Chapter 518 Triad in front, triad behind (1/2)

[Haul that monkey b.u.t.t, Tiny! We need to move, move, move!] I shout as I zip after my pets.

Invidia has seized hold of the big ape with his stick-thin arms and clings to his black fur as Tiny leaps and bounds forward with all of his strength, making the little demon flap like a flag in a high wind. Lagging behind as always is Jim, and I catch up to him in no time.

[Jim! You need to pick up the pace! The Warriors have caught up to us!]

[What?! How many? He shrieks.

[Just the one.]

[Did you … finish it?] He asks, desperately.

[No time. Doesn't matter anyway, there'll be more in the area, which is why we need to move.]

[I'm trying, d.a.m.n you... I'm not … built for this!]

His thoughts come with gaps breaking up each sentence as if he doesn't have the energy to think coherently anymore. The stress of the situation is having a distinct effect on him as well. I'll try to rea.s.sure him.

[Don't worry, Jim. Just a few more minutes and we'll make it to the Colony. I can sense them, hundreds, maybe thousands. Just keep pus.h.i.+ng, and we'll get there. I won't leave you behind. If the Golgari catch up, I'll hold them off with my pets, alright?]

[O-Okay…]

[Good worm. Keep at it!]

Contrary to my slithery a.s.sociate, I'm bursting with energy. The more we flee, the more the Vestibule pays off, replenis.h.i.+ng my energy and soothing my aches. We continue to run, but it's a nervous thing, with my antennae focusing more behind me than in front of me. Thanks to my particular brand of compound vision, it's not a big deal to focus in all directions. It won't take long for the Warrior I left behind to catch up again, that mental barrage is something he can probably shake off in a few seconds at most, and I don't expect the acid to be much of a hindrance. It does affect stone, but not nearly as well as it does biological matter. The amount I hit him with won't do much damage. If it slows him down for another second or two, that's a win.

I keep the mental construct suspended in my mind in case I need a bit more of that brand of magic. It's plenty useful for distracting and disrupting enemies without doing anything too lethal to them. If I'm forced to it though, I'll abandon it for a more direct form of persuasive magic. Fire, maybe.

In front of us, a pack of shadow creepers poke their heads up before hissing in our direction as we rumble toward them.

[Leave them!] I shout. [I don't care if they attack us. More chaos is better, and we can't afford the time!]

All I get is a grunt from Tiny as we continue to sprint past the pack who, thankfully, leave us alone. If they get tangled up with the Warriors, then I'll be a happy little insect but based on my knowledge of the monsters they'll probably let them through and try and tangle with all of us once things get messy. I hate those things!

A flicker of something catches my eyes and a ripple of feeling twitches in my antennae, and I throw my body to one side.

BOOM!

Where the heck are these guys coming from?! I can't even sense them until they're almost on top of me!

[Keep running!] I holler and follow my advice as I regain my feet and dash forward, my legs a blur as they move faster than my eyes can track.

Gogogogogogo! WHOA!