The Bridges [POST HERE FIRST]

The little gnome glanced up at the large fortifications on the opposite end of the bridge. Clutched in his hand was a thin, ragged parchment.

“Why is everything here so big?” he said, craning his neck to look up at the constructions, “Everyone, as well.” He mused to himself: “Well, the border guard did say I could pass freely if I didn’t intend to cause trouble… and I don’t think I intend to cause trouble.”

Clapping his hands together, Ambicat smiled and shoved the paper into one of the pockets of his farmer’s tunic, “Well then, off I go,” he said. Puffing out his chest (a vain attempt to make himself look bigger), he goes to make his way across the bridge, and into the nation on the other side.

Several days after the first sighting of the insect creature at Isra's walls, more had arrived. This time, it was guards at the eastern bridges that'd see them... first one, then two, then three. They flew around in quickly frenzied circles, and this time neither of them landed anywhere long enough for the troops to get a closer look. Yet relayed information or rumors among the guard might have many realizing that it was likely the same species that was sighted before...

Soon, more and more arrived after the winged vanguard that had mainly stopped to crawl along the bridge walls, as though exploring the surroundings. What started as a tentative alarm would descend into a very real fear as they kept arriving from the sky, soon amounting to what most would observe to be a "swarm" that slowly began to harass the people in their curiosity.

They didn't seem entirely malicious, and not at all intelligent, yet it would be clear that these creatures were just as unfamiliar with this environment as it was with them. Yet within a matter of moments, it'd take only a sudden movement, or perhaps a fearful release of a crossbow's quarrel as one buzzed threateningly around a soldier's head, before the interspecial tension began a spark. Who started it would most likely go unknown, but the swarm suddenly perceived the people as a threat, and the energy with which they flew and zig-zagged through the sky would skyrocket into a frenzy.

Suddenly, several of them began diving for soldiers and civilians alike, attempting to drive the elongated stinger into their necks before latching onto the face (or helm) with their six claw-like legs.

The terror bugs continued their onslaught, some making radical attempts of murder with the mindless frenzy of a hive, but mostly zipping about in erratic flight patterns from surface to surface. While alarmed, their deadly attacks as a group were not particularly targeted. Yet their sheer speed and unpredictability would magnify a weakness to most crossbows - their rates of fire, making the pike a most formidable weapon on site for the defenders. Disgustingly chitinous and frighteningly real, several would be confirmed dead as they were shot through the thorax by quarrels or literally cut from the air, their crushed wings, legs, and gloppy tan hemolymph littering their sites of death. Each loss of their species, however, served only to frenzy the swarm even more. While they did not give chase to any who fled the scene, those who remained would find the invaders' resolve to cause chaos only escalate.
While those who had leaped from the bridge would escape the creatures temporarily, they'd find themselves exposed again once they came up for air. Still, with the current of the water, such a method of escape had better odds of survival should they manage to escape whatever cold, inhuman targeting mechanism that lent their stingers excellent accuracy...

Much time would elapse between the initial attack and the arrival of Kaylie. By this time pretty much all who had fled the creatures were long gone, and the invaders did not give chase. Most of the insects were now gone, only a few stragglers remaining in a horrifying scene of dead bodies that none yet had the opportunity to retrieve.
A search for hiding survivors and clearing out the remaining insects was certainly in order, and the job would be much easier for the responders now that the swarm had mostly left and was no longer in attack mode. Kaylie's arrow flew true, pegging one to its surface with deadly accuracy. A few then took off in a flurry then, most retreating to the misty area of woods from which they came.

"Holy shit." Silas and Ambicat Guess seemed to be of like minds. As the little man jumped into action Silas decided to follow his lead.

First thing he did was take a spear from a fallen soldier. Relying on Ambicat's commands Silas began helping survivors to the safety of the guard. As he worked he scanned the area for bugs. Most of them had gone. He asked one of the other mercenaries, "Think we could catch one alive?"

The guard Hiyama approaches would seem to be a young man perhaps only just old enough to be a member of the guard. Beyond shaken, he is in considerable distress, standing very still and staring at the wounded and dead around him. As he turns his face to look at Hiyama, he's very pale. 

He raises one hand shakily and points to the southeast. Across the bridge, across the hills, toward the forest that borders the plains.

"The forest," he says. "They came from the direction of the forest."

He moves to point at a few of the stragglers which are still visible, "See?"

In his current state, Ambicat would be unable to hear anyone else very clearly, although he would be very grateful when he noticed Silas helping to rescue the survivors. For the next hour or so, the gnome would continue searching for survivors in the area. If they could still walk, he would direct them to the guards. If they were not, however, the little 3-foot man would attempt to drag them to the area behind the line of guards. Considering that most of those who had been wounded were probably close to twice Ambicat’s size, this would probably have required the help of some of the other mercenaries and guards.


Once he had gathered up as many survivors as he could find, Ambicat would walk over to the gathering point. Gazing at the small crowd of wounded and terrified people, Ambicat would shut his eyes, and stretch his hands into the air. Taking a deep breath, Ambicat’s hands would begin to glow faintly, as he started to draw threads of energy out of the air around him. These threads would begin to gather around Ambicat, and any onlooker would begin to see the air around him radiate a faint blue light as the gnome continued to move his arms. This would continue for several minutes, during which time a thick layer of sweat would begin to form on Ambicat.
After that time, Ambicat would open his eyes, and stretch one hand out towards the gathered crowd.

At this point, any onlooker would be able to see the blue light that had coalesced around the gnome follow his hand and spread out to the crowd. With another deep breath, Ambicat’s hands would begin moving again, as the gnome began to weave the threads of energy into the many forms of the injured crowd. To the people gathered in the crowd– as well as to a few of the guards in the immediate area – it would look like the blue light was literally entering their bodies. Immediately, anyone within the crowd who had open wounds would notice the bleeding begin to stop, while others would notice any sort of pain they had been feeling begin to subside.


His job done, Ambicat would close his eyes once more. Once he opens them again, his eyes would have reverted back to their normal state. Dropping to one knee, Ambicat would begin trying to catch his breath. He hoped that what he had done would be enough. While his magic had not been able to fully heal any of the people in the crowd, he figured that it wouldkeep their conditions from worsening before they could be brought to a better healer. Figuring that he had done what he could for now, Ambicat would turn his head to his companions and the guards.


“Did anyone… huff… did anyone manage to see where those other bugs wandered off to?” he manages to ask between breaths of air.


(Ambicat's spent charges: 2/4)

"I'm not sure cowardice applies to a bug." Silas joined the group, resting the unused spear on his shoulder.

"The survivors might know why they attacked. Are we going to follow? I sort of have a date tonight..." Silas didn't like the idea of following the giant bugs into their domain anyways. This was a delicate matter that would require well trained soldiers and specialist.