Chapter 16
"One? That's a swarm," Abel gritted out and glanced at Li with a serious expression.
Hoku fixed his gaze on the writhing figures ahead. They appeared to be closing in.
The sight unsettled him, but he forced the unease aside.
"Juno, you've just fought. Stay back and watch the kid. Cover any ambushes from a distance," Yu-ze instructed, stepping forward with resolve. "The rest of us will push them back."
Mirai gave a curt nod and drew closer to Hoku before positioning herself between him and the swarm.
A shadow loomed above them, followed by the rustle of wings.
A massive creature swept in from a distance, its dust-coated scales shimmering faintly.
The insect moved with a strange, deliberate weight—both agile and unnervingly direct.
Hoku stared, paralyzed with fear.
It looked like something plucked from a nightmare: a bloated body covered in fine hairs, and six spindly limbs twitching as it hovered.
The way it curled its lower body reminded him of a bird preparing to strike—but instead of talons, it wielded precision and overwhelming mass.
Li broke formation, moving swiftly to cover their rear.
As he passed Hoku, the young man flinched, startled by a sudden nudge against his leg.
He stumbled backward and found Cheshire staring calmly up at him with his ears spread flat over his head.
After merely a glance, Hoku crouched and scooped the cat into his arms, holding him close.
Cheshire didn't resist; instead, he shifted lazily, placing his front paws over Hoku's shoulder as though claiming it as his perch.
Li turned his head to the side and muttered a warning, "Stay alert."
His sword glinted as he drew it, holding the blade at an angle that caught the dim light filtering through the trees.
He glanced at Juno, who stood ready at the front.
"Juno, when it charges, pull him down if you have to. I'm sure he'd rather hit the ground than lose his head."
Hoku's expression twisted into a stark blend of shock and fear.
Juno pressed her hand firmly between his shoulder blades, and he lurched forward, clutching Cheshire tighter.
"We've got it," she muttered, leaving no ambiguity in the gesture.
The queasiness in Hoku's stomach worsened, but he forced himself to focus.
His fingers tightened in Cheshire's fur, the strain grounding him as the situation deteriorated.
'Losing my head won't get me any closer to answers. I need to observe their tactics, and get out alive first.'
Suddenly, a faint trail of crimson stirred in the corner of his eye,
He immediately recognized it as Juno's fan.
Its faint glow exuded a heavy, oppressive presence.
A chill ran through him, yet his eyes stayed on it, unable to shift.
"Could that be an elixir…?" he murmured to himself.
Juno glanced at him, her tone firm but not unkind. "Eyes forward, kid." She gave his cheek a light nudge, guiding his attention back to the path. "You're not here to admire the scenery."
Then, Yu-ze's voice carried through the din. "Focus! You three, hold the front! Qi, assist them after clearing the maiden months!"
"Maiden moths? Those are moths?!" Hoku blurted, in disbelief.
Juno frowned and nodded. "Antheraea polyphemus,"
"Harmless in their natural state, but at this size? They'll end your life without hesitation," she added.
Hoku's stomach lurched as he spotted them swarming through the trees.
Their sheer size distorted the air, bending the tops of trees as they descended.
Above him, Fleur and Yu-ze perched on high branches, their bows drawn.
Abel lingered on the ground, ready to intercept any that slipped past.
A sharp whistle split the air, and Hoku barely registered the warning before Juno yanked him down.
He hit the ground hard, instinctively shielding Cheshire as he landed awkwardly on his elbow.
Pain jolted through his arm, and left a worrying numbness behind, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.
At the head of the swarm, the first moth veered downward, its massive wings sweeping overhead.
Li's blade moved swiftly and cleaved through the creature mid-swoop.
The tearing flesh sounded as the moth's wing separated cleanly, spinning through the air before thudding into the ground.
"Hideous insect," Li muttered, stepping back to avoid the convulsing body that crashed beside Juno.
Hoku swallowed the pressure in his throat as he stared, dumbfounded.
The moth's wing lay just inches from him, and he skimmed his eyes over the surface.
A jagged diagonal cut had marred it.
Despite its twisted form, the intricate patterns on the wing were eerie and beautiful, with dull browns and purples weaving into an eye-like design.
"Beautifully hideous," he noted quietly.
His arm trembled beneath him, but his grip on Cheshire remained steady.
The carcass ahead twitched, its grotesque body burrowing into his mind and leaving behind grating discomfort.
Juno grabbed Hoku's collar and hauled him upright. "You look stunned," she said, brushing leaves off his back.
Hoku blinked once, then refocused.
'The creature's twitches are deliberate—almost too controlled,' he observed to himself.
Li's voice sounded in a clear remark, "Wait for my signal. Fall back if I say so."
He nodded briefly before turning his eyes elsewhere.
He caught sight of the moths aloft, their forms skewed beyond recognition.
"They're in synthesis," Juno infomred.
"Synthesis?" Hoku's tone carried a thread of unease.
"Later," Juno said, scanning the treeline.
Hoku's eyes shifted to Fleur, perched higher than before, barely visible against the fractured light filtering through the canopy.
A sudden glint of scarlet flickered in his periphery.
Juno froze, and tightened her fingers around her elixir.
The forest fell into a taut silence.
Li's voice came again, distant but urgent, an unintelligible shout that sent Juno into motion.
She pulled Hoku behind her. "Stay close."
Hoku crouched, bending his legs at an unnatural angle as he positioned himself at her back.
Confusion tightened in his expression as Juno stifled a laugh.
"You can stand, I can't decapitate you with a fan," she explained, her humor fading.
She studied Hoku for a moment before asking, "Can you whistle?"
Hoku blinked, then answered, "Yeah, why?"
"Good. I can't." She extended her arm to the side and spread her fingers apart.
He frowned. "I didn't ask for your shortcomings."
Juno's eyes surveyed the forest, moving from point to point as she mentally traced each direction toward the creature.
"Our elixirs won't be enough to overpower it," she exclaimed, "Precision is our only advantage."
She didn't wait for further questions.
Shiting her weight, Juno lowered into a steady stance.
The creature's wings solidified, teetering in the air before descending steadily toward the ground.
With a harsh flap, it sent a gust of wind toward them.
Raising her fan in front of her face, she added, "In twelve seconds, I'll signal. You whistle loud enough to make it count. That's our timing."
The Memoir 12
Dear navigator, I have left you The Stars Of Chaos to assist you in the indefinite circumstance of the timestream. An objective will return to the pages in the form of illustrations concisely before every fundamental occasion.
I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you…
Signed,
The Arbiter
Rule 17
The consequences of being too late will most commonly be infestations. Infestations as you may have already surmised are deformities from ordinary organisms. Refrain from lingering on the simplicity of defeating them, because much worse awaits you in the fluctuating years that have lost time.
-The First Quota's End-
To be continued…