Kyraa

I brought the rock down on the first human’s head, the stone sliding off the side of his face rather than a direct hit. Now that I think about it, it was rather fortunate that I missed, seeing as to how the scrape was enough to leave a gaping gash on his tired face. Who knew human bodies were damaged so easily?

Now aware of the fact that a direct hit likely would've crushed his head, I was left thinking about human anatomy and their ability to withstand such blows. Sure I knew a lot about my bodily makeup and insectoid origins, but the humans never spoke of their own during her captivity.

I'm a monster, sure, but did they not have a second skin that could deal with heavier blows? And they dared to claim that they were over me in the natural order? What nonsense.

Albert

Albert watched in horror as the force of the concussion forced Frank off his feet, his body collapsing against the nearby tree in a daze. He was alive, still breathing thankfully, but clearly very much dizzy and disoriented. Albert had clearly seen the odd pair of arms strike Frank down with a large stone, but who had hit him from behind the tree?

Only one way to find out. Albert concluded, unsheathing his sword as he stepped around the corner.

He was forced to parry a strike from the rock almost immediately, the sound of forged metal meeting unpolished stone filling the silent forest air. It was hard to get a view on his opponent with the limited lighting, but it was obvious they were wearing lots of black given how well they blended in with the shadows.

That being said, they seemed rather unprepared and inexperienced otherwise. Who fights with nothing but a stone? Not to mention their poor technique. Aside from the initial blow that took out Frank, they failed to go on the offensive with their weapon of choice. Not that that was really possible with a rock.

Albert did his best to shift the confrontation away from Frank and into a clearing in the forest, working diligently to avert a potential hostage scenario. If he countinued to exert sufficient pressure on the intruder, exploiting Frank would become the most strategic maneuver. While undoubtedly cowardly, it would align with expectations for someone unwilling to engage in an open confrontation.

His adversary remained entirely fixated on him, the silhouette barely registering Albert's subtle provocations. Engrossed in self-defense, they failed to notice Albert's maneuvers. As the setting sun's light unveiled the intruder, it exposed a true nature beyond expectation. A four-armed human? No...calling it human would be an insult. Whatever it was, it exuded hideousness, unmistakably a monstrous entity melded after some sort of insect. What a monster was doing all the way out here he didn't know, but he did know it was within his duty to put it down.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Kyraa

I was doing my best to fight back, but this human lived up to his role as a guard. I was aware of how to use my body, but I lacked training, and I especially lacked experience on any sort of battlefield. The scientists could teach me all they wanted, but it was pointless if we never had any practical applications.

My arms were beginning to go numb with each block, and it was all I could do to keep him at bay. If I continued to fight head-on that is.

These humans had been baited with pleas for help, but they never uncovered the source. Or rather, they should still be unaware that I was the source. Attempting to distract him was worth a try.

《Behind you!》I called out in the all too familiar voice, hoping the human would hesitate.

As anticipated, the human briefly turned away, swiftly returning their focus to the front. Although not ideal, I seized the momentary distraction to deftly switch the rock between my pairs of hands and to feint an attack.

The tactic succeeded. Anticipating an overhead strike, the human raised their weapon high. However, confusion and then horror crossed his face as I swung the rock from my left, connecting with his right elbow in a satisfying crack. With the weight of my entire body behind the desperate attack, the human toppled over, dropping his sword and clutching his arm in pain.

So fragile. I concluded, bringing the rock over my head to finish the groaning human off. I would only need one captive after all.

Yet as I began to hurl the rock towards his head, it collided with another sword. But this sword wasn't wielded by the human I had knocked down. Instead, the other human from earlier had rushed to his aid, albeit with sluggish movements and an unsteady stance, having just regained his senses.

“Albert, go and call for backup!” The defender barked, glancing back to the fallen human.

"NOW!" he exclaimed, observing “Albert's” initial hesitation. The young male swiftly rose, moving as fast as he could with his injured arm.

Frank

What kind of monster was he even fighting? When did a monster make it this far? How did it make it this far? What was its purpose? It was far too late to find out, and Frank knew it all too well. Sending Albert back was an act of mercy. Frank was aware that the reinforcements wouldn't come in time, not before this creature wore him down.

The impact from earlier lingered, hindering his coordination. Despite his increased experience, he fared worse than Albert. The monster, now on the offensive, seemed angered by its denied kill. Soon, he was backed against a tree, stumbling over the overgrown roots. Without a moment to react, the monster closed in, and he braced for an impact that never came. Instead the monster grasped his neck, holding down his arms with her extra set. They felt hairy and hard, but that was the least of his concern as they began to choke him. One question lingered in the air: Why did it spare his life? The impending dread enveloped him as darkness consumed his world.

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Exoskeleton

An exoskeleton is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal(typically an insect) to both support the body shape and protect the internal organs, in contrast to an internal endoskeleton (e.g. that of a human) which is enclosed underneath other soft tissues. Exoskeletons contain rigid and resistant components that fulfill a set of functional roles in many animals including protection, sensing, breathing, feeding, and more. Exoskeletons also have roles in defense from predators and in providing an attachment framework for muscle structure.