The hivemind is conquering for me?

Jewel was curious. She could just make out from her position that the stalker she created had clearly immobilised and was about to kill the purple haired prey. She began to internally search for answers as to why the Stalker suddenly ceased movement.

If only Jewel was connected to her stalkers, then she would know. However in order for them to function, they had to be removed from the hive link. The best guess she had was that the female had somehow overwhelmed her Stalkers nullification zone with its own and that gave her the advantage to finish the stalker off.

Jewel did not lament on the matter however, Like Apollo told her before their first time together. This was a trial and error experiment. She succeeded with the use of her new bio forms against this species and failed with a mostly human biomass stalker. Through trial and error, she learnt something so she should not feel bad at the result.

Suddenly, a sharp pain rang throughout Jewel's body. Or rather, the bodies she was inhabiting. They were coming to the end of their life as they had hosted her prime consciousness for to long.

Deciding they should have one final use, instead of just withering away after she was gone, Jewel began manifesting a great deal of Psionic energy, enough to were sirens began wailing two defensive lines back as they picked up on the anomalous amount of energy.

In a split second, Jewel contemplated if she should focus a devastating attack onto the line her bio forms in front of her were attacking, or do a less powerful global attack. She opted for the first option and directed all that energy towards the defensive line of the spartari, before she left the bodies she was inhabiting who immediately fell to the ground dead.

In an instant, all across the second defensive line, Phalanx troops began exploding like meat fireworks. Agitators usually only pop a persons head and move onto the next one by one, so the meatpocalypse caused quite the commotion in the next line of defence who had been brought to active duty much quicker than anticipated and the knights that were hauling back the injured elites began to double time it in case they get caught by the swarm that were now flooding past the once secure defensive line.

…

"Had I known Hailey would be here, I would have told Gabrielle in advance so she could be here. However, she has been unstable lately and is currently on another hunt..."

Sigismund nodded in understanding. "Nothing like the purging of our enemies to clear ones head. I am sure wherever she is, she is having a grand old time."

Hugo chuckled in agreement. She was honestly safer fighting her enemies than being around her allies at the moment as only powerful Psionic beings could really pose a threat to her at the moment, and the swarm's brain bursters just don't make that cut currently.

"I will have a report from her in a few hours, perhaps if I am still here then you could say hello? I know she would be appreciative of it your grace." Sigismund smiled at Hugo's suggestion.

"Why not? Perhaps she will leave her current post if I show some interest in her." Sigismund said, causing Hugo to roll his eyes at the kings shamelessness. The pair of old friends talked for a while until Hugo excused himself.

"Forgive me your grace, but I want to check in with Princess Hailey if that is ok?" Sigismund reached up and patted Hugo on on the shoulder. "Sure thing go for it, I will go and find my date as I am sure she is boring the other guests." Sigismund said before walking off.

Hugo was confused for a moment at the mention of a date, but when he realised he meant Jocasta, he mouthed an 'Oh.' Before walking over to Hailey and her company.

As Hailey was explaining to Apollo about some of the more broader aspects of the college of Psionics since his curiosity was peaked after talking to Sigismund, She suddenly heard a voice behind her. "Excuse me princess, a moment of your time."

Hailey's body froze up at being called her title. Not wanting to give anything away to Apollo, she turned around as was confused by the wall that appeared in front of her. Looking upwards, her confusion broke into the faintest of smiles.

"Oh my, Hugo is that you? I have not seen you in years, though please refrain from using old pet names around me, I am not a child any more." She said as she used her eyeballs to indicate the person behind her and to the right.

Hugo looked towards where Hailey was indicating and spotted a good looking man with purple hair. Wait, purple hair? 'Uh oh.' Suddenly thinking of Gabrielle and the level of unstable she is, Hugo thought there might be a correlation.

He then moved in between Hailey and the mystery man casually as he began speaking. "Oh forgive me Hailey, old habits die hard. When I saw you I immediately thought of the bratty thirteen year old that insisted on me training her every hour of the waking day."

Hailey, still being under the influence, did not pick up on Hugo's posturing and completely ignored it as she moved towards Apollo. Wrapping her arm with his, she said. "Oh please, It was not everyday, I just liked training. Now, Apollo, This is Hugo Barros. I have known him a very long time. Hugo, this Is Archon Apollo Lambdason, A close and dear friend of mine."

Hugo looked at the man in shock. Seeing Hailey so close to someone as a willing participant was something he never expected to see. Taking a quick look at King Dickon, the man was staring at this Apollo with a look so full of hate, it took Hugo by surprise. 'Though If they have been like this all night, that could make sense.' Hugo was pulled out of his thought however when the man extended his hand out towards him.

"A pleasure to meet you Hugo. And can I just say, It is a real treat meeting someone taller than myself, I sympathise for your back though haha." I Joked, knowing he would most likely have to duck under plenty of doors to avoid giving himself concussions.

"The pleasure is all mine Archon Apollo, though I would not suggest the two of you to stand like that, you look as though you are each others date." Hugo said, Applying a great deal of pressure into the handshake to intimidate the man into backing off from royalty.

He appeared to have misread the situation however, as Apollo just continued to smile casually as Hugo continued to apply more strength into his grip while a small blush crept onto Hailey's face.

"Ah, I think you have misread the situation you big lug, Apollo here is my date for the evening. Kathrine said with a cocky smile on her lips and her hands on her hips. Hugo ceased his attempts to break to young mans hand and eyed him curiously before he turned and smiled to Kathrine.

"Hello old friend, how long has it been? Fourteen? Fifteen years? You haven't aged a day and look as youthful as ever. He said and pulled Kathrine into a hug." Kathrine hugged back for a moment before replying.

"I wish I could say you look no different you big ox, though that clearly happened." She said, pointing to the eyepatch he was wearing, solely for the public event. Hugo followed where Kathrine was pointing and came to the realisation upon touching his eyepatch.

"OH! Haha, yes. Well, getting your head partially blown up by a brain burster will leave you with some aftermath that cannot be fixed." As the large man said that, I choked on my drink I was sipping as I was not expecting my love to be brought up out of nowhere.

Kathrine paused what she was going to say and turned to me while Hailey began to pat my back. "Apollo, are you ok?" She asked. With difficulty, I replied in a higher pitched tone. "Yea, went down wrong pipe. *Cough* I'll go outside until *cough* this stops."

After using non verbal signs to Hailey that she should stay and speak with her friend, I left towards the balcony to not be a nuisance as I waited for the horrid feeling to pass.

Meanwhile, Hugo took the opportunity of the man being gone to gain information. "Ok, I have to ask as the two of you were strange around that man, who is he? I know you both well enough to know when you are acting different."

Kathrine and Hailey gave each other a look before Kathrine spoke. "We just told you, His name Is Archon Apollo Lambdason of the fallen planet of-"

"-Where is Gabrielle?" Hailey cut off her aunt with look of anger towards Hugo. Hugo stammered, not expecting the sudden hostility and was about to respond before Hailey continued.

" Where is she? Because she would have stopped you from interrogating two female nobles with pointless questions. I was expecting to see her here tonight and catch up and ask her some much needed questions. And instead, here I am with a man I see as a teacher asking rudely about my only close friend as though he has secret intentions. I am not a princess anymore and do not care for all the political intrigues that title comes with. My friend is an honest, good man and does not need the second degree. So if you want that, go talk to my pathetic excuse for a father. Or you can make it up to me and tell me why my second favourite woman in the universe is not here right now."