Glitched

Sorry for the long break. End of the school year is rolling around, and I have been VERY busy lately. I hope to get the next chapter out by Sunday because this was more of a part 1-ish chapter. Also, it has come to my attention that people think our favorite mc looks a certain way that she really doesn't. The current cover is NOT a reflection of how Kyraa currently looks. If you're confused, check out the glossary.

Several of my children circle around the fallen human, crowding up this particular portion of the already cramped tunnel. It was definitely getting a bit noisier as I hear the voices of my children everywhere. With the way they crowd around the body, it's obvious that they desperately want to feast on her corpse. Not that I would let them.

"Take this woman's body and bury it. No one is to even attempt to dig up her body. Foolish she was, but I respect her unwavering determination.”

Although I say buried, she's already underground, so they simply kick dirt over her body until it's covered. In my opinion, that was good enough for a human. 

“We will leave immediately to attack the small settlement in the distance. No matter their fortifications, they are small and spread apart. A few hours of preparation will do little to save them.”

***

In a matter of minutes we are just feet away from the first few fields, still hidden underground. We were ready to move forward, but it would be foolish to rush into the attack without assessing the situation above ground. 

I took a moment to gather my children around, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Listen closely," I stated in a hushed tone, ensuring that my words wouldn't carry beyond the tunnel walls. "No matter the situation, always remember to exercise caution. The humans are aware that we are nearby, and have likely made preparations of some sort, albeit futile in the face of our numbers."

Always remember that combat starts before you are face to face with your opponent. "Scout ahead and check the human’s houses." I commanded, selecting a few of their fastest and most stealthy children for the task. "Report back with any signs of movement or fortifications."

The scouts darted out of the tunnel like shadows as they ventured closer to the light of the surface. Meanwhile, the rest of the group waited in tense silence, our senses heightened for any signs of danger. A brief mental scan with my powers came up empty, exposing the fact that there were no humans in the fields on the outskirts above us.

After what felt like an eternity, the scouts returned with what I hoped to be valuable information. "The settlement is on high alert. Some parts of the houses’ bottoms seem to be hardened with some strange rock that makes it hard to invade from beneath,” one reports. "They've stationed a few poorly armored humans to keep watch around the perimeter of the closest fields where a few of the workers currently tend to their fields. Most of the humans are out of sight, and we have spotted makeshift barricades near the fields closest."

All of the scouts nod at each other's analysis, having reached the same conclusion without needing to say so.

"The humans think a few guards and pitiful barricades will stop us. How foolish. The remaining humans are cooped up in their homes, there is no need for strategy here. Overrun the guards and workers on the outskirts, then the village. Let no one escape. Spread the word to your brothers and sisters, for we will emerge and begin our attack in ten minutes." I explain, children darting off into the tunnels to inform their siblings.

The ground trembles slightly with hundreds of my children moving around, and I have to pass a second message to keep things quiet lest our movement be known. After a few minutes of exploring, my daughters return to inform me that they are all in position and ready to launch the attack at my command. The order is given, and in a rush we all surface to attack.

***

By the time I climb out from behind all my children, some of the humans are already turning tail at the sight of us, retreating to their little village rather than fight. A few stragglers who look like they're not taking their position seriously take notice of us as well, after one of their superiors spurs them to attention.

"By Oberon's grace, WHAT ARE YOU FOOLS DOING! THE PARASITES ARE HERE! RUN!"

An alarm is sounded in the form of a loud bell as the first few runaway humans make it to their gathering of houses, immediately locking themselves in their respective homes. The guards gathered together at the entrance of the gathering of houses, but I'm sure that even they understood their small little group of..one..seven..fifteen would stand no chance. 

Did they plan to try and hold us back while the farmers barricaded themselves inside their homes? Even then there was only so much they could do with so many windows and doors to block. Not to mention that we could simply starve them to death. These humans weren’t exactly the smartest around. 

The entirety of the swarm advances swiftly as one large mass, quickly closing in on the wannabe protectors huddled together at the forefront of this little community. Their puny barricades in the fields were trampled with ease, and we reached the entrance in a matter of seconds. 

Like the cowards they were, the guarding humans fled even further at the sight of us, seemingly abandoning the residents of the nearby buildings. Of course we gave chase, and followed them to the center, where they decided to stand their ground and mount a pitiful defense. But something was off. Why would they fight and not turn tail? I’m sure they realized that they stood no chance.

The initial clash erupted as our vanguard, led by my eldest, engaged the dozen or so guards. But a sudden chorus of new human voices took us all by surprise.

From every house, came uniformed and armed humans, soldiers, pouring out from the surrounding buildings. There had to be at least two-hundred of them, armed to the teeth with weapons that clearly had some quality to them. The sheer number of them jolted us with the realization that we had walked into an ambush, cunningly baited while they waited for our arrival.

They were trained, disciplined, and their coordinated response spoke volumes about the meticulous planning behind this trap. Panic rippled through the mass of my children as we assessed the situation, realizing that we were not just facing farmers defending their homes but a well-prepared and official military force.

The poorly armed guards were nothing but bait, and the farmers in the fields were unarmed soldiers in disguise. The residents had long evacuated this village. There was nothing left here for us but soldiers.

I had walked us all into a trap, and a very simple one at that.

My mind raced, trying to think up a strategy on the fly. A simple retreat was not an option; we were surrounded. The priority shifted to minimizing losses and finding a way to turn the tables on our assailants, a daunting task in the face of such a force. The number advantage was ours, but the opposition was clearly better-prepared.

The humans gave little time to think as they rushed forward, encircling us with precision. Our initial momentum had been blunted, and now we found ourselves in a desperate struggle for survival. As the humans closed in, their weapons glinting in the sunlight, I issued swift commands to my children to form up and protect each other.

The first clash was brutal. The more agile males darted in and out, using their flight to disrupt the enemy formation, while the remaining females used their strength and size to hold our position. But the humans were relentless, their discipline and training evident in every strike. It was a battle of attrition, and the difference in numbers mattered little when they were equipped with armor and weaponry to deal with us. 

I had to rely on every ounce of experience I possessed. We couldn't afford to be pinned down or outmaneuvered. Yet, even with my assistance, be it through orders or the form of lightning in retaliation, the humans were prepared. They all seemed to have a portion of their focus on me, ready to block my attacks at a moment's notice.

These humans were not amateurs. They adapted faster than we did, making use of coordinated maneuvers as they covered each other to press their advantage. The sounds of combat filled the air, a chaotic symphony of clashes, cries, and the screeching of metal against carapace.

My children fought valiantly, but the odds were against us. Casualties mounted, and I felt the weight of responsibility for every fallen child. I had lost one, then a few more with the scout team, and now I could hear the loss of life in the dozens. For every human felled, several of my children gave up their lives. Being able to do nothing but watch and attack futility was frustrating. 

We had to do something to make it out alive and retreat became the only viable option. Better termed a tactical withdrawal to regroup and reassess our strategy. I refused to acknowledge a loss at the hands of the humans.

With a heavy heart, I ordered a retreat, concentrating my forces on breaking out of a single point to our rear. There was no time to dig our way out this time, and there would no doubt be even more casualties as we fled the battlefield. 

But once again, the humans adapted to our strategy in a matter of seconds. Their leader barked out orders, and they concentrated their men where I concentrated my children.

It was a bloodbath, the ground stained with more yellow than red. They were hellbent on eliminating us all here, but I refused to back down. 

Fireball after fireball, lightning strike after lightning strike, I forced the humans to focus more attention on me rather than my children at their feet. Attacking so many times in such a short period was making my head throb, and every failed attempt drained energy from my limbs.

I only received relief when my children forced the humans to open a path for us a minute later, but not without tremendous losses. And yet, we still weren't safe. 

I never thought I'd see the day we ran from humans, but for once it was our turn to flee as the humans gave chase to those of us that remained. 

However their efforts were wasted as we outran them with ease. They lacked horses, and our superior speed on the ground combined with their exhaustion allowed us to gain a significant lead in a short time. We were exhausted, but we ran as far as our legs could carry us, assisting or carrying the wounded as needed.

***

Night was beginning to fall when we finally stopped, all of us nearly collapsing in the middle of the road that led back to the forest. We had left behind a battlefield littered with fallen children. My fallen children.

As we collected ourselves in the middle of the road, the realization of my costly mistake burned in my mind. I had underestimated the humans' cunning, paying a steep price for my arrogance. Our numbers had been more than halved, and even those that remained were disheartened and mostly injured.  

By now it was apparent that my word was law, and in a colony like this, the leader's decisions were final. My children had and will never second guess my decisions, and so it had been my job to make the right ones. I had acted too hastily, and far too pridefully. 

Yet, the humiliation continued. A look in the distance revealed another flaw in our attack. 

I had left our home unprotected.

The Farmlands of Wyn

Given it's nature as an island, Wyn's economy is entirely dependent on its exports to maintain economic stability. Making use of the large portion of island that is underdeveloped, Wyn has made agricultural exports it's primary source of profit. It's not uncommon to spot small settlements off the main road where farmers gather to rest in their own little communities. There are dozens of these small settlements that dot the country side.