In hindsight, cutting south through a part of the forest known to be inhabited by dangerous animals was a poor decision. At the time, I had figured that I'd be able to sneak my way through without trouble.
And so, here I am. Sneaking through the forest. After I had moved away from the river, the canopy had thickened rapidly - the gloom made it difficult to navigate on sight alone. Thankfully, I at least had an advantage in that respect - without the bugs giving me the shape of the ground, I would undoubtedly have attracted the attention of something by stumbling about blindly.
The cries of the creatures of the forest had only gotten louder over the past hour or so. While I hadn't been confronted by anything yet, a part of me suspected that it was only a matter of time.
A shrill screech pierces the din of the forest. The harmonious buzz of insect wings intensified. The screech was matched by a deeper battlecry. Another animal fight? It sounded like it was dead ahead - nearby, too.
I begin moving more cautiously. Perhaps this would offer more insight into the capabilities of the native animals? Before long, I spot the things responsible. Another one of the blue beetles I had seen yesterday, and another similarly sized bug I hadn't seen yet. This one was yellow and black, and almost looked like a caricature - a fusion of human and bee. It's abdomen was flared wide, like a dress. It had a pair of short arms and even shorter wings, and yet, the insect remained afloat, keeping it's distance from the beetle.
The two were fighting in a clearing. In the middle was a shattered yellow mound, reaching into the sky, about the height of a person - a hive? Honey was leaking from the holes in the structure - it must be.
The floor of the clearing was littered with the corpses of strange insects. They looked like a trio hexagonal honeycomb cells stuck together with a pair of wings and a set of faces attached. More of the blue beetles were unmoving on the ground, too. Buzzing about the clearing were a handful more of the honeycomb insects, but nothing in comparison to the numbers dead.
Despite its mobility advantage, the large flying insect was clearly on the back foot - the blue beetle was rushing about, covered in a strange white energy that gave it's tackles an unerring accuracy. A Breaker power? Thinker?
The flying insect wasn't defenseless, however. It was hitting back with a Blaster power - shining stones seemingly made from energy were thrown at the beetle, scoring it's carapace with each hit.
What should I do? Run away? Move closer to observe with my power? Join in?
I mean, the animals in this dimension appear to be rather intelligent - perhaps I could use this as an opportunity to recruit one? Yeah - that might work. Neither seem particularly fast - if things go pear-shaped, I think that I'd be able to just leg it without much trouble.
Which one should I help, though? The beetle? They look to be the aggressor here - do I want to gamble that I'll be able to handle that aggression? I don't think so. The bee, then.
I draw my knife, remembering what I had learned from watching it yesterday. It's carapace was tough - no way I'd be breaking through it with this. There was weak points, through - the eyes, the seams in its shell, the joints.
I sneak closer, and the pair enter my range. My eyebrows shoot up - the abdomen of the flying insect was hollow, and filled to the brim with bees. That's… I don't know what to think about that, actually. Could this creature control bees?
It doesn't matter right now. My costume should provide protection if it decides to turn the bees on me.
The back of the beetle faced towards me. The flying one notices me, but is preoccupied trying to break free from the beetle's grapple. I move, closing the short distance in a few strides. I reverse my grip on the knife and jam it into the beetle's right eye from behind.
The beetle rears backwards, screeching, it's grapple forgotten. Ocular fluid leaks down the beetle's side, its ruined eye deflated, like a balloon popped. I leap backwards as the beetle thrashes, leaving my knife behind.
The flying one takes the opportunity, finally managing to get some distance from the beetle. The beetle turns to face me, it's former target forgotten. It rushes, aiming to impale me on it's horn. The charge was clumsy, and I step aside, my kick striking it's back as it passes.
The blow was enough to unbalance the beetle, and it topples over, face first. It lets out another furious screech as the knife was driven further into its head with the fall. The flying insect fires off more of it's Blaster power, the shining stones scoring the carapace on its back.
The beetle scrambles to its feet, it's face in a rictus of hate. Absently, I note how strange it is for insects to have facial expressions, but I push the thought to the side as it is wreathed in the same white energy it had attacked the flying one in.
I leap to the side, trying to avoid the tackle, but the beetle manages to tag me anyway. I'm sent sprawling by the blow, pain flaring dully in the hip that had taken the strike. That'll leave a bruise. The beetle follows through, ignoring the stones raining down on it's back, and moves over to me. I scramble to get some distance, but the creatures claws clamp down around my upper arms, my legs sprawled out under me.
Shit - grappled by a Brute. Sloppy. I'm too used to having a cloud of insects around me.
The creature's grip is indomitable - my struggles futile. My forearms unable to get any sort of meaningful leverage on the creature. The beetle begins to pull, and my eyes widen - it's planning to tear my arms off! I try to get my footing again, but my feet don't have enough traction on the loamy ground to push myself free from the creature's grip.
The flying insect is no help - it's attacks seemingly ineffective.
My eyes are drawn to my knife. Only half of the length of the blade had actually gone into the creature's head. The other half stuck out.
Seizing the opportunity, I desperately slam my masked forehead into the handle, over and over. By the second strike, I felt my left arm pop, my shoulder dislocated. The pain was manageable. I'd faced far worse before.
On the fourth strike, something broke, and the knife was driven in all the way. The beetle drops dead, like a puppet with its strings cut.
The flying insect approaches, wringing its hands. I ignore it for now, bracing myself to relocate my arm. I pop it back into place with a practiced motion, letting loose a grunt. I turn towards the bee.
It's face looks… worried?
It makes a noise, something not unlike a violin being played poorly, accompanied by a buzz. Was it trying to say something?
I frown. "Can you understand me?"
It nods, making another noise, different to the first. I pay attention to my power, this time. Yes - it's definitely speaking. I can't understand it though. Does it have it's own language?
It continues making noises, tittering back and forth in the air. A sharp, shooting, pain breaks my concentration and I grasp my head. A moan escapes my lips and a full-on migraine makes itself known.
Another thinker headache? But I wasn't even trying to use my power this time!
Abruptly, it stops. I gasp for air, relieved.
"-Human? Are you hurt?" The voice's volume lowers to a mutter "Oh, please be okay. What should I do? I don't know how to fix humans!"
A voice - the same sounds as before, except now they made sense. Did… my passenger just do something? My power didn't feel any different… except, now I can understand the bee.
Can you hear me, passenger? Did you do this?
No response.
I push my worries aside and turn to face the bee. "I'm… okay, I think. Just a headache."
It stops tittering. "You- You can understand me! How?! No, that doesn't matter right now - you were hurt! Helping defend my hive!"
A strained smile crosses my face, hidden by my mask. "Really, I'll be fine. My name's…" I stop, considering. I suppose there's no harm in using my actual name. "...Taylor. Pleased to meet you." Even under my mask, I put on my best PR smile.