You see a feminine face emerge from the shadow. Smooth, young, and beautiful, you wonder what someone like this is doing out here in the woods. But as she continues towards you, the rest if her emerges.
You almost scream.
The face was human, but the rest of the body was that of a millipede. Five feet wide and seven feet tall, it is able to tower over you when it lifts its front part up. The beauteous face that once looked so innocent was now grinning evilly. The rest of the giant bug is still coming out of the shadowed path, and you worry just how long the body is.
"Hello, little human. What brings you to my home?" Its/Her voice definitely sounds female, but rings in an otherworldly way around the clearing.
"I a-assume y-y-you're the millipede q-q-q-queen?" you reply. It is an effort to say even that much, and you're surprised your voice didn't freeze in fear halfway through.
Her grin broadens even more. "Indeed. You are talking to none other than the Millipede Queen Vyl. Although company is rare here, so I can suffer informalities from a visitor. Feel free to address me simply as Vyl." Her eyes lose a bit of their evil, and her grin turns into a warm smile.
You are still a bit shaky, but after recovering from the shock you regain a bit of composure. You're still scared out of your wits, but reason finds a home in your brain once again. In a situation like this, it's best to act as guest and scout out her home for a future raid. "If you are okay with it, Vyl," you respond at last.
A quick glance to the shadowy path reveals that the end of her enormous millipede body is emerging. If you were to stretch her out, you would say she's probably at least a few dozen meters long! That's ridiculous!
The Millipede Queen - Vyl - pulls her body into a tight circle inside the clearing, leaving a reasonably large space for you to sit in and no way out. With a wave of one her front legs (which can move like arms, due to some kind of special joint), two smooth tree stumps pop up from beneath the dead leaves, one the size of a table and the other the size of a chair. A tree branch from outside the circle of her body sets down two cups of some liquid, which you suppose you'll have to drink. Great.
The tree branch retreats, and Vyl gestures for you to sit down. Reluctantly, you have a seat on the chair-sized tree stump with the 'table' between you and Vyl - her face at least. You peer down at the cups on the table, and notice that the liquid inside is translucent.
"Relax, it's just water," Vyl consoles as she lifts her cup. You lift yours just as Vyl sips from the 'water'. Wanting to complete the facade as guest you take a sip, and...
Nothing happens. It is, actually, just water.
"So let me ask again, what brings you here?" asks Vyl.
"I came looking for a for the 'fear of the forest' in these woods," you lie. "There are rumors flying around town that something big and eerie lives in this forest and is kidnapping people. I heard the name Millipede Queen mentioned a few times, so I decided to come and slay it to allay the village's fears." You quickly look up at her. "But you aren't something that needs to be slain. In fact, you're quite hospitable."
"Yes, when something bad happens the first thing humans do is blame it on something they don't know enough about." That, you thought, is entirely true. You have no reason to suspect this lonely...person...is behind the kidnappings. Ever since you arrived she has done nothing but welcome you as a guest. "I do get lonely at times, but I would never dream of taking innocent people from their homes."
"I believe you," you say, to your surprise you mean it.
"That's why I appreciate visits like these. They do much to distract me." Vyl takes another sip. "It's been a while since I've heard from the human world. Is there anything you can tell me about developments since a couple years ago?"
And so you find yourself filling her in on recent events in the local area. You tell her who married who, what countries are at war, which people got captured, and other such things. Throughout the conversation, you discover that the Millipede Queen - er, Vyl - has a surprisingly good sense of humor, as well as a natural curiosity. The more you talk, the more you feel that this nice, bug, couldn't possibly be behind the kidnappings.
That's when you begin to wonder. If this person-bug-whatever isn't kidnapping the villagers, who is? The old man at the bar explicitly said that his sister, the Millipede Queen, was behind the kidnappings. Your mind runs in mental circles trying to decide whether Vyl is the kidnapper or not. Finally, you get frustrated enough to ask.
"Hey Vyl, I have a question," you say.
"Ask away, little human."
"I met a man at the bar in Trillian," you begin. "I asked him about the kidnappings, and he said that his sister, the Millipede Queen, was behind them. Do you know who told me that?"
Vyl scowls. "Yes, I know who that is. Indeed, my brother does sometimes wander through Trillian in human form, but he is always telling lies. His name is Kol, and he is called the Millipede Lord. If one of us is kidnapping people, it's him."
You frown. "Thanks Vyl. I think I know what to do now." You get up from your stump and set your cup down.
"Going so soon?" Vyl asks. "Kol isn't going anywhere, and there's so much more I'd like to show you." She uncoils her body from its circle and gestures down the dark path, which didn't look foreboding anymore. "The entire dark half of the forest is my home, and you've only seen the front room."
At first you think to decline, as you need time to prepare for Kol. On the other hand though, the offer strikes you as curious, and Vyl probably has some invaluable information about Kol.
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