by Mitch
The Aquatic-men gathered up the dead bodies into a heap next to the lake. Won and her crew hugged and thanked the Aquatic men. We will remember this deed forever. Rush and his men smiled, bowed, and left as quickly as they came.
Careah remarked, “They sure don’t hang around long, but it was awful nice to come and help us in our need.”
Won smiled and replied, “Yes, our two nations have a silent understanding to come to each other’s aid if there is trouble. Rush is in love with Cayo, Queen Ador’s sister. I hope we all are invited to their wedding.”
It was about sixteen hours later, La`no heard several tremendous explosions over his video watch, then it went dead. He had an idea what happened but hoped he was wrong. Tempted to get in his air ship and investigate, he decided it would be too dangerous flying in heavy smog. It would be safer to get in touch with the fighting mercenaries on the Dinghy’s radios to see what the explosions were. Being at the halfway mark, waiting for Kedar to show up, Won and Careah had heard them also and were curious. The Ladies Fire Auxiliary rushed food and fresh water to them then, retreated to safety. Kedar and his crew not showing up was beginning to worry Careah, “I’m getting a very uncomfortable feeling about this. Kedar and the others should have been here by now.”
Won, a little worried herself, looked at the ladies and bellowed, “Let’s go!” The Dinghy raced down the road as if devils were after it. Won tried calling Tara on the AP55’s radio and kept repeating, “Come in, Tara, please come in.” There was complete silence. Won and Careah looked at each other, and for the first time, they were worried. Everyone had lots of bad vibes about Kedar and the other ladies not showing up.
Careah felt like a full-scale panic coming! She closed her eyes momentarily wondering what could have happened, when Elce and one of the other ladies yelled, “Look.” Careah opened her eyes but reacted too late. One of the Devil’s Advocates spit in her eyes. The acidity saliva bit hard. Her blue eyes turned red, then fogged. She staggered, dropping to her knees, and tried rubbing the burning liquid out, only, it agitated them more. Co`le had the Dinghy out of harm’s way and into a safe place, at least for the moment.
Won looked at Careah, her eyes were swollen shut. “I had better learn to use that bow and fast. I watched how you were shooting; all I need is a few pointers.”
Careah shook her head, “No, it takes years of practice just to build your muscles up, let alone to shoot.” But she had no other choice but to tell her the fundamentals handling the bow.
She was ready with several practice shots and screamed, “I have a special delivery for you, C.O.D. The shot traveled through a window of a long narrow building nearby, blowing its roof into the field with startled ants hanging on.”Ie…ee," Del`o yelled, pointing at one of the largest ants they had ever seen.
Su`lay screamed, “It’s bigger than a Goliath.”
It came lobbing toward the Dinghy. Won, shaking all over, tried pulling the string. Careah frowned saying, “Wonder, you are the boss, pull the string back easy and steady, then release it. The arrow will do its job.” As she pulled the string, her bow hand trembling, she held her breath and closed her eyes for a fraction of a second. She heard the critter’s jaws click open and clang shut. Goliath began its gawky laugh and jumped in front of her with revenge, set on killing her. It gave her an unholy look and grabbed for her. She screamed, nearly dropping the bow. All Careah could see was foggy images. She yelled, “Wonder, don’t be afraid. Pull, aim, and shoot!” as the goliath came at her again.
Won Raised the bow, pulled the string, and without aiming, released the string. The blunt force of the arrow hit above its nose, separating its eyes, and instantly constructed a tunnel through its head. It let out a long, unearthly, agonizing wail. Reddish-green slime oozed out its mouth, covering its filthy fangs. Exhaling its last breath, it expelled some slime, hitting Won’s face before it dropped, staring into space. She gagged holding her stomach and turned and gave the bow back to Careah. Careah remarked, “I must say, I admire your courage. That thing almost got you. You’re a hero.”
“I wasn’t looking to be a hero. I’ll leave that to others and I’m not sure about the courage either.” Won gagged again, struggling to control her stomach, “I’m sick, I didn’t do it.” Her mind refused believing she did it. With a groan of disgust, she leaned over the side and lost her last meal. She staggered holding her stomach, “I hope they are cremated and buried in graves twelve-feet deep.”
Careah chuckled. “Seeing is believing.” It became clear she realized what lay beside the Dinghy wasn’t an illusion. It was real.
By then, Su`lay had washed Careah’s eyes out with eye wash. “You have a nasty burn, but you should be okay in a few moments, I hope. Welcome to the Red-eye-ball-Express.”
Won spoke, still feeling nauseated, eyes rolling, holding her stomach, “I’m sick and about to lose yesterday’s supper.”
Del`o went to the first aid box and got an antacid, “This will counteract with your upset stomach, you will feel great soon.” Both sisters knew what they were talking about, they were nurses.
Awn’s eyes rolled, stomach still in a turmoil as she spit, “That may be true, but I’ll see that thing in my sleep.” She sat down holding her stomach and gagged again.
Careah’s eyes cleared some as she looked around and placed an arrow to her bow, “We must keep going.”
Kedar’s Team
Kedar had brushed with death so often in previous times he wondered if these would be his last days alive. This didn’t help control his trembling, whether his trembling was from fear or excitement of battle. His stomach felt woozy. He said out loud for his own benefit, “Daddy says, ‘In open country, don’t fear your enemy, he fears you sometimes more. On dangerous ground, push ahead very carefully. On the battlefield, if you are mobilized, there’s no need to worry, you are prepared to fight, and win.’” His lady crew kept their eyes on him, ready to do what they came along for. They could not hide their shaking hands getting ready to dip the cat-tails in the combustible mixture. Kedar had the ladies rotate their duties every half hour; two ladies stood look out, one directed the Dinghy and watched the front, and the other two dipped arrows. Two would watch the sides and the rear to be ready to relieve where and when needed.
He had Careah and Wonder do the same thing. Kedar and his crew didn’t have long to wait, the first horde of callow ants clamored into view and with their super strength, rushed toward the Dinghy. Kedar looked at each of the ladies with a reassuring smile, “Ready or not, ladies. Light up!” It was amazing; fiery cat-tails were on their way as fast as the ladies handed them to him. Callow ants watched fireballs coming at them faster than they could move.
Buildings engulfed by fire, exploded into a walloping force, the abrupt rupture shaking the ground felt like an earthquake had hit. The fire, heat, and explosions expelled every ant from buildings Some dashed for a place to hide. Others crashed through windows, only to be crushed by the falling burning building. A lone, demonized, overweight ant leaped into the Dinghy. Kedar let an arrow have its freedom. The arrow never felt so well, it went where it did the most good. The impact of the arrow knocked the ant for a loop. Looking at the arrow sticking in its chest, Kedar pulled the arrow out and looked at it, then tried to replace it back in its tattered chest. A blob of swill spilled over its body and on to the ground. It looked at Kedar, “Now look what you’ve done,” made a snoot and dropped dead.
His next shot, aimed high, landed behind a building, a high piercing whistle sounded behind it. The building seemed to rise a few inches before the sound of the explosion. The explosion sent ants flying with the building, their eyelids closed to slits, anger flushed through them only to see death, their death.
Kedar smirked, “What good is anger if it burns you up?” as the next building began collapsing, screaming because it could no longer stand. Carpenter ants stopped their tearing buildings to pieces, rushed outside only to be surrounded by violent raging flames. Their eyes opened wide
with authentic terror. In seconds, they were covered with black acrid smoke belching from the buildings; the crackling flames forbid them to run, they never had a chance.
He shot a hot cat-tail high up on a building. Within seconds, white phosphorus powder erupted on the roof hitting a squad of green armor ants. They turned, screaming and running wild, appearing at the roof’s edge, then disappeared in the burning building and continued screaming as the building collapsed. Kedar and his crew saw ripped, crushed ant bodies hurdle through the air, over trees that seemed to bend low to let them pass over, followed by a rain of oily mud and debris mixed with dark-red blood. The field was contaminated, never to be used again. Where it was dry, clouds of dust and choking smoke rode the airways. His next shot zipped in the plant where TNT was made. Had he known what was in the building, he doubted he would have shot at it.
As the arrow left the bow, the Dinghy suddenly accelerated and headed for cover at a high rate of speed, close to twenty miles away, and went into a gully. The roof of the Dinghy slammed shut as the voice in the audio speaker commanded, “Cover your ears, it is going to blow any second.” An instant later, a massive red ball of fire spreading several miles, lifted the building and contents before blowing it sky high. Literally, it made a hole in the ceiling close to five miles in diameter. Signal and light beams were completely gone. The mighty force tore houses and buildings apart, pushing flames many miles in every direction, setting other building ablaze. Flames raced over the Dinghy, blistering the paint as debris fell on it, nearly hiding it from view. The AP55 had its first battle scar.
Every ant in the blast area vaporized into small puffs of gas. One second later, the next blast from the TNT sucked the flames off of the buildings with a loud whoosh, a hair rising howling thunder, and vanished. Less than a second later, a shockwave exploded peeling roofs first, then the walls on the blast side took off as if they were made to fly. A half second later, a more forceful explosion blew downward making a hole of magma several miles wide and hundred-feet deep. Most everything above the hole was instantly enveloped by fire and evaporated. The whole place shook so violently the inhabitants of the underworld thought the end was here. Shock waves oscillated for thousands of miles throughout the country. People on the outside world heard the rumbling and explosions, thinking it was an earthquake or the volcano was getting ready to blow its top again.
Kedar’s senses froze for a few moments, his eldritch voice quivered weakly. “Wow!” Looking at Tara and the other ladies, he found it hard to suppress a laugh. All were huddled against one another, shivering and giggling as if something funny happened.
Tara whispered to her friends, “I peed myself!”
The others giggled saying, “Me too!”
Kedar asked, “What did you ladies say, I didn’t hear?”
Tara snapped a shivering smile and managed to whisper, “Nothing!” There were more smothered giggles from her and the ladies. She replied, “We sure could use a beauty salon. I think I would scare myself to death if I looked in a mirror. The way I look, my husband will think he is married to a witch.”
The other ladies agreed they too looked terrible. Lize remarked, “At least we are alive.”
Kedar thought about all of the destruction, wondered if Careah might get caught in something like this and he may never see her anymore, that didn’t go down too well. He had to stop thinking like that or he may make a bad decision. Fires flared and blossomed everywhere, angry flames caused terror and spurred frantic action with graduating success. The violent, raging, angry flames drugged with devil’s pride made an electrifying sight. A platoon of bat ants, drunk with hate, riding in chariots of fire, raced to the finish line of destruction, turning the place into an interior of a blast furnace. Moisture gushed from their bodies, driving them deeper into agony as they entered Ant Purgatory.
Mona said, heart pounding, looking at the others, “How lucky we are, getting out of this unscathed.”
Lize added, shivering, “I do not believe it was luck.”
Tara shaking like a leaf, agreed, “You’re right, I thank the Lord, we had a Dinghy that is programed to think for itself. It’s still a harrowing experience that, in reality, defies the imagination, and which I do not want to go through again.” Everyone looked around, it was a pitiful sight, even for their eyes. For twenty square miles or so, warehouses, buildings, and homes a pile of burning rubble. Kedar scanned the area, squinting against the red glare, straining to see if any were alive.
Most of the crater was hidden by low clinging smoke, hiding wounded ants. Those still alive tried to rise, madness in their eyes, groaned, cursed, whimpered, and died. Long arms without claws, legs without bodies lay wiggling, some not. Hundreds of rats and mice, lice infested, running for their lives, all afraid of the hideous ants. Tara cringed, "We do have a few of them, and pythons keep them under control. The stifling blast tore light beams from the man-made sky, causing sudden darkness. They would have been in total darkness had it not been for the fires and headlamps on the Dinghy. The ends of electrical wires dangling cracked like angry gods of lightning, daring any to come close to be kissed affectionately, holding and smothering them to death before letting them go.
Skeletons half burned lay in the darkness, the city illuminated only by small fires’ faint glow. Getting closer, an overpowering stench was riding the heatwaves. Colorful flames burned everything but odors. Savage screams tingled the hair on the back of the human warrior’s necks. An instant later, a near shapeless figure darted out of a black hole of a building that used to be a door, followed closely by two shapeless burly forms.
Long-snouted brutish ants came out of the same hole, screaming, cursing, and lunged out with unbelievable blinding speed and swarmed over them. The ladies turned, not wanting to watch the horror in front of them. Club-like arms came out of the burly forms, bashing the ants. It was a useless battle, most of the felled ants would rise shake off the effect of the blows and attack again. As the ants gorged themselves, Lize yelled, “Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered.” It would be their last meal before execution. Kedar saw the burley martyred creatures were done for. Feeling bad not being able to help, he and the ladies tossed torches and a Bo-Bo in the midst of the vile gluttons.
AP55’s squad heard sounds of rumbling, squawking, and groaning coming from behind a small knoll, then silence. Kedar put his forefinger to his mouth, cautioning the ladies not to make a sound and nervously flew to where he heard the crazed noise. He saw a creature, part lizard and part ant, licking its wet chops, looking for more to gorge. His scent drifted toward it. Its ugly head twisted around, eyes burning with contempt, and snarled at him. He quickly took his bow out, strung it, and let an arrow fly. It hit exactly where he wanted it, but he got another arrow needlessly. The creature was dead as a bent rusty nail. Kedar went to retrieve the arrow. As he reached for the arrow, the nerves in the thing relaxed, its limbs reaching out, sharp claws nearly grabbing his hand as the thing gave a death groan. Kedar jumped and thought he was done for, then realized what happened, pulled the arrow out, and cleaned it of its blood before placing it in his quiver.
Traveling 30 more miles, a large low building came into view. It was an oil-refining depot; tanks were full. He shot flaming cat-tails in and on it. The fuel exploded on impact, enveloping fuzzy covered ants in a fireball, flaming tongues reached affectionately with a burning desire. For the time being, all action stopped, no more live ants. Coming to a long, narrow, rutted road, the Dinghy stopped. In the dim light, Kedar scanned the area ahead. Shadows passed behind shrubs, he caught only jagged silhouettes. Several dragon ants out looking for a torture session, or to infiltrate. Watching the silhouettes, he motioned for hotter cat-tails. One, two, three, no more dragon ants.
The road had dry grass on both sides which would burn fast if there was a need. He saw no ants, but an exasperated noise sounded somewhere ahead. An odd smell came to their noses, so he flew up to see if he could see the exact spot the smell came from. Looking, searc
hing for something. Something that might warn of an attack or danger. He scanned the area very carefully, not seeing or hearing anything didn’t prove there was nothing there.
Flying back to the Dinghy, he declared, “We cannot be too far from the next city.”
“That would be Hi-Why-C,” informed Shy`re.
He acknowledged her reply, “Thank you Shy`re, even though it’s dark, we’ll keep going.”
Fawn looked out into the dark, “What do you expect to see in the dark?”
“Ah! All Nanos have excellent night vision. I can see the winding road among hillocks and blue shrubs in the valley ahead. Even so, we still have to be careful. With the Dinghy headlights moving back and forth slowly, we shall cruise at this speed. If we go faster, there’s a chance we’d be caught by surprise,” informed Kedar. The moving headlights shining ahead lit up shadows among low-hanging limbs, close large stones, which helped to keep them alert. They continued in near darkness, nothing moved in front.
Hours later, Tara saw reddish shadows heading to the next town. Kedar took his bow and an arrow from his quiver and pointed, “I’ll fly ahead and have a look-see. If anything comes forging toward you before I get back, yell.” Again, while flying, he placed the bow between his foot and leg, carefully bent and strung it, placed an arrow to it, and flew off. He watched for moving shadows, anything that may cross in front of him. Something moved. He refrained aiming until the dark shape would come into view. He saw strange outlines, something like large legs and claws. As the eerie creeping thing approached, he calculated quickly. His timing must be exact; he aimed where he thought was the best spot. Coming out of the dark, it jetted at him. He released the arrow which followed its flight straight to its target. The arrow ricocheted off and bounced helplessly to the ground. He saw why it didn’t penetrate the creature. It was an alligator.
That was the reason there were no ants in the area. He said out loud even though no one could hear, “I hope there are more of you ugly beauties.” He retrieved the arrow and went back to nervous ladies. He told them about the alligator.