Chapter 39 We Would Endure

Slasher wasn’t done with his torment, though. He picked up the bucket, now teeming with frenzied ants and the writhing, screaming hatchling within, and placed it right next to Kaka’s head. The cruel smile on his face widened as he watched Kaka’s reaction, the goblin’s eyes wide with horror and helplessness.

“Enjoy the fun, you worthless slave,” Slasher sneered, his voice dripping with sadistic glee.

“I’ll leave these ants here with you. Since I'm such a good master, I will allow you to have some fun. Enjoy!”

Slasher knocked the bucket over with a vicious kick, spilling its contents onto the ground and all over Kaka. The hatchling, who had been dropped inside the bucket with no chance of escape, tumbled out along with them, his fragile form collapsing onto the ground in a heap of quivering limbs.

Kaka, already beaten and broken, lay helpless on the ground, his body too weak and mangled to even flinch as the ants crawled over him, invading every inch of his skin.

The moment the hatchling hit the ground, his body was already in a state of panic. His tiny chest heaved with rough breaths, his heart pounding so violently that it seemed as though it might burst from his ribs. The ants were relentless, swarming over him in a red tide, their mandibles clicking as they bit into his soft flesh. Each bite was like a searing needle, injecting venom that burned like fire under his skin.

The hatchling’s little hands, still so new to the world, began to flail wildly, desperately trying to rid himself of the crawling, biting horrors that clung to him. His fingers scratched and scraped at his skin, his nails tearing through the delicate membrane in a frantic attempt to find relief from the agony. But no matter how furiously he scratched, there were too many ants, too many tiny invaders sinking their venomous jaws into his flesh, and the pain only intensified.

His convulsions grew more violent as the venom coursed through his body, his limbs jerking uncontrollably as the poison attacked his nervous system. His muscles spasmed in painful, unnatural ways, twisting and contorting his little body. His eyes, wide with terror and confusion, darted around helplessly, seeking some form of comfort, some sign that this nightmare would end. But all he found was more pain, more biting, more burning.

Kaka’s tears flowed freely now, his vision blurred by the salty droplets that streaked down his dirt-covered cheeks. He wanted to help, to save the hatchling from this torment, but his body refused to move. He was paralyzed by his suffering, trapped in a shell of pain and exhaustion that rendered him powerless.

Slasher, bored of the show now that the hatchling’s fight was nearly over, leaned down and gave the little creature one last, mocking shove with his boot. The force of the kick sent the hatchling rolling across the ground, his tiny body stopping in front of Kaka's face. The hatchling’s eyes, once so full of life and innocence, were now dull and lifeless, the light within them extinguished by the pain and torment he had endured.

Kaka’s heart shattered at the sight, the guilt and grief overwhelming him as he lay there, unable to do anything but watch. The ants, now swarming over the ground, turned their attention to Kaka, their tiny legs crawling up his arms, his legs, his face. But he didn’t care anymore. The physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in his heart, the crushing weight of knowing that he had failed to protect the one thing that mattered most to him.

“Enjoy the fun, shitty slaves,” Slasher sneered, his voice dripping with scorn. 

 He turned on his heel and strode out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him with a resounding thud.

Kaka, his body too weak to move, could only lie there as the ants crawled over him, their bites stinging like tiny needles against his skin. His mind, numb with grief and exhaustion, drifted in and out of consciousness, the pain a distant echo compared to the torment in his heart.

The ants, frenzied and hungry, quickly spread across the shed floor, swarming over everything in their path. The remaining hatchlings, who had once huddled together in fear, now scattered in a desperate bid for survival. Their tiny bodies, still so new to the world, shivered with fear as they darted around the shed, their small limbs moving as fast as they could manage. Their eyes, wide with terror, searched for any possible escape, any corner or crevice that might offer some protection from the advancing swarm.

But there was no escape. The ants were everywhere, their numbers too great. The hatchlings, no matter how quickly they moved, could not outrun the tide of insects that surged around them. The ants closed in from all sides, surrounding the tiny creatures in a sea of crawling bodies.

The first bites came suddenly, like pinpricks of fire against their delicate skin. The hatchlings cried out in shock and pain, their tiny voices rising in a chorus of shrieks that echoed off the walls of the shed. They twisted and squirmed, trying to shake off the biting insects, but the ants clung to them with relentless tenacity, their jaws locking onto the soft flesh and injecting their venom with each bite.

The pain was unbearable. The venom from the ants’ bites spread through the hatchlings’ small bodies like wildfire, burning and stinging with an intensity that left them squealing and gasping for breath. Their tiny limbs flailed wildly, their bodies convulsing as they tried to escape the torment. But the ants were too many, and the bites came too fast, each one adding another layer of agony to their already overwhelmed senses.

Kaka’s heart shattered as he watched the scene unfold, his tears flowing freely as the moment's horror overwhelmed him. He could hear the tiny, desperate cries of the hatchlings, each one a dagger to his soul. His body twitched and convulsed with the effort to move, but he was spent, completely incapable of doing anything but lying there in his misery. The pain and helplessness consumed him, the weight of his failure crushing him as he listened to the agonized wails of the hatchlings he had tried so hard to protect.

As I lay by the wall, my hand nailed tight to it, my vision blurred and faded to black, Slasher's laughter was the last thing I heard. He left the shed, his sadistic enjoyment evident in his departing chuckles. We were left lying on the cold ground, swarmed with ants, beaten and broken, our bodies aching and our spirits crushed.

 The ants, having wreaked their havoc, began to scatter, their tiny legs carrying them away from the gruesome scene they had left behind. The shed, once a chaotic swirl of frantic movement and agonizing cries, slowly settled into an eerie stillness. But the damage was done. The ground was littered with the tiny, motionless bodies of goblin hatchlings, sprawled where they had fallen. Their small, fragile forms lay twisted and contorted, their faces etched with the unbearable pain they had endured. Their tiny bodies were swollen from all the bites.

The ants hadn’t killed them - at least not directly. But the searing venom from the countless bites had been too much for their tiny bodies to bear. They had passed out from the unimaginable pain, their minds and bodies unable to cope with the intensity of the torment. For creatures so small and innocent, the experience would leave a deep, lasting trauma that would haunt them for the rest of their lives, if they managed to survive at all.

But then, in the oppressive silence, there was a stir. From the shadows and crevices of the shed, where they had hidden in terror during the onslaught, a few lucky hatchlings cautiously emerged. Their tiny bodies trembled with fear, their wide eyes darting nervously around as if expecting another wave of horror to descend upon them at any moment. They moved hesitantly, their little feet shuffling on the dirt floor as they took in the scene before them.

Slowly, tentatively, they began to approach their fallen fellow hatchlings. Their tiny hands, trembling with both fear and the aftershocks of adrenaline. Their small fingers brushed against their wrecked forms, their touch so light it was barely noticeable. Yet there was a tenderness in their actions, a softness that spoke of a deep, instinctual need to protect and heal.

 They began to tend to fellow hatchlings' wounds, their movements slow and deliberate. They used what little they could find - a handful of wet dirt, bits of leaves - to bandage the worst of the bites, their tiny faces scrunched up in concentration.

One hatchling, smaller than the rest, knelt beside Kaka’s head, its eyes wide with concern. It gently wiped away the dirt and blood that had caked onto his face, its small hands moving with an almost heartbreaking tenderness. The hatchling’s touch was hesitant as if it feared hurting Kaka further, but it persisted, driven by a deep, instinctual need to care for the one who had tried so hard to protect them.

Kaka, with the last of his strength, whispered words of comfort to the hatchlings, assuring them that we would survive this, just as we had survived before. As I lay there, pain coursing through my body, I clung to Kaka's words, drawing strength from his unwavering resolve. We would endure. We had to. For the sake of the hatchlings, for the hope of a better future, we would survive.

I lost consciousness and woke up in the early morning, still with one hand nailed to the wall. My face was a mess, swollen and bruised, but not as terrible as I had expected. Most of my bruises had ruptured, reducing the swelling. I looked around the shed through my blurry eyes and noticed the hatchlings sleeping around Kaka's sprawled body. He was still breathing, a faint rise and fall in his chest. The ant bites were painful but all it was, me and Kaka were fine only the hatchlings still had some lingering itches.

I tugged at the nail, but with one hand, I couldn't pull it out. Kaka stirred from his sleep as I grunted in pain. He pushed himself to his wobbly feet and limped toward me.

"Little Hermit, let me help you."

With his good hand, he gripped the nail and tugged with all his might. I helped as best I could, and with a painful grunt, we managed to pull the nail, freeing my hand.

I looked at the nail, an idea forming in my mind.

"Kaka! This is it! This nail is exactly what the adventurer needs, a long pointy thing. Kaka! We can finally escape! No more Slasher, no more pain and suffering."