Chapter Text
The kingdom was starting to finally become normal after such a long period of trying times, and their first big project since the infection was going smoothly. Even though they were mining in deepnest, instead of using hallownest citizens the crown hired about 1,000 workers from deepnest to work on the expansion project down there.
The small camps set up for the workers in the rough mines were packed with tired workers and rations and tools, the workers used a rotating shift system, like how they've heard it worked in the crystal caves so far away from home. It was dangerous work, but there was always extensive respect and ceremonies to those few who died for this much needed expansion project.
One of the (luckily) still alive workers, a burrowing spider, making small holes to make it easier to mine through, hit something that didn't feel like deep-set dirt and rock and sediment though. It felt like... A wall. Like a refined rock, akin to the brick used in hallownest, but not made of the rock around them. He backed out the burrow to go tell the others, yelling in the native language of the area, Weaverne. The crew stopped, discussing how to tell their boss about the discovery of what could be an unknown kingdom next door, or, maybe what could prove the tales of humans.
𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘
The facility has been getting small earthquakes for about a month now. It was annoying. It was also worrying. Dandy has been trying to keep the others calm about it but no one knew what it was and it scared everyone, especially Dandy.
He was in a lower level, watching the toons on shift from a secret place. The shaking was so loud now, it was messing up the toons on shift and making even the twisteds fall over. Flutter was the only one safe from this, since she started flying more ever since the shaking started. Dandy sometimes wished he could do that too.
It wasn't until he heard the scraping of bricks behind him that he jumped and freaked out, that was right behind him. Was something actually burrowing through the ground and that's what's causing the shaking?? Was that thing now here??? He already had enough problems, some digging animal wasn't needed! He stumbled out and went to the intercoms near the control room, turning the shoddy speaker on and quickly announcing "I know this is very abrupt, but all toons on shift must come to the elevator now. Do not worry about completing anymore machines, the doors will open soon." While smashing the button opening the elevator.
This worried the other toons, though, evacuation was made easier by how the shaking seemed to stop completely. Almost as soon as the announcement was made. As the elevator closed with everyone in, Dandy got on the side elevator and went up rapidly with the main elevator.
"I'm a bit worried about why Dandy would suddenly have us leave like that," Brightney commented to Tisha, rubbing her neck. She knew it smudged the wood but she didn't care. "That's not like him!"
"Yeah, it is weird," Tisha responded, "I'm kinda glad though, I'm injured and I haven't been able to get my hands on a medkit at all!" She said, her dress was stained with black that was never going to get out of the fabric. Ugh.
The elevator soon stopped with a small rattle and then the doors opened, the toons walking out quickly. Brightney and Tisha going to the library to get a medkit.
Sprout went to find Dandy, wanting to get answers for why the shift was cut so short. They haven't even gotten all the ichor they should've gotten yet, and Dandy usually has that ready as soon as the elevator opens! He was saving up for another outfit for crying out loud! Cosmo was just behind him, holding his hand and trying to cheer Sprout up, maybe Dandy was worried about something else?
𓆤⭒𓆑⭒𓆣⭒𓆨⭒𓆦
"Yes, yes, other sites have been getting reports of such," the site coordinator told the crew, "its been reported to the crown already, but we can't go any farther now because of the chance of hostility. Really sucks." He was hoping this team wouldn't have run into it, this meant he wasn't gonna get a paycheck until this is settled. He'd have to find a new way to feed his family back in Hallownest.
"Well, if it is a new kingdom let us hope they're up to trade," one of the miners said, she was a shellwood worker before this mining job was offered to her, so no wonder why she hoped for trade.
"And if it isn't a new kingdom?" Another of the workers piped up, the pessimist. A roach that thought himself too good for here. "It could be some weird rock, and we ended up wasting time."
"Then we've discovered a new rock, which could be used for new buildings." The woodworker responded, the coordinator had to admit, for a beetle she was kind of pretty. "What do you think it is, Dophre?" She asked the burrowing spider, a small fellow with a missing eye. This was the only job he could've gotten without that eye, and now it was delayed until further notice. Usually this wasn't a problem, but with Deepnest's recent push to modernity it was.
"O- oh, I think it's those humans," he said, his voice quiet and with a Weaver-like drawl all spiders had. "I've heard stories of adventurers encountering similar materials used to make human structures, and it seems too ridged but simple to be another kingdom of bugs." The spider talked with his hands a lot, those hands shaking lightly. Maybe he should be checked by a med, tremors like that were common with miner's rot.
The beetle nodded, "compelling evidence," she had an accent of higher hallownest, she was from the crossroads probably. Deepnest got an influx of new people recently so she must've been one of them. "But I guess we'll just have to find out! Say, boss, would you know when they're gonna try to find the big deal out?" She asked.
The coordinator shrugged, "I'll give the written report to our messenger to get to the crown, and hopefully that'll get them off their asses faster." He had written the simple report down when the burrowing spider told him, just on a small report card that'd be given to the crown anyways. He was just thinking about how he'd get his kids enough money for food and rent. "If you could though, I'd like a sample of the rock to go with it. Maybe they don't even need to send anyone over if they can just test it and know what it is."
The spider nodded, "we'll get that right away to you, I'm sure of it!" He said, then going to leave so he could get that brick. The other two workers following.
𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘
"Im sorry but, i just gotta get things in order first, you know?" Dandy told sprout, "it's big news and I wanna word it in a way that won't send everyone into a frenzy!"
"You don't have to sugarcoat news to us, most of us aren't kids!" Sprout said, brushing a leaf out his face. "Could you at least give us our ichor for that run? It's pretty unfair to keep our paycheck away from us." He usually wasn't so demanding, but he didn't play when it came to ichor.
"Okay, okay, I'll get that into your accounts soon enough, just be patient please," Dandy said, now moving to push Sprout and cosmo out. The tall strawberry huffed and left, slamming the door. Finally, Dandy could keep working on the announcement. And getting supplies ready for what he thought is to come.