What's left of the nest swarms behind me as I pause on top of the mountain.

The valley below is eerily silent and seemingly devoid of any life. As though the humans and the creatures below had an inkling of the danger that is coming, the future battle that may crush thier lives under its contemptuous foot.

I scan the area from above carefully. We'll have to wait for the signal from our newly appointed leader to move out.

Though.................

Did it have to be that vapid favorite? I can only imagine that he had peppered the queen with flattery for her to sympathetically grace him with this position.

I gently shrug my shoulders before stretching out my back to alleviate the tense muscles there. Oh, well I can't complain anyways.

The nest nervously quanders their own individual fates. Many embrace each other with forceful purpose and whispers of hopeful future reunion are exchanged.

I look at the scene with some sadness. This is why I prefer not be apart of a nest, the matriarch could make or break your fate. I would rather have a say in my own destiny.

I yearn for a privilege that my species culture wouldn't be tolerant or understanding of.

" Set out as soon as you take your positions, nest brothers!!" The favorite's voice boomed over us.

Its beginning. We each grow grave, the chatter dies down abruptly and our faces start reflecting the seriousness of the situation.

We are going off to battle.

Tonight we either obliterate the humans or we suffer a humiliatingly crushing defeat.

Unlike the last time the nest was here, most of the outer ranks are no more. The combination of being wiped out from the first battle and the sudden collapse of the den hall has made them almost nonexistent.

The very few who had survived have been absorbed into the middle ranking males. Thus the squad lines are more tight and neater this time around.

I watch as rows and rows of the squadrons walk down to the valley below making their way to the human stronghold.

Rippling lines of dark figures moving under the moonlight march reaching the hill that the ghostly pale illuminated strong hold sits upon. A blare sounds faintly at first strengthening as time went on. Our presence is known and we do not expect anything other than wretched gore in battle.

This time we will not give the humans time to disperse cold bombs into our midst.

Still I watched as the shadows swallow the moonlight plunging the area in darkness.

The nest has descended upon the stronghold.

Bright sprinkles of fire weakly spray over the dark shadows as they attack relentlessly. The sparks that catch on their bodies quickly wilt on the shiny mucous covering of my brethren.

From this distance the defense of the humans looks greatly lacking without the cold bombs. Fire does little to dampen the wave of nest members clamoring to destroy the humans.

Froooo!! Froooooooosh!!!

A large stream of fire mushroomed in between the shadows suddenly, surprising me on my perch. It flashed brightly before sputtering out, the ones closest burst into flames despite their mucous covering. They fell off to the side like wounded flies, sprawling their charred remains amongst the other fallen victims below.

As the flames become more constant in the fervor of battle, the desperation of the enemy became more apparent.

The stronghold became its own torch in the inky blackness but just like the object it likens itself to, it will be just as easily extinguished.

I being part of the blitz regiments behind the nest wave, have been biding my time for a perfect window of opportunity to strike.

The time is surely coming to fruition. I look behind me to see if the others have seen what I do in the scene below.

To my pleasant surprise the favorite had taken notice already and was barking orders to the rest of the regiments who are waiting on standby.

I walked on over nonchalantly to his side and he clicked in abject disapproval. His face grimaced in disgust as I turned to talk to him.

Uggghhhh............make it stop.

I, too, do not like that we must work together and I really have an ill disposition to forgive someone so callous as him. I would like nothing more than to have this hollow husk of farce masculinity become intimately acquainted with the flat planes of my metacarpals, specifically my knuckles, as many times as possible.

But really it is more trouble then its worth in my opinion at this particular point of time.

I will let it go, for now.

I speak to the ungrateful leach, my voice flat and my face void of emotion.

" I will follow behind the last regiment, wait for my signal"

He huffs exasperated " yes, I know what to do"

Well, I hope you do.....you piece of detritus.

A sharp whistle animates the last regiments to the battle field. They have no need to march as the others did so they trot in unison covering more ground quickly.

My face cracks a large smile, exposing my sharp rows of teeth.

I wait a while after the last squad leaves before sprinting after them. The cool air nipped at my skin causing a small shiver of excitement as I run down the mountain.

The blitz regiment made it to the stronghold before I did. They didn't waste any time wrestling over the openings and pushing away the others, eager to start a new wave of carnage.

The humans renewed their efforts in scorching away any intruders from their openings. Screams on both sides drown out the crackle of fire burning around us.

Since both sides where busy. I took my time examining the stone walls.

None of the humans are paying attention to the foundation of their building, for obvious reasons. I deeply click letting the energy vibrate into my tissues before gliding my hand over the rough surface.

The cracking sound from the building during the previous battle is a sure sign that the stress of the sudden differing temperatures clashing together must of weakened the structure somewhere.

I only need to find the weakening crack sites and mark them for the nest to breach.

I discovered that a fine web of cracks run along the top part of the structure but not to the bottom on this side of the stone building.

Sards............. I probably need to inspect the other side of the building for a more complete picture of the damage.

Making my way to the other side of the building, the clamoring of the nest along the base made it more challenging to get my work done but I got through it somehow.

On this side a faint crack barely visible to the eye was the weakness I was looking for. The vibrations sent through the stone detected a interconnected branch of largely crumbling rubble that is tightly compacted together under the weight of the structure.

This must be marked, it will become the nest's entry point into the building.

I spit onto the wall, my saliva laced with a pungent thickening venom staining the spot permanently. That was the only satisfactory crack that looked promising, I rounded the building twice just to make sure of my assessment.

Looking up onto the clamoring mass of darkness, I decided it was high time I took this chance to weasel my way into the fros of close combat.

I barreled through the thick mass to the top, dislodging many along my path and pushing away violently those in my way.

The small sack around my neck swished back and forth like a pendulum reminding me of the still waiting favorite and the queen Thitaar.

I leap up from the side wall to the highest point on the building throwing a light stone into the air before kicking it with all my might high above me.

A low deep tremble shook the air as I made my way off the roof. The nest on the building stilled for a moment then in a renewed frenzy started to take chunks of loosened sections from the wall.

I, too, joined in on the frenzy.

My muscles strained from the force of my attacks. The mucous on my skin thickened further as the delirium of battle over took me.

Faces became a blur, ally and foe became indistinguishable from one another. I wanted destruction...to free the emotions piling up within me without restraint.

Unaware of my surroundings I suddenly felt the building wave underneath me like a tree and heard the crumbling of large stones.

" BREACH!!! They have breached the walls!!"

While other sections were ablaze in intense fire because of the humans there. I took the opportunity to slip into the gapping holes in the building to run through their corridors with a few others.

Now behind enemy lines I stealthily went from place to place silently. I picked off some guarding humans along with the others, going in deeper.

By now I was in the bowels of the building when I smelled something off putting, almost headachingly repulsive.

I almost hurl myself backward from recognizing the scent.

Ilsh.....why??? To find one compatible to my kind is just a wonderful gift but two is a miracle.

The scent was not like the seductive heavy spice that I long for from my beloved but a sickeningly powdery musk.

Maybe to another it would be highly pleasant but to me, who is only accustomed to my mate's scent. It makes me queasy.

I look around to see if the others have taken notice of this new scent. But they were too busy having their fill of human flesh to care right now.

Creasing my brow with hard realization of the situation.

I know that I need to find who ever is behind this smell and take them away from here before the queen finds them.

They will die and so will the hope of another male. Our species can only breed so much before there is a collapse because of the extreme gender imbalance.

I must find them before someone else does. I skulk away, running toward the scent at full speed, willing for a speedy discovery to them.

Stopping at a metal door, I sniff and touch the surface analyzing the chemical signature. This is where the scent is strongest, they must be here.

Getting inside will be difficult without making a lot of noise. Thinking about the various interactions I have managed to witness between my mate and other groups. I take my chance and knock on the door.

Silence......

Maybe the person didn't hear me so I slam my fist repeatedly in a specific sequence to make a tune I had often heard my mate use.

The door swings wide open and a woosh of air behind it reignites the repulsive smell. I scrunch my face and flash my teeth willing myself to not throw up right then and there.

"WHAT?!...do you want?" The loud agitated voice turned to a horrified small squeak.

A tiny female had opened the door and was staring at me with wide petrified eyes.

I bend down for a better look and barely take a small hesitant sniff.

Yup, she is the one and she stinks. She shrieks as I unceremoniously throw her over my shoulder. I need to get out of here and exit the building without rousing any suspicion from the groups of nest members that may be around.

As I continue to run through various hallways with her thrashing her comically tiny hands and feet, I find that many windows are obstructed.

Fine......I will find a window that can be broken through even if I have have to use all my strength to do so.

Some more hallways are passed, when a window with a small sliver of moonlight caught my eye. Wasting no time to take down the barrier that was created there, I shatter the delicate panel keeping me from the outside.

While the tiny female had only fought up until now in silence. She now realized that I have the intention to go some place else and will be taking her with me. She screamed in terror and her tiny claws tried to break through my mucous barrier to the skin underneath. I muttered a low curse when she elbowed my face fiercely. Not only is she loud, nauseating, and wild..... I am just trying to save her from her grim fate.

I slapped her bottom hard in retaliation, her flesh against my palm made a resounding smacking sound. She whimpered loudly and I heard her sharp intake of breath before I felt her tiny body tremble with hacking sobs.

I deflate at my loss of patience.

I feel......remorseful but I need to be as stable in mid air as possible when we leap from the building for a safe landing.

I walked on over to the end of the passageway with her in tow and turned around. We need to leave, the queen will think that I am claiming my piece of the spoils before the others can have a chance to take it. And.... I' m ok with that, I run past all the doors to the end and I leap off the edge of the large window frame.

The air passes through my nostrils at such a fast rate that it is almost suffocating. The land below is nothing but a moving picture hurling closer to us at an astonishing speed. ( minipurse)

My feet connect to the ground painfully and my knees bend from the force of the fall and that of my own weight.

Immediately as I hit the ground, I take off running for the hills without delay.

She is uncharacteristically silent and limp on my shoulder. She must think that her fate is sealed with no hope of escape. That she is just a fresh sack of meat to me.

Looking back from a far away hill to make sure I have no pursuers, I only see the queen's large head look in my direction. I pause and lift a fist to the air then wave.

She nodded in understanding and turned around to continue whatever she was doing. Relief flooded my body, she will not pursue me and this tiny female is safe for now.

I think of the surrounding settlements and choose one that my mate has frequented often.

The settlement is a bit far from here and it is embedded in a mountain with terrain that would be hard for my kind to trace. I would not have found it on my own, if it wasn't for the early morning excursions of my mate.

She will be safe there until her destined comes for her.

I run past more hills and vast plains to get there.

Looking up at the weakening moon above and noting the pinkish skies, traveling will be impossible in a couple of hours. The sun rises early and sets late in the summer.

I quicken my pace. I need to dump her there and soon.

A familiar slope juts out of the ground covered in joshua trees and pale orange light softly colors the distant mountains.

The entrance should be around here.

As I round a small mound of dirt I find the small square sign that I have seen my mate wait by.

Gently I lower her limp body to the ground confident that she will be found quickly by the humans in this base. I run toward the direction of the underground bunker my beloved calls home.

I am impatient and I want to see her again.

The sun rays wash over more land. I will travel as far as I possibly can with the time I've got left.

Aye, don't do things that look bad even though they may be done with the best intentions. Chhhee, he is quite in the grey zone of morality, don't you agree?