Find Your Wings

The Hive

Blade's POV
Hornets were so efficient that the entire underground that once served as a home and refuge was completely gutted out, but the mystery of the escapees was still buzzing. A grand many of them had gotten through down below and had gone to the other side of the river bed somehow... and this mystery termite had cost most of his soldiers to go blind and flightless. They were able to cut them off though, capturing the Princess and a grasshopper to boot. One of which who was close to the scarred one, no doubt, along with a worker ant who was responsible for shooting them all down. His helpers were rounded up and carried by their legs.

They would have won a delicious fledgling but the colony of fleeing ants had taken her deep into the thick grass where they could not reach without being held down by the hardened blades.

The battle was quick and painful for these ants but what goes around, comes around. His Queen's orders were finally fulfilled, excepting one thing. Blade knew Hopper was still alive... and flying away out of cowardice was debunked long before the Island was ever an object. Now that they had the brother... there was no doubt that he wouldn't flee, as he previously thought would happen.

Hopper's Narrative
Flaps and I were evenly matched when it came to flight. I remained focused on following his lead to get me to the precise location of Blade's home base. I placed every single emotion down and had it in my mind to do what I could to make this hive shatter and fall. By any means necessary. I could not think about what happened to the Island but by the sounds of those shrill wings, I had a sinking feeling that nasty work had been done. Naturally, my mind fell upon the Princess and my brother. Much worse, I heard my brother. There was a jolt of fear within me.... "...No..."

Flaps nearly whacked me aside with him with his wing to get me to hide with him underneath a brown leaf. There it was... this hive, perfectly nestled in the heart of a rotting tree trunk. It was easy to miss... no wonder it took forever. It outright enraged me that we flew over it before. The trunk was dead which was reason why they wanted the strong blossom tree for their own... I climbed a little outward to study it, much to Flap's dismay. He nipped at me.

"Don't even try!" I hissed at him, despite that the nip hurt. " I've searched aimlessly for this trash place for far too long."

"This place is crawling with hornets... You'd be dead in a second."

"No wonder, also... from a reliable source, their Queen supposedly wants my head. And they have Molt. They want me to come barging in."

That nymph always followed his heart and probably done himself in for someone else; Summer, the Princess and the Queen of Ants ~ or all of the above. My heart began to ache knowing that they captured him. For a moment I thought my promises meant nothing. I've lost so much family, he was the only one left. He forgave me, so it was my duty to return that favor. We were able to witness poor Molt be herded to the hive, with constant sting threats from his captors. There were a few workers held in their claws, one being the light purple form of the Princess and another was Flik. Molt's own disputes came off to me as impressive. It was a side I seldom saw... He dodged and kicked, his face tensed up into a snarl as he fought to get away.

"We're going to have to teach this one some respect." Blade dared to speak as he stood in front of him.

"None o' ya are getting any from me!" Molt passionately barked. "I'll keep fighting!"

"Such a spirited locust, how admirable. If only your brother fought like you.... Alas, he just flew away."

"Ya lying! He would never!"

"Denial. You poor little bug." Blade chuckled.

I heard every word, touched by my little brother's words. He did have spunk all along, the very same I had. Molt was right, I never would fly away. These monsters were going to learn that as a fact. Flaps' feathers rose on his head in anger of seeing his former nurse getting abused.