Chapter 18: The Forest

Exhausted from days of near-constant battle without sleep while barely one league ahead of the advancing enemy, Sionella used her force magic to shift one of two partially-unstable cliff faces at Torlef's Gap; the only choke-point along the trail between Tarmek and Nytalis. Hundreds of tons of heavy, dark basalt rocked unsteadily before toppling into and partially-filling the narrow canyon.

She made herself focus upon the opposite cliff, straining with the last of her mana and barely managing to bring a smaller portion of that down as well. The second rockfall did little to improve the makeshift barrier she had created, but it would have to do.

Wearily, she flew the rest of the way to Nytalis, intent upon joining and assisting with the evacuation. She was slightly relieved to find the survivors already on the move to the North, away from the advancing army. Her sisters and Relynn walked at the front of a column of fire ants 30-meters long and 1-meter wide. Gnuff and Bogdin each carried one of Tran's unconscious children while wearing a grim expression. The pair of them brought up the rear, along with Edana.

The latter flitted to and fro in her dragon fly form, making careful use of force magic to scatter fallen leaves over their tracks, thus concealing evidence of their passage. Many of the ants carried eggs or larvae, while all the humanoids except the unconscious children wore heavy packs.

Sionella flew to Sika and perched upon her shoulder. Her long, iridescent wings trembled from overuse. Zauna stood nearby upon Relynn's shoulder while the rest of the ants kept a safe distance from humanoid feet as they marched. There was no sign of any other enkelyn aside from the ants.

[Mine efforts to stall their approach hath borne some fruit...] Sionella did not sound convinced, and all present felt dread creeping in at her tone.

[The army advancing from Tarmek hath proven too numerous, too resilient... The enemy are at most a single league from the walls of Nytalis. Sika, dear sister; I am spent. I bid thee mislead our enemy toward the East! Beware, for even my strength hath failed to give them pause... Do not engage directly. Avoid their powerful fire magics... Prithee make haste, for we must... protect those who... still...]

Sionella lost consciousness and a stony-faced Sika handed her sister's exhausted dragon fly body to Relynn, who cradled her carefully.

Finally, she thought. I am given leave to use my power to protect these people. No mercy for the wicked.

Sika's furious green eyes flashed with pale blue light during her transformation, and then she accelerated powerfully away, flying low over Nytalis. The rest of the column continued North along the narrow footpath leading toward the secluded, seaside settlement at Lady's Fathom.

Sika kept herself low over the village as she flew. She clenched her tiny dragon jaw while passing rapidly over the thousands of dead they were forced to leave behind. Once above the huge, wind-damaged drakewood tree in the center of the village, she shot upward at high speed. When she had nearly reached the low hanging clouds she leveled off and hid herself against them while searching for the enemy's forces. She darted swiftly from cloud to cloud while scanning the mostly-hidden forest path below.

And then she spotted them. So far below, they appeared almost like ants struggling to climb over the obstruction Sionella had created. After a moment of scanning the path ahead of those scaling the rocks she spotted the front of their column.

All of Tarmek destroyed, and now Nytalis... Sika gritted her tiny dragon-teeth and shot downward toward Nytalis once more before leveling off and darting through the trees to the East of their advancing frontline.

Taking care to remain unseen, she peeked out from behind a large tree at a distance of more than 100 paces from the enemy. She knew she could not risk using frost breath, as it would give her away instantly. Despite the inefficient use of her mana, she chose a much stealthier option.

Reaching out with her force magic, she grasped a nearby stone the size of a human fist and levitated that out in front of the tree.

She could see the heads of the first soldiers moving above the bushes in between year-old saplings. She controlled her breathing while sighting them in. Steady. Remember your training. Crush the moving target.

The instant she had fired the stone toward them she kept low while darting away behind the bushes and flew South to set up her next ambush against their Eastern flank. A sickening metallic clank and the resulting collapse of a human body were followed by angry yells and the sound of branches being smashed aside. Hundreds of boots crunched furiously through fallen leaves on their way toward where she had been just moments before.

Four tiny antennae poked upward together, followed by twin triangular heads. The scene before Rihelah and Michael was one of desolation over a wide swath of forest extending from the direction the invaders had come and leading toward their destination.

Most of the leaves and many smaller shoots had been burned away from the surrounding trees, though verdant forest lay beyond the nearby blast zones. Bark facing the flash-points of fire spells had been charred, with a few spots slowly oozing sap over the blackened surface. By contrast, within the shadows of tree trunks lay patches of hoarfrost that had yet to thaw.

The birds had returned, flying about while calling and singing despite the devastation. Many of them now appeared to be picking over the forest floor for a meal.

The spider that had shared their hideaway was still twitching, but with all of its legs completely cooked through, it was unable to do more than writhe pitifully.

[Fuck. We were lucky to survive.] Michael shuddered.

[Mm.] Rihelah agreed while also trembling. [We should put it out of its misery... Carefully.] She gestured toward the crippled spider while eyeing the birds picking through the ash upon the forest floor.

[I think that's a bad idea with all these birds around...] Michael cautioned, sounding shaken.

[It is. But if we leave it here next to us, then we also get eaten when they spot it. My exoskeleton's already too flashy, and having this spider here will only make things worse once the sun comes out again.] She argued.

Michael nodded his cautious assent, but by the time they latched onto the creature it had already expired. They carefully and slowly ate a bit before deciding to heave the rest of the carcass away in case it might attract the birds.

It did.

The spider's plummeting corpse was snapped up halfway to the forest floor by a smallish, solid black bird whose beak appeared just large enough to eat it in one bite. The bird banked while pulling up and targeting the pair of them with a ghostly-white eye. It called out with a menacing sound similar to a magpie's call. From the surrounding area, other birds noticed its behavior and noisily took flight to join in the hunt.

[FUCK!!] Michael exclaimed while looking around for a better place to hide. His eyes spotted darkness behind him and he turned just in time to hear Rihelah call out to him.

[In here! Quick! Fuck! It's too small! We have to go in backward!] She yelled while backing into a small hole at the end of the bark-crevasse. Its entrance had previously been hidden beneath the spider's large abdomen.

Michael hurried to follow her example and the two of them crammed into the small, narrow space while trying like mad to move far enough away from its entrance to avoid the birds.

Both of them were unable to back very far away from the small opening, as there was simply nowhere to go and Rihelah's larger abdomen was already mostly filling the bottom of the hole.

The noise from outside increased, and they could hear scraping against the bark as dozens of clawed feet scrabbled about. The calls became agitated, and the vicious sounds of fighting birds filled both mantids with dread, their antennae swept backward in an effort to avoid having them bitten off.

Before long the noise died down to small chirps and it seemed a pecking order had been established among the birds. Immediately afterward, the space inside went dark and a sharp beak lanced through the hole, snapping shut between them with a sound somewhat similar to scissors. It glanced off the underside of Rihelah's forelegs, and she did her best to pull them farther away.

[No!! Stay away!] She yelled.

The beak snapped in once more, scraping against Michael this time but failing to grab onto either of them. Thrice more the bird tried, but the hole was too small for it to find a favorable angle. The wood around them jolted repeatedly, the sound of pecking coming from outside the hole. Small bits of bark began to fall in.

The bird had determined it needed to enlarge the opening to get at them. Their minds raced.

Michael tried to see if he could spot any weak-point. Show me your eye, bastard! I'll stab the fucker out!

But it was simply too dark each time the beak snapped at them, and he decided not to risk it.

Meanwhile, Rihelah looked at the available spell in her status, Hydro Burst. I could take that and kill this damned bird right now, but its mana cost seems high for a spell with such a small area of effect. I can only use it once before I have to wait for my MP to recharge... Will that be enough to scare all these birds away? Fire might be better! Almost all animals fear fire!

She looked at the opening, focusing her attention upon the space beyond each time the bird backed out. Stay calm, Rihelah! Create fire. Just like you did with water. Fuel and oxidizer. Something simple... Hydrogen and oxygen! A small gaseous sphere with quadrillions of atoms of each, perhaps 5... no! Too much! 3 centimeters in diameter! Vibrate the hydrogen atoms rapidly-

A terrible flash and pressure wave assaulted them within their tiny hole. Both Rihelah and Michael felt their eyes cave in while being seared by the intense burst of light. Antennae burned away at the roots. Their single eardrums ruptured from the intense overpressure while their bodies were slammed hard against the interior of the space and they could feel their exoskeletons crack in various places. Both of them instantly pissed and shat themselves within the tiny space.

-51HP

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

-76HP

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

MP: 81/132 (+5MP/min.)

A new spell notification appeared but she was unable to focus on that much text at the moment.

Half again as large and with a surface area correspondingly larger than Michael's, Rihelah took more damage from the explosion than he did. Both of them experienced excruciating pain that transitioned almost immediately to a shock-like numbness in their faces and ears.

[Rihelah! What... the fuck?!] Michael groaned.

[What?! Was I supposed to just let that bird kill us??] Her mostly-numb face felt almost as annoying to her as the situation.

[For fuck's sake, girl! Warn me before you do shit like that! If I were a cat I would have no fucking lives left! None!]

[I tested out fire magic to see if it would work, and it did! I see no problem with this result! We're both still alive and we'll heal! I just hope it scared them away...] Rihelah sounded a touch indignant.

[I'm glad you were able to do something and fucking I hope it works too! But damn, that scared the shit out of me! Literally!] He snapped back half-heartedly.

Neither of them could hear anything for that first half minute, but at least the beak straining to catch them had stopped its probing of their cramped hideaway.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

Their hearing returned along with a portion of their vision. Antennae were fully functional once more. The smell of their own urine and excrement overwhelmed them and both fought the urge to flee the enclosed space. From outside, the noisy calls of the birds could be heard, but they had changed and there seemed to be far fewer birds than before. All of them sounded severely distressed and weak. Although Rihelah had not received any kill notifications, it seemed it might not be long before those started to appear.

The tree began to jolt lightly and rhythmically along with the sound of heavy footsteps from outside. The sounds slowed while the birds began shrieking in terror. A sickening crunch was heard.

Group Kill of Cobalt Shrike Level 31. Experience Split.

Mantid Magus has reached Level 15! +3HP, +4MP.

HP: 50/106 (+10HP/min.)

MP: 85/136 (+5MP/min.)

STR 16

AGI 14

INT 38

Another two crunches were followed by wet sounds of chewing and swallowing.

Group Kill of Cobalt Shrike Level 34. Experience Split.

Group Kill of Cobalt Shrike Level 30. Experience Split.

Mantid Magus has reached Level 16! +3HP, +4MP.

HP: 53/109 (+10HP/min.)

MP: 89/140 (+5MP/min.)

STR 16

AGI 14

INT 38

The thump of heavy footsteps began again, much slower this time and fading as they went.

Rihelah broke the silence. [At least this was useful! I learned that my assumption about how to create fire was correct, and I leveled!]

[Y-yeah. Well, you did save our asses.] He admitted.

[I'll admit it was a gamble, Michael. We know so little about this world...] She looked at his blurry form expectantly.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

Their vision cleared and Michael noticed her staring at him, her shiny exoskeleton still trembling with fear and adrenaline.

Still shaken himself, Michael replied, [Hmm. Before we leave this spot, maybe you should practice with magic until you find at least one spell you like.]

[I couldn't agree more!] Rihelah's antennae twitched in anticipation.

She eyed Michael with her peripheral vision while they both kept their heads focused toward the tiny hole's opening.

Michael spoke up, [I think I should go out and have a look around. I can camouflage myself pretty well. Maybe there's a better place to hide than this miasmic sphincter we currently occupy...]

[Not so heinous as a human anus.] Rihelah retorted after looking around.

[Ya gotta be shitting me. Haven't you noticed?] He asked.

[What?]

[The fact that we both pissed and blew ass into this tiny hole, turning it into a makeshift, tree-borne commode?!] Michael lifted one of his antennae like an eyebrow.

The salty, slightly-dried smell hit Rihelah hard once she'd started thinking about it. She winced. [Damn you, Michael! I finally managed to put that crap out of my mind, and-]

[And then I go and start some shit about our crap in this tree's filthy sewer! Ain't that some shit?!] He blurted out.

She gave in. [Hey! We're too young for this kind of shit!]

[I dunno. Shit's got my ass gassed up and ready to explore! After I rub this shit on myself, and shit...] He activated his camouflage.

[Then take your shit elsewhere while I figure my shit out, you sneaky little shit!] She did her best to keep from laughing while Michael exited the hole.

He called back to her as he crept along, blending almost perfectly with the tree's bark. [Be careful while you blow shit up! I'll let you know when I'm on my way back!]

Rihelah shook her head mirthfully. Fuck, I missed Michael... Even if he can be a bit much at times, it's damn good to see him! When I'm around him it's like... I'm home. Even despite everything that's happened, I feel... I can do this!

Feeling better, Rihelah checked her new spell notification.

New Spell created!

Spell: Sphaera Ignis

Sphaera Ignis: Instantaneously coalesce and ignite a sphere of hydrogen and oxygen gases at a target point. A flash of high heat followed by strong overpressure will cause damage to nearby targets and structures. This spell's damaging effects decrease rapidly with distance from the sphere.

Must have direct line of sight to target. Target area must have enough unoccupied air space for the sphere to fully manifest. Full-damage radius: 0.5 meters. Sphere diameter: 2cm. Overpressure: 1.0psi. Maximum casting range: 5 meters.

Beware: This spell will cause indiscriminate damage to all creatures and structures caught within its area of effect. Recommended to cast from behind cover. Use with extreme caution!

Upgradeable. (Requirements Hidden.)

Cost: 150MP

You may now add Spell: Sphaera Ignis to one of your 4 remaining spell slots. (This action cannot be undone. You have one 26-hour day to accept or decline, after which the spell will become unavailable until the conditions for its creation are met once again.)

Add Spell: Sphaera Ignis? Y/N (25h 53m 02s remaining.)

Huh. That one is pretty interesting, and sounds like it would be useful. However, I have some time to think and to experiment with more possibilities... There are 20 hours remaining for me to decide on Hydro Burst, too.

So... What kinds of things can water and fire do? Do I want general utility as well as killing power? I know balls of fire can be lobbed through the air. Is it possible for a spell to track a moving target? If so, how accurate will that be, and how fast will the spell move in that case? Can I fire multiple projectiles of water or fire? Do water and fire counter one another? How much can my understanding of physics affect the way my spells behave? Is fire extra effective against undead? Are there undead in this world?! Oh crap, I hope not...

Damn it! Think of something else! Right... I have so many questions! Curse that infernal wind for blowing us out of Nytalis! Grrr...

Okay. I need to calm down and take things one step at a time. First, let's try for multiple projectiles...

Michael crept carefully along while searching about for a larger knot-hole or some other place to hide. He occasionally glanced with trepidation upon the scattered black feathers that lay strewn about, but it was the trail of huge, two-toed prints left by clawed feet that truly made his cloaca clench.

Whatever that was, I hope it only has eyes for bigger prey...

Continuing to look around, he began to realize the weight of their situation. There's no place where she can hide... Just a bunch of charred trees and ash upon the ground. How the fuck are we supposed to escape to a place where there's some cover? Maybe we can wait until night... but what if these trees end up crawling with those evil lemur-like monkey-things?

I can't just creep away from here. Not with Rihelah stuck in that hole! I need to find a way to keep her safe, no matter what it costs... But how the fuck do-

Michael's blurry form froze in place, trembling slightly when he was temporarily blinded by a bright, bluish flash. A slightly-dissonant whistling noise caught his ear as it ascended rapidly while losing intensity. He looked around carefully once the intense light had faded, but nothing seemed to have changed.

I hope that was just Rihelah testing out her magic...

Weaving rapidly around saplings and behind tree trunks for cover, a very tired Sika fled South away from the human army. After her final attack had struck the chest of one of their number who looked important, fire spells had been hurled in her direction. Heeding her sister's words, she departed at maximum speed to avoid the destructive magics.

Frost take them! I only hope I distracted the enemy long enough... Her gut told her that her efforts had likely been far from sufficient against such numbers, and that thought made her sick.

She could feel that her mana was nearly empty after her string of harassing attacks via force magic. Her flight muscles burned, and she knew she would have no choice but to rest soon.

Turning West, she found and loosely followed the edge of the destruction that lay along the old Tarmek road North for some distance, grimacing at the terrible damage wrought against the forest by human magic. A few roving beasts were scavenging for tidbits amid the ash.

A bright flash cast brief shadows across the forest from her left, and Sika quickly hid herself behind a large, partially-charred murkwood tree. When no explosion hit her ears, she poked her tiny dragon-shaped head out to observe.

Hmm. She darted out and circled around South-West of the tree that had produced the flash. Seeing nothing dangerous, she began flying toward it warily from the South. Birds that had been patrolling the area moved away at her approach.

No humans. Both a relief and a curse. Would that I could do more to distract them... Perhaps it was merely-

[Sika?!] A familiar voice cried out telepathically, and Sika dodged downward, still somewhat shaken from her dangerous mission.

[Who's there? By Auronox, Michael! Is that you?!] Sika sounded shocked.

[Michael, is that Sika?] Rihelah cried out from the tree-borne shit-hole.

[Holy crap, I'm happy to see you!! We were blown away from Nytalis by that crazy wind, and almost died when this human army... Well, Rihelah is hidden away in a tiny hole nearby, and I was trying to find a better hiding place or a way to get us out of here!] Michael climbed to a place that would be visible to Sika, removed his camouflage and waved his tiny raptorial arms about.

[You both survived... that's wonderful! Come, we must make our way toward the others.] Sika landed upon a branch just above him.

[Come to me. I'm tired... Most creatures in the forest are wary of dragon flies. You should be relatively safe. Where is Rihelah?] Sika asked.

[Hidden for now! I'm like a beacon for hungry predators, Sika. I can't risk going out there with all those birds!] Rihelah replied.

[The birds have fled. It should be safe to come out for the moment. Any who are small enough to see either of you as food will not dare to approach while I am near.] Sika worked her wings slowly to stretch the dense muscles packed inside her thorax.

Rihelah popped her head out of the hole warily, looking about in every direction with all her legs primed to pull her back inside at the slightest hint of danger. True to Sika's word, the only birds she could spot were at least half a kilometer away in any direction.

[Please, you must make haste! We've some distance yet to travel.] Sika's voice sounded weary.

Rihelah darted out from the hole, grateful for her antennae to be freed from the grip of their terrible stink, though the air still reeked of smoke and ash. She climbed rapidly, arriving next to Michael in front of Sika.

The two huddled together between Sika's legs per her instructions, then she scooped them up gently and took to the sky.

After she wove through the trees along the road toward Nytalis for a short while, a bright flash from ahead caused Sika to dive rapidly toward the road while pulling away hard toward the East.

The fireball exploded a short distance behind them, causing nearby branches and leaves to steam and smoke, but Sika had ducked to hover behind a small boulder in time. She continued onward as soon as the pulse of heat had abated.

The young elf cursed to herself as shouts arose from the humans who had spotted her. Why in the name of Auronox did I follow that road? Stupid! I should have flown around them!

While they blurred past trees and bushes, Rihelah and Michael caught a glimpse of a second fireball streaking toward the same place where they had previously been. It traveled farther than the first before the flash of its much-brighter explosion cast a haunting pall of transient shadows across the forest. Though they were far enough away to avoid harm, all three could feel the intense heat from that spell.

Sika veered toward the North once again, but that quickly led them into the midst of the soldiers who had been dispatched to seek out and kill her.

While taking evasive action and increasing her speed, Sika clenched her small draconic jaw and spat, What in the bloody Dakanian Hells is wrong with me?! I know better!

The following fifteen seconds were some of the most terrifying any of the three had experienced.

Numerous fiery projectiles shot toward Sika from more than a dozen different enemy wizards. Unlike the larger fireballs, these tracked her through the air with unsettling accuracy.

Despite Sika's considerable speed, the fire magics pursuing her were faster.

[Uh, Sika... This doesn't look good!] Rihelah stammered.

[I'm aware! Let me concentrate!] Sika fired back.

The elf in dragon fly form tasted something on the air with her antennae, and felt the rush of hope. The smell became much stronger as she approached a group of boulders ahead, and she made a snap decision.

Michael and Rihelah tensed themselves up for what seemed like inevitability, but when Sika passed over a rocky outcropping, she performed a brutal wingover, flicking her wings hard as she strained to slow her flight and pull herself abruptly up before turning downward.

The violent change in direction caused all three of them to nearly black out as Michael and Rihelah were crushed against Sika's straining legs that clenched hard to hold onto the mantids. The rearward and most delicate pair of Sika's six diaphanous wings tore, and she just missed slowing rapidly enough to avoid bouncing off one rock face and then another.

Michael and Rihelah both took damage when their abdomens split open from the initial impact, though Sika's legs and body seemed tough enough to avoid serious injury.

-26HP.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

-34HP.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

As the fire magics closed in rapidly, Sika only just managed to scramble downward with the help of her wings. She ducked down between the rocks and through a narrow opening, into the gloom of a dark passage.

The surprisingly large and nearly-vertical tunnel was quickly illuminated by brilliant and repeated flashes from above as the fire magics impacted the rocks.

[Shit!] Michael exclaimed as all three of them were nearly blinded by rapid and intense pulses of light.

Heat washed over Sika, causing her wings to wither and shrivel up. She lost her ability to remain airborne, and the three of them fell together, into the abyss.

Above, daylight had been cut off as debris filled the gap through which they had fallen.

Sika did her best to use the remnants of her wings as a makeshift parachute. It was enough to stabilize their fall and orient her properly, but the air still rushed past quickly enough to distort the single ears of both mantids.

For a time, none of them sent a single word as they descended.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

Sika remained somewhat calm while focusing on trying her best to see; she knew her dragon fly body would most likely survive this fall, but Michael and Rihelah had both frozen up in terror.

To them, falling while already injured and being held tightly by a creature so much larger and heavier than themselves as they plummeted was almost too much for their formerly-human selves to handle.

To make matters worse, their sensitive compound eyes were unable to see anything in total darkness. Both of them rapidly experienced the numbness of shock spreading over their faces and extremities as a symptom of abject terror.

Nearly twenty seconds later, they were still falling. Below them, a slight bluish glow could be seen.

The sight calmed the mantids enough to ease their shock, and both regained their wits.

As the trio approached the source of that glow, it became apparent that whatever was producing it lined the walls of the vertical shaft through which they were dropping. When they were close enough, it became apparent the sources were numerous points of light that shimmered and illuminated their immediate surroundings.

The smoothly-worn rock around them was dark enough to seem black, though its damp, glistening surface shimmered as it reflected the apparent bioluminescence.

[Holy shit,] Michael blurted out. [This looks almost like a wormhole in space! How fucking deep is this damned shaft?!]

Sika replied, [You are correct, Michael. This is a hole made by a worm. Let us pray to Auronox that we do not meet this tunnel's creator upon our landing...]

[Seriously?? This tunnel must be two meters wide! That's a fucking huge worm!] Michael looked around in trepidation as a new sense of dread started to build within him.

[The shape and texture... they resemble the vagina's interior during colposcopy. Fascinating.] Rihelah remarked absent-mindedly.

[What?!] Michael's head snapped to look at her with incredulity.

Rihelah immediately realized what she'd said, and her face started going numb again; this time with embarrassment.

[Um... I mean, I studied biology and Human physiology, you know! I had to do certain things for my degrees, Michael! Don't you look at me like that! I was just... thinking aloud!] She sputtered.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

[Ah, I see...] Michael said, trying to sound calm. Damn, and here I hoped maybe that was her sense of humor!

[The tunnel's end approaches!] Sika called out.

The mantids looked below, and rather than simply blue, other colors of bioluminescence were now visible. Greens and oranges now mixed with the occasional yellow, and some of those appeared to move about slightly. At last they had reached the end of the worm's hole.

[Fuck. Hitting the bottom is gonna suck! I am not looking forwa-] Michael said.

[Hey... What if those lights are from predators?!] Rihelah cut him off with dread in her voice.

With that, both mantids strained to focus their vision downward while Sika said nothing. Her grip upon them had loosened somewhat.

As they approached what had appeared to be the bottom, the other light signatures simply grew more numerous as the tunnel's “floor” abruptly seemed to widen. When they passed by the last of the tiny blue lights, the tunnel had indeed ended.

However, they found themselves continuing to fall toward the floor of a tremendous subterranean biosphere nestled within a truly titanic cavern.

Tree-like plants of many shapes glowed softly in various colors, as creatures both large and small went about their business.

[Michael, are you seeing this? It's gorgeous!] Rihelah marveled, forgetting for the moment that they were still falling.

[Uh-huh, but I'm a bit more worried about where we're gonna land!] The urgency in Michael's words brought her focus back to their situation.

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

Rihelah clutched at one of Sika's six legs as the cavern's floor loomed closer.

The sudden pressure startled Sika, and she yelped. [Ehh?? What's grabbing my – Oh, by The Eight! How long was I unconscious?!]

[Never mind that! We need to prepare for landing! Can your wings work at all, Sika?!] Michael yelled.

Sika noted that her wings were still shriveled and mostly useless. She shook her head, [No...] Then a thought occurred to her and she panicked while flicking open her legs to let the mantids out. [Both of you get away! Now! See if you can fall beside me instead of underneath! Hurry!]

Michael and Rihelah both understood immediately, and they used their powerful forelegs to fling themselves away from Sika's body just in time for the trio to slam into one of the broad, flimsy leaves of a dimly-glowing plant. And then another, and another. Sika had barely missed landing atop the pair as all three of them began to tumble.

The leaves flexed as each gave way, slowing and deflecting their fall toward an area below with very little light.

Their final landing upon what felt like a bed of grass was not nearly so traumatic as expected, but the impact still knocked the wind out of Sika, who was far heavier than the mantids.

Michael stood up first, followed by Rihelah, but Sika lay deathly still between them.

A haunting call reminiscent of an owl's hooting rang out through the clammy air as its source moved in the distance. The unsettling sound made both of them stop to listen. They became acutely aware of an eerie chorus of subterranean life coming from all around, while a slight rumble similar to the roar of a waterfall reverberated through the entire cavern.

Some of the bioluminescent lights moved in ways that suggested animal life. A few of those appeared large, with one moving quickly enough to make them freeze in place and shudder.

Rihelah and Michael looked stiffly around in trepidation. Both of them had the same thought. Where the fuck are we?