The Birth of Fantasy

Chapter 18

Half an hour later, we reached the end of the large tunnel and came into a massive cavern. The walls disappeared into the darkness about forty meters on either side of the tunnel's exit. We could hear movement within the inky black. My Darkvision began to make out massive shapes near the cavern's center.

I began to see clearly what was ahead of us a few moments later, and I let the group know. "There are massive worms or larvae deeper in. There are also much smaller Gnits than the workers taking care of them. I don't see anything bigger them then, and they don't seem to care we're here."

"Is it something like a nest? If we can, we need to destroy it on the way out," said Omaar.

"I agree, but if they don't care about us, let's get moving and find where they took our people," replied Kiszmo.

I created the dimmer light orbs and began to mark our path as we skirted to our right. We came to another tunnel and decided to investigate. It was about as wide and tall as the queen's guard, so we had to go through in a single file line. I at the front, and the Kobold in the back. The smell became worse as we moved on, and by the time I reached the edge of the massive pit, I wanted to vomit. Below was what I would call the hive's garbage site filled with parts of Gnits and refuse. Above I could see the light coming from multiple holes at the surface. I informed the group, and we headed back the way we came.

The third tunnel we investigated seemed to have been a significant transit tunnel for the Gnit. We learned that fact the hard way when a warrior came around the tunnel and noticed us. It screeched an ear-piercing sound before Kiszo could dispatch it with an arrow. Moments later, the vibrations began to build before a horde of warriors came down the tunnel. Kiszo began releasing arrow after arrow while I made another earth construct to close the tunnel.

Releasing the construct, the ground shook before a slab of stone jutted out of the ground and crushed multiple Gnits on the ceiling, but not fast enough before a large wave of the insects passed above the rising wall. Jaa jumped in front of me, cutting across the first warrior ant and then the next before he was overrun. I released an Ice Lance, impaling two ants before his scream reached my ears. I turned as he fell backward, a flood of Gnits diving onto his body.

We began getting pushed back, Kiszo, Ommar, and the Kobold constantly lashing out to kill Gnits. The rest of the hive ran over their fellow's bodies to get to us. I ran back and began to construct a smaller rising earth pillar construct. When it clicked, I released and made another, and another. Soon the tunnel in front of us looked like a massive stone prison. The Gnits began to pile up on the other side, crushing the ones beneath them.

"I don't know how long that will hold. Maybe began to kill the ones in front, so they can't get at the pillars?" I suggested.

"They got, Jaa. May he be remembered," said Omaar.

The three began to kill the Gnits pushing against the stone pillars. I didn't want the chance of anything I fought dissolving away, allowing others to get at the pillars. We were almost done when we heard a screech from behind us down the cave. We immediately began running back down the tunnel and the way we came from. Once we got back to the large tunnel that ran back town, I raised more pillars, and we finally relaxed.

"This is hopeless. There are only four of us, and hundreds, if not thousands of them. How can we find any of them" said Omaar.

"Nose," said the Kobold tapping it.

"Can you smell them," asked Kiszo.

"I can smell Kobold. Know it well. Smelled close, large tunnel."

"Aright, we make one last attempt, then we all leave," I said. They seemed to agree with me.

It took a few minutes to come up with the construct to delete a single pillar so we could get back through them. The Gnits hadn't seemed to follow us back here. Maybe they don't use smells like pheromones like our ants back home? How do they communicate then?