Chương 659: 'Lant'
As Renat brachiated through the hair of the lion's mane like a swinging monkey, the small patch on the creature's neck began to sizzle and smoke. The hair around the scientist's 'gift' began to burn away as the acid ate through it to the skin underneath.
The second phase of the plan was in place.
The Myrmecoleon reared back, brushing one of its five remaining legs through its luscious mane. The scientist barely avoided the point of it as the digit passed by.
Fortunately, the movement was clumsy, and the package stayed stuck. It continued to wreak havoc, melting away more and more hair and flesh. A new nauseating smell filled the air, but the scientist was too focused to notice.
His sole goal was to get to the edge of the mane before...
The acid began to spark. The Myrmecoleon shook back and forth to dislodge the offending object. Who dared to try and take down the mighty ant?!
The creature rolled like a dog, but nothing changed. The pain in its neck only intensified. Scraping with two legs only made things worse.
A fire lit in the Myrmecoleon's eyes. It thrashed about, but that did not help.
Renat clung for dear life, hoping that he had not signed his own death warrant by being so close to the chaos. The creature wanted him dead. He was responsible for all the pain.
Finally, the Myrmecoleon had enough. He would end the aggressor once and for all. He curled his stomach and rammed the point of his tail as hard as he could...
Into his own neck.
Having no experience with human ingenuity, the monster incorrectly assumed that the attacker must be where the pain was.
He learned too late that he was wrong.
The needle dug deep into the monster's flesh, piercing the neck and throat.
But the long point did not stop. It continued to pierce, rip, and tear.
The Myrmecoleon tried to remove its stinger, but the action only did more harm. It dragged down the creature's chest, crumpling its own armor. At last, the Myrmecoleon let out a noiseless cry.
The needle pierced its overworked heart. The organ burst. Blood poured from the wounds.
Shuddering, the Myrmecoleon looked one last time to see the Dragon diving from above. Edger snapped at the ant's neck, his jaws finishing what the Myrmecoleon began.
The Lion's head separated from the rest of the body and went tumbling to the ground.
There was only one problem.
Renat was still in the creature's mane.
The scientist struggled to get free of the tangled hair and find the daylight. He had barely a moment to act before he would be crushed by the skull on which he was riding.
The head crashed to the ground.
"No!" Mairwen screamed. "He made it out, right?" She looked to Hanna, whose view had also been obscured.
"We will find out soon enough, Dearie." Hanna squeezed the princess's hand.
The body of the Myrmecoleon fell a second behind its head. A second crash brought a rally of cheers from the soldiers in the trench. They had clearly been watching.
The princess wasn't ready to share in their joy. Not until her husband was back safely with her.
In the field, Edjer stomped on the ant's body, making sure the creature would stay dead. Then he pushed the carapace over to the base of the mountain of bodies. The Dragon King was victorious. He was now in charge of the Dew Mountain.
The question became, would he be benevolent in his control?
While Edjer asserted his dominance over the landscape, Mairwen took as many calming breaths as she could.
One. Two.
She was glad the Myrmecoleon was defeated.
Three. Four.
Edjer didn't seem interested in attacking the elves who must be leaving the field.
Five. Six.
Alaron had done a fine job and Renat had completed his task.
Seven. Eight.
Her husband was smart. He had survived certain death before.
Her breath and thoughts alternated until she had reached over a hundred. Her happy thoughts were becoming harder and harder to think of.
But then.
"I see them!" Eira, who was a little way off from the other two ladies, waved and pointed.
"All of them?" Mairwen pressed her lips together.
Eira didn't answer. She didn't have to. For in between Nath and Uri, a lanky man was being carried.
"Renat!" the princess ran along the edge of the woods.
When she got close enough to see her husband's face clearly, he smiled at her. Mairwen's heart skipped a beat.
"You are hurt!" she said as she drew close to him.
"It's nothing. It turns out that jumping from a plummeting head only to be caught haphazardly by elves is not very good for one's ankles. I seem to have messed up mine," Renat winced.
"Come with me to the healer," Mairwen motioned for the two elves to follow her.
Left behind, Lilith, Alaron, Hanna, and Eira surveyed the field from the safety of the trees.
"I really didn't think Nath was going to catch him..." the Guardian admitted even though no one asked.
"He must have had a little magic left in him. That burst of air to slow him down at the last minute was unexpected." Lilith replayed the scene in her mind.
She, too, had thought Renat was going to die. His fall should have at least earned him dozens of broken bones. A twisted ankle was nothing by comparison.
"The creatures are flocking to this place for a reason," Hanna spoke slowly. "The mist of Dew Mountain has been soaking it for thousands of years. Either Nath was able to draw some energy from the ground. Or the Maker helped him. Whatever the cause. We will be grateful."
"I cannot believe the Myrmecoleon is dead. Ugh, I am quite tired of saying its name." The Guardian rubbed the back of his head. Why couldn't the thing have just been called something simple like a 'Lant'?
"We must move forward before another creature tries to take the land. I do think Edjer is our best chance at getting the other Fates down from the Spires." Hanna took a deep breath. "I do hope he is in a better mood after that victory. There is nothing worse than an angry dragon."
"What about an angry Fate?" Alaron countered with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
Hanna frowned. "The difference between an angry Fate and an angry Dragon is that a Fate will kill you painlessly..."
The Guardian shivered. "Noted..."
Hanna straightened her tunic and squared her shoulders. "I will go speak to Edjer. If I don't come back, please find another way to help Justum and the others."
Lilith and Eira looked at one another. Not come back? Hanna must have really thought that was a possibility to speak about it so seriously.
"You better come back!" Alaron puffed out his chest. "That dragon wouldn't dare hurt a Fate!"
"Normally, no. But nothing about this is normal." Hanna stepped out into the clearing.
The Fate looked up at the Mystic Spires. She wished she hadn't. The cloth which hadn't moved in days, was missing. Had it fallen or been removed? The first was troubling, but the second made Hanna's stomach churn.
She needed to focus. Pulling the scarf from around her mouth, Hanna stepped confidently forward. At first, Edjer did not seem to notice her. He was very distracted.
His claws raked at the dirt.
Hanna assumed he was trying to get the blood off of his talons. But as he continued, the Fate made a startling realization.
The King of Dragons was digging.
'What is he hoping to find?'
Hanna was forced to push aside the question for more pressing matters.
At last, Edjer sensed a being moving towards him. He lifted his head out of the hole he was digging and trained his gaze on Hanna.
He glared.
"Greetings King of the Dragons, Mighty Edjer," Hanna spoke in the Ancient Tongue as she dipped a curtsy.
She was able to say no more. Edjer growled.
"Greetings Fate, source of all my troubles! Give me one reason why I should not kill you for the calamity you have brought on us."
The dragon did not wait for an answer. He raced forward with jaws wide open.
He looked poised to end the loathsome Fate in a single bite.
And there was nothing Hanna could do to stop him.
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