Chapter 8: Confluence Unraveling

Around a half-hour past the time when Rihelah had noticed that other mantis hanging far below her, the humidity in the air deepened with a brief gust of wind. Shortly thereafter, twinkling green lights began to dance about in front of the trees. Few in number at first, they quickly flooded the sky with their numbers.

There must be millions! So pretty... Rihelah said to herself, awestruck as she gazed upon the haunting spectacle.

A portion of the beautiful light show passed overhead as they flowed together, congregating over the center of the grassy expanse. She caught a glimpse of a few closer lights after the majority had passed. Lacewing-shaped bodies were briefly silhouetted against the moon, their abdomens glowing bright green while they flew.

Another terrestrial arthropod appeared, crawling up from behind a nearby set of tall shoots not far from Rihelah. Ten times her size, its long, serrated mandibles and large compound eyes meant this beetle was almost certainly a carnivore. She choked on a sudden rush of fear, but the beetle seemed to have no interest in her. Instead, its attention seemed locked upon the glowing host of insects high above.

Hundreds of dark-winged shapes dove from above and struck through the massive swarm repeatedly, their efforts causing some few lights to visibly wink out while a light sizzling sound carried across the meadow. But their effect upon the bioluminescent swarm's numbers proved negligible.

More beetles appeared along with wandering, leaping, and spitting spiders. All fixed their attention upon the dancing lights in the sky. Some stood in close proximity to one another without a hint of aggression.

One jumping spider more than three times her size even climbed onto the same leaf with Rihelah and looked at her only briefly before turning its eyes skyward. She shook with mild terror at her situation, but inside she was even more curious than fearful.

The amorphous cloud of luminous insects formed into a tight ball and hovered above the center of the meadow while bobbing up and down as one. Tiny arcs of green lightning flared up repeatedly across the surface of the floating sphere.

A few winged predators flashed bright green upon contact with the mass of insects, then fell from the sky while leaving tendrils of smoke in their wake. Sharp crackling sounds like those of fireworks hit Rihelah's eargina, and she continued to look on in wonder. The remaining airborne predators fled back into the trees, and the sphere calmed visibly after a few seconds.

What in the world am I witnessing? Ants that create fire I can almost understand! But flying insects that create green lightning and cause predatory arthropods to gather and then ignore one another?? This is almost like... magic! Wait. No. That makes no sense, Rihelah. Get your head out of the clouds!

Moving as one, their purpose apparently fulfilled, the luminous insects broke away once more. This time, they moved down into the grasses, covering the entire meadow with their soft glow as they settled among the grasses.

When the first of those alighted near her, they paired up and attached to one another in the same manner as male and female damselflies. However, they were immediately set upon by the hunters who had congregated.

The green lights flashed brighter each time one of the flies was beset by a predator, but the tiny sparks of green lightning seemed to have little effect. Despite being approximately five times Rihelah's size, the winged creatures appeared to have no effective defense against their hunters while not gathered into that huge, airborne sphere of electrical doom.

Fangs, mandibles, and stingers sank into heads, thoraxes, and abdomens. Delicate wings strained to haul their stricken owners away from danger, to no avail.

When that failed, they simply bent their abdomens where possible and began to lay eggs upon the grass stems even as they were chewed apart, envenomated, and drained of bodily fluids. The delicious scent of fresh ichor around her caused her antennae to tremble with excitement.

For the flies, it seemed hopeless at first, but they just kept coming. Soon there were so many, the grasses began to droop beneath their weight and even the numerous predators were overwhelmed by the sheer biomass.

With her belly mostly full already, Rihelah attempted to stay out of the commotion despite the protestations of her trembling antennae.

As minutes passed, hundreds of slender, oblong, whitish eggs per female fly were laid in neat, honeycomb-shaped patterns upon the grasses. The female flies then wrapped and covered their brood beneath thin, gorgeous sheets of silk that sparkled and shone within the pervasive green light.

Once that was done, the exhausted flies simply stood in place together.

Is this similar to how things go on Earth? Will they die after mating and laying their eggs? Should I try to take a couple of them down, if just for the possibility of leveling up? I don't need any more food with such a full stomach, so why does my body still want to feed? It's obnoxious! Be still, my beating palps!

She looked around. All of the other predators were either happily feeding or dragging their victims away to feed in private. Hundreds of glowing flies stood upon the grasses around her, their abdomens straining for air after the exertion of their nuptial flight and subsequent reproductive activity.

With the heavy scent of sweet ichor still assailing her antennae and in spite of her lack of actual hunger, she began to wonder how these large prey might taste.

No! I don't need food! What I do need is to grow stronger, and that means...

That means I have to kill.

I have to survive, no matter what it takes! Well, they say no guts, no glory, right? Time to take a chance!

Moving carefully toward a pair that had finished their egg-laying, Rihelah positioned herself in front of one of the massive flies. After a moment's hesitation and after anchoring her hind legs securely to the blade of grass she struck, latching firmly onto the fly's head.

Gossamer wings opened and tugged with tired urgency, but Rihelah had already pulled herself close enough and began to chew with her antennae swept backward. The taste flooded her mouth while she tethered the languishing fly to the grass.

This!! Wow! I swear I could eat these every day! Whatever caused this creature to evolve deserves a Michelin star for the taste and texture alone!

Granted, the presentation is... Well, admittedly it's actually quite appealing if I ignore what I'm seeing right now and focus on that pre-dinner show!

After a couple of bites, the fly bucked hard and the male on top slammed forward, knocking Rihelah prone. Her feet lost their grip for an instant before her tiny foot-claws reattached to the blade of grass, but the struggling pair of glowing flies now lacked the strength to pull themselves into the air, let alone drag Rihelah with them.

[Hey, up there!]

Rihelah stopped as she was about to start feeding again and looked around. The flies were barely moving, but she stared carefully at both.

[Mantis... can you hear me?]

Rihelah froze while maintaining her grip on the fly's head, and started to look around.

Who or what exactly is talking to me?! How am I supposed to respond??

[Look below. I'm staring up at you.]

With some trepidation, she peeked down to find that other mantis looking straight up at her. Its gaze was locked directly onto her face and its missing foreleg had already grown halfway back.

How could it have possibly... and so quickly?! Does that mantis have regeneration like mine?! She nearly forgot she was latched onto a prey animal.

[Good, you're looking at me. You're the only other one of my kind I've seen out here. Can you speak?]

Oh shit, it saw me! Its voice sounds male. Female mantids are bigger and stronger... right? She tried to reassure herself in the face of another predator from her own species; one that could also talk and was clearly focused upon her.

Rihelah's grip tightened on the glowing fly, causing it to panic and buck at her once more. She returned her attention to it and managed to force the exhausted creature into submission once again.

[I'm not going to attack you. I just want to know if you can understand what I'm saying. If you can, look at me again and wiggle your antennae outward.] That voice entered her mind again. Its speech pattern seemed familiar somehow, making her feel nostalgic.

Rihelah carefully did as asked.

[Great! If you can't speak yet, you just need to learn Telepathy! I got it at level 10. If you can get there, maybe we can talk. Go on and enjoy your meal. After you reach level 10, I'll have a ton of questions!]

Well crap, Rihelah thought. So the fuck do I! But at least if I can gain the ability to talk, perhaps there's room for some sort of alliance. Since that other mantis is also sapient, why not? I'm bigger. If he becomes a problem, I can probably handle him and make him see reason. This world is strange.

The other's voice called out again from below.

[Fucking hell! Not again, dammit! I'll be back soon! I hope! Wait for me!] He sounded agitated, and Rihelah peeked below once more.

The other mantis was scrambling away through the grass, followed by a predatory beetle a few times his size.

Well shit. I hope he survives! It'd be nice to converse with someone whose speech sorta reminds me of... home. Her thorax and abdomen suddenly felt tight, and it took Rihelah a moment to relax once more.

The other mantis had already disappeared with the beetle in hot pursuit.

Level 10, hmm? Guess I need to keep working on you, then. She looked back at her barely-moving prey.

She repositioned herself and kept chewing up to the point where she had consumed half its head. Thus she was forced to shift her grip onto the fly's thorax. By now her victim had ceased all attempts to retreat, merely holding itself feebly against the plant with exhausted legs much larger than her own. After a short while, its struggles eased and then ceased altogether.

You have defeated Glow-Worm Fly Level 26. Experience Gained.

Lesser Sapient Mantid has reached Level 10! +6HP.

HP 53/53 (+5HP/min.)

STR 7

AGI 7

INT 21

Special Abilities:

Telepathy: Requires Level 10, 20 or greater INT. Communicate with other sapient beings via thought transmission. Range increases with INT.

Evolution Available!

Evolution? And Telepathy! So easily?! I wonder how this works?

Do I just will myself to speak to others?

[Are you out there, Mister Mystery-Mantis? I just reached level 10 and I have Telepathy now! I hope it's working!] She waited for a few moments, but there came no reply.

The male glow-worm fly lost too much strength and fell away from the dead female, cartwheeling haphazardly after its head slammed into another blade of grass below. Its wings fluttered feebly once, just before it fell out of sight.

Rihelah continued eating and tried a few more times to get the attention of the other mantis, to no avail. The other predators had already left with their prey, and everything was quiet, save for the munching of Rihelah's mandibles and the occasional sound of a spent pair of glow-worm flies toppling toward the ground below.

---

Michael raced forward with five and a half legs, doing his best to keep ahead of the beetle hot on his heels. His haphazard movement had taken him in many directions as he worked to evade his tenacious pursuer.

[Why the fuck don't you just go find yourself one of those glowing flies?! They aren't running, and they're raining down all around us, ya damn window-licker! I'm a waste of energy!]

Shortly after he'd spoken thus, he was forced to jump to the left. Huge beetle mandibles met with a falling pair of flies where Michael had just been and snapped shut like a bear trap.

Conservation of momentum dragged the beetle down with the flies, and Michael lost sight of it while continuing to run and dodge the falling bags of protein.

Finally! Good riddance, ya jackass! Hmph! Classic idiot. It literally had to be smacked across the face with that opportunity before it understood!

Michael continued moving until he was certain he was no longer being followed, then took shelter beneath a slanted and particularly sturdy-looking grass stem. The opportunistic flood of predators had retreated to safe places to avoid the hail of spent flies from above while they gorged themselves on those they had caught.

Something white and luminous streaked low overhead. Shortly thereafter, it flew back in the other direction at a much greater altitude while carrying at least three green lights in its legs.

Wait. That must have been Edana! I think... I should see about finding that other mantis again, first. He shook his head to ward off a wave of exhaustion that threatened to make him fall into torpor. Bahh. Why do I have to feel sleepy right now? I need to get back before...

Something moved upward along the stem below Michael, but he couldn't make it out clearly even after turning his head directly toward it as he hung facing downward. The foliage beneath him seemed to shift and bend as if the moonlight were bending around something. Whatever it was moved slowly and deliberately.

Why do I get the feeling I'm going to regret it if that thing gets too close? Damn it...

With his full-size left foreleg, Michael struck at the strange distortion when it seemed to have drawn close, stabbing forward with the hardened spine on his foreleg. The oddly camouflaged creature in front of him appeared fully while retracting its damaged eye back into a slimy, slug-like body. A conical shell stretched out behind it, and a slender proboscis snaked out from an opening in the front.

Oh, fuck me! That looks like a-

Michael struck again while ducking out of the way, knocking the proboscis off-target just in time. A transparent barb shot out from within, missing his head by one millimeter. A clear liquid sprayed out from the barb, and Michael scurried away from that while attacking again.

He smacked the odd sea snail-like creature's other eye hard enough to cause that to retract as well. The cone-shelled land mollusk's body foamed a bit while its foot detached and it dropped away from the stem, re-engaging its camouflage after it landed far below.

Where that clear liquid from the snail's barbed harpoon struck the nearby grass, the foliage had begun to wilt. Michael shuddered with the thought of what might have happened if he'd been struck and injected by that terrifying weapon.

I need to find a way to acquire my own damned camouflage, dammit! Getting sick of being hunted all the time!

Michael remained in place for another 45 minutes or so, while he waited for the majority of the glowing flies to drop from above. By the time he set out to retrace his steps in an effort to find the other mantis he'd met, the ground below was covered in dead and dying flies along with opportunistic scavengers.

Among those joining the feast were subterranean arthropods resembling centipedes. Those had their own lights perched atop stalks in front of their heads. The effect reminded Michael of a nature video he'd watched that included a segment on anglerfish. But while that show had been fascinating, these creatures were truly terrifying.

Using his own body as a measuring tool, if he figured his own length at 1.5cm, then the centipedes were over 15cm long at minimum. The forcipules slung beneath either side of their broad, flat heads were easily four times more massive than Michael's forelegs, and he shuddered at the thought of being caught between them himself.

While Michael crept cautiously through the grass overhead, the huge centipedes occasionally nipped at one another as each attempted to control its own patch of protein-covered ground.

Occasionally one would slam into the lower portion of a stem as it flailed, bending or even breaking that particular stalk. Other scavenging arthropods gave the centipede creatures a wide berth, preferring to haul their food upward and out of reach.

Michael found himself forced to navigate around some of the spiders, beetles, assassin bugs, and even some odd carnivorous caterpillar-like worms that had moved upward to escape the attention of those large and highly aggressive centipedes.

Thus he continued, hoping that he might eventually recognize the place where he'd found the other of his own kind.

---

Rihelah huddled beneath her new perch, hoping the better view afforded would prove useful in locating the talking mantis she'd met.

Upon the ground below, armies of much smaller ants busied themselves with the task of dissecting and hauling away the glow-worm fly carcasses. Wherever the ants had not yet begun to work, other arthropods worked feverishly to consume what they could before the slowly-spreading horde of ants reached their locations.

It's truly incredible that I'm able to see so well at night! This whole spectacle tonight has been sorta like experiencing a BBC documentary live and in-person! Or rather, in-chitin...

Wishing she could hear the inevitable groan Michael would have had for her over that one, she remembered something and brought up her menu.

Evolution available, hmm? How fascinating! I wonder what I will become?!

Evolution Options:

1. Hidden Reaper Mantis

Conceal yourself from danger and wait to ambush prey while unseen. Beware strong creatures as well as those with sharp vision and excellent hearing. May learn two Water or Fire spells. Must find a suitable magic teacher.

• Size Class increase.

• Chitin durability increased by 10%.

• Magic unlocked. Increases MP by +2 per INT.

• Water and Fire Magics unlocked.

• Gain 2 Spell Slots.

• Pounce: Move forward at 3x your normal speed to attack, up to 2x your own body length. Deals 200% of your normal strike damage to your target upon arrival. Cooldown: 10 seconds.

• Minor Camouflage: Become difficult to notice for those lacking improved senses while hiding outdoors. Does not function while moving.

• +40 Base HP

• +20 Base MP

• +11 STR, +11 AGI, +6 INT

2. Mantid Magus

Fledgling Enkelyn spellcaster. You may learn up to four water and/or fire spells, and possess the ability to craft your own basic magics. Lacks stealth and possesses relatively low physical prowess.

• Size Class increase.

• Chitin durability increased by 10%.

• Magic unlocked. Increases MP by +2 per INT.

• Fire and Water Magics unlocked.

• Gain 4 Spell Slots.

• Limited ability to craft your own magics.

• Intimidation: Doubles the effectiveness of your natural threat display versus creatures up to twice your own level.

• +20 Base HP

• +40 Base MP

• +7 STR, +6 AGI, +15 INT

3. Sapient Mantid

Basic durable mantis, built to withstand and deal high physical damage.

• Size Class increase.

• Chitin durability increased by 50%.

• Regeneration: (+11HP/30sec.) Limbs regrow within 30 minutes. Reduces simple poison/venom duration by 90%.

• +60 Base HP

• +16 STR, +12AGI

While involuntarily holding her breath, her thoughts came quickly. Fire and water magic!? What in this weird-ass world is an Enkelyn spellcaster? Hmmm... But still, magic! Four spells! This! There can be no choice aside from the Magus! Render unto Rihelah these tools and this evolution! I shall produce my own magicses!

So saying, Rihelah found herself growing drowsy as she held her tiny forelegs out in triumph. This will be incredible!! I never dreamed I could... No, wait! What... is...

She returned to a resting position as her body fell rapidly and inexorably into torpor.

---

Michael stood stock-still in apprehension as two enormous shapes passed by at a distance, casting shadows into the grass as they transited the moon from his perspective. He raced upward for a better look. The faint scent of burnt hair hit his antennae as his head popped up, just high enough to catch sight of them.

Oh shit! Humans!! And they're... children! That's not at all what I was expecting. Oh shit. Humans love killing insects, and kids can be especially cruel. I could talk to them with telepathy. Maybe? Fuck. Do I dare risk it? Probably still too small to be messing with them. But there must be some settlement nearby, for there to be children out. At night. Actually, that's kind of weird...

The two children entered the forest beyond the meadow, disappearing from Michael's sight and into the shadows beneath the trees.

Well, it seems I won't have to worry about dealing with them right now.

A loud rushing-hissing sound rolled over the meadow. Two hoarse, high-pitched screams pierced the humid night air, followed by a loud, polytonal squeal as if a group of enraged boars called out as one. Michael could feel the heavy footfalls of a large animal beginning to charge.

The shaking grew more intense, and from the direction the children had run came a much larger shape, weaving an evasive pattern through the grass at high speed. Michael froze in terror when moonlight caught the enormous bipedal predator giving chase.

Three times as tall as the pig-like creature and more than twice as fast, it gained rapidly on its terrified prey. Long crocodilian jaws opened slightly as Michael heard the creature inhale deeply. The boar veered hard left before it reached Michael and bolted toward the thicker grass near the meadow's center. The huge reptilian predator turned its long head and spewed a gale of something toward the pig.

Another terrified squeal. The sound of wind whipping the grasses about. Caught by the breath of the huge creature, the panicked swine tried to turn faster than its legs could manage and tripped. After tumbling through the grasses for more than ten meters it ended upon its side, feet still kicking as it tried in vain to run.

Michael found himself unable to look away while the massive jaws of the reptile ducked toward the fallen pig. A squeal of agony. The reptile lurched violently as it whipped its head to one side. The squeal rose in pitch just before it was silenced. Michael's antennae stood straight upward.

That was damn terrifying! So why do I feel... No, it can't be. There's no way I could get excited about watching something die! I mean, I enjoyed watching my mantids feed when I was a kid! But they only ate... Fuck. They ate insects. And I cheered them on because they were my pets! But now I am an insect. Next time it could be me caught in a bigger mantid's grasp...

His palps quivered as the sound of crunching bones caught his ear. For a brief moment, they searched about beneath his face, seeking something he could bite into.

What the? Why do I suddenly wish I could have been the one to snap that pig's neck and sink my mandibles into its...? Fucking hell! I'm thinking like some murderous beast despite the fact I'm barely larger than a housefly! I need to tone it back! I mean sure, I need to kill to eat, but that doesn't mean I should be killing for fun! Keep a lid on this shit, Michael!

The air sparkled in the moonlight as a fine mist blew over Michael, causing the vision of his compound eyes to become lightly blurred here and there. His entire body began to tingle.

Lesser Draelid Poison Breath (Topical, Severely diluted: -95% potency.): -4HP/30sec. for 1 minute. You are being tranquilized!

Holy shit!! Fuck that noise!

Michael retreated down into the grass quickly in an effort to hide and prevent more of the poisonous cloud from contacting his body. As he descended, the tingling spread throughout his extremities, and he began to have difficulty controlling his legs. So he stopped and clung hard to the underside of a wide, flat blade of grass.

Damn! I can't afford to be knocked out by this crap! There are too many other predators!

His consciousness flirted with torpor as his mind numbed slightly, and Michael tensed, doing his best to will himself to remain awake.

I have to do something! Is there anything I can... Wait! I have that evolution available! What if I...

Evolution Options:

1. Stalking Reaper Mantis

Slip past danger and stalk prey while unseen. Enjoys moderate physical toughness. Beware strong creatures with sharp vision and excellent hearing. May learn a Spirit spell. Must find a suitable magic teacher.

• Size Class increase.

• Chitin durability increased by 30%.

• Magic unlocked. Increases MP by +2 per INT.

• Spirit Magic unlocked.

• Gain 1 Spell Slot.

• Improved Pounce: Move forward at 3x your normal speed to attack, up to 2x your own body length. Deals 200% of your normal strike damage to your target upon arrival, doubled on successful sneak attack. Cooldown: 10 seconds.

• Camouflage: Become difficult to notice for those lacking improved senses while sneaking or hiding outdoors. Functional while moving.

• +50 Base HP

• +10 Base MP

• +11 STR, +13 AGI, +4 INT

2. Armored Mantid Magus

Fledgling Enkelyn soldier/spellcaster. You may learn up to two water and/or fire spells, and possess the ability to craft your own basic magics. Lacks stealth but possesses moderate physical toughness.

• Size Class increase.

• Chitin durability increased by 30%.

• Magic unlocked. Increases MP by +2 per INT.

• Fire and Water Magics unlocked.

• Gain 2 Spell Slots.

• Limited ability to craft your own magics.

• Intimidation: Doubles the effectiveness of your natural threat display versus creatures up to twice your own level.

• +30 Base HP

• +30 Base MP

• +9 STR, +8 AGI, +11 INT

3. Sapient Mantid

Basic durable mantis, built to withstand and deal high physical damage.

• Size Class increase.

• Chitin durability increased by 50%.

• Regeneration: (+11HP/30sec.) Limbs regrow within 30 minutes. Reduces simple poison/venom duration by 90%.

• +60 Base HP

• +16 STR, +12AGI

Finding his mind already in the process of shutting down, Michael was unable to read past the first choice. Feeling like he had no other options, he selected it and hoped for the best as his consciousness quickly faded.

-4HP Lesser Draelid Poison Breath (Topical.)

+10HP Minor Regeneration.

---

[Fan! Leir!] Azara exclaimed, recognizing their faces as she approached the unconscious humans her night patrol had spotted inside a hollow log. Her antennae recoiled as they were hit by the sickly reek of Draelid Poison. Her body tensed as the weight of the situation crashed down.

[Scouts! Gather leaves of Dew's Maven! Make haste! The rest of you, with me! We guard these young ones with our lives!] Araza's mandibles clenched as she gave her orders; she knew all too well the likely outcome was that they would fail to save Tran's children.