“Um, Keyla. I do not know how to make weapons. It is not my craft. Orchid, can you take the tooth to where you crafted your blades?” I asked, causing Orchid to look between myself and the tooth holding Keyla.

“Ok, Apollo love. Keyla, come with Orchid, now.” She said before walking off back down a nearby hole. Keyla stood still for a second, indecision overcoming her. A moment later however, she turned to Nukumi and shouted “Bye, thank you so much!” Before she followed Orchid.

After she left earshot, I put my hand on my chest and said. “Ouch, I don’t even get a goodbye anymore? I guess she really liked you. That tracks though, she has been trying to get intimate with my Orchid since she got here. It seems she has a thing for self pleasure.”

Nukumi felt her entire body shake at that thought. The thought of someone other than Apollo touching her gills the way he did. She shuddered once more and was going to make sure she was not touched by the hybrid again.

Despite Nukumi’s lack of facial expressions, I knew I had successfully gotten my petty revenge on Keyla. ‘You better say goodbye to me next time.’ I thought, smiling evilly. Since it was now just the two of us again, I jumped up on Nukumi’s head and began to look around. As I looked over the landscape, I asked.

“How does it feel being back home? How long has it been since you have last been home?” Nukumi thought for a moment before replying. “I am not sure, Apollo. The hive never really kept track of time before you came along. We only use your reference of time as it is helpful to you. That being said, I would say it has been thousands of years since I have returned.”

Suddenly a voice interjected into our conversation via the link. “It has been 13,821 Years Prime Nukumi. Welcome home.” Jewel knew how to adapt her past into time. Thanks to her Apollo, she has felt the effect of time. She has watched how her love has grown from a little thing into her perfect mate in a paradoxically slow and fast amount of time. She had long adapted to how Apollo perceives the passage of time and now actively uses the resources to plan hunts.

“My Queen!” Nukumi exclaimed with a familiarity more than reverence like other freethinkers and agitators would exclaim. I felt the link become incredibly heavy in my Mind. I basically had one and a half Jewel’s inside relaying information and even half of Jewel was an absolute menace.

For that reason, I severed my connection to the link and closed my eyes with a smile on my face. I felt like Jewel needed someone to talk to. She might have not needed to for millennia, but she has become more like me in our time together. She enjoys conversation and I am the only one at her station on home world. Talking to Nukumi, an extension of her soul, should be good for her.

…

“Apollo.” I heard faintly, slightly waking me up from my nap. “Apollo?” I heard once more, making me open my eyes and groggily reply. “Huh, what? Yeah? I am up.” I then looked around to get my bearings. I was still on Nukumi’s head, but my location had changed.

I was underground, inside of Jewel’s throne room. “Huh? How did we get here? I mean seriously, no offence, but you are way too… Horizontally challenged to fit through the Hive’s tunnel network.”

Jewel silently used one of her scythes to point up to the ceiling and as I followed with my eyes, I went. “Ah.” Another big hole. The ones of the queens guard had been filled in and now there was another one.

I was so distracted by the hole, I did not even comment on the strangeness of Jewel using her scythes instead of her tentacles as she normally does. “Turning back from the hole, I asked aloud. “So, what did I miss while I was napping? It was one hell of a nap if I slept through downward movement.”

Nukumi then relayed into the link. “Actually Apollo, I must leave you already. I had hoped to spend the rest of the day with you before your departure tomorrow, but something has transpired.”

I was saddened I could not spend more time with the sharky bio form, but I was very much intrigued by what had transpired, Jewel sensing this continued in Nukumi’s stead. “Prime four has tracked down a particularly elusive prey and is currently engaging them as we speak. This prey is strong and relies solely on a massive fleet and has no worlds of its own. This prey has escaped my primes numerous times when fighting just one fleet, so I am sending Prime Nukumi to reinforce Prime four.”

“Really?” I was shocked. “Who is causing you trouble? Do you want my help as well?” I felt an anger burn inside me. “Some species are causing MY HIVE trouble? I will burn the perpetrators to cinders!”

“!!!”

Jewel looked at me alarmed by my sudden rage, I too was confused for a moment before Sol whispered through her link. “I told you my Kindled, your emotions will fluctuate over the things you care about. But well done, you composed yourself marvellously. As expected of my favourite Kindled.”

‘Oh please, I bet you say that to all your kindled ones.’ I said playfully, before looking back up at Jewel. “Sorry my love, side effect of my new bonding. Intense emotions regarding the ones I love. Please continue.”

Knowing the cause of my outburst did not worry Jewel in the slightest now she knew it was not her that made him angry. Him being angry towards her enemies made her entire being hot

“Our enemy is a large fleet of Robotic entities. We are usually able to beat them when they engage us openly, but I always take heavy biomass losses as the material they use, for the most part, is incredibly Biomass insufficient. This was not always the case. I have been fighting this enemy whenever it pops up and like myself, it adapts. The prey’s king is rather intelligent with its strategies, allowing its legions of robots to holdout as long as it has, but it is only a matter of time before It too is devoured.

I was incredibly curious about this foe of Jewels. Considering the entity can fight off Jewel’s primes. ‘It is probably too dangerous a warzone for the current me. I am better off continuing my training in Elysium it seems.’

Jewel felt I was a little saddened by the fact I was still weak in comparison to things she actively considered dangerous and consoled me. “Apollo my love, my reason to be. You will grow powerful. It is only a matter of time. With your Origin my love, you will outgrow me and then It shall become my turn to find new ways to increase my strength. More so than I currently do. So worry not.”

Growing stronger than Jewel really did seem like an impossible task. Perhaps individually I can perhaps see myself become physically stronger than her main body, but stronger than the hive itself?

Looking up at Jewel then down at Nukumi, I smiled lovingly. They believed I was capable. So in that case, I will be done. No matter what, I will live up to Jewel’s expectations and continue to become the mate she deserves. One that is by her side through everything.

The Hivemind is already conquering for me. Devouring for me. Doing everything it can to get the biomass I need. Such as Anti Psionic material for when I asked for the stick. She does everything I ask for. All I want to do in return is fight by her side and give her the offspring she craves.

Jewel made the mistake of habitually listening to my thoughts and her body began to heat up again. She could not afford to go into a heat state again, so she relayed to Nukumi and I. “Nukumi, you should depart now. It will take a month to arrive at Prime four’s destination. If the prey are still engaged at that point, even with her being a fleet specialist, she may have lost half of her bio forms by then. I have also added three thousand ships to your fleet. You can easily handle the extra processing power for those as you had a trivial time ordering many more after my incident with Apollo.”

“Of course my queen, I hope to see you again soon. Preferably not another thirteen thousand years. And Apollo. You are going to be amazing with the scouting force. We are all so proud of you… Hold on… *Sigh* Prime three insists on letting you know she has recently decapitated a beast three times her size and gives it up as a trophy to you.”

“Oh? Um? Ok? How big is prime three?” I asked curiously. “She is only fifteen meters tall, but she is incredibly fast and one of the most perfected bio forms there is for her role.

“Hmm.” I nodded impressed. “Well tell Prime three thank you so much for her trophy, I appreciate it and tell her I hope to see her soon.” I said…

A whoopsie on my part.

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