The Nick Of Time (and other abrasions)
A Heart Full Of Dust
by
Al Bruno III
(Twenty Four)
Alone on the outskirts of the Myrmex Hive Vagabond tried to push thoughts of Lily from his mind. It had been a cruel thing to do, but it was better this way. Bad enough he had gotten her killed once, he damn well wasn't going to let it happen again! But of course, if he failed at this it wouldn't really matter would it?
The hive was anthill-like in structure, built from stone blocks and scrap. It was fortified with weapons and technology scrounged from the remains of the New City. The Myrmex toiled ceaselessly on it and the tower that rose up out of the center. The tower was the source of the brilliant red aurora that blazed down over the land, casting strange hive shadows. It would take an army to get in there, Vagabond thought to himself.
And that army would take heavy losses.
Vagabond retreated from his vantage point and sat up against an outcropping of weathered stone. He wondered aloud, “What would the Hanged Man do in a situation like this? Or Jason for that matter?”
Cackling grimly, he chided himself. How could he know what to do when he didn’t even know who he was at times?
A maniac gleam filled Vagabond's eyes. Scrambling to his feet he began to run. The Myrmex had two weaknesses, the first was that they were simple-minded; the warriors fought, the guards guarded and the workers built. That meant that while sheer numbers of Myrmex might seem impressive, the majority of them wouldn't react to him unless he threatened them directly.
The four sentries at the edge of complex tensed at the sight of him barreling out of the swamp. Their proboscises quivered, they raised their clawed hands. He was coming straight at them.
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