A/N: Sorry this took a little longer than expected; editing things is as hard as writing from scratch!

Date: 11/26/11 (edited April 19 2020)


Chapter 7: Danger in the Swamp

"Something's coming. It doesn't feel right." Nausicaa had frozen in her tracks, nervously scanning her surroundings. Pain, confusion, anger, and distress had intrusively entered her mind; the thoughts did not sound human in origin. Sometimes she was thankful to be able to eavesdrop on insect minds, but other times it was bewildering and frustrating to hear their brutish emotions. This one didn't seem to rage like an ohmu, but it certainly was no happy, harmless dragonfly.

"What is it?" Tersa asked anxiously, also becoming exceedingly alert.

"It sounds like an insect; but something's wrong." Was all she could say. Asbel noticed her breathing had accelerated and she looked increasingly uneasy. How on earth did she know all of that, when he couldn't hear a thing? Suddenly Nausicaa snapped her head to the right and stared laser-straight in one direction; her gaze seemed to pierce through the trees of the Swamp.

"Coming from there." She hissed under her breath. All joined her in straining their eyes for the slightest signs of movement.

A leaf stirred. The ground began shaking unevenly, sending sudden rumbles through the trees. Spores dropped in synchronized waves.

"Nausicaa, this one may be dangerous." Lord Yupa warned, as the disturbances came with increasing magnitude and frequency. He knew the Princess would undoubtedly try to save it; and indeed she could charm nearly every multi-legged creature to peaceful obedience. But seeing as they were only five people in total, he worried for the team's safety if the insect were to be obstinately angry.

First, the glint of a red eye pierced through the trees, then an antenna, then an intimidating segmented leg... Finally a beetle-like creature, nearly twice as tall as the average human, armed with an abundance of spikes on its head and body, emerged in front of them. The group watched in mortified silence as it stumbled into trees multiple times, heavily tossing its head left and right. Slowly but surely, it migrated towards the humans in a wayward fashion.

Nausicaa's heart stopped when the beetle swerved enough for her to see the right side of its head. The eye, beautifully clear and iridescent, had been brutally skewered in the center with a spear. Someone must have ruthlessly stabbed the man-made weapon into the exoskeleton, blinding the poor animal and leaving it in pain even as it was desperately trying to dislodge it. Indignation rose within her at the gruesome sight.

"Who would do such a terrible thing!" she whispered, disgusted. The creature was now about twenty feet away from them, wings fluttering and teeth chattering anxiously. Nausicaa waited for the right time to approach it. When she heard it vow for revenge against humans, she stepped forward to address the creature.

"I'm so sorry," she coaxed sympathetically. "Please let us help you." The animal seemed to glare at her, refusing to quiet; it loathed the violent human race. While the others automatically retreated to avoid aggravating the creature any further, Asbel came alongside Nausicaa, clearly concerned for her safety. Why she would try to reason with an angry insect was beyond him, but he was more worried about her safety than her mental sanity at this point.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He hissed to Nausicaa under his breath, one hand already on his sword hilt. "At this rate it's going to attack; what are you going to do then?"

"It won't," she replied in a whisper. "I just need to get it to trust me."

But before she could even pull out her insect whistle out of her pocket, it lunged forward, frightening the duo a few steps back. Eyes converted to an intense red color, teeth chattered loudly and angrily. The man instinctively put an arm out to protect the girl. She seemed rather insistent on confronting the animal, so he quickly decided to wrangle with it first, to assess how wounded this bug was and what fighting skills it possessed. For now distraction was key; he would lead it away so Nausicaa had time to figure out the next steps.

"Alright, you absolutely need to spar, don't you? Fine then!" He shouted defiantly, stepping forward to grab its attention. "Come on, you one-eyed pin cushion! Let's have a chase!"

The animal may have been partially blind, but it was not deaf. Hearing the overt hostility from Asbel, the beetle directed its attention to pursue the man, who was already disappearing into the trees. Nausicaa cursed under her breath and sprinted after him.

"Keep your distance for now!" She hollered behind her at the remaining three observers. The girl was frustrated; if only she had a few more seconds to pull out her hypnotic worm-flute! It didn't matter now; perhaps Asbel could take the bug for a run to let off some steam. But she worried immensely for his safety, and for the creature foolishly running after him with a spear still stuck in its eye...


Asbel was now tearing through the trees, with a giant beetle following him around. How did he end up being chased by an angry insect? This was going to have to end somehow; either he lose the insect, or turn around and fight the thing. Feeling tired, he knew he couldn't keep running forever. Upon looking ahead he realized he didn't have much of a choice: a long stretch of a rock formation cornered him. Panting heavily, he stopped and turned around to face the creature. The beetle, now noticeably fatigued, had slowed down and was thudding towards Asbel. The man drew his sword and was ready to fight when he heard Nausicaa's voice.

"No! Stop this!" She yelled, out of breath as she reached them. The moment they began fighting she would lose her chance to appease the animal.

"Asbel put your sword down!" She commanded, then leaped in to stand between him and the insect. Dread filled his soul as the beetle began blindly thrashing its horns left and right. Without a second thought Nausicaa pushed Asbel to the side, and began spinning the insect charm as quickly as she could.

"Nausicaa!" He seriously began to doubt the girl's sanity as she faced the wild creature with no more than a whistling tube on a string. The girl ducked and dodged the attacks while continuing to back away, until she was merely inches from the rocky wall. Asbel sprang to his feet ready to help her but she motioned for him to stop.

"Stay where you are!" She ordered as she narrowly dodged another swipe of an insect horn. Asbel didn't know whether feel terrified for her safety or frustrated at her stubbornness.

"Would you just calm down!" She scolded the animal. Knowing it felt vulnerable, she decided to move into full view of the beetle. Still dodging the swinging spikes, the princess repositioned herself away from the wall and in front of its uninjured eye, allowing the giant insect to see her clearly. She gazed quietly into its face, waiting for the bug to compose itself under influence of the charm.

"We're not going to hurt you." She pronounced slowly, watching the thrashing gradually subside. The creature told her that humans had ambushed and attacked him for no reason; he needed to take revenge! Nausicaa sent it a sympathetic, almost motherly look.

"I know you've been hurt, but killing a human won't fix your eye." She gently reasoned. The insect didn't know how to remove the spear; it had been trying for days.

"Please let me help you," she pleaded. Asbel was absolutely dumbfounded when the insect obliged, its metallic eyes reverting from bright red to dull brown. Nausicaa slowly circled around the beetle's head towards the injury, her worm flute still spinning in her other hand and humming the animal into a trance.

"I promise to make this quick," She whispered, inching towards the eye. Slowly she raised her hand to touch the spear, then carefully tightened her grip. After taking a deep breath she forcefully pulled on the handle. The beetle shrieked in pain as the spear slowly twisted out, and Nausicaa tumbled backwards. Asbel helped her up but she didn't seem to notice; she quickly returned to the insect, worried about the wound. A couple spurts of clear yellow fluid oozed out of the defect. Nausicaa reached out but worried about touching such a sensitive part of the insect; she paused and looked at the animal first. When she heard the beetle calmly agree, she smiled and carefully inspected the wound.

"It's not too deep; wait for it to clot." She informed it. "You will probably never regain vision there, but the outside should heal."

The bug leaned towards her, and an antenna curled around her arm. With a smile Nausicaa lifted her arm, allowing the feeler to twine around her hand. She closed her eyes; the insect thanked her profusely for showing kindness.

"You're welcome. Don't seek revenge;" She counseled. "Hate will blind you more than any spear." Slowly the insect withdrew the antenna and hauled itself up. It looked at Nausicaa one last time before wheeling around and trudging away.


"Nausicaa!" Asbel's voice called out to her concernedly when the animal had finally left.

"Asbel!" Suddenly she remembered the poor Pejite had run nearly a mile to get here. A visibly exhausted, worried man dashed towards her; hands reached out and took hold of her arms.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asked anxiously.

"I'm fine; you?" Nausicaa replied, but he didn't even answer her question.

"Thank goodness." He sighed, relieved. Then he sent her a cold, irritated glare.

"That was dangerous! Why would you jump in like that?" He reprimanded, his voice now simmering in anger.

"You were cornered!" She protested.

"You scared me to death!" He hissed with resentment. "At least you could have thought of a better way to intercept - without getting skewered by an insect horn!"

"I didn't have time to figure out a strategy - you were about to be stabbed yourself!" The girl snapped; couldn't he at least show some gratitude for saving his life? "Besides, that's not the first time I've jumped in front of an enraged insect."

The man was unwilling to back down; she had been very thoughtless and she didn't show the slightest remorse for it.

"If you had gotten hurt, imagine how much guilt I would feel!" He barked bitterly, trying to make her understand.

"No, you don't need to feel guilty when it was my choice!" Nausicaa countered, voice unyielding and brown eyes defiant. "You would have done the same if you were in my position."

"What I would have done is irrelevant. Don't be that reckless again." he rebuked strongly.

"Asbel-" she began in annoyance but was abruptly cut off.

"No, I mean it! I can't risk losing you too." He urged emphatically; his hands grasped her shoulders tightly to prove a point.

Nausicaa fell silent, slightly taken aback. She searched his eyes and saw he was being earnest; fear still lingered in the hazel depths, leaving him frazzled.

To be honest, even he hadn't realized just how precious she was to him, not until he verbalized it. Being pursued by a raging insect was terrifying enough, but watching Nausicaa nearly get killed was much worse. The man hastily tightened the reign on his emotions and sighed, stepping away slightly.

"I just - I can't see you get hurt. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself." The hard edge in his voice had melted away, leaving it strained and tired as it floated to her. He hadn't intended to tell her this much; but it was the truth.

Nausicaa's heart swelled within her; her temper quieted and she felt apologetic for causing him so much worry. When emotion was overwrought she found hugs to be a comforting remedy; whether or not the other party liked hugs she usually didn't care. Carefully she slipped her arms around his shoulders, which surprised the man for a moment. He gratefully accepted the contact, wrapping his arms tightly around her, and heaved another quiet sigh. She was alive and safe, after all. The embrace lingered for a moment longer, and gradually Nausicaa drew away.

"I'm sorry I scared you." She soothed, restraining her desire to reach out and touch his face. "But that definitely won't be the last time I face angry insects. I understand them and can handle them better than anyone across these lands; you know that." Her sweet voice gently persuaded and pacified feelings of unrest within him.

The man frowned at the thought of her audacious lifestyle, but respected her values and choices. He only wished he wouldn't have to feel this tortured every time danger came her way. He reluctantly nodded in understanding.

"Just be more careful; please." He implored quietly, his voice a low rumble.

"I will." She reassured him. Presently she realized he was tenderly cradling her hand in his. The man absent-mindedly rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand a few times, then stopped when he realized what he was doing. A hint of a smile graced her lips; she was beginning to catch a glimpse of his softhearted side.

"You have knack for attracting enraged insects; they seem to gravitate towards you." She teased him gently.

"Not my fault." Came his terse reply. Nausicaa chuckled softly.

"Shall we head back, to find the rest of the crew?" She suggested. Asbel nodded, still a little tired out from everything.

In silence she gently tugged Asbel back in the direction they came. They didn't let go of each other's hand for most of the trek back; but neither of them seemed to mind.


Back on the airship, the travelers rested briefly before lifting off to their next destination. All had felt hope reignite in their hearts, now that they had received concrete instructions to complete their mission. The group planned to stop at the small town nearby, to refuel and replenish supplies before heading towards Merinth in search of the Mulsa plant.

Jarel's behavior seemed to change ever so slightly after their three-day adventure in the Swamp. Most of the crew did not notice much of a difference, but Tersa and Nausicaa could tell something was amiss. Normally he was energetic and talkative, but he seemed just a little bit quieter, as if something troubled him. Nausicaa hazarded a guess but couldn't be certain; Tersa had no doubts that the interactions between Asbel and Nausicaa were bothering him.

The Valley boy wasn't one to be consumed by jealousy, and was in fact quite mature about these things, despite the childlike, playful exterior. He registered in himself that he might be a little unhappy about it, but he was not impudent enough to react negatively or cause a scene. However, he had no intention of sitting idly on the sidelines while watching Asbel snatch the girl he held so near and dear to his heart. One day Asbel was piloting with him in the cabin when Jarel took the opportunity to confront the Pejite to know if he had designs on Nausicaa.

"You seem to be pretty close with Nausicaa," the pilot piped up casually.

"Yeah I suppose," Asbel replied thoughtfully. "We've been through a lot together." Blue eyes regarded him skeptically. The way he hovered around her in the Swamp could not be simply explained by having shared experiences.

"Do you like her?" He asked rather bluntly. They were the only two in the cabin; might as well get to the point. Asbel frowned at the abruptness of the question.

"I don't think that's any of your business." He replied defensively, noting the sharp turn in the conversation.

"It's absolutely my business..." He explained, "...because I've liked her for many years now," Jarel declared plainly; the Pejite regarded him with a glance cold enough to put the Valley under 6 feet of snow. Silence reigned for several seconds as Asbel searched his own heart.

"Do you intend to pursue her?" He asked again; the Pejite grew annoyed at him. Why was Jarel acting like an aggressive explorer trying to stake out his territory in the wilderness?

"Maybe." Asbel replied with complete honesty, and could almost see the Valley boy internally rolling his eyes. "And you? Have you told her how you felt?" He retorted, finally throwing a question back at him.

"I've never told her directly but I think I might have to now, before I lose the chance." The walnut-haired boy responded.

"I think we should let her decide."

"Of course we will," The Valley boy laughed. "There's two of us and one of her. She's hardly one to sit still like some sort of trophy prize." Silence again passed between them, before Jarel spoke again.

"She actually seems to like you- a lot more than I would prefer." a statement which boosted the Pejite's pride. "It won't stop me from trying to make a move on her though."

"Regardless, if you're not serious about her then you should keep your distance," Jarel declared, then warned: "If you dare play with her feelings and hurt her later, I won't forgive you." Hazel eyes seemed to be sending many death glares to his co-pilot today.

"You think I'd toy with her heart?" Asbel snapped. "She saved my life, and I hers. She means more to me than you will ever know." He growled assertively; Jarel raised an eyebrow at his conviction. The man almost felt like competing with him about who treasured her more, but he held himself back; they were still steering a plane after all.

"Like you said, she'll be the one to decide." At least the two men were in agreement on that.


A/N: spiky beetles do exist, I checked! Look up spiny leaf beetle. :) They're quite adorable really; then again I've always loved insects.