Sting and Sear

Chapter Eight: Liberation

(See the end of the chapter for Author's Notes.)

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"Is it that, just faintly, you can still hear the echo of the bells?" Quirrel

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As Stinger, Hornet, Pure, and the others approached the Spire, Stinger couldn't say he was surprised to be met by the soldiers the Governor had sent after them. The two groups dashed towards each other with violent intent and nails raised. Stinger launched into battle alongside his friends and siblings-in-combat. 

The battle was proving it would be long and difficult from the start, with neither side being forgiving to the other. Stinger and the others would fight their hardest, but there would eventually be no more fuel to burn, and no will to push against this dictator's army.

Even still, Stinger kept in close quarters with his allies and pushed against the enemy, slashing his nail with strength and a will to fight. Beside him, Pure was holding steady with his giant nail, parrying and striking the swarm of armored guards. 

Stinger could also see Quirrel plainly in view, fighting as hard as anyone else. Stinger just had to hope their smaller party could hold off long enough to wear down the enemy. 

For every laceration made in his shell, Stinger made sure to give two right back, carving into the enemies ahead with a honed blade. The cries of rage and war could easily be heard blocks down, and most of the bugs who hadn't run away either joined Stinger and his friends or went in cowardice to the enemy side. It wasn't long before it was dozens of bugs lunging at each other with sharp blades and claws.

Stinger thought to himself, worried not only to lose his allies, but to kill innocent members of the City. He could only hope for Hollow to return as soon as possible, to aid them with a force of allied refugees behind him.

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Hollow came upon an important obstacle rather quickly upon reaching the communal refugee building with his two siblings. It was going to be extremely difficult to get every bug to know the situation, and of those who did know, it would be difficult to get them to follow him and his siblings into the fight against this Pill-bug tyrant. He cursed, which of course was inaudible, but still was noticed by his two followers. Looking to them, he tried once again to communicate the issue better. Hollow got a serious look from the smaller of the two, who attempted some hand signs for a response. Despite the limited vocabulary, Hollow was able to pick up a few words. 

("Sister. Bring. Bug.")

Although Hollow was impressed at the small vessel's ability in picking up the newer sign language so quickly, He was mostly happy to know that his siblings, (at least one of them) was aware of the situation and their goal. Hollow began signing to his smaller brother, which he in his head had decided to call Earwig, due to the small vessel's droopy earlike horns. 

Hollow made his message as simple as possible. ("How do. We. Tell to. Them?")

Earwig looked to Hollow and their other sibling before signing, ("Write.")

Hollow figured this would work, but he would need paper and a utensil, or another way of writing to communicate. But he also knew they were behind on time, and Hornet and Pure needed them to the spire with the refugees as soon as possible.

Giving up on searching for writing supplies, Hollow ran up the small flight of stairs to find a group of the same bugs who had camped in Dirtmouth just a week ago. It seemed a smaller group, (undoubtedly some had already joined the fight against the Governor) but some were better than none. Hollow made simple gestures of writing to a nearby cricket, who looked at him in confusion before her eyes lit up, and she handed him a notepad and pen. Quickly, Hollow scrawled everything he knew to tell them on the pages, showing the group and communicating physically the urgency of the situation.