Chapter 248: Her Wish

With Katolin incapable of doing menial works, Ned had to let her rest. They've been caved-in for almost three hours without any food and so Ned had to conserve his energy by doing things only necessary.

"I'm sorry, Ned," Katolin announced. For a beast, she does felt emotions, like grief, and self-pity.

"For what?" Ned replied with a shrug as he marched the edge of the cave. This was the only necessary thing Ned had been doing, finding cracks and chips along the walls that might save them from being trapped.

"For this," she replied with her eyes closed. "For not being much of a help."

Ned had to pull her out of the lake and lay her to rest against a crystallized wall. Although she and Ned were almost 20 meters apart, the hollows of caves let her voice traveled to Ned as though she was beside him.

Ned tapped the wall with assembles of crystals, hoping it would echo with empty air behind. His face stiffened after hearing that the wall was compact. He replied instead, "Don't mind it." He paused. "You would do the same."

Katolin opened her eyes the same as how he opened her mouth that was about to reply to Ned but decided not to do so. She remained in silence. Eventually, she let go of her reserved feeling and answered Ned's honesty. "I don't think so."

This time, it was silence on Ned's part.

"In your eyes, I'm a beast." The young female arachne continued. "I will save my kin before someone else. I'm surprised and thankful that you saved me. But dying is part of our lives back at the Hive. We were born half from Kon Sas Koron's blood, and we will be glad to die in her name. But… "

"But?"

"Why did you saved me. Even though I'm not one of you, Ned?"

"Does saving needed a reason?" Although it wasn't intended, Ned replied with a smile. Ned felt that he was much closer to the Hive, to the beast inhabiting it.

"I guess you don't."

"Beast or not," Ned said, brushing his hand against the wall. The walls were dry and warm. "Sas Koron trusted me. It's only natural to return the favor."

"You know," Katolin said while she forced herself to stand. "You could join us and become one of the Hive."

"And then what? Forget everything? The only reason why I'm at the Hive is because of my Master's. My journey would be pointless if I join the Hive."

After a minute or so of struggling to stand, Katolin let out a heavy breath as she throws her back against the wall.

"What are you doing?" Ned asked.

"I can't sit and rest here while you do things for both of us." She said. "Tell me. What are you looking for?"

Ned nodded and smiled. "Vents, cracks, even chips are enough for air to pass through. If you see one tell me, it might be our way out."

"I can't use magic the same way as humans do." Katolin walked opposite Ned at the other side of the lake while she was limping. "So I'll have to rely on you once again."

There was dust over the crystals and some indentions on the wall. Showing that no one has ever been inside the cave. Not even footprints were present so that Ned could follow to find the exit.

Without much to do, Ned let Katolin rest after another two hours of searching for some cracks.

To conserve his energy, Ned did the same. He walked past the edge of the lake and seated closer to Katolin.

On the surface, it must be early in the morning, but down the Du'kki mountain, down the Hive, without tools, it would be difficult to tell time. Still, Ned decided it was time for rest.

Luckily, the lake was drinkable and helped them survive for many more hours ahead. But they both knew that water alone won't help them survive for days.

Helping Katolin to stay awake, Ned had to talk things with her. And for the first time, since his Master's unprecedented events occurred, Ned found someone to talk to about him. Leaving the details about Rassus and the Gate.

Ned was told that there were thousands of beasts under the Queen's command. By carefully trusting humans, the Queen with Moloatiss created something they would call an army. With the Queen and Moloatiss's wisdom, the Hive became stronger. They bred beasts of many different species, and one of the results was Gogmurch. Gogmurch was a bred of a goblin, and orcs, and from the Queen herself. Katolin would agree that Gogmurch was the first, and strongest bred the Queen had.

Through the Queen's malevolence, the community of beasts was given freedom as long as it benefits the Hive.

"What it is that you want?" Ned asked the brimming of light Katolin after she told him about her experiences at the Hive.

"Aside from serving the Queen." Katolin paused. She got braided hair that perfectly outlined her head. Just like their Queen, she got a tiny nose that almost resembled that of a human. The only things that distinguish her from humans were her exoskeleton and the thorns that lined her jaw. "I wanted to go on the surface. See other beasts, what it is like from the above? Do they have dark salt? Do they sleep above the ceiling? Were they united the same as us? Do they travel on foot, or do they fly? Those were the things I wanted to do if ever I was given a chance."

After a smile, her eyes went sad, and looked at her sliced arm. She lowered her shoulder as if deprived of her wishes. "It seemed like it is not possible anymore. Even if I wanted to, even if Kon Sas Koron wanted to—which I doubt—I'm not human like you. Why did humans have to rule the surface?"

Both sighed. Feeling defeated, the two decided to continue their search for cracks in the wall.

After another hour, Katolin decided to rest since between the two she got most of the damage from the Evolved Kruthik.

"I thought I'm going to die." She started.

"Were you saddened by the thought?" Ned asked.

For Katolin, the tone of Ned's question was like caring. But for Ned, he was curious as to how Katolin would react to different emotions with different circumstances. He was after all, curious with himself as to how he could handle emotions.

"Yes," Katolin replied. "But at the same time, I was happy that I served my Queen during a fight with the Evolved Kruthik."

Ned's eyes gleamed with silver light with the words Katolin had said. He almost jumped with the idea so simple, yet he has completely forgotten.

"Ned?" She asked. "Something wrong?"

"Nothing," Ned replied as he walked closer to the wall. Ned didn't choose an exact wall. Any wall would do since he must first test the idea if it would work.

He breathes. He focused. He conjured Fireball.

With a boom, the fireball roared inside the cave. Giving of invisible ripples from the impact.

Ned smiled after the smoke vanished. A part of the wall, where he hit with a fireball, cracked.