The Spider and the Butterfly

CHAPTER Sixteen

"C'mon, men!" the leader of the bee troops shouted. "We've got a promise to keep and a land to protect!" With several war cries, the bees went into a headlong dive towards the incoming yellowjackets. The ants, who also swore loyalty to Daisy, were riding on their backs wielding swords and spears.

The next ten minutes over the village was chaos. Bees and wasps violently grappled in the air battle. The ants would have the bees fly over the yellowjackets so as to drop on them from above and drive their weapons through. Wasps would swarm a small group of bees and sting them to death. Many of them fell out of the air.

On the ground, there were many more ants. They had acorn cannons at their disposal, along with other long-range weaponry they had crafted from nature. Any wasps that fell in front of them were promptly killed.

"Cripes," Rogue breathed. "Now I've seen everything."

Daisy tried to wiggle free, but the bug held on tighter. "Where's Fang?!" she demanded. "What did you do to him?!"

The assassin bug replied, "Your spider friend won't be alive for long after I'm through with him. But he did want me to pass on a little message for you."

Sniffling, Daisy looked up at him. "What did he say?" she asked.

"He said that he loved you with all his strength, and that he was so sorry..." Rogue answered. "Whatever that meant. Regardless, he's as good as dead."

The butterfly felt furious. She swiftly kicked Rogue between the legs, causing him to cry out in pain. Twisting her body free, she ran to the edge of the roof. Before she could take off, the assassin bug tackled her and they were sent sailing into the bushes below.

Rogue landed on top of Daisy, fuming with rage. "I don't bloody care what Mist says anymore," he growled. "You're mine, little missy." The assassin bug towered over the butterfly, pinning her arms down. She screamed as Rogue's jaws came closer to her throat.

Suddenly, Rogue started screaming. He leapt off of Daisy and started rolling around in the dirt. "GET THEM OFF! GET THEM OFF ME!" Several small figures coated his body, chittering and snarling. A few of them seized Daisy and ran at mock speed across the plain. The butterfly, too terrified to scream, cast a look down at the figures.

They were jumping spiders. A big group of them. "What the..." Daisy whispered. Rogue ran out of the bushes, silver blade in his hand. He was shouting blue murder at the jumpers and was about to catch up with Daisy when an enormous foot descended upon him with a crash. And that was the end of the assassin bug, due to the humans panicking over what was going on.

The villagers had dim clue about the war. All they knew was that the insects had all gone crazy, and as such, were doing what they could to drive away the swarms. Daisy was nearly crushed herself a few times. The jumpers dodged and weaved between many legs and feet until they made it a safe distance away from the village.