Travlack drew his sword and PRAC. He had avoided using his ears the past couple of days in order to conserve energy. As the party gathered behind Chrissy, he closed his eyes and focused on the sounds of the forest.
A rustle of a leaf.
Something that dragged ever so slightly across the ground.
The slight contact of chitin grinding against itself.
Travlack opened his eyes and looked to where the last noise came from. He remained focusing on the sounds of forest and cocked his head toward every disturbance. Chrissy followed wherever he looked on a slight delay.
The wind carried a sweet aroma. Travlack almost took a step in its direction before catching himself. The effort of trying to hear everything had his body drifting with the breeze. His ears kept twitching at rapid speeds, attempting to process the–
AH-CHOO!
The sound of Nathaniel's sneeze rang in his head. Such a shrill noise while he attempted to attune his hearing broke his focus. Travlack grunted in pain and jolted his head in an attempt to regain himself.
"Sorry. I have an allergy to their pollen. I'll try to–"
AH-CHOO!
Something behind the trees rustled.
Travlack's ears started twitching.
The creak of a tree.
The flutter of a wing.
Nothing that told him of a mantis.
His ears remained reliable.
As always.
Travlack let the tension in his shoulders drop. A chill ran through his body as he let his posture sway with the wind.
"No one move," Nathaniel commanded between sniffles, "They're assessing us. The fact that we're still talking proves we're not in range yet."
"Range of what? And if they're nearby, why don't I see any flowers?" asked Ava.
"They close 'em up. They just barely open it to lure prey," Chrissy responded.
"They won't open 'em unless they're ready for combat. It's like this–"
Jay raised his arms above his head and moved his arms in the wind. He whistled as he did his best imitation of a flower blooming. The high pitch of which rang within Travlack's head incessantly, pulling him out of his stupor.
"Hush," growled Travlack, "Need to focus."
"Oop–my bad, Travvy. You got this!"
The fog at the front of his brain started to spread. He grit his teeth and shook it off, forcing himself to stare straight forward.
"How many, Chrissy?"
She extended a hook in front of her and then to her left.
"There, and there for sure. Probably another behind me. But why aren't they striking?"
Travlack thought for a moment. He exchanged his sword for his shield and responded.
"Stand off. Strike first and lose."
AH-CHOO!
Travlack nearly dropped his shield. He barely managed to maintain his grip as his head throbbed from another sudden sneeze. When he looked up again he could clearly make out the head of a mantis targeting him. The sun barely hit its spiked forearms, illuminating the tools in which it used to pin down prey.
The barrel of his PRAC lay on top of his shield, pointed toward the mantis.
"Three. I have this one. Chrissy, that one."
"On it. What about the last one?"
"Jay," Travlack spoke over his shoulder, eyes locked ahead of him, "Defend rear."
"Easy peasy, Travvy."
No one moved.
A soft creak.
A gentle breeze.
A slight lean.
Travlack's ears were working overtime. Nothing in this vicinity would move without him knowing about it. Over the course of a minute he reentered his state of meditation. Though he held his posture, his stance became relaxed instead of rigid. Allowing for deeper focus on the world around him.
Chk. Chk. Chk.
Shots loaded into the PRAC.
Scrttle. Scrttle.
Ants traversing a leaf.
Haaaaa…hooooo
The soft breathing of Ava behind him.
Fwmp. Fwmp. Fwmp.
Neville's ears flapping gently in the wind.
Ahhhhh-
Nathaniel's breath inhaling–
AH-CHOO!
Travlack's trance came to an abrupt end.
The sneeze caused Travlack to clench his fist.
His PRAC fired several times.
Travlack froze with his mouth slightly agape.
Nothing happened.
No one moved.
The predator gave no response.
Its head remained locked in a gaze with Travlack's eyes.
And did so all the way down to the ground where it fell, twitching.
Everyone let a soft gasp escape. Its bulbous eyes caused everyone to lean away but not take a step.
"Fecabre…"
The twitching came to an end after one minute of staring. Jay had to move his hand in front of JJ in order to stop him from moving over to it. Travlack stared at the dead bug, easily twice his size, motionless.
Travlack fell to a knee as the cost of extrasensory caught up with him. The price of precision, dutifully paid.
As always.
He dropped both his shield and PRAC to rub the inside of his ears. He looked up in between the ringing in his ears to see the bulb on its back swell in size. Rising to his feet, the bulb blossomed into a beautiful flower of white with red trail.
AH-CHOO!
"We need to–"
AH-CHOO!
"–leave! Now! Mantises are cannibals!"
"And the one Travlack shot just let everyone know it's on the menu!" laughed Jay, "At least we're not for dinner! Let's go!"
Every frantically saddled as the sounds of the forest started to spike. Ava dropped her reins several times in the commotion. Before mounting, Travlack scooped them off the ground and firmly planted them in her hand as she stammered.
"But–but what about lunging distance? Are we not targets? Wouldn't running in the forest blind–?"
"No longer targets," stated Travlack.
"Once they sense a dead body–
AH–CHOO!
"–mantis biology is incapable of thinking of anything else. Jay, go!"
He led the way with Ava right behind him. Following after was Chrissy, Nathaniel, and then Travlack heading up the rear. The uneven forest floor proved no match for the capastras, able to adjust, juke, and hop over whatever snags in the ground. The sudden jerks in motion made it hard for Travlack to use his ears properly. He squinted between the rows of trees to see mantises walking from where they had fled from.
Each one with their forearms folded in prayer.
A branch scraped against his arm.
He yanked the reins and corrected the course. When he looked forward again he noticed he was lagging behind. Travlack barked the command to speed up, closing the distance between him and Nathaniel. Only for that distance to grow again moments later.
His mount slowly deviated to the right. Once again, Travlack pulled the opposite way and gave the command. It took longer for the capastra to respond to his words this time. The gap between him and Nathaniel grew larger. Travlack reached over his saddle and pulled on its horns directly, forcing it to look forward. The capastra began to fight his guidance, wanting so desperately to turn to its right.
Desperately, Travlack kept fighting to correct its course. Back and forth he kept pulling away from its own desire. From its own curiosity.
From its own destruction.
A low hanging branch collided with Travlack's face. The force of which made him let go of the horns and hold his face. He remained strapped into the saddle as his capastra galloped into a clearing.
The bushes therein were speckled with small flowers, with a giant flower of the same color in the center.
Rose with amber streaks.
Travlack yanked on its horns again, shouting the command.
His mount moved as if the petals controlled the reins.
Between efforts to pull the horns, he noticed the flowers on the bushes slowly unfurling. Disguised amongst the real flowers of the clearing were egg cases identical to the flowers. Clusters of them opened in unison, each tiny pair of eyes locked onto Travlack and his mount.
He hopped off his saddle and dug into the ground. With each step, his capastra fought him. The desire to step into the center of the glade was too much for it to bear. Why should it respond to Travlack? What was so important that its master tried so adamantly to deviate its path?
Why should it listen?
No longer.
It should have the appetizers of the forest for itself.
In two violent motions Travlack lost grip of its horns. Its cranium made contact with that of Travlack's, dropping him to the ground. He held his head as his brain reverberated inside his skull. Through the dizzy visions of his eyes he watched as his capastra wandered toward the bushes.
The giant flower in the center started to unfurl.
Travlack rubbed his head and reached for his sword. After patting patches of grass he finally found the handle.
The stubborn goat started to make its way over to its bounty. The alluring petals danced in the wind, inviting his mount to feast. Travlack cursed and dug the scabbard into the ground in an effort to stand. He stood as tall as an Igosi could stand before throwing off the sheathe.
One step.
The capastra got closer.
Two steps.
The limb of the mantis grew higher.
Three steps.
Travlack's sword reared back.
Four steps.
His mount sniffed the center of the blossom.
Five steps.
Unblinking eyes. Unwasted movement.
Six steps.
A clash of metal and chitin.
A screech from the capastra.
Travlack stood against the forearms of a full grown orchid mantis. The sudden realization of a predator spooked his mount, forcing it to run away in terror. Travlack saw himself a multitude of times in the multifaceted eyes of the mantis. It leaned closer, studying him with interest.
Was he an opponent?
Or food for the young?
That decision would be decided very soon.
The weight shifted. Travlack braced for another strike–
The mantis removed its forearms and stepped back. It glided back like a flower in the breeze, bringing its forearms in and down in front of its body.
Out of the corner of his eye Travlack saw the young from the flower shaped shells do the same. The air shifted with each row that followed suit, a wave of small heads all lowered in prayer.
Travlack felt compelled to do the same. Initially, he resisted the urge. The fear the mantis would strike warred with the urge to join in their meditation. Carefully, Travlack slid the tip of his sword into the ground with both hands.
The mantis bowed at the abdomen in obeisance. Its antenna slowly lowered in the same reverence, beckoning Travlack to follow suit.
He wanted to know why. If it was a duel it wanted, why not strike when it had the advantage? Why does it respect him so? Why did it–
The words of Jay echoed inside his head.
"Ask not why the mantis prays."
Travlack shut his eyes.
And did something he had not done since entering the forest.
He stopped listening.
Then lowered his head in prayer.
…
The ringing in his head was gone.
Even through the overuse of his ears.
Even through the bruise on his forehead.
His mind went completely still.
Travlack's ears softly fell at either side of his head, now obeying the direction of the wind.
…
The tension in the air ceased.
…
His eyes opened on their own.
Towering above him was the orchid mantis with arms raised above its head. Cautiously, Travlack raised his sword from the ground and raised it above his. He focused only on the slow measured breaths that caused his chest to rise and fall.
A sudden movement from its forearm.
One perfect cut downward that met the steel of Travlack's blade. He slid underneath and returned with a horizontal strike. A strike which the mantis effortlessly backstepped. Once more, it raised its forearms and waited.
This time Travlack struck first.
His thrust was met with a sidestep. The mantis brought both of its forearms down only to collide against the flat of Travlack's blade. Without looking, Travlack had raised it where he felt the mantis would counter.
The mantis stepped off and reset its posture.
Travlack turned around and did the same.
Clash.
Dodge.
Parry.
Again.
The mantis moved with unparalleled grace. The audience of its young swayed with the wind, mimicking its mother's movements.
Clash.
Dodge.
Parry.
Again.
Travlack's ears bounced in response to his movement. No longer were they forced to stand upright on alert. No longer did it lead him, but follow after.
Clash.
Dodge.
Parry.
Again.
Despite their movements, the ground remained virtually undisturbed. Their movements were calculated to such a degree that they hardly moved from where they started.
Clash.
He heard nothing but metal grinding against chitin.
Dodge.
Shift the leg. Bend at the body.
Parry.
Meet the strike. Return it back to the attacker.
Hold.
…
Travlack could hear his own breath now. Of the two, he was the only one running out of energy. A portion of his resonance still lay with Chrissy, who he hoped would be returning soon. The mantis requested more rounds from him–nay–it demanded it.
The mantis bobbed side to side, sufficiently roused by its challenger. Their audience in the bushes shifted back and forth mimicking their mother. Travlack prepared himself to endure the coming rounds.
Clash.
Dodge.
Parry.
Continue.
Travlack dropped to a knee. He stood anyway.
Clash.
Dodge.
Continue.
A scratch appeared along his arm. The mantis held its position, evaluating its own work.
Clash.
Continue.
He could feel his hair wetting with blood. Each defense grew less certain than the last.
Continue.
Another cut.
Continue.
He barely managed to swipe at it this time.
Continue.
Sloppy.
Continue.
Fatigued.
Continue.
Substandard.
Continue.
Gashes had appeared around his midsection. Blood ran down his arms and legs, forming small pools where he stood. The mantis held its arms above its head, waiting for Travlack to do the same.
Continue.
He grunted as he summoned the strength to breathe.
Continue.
His uniform was soaked with blood.
Continue.
His blade raised to the sky.
Continue.
Was this the extent of his power?
Travlack gripped the sword as if it was the last thing he had in this world.
Was this all he could do?
Blood from the handle dripped down onto his head and into his left eye.
Was this good enough?
The small membranes allowed the stream to run on his exposed eye and down to his cheek.
…
Was there more?
…
He could hear nothing but the sound of his own heart struggling to beat. The bloodshot pupils shook with concentration, forcing themselves to remain open. Air forced its way between his gritted tusks, causing him to tremble.
And yet.
He remained standing.
"Doc! ____! ____ over here!!"
Light purple drops of liquid fell to the ground. The mantis craned its neck into the air and backed up. Travlack remained focused despite his injuries.
The mantis locked eyes with him and contorted its body back near the center of the clearing.
"_____ _____ _ amber crested ____!"
Travlack watched it twist and bend. Seconds later all that remained was the large flower in the center of the bushes.
"____! Over _____! ____ ____ the ground!!"
Travlack lost his grip on his sword. It clattered on the ground behind him.
First his arms dropped.
Then his knees.
Then his head.
Before it hit the ground a furry hand caught him. He looked up to see ears larger than his standing on full alert. Through his fading vision, Travlack could make out the light brown coat of fur cradling him. Just to his left he saw the flickering of three large tails. A small figure shrouded in black.
"___! He's ____ _____ middle! _ ____ get ____!" said the light brown being.
"_____. ____ ____ _____ ______," responded the darkened savior.
The black from the corner of his eyes made their way to the center. Travlack passed out in the arms of their bristly coat.
___
The ringing in his head was back.
Travlack opened his eyes. What greeted him was a log ceiling. He could hear murmured voices coming from somewhere in the room. The injury in his torso prevented him from sitting up.
Despite this, he tried anyway.
Something slid off his chest.
He turned to see a giant mantis petal on the floor. Its amber crested edge reflecting the light that peered through a window.
"Lean back. You're going to undo my bandage work."
Travlack turned to his right.
The jet black figure stared at him with feline eyes. Their three tails swished back and forth, making a noise that clouded Travlack's head. He found himself complying before consciously choosing to do so.
"Good."
The figure closed their eyes. Within seconds the pitch black coat receded into their skin. There stood a small Igosi woman, twitching her ears in the same fashion Travlack did.
"Pulse is alright. Your breathing is strained but that's expected."
The moment Travlack opened his mouth to speak she raised a hand in protest.
"Save it. Heward!"
The being with the light brown coat jumped into view. Heward's bushy tail slowly flowed back and forth as he waited for an order.
"Hew, go tell his friends that he woke up. I'm going to begin my treatment."
"On it, Doc E," he saluted, "Glad we got to you in time. If I was any slower, and I never will be, you may have been a goner."
Heward hopped out of the room as fast as he came. Travlack watched Doctor E grab a cup from the counter and apply the contents onto his arm. His lips had barely moved before she spoke again.
"No talking. This just helps make this next part taste better."
Doctor E scanned his arm in her hands.
"You're going to feel a little bite. Try to relax."