Chapter 3|
The cover of night blanketed the four. Their plan was to make it back to where Gideon and Luna were attacked. Abernathy figured this would be a good spot to start their search for the Fenrir Ant's colony entrance. Fiora was leading the group while Abernathy was in the back. The silence was comfortable between them. Gideon felt like now was a suitable time to bring up something he noticed earlier.
"I noticed earlier, Abe, you were acting strange after Fi mentioned using time reversal to win the lottery. What's that about?" Gideon questioned. Abernathy looked to Gideon, "Nothing. Don't worry about it." He deflected. Fiora scoffed.
"If there's one thing I've learned, worrying about something is a waste of time. If you look back, you'll never be able to step forward. So just spit it out Abe." Fiora lectured. Abernathy's gaze lowered.
"It's a curse really." Abernathy answered. Luna stopped and looked back to Abernathy.
"A curse?" She repeated.
"People think that being able to travel through time, or fix past mistakes is a blessing. But it's not. It's a burden." Abernathy revealed. He crossed his arms.
"You can never really have a fresh start. You always have a weight on your back because of things you did and undo." Abe continued, "You'll always think about whether or not you made the best out of repeating time over and over. And you'll obsess on whether or not you could have done better. It's a slow agonizing death really." Abernathy ended, keeping his gaze down. Fiora kept a neutral face. Gideon looked to Luna and then back to Abernathy.
"We apologize, Abernathy-san. We did not mean to bring up a difficult topic." Luna apologized. Abernathy closed his eyes and waved his hands.
"You're fine. You guys don't really understand what I'm saying, so it's okay. No harm no foul. For now, let's focus on the Fenrir Ants. Maybe after we can talk more." Abernathy suggested. The trio nodded. Fiora turned and continued leading the group. Gideon followed her, leaving Luna and Abe. Luna turned and looked to him.
"You are carrying a heavy weight, Abernathy-san. I do not fully understand the burden of your magic. However, I can empathize with the weight of guilt and regrets." Luna spoke. Abernathy kept his arms crossed.
"If you guys keep worrying about me, I won't be able to do my job as a senpai." Abernathy replied. Luna walked forward and Gideon turned around.
"Then allow us to carry some of your burden Abernathy-san. Though we do not fully understand your magic, please rely on us to lighten that weight." Gideon nodded with a serious look. Abe scoffed incredulously.
"You rookies are something else." Abernathy replied shaking his head. Fiora looked back.
"Oi! Are you guys done yapping? We're getting close to the spot where these two found the scouts." Fiora pointed out. Luna looked to Gideon and Abe then walked forward. Abe followed the girl and Gideon followed behind.
The mages arrived at the area where Luna and Gideon had defeated the scouts. Abernathy knelt to the ground and looked around.
"You guys sure made a scene here. I can see all the marks on the ground and trees. But there's one problem." Abe said. Gideon and Luna tilted their heads.
"You said you defeated scouts, but where are the corpses?" He asked aloud. Fiora crossed her arms.
"Now that you mention it, the scouts disappeared." Luna commented. Abe stood up.
"They wouldn't come and take them back, would they?" Gideon questioned. Abe placed a hand on his chin.
"This has been incredibly abnormal. First, they attacked a town, but the moment we come, they redirect their attention to us. I checked in with Sconeson and they said that the attacks stopped. And now this. This Fenrir Ant Queen is not behaving like most Fenrir Ants." Abernathy expressed. Fiora cracked her neck.
"Regardless, we gotta figure out their nest and end these bugs. I'm getting annoyed. Plus, we need to report back to Basil-san and get our reward." Fiora said. Abernathy chuckled.
"As blunt as ever, Fi." He commented. Fiora scoffed.
"Blunt? That's rich coming from the laid-back Chrono Anchor Mage. I'd rather be straightforward than be as vague as you." Fiora shot back. Abe laughed.
"I made the right choice in inviting you to the guild. Fi, you and Gideon are exactly what this group needs." Abernathy replied. Fiora looked away. Luna stepped forward.
"In order to locate the nest, should we not use tracking magic?" She asked.
"Sure. Do any of you have that?" He turned facing them with his hands on his hips.
"I do, actually. I am not sure if it will work, but when Gideon and I fought the scouts, I embedded my shadows and I can sense them. It is faint, but I should be able to sense where their nest is." Luna answered. Abernathy clapped his hands.
"Okay. Let's try it." Abe affirmed. Fiora stepped forward.
"Wait, how far can you sense, Blink?" Fiora questioned Luna. She closed her eyes.
"I am not entirely sure. In order to figure that out, I will need to focus." Luna answered. Abernathy stepped in between the girls.
"Alright, Blink, go ahead and try to sense. Fi, if there's any trouble, keep them distracted. If it's the queen, call for backup. Gideon, keep watch. If Blink senses the queen, we'll need a plan. Alright?" Abe ordered. Fiora saluted.
"Osu!" Fiora responded. Gideon nodded.
"Right." Luna nodded. Abernathy nodded.
The night carried on. As Luna was focusing, Gideon was scanning the trees and Fiora stood guard, her body covered in orange flames.
"Why are you on fire, Fiora? The ants will see you." Gideon questioned. Fiora crossed her arms.
"It's in case things get dicey. Being on fire makes me faster and hotter." She defended.
"You know sometimes, I'm glad we're best friends." Gideon stated sarcastically. Fiora scoffed.
"Hey, I get the job done. And plus, if Blink finds the ants, I'll burn them down to ashes." Fiora replied. Abernathy rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"I hope we don't. At least not without a plan." Abernathy retorted. Gideon looked down to Luna.
"Found anything Blink?" He asked. Luna closed her eyes and shook her head.
"Their signature is faint and hard to trace." She commented. Abernathy stepped to Gideon's side and knelt.
"Take your time Luna. No need to rush." Abe informed.
"Wait..." She said suddenly, "I can feel it now. It's... getting closer. It's moving fast. Under us?" She asked rhetorically. Fiora stepped forward.
"What do you mean under us?!" Fiora voiced. Luna traced her fingers. Abernathy stepped forward and looked down to the ground. The ground gave way and the group fell in. Abernathy managed to grab onto a jutted piece of rock before hitting the ground. Gideon used his shield and stabbed it into the rock wall. Fiora used her flames to hover but couldn't maintain it while Luna summoned shadow tendrils from the side wall of the hole and was holding onto Gideon's back.
"Abe! Can't you reverse time to avoid this?" Fiora asked while floating toward the rock wall. Abe shook his head.
"Time travel isn't the magic solution to everything! Not to get into the nitty gritty, but I can't guarantee if things turn out the same. Trying to change a large amount of time could hurt us than help us." Abernathy explained. Fiora clicked her tongue and landed onto the rock wall.
"So much for an anchor." She said annoyed. Luna began to pull herself up with her shadow tendrils.
"I could probably make a ladder." Luna mentioned. Abernathy pulled himself up.
"Save the magic Luna. We'll climb up. Fi, Gid, we have no idea what's waiting for us. Keep your eyes peeled and be ready to fight." Abernathy informed.
"No need to tell me twice." She stated. Gideon was last to climb up the hole. As he reached the toward the top, buzzing was heard in the distance. Luna looked over to see ants flying toward them.
"Abernathy-san, Fenrir Ants on their way!" Luna mentioned. However, as the ants got closer there was something drastically different about them. They had human forms. The humanoid ants charged them. The group were forced to let go and began their quick descent toward the dark bottom.
"Either of you wouldn't happen to have soft pillow magic, would you?!" Abe screamed out as they fell. Luna focused her magic.
"Shadow Weaving: Veil's Caress!" Luna concentrated. Shadow ribbons formed and sealed side by side creating an enormous shadow sheet.
The shadow sheet caught the team as they fell. They slid, while others rolled all the way toward the ground. Gideon hit the ground on his back while Luna and Abe landed on their feet. Fiora had a rapid descent and landed on Gideon, breast to face. She immediately stood up and coughed.
"Damn Fi! I'm going to suffocate if you do that every time." Gideon groaned, his face red. Fiora crossed her arms across her chest.
"Stop landing under me then mole man." Fiora retorted. Abernathy rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed. Luna kept her magic going by tracing the air.
"We do not have time. They're coming our way still." Luna informed while changing her magic, "Shadow Weaving: Shadow Ribbons!" She casted, tendrils of darkness shooting out of the shadows. The ants ripped past the tendrils and towards the group. Gideon dug his fingers into the ground and began to pull them up. With a yell of effort, he ripped out a big piece of the earth and slammed it on the ants. Abe summoned several shards of light and threw them up into the air. Abernathy rushed and ran straight, unsheathing his sword. One ant had gotten past Gideon's attack. Abe jumped and flipped over the ant, slicing at the ant as he landed behind it. His sword hit the body and sparks shot out as the blade made contact. The other ants behind the huge stone broke through and proceeded to attack Luna. A tendril grabbed one and the others managed to slide past it.
"Shadow Weaving: Storyteller!" Luna yelled. An enormous figure with an angular hat appeared from one of the shadowy walls and swung a fist toward them. The ants spun and kicked away the fist, toppling the Storyteller spell. The ants landed on the floor and approached the group. They were three humanoid ants. One had a white and black exoskeleton, a stinger, and gray hair, another with copper colored exoskeleton and red hair, and a third with black and gold exoskeleton and white hair. Their faces had monster like masks. The gray armored one removed his. He wore a beard.
"What the hell?" Fiora expressed loudly. Abernathy held his sword, analyzing the ants.
"Are these Fenrir Ants?!" Gideon asked. Abernathy took a step forward.
"Maybe not normal ones." He replied.
"You're trespassing." It said. It spoke clearly and had an edge in its tone. Luna released the Storyteller spell. Gideon took a step forward, his body hardening. Abernathy held his sword at the ants.
"And you are?" Abernathy inquired. The ants scoffed.
"I am Aranix. I am head of the queen's royal guard." Aranix introduced. Luna focused her magic.
"Royal Guard?" She repeated. Aranix chuckled.
"Of course. We are no ordinary Fenrir Ants. We have changed beyond are basic instincts. As I said before, you are trespassing. Leave." He demanded. Abernathy stepped forward and lowered his blade.
"Why are you attacking the village nearby?" He asked. Aranix sighed.
"To build a nest above ground. The queen wants our species to see the sun." Aranix answered. Abernathy raised a brow.
"Why are attacking people though? Why not just come out and ask?" Abernathy inquired further. Aranix crossed his arms.
"The queen wishes to avoid casualties. Our queen is kind and gentle. However, the humans have killed many of our kind in the past. We do not want to fight, but we will defend our existence." Aranix defended. Abernathy's hands gripped the handle of his blade. The situation had become more complicated.
"Aranix, you and your queen sound honorable. However, attacking people is wrong. The best course of action is to come to an agreement. Let us talk to your queen and we can figure something out." Abe reasoned.
"No. You will leave, or we will make you leave." Aranix stated. Abernathy sighed.
"Aranix, we don't want to fight. However, we will protect our people too. Please understand that." Abe explained. Aranix scoffed and put back on his face mask.
"You've been warned." He threatened.
"Finally! All this talking was getting on my nerves!" Fiora shouted, her arms burst into orange flames. Gideon hardened his entire body. Luna began weaving magic. Aranix sprinted forward with incredible speed. He swung at Abernathy and Fiora. They both dodged. The other two followed up and attacked as well. The black and gold armor Fenrir ant grabbed Gideon and zoomed away.
"Gideon!" Fiora yelled. Aranix swung at Fiora, making her dodge. The red-haired Fenrir Ant was behind Luna, she looked back to see him and was able to block his kick with shadow tendrils, but she was pushed back.
"We have to save Gideon!" Fiora exclaimed. Abernathy created several shards and threw them into the air. Luna spun her arms and created a large Shadow Wall, blocking off Aranix and the other Fenrir Ant from the group.
"He's a member of Emerald Oasis, just like you! You have to trust him!" Abernathy scolded. Fiora clenched her teeth.
"I know! I trust him, but Gideon is my best friend! We gotta help him!" Fiora responded.
"Fiora, I agree with Abernathy-san. We cannot rescue him if we do not deal with our opponents. We must defeat the ants in front of us first." Luna stated. Fiora scoffed.
"Easy for you to say, Luna! They already got Gideon. What if we don't make it in time?!" She asked.
"Then you better burn them to a crisp." Abe said. Aranix punched through Luna's wall and lunged at Abernathy. Luna created shadow ribbons that caught him and held him. Abernathy rushed forward with his blade. The copper Fenrir Ant dodged Luna's shadows and grabbed Fiora.
"You should have left when you had the chance." The ant said. Fiora grabbed its arms and began to cause her fire to rage. However, the armor held up. Luna shot tendrils at it. Abernathy swung his sword, but Aranix dodged and caught him with a spinning kick to the chest knocking him away. Several of the shards of light went away. Abe rolled on the ground.
"You're fast. I turned back time so many times, and you ended up killing either of my friends if I don't take that kick." He explained as he stood. Aranix held his fists up. Luna focused her magic and began weaving.
"Fiora, hold on tight." Luna said. Fiora raised a brow as she kept struggling against the armored ant.
"Blazing Soul: Jet Explosion!" She cast. Flames collected in her hand. It began to spark uncontrollably. She punched behind the ant, a humongous stream of flame propelling them into the ground. They crashed and made a crater.
Aranix sprinted and attacked Luna. Abernathy met him and slashed him. Aranix managed to dodge Abe's sword. Aranix threw a punch, Abernathy dodged, but the ant was able to slam his fist into the ground creating a dust explosion. Abernathy covered his face and as the dust settled, Aranix was already behind Abernathy with a spinning heel kick. Abernathy held out his sword horizontally and managed to block, being pushed back a few feet.
"You bastard! Who the hell you think you are?" Fiora asked aggressively. The armored ant had his grip tight on her arms.
"A royal guard. Someone tasked with defending our queen. And you're intruding on our turf." The Fenrir Ant answered.
"It was rhetorical!" She exclaimed. She balled her fist and punched it in the face as hard as she could, orange flames exploding on impact. The Fenrir Ant stumbled backwards, its mask cracking and half and falling to the ground. The smoke cleared to reveal a very human like, and handsome young face. The only inhuman feature was his antennas. Fiora froze for a second.
"W-w-w-what the hell?!" She sputtered, "A human? I thought you were an ant?" She questioned. The ant shook his head.
"I am Caspian, a Fenrir Ant, a guard to our queen." The guard corrected. He spun, his leg reaching toward her. The fire mage punched the leg, the two of them skidding away from each other.
Gideon lowered his legs as he was being dragged away by one of the Fenrir Ants. He pressed into the ground, accumulating rock onto his shins to anchor himself. He flexed his upper body, gripping onto his opponent with all his might. Slowly, the ants flight speed dwindled until it came to a full stop.
"Impressive strength. Human." The ant complimented. Gideon's brow furrowed.
"You're not just any Fenrir Ant. What's going on?" Gideon questioned.
"Our queen wants to change our kind's predicament. We will evolve beyond our animalistic tendencies and be a force of nature." It answered. Gideon hardened his arm and smashed it into the Fenrir Ant's hold, breaking their grip. The ant reached up and removed the mask, revealing a female Fenrir Ant. Her eyes were yellow. She ran a hand through her short white hair.
"A female ant? Interesting." Gideon expressed.
"I'm Viperion. And you're an enemy of the queen." She replied, rushing forward to punch him. Gideon hardened his chest and absorbed the impact. His armor was cracked.
"You're making this difficult. I don't like hitting women." He says grabbing her arm and throwing her a distance. He hardened his hands into stone gauntlets. Viperion landed on her feet and stood. Gideon took a defensive stance.
"Fenrir Ant magic: Venom Shot!" She yelled. Three green spikes ejected out of her wrist and shot toward him. Gideon used his hands as shields to block the needles.
"GeoGuard: Gauntlet Blast!" He cast; his hand shot a beam of light at her. Viperion jumped out of the way and charged toward him. He hardened his leg and side kicked her away. She tumbled but got back up.
"That stone armor is tough." She commented, "But you've yet to make a scratch on our exoskeletons." She mentioned. Gideon hardened his whole body.
"GeoGuard: Quake!" He cast. He raised his leg and stomped it into the ground. The ground shook violently and Viperion lost her balance. Gideon dashed and tried to hold her down. He began to push her into the ground to immobilize her. Viperion ejected more spikes out of her exoskeleton and stabbed Gideon. He yelled and let her go, stumbling back. He held the wound.
"We call that Fenrir Poison. It works by slowly paralyzing the body one limb at a time. We use it to hunt prey to feed the young." She brushed off the debris while explaining. Gideon's hand began to feel numb, then his forearm. He smacked his teeth.
"My first real duel since joining a guild and I'm already losing." He chuckled. Viperion rushed toward him.
Aranix punched Luna, the impact of his fist created a shockwave. Luna flew back, she cast her magic and her shadow lifted to cushion her, but she crashed into the rocky wall. Her dress became dusty and torn. She fell to the ground, trying to get her footing.
"You're strong as hell. No matter how many times I rewind, the only way to live is to take your hits. You're a pain to fight." Abernathy voiced. Aranix held up his fists.
"Your friends have no chance of winning. They can't win against our enhanced abilities." He claimed. Abe held up his sword and dashed. Aranix met him and countered Abe's slash with a punch. Abernathy rolled and held up his sword to guard.
Fiora's orange flames spread up her arm, her opponent Caspian flitted his wings to prepare to counterattack. Fiora sprinted and punched, Caspian flew into the air to dodge. She grabbed him with flames and threw him into the ground.
"Damn it, why won't you catch on fire?!" She yelled punching him rapidly, her fists engulfed with her orange flames. Caspian caught one fist, then the other. He rose to his feet holding her back.
"My exoskeleton is able to withstand fire. You'd have to try harder." He responded. Fiora kicked at him, but he blocked with a knee. His grip tightened, making her grit her teeth. She glared, her anger rising.
"You don't want that. I'll end up obliterating you to nothing." She growled. Caspian chuckled.
"You're all bark. You haven't hurt me at all." He pointed out. Fiora grit her teeth and smirked.
"I warned you." She voiced. Her flames started to change color, becoming a dark red. She began to laugh as the heat was rising.
"Blazing Soul: Hell Flame!" Fiora yelled, her body enveloped in a blazing inferno. Caspian's exoskeleton began to crack from the intense heat.
"Ya like that?! I can go even hotter!" She bellowed; her flames crawled onto the ant's arms being forced to let her go. Fiora smirked and laughed maniacally.
"You were lucky. If I had gone hotter, you would have been dust. Now, where were we?" She asked rhetorically. She lifted her arms to her sides, palms facing backward and shot out fire, causing her to dash forward.
"Blazing Soul: Devil's Right!" She brought up her right fist, the fist becoming engulfed in dark red flames. A shape of a skull formed in the flames as she brought her fist into Caspian's chest. The explosion made a dent. Caspian coughed and stumbled back.
Luna focused her magic. Aranix sprinted at her and kicked, she cast her spell and a Shadow Wall erupted and blocked his kick. The wall tore slightly like a ripped quilt. Abernathy dashed up behind him and tried to cut, but the sword only caught in the hard armor.
"You humans are persistent pests." Aranix commented annoyed. He turned and grabbed Abernathy by the throat. Luna summoned Storyteller which rose from her shadow and reared a fist. Aranix's stinger vibrated, and he whipped around, slicing the shadow clean in half. Luna gasped.
"Tell me, in a war where neither side is right, who is the victor?" He asked Abe as he raised him.
"The one... that believes they're right." Abernathy strained. Luna clenched her fists. Storyteller melted back into the shadow and two massive hands grasped Aranix.
"Shadow Weaving: Shooting Star!" She shouted. One of the shadow hands threw the ant into the air. Numerous shadow tendrils appeared from her shadow and rushed toward Aranix. The tendrils turned into fists and they all attacked rapidly, not allowing any room to breathe. Luna dropped to her knees, her breathing becoming ragged.
"I am running out of energy. My magic will not be able to hold up much longer. I cannot do anymore..." Luna voiced. Abernathy looked around. Aranix crashed through the tendrils and landed on the floor. Fiora's opponent Caspian was barely standing after her Devil's Right.
"Caspian. Retreat." He told his comrade.
"What? I can't leave you alone with them." He responded. Aranix dashed and punched Caspian in the gut, causing him to cough.
"Retreat. That's an order." He sternly stated. Caspian bowed and flew off.
"Quite the way to treat your fellow ant." Abe expressed. Aranix turned to face them. He removed his mask.
"I've seen the way you interact with your fellow humans. They look to you for instructions, leadership. You're in a position to understand that your subordinates' lives mean more than your own. So why would I let mine die if I could prevent it?" He stated. Abernathy sheathed his blade.
"Well, we aren't gonna let you go without a fight." He voiced.
"I wasn't planning on leaving. I wanted to make sure when I reverted to my primal form, that my subordinate was not caught in the crossfire." He explained. The three were confused at first but understood once Aranix's body began to bulge and contort.
Gideon and Viperion exchanged blows, with one arm now dangling lifelessly on his body. Gideon's armor was cracked all over the place with the Fenrir Ant's armor only covered in debris. Viperion kicked Gideon, causing him to tumble. She dashed and pinned him to the floor. Gideon struggled as hard as he could, but his other arm gave way. His armor broke and he laid there with his eyes shut, expecting the Fenrir Ant to just kill him.
"Human, why are you holding back!" She exclaimed, "I won't be able to learn anything about you if you hold back this much!" Viperion explained. Gideon opened an eye.
"Because you're a woman. I don't hit women." He said. The Fenrir Ant lifted him and threw him into the rock wall.
"You claim to not hit woman and yet you've struck me this entire time." She pointed out angrily.
"I only hit you in the hardest parts of your armor. I've never hit your face." He struggled to say, pulling himself off the wall.
"Is that it? Because of gender, I'm supposed to be weaker than you. Pathetic." Viperion insulted. Gideon grunted.
"No. It's just not something I'd ever do. My mom taught me better than that. Chivalry isn't dead in me. Women deserve respect." Gideon defended. Viperion kicked his gut, causing him to spit blood. She picked him up and threw him. Gideon fell to his hands and knees. He coughed up more blood and was able to bring himself to his knees.
"You humans confuse me. It's not about gender, but power. I'm stronger than you and will defeat you. If you hold back, you lose." She replied. Gideon used his uninjured arm to wipe his mouth.
"Power. Heh. You remind me of my best friend. All she wants is to be the strongest, but in life there are more important things. Family, friends, and being happy. Winning isn't everything." Gideon expressed. Viperion dashed and kicked his head, causing him to land on his back. She ejected two long needles and crossed them over his neck.
"Pathetic. In our colony strength and ability mean everything. I've earned my spot on the queen's royal guard." She expressed. Gideon laid there breathing.
"That may be how it is in the colony, but you don't have to live like that anymore. You could make your own life. You Fenrir Ants can think and feel just like humans do. The way you were angry because I was holding back, no one told you to feel like that. That was how you wanted to feel. We aren't much different." Gideon told her. Viperion scoffed.
"I would not expect much to come from my life. I am a Fenrir Ant who looks human. I could live in the city, but my instincts and desire to fight will always be present. No amount of change could fix that." She responded. Gideon reached up and tried to move the needles away with his dangling hand.
"You may not be able to change it completely, but you can learn to control it. There are people you can talk to that'll help. It may not seem like it, but not all of humanity is the same. I joined Emerald Oasis Guild to be the change I want to see in the world, to protect everyone, not just humans. You Fenrir Ants aren't evil; you just want to live. You're defending your home, w-we get it." Gideon weakly explained. Viperion's brows furrowed.
"You speak as if you humans have a choice on whether to attack us. You're species is the most powerful in the land, you can't help but use it. Your instincts drive you to conquer, kill, and destroy. It's why we have to defend ourselves." Viperion justified. Gideon shook his head.
"I've never killed to kill. I've only ever defended myself. If I could, I would rather not fight at all. You can change too. All you need is to understand that you Fenrir Ants aren't monsters. Some may hate and attack because of what you are, but it's up to you to change your fate. Be more than what humans see you as." Gideon told her, "Besides, the Emerald Oasis Guild doesn't kill. We're here to resolve the situation." He explained. Viperion grits her teeth.
"It's so much easier said than done!" She yelled and lifted the needle, "How can I trust you?!" She cried. Gideon's eyes widened. Viperion had tears rolling down her face.
"Humans don't even trust humans. Why would you want to help us? Why would you even care enough to talk instead of killing me?!" Viperion shouted. Gideon softened his expression. He used his uninjured arm and moved the needle aside. He slowly stood.
"Humans have a lot of flaws, but one thing that has yet to change is the power to grow and learn from the past. I have flaws and have things I'm not proud of. We all can grow, we can change." Gideon explained, "And because I have friends. I know that I can trust them to have my back and vice versa. That's why Emerald Oasis Guild cares. We all have flaws, but we have each other." He finished. Viperion wiped her face. She retracted her needles. The fight was drained from her.
"You traitor!" A voice came. Caspian buzzed straight to Viperion and punched her in the face, causing her to fly toward the rock wall. Gideon caught her, taking the blow. He grunted and gritted his teeth. Viperion looked up at him shocked.
"Why would you do that?!" She asked, "You would have lived, yet you protected me." Viperion stated. Gideon simply smiled.
"Aranix ordered us to eliminate the human intruders! And you would let him live?! He's our enemy!" Caspian bellowed. Gideon stumbled but was able to carry Viperion bridal style. She held onto him, making sure she didn't fall.
"He's not our enemy! None of the humans are!" Viperion argued. Caspian gritted his teeth and raised his fist.
"You're so weak, you'd betray the colony? Our queen? The future Fenrir Ant kingdom?!" He huffed heavily. Gideon turned and let Viperion stand. He walked back, his arm and now a bit of his legs paralyzed.
"She's not weak. None of you are. We all want our peace. You Fenrir Ants just want to live. Humans attack you because they don't know you can think and feel like us." Gideon retorted, "But we can talk it out. There doesn't have to be a fight." He pleaded.
"Nonsense!" Caspian yelled. He rushed down the human. Gideon dig his hands into the ground, and earth covered his left arm. As he pulled it out he breathed deeply, letting out a long exhale.
"GeoGuard: Sheen Knight." He cast. He readied his arm and moved his arm like a sword Caspian passed Gideon, grazing his side with a kick. The Fenrir Ant turned to charge again but spat blood. His exoskeleton cracked, a slice appearing across his chest. Gideon's arm was a sharp edge, shining. With the process of abrasion, he refined the earth on his arm, making it sharp. Caspian's armor crumbled, revealing a human-like chest and a scar across the chest. He fell to the ground, defeated. Gideon let his magic go, sand and rocks peeling away from his arm. He too fell to the ground.
Multiple blades swung at Abe. One, then two, then five, then six. He tried to block and dodge, lights above him going out rapidly. Fiora Appeared from above, both fists joined and dark red flames coating them.
"Blazing Soul: Hell's Scorching Anvil!" Fiora yelled, smashing her joined fist into the ant. It crashed through the rocky wall. Dust kicked up, blocking everyone's view. The Fenrir ant began to flit its wings, clearing the smokescreen. There no longer stood a human like Fenrir Ant. This one grew in muscle, had six arms, two tails with stingers on them whipped about, and there were four large insect wings. The exoskeleton had become more refined, yet more scary. The color stayed the same.
"I can feel the magic just pouring out of him. He's gotten a lot stronger." Abernathy expressed. Fiora and Luna stood beside Abe.
"We'll need to fight seriously." Luna voiced. Abe looked at the two.
"How much longer can you two go for?" He asked. Fiora pumped her fist.
"I could go all day!" She exclaimed. She was covered in wounds and dirt, but still had a cocky grin. Luna nodded. Abernathy gripped the handle of his sword.
"If I go all out, we can win. Together!" He exclaimed, running at Aranix. Fiora's grin faded for a second. Luna sprinted alongside Abe. Aranix flew straight for them, slashing with the six blades.
"Shadow Weaving: Dark Forest!" Luna cast. Tendrils erupted from the ground, attempting to impale the Fenrir Ant. Aranix dodged them all. Right before he got to Abe, a crowd of tendrils blocked him. He swung all six of his blades, shredding his obstacle. Aranix lifted his swords into the air to bring it down on Abe. Above him, the shards of light representing the amount of times he could rewind began to rapidly decrease. Abernathy held his sword sideways above him as Aranix came down. Sparks shot out as the six blades met Abe's sword. Luna focused her magic.
"Damn it!" He yelled as he was brought to his knee. "What's your problem?! Every time I dodge you go out of your way to kill my comrades!" He yelled. Aranix wouldn't know what he was talking about, but every time Abernathy would dodge on reminds, one of the girls would try to fill in the gap of attacks and underestimate his speed, getting ran through. However, the Fenrir Ant responded.
"Seems you have some instinct. You're the leader! The one chosen to guide those under you! To allow your subordinates to be in the line of fire would be shameful. But I wouldn't hesitate to take them out if they got in my way. As leaders, we are destined to push each other to the brink till one falls! Only then can we know true victory!" Aranix boasted. Abernathy grit his teeth.
"Leadership isn't dictatorship! Abe yelled pushing with all his might. Luna appeared in the air above the ant.
"Shadow Weaving: Big Bad Wolf!" Luna cast. Storyteller appeared from her shadow; however, the head was in the shape of a cartoonist wolf. Its maw opened, revealing rows of sharp shadow fangs. It clamped down on Aranix, swallowing him whole. Flitting was heard immediately. The Fenrir Ant's wing shredded through.
"Luna get away!" Abe yelled. Luna flipped over Aranix as the Fenrir Ant emerged. The exoskeleton had been torn apart in some areas. He growled in anger. Abernathy dashed forward; Luna created shadow tendrils that tried to grasp Aranix. But he tore through, grabbing the young girl.
Abe's eyes grew wide with fear. A faint thought cut through his mind. The question of using that time anchor. The one that would fix all of this at a great cost. His thoughts raced. Aranix raised Luna, preparing to throw her into the rocky wall.
"Blazing Soul: Demon's Flare!" Fiora yelled shooting a sphere of dark red fire onto Aranix's exoskeleton. It stuck and in the next moment it exploded. He let Luna go and turned. Fiora's bandeau and her pants were torn. She was breathing heavily.
"Asshat! You forgot about me?!" She yelled, shooting streams of dark red fire at the ant. He raised all six of his arms and blocked. Aranix growled.
"You pest! Begone!" Aranix yelled charging forward.
"That's right! Come get burnt! Blazing Soul: Flame Tornado!" Fiora cast. A spiraling whirlwind of flames encircled Fiora, Aranix dashing into it. She began spinning her hands, the tornado following her hands' movements. Aranix was getting pushed back and hit with embers and fire. Abernathy's eyes grew wide. Luna held her stomach, feeling the intense heat.
"Fiora wait!" He shouted. However, he was too late. Fiora had been so focused on her fiery twister, she forgot that she had Luna and Abernathy on the outside of it. They were getting engulfed too. Fiora's body was engulfed in dark red flames. It was happening again. Fiora would soon lose control of her powers, destroying everything once mo-
"Fi-san! You must focus your magic!" Luna called out. Fiora heard Luna's voice and her mind calmed. The twister shrunk and her flames calmed. Abernathy felt the intense heat, his skin sizzling. He had to trust Fiora. She brought her hands in front and as if holding a ball and focused in. She didn't need to prove she was capable of taking out this enemy. There was a time and place for it.
He yelled out, her dark red flames becoming orange once more.
"BURNING SOUL: PYRO BLAZE!" Fiora cast. From Abernathy's point of view, time felt like it slowed down. Orange flames burst forth, a spiral of fire. It hit Aranix and in the next moment it expanded. Aranix was engulfed, a huge explosion. Abe's feet skidded on the rocky ground, but he was able to maintain his stance. The aftershock was immense. Luna covered herself with her shadow. Shortly, the pressure died down and there was nothing but smoke. As it cleared, an orange fire cladded Fiora was seen staring down the Fenrir Ant. He was still standing.
"I... will... not... fall! I must... protect... her... majes..." He fell forward to the ground, out cold. Fiora huffed and fell to her knees. Abernathy was relieved and dropped his sword. Luna walked toward Fiora, hugging the red head. She hugged back.
"You did it!" Luna cried.
"Yeah yeah. You can let go Blink. You're, ugh, squeezing me." Fiora struggled to say. Abernathy sheathed his word, walking over.
"Fi. That was some real amazing magic you did there." He complimented. Luna released and blushed, looking away.
"I apologize." Luna expressed, stepping back.
"We need to find Gideon! He's still fighting that other ant." Fiora stood but stumbled a bit. Abe caught her, slipping under her arm and putting it over his shoulder.
"Lean on senpai. I'll get you there." Abe offered. Fiora rolled her eyes, blushing. The three made their way through the tunnels. Luna used her magic to find Gideon, having tempered his shadow with her magic. The three ran, Fiora feeling better, toward him.
The three arrived at a cavernous area. It was covered with different Fenrir Ants and in the center, on a platform was another human like figure. However, this one wore a dress. The queen. On a table was Gideon, Viperion over him.
"You bastards! Gideon!" Fiora yelled, her fire erupting dark red.
"Fiora, stop! Look closely." Abe instructed. Fiora grit her teeth but calmed. The human looking ant had tears going down her face.
"She's crying." Luna stated. In the distance they saw their comrade covered in bandages. The ants parted allowing them a way forward. They approached.
"We did what we could to tend to his wounds." The queen stated. Fiora ran over and looked him over.
"Is he?" Fiora choked, not being able to say the words. Viperion shook her head.
"Gideon saved my life. He stopped my comrade from making a wrong choice. We were just about to administer the antidote for our toxin." Viperion said. The three looked to each other than back, waiting for the treatment. Viperion grabbed a clay cup and drank the contents. She then leaned over and placed her lips on Gideon's. Luna blushed while Fiora was about to assault the ant. Abe held her back.
Viperion moved away.
"It is done." She stated.
"Like hell it is! Why'd you kiss him?!" Fiora exploded. Abernathy sighed and held his head.
"Fi-san that's uncalled for. Gideon is injured." Luna voiced.
"What are you trying to pull, Ant?" Fiora broke free.
"Our toxin is a natural fluid in our bodies. With the queen's royal jelly, and our saliva, it creates an antidote. We use it to help our wounded." Viperion explained.
"So, you had to kiss him?!" Fiora rebutted, not buying the explanation.
"We're Fenrir Ants, our exoskeletons protect the skin. We're unable to transfer fluids through any other method." Viperion added. Abernathy walked to Gideon. He grabbed his arm.
"These wounds... you are one tough mole man." He joked. Gideon's eyelids began to move.
"That's right! Wake up mole man! You owe us drinks!" Fiora exclaimed. Abernathy shook his head, sighing. Fiora pumped her fists. Luna walked up and grabbed his other arm. Viperion helped Gideon sit up.
"Hey guys. You're alive." Gideon smiled weakly. Abernathy chuckled.
"You're one to talk mole man. We were worried you kicked the bucket." Abe voiced. Luna looked to the side.
"You scared us senpai." She whispered. Gideon gave a small smile.
"Viperion healed me. I'm gonna live." He told them. Abernathy looked toward the Fenrir Ant and smiled.
"Thanks for saving him. But, as much as we are in your debt, we're here on a quest. Your kind has been destroying human towns."
The queen lowered her head.
"I understand how it looks, but please believe me when I say, it wasn't my children." She confessed.
"Who else would cause mass destruction and chaos? Your Fenrir Ant kids wear your markings. They've been seen." Abernathy rebutted. Viperion stepped forward.
"Please let me explain. several weeks ago, our colony was attacked. They were humans. But they were incredibly powerful. I'm sure you have noticed but the tunnels you traveled through were empty. They decimated almost all of our kind. We hid the queen, but they took many eggs and her royal jelly. The ones that razed those human towns were our kind, but not from our colony. They were altered Fenrir Ants created from our eggs." Viperion explained. Abernathy held a hand up, asking her to pause.
"You lost me. What is royal jelly and what were they altered for?" He asked. The queen nodded.
"It is a substance that only queen Fenrir Ants can make. When the magic of the queen is passed down, the next queen is able to turn our natural toxins into a substance rich with Ethernano. It is how we sustain the young ones." She explained. Abernathy held his chin in his hand.
"I see. Do you know who they were, the thieves?" He questioned. The queen shook her head.
"My mother was hidden when it happened." She explained.
"Mother? The previous queen?" Luna asked.
"Yes. I had only become queen recently." She pointed to an enormous cocoon behind her, "My mother birthed many before passing. She had passed the time of which it was necessary for her to lay these eggs. She died in the process. When I was given the magic of the queen, the eggs hatched, and these new ants were created." She pointed out to the Fenrir Ants.
"And your human like appearances?" Gideon added.
"The royal jelly. It imbues whoever consumes it powerful magic. My royal guard and I drank the last of my mother's jelly, what remained. We had changed." The queen explained. Abernathy stroked his chin.
"Why would humans do this? Who gains anything?" Abernathy questioned.
In the distance a yell was heard.
"My queen!" The ants separated, revealing Aranix and Caspian. They were heavily injured.
"You!" Aranix growled as he glared at the group.
"Aranix, that is enough! These humans mean us no harm." The queen spoke sternly. Aranix looked to her then to the group.
"Forgive me." He stated. Caspian flew over and stood by Aranix. Abernathy looked back.
"You three ok?" He asked. Fiora crossed her arms.
"They could come and attack us, and I wouldn't hesitate to kick their asses." Fiora retorted. The group chuckled.
"We apologize for the aggression. We were worried our queen was in danger. Please forgive us." Caspian voiced.
"We understand. We too apologize for our actions." Luna replied with a bow.
"That's it? We just smack each other around then exchange apologies?" Fiore voiced annoyance. Abernathy held out a hand.
"Fi. Let it go. They were only trying to protect their home. Wouldn't you do the same? Besides, you got to fight some strong opponents like I promised, right?" Abe voiced. Fiora pouted and crossed her arms. Gideon chuckled. Luna held his arm. Abernathy and the group turned toward the Fenrir Ant queen.
"We believe what you said. It doesn't seem right to blame you for what happened. We'll inform the Magic Council." Abernathy told her. The queen bowed her head.
"Thank you so much."
The four returned to the cottage. The half-destroyed cottage and packed up their things.
"Did we really fix anything?" Fiora asked bluntly as everyone was getting set to leave.
"Yes. We did." Abe replied. The three looked at each other, confused.
"Abernathy-san, I am inclined to agree with Fi-san. We found the ants, but we have not stopped the culprits." Luna added. Abe nodded.
"And who would have found out if it wasn't us? We may have failed on the first part, but the second is to report our findings. When we tell the Magic Council, they'll look further into it and fix the situation." Abernathy explained. Gideon nodded.
"And besides, look at everything we learned." Abernathy finished. The three looked around.
"This half-destroyed cottage?" Fiora asked. Abernathy chuckled.
"We learned how to be a team. I think I've properly integrated you into the guild. I'm proud of us." Abernathy commented. Gideon grabbed his luggage.
"Let's get to Magnolia. Our mission is over." Gideon voiced. They all grabbed their luggage and were out the door. Abernathy stopped. He looked up at the sky.
"Glad I stayed in this timeline." He expressed. He joined the others on heading back.
"Wait, please!" A voice called out. The four turned and saw Viperion running toward them.
"Viperion?!" Gideon asked.
She approached and bowed.
"I wish to join you!" She exclaimed.
"You do? What about the queen and your kind?" Gideon asked. Viperion stood and looked at Gideon.
"We Fenrir Ants thrive in our colonies. As strong as Aranix is, I feel like the queen will be fine. I wish to follow my path. You said that we can change right Gideon-san?" Viperion asked. Abernathy looked to the rest. Gideon smiled. Fiora pouted, crossing her arms. Gideon looked to Abernathy.
"I mean, I'm not in a position to turn her down. That's the guild master's job." Gideon stated. Abernathy smiled.
"Welcome to Emerald Oasis Guild Viperion-san. We could always use more members." Abe voiced. Viperion's antennas perked.
"Thank you so much!" She said excitedly. Luna approached her.
"We are happy to have you Viperion-san." Luna added. Abernathy approached the others.
"I'm Abernathy. This is Fiora, Luna, and as you already know, Gideon." He introduced.
Fiora stepped forward.
"Ground rules! You keep your hands off mole man." Fiora demanded. Viperion tilted her head.
"Excuse me, I do not know what you mean, 'hands off mole man?"
Gideon chuckled.
"It's her way of saying-" Gideon started, but Fiora covered his mouth. Abernathy crossed his arms.
"What Fiora means to say is welcome, in her own way." Abernathy finished.
"I see. Thank you for allowing me to join" Viperion expressed. Abernathy walked forward and the others followed.