Pops' spike gun snaps up and I test the faux-ammo. One twig shoots out, barely managing to keep its path as the gun rings for all the wrong reasons. It bashed about the barrel more than it actually hit the bug. It's a miracle it even went near it.
Either or... I run.
The stump cracks away behind me, and I crash along the forest floor. Rolling along it, I break out into a sprint for the densest foliage. My size comes in handy, and I slip through as many narrow spots as I can. The breakup of the forest behind me as bug roars keep up with me. One twig snaps under my feet, but a whole chunk of tree bark breaks not far from me.
I'm running, I keep running, I only slow for an opportunity to shove more sticks down the spike gun. But that's just the problem, I'm small. Where I can get into crevices and the like, the bug has its strides. Wide, distance-breaking strides.
"Damn bug..." I swear, firing off whatever sticks I have backed up in the spike gun. It all reaches the bug, but nothing's good enough. It barely even scratches the shell. I need proper spikes, proper bullets.
Hrurim is close by, but he's in the open, along the road and past the fields. That's too much ground to cover like this. Too much. The bug will grab me at best before I can even get out the forest properly-
The bug roars, making me flinch away. My face splashes against water, and a smile somehow comes to my lips. A huff blows its way out, and I rush off, spinning around a tree as the bug gnashes for me. One claw smashes its way ahead, scraping off some tree bark while the other throws it ahead.
I roll away, loading the spike gun with more twigs and firing them off. The bug howls as its eye bleeds with such a joyful freshness. My smirk is more than eager to show itself off and I get back to running. There's no point loading the gun again, not for now.
Dirt scrapes around my legs, the shadow of claws over my head. One arm throws me up and I swap weapon grips, pulling myself ahead with the other. A ledge comes up and I leap the gap, throwing myself back the other way. The bug's not so agile.
It scurries too far, not seeing me, and I rush down the trench. A roar fills the air above me, and the ground thuds. I can only wish I can run faster, I can only wish. Slipping away, I squeeze my way into more narrow confines.
The bug smashes against my entrance, and possibly my exit. Smashing again and again while one claw keeps grasping for me, its peculiar shell more of a problem if it wasn't chasing me. I turn back to the path ahead, taking apart whatever I can and loading Pops' gun again. Wood, rock, whatever can reliably fit down the barrels.
I snap the gun back up and the bug does much the same to my protection. It tears through what it can, the tip of its claws coming way too close to my spines. The spike gun's front goes up, and I empty the barrels ahead of me. The bug staggers back, covering its front as some of it at least does something.
"Other way it is!" I bark, slipping out as I finally find the sound of rushing water. I dive, splashing into the shallow origins of something greater. A growl fills my mouth out as a roar scatters more birds than before. Mud and water splash away, the bug barrelling through the thickest parts of it as the river mouth opens up.
I slip and slide, finding my footing on the banks as the water gets deeper. Gods and goddesses above, there's thankfully some rocks in the water to stay on. The bug keeps trying to get out the water as it gets worse, throwing itself back in all the same. But if it's getting too deep for it then...
"Dammit... HRURIM!" I cry out, hoping he'll at least catch the tail ends of my cry. I'm too far for anything right now, but I-
The bug almost grabs me, knocking me aside instead. I smack against the clay-rich mud. Losing Pops' spike gun in the process. It washes away in the water, lodging itself between some rocks and a hollow log. My eyes widen, and I forget what I'm here to do.
The mud slips me up, smacking me onto the ground. I throw myself up, wading into the water as the bug comes for me again. It grabs me, knocking me deep under the water, and it hauls me up. It roars and slips itself smacking against the rocks in the water.
I spin one way and then another, bursting to the surface with sudden breath. I wave about, smashing one way and then crashing another. I slam my hand into the ground, barely getting a grip in the mud as the current drags me along. My hands slap onto Pops' spike gun, staining it with all but blood. Thankfully.
It slams against my chest, and I wade to the riverside, only to find a slippery height. I growl, twisting around to find the bug finding its footing at the worst time. Its head dashes each and every way, landing on me with narrowing, murderous intent. Another roar splits its mouth wide open, and it's almost unfair. It finds shallow water far quicker than me.
The water reaches its lower knees, and it leaps ahead, I fall and slip. Barely avoiding it. I rush back into the water, diving into the current and waving my way along the water. My eyes keep to the bug and-
The water disappears under me, throwing me over a short waterfall. I hit the ground with a splash, going straight for the ground at its depths. My eyes burst open, picking up the grains of dirt, and I pop to the surface. Desperately breathing as I move Pops' spike gun to lose some of the water.
My free hand latches onto some exposed roots, letting me flail in the water. I look up the falls, watching as the bug rushes into view, dripping with anger as much as it's with water. A sneer fills out my lips, and I guide myself along. Lucking upon a break in the earth that's solid enough to get up and out of.
I wade up, dragging myself back to my feet as I feel so obnoxiously heavy for the moment. The ground explodes, the internal-magic of the bug too much for the artificial land. It snaps around, growling as it finds its prey again. Me.
"HRURIM!" I cry out again, running with all I have for the fields as they clearly come into view. I vault the first fence I can and rush into the field, crops whipping away at me. Metal breaks up the endless rustling, and I twist around, finding a sickle just as the bug comes into the crops. I snatch the tool up, backing up carefully as I test the worn blade.
The bug leaps for me again, and I step aside the predictable path, smashing the blade down. It lodges between the carapace and chips already. Snapping as the bug tenses its muscles. I'm already away, running off with curses on my tongue at the uselessness of the weapon and plan.
Twisting and turning, I try to lose the bug by relying on misdirection. I burst out into the open again and I vault another fence, sticking to the bushes and hedges so I can keep out of sight. A shadow soars above, another roar filling out the air. The bug crashes down, jogging along its path.
People come out to see the creature, and yet... It pays them no mind. Why is it so...? The bug twists, howling for me and then rushing. My eyes roll along, focusing too much on the ignored farmers.
However...
"HEIYA!?" calls out one figure in the distance, the words warbly and barely there. I smile slightly, rushing for the source as I see familiar actions. Hrurim moves my musket in a comfortable way, the bolt going back and the weapon levelling out. But knowing him, we're way too far out for him to reliably hit. I can just barely see it, that uncertain shuffling.
Gods and goddesses, you damn street shooter...
My eyes narrow at the distance I have to cross. My legs are already pain. I can barely feel my lungs and heart properly. But I need to do it, I need to get going far and fast.
"DAMN IT ALL!" I roar myself, running as far as I can as the bug keeps up with me. I can't keep going straight, I need to go one way and then another. Hrurim will no doubt miss, however... Damn that bad shot!
I do it anyway, keeping as straight as I can just for his sake. Yet, I keep turning back, I keep looking back. The bug is catching up, it's catching up. A raving lunatic of a monster that's obsessed with me for some reason. Why me!?
It leaps, knocking the spike gun aside and rolling along the ground with me. It heaves me up and throws me onto the ground. I howl out in pain, crying at the sudden smack as the bug reminds me of my fragility. It snaps away near my face, but never going for the kill.
A shot wizzes past, twitching it about but not hurting it. The monster's head traces the shot, finding the shooter. It twitches, its chitters stopping. It turns back towards the forest, the Crack in the Sky.
I fly and smack onto the monster's back, dropping Pops' weapon. My eyes widen, and something snaps inside of me. Where there was something controlled before, a wild thing is now there. I wail, cry and wail with all I have.
"NO! PUT ME DOWN! POPS! PUT ME DOWN YOU FILTHY BUG! GIVE ME BACK TO POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPS!" I scream with all I have, smacking and flailing.
Another shot fills the air, blowing out a splatter of yellowish blood along the grass. The bug collapses, roaring its own pain as I force my way out. I smack against the grass, slipping on the blood and perhaps some of my own. I rush right for Pops' gun, picking it up and snapping it open.
I stuff whatever I can into it, pebbles, dirt, grass. Anything. The bug twists around, gnashing for me as it defies the missing chunk in its leg. The gun's front comes up and I pull the trigger, Hrurim's latest shot joining in. Bug brain flies across the horizon, the spike gun only puffing as way too much water lingers in my eyes.
My breath trembles, and I keep on shaking, still nowhere near my father's friend. I just have his gun. Nothing good for it, just the gun itself. I blink harshly and open my eyes as more water dribbles away.
"Hrurim... There's... Osibindah..." I weakly say, far too early.
I look towards the forest, trembling my way to my feet. There are bugs on the way. A lot of them. Why are they coming here...? Why are they behaving so strangely...?
We need to run. Run and run and run. There's an earth shaman among them, Alxxcron. No... It doesn't matter, a bug's a bug the same either way. All bugs with problems and power, we need a proper witch for.
"Nin..." I let out, shivering as a chill takes me over. An uncomfortable noise that sounds way too close to the chitters of the bug. I growl at the noise and stop to the best of my ability.
Need to get to the palace, need to get Hrurim and get going. We have everything. No time to rest, just need to get going. I move, I move Pops' friend's way. I hobble, shuffle and then run again, barely keeping it up as my exhaustion topples me.
"Dammit..." I let out again, holding the spike gun tight as I waver between running and waiting.
Dammit... Damn it all... Why are there bugs here...? Why are there...?
"Pops..." I whimper, unable to focus on any of the three important things.