Panic on the TODO List

"EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! THE KADS ARE UNDER ATTACK! TO ARMS! TO ARMS!" Oaker Jo bellowed from somewhere near the tree. "I INVOKE THE ANCIENT PACT! DEFEND THE VILLAGE!" He bellowed again and again, his voice hammering the air like a war-drum.

"Someone shut that oaker up!" the Delkin shouted—just as Maizy twirled into the courtyard. "What's this?" She froze, staring at Maizy, her face slack with dazed confusion.

Battle echoed throughout the tree as froskin fought unseen foes. Eagles and hawks clashed in the skies, and off in the distance, an unknown navy began fighting the chessafolk and the kittay on two fronts.

Oaker Jo fell silent for a moment—then the earth rumbled. The entire tree shook as a dozen cuttlekin screamed for the last time.

Then Oaker Jo resumed his alarm: "BARK VILLAGE IS UNDER ATTACK! I REPEAT: BARK VILLAGE IS UNDER ATTACK!"

The Delkin snapped out of her trance. "Argh! I suppose I'll have to do it myself." She shot over the courtyard and dove to the tree’s base. A short time later, Oaker Jo’s voice boomed, "I WILL BE BAAACK!" The Delkin had hurled him far away.

When she returned, she saw a froskin toss a kad into a hole in the tree. "When did that get there?" The hole sealed itself, and a spike of magic wood shot out—striking her chest. It crumbled to dust the instant it touched her.

The Delkin laughed. "Hah! Magic doesn’t work on me!"  Though now I suppose I need to figure out how to get into the tree... All kads must die!  She clawed at the bark, but the marks healed instantly.

"GAH!" she shouted in frustration.  I’ll just burn it down later—when only a few remain.  She burped. "Wow, that one was surprisingly filling! I suppose I’ll just watch them exhaust themselves. I’ve always wondered if kads could dance themselves to death." She grinned menacingly.

She leaned over and squashed a kad who was dancing nearby with her fist. Blood and viscera sprayed across the courtyard. "GROSS! Fine, I’ll wait. Time is on my side, forever! Haha!" As she spoke, a portal opened and a few dozen isopods tumbled into the courtyard. Then just as many rainbow fruits rolled out after them.

Then she noticed Maizy again. "A baby black kad. That shouldn't be possible." She scanned the courtyard for cuttlekin, her eyes glowing orange. "You!" She pointed—their names were unimportant. "I thought all the black kads went extinct. Why is there a black kad here?" She jabbed a finger at Maizy, who was still dancing in the air. "And how in the name of FRICK is she doing that!?"

The cuttlekin bowed deeply. "I do not know, Your Grace. Our history books say they all went extinct shortly after the Nightmare emerged. As for her..." He looked up at Maizy. "I have no idea. That... shouldn’t be possible. Perhaps she has a flight tail? A power similar to your species?"

"Impossible!" the Delkin shouted. "Only the Delkin—and certain wizards—possess magical flight!" She flew closer to Maizy for a better look.

"SHE HAS TWO TAILS!" The Delkin jumped back. "I was warned about her!" She stared, then quickly decided Maizy was no threat after all. "She's just a baby!"

"You should eat her, Your Grace," the cuttlekin said with another bow. "I'm sure she’d have an exotic flavor."

The Delkin waved a hand dismissively. "I already have the Child Chewer title." But once again her attention snagged on Maizy, dancing in the air like a lure she couldn’t ignore.

"Your Grace." After a long pause, the cuttlekin spoke again. "Your Grace!" he shouted.

The Delkin snapped out of it. "What? Oh." She looked warmly at the little cuttlekin. "What is your name?"

The cuttlekin shook in terror—being asked your name by a Delkin usually meant you were about to be eaten. "Fless, Your Grace."

"Fless, I want you to shout at me if I get stuck in a daze like that again. This kad seems to have some strange power that traps my attention." She smiled—which was terrifying—and added, "Don’t worry, I won’t get mad. You’re my new favorite cuttlekin. I shall reward you after this is all over."

Fless inked all over the top of the tree in fear. The Delkin didn't even notice.

Then the Delkin—unable to resist—reached out to touch Maizy.
Then, unable to resist, the Delkin reached out to touch Maizy.
Unable to resist, the Delkin then reached out to touch Maizy.

Maizy bit her.

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What's going on!?  GODS! BRANCH IS DEAD!  Maizy snapped out of her dancing trance. Her mouth was clamped on something. She looked up—and locked eyes with a Delkin.

She let go and shot skyward—fleeing in terror. The Delkin shot after her.

"HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT!?" The Delkin wasn’t even angry—just insatiably curious. "STOP! I won’t kill you—I don’t eat children. I only want to see how you’re flying!"

It’s lying!  Maizy veered toward the village, hoping someone there could help.

In no time at all, she was over Mirehaven, and she could see the kittay fighting armored monsters of some kind. They looked like they were made out of stone—their backs covered in gravel. Maizy's tail glowed blue as she remembered a conversation she'd had with Mom.  They must be granoliths! Why are they fighting the kittay?

In moments, she was over Mirehaven, where the kittay battled armored monsters that looked carved from stone—their backs crusted with something like gravel. Maizy’s tail glowed blue as she remembered something Mom had said.  They must be granoliths! Why are they fighting the kittay?

"A BLUE TAIL!" The Delkin shrieked, enraged. "YOU MUST BE A DESCENDANT OF SAND! YOU MUST DIE!"

Uh oh!  Maizy darted over the lake. The chessafolk fought their own battle—hundreds of massive snakes assaulting the village, the defenders barely holding on.

Maybe I can help?  Maizy glanced back—the Delkin was gone!  Where’d it go!?  She froze, scanning the battlefield.  There!  It was tearing into chessafolk who fought back with... cheese knives?

Maizy grabbed her ruler and shot toward a snake chasing small lizards.  Those must be chessafolk children!

BOOM! The snake’s head burst into bloody mist—its body slamming to the ground, lifeless.

That was easy. I CAN help!  Maizy was determined—but she still wanted to get back to Bark Village fast.  Hopefully the tree frogs can save everyone!  She wanted to panic, but...  I’ll add panicking to my TODO list!

BOOM! Another snake’s head exploded. BOOM! Another. Maizy was actually enjoying this.  Easy!  Then she spotted the Delkin flying back toward Mirehaven.

OH NO! Stay here, you awful flying lizard-snake... thing!

She killed two more snakes but knew she was out of time. She tore after the Delkin.

It seized the kittay with the fabulous pink hair and dropped them from the sky!

Maizy dove, catching the kittay just before impact. They slammed into the dirt—right on top of her.

"Hah! One less kad to worry about." The Delkin zoomed toward Bark Village.

"Oh no! Did I crush her?" the kittay asked. Maizy brushed herself off, stood, and smiled—then looked at... him?  She wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter. I can come back later!

Maizy shook her head, gave a thumbs-up, and shot after the Delkin.

Apparently when you reduce the mass of something to almost nothing, it can’t crush you. I wonder if I could stop bullets the same way?

Halfway to Bark Village, Maizy stopped. She had no plan of attack—nor any way to resist the lights and music. Even out here, she could faintly hear the beat tugging at her subconscious.

Dancing... What a vulnerability!  The more Maizy thought about it, the more horrified—and angry—she became.  We can’t even party properly!  Because obviously, that was the real problem.

THINK! How do I avoid getting entranced by the music? Earplugs? No, I can FEEL the beat from those damned isopods. The lights? Close my eyes? No.  She forced herself to recall where each isopod was—and in doing so, remembered Branch.

Her eyes filled with tears.  Poor Branch! DAMN THAT DELKIN!  She hissed in rage, then caught the blue glow in her own eyes, faintly reflected in the tears. An idea struck—a dangerous one. It might not work, but she was out of time. Maizy decided to try it anyway.