Shup!

Just before Husan hit the ceiling, a few Azure Centipedes that left behind to guard him and Ava shot numerous webs. They pulled down the old man until his feet touched the ground. Two more of these insects moved in, cutting the webs and rapidly weaved a robe on Husan.

It took several seconds for the elder to process what happened after the centipedes returned to their initial positions, “Huh…when did a robe…isn’t this old man shirtless?”

“A meeting gift from Ava’s friends, Old Man.” Ava nodded approvingly at the centipedes with a blank face.

Husan gasped in astonishment, he didn’t even notice it! “Huh! Okay…as young missy said...”

“Let’s go Old Man. We have a long work ahead of us.” Ava dragged the dumbstruck Husan, “We will talk as we go.”

“Okay. For starters, young missy…this old man can walk just fine.” Husan laughed it off. He asked in an awkward tone, “So…uh…what’s the situation?”

“What Old Man Husan saw what was left of them. They were bullied for a long time.” Ava brought the group deeper in the caverns, “They have many bullies, like other Centipedes and bats.”

“What’s left of them? Young missy… they numbered in thousands.” Husan didn’t believe it. Their numbers were enough to make any grownup shudder at first sight.

The golden-haired girl led them to the space where she and Husan had been initially isolated from the rest of the caverns, “Their bullies are at least ten-fold their numbers. And since Ava friends lost their Broodmother, every death cannot be replaced.”

“So, to say, if there are nothing to be done, Azure Centipedes would die off completely?” Husan never expected he could feel pity for monsters. Usually he would just kill them, no questions asked.

Ava motioned her hand, dismissing most of the Azure Centipedes guarding them, “Old Man is right. Ava decided to help them. We help them, they help us. As Sister Makya once said, this is a cycle.”

“Even if it’s that way…how do we even begin?” Husan shook his head, this was too absurd, “Young missy said their bullies are in the millions? We can’t win against that.”

“They have Ava and you, Old Man. Their bullies do not.” Ava puffed her chest up, signifying great pride.

Husan faked a cough, “But this old man can’t fight…young missy can. How can this old man help?”

“Knowledge is power. Ava can fight but Ava do not know everything.” Her stomp created a table from the cavern’s floor.

Are you telling me that now? Husan felt incredulous, “Uhh…sure…so what can this old man really do then?”

“Old Man can start giving them lessons on stuff? What Old Man think is best.” The young girl created chairs out of rock next, inviting the old man to sit.

The four armed elder was in deep thought, “Hmm…well this old man know brewing the best. But centipedes don’t drink do they?”

“Ava knows Old Man Husan is good at finding food and plants. There’s no rush, we can take it as we go.” The young girl tapped one of his arms, breaking his reverie.

Husan regained his senses, “That’s…right. This old man isn’t definitely under pressure, haha!”

As the pair were exchanging information back and forth, an Azure Centipede from outside greeted them with a shrill. It lowered its body at Ava, seemingly communicated with her in ways that Husan cannot understand. Ava nodded at it and the centipede left not long after.

“What happened, young missy?” Husan tried to guess the message brought by the insect. Was it a good or bad news or both?

Ava glanced at the centipedes guarding the pair and left the space, “Ava friends lost their only source of food to Black-Yellow Centipedes just now. So now Old Man can help them.”

“Me? This old man? What do they even eat?” Husan arched his eyebrows. This is too fast! What do they expect out of me? He unconsciously touched his neck.

Ava moved to a different part of the cavern, with some running water, “Like us, Old Man. They are not picky. To survive in this dark place, they can’t just rely on one kind of food. But now it is different as Black-Yellow Centipedes stole all of their food.”

“Uh…they won’t eat us, right?” The old man silently put up his guard. Who knows when these creatures started to turn on them?

Ava tilted her head, “Old Man, we help them, they help us. We are in this altogether.”

“Right…so why are we here, young missy?” Husan was still a bit skeptical but he hid it.

Ava pointed out with one of her small fingers, “This is the place when we first fell. There are some fishes in the water and some plants. Ava can get their food but Ava is only one.”

“So, you want this old man to teach them now?” Husan got the hint. He wasn’t entirely sure of the idea as he had never known centipedes the size of small infants were able to fish or swim.

Ava snapped her fingers and one of their Azure Centipede entourage splashed in the water, “They can swim just fine, Old Man. What are your thoughts?”

Husan stilled for a moment, “Fishing…but it doesn’t look there’s lot of fish for all of them. How bout some farming?”

“That’s what Ava thinks too. There are fishes but there are not a lot. We have thousands of mouths to feed.” Ava nodded at the old man. The young girl however didn’t know which plants were suitable for the Azure Centipedes.

As they paced their thoughts, three Azure Centipedes emerged nearby. One of them was heavily injured, left with half of its body and mandibles missing. The two more fortunate ones brought their kin in front of Ava. They laid low and trembled, to beseech her to save their kin.

Husan almost puked of the ghastly sight, the centipede’s azure ichor bled everywhere, “Huh…their bullies are vicious.”

“Yes Old Man. Kill or be killed. But they have Ava. Ava can make them better while Old Man can teach them.” The Post Human put her hands on its head. Next was all but a miracle; there was no replacing its lost body half but the centipede stopped writhing. Its bleeding stopped and its cracked carapace had healed.

Husan was amazed; not only she shown kindness to him but also on these monsters, “Okay. This old man might have just a thing for them.”

“Ava is thankful for Old Man. Ava friends are thankful too.” She nodded at him and so did the Azure Centipedes that were guarding them.

The three visiting Azure Centipedes stood low until Ava waved her sleeves, for them to not stand in ceremony. They swayed their curved tails and then left before Ava can heal the rest. In a way, these centipedes were telling her that only big injuries were worth her saving grace.

Husan paused in silence as he watched the monsters interact with Ava. Who is she really? Why didn’t she do the same thing with Red Scorpions? Or Crescent Sharks? He only felt dizzy the more he thought of it. The old man then entered the shallow waters, to calm his mind.

Ava noticed his action, “What is Old Man planning to do?”

“I…well, just wetting this old man’s feet, haha!” He forced a laugh until he placed his gaze on a glowing lichen near the shore, “Wait, do Azure Centipedes eat lichens?”

Ava glanced at one of their Azure Centipedes escorts, “They once did but now they eat cave bats and sometimes fish. So Old Man suggest to farm lichen?”

“Just a suggestion, young missy. Maybe this moss too?” Husan recovered a greenish rock from the waters, “This old man once fell into a qanat by mistake and got trapped. I survived by eating moss in it until I got out. Taste’s terrible but still’s something.”

The Azure Centipede guards shrilled upon seeing Ava entering the waters but she waved her hands, not to worry. The young girl copied Husan, “Ava confirms. So, this moss grows together with glowing lichen over there. Lichen provide some light, moss grows.”

“That’s right, young missy. If enough moss grows, fishes can be put to tend them. Take some bits periodically, balance’s maintained. Just that old man’s unsure if they can grow fast, to feed Azure Centipedes now.” Husan agreed with her assessment.

Ava stomped inside the water, sending some splashes around, “Ava will work on it, Old Man.”

“S’kay young missy. So, what else? Azure Centipedes can dig, right?” Husan was puzzled by her action but on second thought, it might be just her way to invoke one of her great magics.

The young girl beckoned their Azure Centipede guards to enter the waters, “Ava confirms. Ava have been telling them to dig around, make forts, delay their bullies.”

“Uh-hum. What about Ava’s bat friends?” Husan decided to leave the waters, let the approaching Azure Centipedes do their things.

Ava suddenly raised her hands and stared to a certain direction, “Old Man Husan, get back to our previous room.”

“What’s happe-” Before he could finish his sentence, Azure Centipedes in the water leaped out and shot webs at him. They dragged the old man along as they scurried back into the cavern.

Crack, crack, clank!

Ava jumped out as well, summoning one of her strange contraptions when she landed on the shore. The cylinder immediately let out an azure-coloured pulse from its mounted Aqua Green Lily flower. The rest of Azure Centipedes in the area rapidly assumed combat stances.

Swish…

Ava and the centipedes moved closer to the cylinder she had summoned from the ground. There was only the sound of whistling winds at the moment. The young girl and remaining Azure Centipedes slowly backed themselves to a nearby wall, with the azure cylinder in front.

Pscht!

One unfortunate Azure Centipede was penetrated by something. Ava and the rest rapidly went into action; Ava kicked several rocks while the centipedes shot numerous webs. It all missed save one lucky web shot that had slowed the creature. It bulged big before exploding.

Weng, weng, weng!!!!

A black cloud burst forth from the exploded Azure Centipede. These new entrees droned menacingly in front of the young girl before splitting up to kill the survivor centipedes. Ava quickly stomped around, creating earthen walls to protect the survivors from this new threat.

One by one, remaining Azure Centipedes retreated with timely help from the young girl. However, her reach was limited; two more Azure Centipedes had fallen prey to this new intruder. Ava punched her summoned cylinder, sending out another azure-coloured pulse.

This momentarily stunned the attackers and revealed them; they were Javalan Flies that had adapted to live in Alkharm Wadi. They had pointy heads, faster wings and smaller bodies. They burrowed and laid eggs inside their victims, which rapidly hatch into more of their kin!

The result was pretty clear; three Azure Centipedes had died while the Javalan Flies swarm had tripled in numbers. Ava had calculated that this was a losing battle. She urged the survivors to run while she kept the swarm at bay. Every loss meant gain for the damned flies!

The centipedes reluctantly left but they didn’t have much choice; they were ill-matched with the vicious flies from the beginning. Ava made her move as soon as the last centipede had managed to escape from sight. The cylinder she summoned uprooted itself and followed her.

Keqiang, Keqiang!

Without any other target in sight, the incoming fly swarm focused their attack on Ava but they were completely repelled by the azure-field emitted by her floating cylinder. However, it only intensified their rage and attacks as they failed again and again in harming the young girl.

Fwip, fwip, fwip!

Ava’s gamble had worked; some of them dropped dead due to severe exhaustion for chasing her for a long time. The remaining flies however punctured through their dead kin to replenish their depleted energies. There were less flies now but the survivors were the hardiest.

Splash!

After dozens of twists and turns, Ava led them to a relatively narrow corridor filled with some water. The walls changed as she ran through it, modified to become sturdier. She stomped twice; the first created a stone wall behind the group and another spread ripples on the water.

She quickly entered the last twisted path in her escape, causing the swarm to lose their bearings as they didn’t saw where Ava had gone. The cylinder accompanied her broke down and entered the earth as she stomped the ground. A stone wall emerged to seal the flies.

Gudong!

The ground trembled as Ava put her hands on the stone wall. She waited a bit and then turned the said wall into dust. Mist blew out of the corridor, leaving paralyzed Javalan Flies on the damp ground. Her odd cylinder reassembled and emitted an azure-coloured pulse on them.

Weng, weng, weng!

The pursuers assembled themselves down low, bodies trembling. Their eyes had changed from reddish to azure, the colour of bright cylinder object floating behind them. Ava raised her hand and they answered her call. They flew back to whence they came, to do her biddings.

She raised her hand yet again, assuring Azure Centipedes in the background that she was all right. The centipedes shrilled as they went closer to her, looking at her from head to toe, to make sure she didn’t have any injuries. Ava waved her sleeves, signifying it was no big deal.

The centipedes circled some distance from her and dispersed some time later after they were satisfied. Ava begun to think; as the former Javalan Flies had lifespan in matter of days, something probably had spurned them on. They had used a borrowed knife to deal with her.

Unfortunately, these unknown opponents had met Ava and lost said proverbial knife to her. She went through her mental list; Black-Yellow Centipedes weren’t particularly known for their cunningness while Moss Worms weren’t smart enough. This might be a new contender.

Whomever that were, they were probably the culprit behind Azure Centipedes’ recent losses as Ava had noticed too many coincidental patterns. A spy amongst Azure Centipedes ranks? Unlikely as she knew each and every one of existing Azure Centipedes under her command.

She showed her face back to the room where once she isolated herself and Husan, “Old Man Husan, nothing strange is coming your way, correct?”

“Uhmm…no, nothing. This old man is certainly not terrified of some big centipedes, haha.” Husan nervously laughed. Of course, any sane person would find it rather daunting to have four big centipedes the size of dogs watching your every move.

Ava peered at them and they lowered their heads, “Ava confirms. Just now Ava ran into some Javalan Flies.”

“Javalan Flies? In here?” The old man wore look of disbelief. He still remembered that time when he was pummeled by those nasty flying buggers.

Ava created a stone chair for herself and moved closer to the table in center of the room, “Ava confirms. A more difficult type as they burrow inside their victims to lay eggs. Then more Javalan Flies burst open from their victims.”

“Really? Ugh…” Husan rapidly quelled his thoughts, “Young missy is all right, right?”

“Ava is fine, Old Man. Our opponents have increased.” Ava tapped the table, creating various animated stone statues on them.

Husan crossed his arms, “Uh…this is certainly difficult, young missy. So, we identified one opponent and there’s two more unknown ones…”