If a soul could feel pain, Regina thought this might be what it would feel like.

It clearly wasn’t physical pain. And it wasn’t even that great — on a scale from a stubbed toe to major burns, this was more of a headache. Although she didn’t even want to imagine what the equivalent of third-degree burns would feel like. Still, the sensation left her reeling and almost sick for a bit.

Like she’d suddenly lost parts of her body, like fingers only kept connected to her hand by the thinnest of strings. And it was more than that, because an entire stretch of land had suddenly gone dark in her mind.

“Regina?” Max asked, alarmed. He put a hand on her shoulder and steadied her.

It took a moment until she could fully focus on him. She gave him a weak smile, to assure him she was alright. He obviously didn’t buy it, she could still sense his alarm, concern and shock. He’d be able to sense the same thing she did, if not as directly. But any of her drones trying to reach out to Janis and the others, at minimum, would notice the same. Taking a deep breath before she dove into the hive, she could tell the Keepers were already almost starting to panic.

Jem, she contacted him. Can you tell me anything about what’s happening?

I’m afraid probably nothing you can’t sense for yourself, my Queen, Jem responded. This feels somewhat like the effect the Nerlians erected around their defenses, but obviously a lot stronger. I’m sure the psychic link isn’t completely cut — if I focus on it, I can still faintly sense it — but it’s disrupted.

Regina grimaced and tugged on her mandible. That was the impression she got as well, when she managed to push past the uncomfortable feeling and assess what her senses were telling her. She hesitated for a moment, then tried to reach out with her psychic senses. Here, her habit of using the psychic link to basically act as a bridge was a bit of a problem, but she quickly figured out how to bull through it with brute force. Unfortunately, it only gave her more of an actual headache.

My normal psychic senses can’t seem to work there, either, she said. This is probably a general anti-psychic effect. She paused, another thought occurring to her. I just hope it doesn’t have damaging side effects of some kind …

No way to tell, Jem said. Although Ben seems to already be sending drones to scout it from the sides, and we can at least guesstimate the extent of it that way.

Regina let his mind fade to the back of her awareness and instead focused on the wider psychic link. She didn’t dive too deeply and concentrate on anyone in particular, but she got an impression of their activity and reached out to Ben. Her officers were clearly just short of panicking as well, but they kept their composure and were trying to deal with this. The wider implications were only starting to hit them, she could tell.

She followed a Winged Drone who’d been in the air on a wider scouting trip and nudged it back towards their army’s last position, mentally following along. It was odd. She could almost sense the link stretching thinner as it got closer.

Then Regina tried to call it back, but couldn’t. The drone had passed through the edges of whatever effect was keeping this up, and beyond her reach. She sucked in air through her teeth and waited for a moment, trying not to get dragged into something else in the psychic link. Luckily, the drone was over level thirty and pretty smart, maybe a bit like a dog, and it reappeared quickly, seeking her mental presence. Regina gave it a mental pat and sent it to circle around a bit further out.

Then she focused on Ben, Max, Jem, Ada and a few others. Our link is being suppressed or disrupted around Janis and the other part of our forces, she began. Sending a drone in shows the same effect, so it’s probably an area of effect-type of thing.

It seems to cover an area roughly ten to twenty kilometers across, Ada added. Bigger than what the Nerlians showed last time, but not by that much.

Any thoughts? Regina asked the others.

I’m already scrambling reinforcements and assembling a flock, but I’m hesitant about sending them in, Ben said. We’d lose all control over them. So far, it seems like the Swarm Drones don’t go completely out of control, but we can’t be sure of that. Or are we?

No, Jem replied. From the mind of the few drones we sent in and back out, they still remember and follow their orders, but I’m not sure … We’ve never had Swarm Drones operating out of the psychic link’s range for extended periods of time, I’m not sure what effects it might have.

We’ll need to try and establish a perimeter, at least, Max chimed in. If the others are on the ball, and are able to, they’ll try to come out. We should be prepared for that.

Regina sighed. I’ll try to scry to see what’s going on, she said. Can one of you contact Galatea and get her opinion, maybe ask her to come? In the meantime, Ben, make sure the situation on your front is under control. And Ada, everyone, keep a close eye on the Esemen as well.

Jem sent his agreement to talk to Galatea, and Regina retreated from the psychic link. She cracked her neck and took a few deep breaths, focusing on nothing else, to center herself. She needed the focus for the magic she was going to do.

Regina was half-afraid that other magic would be similarly disrupted, but to her relief, it didn’t appear to be the case. The Nerlians didn’t seem to have set up countermeasures to scrying, maybe because of the effort that the psychic blocking required. It took a bit of time for her to get a good view of the countryside and she had to move it around a little to be sure she really did see beyond the suppression field, or whatever they wanted to call it, with no ill effects. But it worked. She controlled herself and did a systematic sweep of the area from high above, trying to get a general overview of the situation first.

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The hive’s drones were mostly moving in a shallow valley, where they’d gathered before this happened, with the commanders having set up a camp on a low hill. That camp looked like it might be abandoned now. The Cernlian and Nerlian army had set up a fortified camp some distance away, and at least it was still there. Even from far above, she could definitely see they were mustering troops, though.

Regina frowned. Had they held off on actually getting their soldiers in formation to fight in order not to tip off her hive’s drones? It seemed like they weren’t ready to immediately fall on the disorganized hive forces, at least. Thank god for small mercies. But if they had been preparing covertly, it might not be much longer now.

Regina cursed herself for not working harder on her scrying and figuring out a way to communicate with others through it. Kiara wasn’t here, and she’d never had anyone else use it to establish communication like that. She could try to work it out now, but she didn’t really have much time for something that might not succeed.

Besides, she could see there were drones rising into the air in small groups and heading in different directions already. Janis was clearly taking control and trying to establish the perimeter herself, like they had done. She must have given them orders to fly until they reached the edges, and then come back or carry messages. Regina felt herself smiling a bit in relief as she mentally zoomed in.

The drones weren’t fighting each other, at least, and they seemed to be roughly organized in groups. After a moment, Regina found Whitor, talking to some of his men and gesticulating wildly. He looked rather unhappy, not that she could blame him.

Then she stopped watching as her attention was captured by something. A sapient drone, an Evolved Winged Drone Surveiller, had just flown through the edge of the suppression effect, so she could focus on their mind in her psychic link again.

Rain? she connected to him right away. I’m glad you’re safe. What’s the situation in there?

My Queen, he responded, and she could sense his relief. We’re cut off from the hive, we can’t even talk to each other in there. The other Swarm Drones still follow our orders, though. Janis sent us out to scout and get in contact.

Good, Regina said. Give me a moment …

She contacted Jem, then watched and tried to help as the Keeper pushed the information they’d collected on this phenomenon so far into the psychic link to Rain. She gave him a moment to digest it, before she continued. Tell Janis to move our troops if possible. Take Whitor along and keep him protected. We’re scrambling reinforcements. The Nerlians might be trying to attack, so be careful. If you can’t get out in time, instead play defensive and use the explosives you’ve got.

It was frustrating, but there really wasn’t much more she could do. Maybe if she went there in person, she could punch through this field, but just the idea of going into a psychic suppression zone gave her shivers, and Max and the others would protest vehemently. So she just waited and listened in while Ben gave the other drone a few more instructions.

Then Rain turned and flew back to Janis and the others. Regina watched anxiously, but his mind got harder to grasp and eventually she could no longer really focus on it, like his presence in the hive was dampened. She carefully felt at the edges of the hole the Nerlians’ efforts left it, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to talk to them like this.

Now it was all in Janis’ hands. Regina sighed and reminded herself of that. And unlike the others, Janis wasn’t born with the link and didn’t grow up with it, so she would hopefully be able to cope much better. Regina was just glad that they’d established an actual chain of command, or had at least made it clear who was in charge.

She took a short break to splash some water on her face in the nearby bathroom and compose herself, before she returned to the room she’d spent most of her time in. Ira had brought in comfortable chairs and there was some food and drinks set up. Regina only settled on the bed and dove back into the psychic link, though, guarded by Max’s steady presence.

Regina checked on everything, noting the progress of the reinforcements Ben was assembling. Unfortunately, they didn’t have many War Drones here, they were all inside with the gathering army. There were more Winged Drones available, but the Hive had sent those on quite a few postings as well, so they were kind of strapped for troops here, too. It definitely wouldn’t be enough to deal with the enemy army.

Regina let the psychic link fade to the back of her awareness and instead focused on her magic. She went through her usual steps in preparing the scrying, then immediately focused in on the area of interest.

Unfortunately, her fears were confirmed immediately: The Nerlian-Cernlian army was definitely on the move. Its camp wasn’t broken down entirely, yet — they may even keep the palisades, probably guarded by some men to cover their back — but they’d already sent out a sizeable vanguard. A few thousand men, at least. And more were departing. Luckily, there was no good road leading toward the hive’s position, so they were limited in their approach and couldn’t advance at a full front, anyway, but she didn’t think that would delay them for too long. There was still the System, and they would have decent physical stats. Plus, they could leave their baggage train behind.

How much time did they have until a battle? Regina considered for a moment, then fixed the impression of what she was seeing in her mind and pushed it into the psychic link, aimed at Ben. Jem noticed what she was doing and helped her to stabilize it, as well.

Once she’d at least warned the hive, Regina focused on their own camp again and zoomed in, noting the movements of flying drones. They were starting to establish a line of communication, at least. Hopefully. She checked on Whitor’s position again, which was easy since the humans kind of stood out, before she looked for Janis.

The young mage was on one of the slopes, above the main body of the hive’s troops, where she had a good vantage point to watch their movements. Dan and a few other drones stood with her. But she was clearly not paying attention to them. Instead, Regina watched Dan and Zac draw their weapons.

Regina frowned and almost tried to reach out reflexively to ask them what was happening, before she saw. There was a figure standing in the shadow of a stunted, twisted tree growing around a rock not far away. Now they were sauntering forward, towards the drones. No, several figures, actually. She noticed another one as well, now, although she really shouldn’t have missed them before. Some System tricks?

The person in the lead didn’t seem concerned about the drones at all, judging from their body language. Actually, they seemed familiar. Regina frowned harder, before it clicked. Her hands balled into fists and she almost cursed, then zoomed in further. It gave her a good view as they stopped and removed their hood, revealing white hair and pointed ears.

Madris. What the hell is she doing here?

Regina took a deep breath and tugged on her mandible. Surely even the dark elf psychic wouldn’t be stupidly arrogant enough to waltz into the middle of a hive’s horde of troops after she’d just attacked them with a psychic disruption field effect?

She was even more surprised when Madris reached into her belt, keeping her movements slow and deliberate, to take out a weapon - either a dagger or shortsword, given the length - and carefully tossed it into the grass in front of Janis. She also flicked a knife out of her sleeve and did the same. Janis exchanged a look with Dan before Regina could see her nodding, still looking wary. But at least no one was starting a fight.

Regina shook her head. Well, this will get interesting. As if there wasn’t enough confusion already.

Madris seemed composed, from what she could see. But was she affected by this disruption field as well? If only Regina knew.