Aza'methet glided along the hallways of what he considered his fortress. The tunnel worms had done an excellent job burrowing out the base for him. The walls were shiny and warped by the stomach acid of the worms into a beautiful network of passageways, perfect for the Alnune.

Unfortunately, Aza'methet's good mood was ruined as he sensed, Zuztax approaching him.

"Greetings, Aza'methet," Zuztax said to him telepathically.

Aza'methet's octopod features twisted into a scowl as Zuztax's psychic message invaded his mind. He had little patience for the intrusion, especially from someone as inferior as Zuztax.

"Greetings, Zuztax," Aza'methet replied, his mental voice dripping with disdain at the lesser being he was forced to serve. "What is it that you want? I am busy tending to the Heuschrecke Locusts. Their nectar is too important for me to be disturbed by the problems of Zuztax."

"Aza'methet is not important. Any Alnune could handle the Heuschrecke Locusts. Aza'methet is simply too old to do the more important work." Zuztax hissed back telepathically.

Aza'methet resisted the urge to scour the inferior's brain right then and there, but he calmed himself. He was not like this inferior. He had control.

"Perhaps, but at least Aza'methet has not been relegated to dealing with the lesser species… what did Zuztax call them, huu-maans. It is said Zuztax does not even know the proper name of the humans."

A chuffing sound that might have been confused for a laugh escaped Aza'methets beak.

"Aza'methet was truly impressed when you raided their little home and captured dozens of crippled manaless humans. Aza'methet never imagined a being could exist without mana. Tell me, was it difficult to subdue the crippled humans? Was it Glorious to fight such lesser beings?"

To the Alnune, to be without telepathy was to be no different from the mindless animals of a flicker mind. To be without mana was to be considered no greater than the worms in the dirt.

Regardless Aza'methets point hit home. Zuztax's thoughts twisted as he tried to hide his rage from Aza'methet. He did so poorly.

"We have a situation," Zuztax telepathic spat as he emoted defeat to Aza'methets insults, the inferior's thoughts now deliciously tinged with rage and shame. Aza'methet drank them in with a level of glee.

"We have captured two runaway slaves, but they are proving to be resistant to my mental probes; I order Aza'methet to plunder their minds and give me the information."

Aza'methet felt joy bloom inside of his mind as he realized that Zuztax was admitting to being incompetent, another point to him.

"Zuztax is incapable of breaking them?" Aza'methet asked, his telepathic voice dripping with sarcasm. "It is alright, larva. This elder will instruct you in the basics of mind-to-mind magic."

Zuztax reeled back as if he were physically struck.

"Aza'methet dares," Zuztax raged.

"I DARE!!" Aza'methet roared his telepathic challenge to the inferior. "Zuztax brings shame to Alnune. Zuztax is Pathetic. If Zuztax wants to prove Aza'methet wrong, challenge Aza'methet and Aza'methet will strike the Infior down."

For a second, Zuztax stood defiant before him, then he lowered his head and glided out of Aza'methets way. Aza'methet let out a chuff of amusement as he glided past his inferior as he moved towards the slave pen, his purple skin shimmering with a bioluminescent glow indicating happiness.

As he traversed the twisting labyrinth of tunnels, Aza'methet couldn't help but briefly wonder how these slaves had managed to stump Zuztax. Even the lowliest Alnune should be capable of breaking the humans or any flicker mind. Clearly, Zuztax was an inferior of the lowest degree.

When Aza'methet finally reached a chamber deep within the Alnune fortress. He paused just outside the chamber as he ran his senses against the target. There was only one slave inside: a female. She was scared, almost panicked, yet there was an undertone of excitement and anticipation.

Aza'methet felt his tentacles curl up his face in an analog of a frown. How the in seven hells was Zuztax this incompetent? He couldn't handle a scared human female?! Aza'methet decided he was going to kill Zuztax later for bringing such shame to the Alnune.

Aza'methet walked into the slave pen to indulge in some of his more sadistic tendency when he froze as his eye observed the room. For there was not one human strung up in the pens, but two, one he hadn't been able to sense from outside, and now despite seeing the human directly in front of him, did not appear to any of his empathic sense to be any more alive than the floor under his feet.

But Axa'methet did not allow the slaves to see his surprise.

"I am Aza'methet," Aza'methet communicated telepathically. "Who are you?"

The female threw up on the floor.

"Too loud," she ground as she was sick again.

The male didn't even react. Perhaps he couldn't hear his telepathic messages? The women clearly had no resistance to the higher form of communication and had been overwhelmed by its majesty.

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Azamethet had to remember for a moment how to communicate without the majesty of mind to mind. It was a rarely used spell, but useful when communicating with flicker minds incapable of higher thought. Finally, he remembered the spell to turn thoughts into the sound waves called English. He was pretty sure this was right language.

"Who are you?" Aza'methet said.

"You go first," the male said.

Aza'methet chuffed.

"Does male not know the pain you will suffer for disrespecting Aza'methet?"

"For disrespecting who?" the man asked.

Aza'methet unleashed a bolt of lightning on the male.

"GAAAAAH," the male groaned in pain as the bolt seared into him, his body going limp.

"Leave him alone!" the female shouted.

While he was electrocuting the male, Aza'methet peeked into the mind of the female, Ramona. The male was called Julius, and Ramona was his companion, partner, and student. Instead of simply scanning her mind for the desired information, Aza'methet found better results by initiating a conversation that forced the victims' minds to bring the information to the forefront. However, he also intended to teach these humans not to lie to him. He stopped electrocuting the male.

"Aza'methet will begin again. Who are you?" Aza'methet asked, his voice echoing in the dimly lit chamber.

"I'm Tom, and my friend here is Jerry. Do all of you guys talk about yourselves in the third person, or is this just a 'you' thing?" Julius responded with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Julius lies," Aza'methet stated firmly. "Are you one of the slaves Zuztax captured?"

"Yes," Julius answered, while Ramona's mind silently responded with a contradictory "No."

"Julius is not one of the slaves Zuztax captured," Aza'methet declared, disregarding his thoughts being transferred into soundwaves by his spell.

"Why have you come to Alnune beachhead? Do the humans know we are here? How did Julius get past the Lurkers and the Heuschrecke Locusts? Tell Aza'methet, or Aza'methet will hurt you," Aza'methet demanded, his tone laced with menace.

Ramona was unsure about what a beachhead was. That was just a microcosm of why telepathy was the only true form of communication. No one misunderstood what other people meant.

The humans knew something had attacked their base and followed the Heushrecke Locusts back to their base. But all information regarding the Lurkers and Locusts were tinged with pain, fear, and wrath, rendering her unable to provide any useful information on how they countered the servant races.

"Wait a minute; they're actually called Lurkers?" Julius muttered under his breath.

"Called it," Ramona remarked.

"Yeah yeah, you told me so. Get it out of your system." Julius shot back.

Aza'methet decided to shock both humans again, intensifying the voltage to induce more suffering. The two yelped in pain before he released lighting, and they slumped to the floor.

"Hurt her again, and I'm going to kill you!" Julius roared as he thrashed against his bindings.

Aza'methet ignored the comment but did note the hope and fear he felt from Ramona. Regardless, he changed subjects and focused on what was bothering him.

"Answer Aza'methets questions, or Aza'methet will hurt you." Azamethet order.

"Alright, alright." Julius submitted.

"Why can't Aza'methet read Julius's mind?" Aza'methet inquired.

"Genetics, been this way my entire life," Julius replied with a pained smile.

Once again, Ramona's mind offered nothing of value. She knew Julius was odd, perhaps inhuman. There was plenty of curiosity there, but nothing specific. Aza'methet considered that Julius might have a special bloodline that made him immune to mind magic. Regardless he electrocuted Julius once more just for fun, causing him to grit his teeth in pain. Aza'methet rolled his eyes at the noise he was making. If these primitive brains weren't so tasty, he would have voted for their extermination just so that he wouldn't have to deal with them anymore.

"Why did Julius come to Alnune beachhead? Do the humans know we are here? How did Julius get past the Lurkers and the Heuschrecke Locusts?" Aza'methet asked again, seeking answers.

"You attacked the research station, yes, and there was a lot of fire," Julius retorted.

Aza'methet pondered the responses. Ramona's mind provided no substantial information, but he delved deeper, catching glimpses of her joining the BPA and their arrival due to the loss of communication with a research station. The pieces started to make sense. He had advised against the attack, fearing it would attract more humans. He was proven right of course, another reason to kill Zuztax.

"How many humans came with Julius? Where is the rest of Julius's tribe? How is the tribe armed?" Aza'methet interrogated.

"One, no idea, didn't ask," Julius responded, his defiance unwavering.

Aza'methet electrocuted Julius once more, increasing the amplitude to inflict greater suffering. Simultaneously, he delved into Ramona's mind, catching glimpses of wolf-like creatures armed with guns. Not human then, so Julius did not technically lie. However, he failed to discern their whereabouts, and the rest of the information remained too vague to be valuable. Absentmindedly, he noticed Ramona growing more concerned for her partner and becoming increasingly enraged at Aza'methet's actions.

"Has Julius come for the Nectar of the Heuschrecke Locuts? Do the humans know that the ziggurat will be used to bring forth more troops?" Aza'methet inquired, hoping for concrete answers.

"I don't know what Nector is, and I guessed as much," Julius replied, his smile still intact.

Aza'methet felt growing frustration at Ramona's lack of understanding. She knew nothing about the sacred nectar and confused the ziggurat with a pyramid. Stupid flicker mind, and he decided to shock Julius again, forcing him to scream in agony. Ramona struggled against her restraints, fueled by her desire to protect Julius, but she could do nothing as Aza'methet inflicted pain upon him. When Aza'methet finally ceased, he continued his questioning.

"Has Julius come to capture the gateway? What do humans know of the Alnune?" Aza'methet probed further.

"Nope, next to nothing," Julius stated, his breathing coming out in heavy gasps, but he still had a smile plastered on his face.

Aza'methet pondered the answers he had been given as he started to piece it all together.

"Julius came here because Zuztax attacked a human hive. Julius and beast men came here to attack? No, if attack beast men would be here. Rescue! Silly humans waste time-saving slave humans instead of killing enemies. The beast men have gone to the ziggurat. Julius and Ramona here to close the gateway."

Ramona's face paled as Aza'methet masterfully uncovered their scheme.

"Well, I guess we never stood a chance against a master mind mage," Julius said. All of the aloof playfulness was gone from his voice.

"Of course not human. Humans are lesser than Alnune. Once the master of the Nyjyer Ennead Alnune decided to conquer the human world, humans lost. Aza'methet was merely given the opportunity to conquer this world. When the ziggurat is complete, the second wave will come through. It is unfortunate for you that your world was faced with a superior of the Alnune." Aza'methet boasted.

Even now, Aza'methet could see his victory within his mind's eye. It would be glorious. Ramona looked frightened. Fear oozed off of her like fresh nectar. She turned to Julius, whose face hardened in what Aza'methet thought was anger.

"Now Aza'methet will go and gather the inferiors before Aza'methet travels to the ziggurat and kills beast men." his tentacles wriggling in joy as he left the two slaves in the pen, to go and gather his inferiors.