Fate - First Reply After the End

[Xithispk N'Xilna]

Amid a dim tropical haze of early sunset many young insects called out for love almost musically. The terrain was mountainous but the ocean winds drew ever more near. A full crescent could be seen in the purpling skies.

There were old overgrown walkways of some Dwarven or Human design. But being covered in jungle foliage they looked almost like a twisted and agonized reflection of elven nature architecture.

Amongst these yet desolate yet still nearly regal roads the lone Chi'Xilixi strode...

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It had all happened so quickly. The earth around their main territories in the subterranean vaults had broken into upheaval. Entire districts had collapsed in upon themselves within the first five seconds.

Only anarchy and the dancing crumbling ruins of his once proud home. And his feet moving. Swiftly. Running. He ran without thought. He ran for his life. He failed.

Had he any honor in his heart, he would have instinctively run to the Queen or to the nearest egg nursery with an active incubation chamber. But his cowardly feet had carried him with wings of steel to the surface. Alone.

Alone. Gasping for breathe and running on his feet and lower hands like a larva as the mountain top behind him sputtered and imploded in a haze of dust and a storm of violent winds and falling rocks. One of those had crashed hard into the back of his head.

And then the world was gone. Would that it have remained that way. But to his shame, he later awoke. Alive and well.

And when he had the mountain top had vanished. And now there was a barren crater of stone and sand where once a great Hive had dwelt in power and in grace. Now it was an ashen waste of rubble. The silent lifelessness screamed a shrill note.

And it haunted him still as he walked down this strange jungle corridor. He was walking towards the coast and towards the crescent of light above as the dark shroud if even fell swiftly overhead.

 

[Darkensand]

How curious...
This feeling, Darkensand could feel it.

It was not long ago that large Amounts of Deaths had befallen this Region.

Even more curious though was what seemed to be a Chi’xilixi.

It was not the Fact of one Being here, that intrigued him but rather the Lack of a Hivemind connected to it.

While Chi’xilixi Hiveminds were not the strongest kind, they still left a strong enough Footprint for a skilled enough Individual to feel.

And this one lacked Connection to any.

It was quite obvious what had transpired, at least roughly, for whatever reason an entire Hivemind was destroyed and only a single one survived.

But why?

Chi’xilixi tend to protect their Queen, but the Chi'xilixi before him was no such Thing, he appeared to be nothing more than your average Chi'xilixi.

So why did only he survive?
That was intrigued him most.

Yet the biggest problem would be to find out, there were only two Methods that Darkensand knew of to converse more complicated matters with Chi'xilixi, Translation Stones whose Origins where unkown and the Being did not seem to carry any such Stones, and to connect his own Mind with the Chi’xilixi.

Yet only the Former Option was truly viable, the latter could not be forced upon others and the Moment Darkensand tried to connect their Minds together even momentarily, the Chi'xilixis Mind would probably shatter.

Ultimately there was no other way, he would have to find a way to communicate if he wished to find out what had truly transpired and for any kind of communication the Chi’xilixis Cooperation was required, as well that he stayed alive.

Darkensand would have to approach the Chi'xilixi cautiously and as non-threatening as possible.

Xithispk N'Xilna

 

[Xithispk N'Xilna]

Xithispk stopped as his antennae caught sense of something and seemed to almost grope in the direction of the strange presence. Instinctively one of his arms raised as if to draw a weapon... But then he hesitated... And his arm dropped.

He saw something... It was unclear what... But it did not seem hostile... If it did attack, then weapons would matter. Maybe. It wasn't as if this particular Chi'Xilixi was going out of his way to avoid death these days... Well ...not of his own accord anyhow.

He hadn't been eating right. In fact he had been wandering aimlessly unto exhaustion and then collapsing before beginning the endless, pointless journeying of life all over again. In a similar fashion he would forget to eat or drink until his body, mad with need, drove him to seek out food and water.

And while he wasn't going to starve in the next few days now, he simply had no reason to care. About anything. On that fist day of isolated wandering he had come upon the den of a great fanged and furry beast. The kind of thing that was a fire hunter and an even more dire defender of its territory. And there, in this razorfanged thing's nest the lone Chi'Xilixi had come. There, right in front of the beast's rising form, he had cast his weapons to the ground and then knelt down in order to be devoured.

To his utter dismay, the great hunting furry one had only yawned and walked away. And so the mind that sought to escape the slow death of existential hopelessness and apathy was denied a quick escape. And so he wandered on. And on.

And on.

And now here he was. And there was a new being here. But Xithispk was in no mood to fight or to flee. Or to do anything. Or to die. All the normal options were as unappetizing as food had become.

He made soft noises from his mouth filled with the vaguely metalic sections of sound breaking a natural cadence that was like that of speech. But whatever he had said, his tone and posture did not give much clue to it's content. The only certain thing about the alien vocal expression was that he had not bothered to raise his voice to be heard.

Darkensand

 

[Darkensand]

The Chi'xilixi appeared lifeless and void of any Motivation.

It was to be expected for a Creature that is usually connected to a Hivemind, to Fave an Existential Crisis and lack any reason to live any further if said Creatures Hivemind had perished.

That were certainly grimm Conditions for future Conversations, yet it wa sof little Importance at the current Moment.

At least, it's Body seemed to strive for Survival, otherwise he would have long perished, so while broken in Mind, his Body still fought on.

Darkensand would have to convince him to go with him.

While the Chi'xilixi lacked currently any Reason to Life and seemed apathetic towards his own Existence, he would have to acquire new Motivation soon, otherwise he would certainly remain broken indefinitely.

"My Name is Darkensand.
I am uncertain whether you can understand me.
If you do, I ask you to follow me.
You lack Meaning, I will try to help you, to acquire a new one, if yoj wish to try that is."

Uncertain whether he had understood, Darkensand tried his best to convey with Symbols, that the Chi'xilixi should follow him.

If he succeded, the two would have to start marching towards the nearest Town, which was still a few Days away.

Xithispk N'Xilna

 

[Xithispk N'Xilna]

The chittering scratches, odd wet noises, and musical hums of arthropod murmuring could be heard almost as if in response to the newcomer. And as clear as those noises were to non Chi'Xilixi, so was the language spoken by this stranger to Xithispk.

He was no diplomat nor scout and had no concept of any words in the common trade language or in any other language aside from Chix. It was the only language a warrior needed.

But the strange being seemed to be greeting him. To be displaying intelligence. And to be asking the aimless wanderer to come with him.

This was as likely to bring an end to him as not. But it was something to do. So Xithispk gestured a sort of ”after you” or "let's go” type of arm movement.

Darkensand

 

[Darkensand]

While it seemed like he lacked the Ability to understand any Words, the Chi'xilixi seemed capable to understand Darkensands Gestures.

While not excellent, it had to suffice.

Somewhere Darkensand would certainly find one of these Translation Stones.

But first they had to reach the Town.

...

Despite his mental State, the Chi'xilixi did not slow Darkensand down at all, be it because Darkensand himself was incapable of moving to fast or be it because deep down the Chi'xilixi still had some spec of hope left.

The night started to approach and the Chi'xilixi was visibly exhausted, despite it looking as if he hinself was unaware of his own state.

Darkensand would have to find him something to eat for the coming Night as well as the ones after that.

No easy task, usually.

But this Day everything seemed to go unusual, something that would most likely not change in the near future.

Not only did Darkensand stumble upon some eadible Wildlife, he also found Traces of Chi'xilixi, fresh ones at that.

Maybe following these traces would prove to be more useful.

Regardless just after standing up he could intuitively feel that something unusual was going to happen.

Not long after he and the Chi'xilixi could see and especially hear it.

Apparently, the Day had still something in store for the two of them.

Xithispk N'Xilna