Fated Antagonist

53. Wriggle and Worm

The hot air of the third stratum burned against his skin, and Jim cursed as his tender flesh seared in the open air. He wasn’t built to be exposed like this, which was probably why they demanded he come out of the protective soil for this discussion.

The demon city of Arkesh loomed high overhead, the five tiers of plates disappearing in the smoke and ash far above. He shuddered and the rings that made up his long form coiled and twisted uncomfortably.

Now that he’d revealed himself fully, forced to writhe in pain, the three ka’armodo who awaited him at the base of the pillar stepped forward, accompanied by their attendants.

Without preamble, the combined weight of their minds slammed into him, smashing his thoughts aside in the most brutal way possible. If he had any illusions as to how high he was held in their regard, then this deliberate, crude intrusion would make them clear.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, depending on the perspective, Jim was under no illusions as to what the ka’armodo thought of him. To them, he was a tool, nothing more, nothing less. He viewed them in much the same way, and if it helped him achieve his goals, then he would gladly suffer some indignities. After all, hadn’t he lived imprisoned by the golgari for years? Compared to that, rough treatment from the giant, sentient lizards was nothing.

[We have protected you, as we promised we would,] the lead ka’armodo declared. [This is evidence enough of our sincerity, I am sure?]

Jim wanted to snort and scoff at the ridiculousness of that statement. Protect him? They’d very nearly left him for dead! If he hadn’t slithered directly toward their city, they may well have let that idiot, Anthony, catch him! But he couldn’t do that. The ka’armodo were touchy when it came to questioning their morals, regardless of how questionable they were.

[I am very grateful for your protection,] he said, using the power of his mind to find a little more balance within his own head, shoving the intrusive presence back just a smidge. [I would also like to think that my efforts have also served to more clearly demonstrate the threat that the Colony represents. I hope the old ones will be more receptive to my warnings now?]

The three lizards watched him lazily as their servants stood to attention around them. It was so difficult to read a ka’armodo; their faces almost never moved. If they wanted to, they could stand perfectly still for days at a time, their bodies not shifting position in the slightest. It was an unnerving sight.

[We are still unconvinced that the danger is as great as you suggest,] the ka’armodo to the left told him, breaking into the conversation. [We have heard dire warnings, but until now, we have seen and heard little of this ‘Colony.’ A single ant, no matter how powerful, is of little concern to us.]

So stupid. Despite the pain he was in, Jim was reminded of the human gesture he might have engaged in so long ago, slapping a palm against his forehead. He no longer had palms, or a forehead, but the sentiment remained. How could they be so foolish?

[If a single ant can become so powerful, reaching tier six, with multiple tier six pets…]

He left the thought hanging, trying to allow the supposedly aged and wise ka’armodo to fill in the blanks on their own.

[Are you trying to suggest there are thousands of such creatures? All ants, with a comparable level of strength?]

The tone of the thoughts was loaded with derision.

[No,] he quickly denied, [but given enough time, they will be able to amass resources at a speed that will shock you. I have been inside their nest, I know how fast they work. By now, there will be tens of thousands of them, hundreds of thousands maybe. They can spread over an enormous amount of Dungeon and funnel resources to a few individuals. Surely, you see the threat?]

[These are all future concerns, far off and theoretical. Little to justify our continued efforts to protect you now.]

If he had any teeth, he would have gritted them in frustration. These damned lizards were such an unwieldly and slow instrument to work with! When his betrayal of the Colony failed, when the golgari and Legion had fallen short of eliminating the pest, he’d despaired of ever being able to pry Sarah away from the insects who pushed her to the edge of her sanity in their own defence. They were far too on guard for him to ever be able to approach the nest again, no matter how hard he tried, so he had been forced to watch and wait, something he was well used to doing.

When the Colony expanded to the third stratum, he felt he might finally have a chance. He knew that land in the third was more heavily contested than it was in the second, so all he had to do was try and find some of the ant’s new neighbours and give them a nudge. The empire of the great lizards, the Dune Kingdom, seat of the old ones, had been a perfect target. Too proud to ever settle to treat monsters as equals, a conflict with the Colony was inevitable. All he had to do was provide a spark.

[They have already conquered Orpule. That makes two cities that have fallen to the Colony in a matter of weeks. It won’t be long before they come here. I predict you will begin to see scouts poking at the edges of your territory in a few days, perhaps less.]

They certainly would be here, looking for him, but the ka’armodo didn’t need to know that.

If only he hadn’t reached out to Sarah in that moment, then Anthony and the Colony would still have no idea he was here, and there would surely have come a better chance to reach her. He was confident that if he just had a minute to talk to her, a little time to explain himself, then she would see things as he saw them. The Colony would destroy her in the end, he was certain of it.

But with him, he could protect her, keep her safe from herself.

[Your warnings are dire, but we are yet to see sufficient evidence. If you wish to continue to enjoy our protection, then you should honour your end of the bargain. Continue to be our eyes on this Colony, track their movements. If they seek conflict with the ka’armodo as you claim, they will learn how foolish it is to wage war against the timeless sands.]

Sensing the dismissal, Jim gratefully rolled his lengthy form and dove once more beneath the crust of the plains. Though the rock was hot, the air was even more so, and he was grateful to be shielded from it. He would return to the lands of the Colony, though he would have to be doubly careful.

He was confident the tinder had already been lit. All he had to do was be patient, then he would get his chance.