Parasitic Ruination

The dim light of several torches illuminated a ruined hallway. Weeds and vines struggled against spider webs in an endless battle for domination of the small space that was the crumbling corridor. Various bugs and small rodents scurried away as the torch light flooded into the small nooks and crannies where they hid.

A dozen adventures followed the light, each one obviously on edge as they delved deeper into the corridor and the ruins that undoubtedly lay further in. Leading them was a rather tall male. Twin wings the color of freshly forged copper furled into two scaly heaps behind his back and two ivory horns twisted above his head. A mixture of platemail and leather covered most of his skin, but between his gauntlets and chest plate there was no armor; only white skin.

In his hands he carried a torch and a longsword crafted from a red metal that gleamed violently in what little light the torches gave off. With silent command he led his fellow adventures further into the ruins, holding up a hand when he sensed something was wrong.

He turned his head to face an elf behind him, who wore little more than the robes of a druid. Strands of blonde hair escaped the thin hood she wore, but the shadow prevented her eyes from being seen. A classic role for an elf. When he spoke, his voice echoed through the hallway. It was deep, blatantly and unassumingly masculine. "Tiriana, check for traps."

The reply he received was in the form of a feminine voice. "Yes, sir! Detect Trap!" A purple aura filled a small area around the elf as she cast her spell, and within seconds dozens of pressure plants, dark holes, and tripwires were revealed in the corridor just ahead of the small group.

"Dear gods," gasped the leader of the group while his wings unfurled and flapped in worried anticipation. "Whoever built this place really doesn't want people like us getting through. All these traps? What were they trying to protect?"

He received no response and he furled his wings, two dwarfs approached. Each wore the heavy armor that most dwarves were masters with. They each carried twin warhammers as well, each one far larger than their wielders. All facial features save two large, braided beards were covered by thick helmets.

The tallest spoke up when they were directly behind the winged male. "Oi, Relic, what's the deal? Those traps ain't skit to our shields! Nothin' can pierce our metal!"

"Perhaps not, Rastrig, but we brought a thief for a reason. Just like we brought a summoner to deal with those skeletons we saw when we first entered. We don't need to take unnecessary risks."

Rastrig and his fellow dwarf shook their heads but retreated. Relic was the leader, and his command was final. "Rastring, when you get back there, send Jert up here."

"Aye. You're the boss."

Minutes passed and eventually Tiriana was forced to cast her detection spell once again. After she did a goblin showed up. She had taken her sweet time getting up the group, and arrived with her hands resting on top of her head, multiple ear piercings chiming as they hit each other. Like any classical goblin her skin was a deep green, like the undergrowth of a forest. Her hair was black, like rare pearls, and tossed over one side of her head and shaved short on the other. Her eyes gleamed a bright amber like tree sap.

"Ya called me, Boss?"

"I did. Can you disable these traps?"

A quick look at the goblin nodded thoughtfully, her pointer finger rubbing her chin. "I think I could, but it might cost a big sum of the treasure. I mean, I am the only one who could do it."

"Greedy aren't you?"

It's why you love me." Jert winked as stepped forward, waiting for Tiriana to recast the fading spell. After another dose of mana, the purple highlight reset on the various traps. Within seconds Jert got to work, disabling the first set of tripwires with pinpoint accuracy.

The process was long and hard, and would have been longer if if it wasn't for the greedy Jert. Relic had to admire her skill with a lockpick. Only a few could best her, and they all died long ago.

Regardless of the time it took the group arrived at the other end of the hallway, where, after Tiriana cast another round of trap detection, they stopped for a rest. Rastrig and his kin set to work making a fire, and soon it blazed into life with little issue, Tiriana banishing the smoke with a small spell. The group soon broke into smaller conversation.

"Oi, Mazami."

"Yes, Rastrig?"

"How's your armor? I swear me hammer hit it while we was taking out those spiders."

Mazami, the second dwarf, shook his head. His armored hand ran across the shoulder and when it reached his elbow he spoke. "No. It's fine. A bit in need of a polish," he put extra emphasis on the pol, making it sound more like Polish. "But it's fine."

The conversations continued until Relic stood, rolling his shoulders as he began his stretch. The signal was clear, and the entire group stood in the following seconds, each one ready to go deeper.

And so they did, delving deeper and deeper into the ruins. Through locked doors, more traps, and dozens of small monsters they marched, slaughtered and passing all that hindered them with professional efficiency. They arrived at a set of double doors, each one crafted from elaborate obsidian. It showed no signs of weathering, and it looked just as fresh as the day the ruins had been carved from the mountain they called home.

On the door were scenes of worship and danger, love and wrath. All were crafted with the utmost care and beauty, and all of them focused around a single being, a large bug-like creature that seemed to act as a god, a beacon. The beast was surrounded by thousands of her children, both human and insect.

Despite the care put into the scenes, the door's care, and the avoidance of weathering, only a few of the scenes were intact enough for Relic to read in complete totality. Which struck him as odd.

Regardless, when he removed his hand from the warm stone, he turned to his group. "My friends, and Jert." The goblin appeared amused. "We're finally here. The door isn't locked, and the treasure is behind it. If we're smart about this, we'll be able to get what we came for and get out without losing anybody. Tiriana, cast detect dead and traps. I really hope this room isn't covered with the undead. If it is, then Mazami and Rastrig will take the front alongside Karag and myself. Jert and Bosco will back up Tiriana, Amanda, Scylla, and Shawn while they support us with magic.

Amelia and Jackson will sit in reserve until we need their help, assuming we do. If we do not, then you two will be expected to support Jert and Bosco in protection of the mages. Am I understood?" A choir of voices came in response, and each one agreed wholeheartedly.

"Very well. Let's go."

Darkness had been all the Queen had remembered for centuries. Ever since the last of her brood scurried away and their hosts had been burned alive. She had been forced to retreat into Her inner temple, and what few hosts Her children had managed to retain followed. Her drones spoke of traps being laid, of countless enemies that had cast necromancy and runic traps.

She didn't need them to tell her. She could feel it all being done. The aura of the undead reeked in Her temple, making it smell just like any other ruin. The hosts had served as food and breeding grounds since the obsidian doors had closed, but they had run dry long ago and Her children were reduced to cannibalism. Like common insects.

Her hiss echoed through Her throne room as the idea crossed Her stimulated mind. To compare Her brood to insects was acceptable, for that's what they were without Her. Just insects. Overly large spiders and beetles. But with Her, with any queen in control, they were more. They were whole, and One.

And One would march on the world again. Just as soon as One finished digging through the walls and began finding new hosts, new breeding stock. She hissed as the door creaked open, Her slimy web breaking as it was stretched past its limit. One moved to attack, to slaughter the intruders, but She could sense the females within their ranks.

They followed the males and stood in the middle. An elf, a goblin, two humans a pejo, who's ears would be an issue, and a tekil, who's wings would prove to be annoying. One retreated upon Her command, and just as She suspected, the pejo's ears twitched and swiveled, her face morphing with worry as she shouted something to her alpha.

Fire lit up the room, and soon One was revealed. Thousands of organisms, each one varying in detail. Some were as large as horses, and some as small as cats. Regardless, the horror that radiated from the group below was delightful for Her.

It was like honey, sweet and wonderful. It had been some time since She had last seen mortals, and they hadn't changed in the centuries she had been stuck. They still wore that armor of metal and hide, still cast spells of fire and ice. And above all, the females still smelled fertile and ready to join One.

Her screech brought the attention away from One, who was quick to follow her commands. They lunged forward, ready to claim the females for Queen. First charged the warrior and defender class. They were large parts of One, each easily worth ten average soldiers. Their exoskeletons were nearly invincible, as hard as steel and as flexible as it. One had crafted them long ago, when Queen had wanted to capture a settlement filled with females.

Weapons were useless to them, for they had their heads. Massive spikes grew from them, and mandibles came from their jaws. Some of One fell, their exoskeletons roasting as one of the females looked away from Queen and attacked.

Queen was offended, and rightfully so. To gaze upon her shell and her fangs and her wings was to see glory; heaven incarnate. To glance away was a sin worthy of death. But Queen needed more hosts, so the sin must be ignored. And so it was, as the last of the group came in and One blocked the door with countless drones.

Acting on instinct, Queen reached down from her web, fangs and mandibles at the ready as she grabbed a female and pulled her into the engulfing darkness of the vaulted ceiling. Her armor was torn off, her limbs tied with Queen's heavenly webbing, and soon One came to her.

Like a tidal wave One swallowed her. She was implanted, infected, and bred, all by the same creature. All by One, who felt nothing by joy for taming Queen's next host. A wiggly worm came from One and it forced itself into Host's nose, climbing up to the brain. It took no time at all for Host to give in. The worm knew where to go, and what to do once it got there.

One Host had joined One, Queen allowed One to impregnate her, to make her a true host. Host's armor was tore off, and soon followed whatever clothes she wore. Her legs were forced open and lips pushed wide. One's ovipositor came to bless Host with Queen's eggs. They rubbed against each other as Host groaned in pleasure, her legs trying to grind against each other as One impregnated her. Host's belly grew and the eggs became visible as Host stretched to her limit, groaning in bliss the entire time it happened.

Once Host was filled, One turned away. One's wings hummed as it moved away and laid at the ready for Queen to capture another. Queen loved this part of One, strange wasp-like bugs that she created to spread her eggs. She may not be able to move as fast as Her brood, but with One's wings and ovipositors, She could spread.

Queen watched as One slaughtered the males and captured the females, opening them all for the future generations of One. Queen slide down from her web, and One helped One to the ground, using itself to cut the webs that Queen had immobilized Host with. Each female was impregnated, and Queen watched, satisfied, as the females joined One.

Amelia screamed as she felt the monster wrap it's slimy webbing around her. The stuff was wet, and cold, and above all, gross. It felt like the insides of a clam rubbing against her skin. Her screams only grew as a strange worm dropped from a wasp-like creature, who's color pattern resembled a Monarch Butterfly.

One thing she noticed was the stinger. Instead of a normal pointed, deadly end, it was squishing, long, and had a large hole at the end. Dozens of eggs sat inside it, and each one squirmed with the beginning of whatever creatures had been lying in wait here. It was a horrific sight, but it paled in comparison to the worm that slithered and skulked it's way up her nose.

It felt terrible, as if someone had stuck a stick up her nose. Amelia's eyes rolled back into her head as the worm moved past her nose, past her eyes, and into her brain. She felt her mind going blank. The worm made it hard to think.

But that was good, right? Thinking was reserved for Queen, who smiled down upon her with forgiving love. Queen seemed to approve as she spoke to her. Her words were static and watery, muted and off. "You...host...serve...One...Queen."

Host nodded, smiling as she welcoming One into her body. Who was it to resist? One was good, and Host was One. She moaned as One penetrated her, blessing her with Queen's eggs. Each one sent a wave of pleasure into Host as it attached itself to her womb, leeching from her life force as it began to grow.

Host's moans didn't end until the last egg was deposited inside her and One left. She felt wonderful. Having Queen's eggs inside her, and One watching over her, joining her to itself, was a blessing. When she reached the ground, and the females she had traveled with screamed as they too were impregnated, Host could only shake her head. She was disappointed in her friends. Especially Jert, who screamed as she was about to be impregnated. One of the warrior caste had gotten hold of her, and it had her hair in it's mandibles, using it as leverage to drag her towards a pair of waiting breeders.

Host smiled, however, as Jert welcomed One into her. They had Queen inside them, and with One supporting them, they could soon give the world back to them and deliver it to the glory of Queen. The first stop, the city near the ruins, where Queen had first given mortals her seed.