrashed back and forth as it fought to gain wings, eyes and three pairs of legs. It took a few steps, seeming slightly drunk, then haphazardly took to the air, where it was immediately snatched by Eiru’s tongue.

There was a rumbling of croaks around them that Nana somehow managed to register as envy, but she was more interested in what the fat

Pagga she had been talking to was up to.

Its eyes turned from muddy yellow to a vibrant green. Lightning of the same color crackled briefly across its webbed fingers. After a heartbeat the

Pagga was back to normal.

“…I don’t understand,” Rei said, knowing as well as Nana that their continued survival rested on keeping the Pagga talking.

“The flies aren’t regular food,” it explained, “They fuel our magic. We don’t need many.”

“I didn’t know Pagga have magic,” Nana said, “What do you use it for?”

“Taking children,” Rei whispered to herself.

“We can do many things!” Eiru rumbled, “But most importantly. We use it to talk with our family.”

“How?”

‘Like this!’

The words echoed in Nana’s head as if the Pagga had screamed, but it had not opened its mouth. She grabbed her head to steady herself

against the violent wave of magic, then frowned at Eiru.

“And,” the Pagga continued, with what Nana was sure was a nasty smirk, “We use our magic to lure weary travelers here, “Was it nice seeing your mother?”

Nana balled her fist, ready to strike the creature in the face, but managed to regain her calm through her long trained discipline.

She was about to throw something back about Eiru’s mother, then suddenly an idea formed.

“How far does that reach…?”

“Why would the shumen care?”

“I might be able to get you a regular supply of fresh flesh,” Nana said, thoughts racing through her head, “If the Gunari agrees.”

The Pagga conversed among themselves for a moment, croaking at each other in their own tongue.

“What do you propose?” Eiru demanded.

“Integrating the Pagga into the Empire.”

The Pagga translated what had been said for the benefit of the others and their croaking laughter rose through a crescendo, echoing off the cavern walls.

“We are the monsters in your children’s minds,” mirroring Rei’s earlier statement, “How will we live with you? What good will it do us? How will you help us?”

“I won’t if I end up as a fly banquet,” Nana said. She was unable to read the pagga’s face, but felt she had caused some doubt in it.

“Wouldn’t you rather live along the river in a nice house? A nice soft cushion to sit on? A view?”

“What is your plan?”

Nana sighed, “I’m not telling you unless we’re getting out of here alive.”

“So you offer me a meal for my flies or nothing?” it laughed, taking another of the blue worms from its clothes and slurping it down.

“Fine,” Nana sighed, “I’m offering you a place among the nobility. Serving as their messengers for the Gunari, so he can check on the entire empire instantaneously. If your reach is far enough, it will be a revolution in communications.”

The Pagga considered her words, alternatingly inflating its cheeks as it thought.

It finally came to a decision.

“An interesting proposition, but how do I know you won’t just leave us to rot in these tunnels?”

“You’ll have to trust me,” Nana said, trying to smile.

The Pagga laughed, “I will send a relay with you. My son.”

Nana and Rei shared a look.

“If you simply decide to kill him however,” Eiru said and its face darkened. If it was some magic effect or clever use of the cave shadows, Nana couldn’t tell.

“If you simply kill him, I will know and the Pagga all around your Empire will rise up in the night. And when they do… Not a single one of your children will be there in the morning.”

“Knew I should’ve eaten my vegetables,” Rei tried to joke, but there was no mirth to her words.

“Then I will take your son to the Gunari,” Nana said, “And I will protect him with my life as I would any other ward.”

Rei gave Nana dubious side-eye.

“I have to make good time however, so about these…”

She pointed to the maggots in her leg.

Eiru inclined its head, then sent its tongue into the wound. Nana grabbed Rei’s shoulder to stabilize herself as she felt the maggots being licked from the gash in her leg.

“To my regret,” Eiru said when it had swallowed the maggots, “I don’t know how to treat shumen wounds, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Nana nodded, tore a strip from her dress, regretting the state in which she had to return the garment to the owner, then tied the soft material around the wound.

“It’ll do for now,” she said, braver than she felt.

“Rangu,” Eiru snapped, then fell back in its own tongue. There were some sounds of protest from the others, but the thin green Pagga with the red bands came forward. It wore only a bright red loincloth that stood starkly against its bright red skin. It face was more pointed and less swollen than that of the others.

“My shame,” Eiru said, “I mean, my son.”

Eiru took a handful of the worms from its clothes and handed them to its son, who shoved them in his mouth.

Nana looked at the almost naked red creature, then sighed and turned back to Eiru.

“Does he have anything else he can wear?”