Dark Crow Rising

"Wh-What're you doing!? Get back down there!" I hiss as I realise this will only bring the bugs after me. Hiding my right arm, I back away as they ignore me and climb out of the hole. They seem to find happiness in seeing the mountains and brief emerald-shaded breezes. But, I cannot see anything but the bugs coming for us...

They're going to notice, they will, they will come for us!

"GET BACK IN THE HOLE!" I roar at them as I halt myself from shoving one back down it. My turned arm comes out into the open and many of them flinch away. Many pairs of eyes struggle to look away from its sinister familiarity.

"We... We're escaping." someone says and I turn to them.

"I DUG THAT HOLE SO I COULD GET OUT! NOT YOU! GET BACK DOWN IT!" I scream as my right-hand grabs them and throws them to the ground. They don't listen, though, they just keep coming out of the hole and cast weary glances my way. I back away with my eyes locked on the hole. The bugs will notice that their food is gone, they will hunt for it once again...

Something starts to cry, Littler Heiya...

"SHHHH!" I hypocritically hiss at them as an older one of her kind holds them.

"We go! We go!" they chant at me as some more escape the hive through my tunnel. Some take the chance and rush away into the darkness, but many remain here. With me... Relying on me...?

"Get back in there before they notice you left!" I hiss again as I start to back away fearfully. Falling onto my right arm, I throw myself off of it and get back to my feet. I run with all I have as I can't seem to find the sturdiness of heart to force them back in. I will not go back into that hive!

I can't let my freedom go to waste!

And, with most of Vapooliar's armour gone, I start to move like I used to when the windy, emerald light hit me. My attempt to run becomes far-reaching leaps as if gravity has vanished. I thunder down the valley and make frequent looks back at the growing group. Yet, even with all my speed, they keep trying to follow me.

Crashing myself into the ground so I can halt, I then scramble to my feet, hyperventilating. I need to find a way to lose them. Which way can I go just to lose them!? There are only mountains everywhere!

"Yes..." I mutter as I blink up at the darkness-covered mountains all around me. The bugs are underground, deep, deep underground. I need to get higher. As high as possible!

I look down at the beetle and silently thank him for his efforts. Somehow, he's still alive even after all these efforts to squash him. I put him down and he barely wanders off. Instead, he rotates and stares right at me, his little pincers opening and closing ever so slightly.

"Run... Just like I am." I tell it as I stagger around before I settle on a direction. Yanking off what remains of Vapooliar's armour on my shins, I abandon the two pieces of metal. I run. I leap for the sky and crash against and into the nearest mountainside.

Shaking my head hysterically at the mountain as it feels too small. I turn around and spot a larger one, one that looks like it has a safe space to hide. There's a little cave near its peak. No one will find me there, not the bugs, not those that will bring them to me!

Placing all the strength I can into my legs, I go and leap for it. Only to fall to the ground. I roll through it without the slightest sign of impedance. I get back up and latch onto the stone, digging my fingers into it even though I feel little scratches on my left hand.

I claw my way up the stone erratically and let bits of rock fall away from me recklessly. My hated, newly-bugified arm does most of the heavy lifting and I reach a platform. Dragging myself up onto it, I sit down and let my breathing calm down. But, I taste smoke on my tongue.

I catch the lingering scent of it...

My body turns cold and I slowly turn around as the moon illuminates my back. My eyes widen and those patrolling the darkness up here stop and look at me. Chittering away, they move closer and something laughs. With the jangle of rusted metal and the tap of its staff, the armoured bug comes into view.

Its sickly, brown light defines it more and I flinch.

"You come back..." it laughs as my body twitches and fails to move. It approaches me and gestures its army away. Carrying what scrap they can, the bugs then file away as my neck is grabbed. Hoisting me up, the armoured bug sneers against my face as I try to escape it.

I smack and bash its wrist to some effect, but it still maintains a grip over me.

"Newlyborn, my heir." it chitters as one set of claws grabs my right arm and pries it out. Inspecting my hideous new limb, it chuckles knowingly as I continue to struggle against it. I throw my weight around but all I can do is make it wobble. My eyes fall to the right and the shoddy grip it has.

Between the glowing staff and my arm...

"You will learn to serve, in time." a voice chitters in my head as my actions become increasingly feral. Roaring with all I have as the light of freedom dies, I manage to knock the staff away. The bug roars angrily at me just as its power seems to weaken and I pull it with me. Feeling the air wash over us, I start to attack it as the ground comes closer.

Smashing straight through a lone pine tree, we barrel around through the gravel pit below the platform. We slip and slide over the edge and further down the mountain. Through solid, jagged rock. I scream in pain as the bug snaps its jaw onto my shoulder.

We impact in the valley below.

Throwing me away, I hit some more trees and the bug roars angrily. One of its claws lingers at where Vapooliar must've hurt it before and it prepares itself. Getting to my feet, I shake my head clear of anything but violent thoughts and I charge. Slamming against the bug, it uses my momentum against me.

Twisting me over its head, I am forced painfully into the ground. I groan and hiss as my muscles react to the harsh compression, but I get back up. Smacking aside its attempt to grab me again, I recklessly throw my right arm at it. I don't care what happens to it, this is not my arm!

I howl like mad at the armoured bug and tear away at its armour. It roars right back at me and lands a solid blow to my jaw, spiralling me out of control. Rolling onto all fours, I return to my feet and match its noise whilst our palms meet together. Its jaw snaps at me and the ground seems to widen and we go lower.

Bringing one foot forward with the sound of heavy shot, I push forward and free my right arm. Striking its gut again and again, I make sure each fury-filled impact breaks its hideous shell apart. I put my all into leaping again and we fly into the night sky as our roars fill the valley. We smash into a mountain and roll out of control down it just as the bug gets one over me.

Striking my face again and again with no care paid towards the mountain. It makes sure I am the one to take the blow as we land, its feet planted on my gut. I choke as I feel my stomach is forced to empty itself. I aim my vomit onto my gut and grab its nearest leg and pull, slipping it up.

It falls onto me and I claw away at its gut before a solid elbow nearly buries my head. Snorting and spitting the filth away, I get back to my feet just in time to take its next punch. My hand reaches for its eyes as I force myself through the painful, blood-drawing force. Tightly clenching its vile, hideous, carapace-ridden head, I squeeze!

It backs away roaring as it clutches the now bleeding spot and I nearly collapse. Stopping myself from doing so, I lean towards my outreaching knee as life-saving adrenaline rushes throughout my body. The armoured bug growls and slams his hand into the nearest source of stone. Small worms shoot out at me.

Staring at the self-sharpening weapons, I twist and bring my right up in time to just barely block it. They blunt themselves against this arm's carapace and closing-in forest light fills the night. Blasting away at it, several amongst the crowd focus fire on the bug. It howls at them and knocks me down.

I watch as it retreats into the night with fearful leaps and I roar in its direction, beating my chest. But, then, pain. My body nearly falls to the ground and I spit out blood and tears build up. My ears feel swollen and I don't even hear someone approach me...

A hand touches me and I turn erratically to meet the yellow light of the mother needle-leg. She's smiling but also tearfully worrying, she gestures for me to follow and I do so. We reach the group and she starts to motion for everyone to get moving into the dark forest so we can escape the mountain. I hobble after them with heavy, powerful steps.

Without Vapooliar's armour anymore and my body buzzing with the life of a fight, I cannot control myself. Each step is destructive and everyone stays far away as we go into the dark. All but one, that Littler Heiya... She comes back to stare at me, even as others try to keep them away.

It makes baby-like noises and I think I can make out the shadowy figure of a cheer.

"Wind-person?" the yellow-haired needle-leg questions as I come to a panting stop.

I stare up at it as my vision flickers between true and partial darkness.

"Do not stop, keep going!" they encourage me to do, and with my fight-or-flight as alive as it can be. I nod at them and keep on walking as my tears start to flow freely. Everything hurts... That thing nearly killed me...

Everything hurts so much!

I quietly open my mouth and clutch my sides as my fear is finally let loose. I stare around at the darkness and move closer to the light of the needle-legs, I've had enough of being in the dark. Hiding my mostly limp right arm all the while. I watch as their tired, weak bodies start to fail them and I am left as the last one standing, somehow.

"H-Hey... Get up... You damn, lying, hypocrite!" I curse down at the yellow-haired needle-leg as I look around at the forest. Spotting a fallen tree, my gaze lingers on it. Then, I spot something thick and sturdy. Tree roots or a thankfully hooked branch, I don't care.

I hobble over to the log and heave it carefully into the open. Staggering around into the moonlight of the full moon, I glance up at it. It shines its full might down upon me and I nod at the divine, celestial diamond. Jhrarda the Mighty, right?

It looks like it is the biggest of the fourteen moons...

I hiss in pain as I choke back more tears and I look down at those the moon also illuminates. Taking shoddy steps towards them, I start to delicately place them onto the log. Leaving the yellow-hair and Littler Heiya 'til last, I put them at the start of the log. Hooking the thing I found onto its bush of roots, I start to pull.

Sniffling some more, I start to think of Vapooliar...

"Why... Vapooliar... Why... Why couldn't I have gotten out with you lot!?" I ask myself tearfully as I drag the tree through the guiding light of Jhrarda the Mighty. Hissing at my pain, I keep to the moonlight path, hoping I can find someplace safe out here.