The Night Rider

Chapter 35 - Ambush

Warning: this chapter contains backstories mentioning severe violence, torture and abuse with regards to certain characters. Proceed at your own risk. I'm happy to PM anyone who wants to know what happens without reading it.

Consider yourself warned.

......

"Why did it have to be bugs?"

The group snickered at Hack's loud complaining, the tension easing in Hawkins shoulders despite the impending battle. His mouth tweaked upwards as Hack couldn't help but avert his eyes at the sight of the mammoth sized creepy crawlies. The Thyraxian nearest him however, was anything but calm.

"Hey! I'm right here y'know?" Thea piped up, visibly insulted at the comment. 

Hack's scales suddenly changed from an overconfident purple to a sickly lime green and the Smoke Traited couldn't help but feel guilty at his uncomfortableness. After all, he had helped cause such a phobia. 

He snickered at the memory of a young Creatist Traited letting loose firebugs for the first time. The little critters scurried along the floorboards, scuttling on top of his chair while their guardian was asleep. Immediately they crawled all over his scales and caused Hack to erupt into yells and explicits until his Earth Traited snuffed them out completely. Not many Sand Wraiths could handle two chaotic kids let alone one.

 "Don't worry, Thea. I'm sure grandad didn't mean it." Mantis teased, the Thyraxian still huffing over the situation.

"Who're you calling grandad?"

Hawkins winced at Sand Wraith's tone sounding less than friendly, fretting that they were gonna start bickering again. They had a little time to plan things thanks to Axis' intervention and Hack's quick thinking but they didn't have long.

"Er...guys?"

Hawkins kept a watchful eye on the Trait made bugs clambering over Axis' interchanging buildings, the crickets being knocked aside by pillars of stone only to re-right themselves immediately. Struggling to defend itself against the horde, Axis' movements became sluggish as they scuttled into the blocked off section in the alleyway. As the buildings began to judder and collapse in on itself in an attempt to shake them off but the crickets were undeterred. 

"That's great grandad to you, little 'un." Hack said, grinning as Thea giggled.

She began to buzz around happily before disappearing into the night to scout out the area. Mantis couldn't help but chuckle, surprising Hawkins who couldn't help but sigh, shaking his head. 

The Creatist bugs began changing size depending on the obstacles, rusty pipes, broken brick walls, even collapsing chimneys couldn't deter the swarm of crickets, locusts, wasps and a variety of different bugs. They were adapting like a dragon would but it wouldn't help with the lower sections of the desolate buildings.

Thankfully, the earlier scavenger hunt for food and shelter had caused the rubble to be shifted about into a kamikaze obstacle course that not even a Truant could clamber over. The Enforcers had packed the broken blocks of brick and metal haphazardly, causing them to warp and melt under the heat of the twin Fire Traited. After Mantis' outburst it had rapidly cooled into a makeshift barrier against the cold and more importantly, any intruders.

"Ready you two?" Odi called out from the back of the group, causing the twins to prepare their stance.

The group was surprisingly calm despite the looming army ascending erratically, knowing full well what was already in place. Odi's unfaltering Trait surrounded them in protective shadows, layering the ground as the twins allowed the blinding flames to strengthen their newly forged Triad.