Chapter 6

Three Days Later

The trek was slow going and we were only able to cover a few miles a day.We hadn’t encountered anyone or anything else while we walked though, not even the bugs.

‘Mmhmm, that’s about right.’ Ember said, reading my thoughts from her patrol route ahead of us.

‘You say that like you expected this.’

‘Yep! During the first phase of the plan the Cleaners and Scouts are sent out from the center of the fog to perform their duties. Your town was quite close to the center, so the area is already considered ‘Cleaned’ and ‘Scouted’.’

‘And there’s no reason for anyone to stick around there?’

‘Bingo, Master! So the first part of our journey is going to be easy! and…’

‘The final part is going to be a pain in the ass.’ I finished.

The bugs would probably be surrounding the outer rim of the fog, looking for stragglers…and Lords.

‘Hmm, I wonder about that. To be honest, I doubt that there are any other Lords yet. Finding you as early as I did was a stroke of luck since the average human has such a low chance of becoming a Lord. The odds are so low actually that the Queen created us Caretakers with a longer lifespan, just so we could look for more candidates, so there probably won’t be another lord for a while yet.’

‘So you must feel like you hit the jackpot, huh?’

Ember didn’t reply to that, but I sensed satisfaction emanating from her.

‘Incidentally, you’ve definitely gotten bold, reading my thoughts without permission.’

‘If my actions have displeased Master in any way I humbly apologize!’ or so she said, yet I doubted that she had any intention of stopping. Well, not that I cared.

‘Hmph,. Just keep me updated on anything you find.’

‘Yes Master!’

‘Precocious…spider…’ I muttered aloud.

‘What was that?’ Carol asked.

‘Nothing…how fares…the rest of the group?’

We had been traveling for several days now. Our group numbered a little under two dozen, and food supplies were liable to get scarce if we didn’t stay on our toes.

‘We’re doin’ fine for now but…’

‘But what?’

‘…a couple folks are talking about running away. They seem to think you’re taking us into a trap“

‘Let them…run. Their stupidity…will be their death.’

The lives of those peons meant nothing to me anymore. As long as I got Carol to safety my obligation to humanity would be fulfilled.

‘That’s mighty cruel, Forny.’ Carol said

‘Nay…the world is cruel…bugs are cruel…humans are cruel…compared to them…I am kind.’

‘Sorry hun, but I have to disagree with you. Some humans are pretty cruel’ she said her eyes darting over towards where Niel and Delilah were walking ‘and some are brave, kind folk who would sacrifice anything for the people they love.’

‘I have yet…to meet any…who fall into…the latter category.’

‘Shame you didn’t show up a month ago. I’d bet Marcus would have changed your mind.’

‘…Who is…this Marcus?’

‘He’s the man who convinced the Wasps to watch over us and protect us from the spider you killed. He traded himself for our protection….the man is a hero.’

‘ “Is a hero” ?…you think him…still alive?’

‘Absolutely! There’s nothing that’s gonna stop a man like that. Though…i’m mighty glad we left that place before he got back. I can’t imagine how he’d act seeing those two sinners together.’

“I see…”

I kept silent after that until we broke for camp.

We stopped at an abandoned trailer park. Surprisingly, none of the little homes had been destroyed in the onslaught. There weren’t even any scuffs in the ground where Tarantulas would have walked. Did that mean the people here had escaped?

In the center of the park was a fire pit and it was there that the members of our little caravan prepared their meager rations. I too was given a meal, but the food was still tasteless and did nothing to satiate my hunger.

‘Actually, that’s becoming a problem…’

At first it had been easy to ignore, but as the days went by I could feel the hunger growing worse. It’s not like I wasn’t eating. The townsfolk had been sure to give me a full meal every time we stopped for the night. Indeed, I seemed to be getting more than the rest of them were. I suspected that was a combination of Carol urging them to be kind and the group wanting to make sure I didn’t decide to fill my belly with one of them.

But it wasn’t enough. I needed food that had the proper nutrition and that meant…

‘Eating as I’ve recommended, Master…’Ember said, delicately.

‘……..’

Ember withdrew contact.

Regardless, I hadn’t reached my breaking point yet, and I certainly wasn’t going to display any weakness in front of the humans.

We were wrapping up dinner time when Niel banged open the door of a nearby trailer. He was wearing a belligerent smile, presumably because he found two items that made me smirk internally. In his right hand he held a case of beer and in his left, a hunting rifle. A winning combination, to be sure.

‘Hee hee! look at what I found!’ he shouted drunkenly, swinging the rifle around like a bat.

‘What the hell’re you doing!’ someone else shouted, ducking out of his way as the barrel of the gun pointed at their head.

‘What a fool…’ I said, happily

Carol, who had been helping with cooking, marched over to where Niel was and yanked the gun out of his hand, causing Niel to yelp as his broken fingers were jostled.

‘You old bitch! The hell are you thinking?’

‘The hell are you thinking!? Waving a gun around like that you’re liable to kill somebody!’

‘Wha…? It’s not loaded or anything.’

‘Like that matters you moron!’

‘Enough’ I said, interrupting the two. ‘Where…did you find…a gun?’

‘…There was a whole mess of them in the trailer we’re staying in. Ammo too. Knowing rednecks, there’s probably guns in the rest of the trailers as well.’

Many of the townsfolk who heard him shot up from their seats and all but ran for their own trailers. As Niel predicted, after a few minutes of searching most of them came out with firearms of one variety or another. Even Carol, who had only gone to check her room after everyone else had left, was strolling towards me with a shotgun. Though unlike her double barrel from the store, this one was…

‘Well, I hate to agree with Niel of all people, but this thing is a beauty!’

Well, I could see what she meant. I couldn’t name the make or model, but it looked like something a soldier would carry around.

‘Your weapon looks…powerful. But we cant…take them…with us.’

Everyone who had found weapons and were admiring them stopped. Even Carol, who must have been happy to have discovered a replacement for her lost shotgun, stopped and gave me a worried look.

‘Why not? With these we’ll be able to protect ourselves and you won’t have to work so har-’

‘They aren’t strong enough…You won’t pierce…the carapace…Leave the fighting to me…you just focus…on surviving.’

Then Niel walked up to me and stood in my face. His breath reeked of alcohol.

‘And why the hell shouldn’t we take them anyway? Even if it can’t deal much damage, I would much rather have a gun than trust some freak to save me. You know what I think?’

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‘Very little…I’d imagine.’

‘I think you’re afraid that when we get to wherever you’re taking us we’re going to fight back. Well too bad, I ain’t gonna let you trap me without a gun! Only reason I’m following you is because I didn’t want to be alone, but don’t think for a second that you’re the leader here!’

‘You already know…where I’m taking you….you fool.’

It was already infuriating that I had to travel with him, but now he was spurning my attempt to help him and the rest of these insufferable maggots?

Delilah must have heard what was happening, as she suddenly appeared behind Niel and began tugging on his arm to pull him away from me.

‘C’mon honey, we don’t need to take this. Let’s go to our trailer. Don’t you want to have a drink with me? It’s been soooo long since we’ve had some alone time.’ She said, fluttering her lashes.

Niel’s inebriated attention span quickly shifted focus from me to her

‘Yeah..yeah, ok. But I’m still taking a gun with me.’ he shot back, before being dragged away by Delilah and disappearing into the trailer.

‘Dammit, so close.’All that bastard had to do was throw a punch at me and I would’ve had the perfect excuse to beat him into a bloody mess. Well…soon enough.

I then turned to the townsfolk, all of whom had been watching the exchange with fearful looks on their faces. When I looked at them, they all turned their eyes away. It seems that they really did think I was a monster.

‘Tch, damned humans, always biting the hand that feeds you. If it weren’t for carol I’d let every one of you meet your end in this fog.’

I felt a twinge from Ember when I thought that

‘Ember, what’s the matter? Something to report?’

‘N-No Master…’

‘I know when you’re lying Ember. Tell me what’s wrong.’

‘…You don’t really mean what you said.’

‘What?’

‘You don’t really mean it, that you would allow these people to die. You’re too kind for that, Master so please don’t say such things.’

…? I wasn’t really sure what she was getting at, so I dropped it. Instead I returned my attention to the townsfolk

‘Listen closely…the guns are…useless against the bugs…they can’t kill…and the fog….will hide them from…your aim…Worst of all…guns take up space…less food can be carried…more stops to find food….bring them at your own peril…I will not slow down.’

****

Niel

‘That bastard.’ I whispered into the dark.

Beside me Delilah shifted in her sleep, her long golden hair splayed out across her face, obscuring her eyes from view. Skin, pale as marble, reflected the moonlight that shone through the window.

She was just so damn gorgeous.

And she was all mine. It was the worst feeling in the world, having to share the one you loved with someone else. Knowing that every night she was going to bed with Marcus instead of me still burned me whenever I thought about it. Thank god that that dumb ass actually believed what that spider told him. Not that it would have changed anything.

If he hadn’t left on his own I would have taken Carol’s shotgun and put two into his skull the first night after he woke up. Him leaving kept me from having to get any blood on my own hands.

And after that, I was the king! These people were looking for someone to take charge, and I was more than happy to step up! Under my leadership we stayed alive for a whole month inside of this hellhole. Sure, there was the odd disagreement and sometimes people tried to leave without my permission. But the wasps would bring them right back and I would give them the punishment they deserved. Then…

He showed up. That monster! That ant! I had such a sweet thing going and he just had to ruin everything! Now he’s in charge, he’s calling the shots, and me? I’m being treated like I’m nobody, just like before.

And those ungrateful people whose lives I saved? They mouth off to each other about how bad a leader I supposedly was. The women call me a sexual harasser just because I expected them to repay me for my kindness and the men call me a psychopath just because I got a little rough whenever they tried to disobey me.

If things keep up like this I might even lose Delilah! Well, no way! Not now, not ever! This little trailer park is the perfect place to hunker down and rebuild my kingdom! Laws didn’t matter anymore, the only rules that people needed to follow were my rules.

I slipped out of bed and grabbed the rifle I found earlier. Since then I’d already attached a magazine. All I needed to do now was get that ant while he was sleeping.

If anybody tried to call me out, I would just say that he tried to eat me. After I pretended to be drunk and get in his face earlier the ant got pissed and tried to eat me and I was just defending myself. It didn’t even matter if they thought I was lying, nobody would be able to prove anything.

I crept out of my trailer and took a peak at the center of the park where the bonfire was still crackling. There were a few people still awake, talking in hushed voices. Across from his trailer, in the shadow of another was Forminus, sleeping with his back against the metal wall.

‘Figures a bug would want to sleep outside.’ I thought scathingly

I crept around the sides of the buildings, trying not to draw the attention of the people sitting around the fire. I got close to Forminus’s sleeping spot when the voices from the campfire became audible.

‘This journey really has been easy though. I wonder why we haven’t seen any more bugs. Could Forny be scaring them off?’

‘That must be it. He really is such a dependable guy-bug whatever.’

‘Don’t get too dependent on him Tiff, after all he could still be leading us into a trap…’

‘Ah, can it Robbie, there’s no way that’s true. Besides, even if he were leading us into a trap it’d probably still be better than being stuck at that store with him.’

‘Ugh, well I can’t say you’re wrong about that. Did you hear what he tried to do to Sherry?’

‘She wasn’t the only one…’

‘You too?!’

‘He tried to, but I kicked him where the sun don’t shine and ran away. Thank goodness Forny saved us the next day or else I don’t know what he would have done. I’d say most of the girls here had to fight off Niel at one time or another, that guy is such a creep! I don’t know what that blond bitch sees in him.’

‘Well she’s a shitty person too, so I guess they’re perfect for each other. Imagine two-timing someone like Marcus. If only he’d stayed, we probably would have gotten out of here weeks earlier.’

‘Marcus had his own problems, the guy was crazy enough to go with those wasps after all.’

‘True, but like you said, anything would have been better than Niel.’

I made sure to memorize their faces. After I was back in charge I’d show them just how much I appreciated their insults.

I crept closer to Forminus, then I stopped. When he didn’t react I started moving again. I repeated this until I was only a few meters away from Forminus. When I was a foot away from his face I waved a hand in front of him. Still no reaction.

Good.

I raised my gun and pointed the barrel right between his eyes. Point blank range.

‘Go to hell, along with every other bug I’ve stepped on!’ I whispered, smiling like a madman.

BANG

****

Forminus

Ha…haha…hahahaha….Ahahahahah!…GAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I couldn’t help myself, it was all too perfect. Every night I made sure to stop us at a location where there would definitely be lots of food in storage. A farmhouse who’s pantry would be loaded with preserves. A gas station that had shelves stocked with food. A grocery store stuffed with non-perishables. And now a trailer park, filled with food and guns.

All prime locations for a power hungry moron to try and stage a coup. I got the idea the first day of travel, after Carol first approached me.

‘Hey Forny…’ she had said.

‘What is it…?’ I replied.

‘I just wanted to say…thank you for doing all of this. You didn’t have to save us, but you did.’

‘Think nothing…of it. It’s not…a big deal.’

‘Beggin your pardon sir, but it is. This last month has been hell for us, and not just because of the bugs.’

‘What do…you mean?’

‘You remember that fella from earlier, the one who tried to slug me? Well that wasn’t the first time he did that. Not to me or anyone else. That fool’s been acting like some kind of dictator ever since Marcus left.’

‘Why didn’t you…dispose of him?’

‘Well…that’s kinda my fault. See he didn’t start to act up right after Marcus left, so I didn’t think that he was up to anything. Then he stole my gun after I let my guard down and since it’s the only gun in the place….’

‘Nobody could retaliate…without being shot.’ i finished

Carol nodded ‘Course, it only had a few bullets in it, but that was enough to deter anybody from trying to take it away.’

‘Hmph…cowards.’

‘It ain’t that simple Forny. Most of the people here are either old or women. I hate to say it, but despite being a bastard Niel isn’t weak. Plus he had Delilah watching his back.’

‘So the little tyrant…turned the store…into his…personal kingdom?’

‘That’s right. So thank you Forny, for everything.’

It was such a perfect situation. All I had to do was give him an opportunity that I knew for a fact he would take. And now…

BANG

The sound of a gunshot rang throughout the camp, followed by laughter and shouting.

‘Who’s the fool now, you little shit? Who’s the fool?’ Shouted Niel

His bullet had struck right where he intended it to, and now he was celebrating his return to power as people from all over the park came over to find Niel dancing jubilantly around the slumped body of Forminus.

‘What the hell is going on here?!’ shouted Carol when she saw all of the people gathered around Niel and Forminus. Nobody had their guns.

One of them, the girl who had been talking to Robbie earlier, said fearfully ‘It’s Niel, he’s shot Forny!’

‘What!?’ she shouted.

‘That’s right, he’s dead! And here I was just trying to apologize for the way I was acting earlier when he up and tried to eat me! Oh well, I guess you really can’t rust a bug, huh? ‘ Niel said, though despite his words he was clearly pleased. The looks on the faces of the people surrounding him said clearly that nobody believed him.

‘And wouldn’t ya know it, it looks like our group is in need of a new leader. I nominate myself, any challengers?’ As he said this, Niel pointed his rifle from person to person, daring anybody to speak up against him.

‘No? Then it looks like I win! I believe the first thing I’m going to do is pick up where I left off with you!’ He shouted, grabbing Carol by the arm ‘This time no one is going to save you either, so I’ll take as long as I need to get the message across to you. You’re going to learn exactly what happens when you disobey me!’

He kept his gun trained on Carol so she wouldn’t run away.

‘You called me a fool too. So tell me Carol, who’s the fool now?’ he said, drawing back his left fist.

Carol didn’t say anything, she simply glared, unflinching, at Niel.

Niel smiled an evil smile and threw his first punch.

KSHING

‘AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH’ came Niels screaming voice as he held the stump of his left hand.

‘I would say….that you…are still the fool.’ I said. In my right hand was my scimitar, blade bloody.

‘Y-You…!’

‘I warned you…didn’t I?….what would happen…if you tried…to strike an elder.’

‘B-But, I Killed you! I shot you right between the eyes!’

‘I told you…guns don’t work…my carapace…is too thick…’

Niel’s eyes widened as he realized that his plan had been foiled completely.

‘Now…you will pay….for trying to…take my life…Prepare yourself…this shall…not end quickly…no one will save you…i’ll take as long as I need…to get the message across.’

I was going to enjoy this.

I grabbed Niel by the collar of his shirt and slammed him into the wall of the nearest trailer, leaving a Niel sized dent in the metal.

‘Gaaaaah-’ he screamed, but not for long. I punched him, as lightly as I could, in the jaw.

Half of his teeth were knocked out of his mouth, but I angled my fist so the bone wouldn’t break. Next I threw a few blows at his gut, causing him to keel over and vomit his dinner onto the ground.

Delilah, who hadn’t come outside before now, burst through her trailers door and rushed out, carrying a pistol.

‘What the hell do you think you’re doing to Niel you monster!’ she shrieked, before unloading a clip into me. The bullets simply ricocheted off of me. They didn’t even leave marks.

I left Niel for a moment and was standing in front of her faster than she could react.

‘Perhaps you wish…to join him?…fire another shot…show everyone…your devotion to…your lover’

I stepped back and splayed my arms out, inviting her to shoot again, but she made no further attempts to stop me. Instead, she ran back into her trailer and locked the door

‘kukuku KakaKa KUKUKUKAKA!“ I laughed, allowing myself a moment of schadenfreude before turning back to Niel.

I worked Niel over for the rest of the night, making sure not to break his legs or damage his brain. After all, he needed to be able to walk if we were going to continue this journey.

‘Although, perhaps it would be best to leave him here…’

Well, regardless I didn’t kill him. Better to break and humiliate him in front of everybody. Better to humiliate him in front of Delilah.

After everything Niel had done, nobody wanted to save him. Rather, most of the people there soon went off to bed. A few stayed of course. Including Carol, who looked on at Niel with disdain. Eventually the sun rose, bringing with it a lighter shade of grey.

It had been ages since I had felt so relaxed, so I basked in the feeling while I could. Some time later I was told that Niel had woken up. That was good.

I was ready to move on.