I purchased the magnifying glass for a few copper coins, and was promptly placed into my inventory section; a place I had very little experience with since the start.
The retrieval was easy. Simply clicked on it and *plop*. It dropped into my hand out of thin air.
I was still lying on my stomach and watching the empty space in front of me, now fully equipped with my zoom-on-a-stick.
The LEDs from my kitchen down-lights were causing an almost focused beam to another round of mildly upset screams.
“Are you trying to blind and kill me?”
“I can’t even see you… and I’m trying my best.” I retorted to the gentle, but steadily frustrated voice.
“What are you doing Greg?” A voice from behind me announced—Anna.
She was standing at the entry to my kitchen, barely making a sound when approaching. One hand lazily resting on her hip, while her dark finger pointed at the space in front of me.
“It’s right there you know.”
Her heels tapped on the ground, elegantly striding across my white kitchen tiles and put her hand down.
When she raised it again, making an “up motion” with her free hand and held it toward my face.
Well… fuck me.
There it was. A tiny speck of white on the intense black contrast that was Anna's hand.
“What is it?” Looking at it and tilting my head to specific angles, to no extra visible difference.
“You can’t see it? It’s a Termite.” Her hand lifting it to her glowing eyes. “And by the looks of it… she’s a Queen.”
“Thank you. Finally, someone recognises.” The gentle voice added.
A woodworker… I got the very thing that literally EATS wood??
Just as I was about to start my attempt at the Guinness world record of talking shit to the system—it tacked on a message.
*Ding*
[Update]
[Woodworker]
[A being that is tough and handles manual labour with ease]
[A monster that thrives amongst wood dwellings]
I smacked my lips with a dry “hm”, looking at the 20 gold coin purchase, the size of a grain of sand. While trying to fight every urge in my body to not go super-nova, in hopes of blasting the system off this world.
You. Conniving. Little… Bitch!
As I was murmuring to myself, Anna and the rice-sized purchase decided to engage in conversation.
“Where is your Colony, young Queen?” Anna asked, walking to the counter and continuing their exchange there.
She placed her atop a small upside down cup, while Anna took the stool in front of it.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
“I-I’m a new Queen ummm.” Pausing in order to determine who she was speaking to.
“Anna.”
“VQ-T071A” The termite responded.
“VQ… what?”
“It’s my station, given to us at birth.” She responded.
I shuffled over, trying my hardest to focus on the small Queen, without much success in that department. When I finally started to notice the small, intricate legs poking out of the small rice-like-grain.
“Wow, I can finally see you… how does one even get that small?”
I heard the soft retort, one similar to an argument between children.
“Small doesn’t mean incompetent… Greg, was it?”
To be honest, under normal circumstances I would’ve grabbed a can of operation-finale, and sent the small insect to the gates.
But Greg is a better man…
“Apologies…?” Waiting to hear that strange name one could only have achieved through—cat paws.
“Hhhh. It’s VQ-T071A.” The Queen added for a 2nd time, with a heavily seasoned sigh.
Since I was a man of little words… and even worse memory. I quickly wrote it down on a sticky note.
“Huh, kind of reads like a real name now.” My face tilting at the yellow paper square.
“While I’d love to continue this conversation, I do need to head into—warmer climates.” VQ replied.
“Could you possibly find it in your heart, to relocate me to something more suitable? Beings of my kind tend to ‘disagree’ with open and cold spaces.”
Oh I know your kind.
“First of all, am I to understand that you are ‘in fact’ my woodworker employee?”
“I’m unsure what an ‘employee’ is; therefore I cannot confirm my status as… woodworker, as you say.”
Great, another interloper in need of education.
But before I could even begin my speech, Anna had pushed in and taken over for me.
“I’m sorry to make this sound unpleasant VQ.”Her hand grabbing me by the collar and giving me a “shaken, not stirred” treatment.
“This… interestingly dressed man is actually now your boss.” Stopping to click her tongue for a better word.
“Think of him as your original Queen.”
Interestingly dressed?
But also… Yaaaas. Ok enough of that.
“Wouldn’t ‘King’ be a more fitting analogy?” I added, still slightly offended from Anna’s stab at my “Drip.”
“Hush Greg, the girls are talking.” Turning her attention back to the ‘2nd Queen’ before continuing.
“He makes sure you are fed, housed and ‘well-paid’”
My eyes narrowed at the negations made in my stead. Feeling like a man in an observatory capacity of a 3-way.
Bullshit.
“Those terms do sound tempting.” The Queen relented. “But what are my requirements for this arrangement?”
Anna now looking at me.
Nice, the bill is passed down the line I see.
“I need muscle. Plain and simple.” Giving a flamboyant wave around the kitchen. “This entire house is in dire need of repairs and I’m… indisposed.”
Noticing Anna’s eyes narrowing.
Ok, incapable of doing manual labour.
The Queen raised her little sticks for arms, then back at me.
“You want me to physically reshape your domicile.”
“Yes?” My voice squinting in tone with my eyes.
“Then we have an accord. Please provide me with a living arrangement, so I may start the process of establishing my colony.” Most of her arms shooting up now, like a toddler wanting some ”uppsies.”
Kind of cute though.
I placed my hand gently next to the speck of white, on my heavily “white” coloured countertop and awaited the onboarding.
Her tiny legs tickled my palm, until she came to a stop in the middle.
“One tiny detail worth mentioning: I will need that ‘well fed’ part of the arrangement upfront.”
“Right you are.” Reading the sticky note left on the table.
“Huh, Queen—Victoria.”
