"Well done my warriors!" The general exclaimed proudly. "Yet again, You have impressed me with each of your coordination and efficiency in dispatching such a strong beast of a soldier." Yet I am also deeply troubled..."
"Where are your other swarm-brothers?"
The two younger elites held their breath and their positions timidly out of nervous uncertainty. The eldest of the three then bravely stepped forward in front of his more cowardly diminutive kin. Kneeling down deep into the mud, folding his wings, and keeping his massive hammer raised upright out of respect. Without any fear, he answered to his experienced leader personally.
"A Lone flyer lure captain away from formation father, along with much of swarm. I led charge of what left of us, but.... shark cause much trouble." The young warrior then gestured with it's weapon towards Shena still wounded on the ground unable to move. She ground her shattered teeth in frustration as she continued to contemplate how she would dispatch these barbaric murders painfully and slowly once she had the chance.
"I am at fault." Said the flyer remorsefully. "Should have taken her easily if not my weakness as lead. I deserves whatever punishment you decides upon me father." The elite then knelt it's head down further in shame for it's many failings. To which the old general smiled amused and raised the young warrior on to his feet slowly in order to be eye level with his humble and courageous son.
"You are not at fault my child. Your traitor of an older brother abandoned his role in leading the swarm. And for that I will see to it personally that he and those who dared join him be punished upon their return from their foolish crusade. You however took the initiative, and continued your charge directly into the fray when your true brothers needed it most. And for such courage and loyalty, you deserve a reward. The general then let out an obnoxious grin before turning his deadly gaze away behind his son's broad shoulder toward Kiro's body.
The old warrior slowly walked past his children straight towards the dead turtle's headless corpse and proceeded to wrap all four of its powerful hands tightly around the edges of it's massive curved shell.
"Seeing as how he won't be needing this anymore, I trust you will find more use out of this shell than this old fool ever did."
The general held his breath and dug it's foot deep into the sides of the slain soldier's stomach. Grunting heavily as he instantly flexed his arms upward. Tearing the shell from it's back in one quick violent motion, and creating the horrible sound's of numerous tendons snapping and bones cracking apart from along the spine.
As the general carried Kiro's battered shell back to the group, he raised the torn appendage far above his head to use briefly as an umbrella. Letting the rainwater wash off the scores of blood and bits of flesh in order to make it more presentable as a fitting gift to his son. He swayed it back and forth. Unmoved by the gruesome sight dripping atop his skull in the slightest. If anything he seemed rather amused by it.
Shena's blood soaked eyes expanded in indescribable anger at the soulless action, before shutting them back close from her agonizing frustration at being unable to move and avenge her friend's appalling mutilation. She wanted nothing more in the world at this very moment to be able to stand and rip these heartless insects' head's from their bodies with whatever teeth she still had left. She swore she would make them pay.
The old ant stopped abruptly in place as he returned to the group. Holding the cleaned shell vertically in front of its hefty body that reached up to its neck, before affectionately placing one of its hands to rest atop his eldest surviving son's shoulder. He would have to make this brief but he would try to make it a special occasion. The general then cleared his deep crackling throat and began.
"My son, you have shown great resolve today in serving me and your family. As a reward, you have my personal blessing to lay first claim to this shell over that of your siblings. With this as your shield, your enemies will tremble before you when they see you carry it into battle in your mother's name. A symbol to remind those who would dare defy our unified might that they are nothing more than bone and flesh to be used how you and I see fit. Use it proudly in the battle's that await us warrior, for I can think of no better a shining example of loyalty to our swarm or of one more deserving to wield it against my enemies than you."
The general then carefully handed the aged brown shield into his son's arms, knowing full well of the chaos it would assist in bringing upon any future prey in their path.
"You have earned it, my faithful new captain."
His son's eyes lit up as he stared across the massive glossy shield. Slowly caressing the grooves of the outer shell eagerly and utterly speechless by such a generous act. The young raider smiled ear to ear; for he could never have dreamed in a million years that he'd be able to wield a tool so beautiful in carrying out his parent's magnificent ambition's throughout the world.
The warrior clutched the shell tighter enthusiastically like a newborn grub before suddenly bringing himself back to attention in order to not make an utter fool of himself. The elite flyer quickly set his new shield aside before folding it's four massive wings behind its hefty hunched back. Bowing once again far below to the ground in respect to his noble and wise teacher for his blessing.
"Thank you general! I Shall make you and queen proud! " The newly appointed captain expressed humbly and with much grace. "But, even we's could not have bested prey without you's taking's full surge of weapon so boldly!" To which his other two younger brothers beside him also agreed and nodded as well, only now with a slight hint of jealousy in their eyes. Mainly at the obvious disappointment of their older brother getting to keep the durable shield all for himself, when it was they who dealt the killing blow. But to question a general's wisdom was not something most raider's would dare attempt.
"Ahh!! but my sons, you forget that this all our shared victory today together! not just mine!" The general declared aloud humbly and enthusiastically. His booming voice, full of pride in his children's fine work. The old ant then leaned closer in and wrapped his wide arms tightly around his last three surviving sons. All four army ants formed a circle. Their antenna crossing and contacting in mutual affection and compassion towards one another at their success and survival. The general then quickly left the family embrace with two of his sons following close behind in tow, awaiting his next command.
But the youngest who Shena had managed to shoot, was walking over with her bloody harpoon bolt in hand.
Smiling.
The hulking army ant knelt down above Shena's motionless body before kicking aside Vesa's colorless burnt corpse and weapon Shena had been desperately reaching for, far out of the way to make room. The insect then raised it's tattered, ugly wings wide apart to trap Shena under it's dark chilling shadow with him. He kept fiddling with the harpoon in it's hand as he thought to devise a fitting way to thank her for the gift she had dealt him earlier in the shoulder. His narrow eyes suddenly looked over towards her side before smiling maliciously with his fangs.
He had figured one out.
The young winged elite jammed the harpoon deep into Shena's shoulder and twisted hard causing excruciating pain. Shena screamed in agony. Even the anesthetic could not diminish the intense feeling surging through her upper arm now. The raider, still not satisfied, kept pushing the bolt deeper and deeper into her flesh, his mandibles flexing spitefully with glee as the bladed end burrowed straight through her skin. The bitter young insect was taking his sweet time to his father's substantial frustration. The general called out sternly to his vengeful child; now greatly irritated by the delay he was causing to their group.
"Son! Time is of the essence. Finish the prey off quickly and return to the battle with your brothers!" he roared aloud sharply.
"But father!..., The aquatic struck a deadly blow against me!" Complained the young warrior heartily. The restless insect then ignored his father's stern request and hastily turned back around to continue toying with his dormant prey beneath him. Causing his older brothers to release a faint gasp by the sheer audacity of such an act of utter disrespect to their leader.
"It only natural and fair I finish her off slowly for insult however I choose." The young insect grinned in a revolting fashion. The elite slowly licked its pointed teeth in a vile, eager manner that Shena of all people knew just too well what it meant. Her pitch-black eyes widened apart in substantial fear from the sudden realization of the sick intent he had for her.
The feral creature slowly leaned over it's captive target, ready to finally savor the sweet taste and enjoy the succulent flavor for as long as he could. His massive gaping jaw crept closer towards the immobile shark's bloodied face beneath him. His breath smelled disgustingly of rotten flesh of past victims as it drooled above her hungrily and greedily. He hadn't tasted meat so soft and fresh such as hers in weeks.
The insect brushed both of its antennae across the shark's injured face to inspect her tantalizing scent keenly to her obvious clear disgust. He wasn't disappointed.
"You smell delicious...." His hoarse blood-curdling voice whispered right into her ear. Sending chills across her shuddering spine. She looked down and saw that he was wearing the bones, fangs, and claws of other animals as a necklace around his neck. Sentient animals. It was appalling. Shena grimaced as the insect continued in taking in her scent sickeningly, eager to add her own teeth to his collection. She felt like she would vomit from seeing this wild animal pressing its's face right above hers.
She slowly grinned.
Right above hers....
As the insect continued in taking in the alluring aroma beneath him, the shark suddenly bolted its head upward enraged and growled ferociously. Snapping her bandages apart and opening its mangled mouth as wide as she could manage before snapping it shut instantly like an unbreakable iron cage. If he wanted her teeth so bad, he could have them. Her maw of serrated broken fangs still easily cut right through one of the raider's thin stalk-like antenna, not letting go in the slightest despite the immense pain and throbbing sensation still in her aching jaw. She hadn't bitten anyone in years, but it felt strangely natural, as if she had done it a thousand time's before. The shameful behavior was disgracefully. But it was necessary. She would never be anyone's prey again even if it killed her.
"Aghhhhh!!" Wailed the panicking elite. The large insect began shaking its own head back violently as it struggled to escape the small aquatic's tight grip from atop it's skull. Smacking the feral shark hard across the injured side of her face multiple times with its fist's to no affect. Now desperate, the frightened raider pressed hard atop the harpoon still logged into her shoulder and pushed hard. Finally causing the heathen shark to release its hold from him as she winced back from the pain. Clutching her hand atop the bloodied gushing wound, but not before taking the antenna with her.
She ripped it off in one singular motion, trailing faint drops of yellow blood as she crunched it in between the gaps in her teeth. It tasted delicious. She wanted to swallow what she had caught so badly. But the shark quickly spat out what was left of his severed appendage so she wasn't tempted and slowly unearthed a bloody tense grin right in front of his stunned hideous face.
Oh you think's that funny huh!!??? The injured ant said angrily while latching on to the stub of what was left of it's now mutilated right antenna.
"Well how you likes this!!!!???" The large ant gripped tightly around the shark's weak tail and limb's before proceeding to pin them down hard against the dirt with all four of its powerful arms. The creature then widened and suddenly lowered its massive black mandibles, grasping them tightly around Shena's thin sleek neck. Unable to wait any longer, the murderous insect pulled out one of her front teeth and put it in his pocket for safe keeping, before finally started to slice into her at his immense pleasure slowly. He always went for his prey's throats first. And this one already had an opening for him to use.
The sharpened incisors slowly began to intrude deeper and deeper into the gap's of Shena's sensitive gills painfully. Tears of agony and terror began to slowly trickle down her mangled face and she struggled and fought to stay alive with all her remaking strength. Kicking and hitting her legs and tail against the insect's back. Desperately trying to raise her broken mouth upward enough to latch on to the bottom of its's chin but to no avail. His mandibles were too large and kept his face safely out of her desperate biting reach. Faint drops of blood began to sprout from the deepening puncture wounds in her neck as the ant's wings began twitching in excitement, unaffected in the slightest by his dinner's last desperate attacks. If anything, he rather enjoyed them. It always made it so much more fun.
Shena kept biting upward regardless of her futile efforts. Completely consumed by rage and panic. She could now feel the mandibles colliding straight inside the center of her throat and were beginning to pull upward in order to cut off her windpipe. Her breath slowly began to be stolen right out from her lungs by this remorseless thief along with her life. She had now lost all sense of composure and dignity and was letting her predatory instinct take over completely in the hopes it would provide a desperate chance at her survival. She continued biting wildly. Wanting nothing more than to reach up and rip his throat out with the last ounce of her soul. She hated fighting like this, but right now she hated him far more. This animal did not see her as a human being. It viewed her as nothing more than a meal to provide momentary satisfaction and entertainment for himself. And to appease his never-ending sick hunger.
Her terrified eyes finally flared with panic and terror as they began to roll to the back of her head. An all consuming hazy blackness slowly started to invaded the four corners of her view from seeing her last moments alive of the nightmarish monsters face drooling hungrily over her.
As the raider crept in for the first savory taste of his meal, a faint panicked voice cried out from the bottom of the mound nearby through the loud cascading rain in the distance.
"Brothers, help us!!!!!" The frightened voice called out desperately.
"SON!!!!" the general shouted furiously. His voice commanding and fierce with not a shred of patience left. The enraged insect stepped forward briskly. His massive golden orb weaver spider-silk cloak, casting a long imposing shadow over his small kneeling son. He crept up silently to stand in place behind the embarrassing struggle unfolding beneath his large stature with great displeasure.
It was time to teach this undisciplined child a valuable lesson.
The general reached over and instantly clutched onto his disobedient son's remaining antenna, and with just one hand, started to lift it's entire massive body into the air effortlessly from atop its skull as if raising a leaf off the ground with ease.
The hungry warrior's mandibles violently scraped against the contours of Shena's neck as they were suddenly pulled away. Painfully trailing blood as they barely missed her jugular and narrowly avoided slitting her throat into the dirt. Shena gasped for air and instantly filled her emptied starved lungs like a glass of water. Coughing uncontrollably as she gripped both of her hands to the sides of her neck in desperate solace while the feral winged raider was abruptly pulled away to become easily trapped in his fathers tight and unbreakable grip. The child began squirming and flailing it's wings wildly in extreme discomfort as it was held humiliatingly in front of the air for all his brothers to see.
"You can have your fun with the shark later. She's not going anywhere in that state, you fool."
The imposing old warrior gestured to the injured aquatic staring at them both from the ground with hatred in her eyes. His strategic and watchful mind, easily aware of the young shark's inability to currently stand or even escape whereas his restless and hasty son could not. Frustrated by his child's self-serving foolish actions, he raised him higher into the air painfully. The young panicking insect began to cry in agony in front of his brothers, to their great amusement and slight pity. The old general resumed on with his lecture.
Why do you deny my orders and teachings? Do you think so little of me and your siblings' hard work!!?? Their sacrifices?!! You giggle and play at your sisters expense while they die in droves right now in your stead! Did the thought of aiding them ever happen to come into your empty mind? Every second I waste speaking to you is another of my daughter's life wasted!! We have to take out that gun right now so your sisters can break through. Do not let yourself be distracted by the tempting surge of enjoying just one kill for too long, or it will consume and eclipse your purpose in the battle and the swarm itself. Your role in life is to destroy the queen's enemies. Not toy with them." He roared.
"But father!!, agh.!! She bit me!! Wined the panicking child aloud desperately. Struggling to free himself as he dangled painfully back and forth above the ground.
So? It's a shark, what else did you expect it to do? Just sit idle? You should have known better than to let your guard down with a shark you idiot. Even an injured one. They are deadly and intelligent unlike you apparently. Have I taught you nothing?!! Am I to blame for your failings and disobedience? But how can that be? I don't recall having ever encouraged such disobedient thrill-seeking behavior in any of my children in my entire life. If the problem isn't me, then perhaps…"
The general's heavily scarred face leaned closer in as he pulled his insolent child forward to face him. His larger mandibles held inches away from his son's diminutive and frightened eyes that had wandered away from their purpose in serving his swarm.
"Are you the problem son?" he asked sternly. Awaiting his response intently and hopeful it was one that he would find acceptable. His massive mandibles began widening eerily. Ready to strike in an instant if he heard an unpleasant reply that he would not find satisfactory.
"No Father!!!", young insect exclaimed aloud frantically. His only remaining antenna now starting to rip under the weight of it's own massive body. "I not disobey again! I die for swarm!! I die for swarm!"
"Excellent. The general said satisfied. "That is just what I expect to hear from all my beloved children."
The general finally released his delinquent of a son into the mud, before turning his back on him entirely. His cape fluttered in the intense rain as he rejoined in front to lead his more disciplined and esteemed sons. The frightened elite stood up shaken and covered in dirt before cowering his head down in embarrassment as he picked up his weapons that he had left aside so carelessly in the dirt. As he walked up to rejoin his older siblings, he lowered his posture submissively as his towering father loomed directly down at him one final time in order to make sure he had successfully gotten his point across to his witless child.
"Always remember boy, what you want or desire personally in life does not matter in the slightest." The only thing that matters out here is what I say, the colony, and our queen. And I'm confident that you will never lose sight of that again now that you are fully reminded of how your path is intertwined with us all in our glorious crusade. Only after victory is assured may you indulge in the spoils of war, my son." The general then gestured to the injured shark incapacitated on the ground. Grinning amused at her bloodied appearance.
"I remember what it was like to be that age with my first kill. The thrilling rush of adrenaline. The alluring smell of blood. It is utterly intoxicating. But you cannot let hunger and the thrill of the hunt make you careless or else all of us suffer from your individual actions." Just remember. The longer the anticipation the sweeter the taste. Victory is within our grasp in this battle but I need you to stay on the path alongside ours. Not to create your own and become lost in it. We are on the verge of helping to finally bring down the monarchy after a thousand years. A feat that has never been accomplished in all of history! But only if you charge into the fray as is your purpose and do not ever question me again. So, can I count on you to do that for me, warrior?" Will you stay focused and fulfill your responsibility to your family? Your mother? Or have you forsaken us and all that we have so graciously given you in your life you are undeserving of?
"Yes ....father, I swear! Won't risk success of raid again!" the youngest son muttered before quickly kneeling down into the mud. Ready to beg for even a shred of renewed compassion from his wise father even if he knew his worthless life didn't deserve it.
"I am loyal son!"
"Please....Forgive me! Have mercy!"
The general breathed a heavy sigh of disappointment as to what to do with this foolish child. The sound he made was similar to that of a beast's monstrous growl upon a successful hunt. If only his hundreds of other sons were still alive he would not have had to rely on this pathetic one and would have had no trouble in dispatching him quickly like the others who had gotten out of line before.
However...., he was quite low on soldiers. Son's especially. He clenched his fist heavily frustrated. He must remain strong. Desperate times required him to refrain from culling the weak for just a while longer. For he still needed to allow the life of every questionable child of his to remain ongoing in order to spend in the field of battle whenever it was useful to him. He could be merciful. But even mercy has its limits.
'The things parents will do for their children.'
"Very well.... you are forgiven."
"Rise fool." He smiled in a loving and warm manner.
He gestured with his armored three fingered hand for his son to quit groveling in the dirt like a common worker ant. The ashamed young winged insect then slowly rejoined behind his two older brothers as they shook their massive heads at him in great disapproval. At last all four elite army ants began to march toward the edges of the battlefront. United and ready to finish the long campaign they had started weeks ago for their queen.
'No!!! Stay!! They can't attack Neso and the others, They won't stand a chance!' Shena screamed to herself internally as she anxiously watched the raiders advance towards the Gatling Gun's position and its few remaining defenders. She had to buy them time until Fereen returned to aid them. Even if using herself as a tempting target was the best and only thing she could do to try and divert them all away for even just a few more precious moments.
Shena swallowed and cleared the blood trapped in her windpipe. Finally managing to push the distorted words enough in order to escape her damaged throat. Metallic tasting blood sprouted upwards from her mouth as she uttered the challenge to the barbarians with tears in her vengeful, hate-fueled eyes.
"Finish what you started you soft-shelled cowards!!!!"
The queen's loyal husband continued to march with his sons close behind, paying no heed to the young shark's desperate challenge. He and his sons were fully committed to assist his brave daughters in wiping out the last of Gatling gun's last defenders.
"Don't you worry girl" he replied eerily.
A devilish smirk emerged across his sharp teeth. His mandibles flaring in anticipation of the victory that he and his loyal offspring would finally claim.
"We will."