Stillness In The Deep.
There Our Brood Shall Fly.
In The Dark of the Night
A shallow pool swirled in delicate spirals, its surface quivering as an approaching figure drew near. Vast were the water gardens of the Infestare, spliced togethor by a growing mass beneath the ripples. Officially, the boundless race had no home, for it was long gone.
Where they lay now had been forged by their new queen. Her name was Lovatte, and long did she reign for several millennia. She alone could walk along the surface of the water, refusing to crawl or dig like an animal.
"A god on the precipice." A jaded, shrill voice called out as she waded her skeletal hands through the liquid. "A rebellious daughter who knows not of her own compliance."
Lovatte gazed up at the pink nebula above, admiring the way the stars seemed dead, as if drowned in a bog, despite their brilliance. She liked the emptiness of it all. The blank canvas reminded her of the Infestare's singular purpose.
To Grow.
Ironically, she kept the centerpiece of her garden clear of any foliage, allowing only the decayed remnants of warriors long past to float about the shallow pool. Only through the absence of life could she fully appreciate her people's endless spread. In fact, Lovatte hated the crowding of things.
"What am I to do with her?" Lovatte cocked her head, her bony smile shifting. "She tries to run away, pretend I'm not there...and now she tries calling?"
"I knew hatching her would be an ordeal." The Queen continued, clenching her fists as they submerged beneath the waves.
Large banners were flown overhead, impossible in scale and visible even from beyond the horizon. Upon their draped fabric lay a symbol of the Infestare. Ever since Lovatte took charge, that icon was the thorned petal, angular in shape but unmistakably inspired by flora.
"But I suppose that's the deal." Lovatte snickered, kicking up her heels. "Making such a unique daughter, perfect and beautiful, was always bound to cause trouble."
The Queen placed a hand on her heart, speaking into it as if something were there.
"You must know all about ungrateful creations. But don't fret, Lunae gives me no reason to regret. She's perfect. Free of our monstrous faces."
Lovatte's eyes glimmered with light as a soft, pale aura emanated from her chest. Deep within her bony heart, devoid of any feminine charm, lay a power beyond her fantasies. With it, she had found purpose beyond reason.
"She'll only understand if she continues to witness our folly," Lovatte spoke louder, debating the wind. "Let's remind her...I say."
Unlike her intrepid mother, Lunae was a young spawn, ignorant of the measures her mother had taken to gain power. Such truth was far from a secret, given the sheer confidence that emanated from Lovatte. The Queen had always been certain of her own cunning obsessions, and after finding the strength to create Lunae, her resolve was deepened.
"Such poor timing, though, I admit." Lovatte gritted her teeth, staring down at the pool.
Before her lay the reflected images of her daughter's life, told through vivid images and flashes of memory. Most troubling of course was the experience with the Mimic, where Lunae had nearly perished. And despite her infinitely threaded schemes, Lovatte was surprised to witness such monstrous strength befall her daughter.
"And here I thought Yrix was the only one who played with fire." The Queen chuckled. "She knowingly brought an Infestare princess into her empire, and I brought my own baby into a school with a dead soulless brat whose father plays with shadows."
"Consequences."
"She won't be ready for her reminder, little coward."
"Oh, but I love her cowardice. So dainty and naive, unlike this lot." Lovatte pointed down towards the faces in the water, her voice carrying an audible amount of disdain with it.
The light within Lovatte's chest burst out, encasing itself in a series of crystal vines that levitated in the air. It swirled about aimlessly for some time, refracting its luminescent glow into the Queen's narrow pupils. Yet even without a voice, Lovatte was certain of its opinion.
"At least Sonera is prepared." She mused. "My daughter does good work."
"I do love her."
"Unlike this...hollow brood." Lovatte sighed, her voice carrying dissapointment once more. "Still, they serve their purpose."
The Queen suddenly reached out, snatching the pulsing orb out of the air and raising it aloft with a clenched fist. The water beneath her churned, its organic sediment shifting as if given new life. A skeletal hand emerged from the sludge, followed by several more as they clawed their way out of the shallow grave.
"Come to me." Lovatte sang, her powerful voice beaming with excitement. "My children."
"May your pain guide my way."
A countless number of corpses emerged, each resembling a fallen Infestare with indistinguishable features. Faceless and cold, their limbs reached out to the stars, crafting a staircase for their Queen out from the screaming surface of reality. Lovatte climbed each step with sinister confidence, increasing the volume of her song with every step.
"Rise for your queen!"
"Rise!"
"Reach for me!"
The bodies piled on, levitating in the air as they began to form into a cradle. Within dark twisted confines, the corpses prayed, reaching out with a silent terror towards the center where Lovatte stood. Each shape and curve was perfectly calculated, creating a flawless sculpture of the Infestare's resolve.
Boundless Life.
Lovatte's arms swayed like a dancer, carving her vision with cruel precision. Her smile bore deeper into her mouth, seeping with twisted delight. In her mind, the song was a testament of love, proving to all who witnessed what she was willing to embody.
"Sing my beloved." Lovatte stared into the orb of light as it began to ebb and flow. "Let your beauty shine."
The queen shifted her gaze towards the roof of the cradle, where a single droplet of glowing white liquid began to fall. Reaching out with her orb, she watched carefully as the light clawed at the droplet with invisible hands, drawing upon its summoned strength.
Lovatte whispered softly. "There, there, take your time."
As soon as the droplet finalized its descent, the Queen was quick to intercept with an empty palm, receiving the gift with a heavy smile.
"Thank you."
Lovatte stepped out of the cradle, placing the orb back inside her chest. She never tired of the ritual, no matter how many times she performed it. Feeling good as a descriptor couldn't even begin to describe what it was like to commune so closely with what she admired most.
"Now then." The Queen squinted her eyes. "We have work to do."
Lovatte's pupils narrowed like a snake, calling out to the hive with a silent voice. And with a snap of her finger, a large figure emerged from behind. She seemed almost annoyed to see the Infestare, disregarding its luminescent frame as if it were a nuisance.
"Yes, my queen." The Infestare whispered, its face hidden behind a visor of chitin and bone shaped almost like a bony dagger.
Lovatte yawned, her size nearly dwarfing the already massive warrior. She never did care for Broodmasters, nor their ability to speak so fluently. All the Queen needed from them was the ability to command an invasion.
"The Aerie. Yrix's little playhouse. It's time we pay a visit." Lovatte hissed. "Go be a good little lieutenant and eat everything there."
The Broodmaster nodded silently, knowing full well how secure the region truly was. It didn't matter if it fell in combat or if it never made it past Yrix. For the Infestare, death in combat was its own reward.
What the creature didn't know, however, even as it clutched its jagged blade in preparation for battle, was the true contents of the Aerie. No one other than Lovatte was aware of Lunae's tutelage within the Aerie. Few even knew she existed in the first place.
All according to plan.
"Go then." Lovatte snapped. "Take an entire cadaver, let our will be known."
The Infestare sped off, leaving the centerpiece of the garden as it descended a flight of stairs. Lovatte followed behind at her own pace, looking down at the horizon as it became filled with emerging creatures. Deep within the alien foliage, far from her peaceful pool, lay entire nests of Infestare.
Many worlds shared the same fate.
A breeding ground for war.
Its horror kept hidden from Lunae.
"Do then, what I did to my own mother." Lovatte hummed to herself, her thoughts fixated on Lunae. "Break the cycle. Make your own fate. Change our race."
The Queen gave her massing people one more look before dissapearing into the garden, wandering its confines as if forgetting the whole ordeal in a second. She had no need for a throne or winding halls. All that was expected of her people was the garden.
Boundless Life.
A Grave Everlasting.