What is my luck? I sigh through my nose and sit on the cot with Heran plopping beside me as I look away from them and Lana and up at the crossbeams along the ceiling. I've mutated, again, and I don't know if it's a good sign or a bad sign. I'm definitely not passing for hunan anymore. I'm already regretting this. I take a deep breath and turn to Heran, bracing myself for the nonsense that's going to ensue from asking them any questions.

-*Yeah, no, we pushed you really hard so we could heal Madame Director as soon as possible, and, while you didn't fall back a realm, we kinda borked you.*-

I raise my hands, palms up, begging the universe for help. Again with that word. Is that the word of the day? Why do you keep saying "borked"?

-*Iono,*- they shrug and I swear they're drunk. I get a cold chill when it occurs to me that maybe they're acting punch drunk because they're overworked and stressed. They are my children after all.

"Sweetie, I need you to focus, okay?" I say slowly and only get mild interest in return. Fuck. "When's the last time you and the others had a good rest? Last I remember we were running ourselves ragged trying to catch up to Shimmering Steel. The lady I call Madame Director? The one that I consider impossible because she never has down time? Have you lot been trying to keep up with her?"

"Ah, they're tired." Speak of the devil. Wrong world. Madame Director walks into the room with a slight frown. "They've been getting sloppy lately and I wasn't sure if it was rebellion or incompetence. You've been down for three days and they haven't rested for quite some time. They keep watch while you sleep."

"Okay, so I'm the asshole," I roll my eyes. I'm going to gather my kids and hide them somewhere for a few days. I push myself to my feet and wait for Adonia and Maru to acknowledge my plan.

"What happened to Lana?" Madame director goes steely, face going hard, frown turning into something with weight to it and her hands falling to her sides, relaxed and ready. Shit. She's in battle mode.

"I woke up and she was just pushing my hip over and over. I thought she painted me and was messing with me in my sleep. She got offended and punched me so I slapped her," I shrug and feel something moving around inside my chest.

I jump and look around, trying to figure out what's going on. It's not solid, it's more a feeling of possible movement. What is this? I turn to Heran who just looks wistfully at the cot they're sitting on and Maru and Adonia haven't said anything yet. Shit. They're probably down somewhere.

"My kids are unresponsive," I tell Madame Director while taking off my pants and storing them in my bank. As soon as I can I need to shift. I have to get them someplace quiet. -*Where are Adonia and Maru?*-

-*Maru collapsed at my desk and started punching out in their sleep. That's why I came to check on you,*- Madame Director spins and starts marching away.

I squat on Heran's right, back to them as I pull their right arm over my right shoulder, and, with prayers of gratitude to whomever it concerns, pull them onto my back without pulling their arm free. I quickly shuffle after Madame Director hoping she's going to check on Maru while Heran shuffles around to get comfortable while complaining about my scales. I can feel them being pulled the wrong way, like a hair being pulled, but they're more resilient and a lot easier to ignore when my babies are in danger. There's a group of people trying to put down demonic, non-hunan entities. I've been cleared. My demon essence spawnlings have not.

Heran snores, which means I do. Probably worse. I don't know what noise I make but Madame Director looks back at me then takes one step that carries her to the end of the hall before looking back at me. What the fuck did she just -- can I transfer in this form? I stop dead in my tracks, head lowered, tilted to the side, and I don't know what I look like but Madame Director comes back. Okay. Doing bug stuff in not bug form messes me up, but I'm closer to bug form now. Still more hunan than bug, maybe, but it should be easier, right? But how do I do it? I wanted to get to them last time. But I need them here. I'm not sure what I did but when I thought of "I need them" my head started hurting and it's getting worse. But I do. I need them here so I can take care of them. It's my turn.

I'm nauseous, my head hurts, and I don't know where I am. I drop, kneeling with Heran on my back before something crashes into us. A figure slides to the ground on my left and they look behind themself at me. It's Adonia looking shellshocked. But where are we? My head snaps to the left and I know Maru's here, too.

"Ow!" I shout while looking at her. She doesn't look tired. She looks ill. Did she fall over punching me? "Fuck, are you sick?"

"What are you doing, brat?" she spits, drooling on herself. My head cocks and I look up at her with all the judgement. This bish is blasted.

-*You're so tired you can't even send. Where can I take you guys where no one will mess with you so you can sleep. Or recover. Regenerate? Congeal. Imma call it congeal.*-

A single tired ha from Adonia and they're out. Maru frowns at them in disapproval before laying down and passing out. I let out a laugh before sliding Heran off my back. I move a little bit away and shift into my void bug, not moth, fugly beetle form, -- yeah, I'm sticking with void bug, -- I lay over them and pick them up in my arms and legs before I remember their badges.

-*You guys have your badges on? I'm taking us to the burning forest,*- I murmur to them and they're barely responsive. I select Madame Director's icon. Lucky this transferred over. -*Do you know where they're keeping their badges? They'll need them.*-

-*Wait,*- she orders and I hear the snap and feel the "stay" point placed under me.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

I shield down and turtle up, reinforced while I wait. I'm slowly nodding off when something slams into the outside of my shield and I retaliate with Scale Cloud before I realize it's Madame Director. I reach out and pull her into the space below me with whatever transfer is in this form, -- why does the same skill feel so different?-- and she's got her arms up over her eyes and mouth. A quick headbutt to get her attention and she looks around while glaring. She ignores me, shuffling around and setting badge to chest on my kiddies before I even realize that she has room to move. And I can see them. And my legs are curled under me but my wings are embedded in the ground. What the fuck? The space under my wings is too big. It looks like I'm hanging near the ceiling in a small room. My kids have room to stretch out and Madame Director has room to walk among them --

-This space is too big,- and I'm freaking out.

-*This is your void space, or part of it,*- Madame Director looks back and up at me like I'm fucking with her by stating the obvious. She gave me the same look, albeit briefly, when I told her that I consumed things. -*Terrible technique. Dig up your wings and you can be flipped right over. Terrible way for you to sleep. Not secure at all.*-

Guess I don't just groom myself in my sleep. Kinda alarmed that someone flips me over and when I'm on my back I just start grooming like I'm not about to be murdered, but that's not for now. Scratch that, I'm about to drag my kids off into a deadly forest in the hopes that no one bothers us.

-*How do I make it better?*- I need to know. I don't need the attitude. She doesn't have to roll her eyes, I'm trying to do better.

-*I don't know how to make a void space, you're the void bug, you figure it out,*- she whisper hisses at me while shouting in my mind.

-*Broken void bug because somebody let me cook in the sun as a grub,*- I snipe back. -*A little help would be nice.*- Hit 'em where it hurts. Apparently that wound's still sore and little Miss Perfect isn't quite so perfect after all. I wonder if I can knock her out and make her take a break, too?

-*You'll ruin my cultivation if you do that,*- she frowns, relaxing slightly. -*I keep moving, I keep hardening, I keep flowing, I keep improving. Rolling Steel cultivation style. I made it but I'm not ready to pass it on. Still needs work...*-

-*Impressive, I'm sure,*- sounds awful, -*and we'll count on you to keep us safe. I don't know anything about void bugs, or wimbles, or treasure beetles, and none of that seems to apply to me.*-

-*It's like your mutations were guided by the thoughts of people around you,*- she looks back at me. And she looks haunted. -*There are mimcs and demons that can do such things. Fairies, greater spirits and lesser gods. I still don't know if you're a blessing or a curse.*-

-*Or I could just be a desperate mother asking for your help in protecting my children,*- I'm tired and I know I'm going to go to sleep and wake up hungry. I'm already so hungry. -*I need to take them to the forest. I need them to be safe. They need sleep. Can you survive fire essence?*- She whips her head around giving me a suspicious glare, sizing me up over her shoulder.

-*Fire essence? For what?*- I can hear the bark and bite and demand in her voice. She's ordering an explanation. Does she never stop giving orders? Even her suggestions are orders and threats of punishment.

-*Scale trees. Um. Dragon something trees. They're fire and I can eat them. This will clear out the trees and give them a safe space to hide. Adonia should be fine but the others will be hurt without their badges. Will you be safe there?*-

What the hell? The way she's lighting up and slowly beaming at me you'd swear I offered her a trip to -- no, wrong world. She's glowing up at me with the happiest smile I've seen from her. A genuine smile.

-*I don't understand.*- Should I run?

-*Fire element hot enough to heat metal? This place is excellent for my cultivation,*- she says teasingly while gently poking one of my folded legs playfully. Did someone replace Madame Director? Did I just let a body double near my babies?

-*You offered her a vacation where she can work on cultivating not working,*- Maru grumps. -*Shut up and take it.*-

Um. 'Kay. I spread my arms and legs in an attempt to help me visualize reaching out and pulling, shifting our spot in this world so that we're in or around the scale tree forest. Cinnamon and sweetness, syrupy heat, sound of sizzling, peanut brittle and quiet all in an orange glow. We're here and this place feels more familiar than it has any right to. Did I stay here longer than anywhere else? I was here for days, awake, and I've left and come back again, more than once. This isn't home but I doubt I could find the nursery where I spent supposed months half as easily. Everyone here? All four icons are lit. Good.

-*I'm going to raise my wings, now,*- I warn them before following actions to thoughts. -*Everyone fine or cooking?*-

-*We'll dump the badges on you, Adonia wants to cycle, shut up and let us sleep,*- Maru grumbles, snuggling into the steaming earth and going back to sleep.

-*You good?*- I turn to face Shimmering Steel who stands, eyes closed and arms held like she's casually holding up an invisible pot over her belly button.

Palms up, fingertips nearly touching, wrists bent awkwardly, elbows slightly out to her sides, and a weird shining dark grey and bright orange swirling storm forming in the heart of that invisible pot. Guess she's good. One hand sweeps forward and over and she's now holding an invisible ball that has a core of dark silver and glowing orange swirling in a vertical storm's eye. I squeak as I get a notification that I've successfully consumed a Dragon Tail tree before shuffling off in embarrassment. Dinner and a show. Three days? Nah. One very long one. Time to get back to work.

It's weird how this place is supposed to be overgrown but everything still looks orderly. Who said that the trees sprout from the roots not that the trees spread out roots? Or am I misremembering that. Either way it's very convenient that someone bred a plant that self-propagates in orderly rows that lets me knock down one tree without having to worry about getting pinned under a chain reaction of felled trees. And they don't taste half bad, either.

Pierce turns to Double Stab, a quick Lacerate to get the roots off for later, and then I figure I should head to the outskirts and then just pull up the roots like a carpet, let the trees fall, then cut them loose. Could also start stacking the trunks together. What do the leaves taste like? I honestly don't remember. Everything was just spicy. But candy spicy not all the chiles spicy. Definitely not Maiden's Blush spicy. Four trees down, four roots and crowns, Maru curses me out, and I drag a tree through the woods while singing, screaming, and knocking the trunk against the still standing trees. Am I being quiet enough for you to sleep?

I sit down, not bothering to collect or siphon and just go through my bank. Oh, wait, didn't I used to have some mounts? Well, corpses. Can you cook and eat spirit beasts as a hunan? Probably have to make sure the essence is compatible. Weren't they eating fish? Saint fish? Or heavenly fish... Think I was awake for one of them. Was pretty good... I feel my eyes widen and I turn to my stack of tree trunks. Can I cut off rounds and use them as campfires? How long do they retain essence? I thought they generated essence... How does that work? Where's the energy come from?