Though Clotho's strategy was sound, the ensuing battle was by no means easy. Her forces, simultaneously striking from above and below, succeeded in splintering the ranks of the small, invading army. Men were showered in agonizing fluid by the Lambent, which then swooped down to finish them off with their natural blades. When the soldiers and mages attempted to form up to defend themselves, the ground beneath their feet invariably gave way, disorienting them and leaving them wide open to attack from the Myrmidons climbing up from the tunnels. They weren’t the problem; the woman, on the other hand, was.

Wielding a katana wreathed in crackling electricity, the heroine downed troop after troop. Her silver blade pierced shield and shell alike, spilling vital fluids over the dappled forest floor. In her off hand was a lantern that would flare up whenever Clotho's troops momentarily gained the upper hand, revitalizing those around her and repulsing the insects to turn the tide back in her favor. These magical weapons weren't the heroine's only blessings; clearly she was very athletic, having shredded about a dozen bugs already and barely broken a sweat. Her words of encouragement were magic in and of themselves, rallying her men and keeping moral up despite their ghastly foes. It was unfortunate that the primal instincts of her children overpowered their ability to follow her orders, Clotho thought; even those who did gang up on the heroine were unsuccessful, stunned by the accursed lantern. The Swarm Keeper decided that toying with this heroine was a foolish extravagance, and that now was as good a time as any to finish her off. First step would be to cripple her defense.

Luckily, the humans who weren't near their leader were easy prey to the combined assault of Myrmidon, Antlion, and Lambent. The remaining group, illuminated from the center by the lantern's silver flare, was rapidly becoming surrounded. From her position in the canopy, Clotho directed her troops with a series of whistles and cries to form a perimeter around the humans and prevent their escape, all the while holding off their attack. Sensing a lull in the battle, the men also put up their guard. When everything was quiet, Clotho made her move. ”I'm going in—when they focus on me, do your part.”

She dove straight down at high speed, rapier extended. By the time the heroine realized she was targeted, Clotho was close enough to impale the lantern with the slender, barbed blade. In an instant the artifact was destroyed, and with a flick of her wrist Clotho flung it away into the muck. If not for her improved reflexes, she would have been slain then and there as the heroine brought her katana around in a crescent arc aimed at Clotho's midsection. Fortunately, the Swarm Keeper was able to backpedal and avoid the blade, not flinching as sparks of lightning leaped between metal and carapace. All eyes turned to her, and the humans collectively attempted to bring her down, whether with spear thrusts, sword slashes, or fired arrows. Utilizing her speed, Clotho evaded them all. She knew, despite being untouched, that she couldn't sustain this level of activity for long. A rising cry from the nearby brush, however, signaled that she hadn't long to wait.

Baudrii burst from the foliage, five hundred pounds of armor and rage. Ignoring the puny blows rained upon him as he drew the attention of the massed humans, he thundered into their ranks, sending men flying or crushing them into the ground beneath his heels. His charge didn't waver as he approached the heroine, who readied her blade to deliver an evasive strike that Clotho guessed would be able to shear through his carapace like paper. [i]Do I really have to save you so soon?[/i] With a frenzied cry she descended once more, quickly dispatching two of the remaining humans with thrusts to the head before slashing at the heroine. Unable to concentrate of counterattacking, the heroine rolled out of the way of Baudrii, putting the Adjunct between her and the Swarm Keeper. Baudrii stopped in his tracks, drew a massive, serrated broadsword, and turned to face the heroine as Clotho leveled her rapier at the woman's face.

“The hero, in the flesh! I wondered when we'd meet. Now I wonder how long you'll last.”

A smirk flashed across the woman's face. “Villains and their threats. Always so funny in retrospect.”

Without waiting for a reply, she sliced the air in front of her, releasing a wave of lightning from her katana. The bolts crashed into Baudrii and Clotho simultaneously, filling the air with the foul stench of burning. While Clotho was forced to land on the ground and lower her singed wings, her Construct was practically unhurt, and charged forward once again. Rather than a simple shoulder bash, he swung his blade in a wide, horizontal arc that would have cleaved the heroine in two had she not ducked beneath it. Immediately she followed up, delivering a rising slice to her armored foe's leg. With a grunt, Baudrii dropped to his knees, seeping brown fluid from the wound. In that moment Clotho realized that they were precisely where her enemy wanted them, and that her Dungeon would be a far preferable alternative. Before the heroine could impale Baudrii through the slit in his armet, Clotho tossed a handful of hive material from her off hand, which splattered against the woman's face despite her attempted to block it. Clotho whistled, and an Antlion thundered to her from the perimeter. At her hurried direction, it picked up Baudrii in its mandibles and carried him away. The Swarm Keeper was on its many heels, and the rest of her forces melted away into the jungle. Suddenly the heroine was alone with the remaining quarter of her men, faced with the decision to let the threat be or pursue her to her lair.

For a hero, there was no choice at all. “We cannot give up now when she's on the run. We advance to her base immediately.”

[hider=Status]
Location: Oerwood Jungle
Dungeon: Jungle north of Saploya River, N16°W12° An nearly complete, vast hive spanning the length, width, and height of a massive, ancient tree in the jungle. The hive itself is constructed of a magically-created liquid that expands and hardens into a stiff, paperlike substance upon exposure to air. The main body of the hive is suspended by countless support struts that reach for hundreds of feet in every direction. The Dungeon Heart is situated at the very top of the tree. Bugs called Macula infest it, functioning as living security cameras and alarms. Currently has: Dungeon Heart, Myrmidon Den. Living Foundry, Apothecary, Macula infestation, Antlion Colony, Compound of Eyes, Lambent Nest
Forces: 28 Drone Imps, 89 Myrmidons, Myrmidon Construct Invicta, 35 Antlions, 12 Lambents, Adjunct Baudrii, alchemist Rammel Vitreus, alchemical assistant Kayla Oakhurst
[/hider]