The Bug in The Cave

Chapter 2:The Weakling

The badlands was many different things. It was treacherous, it was lethal to the unprepared, it was wild, it was difficult to navigate from the ground, and the local wildlife was almost all exceedingly alien in nature when compared to the regions that surrounded it. It was a blazing, desolate place, hostile and borderline uninhabitable for many creatures.

It was made even worse by the torrential downpour that now soaked the land, and the occasional rumble or blast of thunder that rocked the heavens was a most uncommon sight in this nearly rainless corner of the world. Many of the smaller creatures that dwelled among the crags had long ago skittered into crevices and cracks to hide themselves away, not eager to be caught in the storm. Truly, it was a lonely place...

But for Thorax, who was looking down on it all from his place high in the sky, it was home. A very bleak, very depressing home, but nevertheless… home.

Thorax was a changeling, a vaguely pony-shaped creature. However, instead of colorful fur, there was a hard shell of black chitin. In place of a mane, there was merely a fin that ran down the back of the neck. Perfectly round, smooth holes were formed in his forelegs, giving him a broken, almost hollow appearance. Insect wings buzzed from an ocean-blue shell on his back, while a sharp-pointed horn poked up of his forehead. Glowing blue eyes that one might be forgiven for thinking were compound, looked down on the barren wilderness below, a solemn frown decorating his fanged muzzle.

Three more changelings accompanied this one, all of them flying ahead of him in a roughly arrow-shaped formation. The leader had a different coloration to his companions: Purple eyes instead of blue, a crimson shell instead of blue, and his chitin was a shade or so darker than the others.

The other two were identical to the runt in the back, save for their sturdier physique, larger bodies, and severe expressions as their eyes scoured the land below. They had a job to do out here, and they were going to do it.

The one on the left slowly began to drift back, drawing Thorax’s attention. A pit of unease formed in his gut, and he was already beginning to instinctively shrink away from the larger drone. After a few seconds, they were flying side by side, the larger drone glaring down at Thorax from the corner of his eye with contempt.

“Hey, Pharynx!” he suddenly shouted out to the leader. Pharynx’s ear twitched in response, but he otherwise made no indication that he had heard the call. Taking this as permission to continue, the drone turned his eyes fully to Thorax and scowled. “Wanna tell me again why we brought along this pathetic runt?”

Thorax, despite his best efforts, was not able to contain his whimpers. He cowered under the larger drone’s spite-filled eyes, unable to meet his gaze. “I… I didn’t ask to come, Scorpion,” he was eventually able to mumble out under his breath.

Scorpion scoffed and jabbed a hoof at Thorax as if his point had been proven. “For crying out loud, look at him! This whelp isn’t even able to stand up for himself against a drone with the same rank as him! He’s a sniveling coward, and he’s just holding us back-”

“Another word, Scorpion, and I’ll bite out your tongue and gift it to the queen as a tribute,” Pharynx suddenly barked, a sharp edge in his raspy voice that immediately made Scorpion shut up. Pharynx didn’t turn to look at them, his eyes focused on the badlands below. “Thorax is pathetic, yes. But he is my brother, and I plan to see him pull his weight. Now shut up and do your job.”

Scorpion winced, his ears folding back. He mumbled out a wordless apology before drifting forward to join his fellow drone a ways ahead of Thorax. He shot the runt a sneer as he went, making Thorax quiver and look away.

“Speaking of our job,” Mandible, the other drone, suddenly piped up. “Remind me: why are we out here in a rain and lightning storm? Strikes me this would be the perfect time to settle down and take a nap in the Hive.”