The Call of the Swarm

by Melani Matejak

  With the end of the warm season came a decrease in the size of the Swarm too. That was due to the Queen’s precisely calculated egg-laying schedule, ensuring that the working force fit the amount of labor which needed to be done. As a consequence, the number of Internals plunged, and the halted influx of replacements was driving down the army of Flyers as well. The Supremes ordered a restructuring of the gathering swarms, merging the previous four into just two, the main and the auxiliary swarm; they were still called the swarm number one and the swarm number two, though.

  It was now more than enough as the vegetation of great plains was gradually withering away. One by one, plants of the annual nature, which counted for the largest share of the meadow flora, had their metallic leaves sagging without vigor, dirty yellow or brown in coloration, and their stalks going sere and rusty from top to bottom. Only the Maya tussocks remained emerald-green and fresh, with their lavish red flowers just coming in full bloom. There were four or five of them per plant, each opening at the end of a separate and downward-arching stem; the cursed flowers no Eeol would ever touch.

  Meanwhile, Waterworms vanished from the puddles. With the first cold, these vicious killers were cocooning and burying deep into the mud, hibernating till the next spring. Then they would emerge metamorphosed into their adult shapes, hulking and rapacious Death Beetles; disgusting light-shunning insects which would leave their underground burrows only in the darkest night for nothing more than to feed and lay eggs for the next generation of monsters.

  Yet many other carnivores were still hunting out there, giving Rogue an excellent opportunity to earn himself some recognition once he got approved to commence the scouting missions alongside Xe.

  From the beginning, Rogue was predestinated to serve as a Scout, regardless of his Gatherer history. It was clear that his extraordinary skills could be best employed on the scouting quests and the Supremes needed no persuading regarding that. Rogue was put in unit 84, which was now assigned to company one, and everybody there has accepted him in an excellent way. Under their influence, the Scouts ceased to look at their peculiar new fellow with suspicion, and he was determinant to justify that trust.

  The list started with the Stripped Hammerhead. The Scouts were patrolling a small location squeezed between the vast hilly region and a nearly lifeless sand strip where Farra plants made a thin-grown meadow. Their finds consisted predominately of good old Farra these days, as those flowers were among the rare ones still opening this late. The dead rusty leaves lay around in heaps, and one of such was chosen for an ambush by the stalking insect.

  Luckily, Rogue got the ugly bug in the middle of its pounce on Ha ignorantly passing by and shot it down in one perfect blaze of his blasters. The Grabbing Fly fell on the clay ground with a dull thump and flipped over on its back. Petrified Ha could just stare at the hideous carcass, looking not in the least impassive as habitually.

  “You needed some help, Trooper?”

  The next was a pair of Common Rocky Flies who came swooping down from the gloomy ashen sky, and each of Rogue’s blasters took one down. With his help, the scouting company managed to destroy the ferocious Great Black Beetle running out of the tangled thicket without any casualties. Shooting heavily, he scattered the flock of Ants menacing Scouts down by the Dry Stream while they were waiting for the arrival of their gathering swarm.

  Then, there was the case of the Silver Hammerhead, a quite rare but big and brutal Fly. The company was deployed to the rough area near the Ridge, patrolling in the shadow of keen-edged rocks and towering crags when Starter Fe spotted a deadly foe peeking between bulky whitish juts at the foot of some steep cliff.

  The alarmed Scouts quickly clustered on the spot, finding nothing but a hidden mouth of a dark cave in the cliff.

  “I saw it scurrying into the cave,” said Fe, pointing to the black opening. “It went in and didn’t come out.”

  Rogue responded by popping his mighty blasters out. “I’ll take care of that.”

  “You actually want to go in?” asked baffled Commander TeraX8891.

  “Just trust me, Sir.”

  Leaving anxious Scouts to wait by the cave mouth, Rogue clicked his overdeveloped hand gears and swiftly disappeared into the darkness.

  Almost instantly there were multiple blasts echoing from inside, accompanied by the sound of big stones rumbling. A long, horrid silence followed afterwards.

  A couple of minutes has passed, and Scouts were starting to exchange nervous glances; but then Rogue strode out, carrying the gory piece of the Fly’s metallic jaw speared on his hand spike.

  “Didn’t I tell you? Nothing easier.”

  “That was splendid, Rogue,” said Xe, grabbing this convenient opportunity to praise his friend in front of everyone. “I always knew you would come in handy.”

  But the Rogue’s single most outstanding deed was the slaying of a Killer Moth.

  That day, gathering swarm number one lingered way too long in the huge meadow of Paloma plants. It couldn’t count like the Eeol pasture in the strict sense of word as there were no flowers around, but only a dazzling multitude of pink Paloma berries; yet Eeols knew to be flexible when the situation called for it, and the swarm joyfully stabbed the thin metallic skin of ripe berries and sucked fruit juice tasty as the finest nectar. They enjoyed it so much that they lost track of time, and dusk was falling early in this time of the year. Inevitably the shroud of darkness got the swarm on its belated return trip long before it could reach the Hive, and evening in the plains was bound to spawn horrors.

  It was almost impossible to comprehend that Rogue’s keen senses caught the approach of this most silent of all silent creatures. He didn’t waste any time raising the alarm, and bolted in direction of the incoming glider. They clashed in the twilight. The Moth’s thin armor was no match for Rogue’s firepower, and the bug stumbled helplessly on the ground.

  Even the intimidating night couldn’t prevent Eeols from taking a pause to land and have a look at the remains as it was so uncommon sight. Due to their stealth and great speed, Killer Moths were extremely hard to slay, and nobody from the entire Swarm has ever seen one taken down before.

  After that, Rogue became hugely popular in the Hive.

  That night, when the Evening Rally had finished, unit 84 was invited to the Supreme Command Quarters for a private audience. All Scouts glowed with glee and pride, especially Rogue who looked honored with this call. Clearly it meant a lot to him.

  The Scouts were received in a small accessory chamber, and Xe felt odd to see Supreme BeraX7719 actually pleased with his visit for a change.

  “Go ahead, Commander XeraM6697. Give your report and don’t be coy with words.”

  Xe obeyed gladly, and beyond reporting on the catch, he also made an account and elaborated on all his friend’s successes over the past days.

  “I strongly believe Rogue will significantly reduce losses within our ranks,” he added in the end. “His value lies not only in the might of his weaponry but in the gift for an early alarm too. Since he has joined us on missions, we didn’t have a single casualty, neither in our scouting company nor in gathering swarm number one.”

  “We all share your enthusiasm, Commander,” confirmed Supreme BeraX7719 in most pleased tone, and then looked at Rogue. “Your merits have been recognized and the Swarm owes you its gratitude. The Queen has commended you personally, and you are going to be promoted to status of a Commander soon. Do you have anything to say, Rogue?”

  “I’m happy I could show what I got, Sir,” he answered flatly. “And it makes me proud that I proved myself worthy of a Scout position.”

  “You weren’t feeling worthy at the beginning?”

  “I wasn’t deemed worthy by others. Frankly, Sir, it seems to me I was allowed to join the Scouts only to serve as bait for hostiles in order to save the lives of ‘right’ Eeols.”

  The corners of the Supreme’s mouth rose almost unnoticeably.

  “If some among us thought that way earlie
r, it’s no longer the case,” he asserted quickly. “I hereby declare you are to be regarded as a genuine Eeol and addressed as such. You earned it, Rogue.” But he grimaced a bit pronouncing the last word. “You wouldn’t want to pick a real name for yourself, would you?”

  “No, Sir. Rogue is my real name and I have no intention of changing it.”

  “In that case, suit yourself.”

  It was normal that accepting Rogue as a Swarm member proved difficult for Eeols as they had to overcome their natural instinct of fearing and revolting his kind. However, the wise Rogue had found the right way to win their respect.

  A little later, unit 84 was leaving the Supreme Command Quarters after their dismissal, weary with hard day’s work but content. Buzzing low above the waxy floor, Scouts were chatting among themselves in high spirits and not paying much attention to their surroundings when they suddenly ran into a group of the Queen’s Servants in the narrow corridor.

  Xe squeezed against the radiant green wall to give them space to hover past. Since Rogue has joined the Swarm, he was avoiding contact with the Servants, and they were doing the same in return. But this time it was different. Instead of just proceeding down the hallway, MedaM0075, who was leading the group, halted and turned toward him.

  “Hail, Commander XeraM6697,” he nodded with respect, shaking his head when Xe’s face remained expressionless. “It’s time to put our dispute to an end, don’t you think? Yes, we Pages acted too hasty in this matter. We were wrong, and we are sorry. I apologize for what was said on behalf of all Pages.”

  He turned to Rogue. “I guess we have misjudged you. Good thing the Queen was smarter than us, as always. I bid you welcome to our Hive, Rogue.” The last word was spoken out with visible effort.

  “Your apology is accepted,” said the Rogue. “I’m proud to be a member of this community, and I’ll serve it the best I can.”

  Xe was relieved. So, even the Pages ceased resenting him; the final obstacle has been overcome. “If it’s fine with my friend, it’s fine with me too, and I have never stopped honoring the rank of Servants. See you later, Page.”

  “Actually, would you mind coming with us, Commander? Your whole crowd. We are going out to the Promenade, as tonight is the Alignment.”

  “What?”

  MedaM0075 grinned at him. “You don’t remember, Commander? But your generation was so thrilled that last time, staring at the night sky most keenly. We have deliberately set the First Flight exactly on an Alignment day.”

  It all came back to Xe. “We’re talking about that Moon thing, aren’t we, Page? When the Moon positions itself between three surrounding stars. I would be most happy to come!”

  “Yes, that was the Spring Alignment,” confirmed MedaM0075, gesturing to the crowd of Pages to follow him. Unit 84 trailed slowly at the rear while only Xe flew abreast the Head Page. “What we are going to observe now is the Fall Alignment. Rarely clear and distinct like the first one, as it’s usually cloudy in this part of season.”

  “How do you Pages track all of this?”

  “We keep records. Our quarters are full of waxy plates. It’s not just about the sky observations and weather data, but pretty much about everything that happens around here. There are accounts of the general situation in the Swarm, including the state of the brood and honey stock, and on various events inside and outside the Hive. We also make detailed records of births and deaths, promotions and alike. The Queen has to be well informed.”

  Xe nodded, realizing there was more to being the Servant than he had initially supposed.

  By now the small party exited the Gate and buzzed upwards. It was well after the usual walking time, and the Promenade stretched before them completely empty. Still, they planned only a short stay anyway. The sky was cloudy, just as the Pages had anticipated, but the full moon shone through the spidery veil perfectly visible, gray instead of pale-purple. The three stars creating the angles of a triangle were twinkling, their blaze pallid in the unfavorable conditions.

  One old Page who was carrying a wax plate started scribbling, producing a rough scratching with a bark splinter. Scouts of unit 84 gazed at the night sky in a delighted manner while Rogue had their backs and kept watch kneeling by the Promenade verge; to his sharpened senses the dark night presented itself in quite a different way than to the ordinary Eeols.

  “You really hated him in the beginning, didn’t you?” asked Xe quietly.

  The Head Page broke of his thoughts and looked at the Scout with resignation.

  “Don’t judge us too harsh, Commander. He did seem to be an enormous threat at the time, and I was afraid for the Queen’s safety. But whatever shows to be in the Swarm’s best interest, we Pages support, and nobody is happier than me that this affair with the Rogue turned out so well.”

  Xe didn’t reply as he watched the moon and the stars.

  The chilly northern wind gusted over the Promenade.

  “It’s not always this cold,” muttered MedaM0075 to fill in the awkward silence. “Once the summer heat extended all the way to the Fall Alignment. That was before my time, but it’s written in our plates. A couple days after the Alignment came an unexpected hailstorm, severely damaging the walls of the Hive. Then the weather changed so abruptly that there was barely enough time to patch up the walls before the first snow.”

  “Hail is a grim stuff,” whispered Xe.

  Another gust of cold wind finally drove the Eeols off the Promenade.

  32.

  HERE!

  The sun grew feeble and temperatures in the flatlands continued to drop. The northerner strengthened and the huge cliff flanking the Hive was now proving its usefulness by providing a barrier from the worst wind strokes. Rusty fallen leaves were covering the ground and pastures turned meager with less and less food to collect. The time has come for Eeols to begin making preparations for the cold season.

  The great plains fought long harsh winters with heavy snowfalls, and there was no room for fooling around. The Assembly of Commanders held a session and made a comprehensive plan for overwintering, setting up all the relevant issues; most importantly, who would keep vigil. Nobody was to stay awake the whole winter as Eeols did it in shifts. However, only a tiny fraction of the Swarm was required for vigil duty, and the bulk of the Flyers were to spend the entire cold season in their sleep.

  Reactions were diverse. Most Eeols looked forward to the winter viewing it as a peaceful period, a time of rest and tranquility, and above all safety. On the other hand, Jo happened to be among the small number complaining of boredom. But whether Eeols liked it or not, the arrival of the winter was inevitable.

  On some sunny but chilly fall morning, scouting company one was busy securing the little grove of Farra plants in a rocky land. The humble plants sprouted here and there between the sharp-edged boulders and huge stone blocks with just one or two flowers yellowing on each plant; even for Farra, the season was close to ending.

  Eeols called this place Dragonfly Death. According to an old tale, many years ago a small troop of Scouts slayed an assaulting Dragonfly upon these rough grounds. Xe was not sure if it was true as the tale could be just a myth or an empty boasting or even some trick of the Superiors to lift Flyers’ spirits. Who could tell after so much time had elapsed?

  He had more important things on his mind. Since unit 84 commenced serving in the main company, Xe had to be careful and keep his younger Scouts away from unit 10 to stem potential fights. But otherwise, the quests were going just fine and everybody was content; particularly the Rogue, getting nice treatment from Eeols who were now glad to have him by their side.

  Interestingly, over time it became clear that even the Song of the Eeol Queen couldn’t change him back into his regular state. It did affect him to some degree, making him a bit shorter and reddening his armor, and his helmet reshaped and lost a few jags. But the main aspects of the Rogue transformation turned out to be irreversible. His honey-making ability did not return and his weaponry and keen senses
shed nothing of their former might. Not that anybody mourned over that, though.

  Besides the Farra, there was almost no vegetation in this area. One lone tangle of Pomka trailer plant was an exception, with its resistant green vines sticking out of a shallow depression at Xe’s right as he paused from patrolling and gazed at the horizon.

  The Stream flowed resembling not a ribbon of brilliant silver anymore but a dull-gray streak. Seared by night frost, the once dense thickets flourishing alongside its banks shrunk considerably and also turned colorless and gloomy. The Stream had many faces which were changing constantly, like by some strange will, making Xe to feel small.

  Then something cracked within the green tendrils of the Pomka.

  Xe turned swiftly to eye it, but the thick metallic jumble was impenetrable to his glance. Unlike the majority of flora upon the big plains, the Pomka trailer was an evergreen and hence lost nothing of its volume. The worst thing was Scout suddenly realized he was standing there all alone. The rest of his patrolling troop went ahead and were now red dots hovering at the bottom of a distant cliff, too far to notice what was happening with him.

  The Pomka leaves stirred again. There was definitely something alive moving in there, something bigger than a Flea Beetle, and the Scout huddled against the nearby rock slowly drawing out both of his blasters.

  Every muscle in his body cramped as the Pomka shook violently with metallic rustles. Then the leafy vines divided, and a golden-red figure of a Rogue jumped out.

  On the verge of passing out, Xe lowered his blasters. “Rogue, don’t do that! You scared me to death!”

  But his friend replied nothing. He just stood there mute and rigid, fixing Xe with his glare and silently clacking his hand gears. His head twitched once like he wanted to look over his shoulder and reconsidered in half of the move.