Lily watched as the workers began collecting the bodies around the chamber, with the Direworm moving the larger pieces of stone out of the way so they could get through the entrance.
There was a lot to collect.
The raptors had been living here for a long time, and the amount of bones and old flesh scattered around the nest made that obvious. Even if she ignored everything she had killed, there was still enough material here to keep the Harvesting Well working for a while.
But first, she wanted to eat more of the old raptor.
She returned to its body and sat beside it, pulling one of its legs closer before tearing into the flesh. The meat was still warm, and the taste was just as good as she remembered.
'This really is good.'
She ate through the leg first, then moved toward the rest of its body, allowing her body to break down the information as she went.
The old raptor was different from the others in more ways than just its size. Its bones were denser, its muscles were better developed, and the structure of its throat was unlike anything she had seen in the smaller ones.
The clicking sounds it made weren't just normal animal communication, either.
There were small differences in the vibrations it produced, some too low for normal humans to hear. They worked alongside its mental influence, allowing it to guide the other raptors without needing to constantly make loud noises.
She already had sonic abilities of her own, but those were mostly useful for attacking and manipulating sound. This was something different, a way to communicate information through specific vibrations; it would cost a lot less to give to hive units.
With a little work, she could use it to improve the Raptorlings.
'Maybe even make it so the soldiers can command smaller groups themselves.'
That would be a good improvement, especially if she wanted the Hive to grow much larger. She couldn't keep managing every small hunting party personally, even with how capable her mind had become.
She continued eating, allowing more information to flow into her body.
The mental influence was harder to understand.
It wasn't a normal biological trait, or at least not entirely. There was something mixed into the old raptor's body that she couldn't immediately identify, something that had changed the way its mind worked.
She could feel the difference as her body began adapting to it.
Her connection to the Raptors became slightly clearer, and she found herself able to distinguish their individual instincts more easily. It wasn't a massive improvement, but the way they reacted to her thoughts had become more natural.
'Interesting.'
She tried sending a simple hunting command to the three of them without specifying how they should act.
The Raptorlings immediately began moving around the chamber, searching for anything that could be considered prey. One approached the younger raptors, while the other two moved to opposite sides of the room.
She stopped them before they killed it, interested in the change.
The other thing she noticed was that her body had begun adapting some of the old raptor's physical traits. Her balance improved slightly, along with the strength of her tendons and the way her muscles handled sudden changes in movement.
Nothing too impressive compared to what she already had, but useful information for future units.
Once she had finished eating most of the body, she stood and looked around the chamber again.
The workers had already collected several piles of meat and bones, while others were moving the eggs into a corner where they wouldn't be damaged.
There were quite a few of them.
She counted over thirty that appeared intact, though she couldn't tell how many were still alive. Some were cold, others were warm, and a few had movement inside them.
She ordered the workers to handle them carefully and prepare a chamber in the nest where they could be stored.
The younger raptors would also be brought back alive.
She wasn't sure if they could be trained, but even if that failed, she could always eat them later.
With that settled, she turned her attention toward the walls.
The markings were much clearer now that the raptors weren't attacking her, and she could take her time looking at them properly.
There were several figures carved into the stone, some resembling humans, others animals, and a few that she couldn't recognize due to how damaged they were.
One thing she noticed was how often the sun was repeated.
Sometimes it was above a group of people, other times above what looked like a large building. There were also images of people kneeling before a figure that appeared to be made of stone.
'Garokk again?'
That was the obvious assumption, but she didn't want to settle on it just yet.
She moved closer to one of the walls and brushed away the dirt covering the markings. Underneath the image of the stone figure was another carving, showing several people carrying what looked like bowls toward a large opening in the ground.
There were lines beneath the opening, leading toward something that looked like flowing water.
Lily frowned slightly.
'What's that supposed to be?'
She knew that Garokk's powers were connected to a strange substance in some versions of the comics. There was also the fact that the Savage Land itself had been altered long ago, with ancient machinery and other things keeping the environment the way it was.
But she didn't remember enough to know if the two were connected, and these markings were not exactly detailed.
She placed her hand against the stone and focused on it, using her Scrying ability to see if she could learn anything useful from the material.
It was a bit difficult to pick apart anything, but she was able to see glimpses. A dark chamber, people carrying things in lines, and a light coming from somewhere below them. There was a figure standing near the opening, but she couldn't make out its face.
The images vanished almost as quickly as they appeared, leaving her more confused than anything. Lily kept her hand against the stone for a while longer, trying to get another glimpse, but nothing came.
'Well, that's annoying.'
She moved toward the old raptor's remains and tried again, this time focusing on the information still stored within its body.
The images were different.
She saw the rocky slope outside, but it was covered in fewer plants. Several people were moving around the entrance, wearing clothing that looked different from what the Fall People wore.
One of them stood out; they carried a long staff with a circular ornament near the top. The old raptor had watched them from somewhere in the rocks; it was scared of them.
Then the image changed.
The same people were standing before the carved wall, and one of them was pouring something into a small opening beneath the stone figure.
A faint light spread through the markings, causing the raptor to flee in fear.
Lily opened her eyes.
'How old are these memories? Do they still come here?'
Knowing that was more important than the carvings themselves. The old raptor had been alive long enough to witness people using this place, and whatever they had done was enough to make it retreat.
She looked at the wall again, following the lines beneath the stone figure until they reached a section almost completely buried under debris, which she ordered the workers to clear.
It took a little while, but once they moved everything away, she found a narrow opening near the floor. It was covered by a fitted piece of stone, with small channels carved around its edges.
She pressed her fingers against it, trying to feel what was behind it, noticing that the stone itself was warmer than the rest of the wall. Pushing her senses up, she focused on the wall; that's when she heard something flowing beyond it.
'Water?'
She could break through the stone easily enough, but she didn't know what was on the other side. If it connected to something important beneath the Savage Land, then breaking it open without understanding it could become a problem.
She had already gotten what she came here for. There was no need to risk ruining something useful just because she was curious.
Instead, she sent a Worm Scout into one of the smaller cracks nearby, ordering it to search for a way around the stone without damaging anything.
Then she marked the location in her mind.
She would return once she had more information.
By the time she finished exploring the chamber, the workers had collected most of the bodies and eggs and began transporting them back to the nest, while the Direworms created a pathway for them to move more easily, undetected.
The remaining living raptors had scattered into the jungle.
She could still track a few of them through her Watchers, but she decided to leave them alone for now. Without the old raptor directing them, they were already moving in different directions.
If they stayed away, there was no reason to waste time chasing them.
But she gave the Hive an order to kill any that approached her nest or the Fall People's village. They had already been hunting near both locations before, and now that their nest was gone, they might become even more troublesome.
She would deal with that if it happened.
For now, she decided she would visit the Fall People and drop some stuff off. She still had the claws, bones, and hide she had promised them, and now she also had information that might be useful to them.
She collected some of the better pieces from the dead raptors and had a Swarmling carry them while she made her way toward the broken tree the woman had mentioned.
She didn't bring the Raptorlings with her since they might turn hostile. The Fall People were already uncomfortable enough around her, and appearing with three new creatures would probably make things worse.
When she reached the broken tree, she left the materials beside it and waited. It took some time before she noticed movement nearby.
Two hunters appeared between the trees, both carrying spears. One was the man she had spoken to before, while the other was a younger woman she didn't recognize.
"You came after all."
"I always keep my word."
That was a lie. The man looked toward the pile beside the tree.
"Runner claws?"
"Claws, bones, and hide. There should be enough for what you wanted."
He approached carefully, keeping his spear ready while he looked over the materials. The younger woman joined him after a moment, picking up one of the larger claws and examining it.
She seemed pleased.
Lily waited until they finished before speaking again.
"I have something else to tell you."
The man looked up, narrowing his eyes with doubt.
"What?"
"The runners' nest is gone. I killed most of them, including the large one that was leading them."
"Large one?"
"Much bigger than the others; it seems like it was their leader. With it gone, things should be easier."
The hunter looked toward the younger woman, and they exchanged a few words in their own language. Lily was able to pick up bits of it, but she still hadn't pieced the entire thing together.
"You kill the old mother?"
"If that's what you call it, then yes."
The younger woman said something quickly, but Lily didn't understand all of it.
The man replied before turning back to her.
"Then runners will leave Stone Place."
"Some already have. They're moving around without a leader now, so you should tell your people to be careful."
He looked troubled by that.
"More runners come near village?"
"You won't have to worry about that. I've told my creatures to kill any that come too close, but you should still keep an eye out."
"You protect the village?"
"I don't want them near my nest either. Your village happens to be close."
He seemed to consider that answer before nodding slightly.
"Good. We tell the elder."
"Tell her about the old stone too. I found more markings inside, and there is something beneath it."
His expression changed.
"You explored inside?"
"Yes. You know something?"
The younger woman stepped back slightly, looking at Lily with renewed fear; the man tightened his grip on his spear. Lily could tell they knew something, perhaps nothing much, but any information could be useful.
"Stone place is bad. You should not go again."
"So you do know something."
It didn't seem like he intended to tell her what he knew, so Lily didn't bother pressing the matter for now. She wanted to build up some trust first.
She nodded toward the materials.
"Those are yours. I'll come back if I need more information."
The man didn't reply immediately, then slowly nodded.
"We tell elder."
Lily turned and began making her way back toward the nest, leaving the hunters to collect the materials. She had gained quite a bit from the raptors, but the old stone was starting to interest her even more.
The Sun People, Garokk, the strange substance beneath the stone, and whatever was keeping the Savage Land alive. She wanted to devour it all, but she also wanted to make this place safe for her nest.