Chapter 5: Threats
“Violet?” Joseph called out. “Violet, can you let me down?”
The bright morning star blinded him somewhat as he rotated slowly in place, his shirt threatening to escape his torso through the change in gravity stopped only by his hand. The clear sky the day had provided betrayed no further intention of storm, leaving him basking in the slightly uncomfortable heat without suitable foliage to cover him and barely any wind to cool him.
A not-very-subtle chittering sounded somewhere below him, the owner obviously enjoying the situation far more than he was. “Viiioleeet, come on sweetie. I can feel my feet losing circulation.” He raised his voice more, the discomfort in his whining apparent. The chittering grew somewhat louder, though did not come closer. The Mantis was enjoying this situation far too much, watching from somewhere under the brush.
A brief struggle to right himself ensued before he conceded that he wasn’t likely to reach the rope from his current position. “Violet, come on. I said I was sorry! I should have listened to you!” He cried aloud to the forest around him and Violet, who had taken to hiding somewhere in the foliage, neither giving him the satisfaction of an intelligible response.
They had spent the last three days creating and practising their various traps, the latest of which being for, hopefully, medium to large sized game. He couldn’t remember the name of it but the loop of rope was tied to a rubber tree and set to a hair trigger support structure was designed to shoot up and close on the limbs of whatever knocked the loop out of place. It was the next logical extreme to the snares that they were on the way to check when Violet tried to nudge him away from the trap.
A warning that he completely ignored and thus ended up setting off the trap, it proving that it could indeed support at least his weight quite easily as he swayed in the air in his efforts to free himself.
“Sweetie, I’ll give you double portions of whatever we caught today if you let me down before I pass out! Please?” The plea bounced off the trees but no response was heard. Distant shuffling of branches and leaves in the gentle breeze were the only things that met his pleas.
“Violet, I can feel myself blacking out... Could you please let me do- OHHHHHH FU- “
A soft thud sounded throughout the trees. “Ow.”
His whimpering was unexpectedly halted by the rope being cut, sending him some eight feet to the ground below, the soft moss and brush cushioning his fall. His pride and dignity remained bruised however, as well as his shoulder upon which he landed. He rubbed the area to soothe the rather mild pain, shooting a grimaced look at the purple troublemaker. The offender was struggling to breathe through the rapid clicks and chuffs that characterized her laughter. “I hope Mama knows what kind of monster she’s raising.” He said through a deep sigh. It was far too early for this shit.
Violet waved him off, a gesture she had picked up from him, dismissing the notion that Mama would mind if she teased him. To be fair; he doubted it as well. The two really enjoyed giving him a hard time on occasion, especially Mama now that she has been out of commission for a while. The sound of bushes rustling told him his frenemy had started towards their original destination. He brushed off the rogue brush that had attached itself to him and got up to follow her, limping slightly as feeling returned to his feet to replace the pins and needles.
Although he had been the one to design and make the snares, Violet had chosen the ultimate locations, settling for spots dotting the landscape about three hours from the cave down river. The first day he tried to place them down slightly closer only to check the next morning to find that the only thing he had found was a lump of dung. Nature was actually shitting on his efforts. His flowery cohort however seemingly had much better attention to detail than him as she was able to get three traps successfully triggered the morning after.
Their spoils were all one creature; An interesting mix between a hamster, a squirrel, and a leaf bug. Landing somewhere in the middle with the longer body but short stubby legs, perfectly camouflaged in the environment even given its ten-inch-long frame. Compound eyes giving it a likely incredible field of vision. It was a slightly disturbing thing to eat, but the taste made it worth while and was filling enough for him to get over it.
The daughter’s success rate was one he would chalk up to the Mantis pair having their own compound eyes of ‘who knows what’ level of effectiveness. A vague notion that Earth’s mantises actually had five eyes passed his recollection but no such oddity was possessed by the two as far as he could tell. They simply had two that covered a large section of their faces with no distinct iris for any meaningful eye contact. It was a little weird to talk to them until he came to terms with the fact that they likely registered him at all angles and thus only turned to look at him for his own peace of mind.
He turned his attention to the final snare of the five that remained, one haven been chewed through after the first night and two that had perished in an attempt to trap his feet. The snare had indeed caught another of the leaf rodents that brought their total of the day to four. An unlucky few were caught by limb and needed to be put down when they found them but Violet’s meddling in exact positioning had kept that number to only two so far. Should she ever come into possession of the dexterity or tools required, she would make a remarkable trapper; Assuming she could go more than an hour without silently watching him stumble into a trap he had forgotten the placement of or just tripping over a concealed root protruding from the ground.
The smoking rack had turned out to be somewhat of a mixed bag, somewhat properly preserving about three quarters of the meat he had hung and leaving only the two outermost to begin to spoil. The rest of the wolf meat was to be included in more of their meals so as to hopefully utilize the food before it was no longer safe to do so. He wasn’t sure about how hardy the digestive tracts of his friends were, but they seemed to agree that the meat that had gone off was better suited to be used as bait or to fuel the fire.
He reached into his pockets to retrieve a leaf bundle that held the few pieces of smoked jerky they had brought with them. He popped one in his mouth and handed another to Violet before he pocketed it again so as to have a snack as they continued towards their next destination.
While they walked he talked through his plans on upgrading the cave, explaining the purposes of the drawings on the cavern walls and the benefits of even a simple door in their climate. All the while complaining that his pod would instantly solve the issues they had, though delaying the overarching issues they faced. It would give them room to breathe. Room they desperately needed were they to move forward. It was a longer conversation than they have had previously, Joseph growing more comfortable allowing their assumptions fill in any context they missed through what they understood, only pausing to elaborate or accompany the sentence with gestures when Violet seemed confused.
It was more an action to sort his own thoughts on the matter than to directly consult her, breaking the otherwise monotonous trek with plans of expansion and innovation he couldn’t reasonably see through to fruition with their current supplies and manpower. All of it hinging on him never finding them a way to escape the planet and preparing their settlement for future generations that would never come. Pipe dreams and plans of grandeur for the village that would never come to bear, all broken up by the futility of the plans in light of the potential safe haven that was his pod.
Level of understanding not withholding, she seemed amicable to the idea of moving from their current abode. Mentions of showers outside of rain and soft bedding that needn’t be rotated out in fear of decomposition threatening their health were met with the swaying he had long since grown fond of and occasionally accompanied by large gestures of wonder when he mentioned some of the recreational options afforded to him by the pod and its technology. All powered by devices he couldn’t pronounce that would last until long after he was dead, if the pamphlet was correct. His boasting around showing them the games he had stored on the terminal was cut short, as Joseph’s head snapped somewhat to the left.
A single motion, a palm stopping Violet from progressing further, was all he offered. His brow furrowed, his breath stilled, and his eyes darted from place to place in front of him with no regard for what they landed on. Perfect silence stilled him and the mantis for a moment.
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It was subtle.
A very quiet noise. Barely a whisper in the breeze that didn’t match the misty morning. Sounds telling of light activity of the denizens of the forest they had been hunting, resuming their day once they were assured the trappers had left, paused with him. Slowly he ventured up the incline away from the path back to their cave, Violet taking care to match if not best his caution.
The two approached the crest of a hill when the sound reached Joseph’s ears, a low growl some distance away, but near enough to be of importance. He pulled Violet to the ground quietly. The child not having heard the noise was confused at first, struggling to maintain her upright posture. The human had greater strength than she was willing to contest and with a little coaxing allowed him to pull her lower but stopped when she refused to meet the ground. He placed a finger over his pursed lips. Stumbling over what gestures might convey his suspicions, he settled for a clawed hand that he gripped with several times. Four fingers curled as if to grasp desperately at something with the thumb far below for support. Whether she understood the gesture or the serious air about him that accompanied it, the Mantis surrendered her efforts to remain standing.
Joseph crawled prone to peek over the hill towards the origin of the sound, careful to not disturb any bushes lest they startle something and give away his presence. He glanced a beast tearing a moss-wolf in half before depositing it into its maw. His body stiffened as he watched, observing everything he could in the mere moments he risked watching it. Possibly twelve feet tall, six feet wide. It stood on four legs on a wide base that tapered into its tall, somewhat lanky torso. Its head being substituted by a singular eye stalk, twice as thick as Joseph’s arm. Four arms rested along its trunk, two arms per side, all with deadly claws. The aforementioned maw occupied roughly eighty percent of its figure; a long vertical mouth filled with razor sharp teeth that moved, oscillating up and down slowly. The creature widened its chest to spread the ravenous cavern before compacting everything to devour the bits of pup it had caught. A sick biological interpretation of an iron maiden crossbred with a Venus flytrap.
“Violet, we have to go. Now.” He ordered through sharp whispers, grabbing her by the solid base of a blade and dragging her along. There was no sound to his movement. No wasted steps. Every motion portrayed a drilled and disciplined footwork as he navigated a path that would get them out of there as quietly as possible. There was no room for discussion for her, the mannerisms of the human she had been teasing just thirty minutes ago was replaced by an iron wall of sheer conviction. The atmosphere about him conveyed that there were only two options for her; obedience or death. A choice that Joseph would not be making for her. The mantis followed stiffly behind; her own footfalls naturally silent as they pierced the land before her.
As they widened the gap between themselves and the beast, he let go of her blade and broke into a jog with Violet trailing close behind. This was something that needed something done about it as soon as possible.
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“I don’t know if we’ve over stayed our welcome or if Winnie the Pooh started cross breeding with chainsaws but predators are making their way into our area.” Joseph announced while walking into the cave, breath slightly shortened from the expenditure of stamina from the distance they covered. Violet entered just behind him as she started to set away the spoils of their trapping.
Mama clicked a few times from her seated position, head tilting as her daughter did whenever he started vocalizing his metaphors. The sculpture of a moss-wolf she had likely spent the few early hours of the day working on as they were hunting laid before her, rough outlining completed as she was carving the moss patterns into its body.
“I don’t think we’re up shit creek quite yet but they’re pressing in slowly day by day. Three days ago; it was wolf droppings on my snares about two hours out. Today we see something that looked like a bear face-fucked a wood chipper and only inherited the terrifying parts just north of an hour down the river. These things are only getting more dangerous and they’re likely to try and take over our cozy little home here.” He stopped to take a breath, his veins still swimming in residual endorphins from the hurried pace back. He grasped his left hand with his right, steadying the shaking. He took a quick breath before the nerves could best him and continued.
“That’s at least two truly dangerous creatures closing in on us. The only bright side is that the terrain between here and the last two sightings are sparse in resources and unsuitable for sheltering them from the rains. They will still probably push their way down here, given time and clear weather, but we should have time to get our next plan of action ready.” He allowed the news to set in. If they understood as much as he thought they did, then most of this would be enough for them to be ready for what needs to happen next.
Mama and Violet traded clicks and gestures for a while. Joseph, realizing the requirement for their own discussion of the events to take place, set about skinning and preparing the leaf rodents as Violet had demonstrated only yesterday. He wasn’t sure what the conversation was about specifically, but between frantic bouts of dancing they faltered to the chittering laughter he had grown accustomed to whenever something unfortunate but ultimately not harmful happened to him.
The worry slipped from his face for a few moments, the cheery atmosphere behind him warming him from the cold and calculating mindset that had only partly left him on the way home. Home? Home was Earth. Home was his apartment where he’d get off work and spend some time with... no one, now. An empty, unkempt flat with take-out boxes and clothes separated by if they were clean or not by virtue of being on the bed he rarely used or the floor. No. No, this felt more like home than his old home had in a very long time.
A clap of two blades clashing their flats together drew him back into the cave, prepared meats in hand. Mama waved him closer, mirroring the very human gesture much like violet had begun to do. He placed the meat on a leaf nearby, to which Violet picked up and started putting on cleaned stones resting over a portion of their fire to cook near some of their diminishing rock-worm reserves.
Mama reached her arms out to him, gently using the flats of her blades to pull him into a hug. It was a bit awkward of an arrangement, though her seated posture made the height difference much more natural. For a moment he remained stiff, confused as the mother had only done this to Violet, and seldom at that, before sinking into the embrace and returning it. The subtle warmth soaking into him as the subdued purrs and clicks resonated near his ear at a volume too quiet for violet to hear. She had something to say to him, reassurance or confirmation. He needn’t understand her in the moment, but he felt it right to think she had been telling him not to worry. That they would figure it out together. A platitude, surely. Maybe even one in which he pulled from thin air to ease his nerves. However, it was exactly what he needed in the moment as his heart settled in the comfort of knowing he was not alone.
The tension in his shoulders melted. She could be telling him to be bait as the family ran off in search of safe shelter further away from the encroaching beasts. She could have no idea why he had been so worried, merely acting on her duties as a mother to calm the young of the herd. Yet, something in him judged this to be a genuine understanding of the situation at hand and willingness to cooperate. Of trust placed upon him to ensure the groups safety. He hadn’t been wrong on calling her ‘Mama’, her every action spoke to it. Even if it turns out that the Mantis’ sex not match the moniker, the soul surely does.
Clear headed, he carefully separated from Mama and began gathering his bearings as plans flew through his mind a mile a minute. Renewed, he mentally sifted through many preparations that would be needed, scrapping concepts that couldn’t be completed in a timely manner or required tools or resources that they lacked. He started pacing along the mouth of the cave and biting his thumb in thought. First he needed to confirm something with them.
“Mama, Violet.” He spoke calmly, drawing in a deep breath, turning to face them. The silence punctuated the air as he prepared himself.
“I have a shelter we could move to. Bigger than this. Warmer, no wind, and far safer. There should be plenty of food for us and water is functionally infinite. But...” He hesitated, unsure if he was ready to ask so much of the two, especially that they do it with one of them still injured. Soft clacking approached him, breaking up the maelstrom inside his mind. An encouraging click from Violet as she nuzzled her head into his palm drew a smile out of him and breaking the stalemate in his mind. Satisfied, she returned to her mother’s side as he continued.
“But, I don’t know how far up river. Minimum of at least a day out, since even with the fairly straight sight lines on it, I couldn’t see the part I fell into.” His face darkened at the memory as he switched the leg that he was bracing himself on. “If we can find that, and a way around that cliff, it would be maybe six hours to the pod. Tack on maybe two hours for just getting around the cliff and that’s eight from just... finding the damn thing.”
A deep sigh starting through his mouth before he closed it to complete it through his nose, even the attempts at following the river or gaining a good sight-line on it has been hindered by other, more pressing matters. He had so precious little information to go off of.
“I’ll be conservative and say that if we leave we should be ready for a three, maybe four-day, journey. I'd cut a day off that estimate, but Mama, you can’t go very far in one burst on that leg. So that means stops every hour or so, maybe a fifteen-minute break, repeat until night fall.” More things to consider...
“I’d suggest going out myself to scout possible shelters here and there-” A crack of Mantis legs stamping the ground in protest broke his train of thought, sounding like a keyboard being thrown at someone's face. A single chuffed laugh escaped him as he corrected his statement, turning to gaze out into the woodlands that painted the outside. “BUT you two would worry sick, so that’s not much of an option... With all that said...”
He drew in a baited breath. Closing his eyes for a moment to replace the serene scenery of the forest with memories of the threats the drew to bear harm to them.
“Mama. Violet.” He spoke, facing each of them in turn. “Would you be willing to risk life and limb with a total stranger under the promise of grass being greener on the other side?”
A wet impact across his head forced him to stumble to keep his balance. Confused and irritated at the sudden assault, he opened his mouth to ask why when another chunk of cooked hamster-squirrel-leaf-thing landed in his mouth. Eyes bulged in surprise; it took a moment before he registered the taste in his mouth as food. Chewing it, his anger quelled, as the gamey notes mixed with the odd cinnamon flavour washed over his pallet. He swallowed the fired food before returning to look for the reaction of the two. His eyes rested on the family unit looking back at him, majority of their possessions all neatly piled against the wall of the cave while he had been mentally spinning his wheels, sorted for easy packing.
He stared, mouth slightly agape, until another piece of food landed in his mouth again. Violet and Mama both chittering with laughter as they had been taking turns throwing it at him while he was too lost in thought to notice them sorting their few items, mostly art they made together and the few pillow analogues he had woven for them.
Joseph, feeling his eyes wet slightly, instead focused himself on what needed to be done. They had at worst three days by his estimation before things got difficult, so it would be better to get that under control as soon as they could.
Motivated and with a clear plan of action before him, He once again drew deep breaths to ready himself for the explanation he needed to give. “So, here’s the plan...”