There is a lot about me you don't know -Tales of Arcadia ENG

22- Alarm

TRACK 22

Baby can you move it round the rhythm

Cause you know we're living

in the fast lane, speed up

It ain't no game,

just turn up all the beams

when I come up on the scene

(Lone Digger - Caravan Palace)

********

Archibald instantly tried to set them on fire, not allowing himself to mull anything over. There were many of them, they were apparently angry or determined to go against them, and... better to avoid putting doubts in the mouths of creatures they did not know at all. Had he been certain they meant no harm, he would not have done so, but something told him the complete opposite in this case.

The flame, as extensive as it could, enveloped the insects in front entirely. Those further back got in the middle of it as a consequence. And he extended the blaze to make sure it hit the remaining ones as well, wanting to get as many of them out of the way as possible.

He stopped firing after about twenty seconds or so, casting a glance first at Nari and then at Claire. And returning later to look ahead.

Instead of finding numerous charred insect corpses, these stood motionless in the air. Fluttering in place as if he hadn't hit them at all, still in their numerous -definitely too composed for his taste- swarming.

He tried again a second time when they resumed moving, trying to warm his own flame more, but the second attempt also resulted in outright failure.

From this, Archie saw the other two set to work in turn practically in unison after brief explanations and hasty concordances composed of glances and mild nods. He felt, in the process, his fur rise as they did so.

Nari created a subspecies of shield. It was, of course, composed of dense brambles that did not seem to have the slightest space for the creatures to pass through. It surrounded them on one side, pushing them to the other side, giving them only one path to take.

A path where Claire opened a Shadow Portal almost even without blinking, but taking in and out oxygen, her arms perfectly in place. Her posture was almost perfect and her magic came out with a strong vigor, creating the Shadow Portal before waiting a few sets of seconds for it to close around the creatures.

It seemed to work, for when both the brambles and the portal vanished, the insects were already gone.

But they didn't even have time to breathe a small sigh of relief that they came back and reappeared out of nowhere, as if ripping through space during the time of their passing, leaving blackish holes in the air at short notice.

Nari therefore tried to trap them in a simple enclosed cage, composed entirely of dense plants tightly tangled together. All she needed was a raised hand and the spreading of her own magic to create it. It took extremely little time and a serious concentrated look to get results. And a vague silence mixed with their faint sounds. They were buzzing in the cage all at once, almost creepily. It was definitely worse than the sound of the cicadas on summer evenings.

Archie let himself scan the plant prison for a few moments, waiting for signs that something was wrong before sighing, pulling up his glasses with one paw, and wagging his tail. "...We're off to a good start," he mumbled in a drawl, sniffing. "I guess we'd better warn Merlin about these creatures."

"Do you think there are more of them around?" Asked Claire, appearing partly nervous but visibly trying to keep calm, taking repeated deep breaths.

"I wouldn't be surprised," he found himself answering, trying to avoid a too-direct and acidic 'yes' that would probably have agitated her more. Which they did not need right now, really.