Necun outpaced her bond in a matter of moments. Tossing a look over her shoulder she saw he was already breathing hard, face red. Still, he was traveling fast enough that she was confident he would make it to safety before the swarm hit.
Her aura pulsed around her, growling, gnashing it's teeth. She released it gladly, and was instantly enveloped in it's warmth as she surged forward.
Around her rooks were cut free from their restraints, dragged or coaxed towards the growing circle of bodies. The Hunters formed the outer layer, already planting several weapons in nearby roots for handholds.
At the very edge of hearing the dull rumbling of a swarm sounded.
Leaping over a struggling worker dragging a rook by the horns Necun dropped beside Kella's position in the line.
"Rotten luck eh?" Kella said, a tinge of pain in her voice. "Two screaming beasts and a swarm! What's next up? Ground quake? Blaze?"
"What's next is a river of blood." Necun growled, hefting her second best axe. "Don't let them past. If those rooks panic and break the line we'll lose more carts."
Scanning the area, Necun took stock of their situation. Nickolas was closing in, already in a group working their way into the defensive position. The size of the caravan had forced them to take on a sprawling formation loosely resembling a circle. Their backs were to a trunk, separated from the tree the serpent's body hung from by a mere five hundred strides.
Their formation was spaced out too far for Necun's liking, but there was little choice. They didn't have time to prepare the ground properly for the swarm.
If we're lucky we'll just lose carts. Necun thought grimly. Even losing a few rooks will be fortunate. Then there will be injuries, and we have no healers besides that human Medicine Man. Too thin. We're stretched too thin.
The rumble grew into a maddening cacophony. The tips of roots and the long stems of ferns began to shake and jostle around them. Occasionally a harsher sound would creep over the din of the swarm. Great steps shaking the ground.
Nearly everyone was inside the protective circle now. Behind her back Necun heard the quiet chanting of their Mages. The dull murmuring voices calmed Necun slightly, and she felt the familiar tingle as spells started to shimmer in place around them. Slowly the ever present plant life of the Green began to distort and flow together. She heard a human gasp, and grinned at the memory of her own first time seeing such spells at work.
To anything outside the circle they had just taken on the appearance of a great tree, twisted around the one at their back like the rare twin Giants sometimes did. It would not prevent fighting entirely, but the illusion would deter a sizable portion of the swarm from charging straight at the group. A hesitant, confused swarm pack was also far easier to strike, which would be useful in a brief moment.
The Caravan Master was still hollering at the last stragglers to get into position. Rooks were tied, hooved feet bound to reduce struggling. Necun could smell the fear in the air.
What was once a gentle buzz now drowned out all other noise. The orcs around Necun reverted back to hand signals, not even bothering to shout over the oppressive sound.
It's strange seeing a swarm approach without the normal critters fleeing. Necun thought as she focused on the patch of ground directly in front of her. Guess there is a benefit to that serpent sneaking up on us after all. Not having a dozen furry pests rushing my ankles in a panic makes this almost relaxing.
Movement rustled ahead. A cluster of black spines, so dark they drank in the light, poked up from behind a distant root cluster.
Necun's aura flared bright, joined soon by every woman in the group.
Soon after the rest of the creature emerged, hundreds of clicking legs carrying it over the forest floor. It resembled an angular hole in the world which no light could pierce. In looking upon it one could only see the too sharp silhouette and the suggestion of movement in it's depths. Within a heartbeat it was joined by dozens of other shapes, skittering, clacking, and shoving as they were driven forward by the swarm behind. Their thin multitudinous legs pumped with abandon to keep their top heavy bodies moving forward at an alarming pace. Any greenery they came across was swiftly turned to mulch, snapped up by hidden mouths, movement of the main body never ceasing. Only the thickest, and sturdiest of roots managed to endure the storm of bladed feet.
The sound hit the circle of orcs like a wave, they braced against it, auras flaring to new heights as they watched the oncoming swarm descend towards them. At nearly the last moment the forefront of the charging mass of bodies parted, attempting to avoid the illusion they saw before their dim eyes. Some succeeded, while others were pushed by their fellows through the illusion, stumbling in shock as their limbs passed through what seemed a moment ago to be solid bark.
Blades answered instead, lashing out to smash into the shells of the swarm creatures. Ichor flew as the Hunters began their gruesome work. Thrashing and jolting the creatures tried to flee the pain, pushing back against the flow of their fellows as they sought an escape. They found none, pushed by the press of bodies they slowly inched back towards the circle, often joined by their confused fellows.
Necun focused on the three creatures unfortunate enough to be shoved into her reach. Over and over she raised her axe and brought it down hard, severing limbs, or smashing carapace. Her arms were already numb, her eyes glazing as she shifted targets with each swing, spreading the pain around as best she could.
The crux of any strategy to fight the swarm was to make the swarm fight itself. Only by driving the front line into the rest would they have a chance at survival. They had to fear the axes of the orcs over the churning legs of their peers.
Already the swarm was spilling past, the entire world around their little circle of ichor soaked safety was a swirling abyss. Merely looking upon the swarm in motion was enough to disorient. Joined with the ever present droning noise filling the air was enough to drive someone mad.
Necun was dimly aware of women joining in the defense behind her. Workers lashed out with long handled weapons to either side, striking at whatever swarm creature that looked like it might make it through. It mattered little to her. All she could do to alter the outcome is swing her weapon that little bit faster, ever so slightly harder. The edges of her vision blurred as she lost herself in the violence. Only her aura, flaring and growling at the ever present threat, allowed her to retain enough focus to avoid a critical mistake.
One of the creatures tipped on it's side, noticeable only by a sudden shift in the dimensions of the void before her. Luckily it had tipped towards her, it's many sharp legs lashing out against further incursion. This gave Necun a momentary reprieve to size up the situation as she repositioned to use it's body as cover.
Kella was preforming well, a stiff grin on her face as she carved through another body, kicking it with a brutal motion into the greater swarm to create breathing room. A cut was bleeding freely from her friend's brow, but luckily it was dripping down the side of her face instead of her eyes.
To Necun's left the fight was going less well, several Hunters had already been driven back several paces. The whole section would have to fall back soon, or risk a Hunter becoming isolated. No one could fight the swarm on all sides regardless of strength. Isolation was death.
Snapping back to the task at hand Necun set her feet and swung in a wide arc to the left, severing a long extending leg with a crunch. Shifting, she reversed course, swinging over her head to slam down on a carapace scuttling by to the right.
Left, a cluster of spines smashed.
Right, what must have been a snapping mouth caved in.
The creature in front of her had gone still. With it's top spines planted in the soft earth it had no way to drag it's body upright. The slicing legs had gone still, resting for the first time in it's life as the swarm creature came to understand it's predicament.
Left, her axe sunk into something squishy. An eyestalk?
Right, ichor sprayed as she crushed into a critical organ behind a thinner section of carapace.
Her cover began to shake and shudder. It's peers had noticed the lack of movement. They were taking advantage of the easy meal as they passed.
Left, her axe bounced, a mouth perhaps?
Right, straight through, touching the soil briefly as she cleaved straight through a smaller swarm creature's midsection.
The tipped over creature was dead, quickly being hollowed out by the passing swarm, she had limited time.
Left, a second strike drove the tough one back into the swarm at large.
Right, she damaged a grasping limb reaching for the viscera.
Her cover teetered, completely empty. Necun took a heavy step back just in time to escape an explosion of sharp remnants. A pair of creatures got greedy, trampling the empty remains of their former peer.
A horizontal swing drove them both back, cutting into both shapes.
Something happened behind her. She felt the wind shift. Her aura flared and growled. Another spell?
They should be focused on keeping the illusion up. she thought. Maybe a mind blinding trick, or are they changing the shape of the image? They couldn't be casting on- NICKOLAS!
Necun whirled around, ignoring the danger at her back to scream a warning to her bond.
She shouted in time.
But he failed to hear over the crushing noise of the swarm.
Heat washed over her back as a chunk of the swarm was drowned in a blanket of searing flame. Meat cooked, carapace popped, legs fell still.
For a moment the swarm pulled back in fear, escaping the flames, giving the orcs a moment to breathe.
They spent it gazing at Nickolas with stunned horror.
"GET HIM CLEAR!" Sheku, the Caravan Master's bond, screamed.
Necun acted without thinking, rushing forward to scoop up her confused bond. Tossing him over her shoulder like a grain sack she took to the trees, pushing both muscle and aura to their limits. Nickolas wheezed as the breath was driven out of him, and Necun silently hoped no important bones had broken.
"KEEP CASTING!" she called out at the top of her lungs. "MORE FIRE! NOW!"
She could almost sense the pained confusion for a moment, but mercifully her bond complied. A stream of flame flew blow, smashing into another section of swarm, away from the circle. It was like dropping a stone into a river, the swarm creatures rippling away, briefly revealing a patch of forest floor around the flames.
"DON'T STOP!" Necun screamed again. "AS MUCH AS YOU CAN!"
"WHAT'S HAPPENING?" Nickolas choked out. "WHY ARE WE RUNNING? WHY ARE THE OTHERS MOVING?"
Mercifully she felt him cast again. Then again. Her bond was picking up the pace of his spellwork.
"IT'S IN CASE THE MATRIARCH DOESN'T FOLLOW US!" she screamed back.
"THE WHAT?" he screamed.
She could barely hear him now. The droning was rising in pitch.
They were being followed.
She pushed on, leaping from branch to branch over the churning black river. With Nickolas on her arm she was more limited. Even if she was willing to risk breaking bone with more serous leaps like the first she was still unable to use her full power with the extra weight on her shoulder. Worse, she wasn't wearing her climbing hook, forcing her to use her bare hand when shifting direction, or risk losing her momentum. The flesh of her hand was quickly scraped raw, even protected by her aura. Stopping wasn't an option. Neither was slowing. Not with a Matriarch alerted.
There was another shift, the air snapped as Nickolas threw out a bolt of lightning instead of fire.
"NO!" she shouted, hoping he could still hear. "KEEP UP THE FIRE!"
He complied a moment later, blanketing a wide area below with orange flame, and she silently thanked him for not asking more questions.
Speeding up slightly she smashed through an inconvenient branch. The wood splintered, sending the shards slicing against her unprotected face while bouncing off her armor. Her aura sang around her. This was everything it wanted. Everything it demanded Necun be. Sure she was running like prey, but it was to protect her male. The man she won and bedded. What greater cause was there to flee a fight? A deep, fierce emotion rippled thorough Necun's blood, soothing her aching limbs. Power flooded in.
Necun laughed as her body warmed.
But of course. she thought. The grey hairs were right. All I needed was a moment of clarity.
"WHAT WAS THAT?" her mate cried out, confused. "DID YOUR AURA JUST SETTLE?"
"YES!" she called back, giggling. "AND IT FEELS GLORIOUS!"
The colours were brighter, the sensations sharper, even her emotions seemed more intense. It was as if she was twice as alive as she had been a moment before. She could feel the precise moment Nickolas released his magic. It tasted like ashes, and the heat of a forge. When she glanced up looking for a branch to jump too she could see individual leaves far above, rustling together. Below the swarm was still indistinct, and dizzying to gaze at for too long. Even the sweet, almost spicy scent of Nickolas's perfume tickled her nose. Necun could feel her mind overloading with wondrous sensation.
Despite her newly settled power the harsh noise of the swarm Matriarch still buzzed painfully in her ear, driving her onward.
Celebrate later. Necun thought, pushing down her excitement. Can't celebrate if you're dead. Find the edge of the swarm. You don't need to outrun the Matriarch you just need enough of a lead to reach the edge.
Suddenly Nickolas grabbed her back. His grip was so tight on the corner of her armor she could feel the leather creak.
"I THINK I SEE THE MATRIARCH!" he screamed. "DO I HIT IT WITH FIRE, OR WILL THAT JUST MAKE IT ANGRY?"
Necun considered the question while she leapt to another branch. The bark she pushed off from exploded the moment her feet left the wood, confirming the Matriarch's presence.
"COULDN'T HURT!" she finally decided. "I DON'T THINK THEY GET ANGRY ANYWAY!"
"TAKE A LEFT!" Nickolas shouted back.
Not bothering to overthink the order Necun pushed off at a different angle. The move lost her some precious momentum, but brought her in reach of a convenient bit of bark. She grasped it midair, twirling around the corner, her legs flying out before she released her grip. The result sent her at an odd angle towards her next landing spot, but she had succeeded in making the turn. Silently she hoped Nickolas's idea would make up for the significant loss to their lead.
Around the corner the world flashed white.
A blast of super heated air threw Necun off course. During her tumble she lost her grip on Nickolas, and had to scrabble with her other hand to stay attached to the Mage. A chunk of wood, so hot it had to be burning slammed into her back nearly separating the pair again. Fully losing control of their trajectory the Hunter curled around her bond protectively, and braced for impact.
Her right flank smashed into a tree trunk, and only base instinct allowed her to grab hold before they bounced off the bark.
In the pain that exploded across her body she found the energy to refocus. She was gripping the trunk of the tree, her fingers literally sunk into the bark. Nickolas was dangling from her other hand, her bloody grip staining his robe red where she grasped the cloth. Though dazed her bond was still drawing in ragged breath. The noise had changed. The swarm was no longer moving in a predictable line.
The smaller swarm creatures were fleeing the flames.
In front of her eyes a Giant of the Green burned.
Necun didn't think it was possible.
It shouldn't have been possible.
Yet half the towering tree was in the process of being consumed by flickering orange flame.
Necun tore her gaze away long enough to search out the Matriarch. It was on the other side of the burning Giant. The mother of the swarm seemed just as confused by the impossible sight as Necun, twisting it's over sized body in circles, wearing a hole in the dirt of the forest. Void coloured children rolled off her gargantuan body like rain, immediately scuttling away from their mother to escape the heat.
"Need to leave." Nickolas croaked. "Fire won't last long."
Pushing down her questions along with her pain Necun pulled her bond up, and resumed her escape. Soon after she was back over the flowing swarm, the heat fading behind them.
Her mind was in turmoil.
Yet her aura purred in pride.
She had found an impressive mate indeed.
-------------------------
Nickolas felt like a swaddled child. Being carried was embarrassing, more embarrassing than when his father dressed him for namedays. Yet being carried by his wife was still only his second most embarrassing moment that day.
The first was casting an attack spell against an unknown threat without asking the present Mages if that was a good plan.
Looking back at his actions Nickolas couldn't help but cringe at his decision. He was in a foreign land, the most dangerous place a human could find themselves, and he decided to throw around his spells like a novice.
Because he panicked.
Like a fool.
Facing the horror of these swarm beasts was no excuse for his mistake.
He wasn't sure why this alpha beast was attracted to the fire while it's lesser children fled the heat, but he was grateful that he could at least draw it away from the caravan. It troubled him that his wife had to help. He should be fixing his mistake alone, but that was hardly practical. Drawing the danger away by casting ever larger fire spells was helping his mood slightly. Doing it while slung over his wife's shoulder wasn't.
Especially when he mistimed the experimental boiling spell aimed at the trunk of the titanic tree.
In retrospect he should have aimed at some roots near the monstrous void creature's many legs. Instead he nearly cooked himself when the boil spell set off a chain reaction in the tree's own internal magic. Dangling from Necun's fingers as the forest floor spun a lethal distance below him was hardly pleasant either, but at least there he was fairly confident in being hauled up. He knew how tough his wife was, the blast may have caught her off guard, but it would hardly put her down long term.
It did seem to slow her down, given that Nickolas's stomach wasn't lurching every time they landed anymore. Something he was thankful for, even if he was slightly guilty about the cause.
The many legged nightmare seemed disinclined to follow, which also gave him a chance to breathe, and think about their situation. They were separated from the caravan, but they had also just past the edge of the swarm. The endless dark flood of bodies had petered out into small clumps, then open space. Yet his wife didn't come to a stop, only pausing long enough to throw him back over her shoulder.
"What's the plan now?" he asked, ears still buzzing from the previous noise.
"We're off trail." Necun huffed. "Need to find somewhere to camp. Somewhere safe enough."
"Oh." Nickolas replied. "This might be a dumb question. Why aren't we circling around to the campsite? We should be faster than the caravan."
An uncomfortable silence followed. The loudest noise was the creak of the branches Necun pushed off from.
She's lost. Nickolas realized with dawning horror. She lost track of direction while running. We can't get back to the campsite. Or the fortress. We're lost in the Deep Green with no supplies. No one knows where we are. We're going to die, and it's all my fault.
He was suddenly shaken from his flagellant terror by Necun dropping him butt first on the branch they had landed on.
"Are you wounded?" she asked quietly. "Does anything hurt?"
Nickolas watched her hands move. For the first time he noticed her left was bleeding. Necun unwound a simple strip of cloth and bound the wound, then slipped on a strange glove with an even stranger hook attached.
"Fine." he choked out. "Just out of breath."
For a few moments he just watched the Hunter adjust her gear. He noticed half the sheathes which littered her armor were empty.
"Do we have a plan?" he asked carefully. "For after we rest for the night? A way back to the caravan."
"We can't go back." Necun said. "Not immediately. The swarm changes things. We'll need to take another route."
"I-" Nickolas stopped to release a long breath.
"I'm sorry." he said. "For the fire spray. It was a stupid mistake, and I shouldn't have tried it without knowing what those beasts were. I-"
The Mage realized he didn't know how to apologize for something this massive. He didn't even fully understand the consequences of what he had done.
Are they alright? he thought, panic rising once more. Did pulling the Matriarch away solve the problem? Was anyone killed after we left?
Suddenly Necun cupped his cheek, causing him to jerk away. She hesitantly dropped the hand, but her gaze held firm. Nickolas looked up into her piercing eyes, trying not to cry.
"The fire was...unexpected." Necun began. "But it wasn't your fault. Not really."
"I cast the spell Necun!" he shouted back. "My spell. My rune. My mistake. You were doing perfectly fine against those...those. Things. Then I decided to be clever, and helpful, and butt in."
Nickolas could feel the tears welling up. He didn't dare to wipe his eyes. That always broke the dam.
"We almost got killed running from that thing! The Matriarch, or whatever skittering nightmare that was!" he choked out. "And now we're lost. And people might be dead. And-"
Necun's lips were suddenly on his. Sputtering Nickolas tried to push her away, but her hand gripped the back of his head to keep him in place. Her tusks were digging painfully into his cheeks. The tears flowed free as he squirmed against her in confusion. It was like pushing against solid stone, and soon he sagged in defeat. A sob bubbled from his chest.
Eventually his wife pulled back, leaving him gasping for air.
"You did what you were trained to do." Necun rumbled, cutting off his protest. "An enemy was before you. You tried to kill that enemy using your preferred tool. A tool you're talented with. A tool you love. The enemy died. What followed was not your fault, but ours. If you had known about the swarm, their weakness, their patterns, this would not have occurred."
The Hunter hefted an axe before her, holding it before Nickolas's watery eyes.
"If I bore this into battle in your lands against some mystical axe eating monster I would be a fool." she said. "If one of your Knights was with me, and did not tell me the monster ate axes she would be the fool."
A beat passed.
"Axe eating monster?" Nickolas asked incredulously, voice raw.
Flushing slightly Necun re-sheathed her axe.
"Axes are good weapons." she replied sheepishly. "Not a good comparison to more situational tools like spells."
Nickolas blinked, staring at his lover, then he covered his face as he broke into soft laughter.
"The point..." Necun said, pausing to let him get the laughter out of his system. "Is that the blame for not telling you about the swarm can be spread around, but nothing can be dropped at your feet. In the unlikely event we encounter another swarm avoid fire, flames, heat, or anything that could start a blaze. It drives the Matriarch of a swarm mad, and they tend to rush towards the source. Doubly so if it's a magical fire. We're not even sure how they sniff them out, but they can follow the trail for leagues."
"Makes sense." Nickolas said, more subdued. "But the swarm only has one Matriarch? The others will be...okay?"
"Once the fire fades they'll be drowning in swarm again." Necun admitted. "But not worse off than they were before. Probably better. The Matriarch was pulled far enough. It'll change the density of the swarm around the hardpoint."
Nickolas sagged back in relief, rubbing his eyes with a sleeve.
"So what I'm hearing." he said slowly. "Is you settled your aura. I got a ruined robe. And nothing else was accomplished."
"It is a nice robe." Necun replied mournfully. "And shall be missed."
"You're enjoying this now." Nickolas accused. "How do I know this wasn't just a plot to get me alone? I'm away from my Knightly chaperone! Exposed! Vulnerable!"
He gently pulled at the front of his robe, rolling his shoulder to expose more skin than was proper.
"Alone." he said seriously. "And I hear nights in the Green can be so cold."
Necun coughed once and turned away, her blush now obvious.
"You're teasing me Warden's son." she said. "I still have work to do."
"And after we find a place to bed down for the night?" he asked. "What shall we do to keep warm?"
"Nothing too loud." she warned, tone growing serious. "Once the swarm has fully passed noise will be dangerous. We shouldn't even risk talking until we have returned to safer territory."
Nickolas winced, pulling his robe back in place, and securing it.
"Yeah. Alright." he said, dropping the playful tone. "Still serious. I. Yeah."
He's rattled. Necun thought, letting out a long breath as she scanned the nearby undergrowth. Can hardly blame him. If that spine had hit me before I jumped. No. No use considering it.
"We'll be fine." she said. "I'll get us back soon. Just a night out. Maybe two. And, well, look at it this way. You get to see the Green the way I do for a bit. Not cramped up in a cart the whole time, where everything has been chased away."
"Oh?" Nickolas replied, letting out a nervous chuckle. "That wasn't the real Green back there? Did all the face melting flowers, and murderous insects get chased away?"
"It's not the right season for blooming." Necun said with a snort. "Don't have to worry about those until much later."
Nickolas stared at Necun.
Necun stared back.
"You aren't joking." Nickolas stated, anxiety returning. "Those explorers weren't just madwomen."
"I never claimed the Green to be safe." Necun said with a shrug. "No sane woman would make that claim. It's just...home. And quite beautiful when you can see it."
Nickolas considered his wife's words for a long moment.
"Show me." he decided.