The Insect Hordes

Jant stood watching the river of Insects washing past. A sea of alien heads bobbing and rushing onwards, twisted mandibles visible to Rhydanne eyes even from this lofty tower. There were so many, too many, as if someone had thrust a stick into a hornet’s nest and brought forth the whole angry swarm.

He heard a familiar footstep behind him. ‘Hello, Saker.’ Lightning did not answer but stepped up beside him before leaning out over the battlements, ancient hands resting on ancient stone. The light of the setting sun highlighted the lines on his face; his grey mail seemed almost one with the grey masonry. Jant fancied that he was a gargoyle, hewn out of the rock, old as the mountains. Certainly the Archer was older than the keep on which he stood. Jant shuddered, not with the cold. ‘Ever seen anything like this before?’

Lightning watched the tide of Insects breaking around the walls. It had washed over the outer defences but couldn’t penetrate the tall curtain walls. The lack of noise was deafening: only the tumbling of small rocks down the valley side and the scrape of chitin upon chitin broke the dusk silence; the Insects even trod without sound. ‘No, Comet…’

Lightning straightened, unslinging his bow in the same action. Before Jant could protest he had shot down into the waves below.

‘Will you stop that?’

‘Why? It’s one Insect fewer.’

Jant gestured in exasperation towards the oncoming hordes, still stretching as far as he could see. ‘As if that makes any difference! There are more of them than there are arrows in the armoury! We’re safe! They haven’t tried to attack once – they’re ignoring us!’

Lightning turned. ‘Galling, isn’t it? This many at Slake Cross and there’d be no Empire now. This many now and they just charge to death in the mountains. Your goat-molesting kin will be able to unearth them in the spring thaw for the next millennia.’

Jant shook his head. ‘I’ve never seen them behave like this before. It makes no sense.’

‘I’ve never seen them behave like this before. Two thousand years and I’ve never seen so many Insects as in the past two days. Yes, it scares me. Is that what you wanted to hear, Comet? I doubt even San knows what to do. That they can afford to waste so many warriors… they’ve never been so stupid before. They could crush us but don’t even care that we’re here. Lowespass isn’t a fortress, it’s a prison.’

Jant noticed Lightning had been compulsively tracing his scar throughout his speech. He decided not to reply. A mountain breeze caught his feathers and a shiver ran through him as he folded them back behind him. ‘That’s it. I’ve had enough of being in this hole. I’m going.’

‘Where?’

‘To the Castle.’ Jant dived off the battlements.

‘Come back now, Comet!’ bellowed Lightning. His voice echoed around the peaks, making more sound than the army passing below. They didn’t hear him either. He nocked another arrow and loosed it into the mass below. It was a perfect shot; he saw the Insect die instantly but its fellows still took no notice, trampling over the corpse as they did over the boulders. The Archer snorted with exasperation and retreated back down the stairwell.