Cross-posted on Fanfiction.net
A Tail of Love and Savagery, Living in a Frog World tells the story of Frank Ramirez and how he and three old friends of his got trapped in Amphibia. These three friends were Anne, Sasha, and Marcy. However, the girls...
Another day in the world of Amphibia and the region where Wartwood was settled in was besieged by one of the worst rainstorms that its residents had ever seen. It was raining so hard that trees were being pulled out of the ground and were sent flying for miles. No one would dare to travel in this weather.
But something did dare.
As the rain came thundering down onto the ground and the sound of each raindrop landing together would have made it hard for anyone to hear what was around them, the ground started to rumble. It would fall silent for a moment before it rumbled again. Then the jungle floor started shaking from the massive and heavy feet that were stomping on the ground. Along with that footsteps came the trees being toppled over and crashing down onto the ground, as a herd of massive insects came marching through the forest.
These were elephant beetles—one of the largest land insects on Amphibia.
Larger than most insects, these bugs were black in color and covered in a coat of fine hair that was thicker on their elytra. Giving the beetles' bodies a yellowish color. The males had two horns protruding from the head and another from the prothorax. They were used for defense and competition. The females had no horns.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
These titans marched through the wet woods as the rain came down on them. Nothing was slowing them down or was going to get in the way of their migration. Even the monsoon that was hitting their hard shells.
But not all of them were together.
Behind the herd was an older male that was struggling to keep up. Its hard exoskeleton was cracking, and its hair was disheveled. This male elephant beetle was one of the oldest means of the herd, and the journey this year has taken its toll on the creature.
As the herd continued ahead, it disappeared in the shower of water. Leaving the old male alone. He stopped for a moment before bellowing out a trumpeting cry for the others. But they could not hear him. Again he tried. This time louder. But once again, the other elephant beetles couldn't hear him.
He continued calling out for his herd. Trumpeting like an African Elephant.
But they weren't coming back for him. And it would be the last they'll ever see him again.
-
The sky was still dark, but the rain had fully ceased and cleared away for the old elephant beetle. Now able to see where it was going, it traveled through a narrow and rocky passageway. It's panting was heavy as exhaustion was beginning to settle in. But it couldn't stop. Stopping would mean that the herd would get further away. So, it traveled across the mud-covered ground. It's bug eyes wide as ever and unblinking. Its body was as tall as the cliffs on its right and left.
However, he came to a stop. In front of the elephant beetle was a steep slope.
The beetle looked down this slope for a moment. Then it slowly opened its elytons - the hard shells that protected the wings. It then opened its wings and prepared to fly when suddenly...
