by Unknown
Silverhoof was charging past the knights as Joy watched, and she took a swipe at another couple of ants, beating them back as they lunged forward, no longer being thinned out by the apis above. Mostly, anyway, as the occasional arrow pinned an ant to the ground. She could barely see Silverhoof, but she did see him raise his halberd, and hear his voice.
“Storm Crusher!” Silverhoof bellowed, glittering blue light gathering on the raised halberd, just as he swung it.
Opaque, violent winds appeared in the wake of his halberd, tearing through the air and rapidly forming a tornado around him. Joy’s eyes went wide again as ants were ripped into the air, and often into pieces, while the Guildmaster vanished into the winds. The tornado was huge, covering an area over twenty paces across, but she couldn’t spend too much time gawking, not with ants trying to eat her. She crushed them as quick as she could, building a small barricade that at least slowed the ants behind the first wave, those that weren’t crawling over the backs of their fellow ants.
The tornado died as quickly as it had begun, and the knights rushed into the gap Silverhoof had torn into the ant lines, with Abigail just behind them, and Joy saw she had a glowing red crystal in her hand.
“Down, Joy!” Cora called out, prompting Joy to duck, figuring she knew what was coming, and was proven right as the elf exclaimed, “Ice Blast!”
An orb of frozen blue flashed over Joy’s head and into the midst of the ants attacking her and the others. The orb exploded, and that was when Joy got something of a surprise, as the orb hit a larger area than she remembered them hitting. Several dozen ants were trapped in layers of frozen ice, their mandibles clicking angrily. Regardless, she joined Brianna and Stella in crushing the ants while they couldn’t move.
“Meteor Strike!”
Abigail’s voice echoed, and this time Joy was able to see the spell more clearly, since she wasn’t on the front lines. A flickering stream of orange light extended into the sky from Abigail’s hand, and an instant later a blazing object took shape far in the air above her. The glowing red-orange object was wreathed in flames, and it came down like it was completely unstoppable, prompting Joy to flinch. She’d never seen an object that size flying before, and it was terrifying.
The meteor came down with such speed that there was little time for anyone to react, but Joy crouched a little, expecting the shockwave this time, while hitting a last frozen ant. The ant fell, and others were following, but then the meteor hit the army ant nest and exploded.
Hot air slammed into Joy hard, and ants went flying in every direction, their legs milling about uselessly. An instant later there was a rain of ichor and bits of carapaces, to Joy’s disgust, but the smoke and fire cleared surprisingly quickly compared to the previous time… but that had been in a ravine, Joy realized belatedly.
“Wow,” Joy whispered, even as a chirping, almost keening sound came from what remained of the nest. The entire upper structure was almost entirely gone, a dozen feet of ants vanished without a trace, save for a few of them that were still holding pieces of ants that had been above them. More pieces of the vanished ants kept falling, and the ants in front of Joy hesitated for an instant, before quickly scrambling back toward the nest.
“Attack!” an apis cried out, one of many others, and the apis charged in, unleashing a hail of arrows, fire, lightning, and ice on the ant colony, along with other bolts of golden or purple light that Joy didn’t recognize.
The concentrated explosions caused the nest to crack, as the ants in the walls let go of one another and tried to scramble inward, different pheromones rippling off them in waves. Joy quickly realized that they were trying to cover the queen again, but the explosions kept knocking them back or freezing them in place, depending on what had struck them.
A few apis were also swooping in low to attack more closely, mostly to keep the ants from interfering, Joy noticed, and a few of them weren’t quite wary enough, as she saw them get pulled into the mass, and she cringed at the sight. Not many fell, but even one or two was more than she ever wanted to see fall.
“Dear gods. They’re not letting up at all. Aren’t they afraid of running out of mana?” Cora asked, as she and the others had stopped attacking, since none of the ants seemed to care about their force anymore, in their scramble to get back to the nest.
“Probably not? I mean, they’re trying to kill the queen, not fight for a long time,” Joy replied, glancing back at the elf and shrugging. “It’s what I’d do, if I were them!”
“I think that sometimes you apis are far too enthusiastic,” Brianna said, her sword still out as she watched the ants. “You throw yourselves into everything you do with all the energy you—”
Level Up: Apis Rogue Level 15: You gain Tendon Slice
You gain access to the Swashbuckler job, do you wish to change jobs?
A cheer interrupted her and echoed through the air as the apis suddenly dispersed, falling back rapidly, and an attendant swooped toward the lines, calling out. “The queen is dead! Might want to run, they’re going to be really upset!”
“You heard her!” Wilbert was the one who spoke this time. “Knights, fall back! Adventurers, retreat in waves, as planned!”
“We’re not soldiers.” Marilyn grumbled, barely audible, as the squeaking and screeches from the ants grew louder, almost more frantic. The nest was dissolving rapidly, and Joy’s eyes widened as the ants began boiling toward their position.
“I think the big man is right,” Joy said, flinching as the knights quickly began retreating, closely followed by Silverhoof. Abigail paused, unleashing a blast of fire that incinerated the nearest ants, then turned tail and fled.
The ants were coming toward them again, and if she didn’t know better, Joy would think they were furious. They weren’t, she knew. They were just attacking the nearest creatures instinctively. Fortunately, the orders before had been clear. The moment the main force had retreated, it held a position a few hundred feet back, and it was Joy’s turn to run away.
“Joy, remind me to avoid ants as much as possible, would you?” Stella asked, wiping her forehead. “We didn’t have any like this back home!”
Joy giggled, and grinned at the dark-skinned woman as she replied brightly. “Neither did I! But at least it’s exciting!”
“Joy, you seem to have the strangest ideas of what’s fun,” Cora said from ahead of her, prompting more laughter from Joy.
She wasn’t wrong, the apis supposed. Oddly, that just made her grin more.
Chapter 5
“The ants are retreating,” an apis said, barely having touched down a moment before, a smile on her face. “They’re following the path they took when they came here, so you’re right! They’re leaving, at least for now!”
“Thank the gods,” Silverhoof said, letting out a breath. “Part of me was afraid they might have an immature queen or the like. One would probably have died, with all the damage you dealt to their nest, but I couldn’t be certain.”
“You didn’t mention that before,” the queen replied, looking at the centaur as her eyes narrowed slightly, annoyance washing over her. “It would have been good to know.”
“It slipped my mind,” the centaur said, shrugging. “Besides, it wasn’t a problem this time, so hopefully no harm is done. I do apologize.”
The queen considered him for a few seconds, then inclined her head. “So be it. I will just remind you that information of that sort is important. We will track the ants to the edge of the jungle, to ensure that they leave.”
“That sounds excellent to me. Thank you very much for your support, as dealing with the ants without you would have been impossible,” Wilbert said, giving a half-bow to the queen. “Our current forces wouldn’t have been up to the task, and we can’t call on others now. Not with the other emergencies we’re dealing with.”
“Not helping would have been to risk the hive greatly. As it is, we lost a number of apis to the ants, as you lost a few of your number. I do hope they resurrected,�
� the queen said, inclining her head to the man. She found that she liked him a touch more than Silverhoof, though she wasn’t entirely sure why.
“As do I. Though speaking of resurrections, have you considered establishing a temple of your own, to allow your people to return when killed? I would think it’d make your lives less difficult,” Silverhoof said, a hoof pawing at the dirt.
The queen paused, looking around the tent for a few seconds. She didn’t know why the non-apis leaders had wanted a tent, when the jungle canopy provided plenty of shade and it wasn’t raining. Even so, she didn’t see any reason to decline when they’d asked to be able to set up the tent. Abigail might not have said anything yet, but the queen saw the woman nod slightly in response to Silverhoof’s words.
“We haven’t decided whether it’s in the hive’s best interests yet,” the queen said at last, and saw them look at her in shock.
“Ah… how would it not be in the hive’s best interests? You said that it takes a great deal of time to maintain your numbers!” Wilbert protested.
“That was primarily due to the ants. I’m a queen, and maintaining the hive’s population is relatively easy most of the time,” the queen said, shaking her head. “The issue is in regards to the workers and drones. They live only two to three years as it is, and most of them die from age, not due to violence. If we established a temple, some of those who died of violence would return, yes… but is it worth the cost? If we take the coins which that would cost the hive and use it for trade, is it more or less valuable to us? That is the question that the hive is currently considering.
“At present, the prevailing opinion of the attendants and humblebees is that it may be worth founding a temple for our queens and those who are most important to the hive. I have not chosen to interfere in their discussion, but I believe that they are taking the correct path,” the queen continued, looking at one of her attendants and raising an eyebrow, a little amused at the woman’s smile. “Is that still the opinion?”
“It is,” the attendant chirped, smiling.
“But… what about the workers and drones? Do they have a say in this?” Abigail asked, frowning. “It seems cruel to me.”
“They choose to give the coins to the hive. If they wish to choose their own path, they are welcome to do so,” the queen said, resisting the urge to sigh at the woman’s attitude. Those who weren’t apis didn’t seem to understand the unity of a hive. She did wonder if that unity would fracture as time passed, though.
“That doesn’t—” Abigail began, only to shut up as Silverhoof sighed and glared at her.
“Abigail, it’s their culture. If the workers are fine with it, that’s their choice, so leave it be,” the centaur said firmly. “I wouldn’t tell humans how to raise their young, so you should let the apis figure out their own path. Unless they’re performing actions that leave them opposed to us, I don’t see that it matters what they choose to do, especially when there are plenty of townsfolk who choose not to try to be resurrected.”
“As you say, sir. My apologies, Queen Shadebough. I simply feel strongly about things like this,” Abigail said, prompting a slight smile from the queen.
“I don’t mind much. Your attitude was moderately annoying, but I’m not going to let it affect my decisions,” the queen said with a shrug, growing slightly more amused by how Abigail’s cheeks flushed at her statement. “The simple truth is that an apis hive is extremely unified, at least right now. When a new queen is ready to take my place, I will leave the hive and find a place to perish. Most likely, I will take the time remaining to me to explore the rest of the world, but I doubt I will have much of a chance to do that. My duties take priority, and that is the attitude of most apis. If they choose to leave, they may do so. It’s simply a question of whether they wish to.”
“Hm, fascinating,” Wilbert said, coiling his mustache around a finger thoughtfully, then shrugged. “Regardless, I’m glad that everything went well. If you do decide to travel and visit Irador, feel free to contact me, as I’d be happy to show you around the city.”
“Thank you. Speaking of Irador, do you believe that the duke would object to me sending a small delegation to the city?” the queen asked, growing thoughtful. “I believe multiple delegations are in order, to be precise. I wish to contact the Tulip Hive, the hive in the Shimmerwood that Joy and her companions spoke of, as well as setting up relations with both the duke and the king of your country.”
“I don’t see why not. I’d be happy to put in a good word with the duke, and if they can be ready to move quickly, I’d happily escort them to Irador. We’re probably going to be heading toward the Shimmerwood as soon as we reach there, anyway,” Wilbert said, and grimaced. “That’s where the third seal fragment is located.”
That prompted a blink from the queen, and her head tilted. “Truly? Most interesting that an apis hive is located near each of the seal fragments. I wouldn’t have expected that.”
“You aren’t the only one who’s surprised. I know we don’t know everything about the seals, but I’ve come to suspect they help plant growth around them… that or they’re drawing power from what causes the plant growth. Either way, it makes guarding them difficult,” Silverhoof said, nodding politely. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to check on our wounded and prepare to go. I can’t be away from Irador for too long unless there’s an emergency.”
“Very well. I will speak with my attendants and determine what we wish to do. I believe that we will be asking Joy and her companions to guide them, but that isn’t certain,” the queen said, nodding to them politely, and she stood, picking up her cushions.
She had to duck inside the tent, and to duck still further to get out of it without tangling herself in the tent, but she managed without much difficulty. She emerged into the shadows of the hive and glanced around idly. There were more outsiders in the area than she was entirely comfortable with, but with the number of apis who were now able to guard the area, she wasn’t as worried, and the pheromones from her hive indicated that they agreed with her. Instead, she headed toward the hive entrance, a group of apis following her as guards, and she ensured that her pheromones communicated her desire to speak with the attendants.
The attendants began wrapping up whatever they were doing with alacrity and began following, to her satisfaction.
While she was curious to see the outside world, the queen also wasn’t sure she would be happy there. Everything she’d heard about the chaos of towns and cities was fascinating, but worrying at the same time. Still, she had time to decide what she wanted to do. For now, she had her duty, and that was far more important.
“You think that was fun?” Marilyn asked incredulously, prompting Joy’s grin to widen still more as the black-haired Mage stared at her. “We could’ve been killed!”
“Sure, we could have, but we didn’t die! I even got a level out of it!” Joy said, taking a sip of lemonade happily. She wished she could drink the lovely drink faster, but she was rationing what she had. “I got access to Swashbuckler, but I don’t think I’m going change to it. I like Rogue, at least for now!”
“Sounds like you’re adapting to the life of an adventurer well. Better than I did at first,” James said, slicing off some of the cheese and spreading it on his bread. Joy still didn’t understand why anyone would eat something that smelled so foul. “Did you get any abilities?”
“Yep! Tendon Slice!” Joy said, considering the idea, then shrugged. “I don’t know what it does, but that’s the name.”
“Ah, that one,” Brianna said, wincing. “I hate that ability. Not that it’s bad, Joy, just… painful to be on the receiving end of.”
“As to what it does… Joy, these are tendons,” Stella said setting down her spoon and flexing her fingers so that she could see the tendons sticking out slightly along her wrist. “They’re on the back of your ankles too, and they allow you to use your fingers or move your feet. Really, they’re in almost every joint, so Tendon Slice lets you
disable people. It’s rather painful, and can bypass some armor, from what I’ve heard.”
“Oh. I guess that wouldn’t be fun,” Joy said, looking at her wrist and moving her fingers one at a time. She could see the tendons moving beneath her skin, which she found fascinating, and she grinned. “I can’t wait to try it on a bad person!”
“Joy, sometimes I think you like killing people… especially when you say things like that,” Cora said, looking a little pained.
“Oh, sorry,” Joy said, blushing and clearing her throat. “It isn’t that I like hurting people. I do like seeing what I can do, though, and if they’re going to try to hurt us anyway, why not hurt them back? I apologize first, most of the time!”
“That just makes it scarier, if you ask me,” Brianna muttered, to Joy’s confusion.
“Anyway, what’ve you five been up to? I didn’t realize that Jean and Marilyn joined your group, James,” Cora said firmly, looking at the man with her head tilted. “You’re building up quite the party. Are you a Paladin or something?”
“No, not yet. I’m just a knight, and working on building up to holy knight. The chances of getting something like Paladin before level thirty are slim at best,” James said, shaking his head slightly. “As for us, we haven’t been doing much. We did a couple of delves into the Blackstone Mines to improve our coordination and get our own pound of flesh from the motini, plus we even got some luminous titansteel ore. Not as much as you four did, but enough for our purposes.”
“Once we were done there, since all of us had hit level fifteen or higher, we decided it was time to move on,” Eda said, the half-elf White Mage’s voice quiet as she glanced at Joy with a smile. “We went to Irador to do some shopping and decide on our next move. Likely as not we’d still be there, waiting for James’s sword to be forged, but then Silverhoof sent out a call for adventurers, and we got roped into the expedition. I’m amused that you four got pulled into it again.”