The Firstlings

A Song for Mother

He crouched on the tunnel floor, head down, cursing at his failure. In his thirst for knowledge, he had doomed his nest. He should have killed the human and been done with it, but he had been lured by the book. It contained markings that were almost identical to the ones appearing randomly in his vision. He had immediately tried to seize the knowledge to understand their meaning but ended up being tricked, and now his captive was free.

After calming his nerves, he picked up the pack and book taken from his captive, placed them on his belt, and began heading back to the nest. It also dawned on him that if there was one human, there would be more, and regardless of his mistake, it was already too late. They had been found, and the nest was in danger.

He would tell Mother about his encounter and his folly, but he would also rally his siblings. A fight was coming, whether they wanted it or not, and they had to prepare. They would not let harm come to Mother, even at the cost of their lives.

As he entered the cavern, Mother raised her head in alarm, instinctively knowing something was wrong. He told her of what he had encountered, and she immediately began to give orders, showing and teaching them what was required. Mother had fought the humans many times and knew of their tactics. Having her children build barriers further in the tunnels, blocking the path, and routing them away from the nest. Mother showed them an escape passage she had built when she first discovered the cavern.

He and his siblings noticed the tunnel and its size, silently dismissing it immediately. Mother was too big for the tunnel, and they would not leave her behind.

When everything was complete, even leaving some of his siblings to patrol the blocked tunnels, he showed Mother the book. She was unaware of its contents as much as he was, and she had no way of helping him. Sighing, he turned away, thanking Mother and returning to the outskirts of the cavern.

While pondering the book and flipping through its pages, he came across a diagram. Tracing the markings on the page with his fingers, he began to wonder about their structure. He noticed similarities in the design and the markings that appeared in his vision. He assumed that some of these markings were the same thing but had different variations. Not really understanding, he put the book away and began to reflect on everything he had learned.

Closing his eyes, he looked inward, feeling the node of light within him, and began to try and understand the marking swimming within its depths. Watching their dance felt as if there were truths, some deep meaning, in their design. One of the markings caught his eye, and he homed in to watch as it danced and swirled with the other markings as if intertwined.

And they were. He could feel it.

They were not whole if not in relationship to one another. One simple part of a complex whole. A single truth within a greater truth. He found that the markings were also swimming through his entire being, as well as that of his Mother and siblings.

Deep down, he knew there was some greater meaning there.

Taking the thought further, he concluded that it was part of the bond they shared, part of that which connected them. He guessed it was just a part, as that bond seemed more powerful than a single marking. Dismissing the markings, he opened his eyes and peered around the cavern. His siblings had built a lopsided shelter from mushroom stalks and moss and were inspecting their work. Although it was rough around the edges, he was quite proud of their efforts.

His shelter was a rock and a mushroom top on which to lay his head.

He laid back and began to try and rest while he still could when a sweet melody entered his ears. Startled, he glanced over to see that one of his siblings was trying to comfort Mother. She was tall and slender, looking up at Mother in praise. Holding her hands above her head, with a look of serenity on her face, she made noises in an alluring, soothing style. Not the guttural and screechy dialect that mother used, but a soft and soothing hum.

It was a song like Mother had seen humans doing. None of them had ever heard singing, and the sonorous sound made their hearts miss a beat. Looking around, he noticed that everyone in the cavern had turned towards the source of the singing. They were holding one another, swaying with the rhythm. The song called to their souls, and he could feel it too. It was a song built from love and released from the core of her very being.

A song for Mother.

A faint glow began to appear around them, converging towards his sister in a swirl of golden light, and vanishing in her center. A look of shock and euphoria crossed her face as she looked up at Mother, not quite knowing what had happened. He felt as if Mother had gifted her something in some way and could see the markings dancing around her figure. She sat by Mother’s side as everyone in the cavern went back to their task. He lay back on his rock and began to think about what he had seen and heard.

The song was beautiful and echoed in his soul. Reflecting on its rhythm and the memories of his siblings swaying to the chorus, he felt as if there was truth in that as well. It was as if he had seen a truth being born into the world, whole and complete. He thought of the sounds and the sight of his siblings’ movements and could not help but see that they were like the markings. They were not whole if they were not in relationship with one another. His siblings acted much like the markings within their center, one connected with the other.

A truth made whole by their parts.

It felt as if something had shifted inside of him as he felt power surge through his body. Looking around, he saw his siblings standing one by one, looking his way. The weird feeling had not only passed through him but through them as well. He searched inward and could feel that the bond between them had grown stronger. Nodding back at his siblings to reassure them, he lay back, dismissing the markings in his vision.

[Bonded:]

“You have strengthened the connection with your siblings.”

They had worked tirelessly to heal Mother and fortify the tunnels, preparing for what was to come. Consumed with worry he eventually fell into slumber and dreamt...

About Mother.

How she would never love them!

She would never love some horrible creatures—vile things—that looked like filthy humans! They were not worthy! They wailed and pleaded with Mother to accept them and their love. Mother roared and swept through the Cavern, stomping in a fit of madness. Sobs echoed through the Cavern as Mother stood above her children with hate. He looked into her murderous eyes and...

He woke with a start, almost screaming in horror as he fell from his rock. Glancing around, he could see that none of his siblings had noticed, or at least acted like it. Calming his racing heart, he climbed back onto his rock with a sigh, trying the best that he could to get some proper sleep.