The idea for this story was inspired by a spider mite infestation in my rubber tree. Upon removing the near microscopic mites (with neem spray and a brush), the plant grew more in 1 week than it had in the preceding 6 months.
I was shocked by how much these tiny pests could impact the growth of such a larger organism, and this brought my attention to the numerous other examples in nature including biting flies bothering large mammals (and humans) or various parasitic crustaceans leeching off of whales. Many of these creatures have developed measures to rid themselves of these parasites. For example, scientists believe whales may breach and flipper slap as a way to do so.
This got me thinking of how this sort of system could look on a greatly magnified scale, both in terms of the relevant parasites and potential counter measures by the host animal. This story explores one way this could develop in concert with a specialized form of human society.