When Nico was younger, when his family was fully together, He’d been brought to his mother’s family. The house of night was a mysterious existence to the world. With a connection to the sea. His mother had always said it was because they were chosen.

Their father had scoffed at the idea. This was when he was a man, not what he was now. It wasn’t until later that they found out he was a member of Valor. Their mother led them through a maze of ocean colored hallways, from bright water to the deepest black of the ocean. That’s when Nico met him

The man’s white hair was prominent in the dark room with the rest of his body disappearing against the wall. His indigo-blue eyes scrutinized the little creature holding tightly to his mother’s leg. The air was heavy, and almost sharp against Nico’s skin. Rio stood up front with his mother, the two looking like a matching pair.

Then the man’s demeanor changed.

“How are my grandnephews?” He asked. Rio didn’t answer and Nico only peaked out of his safe spot.

That was Nico’s first time seeing a Saint. He felt fear in that room. Like a presence that could devour him in a moment, without warning or resistance. That’s not how Nico felt now.

The swarm was organized, chopping the roots to bits and attacking in groups, overwhelming the sleepers. Ape used one of the bugs like a bat and whacked away engaging bugs. I ducked under a stinger and my back knocked against another sleeper’s back. The two hacked at the bugs, the situation becoming more and more desperate. Nico’s weight was beginning to be too much for him and he fell to a knee.

His echo was not doing well either. An awakened beast was far superior to a dormant one, but no one could do anything against an innumerable swarm. Nico called the echo back, and used the bug leg as a crutch.

Vines erupted from the stumps, swatting the bugs away from them. The sleeper to his back pulled him by the collar and dragged him along. They joined the group of sleepers, all in a small circle.

A moment of peace as the two sides watched the other, then they began. Nico absorbed a crystal before the first attackers, and cut the mandibles off of one of the bugs. It reared up, shooting its stinger at him from below. Another sleeper cut the tail, and the Bug and smashed apart by another. They worked as a team, covering each other’s backs and blindspots.

The swarm was visibly smaller, but still outnumbering the sleepers ten to one. This wasn’t enough. A wail came from the group, and something warm splattered on Nico’s neck. He didn’t turn around, letting his mind focus on his next cut. Each of his swings was getting less effective. He could summon his echo again, but the Ape wouldn’t last long either.

‘Escape.’ Nico looked around, but there was nowhere to go. Even if he got past the bugs, he could only go into the forest which was the home of a tyrant. Nico gritted his teeth and cut the bug in front of him with his dull blade. The bug vanished, replaced with Vivian. She was cut everywhere, and her armor was breaking apart.

“Vivian?” he asked. But she didn’t answer, instead disappearing, replaced with a bug. Nico cut the bug before it could turn around and spotted Vivian again. She was teleporting through the swarm. No switching places with the bugs. Nico followed her and noticed her goal. There was a group of bugs different from the others. They had black chitin armor over their bodies and killed anything that got close to them, even other bugs. They were guarding something.

Vivian leaped from her perch on another bug and shot an arrow between two of the guards. They moved too fast and blocked it before the arrow could reach whatever was inside. One of the black bugs caught Vivian in their maw, and she flailed.

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“Ape.” Nico called. Whatever Vivian was targeting was the key to ending this. The Echo appeared back onto the battlefield. It wasted no time, already understanding what its master wanted. Or so Nico thought.

“What--” Ape lifted Nico and threw him. Nico didn’t have time to yell at the Ape, or he’d die. Instead he held his blade forward and put as much strength into his arms as he could. The black pug didn’t notice the human projectile until it was too late. Nico pierced the bug through the neck between its armor. All three of them fell.

Vivian righted herself and went, a hideous face looking back at Nico. But he fell past it before it could act. He fell into the river, no minding the sudden cold. A white streak flashed through the air and the blurry black ball blew apart. Nico felt ripples around him as several bugs splashed in with him.

A large root coiled around Nico and lifted him out of the water. The spell quietly hailed him for his achievement.

[You have slain the Dormant Monster ‘Marshal Locust Guard’]

[Your aspect has harvested an echo]

[You have received a memory] Nico gasped as he broke through the murky water. Too many bug bodies populated the once clear water. The river was already pushing the bloody water down stream, erasing the evidence of battle over it.

The root brought Nico back to the wooden wall, where the aftermath of the battle was on full display. What was happening was a slaughter. The remaining bugs were scrambling around, confused and unorganized, making them easy to kill. The root placed me down before flowering and withering away. As the petals blew away, I spotted Cobra Lily tending to the wounded. I hadn’t seen the leader fighting, but I already witnessed her power. She was barely standing, looking wobbly on her legs.

Ape came over and lifted me from behind, just enough for my feet to sit flat on the floor. I was too tired to complain, and couldn’t be mad since his action brought me an echo and memory. Memory.

Memory [Backstabber]

Memory rank [Awakened]

Memory type [Weapon]

Memory description [The remains of a traitorous knight.]

That didn't sound too great. But it was a weapon. Nico summoned the blade. A long wooden shaft appeared in his hands, and the weight pulled it forward, out of his hands. Ape bent his head to see around his little master. Nico looked at the weapon. It was taller than him, measuring shy of two meters, with a curved black blade sticking out. A scythe?

Nico ordered Ape to lower him and pick up the weapon. Nico held onto Apes one arm as he examined the weapon. It shined with the luster of the bug’s armor, and Ape wasn’t having trouble holding it so it wasn’t too heavy. ‘I’m just that weak.’ Nico sneered and dispelled the memory. Ape went back to holding him like in that ancient movie the ‘Lion King’.

“It’s good to see you alive,” Cobra Lily approached him and examined the beaten bag of meat.

“This won’t do,” she said and a flower grew from her hand. She plucked it and handed it to him.

“What’s this?”

“It’ll help with the bleeding, you’ll need proper medical attention later. Sniff it.” Nico lowered his head and fragrant air entered his nose. It soothed his mind, making him feel at ease.

“What happend to you?” Vivian appeared beside him. Nico jumped and inhaled a petal through his nose.

“Don’t do that,” Nico coached and Ape shook him a bit. “That was impressive.” Nico said. Vivian’s hair was cut unevenly, only adding to her allure. Her armor was gone, replaced with a simple tunic and pants.

“What are you looking at?” she asked, already knowing the answer. Nico tried to turn the other way, but Ape rotated him so he was still facing Vivian.

“Sorry,” He mumbled. “So what happend to the swarm? It was going to kill us all, then gone.”

“The swarm is only deadly when it has a leader,” Cobra Lily said. “These bugs follow the command of a Marshal.” Marshal. Like an army. What else was this jungle hiding?