Chapter 2

Second Precept of Zote: Luck exists. Whether or not you believe that, I've seen to many signs of it to believe otherwise. And you need to remember that. And you need to know what your luck is like . . . and when you can, and can't trust it.

"AAAA, COME ON, REACH! REACH, DARN IT! I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT! THERE IS NO WAY I'M LOOSING TO SOMETHING WITH A THIRD OF MY HIT POINTS!"

"Munch-munch-munch-munch-munch-"

Anyone who happened to be in the upper-reached of Green-path that day would have bee treated to a rather odd sight. A relatively small bug with mismatched horns, currently clutched in the mandibles of a massive Vengefly, who was erratically trying to stab over their shoulder with a wooden nail in a vane attempt to strike the monster in the eye.

"REACH DARN YOU! WHY WON'T YOU REACH?! My destiny for some longer arms, I swear-REACH!" I shrieked at myself, trying to twist myself backwards, only to be foiled by the rigidness of my own shell. Finally, after one last desperate backwards thrust, I slumped over in the monsters jaws, letting myself relax and contemplate for a minute.

"Hmm . . . It would seem that the same mighty shell that protects me from your vicious jaws also prevents me from retaliating against you," I mused to the larger, non-sentient insect. "I suppose that means I'll have to wait for the knight, then." I sighed. "Brilliant. Who knows when they'll show up."

"I mean, I know I'll still be alive when they show up, but honestly! They can come help me at any point before getting the mantis claw! In real time, that probably means I could be stick here for days! Waiting! . . . I don't suppose your at all keen to giving up and going of to find something softer?"

"Munch-munch-munch-munch-munch-"

" . . . I'll take that as a no, then?"

"Munch-munch-munch-munch-munch-"

" . . . That's what I thought. Welp, back to trying to stab you in the eyes! Go! Life-Ender!"

I once again began my squirming and wriggling, hoping that I might be able to turn enough to reach the so called "kings" eye-socket. I tried everything. Twisting, thrashing, trying to turn in it's jaws when it relaxed it's jaw so it could tighten again in it's chewing. I even tried jabbing it with my horns. Bit it seemed that my body just wasn't flexible enough, at least when it came to bending backwards. Still, I remained utterly focused on my resistance.

So much so I only noticed the knight when they hopped up besides me and SLAMMED it between the eye's with their nail! Next thing I knew, I was flopping unto the ground like a wet, discarded towel. "OW! Give a bug some warning!"

I hauled myself back up to my feet(was there a different name for bug-feet? I didn't know . . .), grumbling all the while. I dusted myself off, only to realize I'd dropped "Life-Ender" when I fell. I glanced around, looking for the wooden nail, but the only other thing on the platform was the knight, who was currently dancing out of the Vengefly-king's way like a bullfighter dodging an angry bovine.

"Did it fall of the edge?" I muttered, crawling over the side of the platform closest to me and looking down. Unfortunately it was relatively dark down their, and Life-ENder was a similar shade of grey to the stone. "I can't see anything . . . maybe the ot-thee-r-whooa!"

Something bumped into my back, and I found myself loosing my balance, teetering on the edge, only one foot on the ground, arms cartwheeling like a wind-catcher in a hurricane as I tried to regain my centre. Finally, with a harsh backwards flick of my head, I managed to get both feet back under me and return to a stable position. 'Ok, now I just need to step back carefully and-' "Boom!"

Something crashed into the platform, and the stone I was standing on fell away. "GAAAAAA!" I once again fell to the ground, bounced, and landed on something uncomfortable. Shooting back to my feet, threw my arms into the air and bellowed indignantly "Grrraaaa! WHY DO BAD THINGS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME?!" I bellowed, before slumping over with a groan. "Well, at least I found Life-Ender."

Sure enough, the uncomfortable thing I'd fallen on was my (wooden)nail. It seemed to be undamaged by my landing on it, which I found unsurprising. Shells-wood was incredibly durable for it's weight. I somehow doubted anything that wouldn't damage iron would hurt Life-Ender.

Picking up my weapon, I looked it over with the fondness of an adult re-discovering their favourite childhood toy. It was a decent length for a bug my size, and rather well balanced. The only thing I found myself doubting was how . . . square the handle was. Technically that wasn't a problem, or even uncomfortable, for a pair of chitinous hands, but round shapes just looked better in my own opinion.

Still, upon picking up the wooden-weapon I felt a connection flare into being. I loved this almost useless hunk of wood like an old friend. "Ah, if only you were heavier . . . and could hold a actual edge." I lamented, shaking my head, only to be drawn out of the brief moment of melancholy by a echoing scream from above me.

" . . . but it seems we have at least one last battle ahead of us, old friend. Now, how did that battle-cry go? Ah yes, HAHHHH-MARIBAAAAAAA!" With that bellow, I crouched down with my stubby little legs then jumped with surprising force, aiming for the nearest(lower) platform. Unfortunately my lopsided horns threw my balance off, resulting in me almost spinning in the air, and I slammed into the stone outcropping belly first. "OOF!"

Grumbling, I hauled myself the rest of the way up, dusted myself of, and proceed to jump to where the knight was fighting the vengefully king.. . . "OOF!" . . . to similar results. Still, I was up, and from where I was dangling, I could see the knight skill-fully dance out of the giant monsters way, slashing their nail along it's side as it passed.

I dragged my body the rest of the way up and drew my own nail. "HAHA! NOW I WILL HAVE MY REVENGGE FOWL CREATURE! I MAY LACK THE MEANS TO HARM YOU, BUT ZOTE OF THE MIGHTY SHELL CAN STILL . . . can still . . . " I trailed off as I noticed than a lesser vengefly had latched onto Life-ender when I held it out.

"GET OFF OF THAT!" I screamed. It did not listen. I began rapidly beating my nail, and thus, it, against the ground, trying to shake it loose, but it held on with the determination of a dog during tug of war. Changing my tactics, I began to spin them around my head like a ball in the Olympic long throw, hoping they'd let go if they got dizzy. It did not let go. "GET OFF DAMN YOU!"

It was at this point that a loud, bubbling, splattering noise from behind me caught my attention. I turned around in time to get knocked rear over tea-kettle as the vengefly-kings infection riddled body blew up, one of it's mandibles flying in to clothesline me. "GAHH!"

I lay there on the ground for several seconds, blinking upwards at the ceiling in annoyed confusion, until a loud, "Squelch" from beside me drew my attention. It appears that the knight had walked up to me during my tantrum and impaled the vengefly clinging to Life-Ender.

I sat up with a moan, looked from the dead vengefly still claimed unto my "nail", up to the knight, then back to the nail. Wanting the corps off of my weapon, I again began to swing it around, but even in death it clung on jealously. It took a full five seconds of violent shaking before it came free, flying into the cave wall with a wet "splat!", beforesliding down, leaving an orange trail in it's wake.

I watch as it slid down to the ground, huffing and puffing angrily the whole while, before composing myself and turning back to the knight.

"AHEM! Quite sorry about all that trouble! Blasted thing took me from behind while I wasn't looking. I couldn't bend at any angles that let me fight back! I must thank you for the assistance!" I bowed. "I, am Zote! And between my durable shell and cunning whit, I will soon be a Knight of Great Renown! . . . and you are?" I asked, not honestly expecting an answer.

Sure enough, the Knight just kept staring at me. Still, I waited a full ten seconds before continuing. "I assume that you either don't have a name, or don't know how to speak?" More silent staring. "Know any sign language? I don't know any myself, but it may help." Yet more staring.

" . . . you are aware that you can shake your head to indicate "no" and nod it to imply "yes", do you not?" I asked, making the motions in question as demonstration. For three seconds, there was no more response than there had been to my earlier questions. But then, they shook their head no.

"AHA! So you can learn!" They nodded. "Wonderful! So, did no one ever teach you basic body language?" And back to staring. I let that continue for just long enough to become uncomfortable, then moved on. " . . . So do you have a name?" Shake. "That's to bad. Would you like a name?" Again, blank staring. 'Wait . . . '

"Oh! If you don't know the answer to a question, you shrug you shoulders like so." I shrugged several times. "You understand?" They nodded, to my relief. "Alright then! Let's see here, what should I ask next . . . " The Knight shrugged three times. The same number I had for my demonstration. "Um, no. You only need to shrug once, I only did it thrree times to make sure you understood the motio." More staring.

I sighed. "Not very emotive, are you?" I asked in a dry tone. You guessed it, more staring, followed by a shrug. Taking that as a sign to move on, I straightened up, dusted myself off yet again and adjusted Life-Ender in it's place over my shoulder.

"Well then, I suppose that I ow you one for helping me. After all, I don't know if I could have taken that thing as I was. So, is there anything I can do for you in return?" A shrug. "Well were you doing anything important before you stopped to help me?" A long pause, followed by a nod. "Well then! Would you like me to try and help you with whatever that is?" Long pause. Shrug.

"I see. Then would you mind if I accompanied you for the time being? I'll admit, I'm a slight bit lost at the moment." Long pause, followed by a nod. "Wonderful!" I cheered "Well then I-" the Knight turned around and jumped off the platform before I could finish. "H-hey!"

I followed after them, but as soon as I'd jumped down, my horns again threw me of balance and I crashed into the lower platform. 'I need to find a way to get that under control . . . ' By the time I got back to my feet, the Knight was jumping down the hole that served as the exit to the room.

I rushed to follow, running as fast as my little legs could carry me, but by the time I got down the hole, around the middle platform and unto the ground beneath, the knight was gone. I rushed to the next hole I could see, wondering if the had jumped down it, or across it. It was likely down, seeing as I couldn't see them on the other side, but I didn't know for sure.

Looking down, I saw yet another of the platforms sticking out of the wall, blocking most of the downward view. I hopped down, only to slightly overshoot the middle of the platform and find myself teetering on the edge. Not wanting to fall on my face again, I managed to jump up to the other side of the hole. Or, well, crash into the side and drag myself up.

"And of course, my cloak is covered in dust again." I groaned. "Is it even worth it to dust it off again? It'll probably-oh, there you are." The Knight was waiting roughly two platforms down, staring up at me. I walked back to the edge of the hole and glared down at them, hands on my hips.

"You know, it's rude to run off while people are still talking! I know I'd just asked to follow you, but the least you could do is make sure I could ke-"

"FSSSH, RRRRRR" "WACK!'"

"GAHH!"

Something soft but heavy slammed into my back, sending me flying down into the first platform stomach first, where I bounced off, fell to the ground, and bounced again. Rolling, I slid down yet another hole, this time with a somewhat longer fall to the ground. Where I landed flat on y face.

"Uhhhhh!" I moaned in humiliation. Nothing was hurt but my pride, but my pride was hurt.

"pap-pap-pap-pap-""Huh?"

I rolled unto my back to see The Knight staring down at me from the hole above me . . . and a Moss Knight readying their nail.

"Note to self: My luck is terrible."

AN: I'm not entirely sure I like this chapter. I feel like the descriptions are either to . . . lifeless, or don't get the point across as well as I'd like them to. But hey, I'm my own worst critic, so what do you guys think?