Antelligent Design

101. Angry Lizard Wizard

Once the Gravity Bomb spends itself and fades into nothing, I sprint away. I’d been playing this game with the mage attendants for hours now, and this is the first time I actually managed to destroy one.

A little nervous at the potential wrath of the Ka’armodo, I decide to get the heck out of there.

[Get your people back, Isaac!] I shout at my human associate.

I feel him acknowledge my words, and continue to sprint into the hills to the southeast of the horde where I’d left Tiny and Crinis.

Isaac and I had spent the last day engaged in the hit and run strategy the colony had begun to employ, and we’ve had good success. The humans will use their bows to pick off monsters from range, and if any monsters detach from the main force, they kite back and engage them with spears, keeping themselves in the clear. For my part, I used acid and my mandibles to inflict bits and pieces of damage.

The pace we’re thinning the horde is worrying, not to mention the poor experience I’m getting from chomping away at these monsters.

I’d previously decided not to hold back and go loud. Which meant charging up Gravity Bombs and hurling them into the horde. Naturally, this meant I started destroying monsters at a rather accelerated pace. In fact, so quickly, there has been a fairly swift response from the other side. The attendants had shown up and began to appear whenever I jumped up and spat one of my localized black holes of death. Using their shield technique, they’ve been able to absorb the spell and break it apart before it could land and cause more damage, whilst also trying to fry me at range with their elemental magic.

Thus, a game of cat and mouse began. Where I tried various methods to surprise them and get my Gravity Bombs to punch through their defences, and they worked to anticipate my movements and be in the right place at the right time. I haven’t been too mad about it, since it means the bulk of the attendants are busy chasing me down and don’t have time to fend off the ongoing skirmishes of the colony. I may have been unable to kill as many monsters as I wanted, but the soldier caste has been hard at work fighting, and many monsters have bitten the dust, I’m sure.

Finally, in order to break the stalemate, I’d been forced to unleash my ace in the hole. The most potent Gravity Bomb I could make. One that finally netted me a mage attendant. If we could remove those mages from the equation entirely, it’d make this whole process a lot simpler. They’ve been cagey though. Always moving together in groups.

[How did it go, Master?] Crinis asks.

[Plan went off without a hitch. Only one of them got caught by the bomb, unfortunately.]

[The least they deserve is death by crushing for daring to attack you, Master. If I ever get a tentacle on them, I’d…]

Crinis didn’t finish the thought, so consumed with rage was she. She even extended a few tentacles and was violently twisting them in the air, rending imaginary slave mages to pieces.

[One down, plenty to go. No need to tie yourself into a knot about it. They’re trying to kill us. We’re trying to kill them. Standard day here on Pangera, from my experience.]

It was true. Sapient or non-sapient, everything I’d come across was either interested in killing me or something else. Except Formo of the Sophos. He’s a good dude. If I manage to survive this business with Garralosh, then I’ll have to spend some time tracking down the Sophos colony and say hi. Formo didn’t seem too interested in my death and they would make incredible allies. The information they could provide the Core Shapers alone would be priceless!

[You’ve kicked the plop pile right hard!] That was Isaac trotting toward us. [The horde is stirring something fierce. I think it’s goin’ ta be best to lay low for a time.]

[Any sign of movement from the Ka’armodo?] I ask.

[Not that I saw,] he says with a frown. [But I didn’t want to get too close. An angry, centuries-old lizard mage ain’t exactly somethin’ I want to get up’n personal with.]

[You make a good point,] I mutter.

I hastily check my core. Getting a touch low. Firing off all these bombs certainly put a strain on the core as my Gravitational Magic Gland continues to pull energy from it in order to top up.

[Might be time for a tactical retreat. Let things simmer down and take a moment to rest and refuel. How are your people holding up, Isaac?]

The former town guard grimaced. [They’re wrecked. A kip and a hot meal would go over well.]

[Right then. You get to a safe distance and set up a camp somewhere south. We’ll head back to the forward nest and rest up. Don’t act on your own, we’ll find you.]

Isaac nods and turns to speak to his group.

[Fight?] Tiny asks hopefully.

[No. Rest,] I tell him.

The giant ape ponders that, then begrudgingly agrees. If he wasn’t going to fight, then a nap was the next best thing.

Trying to remain behind the cover of the hills, my pets and I circle around to the front of the horde, making sure to keep a safe distance. I want to let the rest of the colony know what happened as quickly as possible. Certainly before I retreat to charge up, just in case.

As it happened, I bump into a larger group of ants led by the most energetic soldier of them all.

“Hi-hi, senior!” Vibrant cheers, hopping from one set of legs to the other. “How are you doing on your side?”

“Not too bad,” I admit, not wanting to prompt Vibrant into a longer conversation. “I did have something I wanted to mention.”

“Oh? Did something big happen? It’s been the same old, same old over here. We’re just running in and out over and over again so much I’m getting dizzy. I’m tired, but hey! It beats not doing anything. I wish I could get more Biomass, though. I’m hungry. Are you hungry? Why is there a cloud over your head?”

“What?” I gape.

She was right. A hundred metres over my head, a cloud was rapidly forming. Way too rapidly.

“Run for it! The big lizard is making a move!” I bellow.

After a moment’s hesitation, the ants scatter in every direction, sprinting to safety.

That’s when the lightning came down.

Boom!

A lance of destruction spears the ground next to me, sending a shower of hot dirt into the air that thuds into my carapace.

Holy moly!

Boom!

I leap to the left, but not fast enough. The blinding light explodes in the sky above and my vision fails for a second. When it comes back, there’s a large ape with smoke rising from his fur standing over me.

[Tiny!] I shout.

[Run!] he growls.

Good call! My legs scrabble in the dirt as I accelerate and sprint away from the horde.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The rain of lightning continues to fall.