POV The Mouse Captain

The First Guardian looked down from where he and his kin had climbed higher. There were six floating mountains with each one being progressively larger than the last. Looking down from the edge of the third such island, the Mouse Captain witnessed the flashes of combat below as the fortress of his mice brethren came under assault. He stroked his whiskers, frustrated, as his kin fought and died below without him.

Those feelings did not keep him from his duty. He was to climb higher and provoke a final confrontation if needed. He would keep his Master safe. He turned to climb higher even as he felt his Master move. Reaching the moss ladder on the other side, the mouse paused to look below and witnessed large shadows moving forth to assist his kin. Savage Minks and Deeplight Stalkers dove into battle and the tides began to turn. He smirked, running a paw through his whiskers. His kin would be fine.

He began to climb and his immediate kin followed. His squire was right behind him followed by the others. Each one had proven capable on this journey deeper and the guardian was proud to call them kin. Reaching the next floating island the mouse pulled himself up and took stock of his surroundings. Moss coated the island except for a small trickle of water that ran off the edge.

His kin quickly followed him up and they spread out to either side. They had yet to encounter any of the creatures that guarded this floor but the Mouse Captain was sure it was only a matter of time. They were halfway across the island when his hypothesis was proven correct. A series of roars split the air as three large forms dove towards them, wings tucked in to fall faster.

With a motion of his sword, the First Guardian summoned his borrowed powers, calling forth stone pillars to rise around them. The creatures hissed in rage as they pulled up sharply, their long talons scraping the stone as they clutched at the pillars. They tried to grasp for their elusive prey only to receive sharp jabs from the mice and their makeshift swords.

The Mouse Captain was not idle while he and his kin were attacked. He brought forth fire to scorch offending legs and to singe their snapping jaws. The creatures hissed and roared but eventually spread their wings and retreated, not willing to put up with the fire-wielding mouse. The Mouse Captain nodded in satisfaction and motioned for his kin to keep moving. They stopped at the trickle of water to refresh themselves and wash their wounds, using the abundant moss as bandages.

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They continued their climb and all the while the Captain caught glances of a party of invaders further down. They too were climbing the islands and making their way higher. The mouse pulled a paw across his whiskers to clean them, thinking. They would make their stand soon but they had time to prepare and hopefully, he could convince these new creations of his Master to help.

POV Pack-Leader Mantis

Blood. Heat. Pain. Ecstasy!

The Pack-Leader Mantis felt born again as it raced through the invaders that dared to trespass on its territory. It cared little for the flames that even now licked along its carapace. There was pain from the long gash hewn into its metathorax but it ignored it all for the sake of carnage. Its fellow mantises tried their best to keep up but got bogged down by the press of bodies. They were not as large or as agile but attempted to replicate its savagery with varying degrees of success.

A flare of light was warning enough for the big insect as it turned sharply, dodging another wave of flame from one of the more powerful invaders. They had been hunting it through the crowd of combatants ever since the battle started. Only now after indulging itself did the large insect notice that its energy reserves were failing. It was tiring and the three flaming hunters were still moderately fresh, having spent their time chasing after it as it slaughtered their allies.

One of the insect’s lesser brethren screeched in pain as it was torched and the Pack-Leader gnashed its mandibles in rage. It had gotten carried away like before with the large mouse. It rushed back into combat only to jump away from a blast of flames that singed its forelegs. It watched as two of the invaders set about burning his pack to ash as the other kept him at bay with its flames.

The insect screeched in rage and attempted to charge but was met with flames. It leapt back and forth attempting to save its pack but to no avail. Soon there were only three members left and as they began to be burned the large insect went insane. It charged forward, disregarding the flames that began to lick at it hungrily. It ignored the burns as they built up on its carapace. Its eyes began to sizzle and one popped before it broke through. The invader seemed surprised as it was grasped with both raptorial forelegs.

It gurgled its incredulity through blood-flecked lips as the Pack-Leader’s mandibles plunged into its neck and began to drink. It was so good and the mantis was so far gone in its pain that it didn’t even notice the twin roars of rage at first. It did notice the returning flames. It screeched and dropped its prize bringing its forelimbs up to guard its face while simultaneously leaping away to gain ground.

It slumped there, smoke rising from its crisp body. It watched as the two figures knelt next to its victim and checked it over. They screamed in rage then and the mantis warbled in glee. It had hurt them somehow. It could sense it in their tone. Somewhere inside, the mantis had hurt them. It tried to rise and found it couldn’t. Spent and weak it could only watch as the figures moved in.