Fiction On Odyssey: The War For The Hollow
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Fiction On Odyssey: The War For The Hollow

Tensions become stagnant around the Hollow as each population of creatures prepare for war.

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Fiction On Odyssey: The War For The Hollow
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The Hive

The wind whistled through the honeycomb walls of the Hive—the raucous chants coming from the main chamber echoed all the way to Alyssum’s quarters where she was preparing herself for her coronation. Her wings twitched, their membranous fibers itching to grasp hold of the wind and to escape into the wild world beyond the Hive.

No! Do not think like that! You were born to lead!

Act like it.

Alyssum straightened the branched hairs on her torso, she needed to appear her best in front of the thirty thousand colony members she would be ruling over for the next five years. The future monarch made sure that her amber strands did not mix with the ebony stripes that adorned them for royalty never let their colors mix. Her stomach gurgled—it was either because of nerves or that she had not eaten her share of royal jelly today.

I’ll eat after.

Alyssum had every right to be nervous. She was not only inheriting a throne. She was also inheriting an oncoming war with the late queen, Hyacinth. The previous monarch was forcefully exiled when it was revealed that she had been genetically testing on the drones to produce an army to rival the Mounds that littered the roots of the Hollowwood that the hive was precariously hanging upon. During her reign, the prejudice she had for the Camponotus colonies below was well known and propaganda was made to stir up a war effort against them. It had also been revealed that Hyacinth had murdered every future successor by withholding the royal jelly needed to nurture a future queen.

Fortunately, Alyssum had been stolen away before she could be eliminated.

In the looking-alveolus, Alyssum could see her mandibles twitching and her labium stretching to reach for nectar that was not there. The instinct to create honey, the instinct to just busy herself had become instilled in her when the Combs had taken her in and to maintain her disguise away from Hyacinth, Queen Rosemary had instructed her on all the ways to be a drone before she was ready to fight off Hyacinth.

She was ready.

I’m ready.

Staring at her reflection in the looking-alveolus she recited, “My name is Alyssum and I am the next Queen of the Hive and I will uphold the way of life that has been built upon since the first creation of honey!”

Whipping around, Alyssum shouldered her way through the doorway and nodded at the servants outside her door. She remembered that their names were Petunia and Peony. Hyacinth had taken Rhododendron and Snapdragon with her to wherever it is she had decided to escape to.

At the top of the stairs Alyssum produced the perfect image of regality as she surveyed the crowd beneath her. She noted those who had eager expressions glanced across their faces, those who had furrowed antennae—those were the ones who dared to question the authenticity of her rule—and finally came to rest her gaze on those who looked angered that Alyssum had risen to power. These were the ones who didn’t escape with the ten thousand other denizens who had left with Hyacinth. It would take a lot for all of her subjects to become united under one rule and one goal.

Destroy Hyacinth’s influence.

Only then would peace be achieved.

An aisle appeared at the foot of the stairs that separated the crowd into two and at the head of it was Narcissus, the drone responsible for sharing the royal proclamations with the Swarm. The antennae adorning his head twitched with anticipation, the gleam in his eyes showing his pride for Alyssum. He was the hero who had hidden Alyssum in the Combs and away from Hyacinth. It was only fitting that he crown his champion.

“Alyssum, do you swear to be Queen of the Hive, Ally of the Hymenoptera, and Protector of the Swarm? Do you swear by these titles to Ambrosia and Flora or else forfeit your life as well as ours to Colony Collapse?” Narcissus’s voice rang out around the walls.

Alyssum’s stinger quivered with apprehension. It was attached to the end of her abdomen and would be her weapon against Hyacinth when the time came. Looking Narcissus directly in the eye, Alyssum recited, “I, Alyssum of Hive, promise to always be Queen of the Hive, Ally of the Hymenoptera, and Protector of the Swarm forever now and forevermore until it is my right time to relinquish the title.”

Lacing his words with pride, Narcissus bellowed, “Princess Alyssum of Hive, you are now monarch to us all. You are now the Queen of the Hive.” And from behind him, Petunia and Peony held a crown between them. The crown was intricately made up of the veins of leaves and pieces of petals which were all congealed together with a light paste of honey.

Once the two servants placed the crown on their new queen, the royal hall erupted with deafening cheers and yells. For tonight, the Hive would celebrate the new coronation.

But tomorrow there was work to be done for a new war was surely on the horizon.


The Mounds

Dust showered down from the ceiling as the wind slightly shook the structure. Caster heard the raucous cheers creeping through the frail walls of his home and through the pieced holes of the Mound, he could hardly register that the cheers belonged to the denizens of the Hive above.

“Queen Alyssum! Queen Alyssum! Queen Alyssum!”

Hyacinth must have been exiled.

And Alyssum must have been crowned queen.

The Queens would have to know and their fiercest Warrior would relay the news. There were three of them: Queen Granule, Queen Demerara, and the High Queen Muscovado. Granule and Demerara are the daughters born from Muscovado and are fated to rule the colony once their mother passes on—if she ever does. As a whole, these three are descended from the Cane Dynasty, a royal family of ants thought to have been traced back to the First Walkers. There are rumors that their wings contain the souls of the deceased Workers that they have killed.

Caster turned a corner and found himself within the main chamber. Three thrones lied in front of him, each seating an art larger than even he was. Their thrones were opulent and gilded—the scant light peeking through the walls illuminating the hidden glow of them. Muscovado was seated in the center, her claws clasped together, her face clearly showing that she was anxious to hear the news from her Warrior.

“So?! Did Hyacinth succeed or not?” Her voice boomed around the room, the level of power she held clearly resounding through the notes of it.

Caster bowed his head. “My Queen, I am afraid that she was unsuccessful. The cheers I heard coming from the Hive, chanted for their infant Queen. Alyssum is her name I believe.”

Granule spat, “That little bee is not fit to rule the Hive.” She turned to Demerara, “I thought we gave her enough soldiers to overwhelm those loyal to Alyssum?”

“We did. But I am afraid that her battle strategies are lackluster at best. She assumed the Hive was more vulnerable than it actually was and if that were the case, than we would have just taken it over a long time ago.” Demerara consented.

“She promised us safety. The amount of crimes that we have committed against the Hive could be brought before the Lapis Council. And we all know how much the Lepids would like to see us removed from the Hollow.” Muscovado shivered—an action Caster thought he would never see his Queen perform. “They’ll siphon every last one of us.”

To that all of the Queens shuddered.

“So, what do we do?”

Caster’s voice rang out through the throne room. He trembled for a second; he could not believe that he had dared to speak out when he was not prompted to do so. It was a crime befitting death he was sure. But he could not help himself. The Mounds were his home and his Queens were damned if they thought that he would not defend his home.

Clap! . . . Clap! . . . Clap! . . . Clap!

A drawling clap echoed through the room and a cackle followed it. “I suppose the decline of the Colony comes when the simple worker has more spirit than his Queen. I think a new dynasty should come to power if this is what you have all to offer to the Mounds my dears.”

Hyacinth.

All three of the Queens bristled at her voice. Clearly, she had been unexpected. Muscovado physically stirred in her seat when the exiled queen bee sauntered into the room. Caster knew that even though his Queens represented one of the most powerful bloodlines of the Mounds, they were still no match compared to the strength and majesty and power that exuded from Hyacinth.

“Queen Hyacinth, w-we were not e-expecting you. H-how are you?” Muscovado stammered.

“Well, the little bitch exiled me. She had more spunk than I realized, but no matter, my plans have only just begun.”

“And what of our Warriors?” Granule interrupted. “What of their fate? How many did you leave to die?”

“You know Granule, maybe you should behave like your sister and know not to talk to someone more superior than you like you do.” Hyacinth chucked. Granule began to rise in anger to which, “Sit down!” was screamed throughout the room. “Your precious workers are still alive and are still in the Hive. My defeat was a lie—I wanted to lose, so that when I return, with spies in the Hive already there, Alyssum’s influence shall crumble. Infiltrating from the inside is easier than attacking from the outside since from the outside is what the Hive will be expecting from me. Your Warriors are coated in beeswax and have been shoved into the walls of the Hive. They will survive and soon we will take on the Hive.”

“Inspired.”

“You think so, Muscovado? I was hoping you would.” Hyacinth replied.

“So, when shall we attack the Hive?” Granule growled.

“In due time, my sweet, in due time.” Hyacinth assured.

The Lapis

The council had decreed it, but Azure could not help, but question their decision on the matter. A side had to be taken, they could not appear weak to Hyacinth or else she would turn her sights to the Lapis. The Council of Lepidoptera had decreed that it would remain neutral in the War of the Hymenoptera, as it had been nicknamed. The Monarch had decided that since they were not a member of that order of Insecta, that no real opinion could be given to this fight. But Azure believed that Hyacinth would not just be okay with taking over the Hive and the Mounds—that her actual agenda was to crown herself Queen of the Hollow, a title that had not been granted for years now since the extinction of the Arachnae from the Hollow. Once they had been eradicated by the Parasitoids, the Lepidoptera had siphoned the Parasitoids which physically rid them from the Hollow.

Azure knew the Lapis were wrong about this.

She had to go warn Alyssum. She had to go and let the new queen bee know that if she was expecting help from the Bearers of Justice for the Hollow, than she was sorely mistaken.

Taking flight to her wings, Azure climbed into the sky and made her way to the Hive.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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