Chapter 1: Intrusion

The Hivemind is master.
Timing is of the essence. Sometimes, it is best to go fast. Sometimes, it is best to go slow.
Patience is needed for plans to be completed.
The Hivemind is master.
Shadow Glytherians. Psychic powers. Strained relations. Useful
Discovery of labyrinth in Phoenicia. Useful
Queen Tatyana dying. Maornya attempting usurpation. Anya, the heir nowhere to be found. Useful
Assassination of Archeron council members by assassins unknown successful. Useful.
The Hivemind is master.
Discovery of new vein of stone. Coordinates: 76, 89, 54
Discovery of new cove of fish. Coordinates: 43, 12, 90
The Hivemind is master.
Tree branches moving at coordinates 0, 23, 89
Swazigherian scouts report hearing unrecognized persons.
Visual. Appears to be small lad. Dress is Koval. Purpose here unknown.
Located beyond borders. Immobilization deemed necessary.

Andrew opened his eyes. It was nearly dark, and he knew he was not outside anymore. He tried to move his feet but they felt like they were encased in stone. His eyes adjusted to the dim light and he saw he was in a large room with a purplish tint. His feet were stuck in a purple subtance foreign to him. All of his possessions were on a table on the other side of the room.
He heard voices, but he could not understand them. “Vj pvsfs t p jmfph djncst.” “X xmm h pf t jp.” He strained to understand them, but they could not make sense. He continued examining himself to see what had caused his sudden blackout. He found a gash on his neck. As he was trying to figure out what had struck him there, he heard a voice.

“Touching the wound increases the pain.”
Andrew looked and he saw a man on the far side of the room. He looked like he was from Koval. Andrew looked at the man’s eyes, which seemed to be trying to see right through him.
“Where am I?” Andrew asked him.
“You are inside the Slyg tunnels.”
“Who are you?”
“We are the Slyg.”
“You don’t look like what I’ve heard Slyg look like.”
“What were you expecting?” After he said this, his voice sounded more like a snake rasping, and also as if multiple voices were speaking at once. “Sohme mohnstehr youuu couhld hahte? Wouhld youuu prehfehr thihs?”
As he spoke, large purple spines started to slowly protrude from every section of his body. After they had completely extended, he stood there for a few minutes looking like someone had stabbed him through with many purple spines. Then, the spines retreated back effortlessly into his body. As far as anyone could tell, they had never come out. Then he spoke again, in a calm tone to Andrew.
“So now that you have asked your share of the questions, let us ask ours.” The man said.
“First, what were you doing beyond our borders?”
"I didn't know I had crossed the borders."
The man held up Andrew's waithe-brom.
"Is this what we think it is?"
"That depends on what you think it is."
"Pair-bound stone. Uses Silder from Valsurstagt"
"I suppose there's no use in denying it."
"Who holds the twin?"
"The Baron Daniel FinKaerin" his eyes flashed suddenly. "You'd better release me right now. If I activate the stone, the baron himself, and half the King's bodyguard, will fly in and annihilate
you."
"How do you plan to activate the stone when we hold it?"
Andrew grinned sheepishly. The man continued.
"There is no need to call up your reinforcements. You are in no danger from us, unless you are lying. You appear to be a Kovàl peasant, yet you claim to have an army and flying Griffins at your beck and call? This does not make sense to us. Peasants do not command kings and we wish to know more."
"I'm not lying."
"We will see."

With that, the man put his fingers on Andrew's head. All of a sudden, Andrew felt like a
thousand fingers were crawling into his brain. Imagine hearing a million thoughts and yet silence.
Imagine seeing a million sights and yet nothing. In an instant, Andrew saw all throughout Trellarya and
heard many thoughts, none of which he could remember, except one which continued to pulsate itself
over and over again. The Hivemind is master. The Hivemind is master. The Hivemind is master. And then
it was over.
The man looked at Andrew. “We have found your word to be true. We will leave you on your borders with all of your possessions. We will then send one of us to talk to your leaders to ensure that no misunderstandings come of this.”
Andrew nodded his head, but something didn’t feel right.
“We will need to incapacitate you, as we have a long way to go and it will be much quicker for us to transport you if you cannot move. Do not worry. You will see, but be incapable of movement. The effects will last an hour. We will make sure not to set you where any wild animals are.”
The man then stuck a spine into his neck. Andrew felt his entire body go numb. It was the same feeling he had felt when these creatures had first taken him. He felt very woozy.

There was a bright flash of sunlight. The man was standing over him and removing the spine from Andrew. He then slid the spine into his body. He looked at Andrew. “We have kept our end of the bargain. We trust you will not come onto our territory again without good reason. To do such could start a war…” He paused. “And we don’t think you would like that, or what we would do to you if we see you again, and we will remember you.”
With that, he burrowed into the ground.

Andrew FinKarein, son of Baron Daniel FinKarein, only heir. Deaths of both would cause chaos and possibly civil war. Very useful.
The Hivemind is master.