Crusade Gone Awry Ch. 12

"Can't I get a break?" Dinah demanded. The bat crouched again, clearly intending to leap at her. Dinah cringed, knowing it wasn't going to fall for her wild swing again. She was finally reaching the end of her rope.

Before the bat could lunge, something zipped in from the side and collided with its wing. The small attacker went for the wound, tearing at it. Dinah felt a sharp stab of panic shoot through her. She knew instantly who it was.

"Tiny!" she shrieked. The bat let out a wail and flapped wildly. Tiny fell onto the floor, jumping back up quickly. Before he could gain his bearings, however, the bat gave a powerful swipe of his wing. It struck Tiny with a sickening thud, sending him flying. He collided with a nearby rock outcropping, head-first. The rabbit-man collapsed in a heap, unmoving. The bat hissed in his direction, angry. Dinah grit her teeth and felt a stab of white-hot rage surge through her guts.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" she bellowed at the bat. The monster turned towards her, clearly confused by her sudden outburst.

Before the fight could continue, the sound of thundering feet filled the room. The two of them turned towards a tunnel on the far side of the room. A massive group of rabbit-men came streaming into the room. They had apparently been following Tiny, who had gained a lead. There had to be close to sixty of them, filling an entire side of the cavern. The moment they spotted the bat, however, all of them ground to a halt. Despite their clear advantage of numbers, they all trembled at the sight of the predator, which snarled at them. Dinah, still boiling with rage that the bat would hurt Tiny, turned towards the horde of lagomorphs. With her face full of disgust, she screamed at them.

"YOU OUTNUMBER HIM, YOU MORONS! THROW ROCKS AT HIM!"

All of the rabbit-men began muttering to each other. Maybe they were discussing what to do, maybe some of them were translating what she said. Finally, one of them stepped forward, a rock in his hand. He hurled it at the bat, barely grazing its wing. The predator let out a shriek, more confused than hurt. The lagomorphs had apparently never fought back before. Then, like a floodgate, all of the rabbit-men began scrambling in all directions, picking up their own rocks to throw.

What followed was the most chaotic battle Dinah had ever seen. The lagomorphs tried to stay out of the range of the bat monster, which thanks to its wings was very large. Instead, they constantly circled around it, throwing stones. Dinah, who was both tired and large thanks to her pregnancy, lumbered after it, brandishing the only sword. Smart enough to know she was the only thing that could likely kill it, the bat avoided her. So around and around the room they went in an insane tornado. It would have been comical if the stakes weren't so high.

The rocks thrown by the lagomorphs, while small compared to the bat, began to take their toll after some time. The monster began to bruise, swollen lumps appearing. It was growing more frustrated, lashing out at any nearby rabbit-men it could grab. It succeeded a few times, ripping the much smaller monsters apart with its teeth, shredding them into a bloody heap. The only problem was that it when it stopped to do that, the hail of rocks increased, particularly at its face. After that happened a few times, one of the bat's eyes began to swell, partially blinding it. As if realizing the dire situation it was suddenly in, the bat attempted to take flight. Thanks to the large gash on its wing, it struggled. Finding their courage, several of the rabbit-men leapt onto its back, messing up its rhythm. It landed back on the ground and tried to fling them off. Dinah saw the opportunity. It had left itself open.

"ALL OF YOU, JUMP ON IT!" she screamed. Following orders, they all rushed forward, like a swarm of bees. The mass of monsters collided against the predator's chest and sent it rolling back onto the floor. The rest of them jumped on top, weighing down the wings and claws. Several even grabbed its head, keeping the jaws clamped shut. The monster struggled mightily but was unable to shake off the dozens that were on top of it. Dinah stomped over to the huge, furry mess. Still furious, she kicked a few of the rabbit-men off of the bat's chest. She raised the blade high above her head and brought it down as hard as she could.

The bat screamed as the weapon pierced through its skin. The sword instantly snapped, but Dinah kept stabbing, twisting the broken blade as it carved deeper and deeper into the monster's chest. The crusader wasn't sure for how long she twisted the sword in its insides, but when she stopped her arms were burning. She stepped backwards, wiping blood away from her face. All of the lagomorphs shuffled off of the bat's corpse, looking amazed that it was finally dead. For a few moments, everything was still, the bat monster's mouth hanging ajar, and its chest flayed open.

"What was that thing's problem?" Dinah shrieked, exasperated. All of the rabbit-men turned towards her, but none could respond.

As Dinah's brain finally caught up to the situation, she remembered what started her angry tear. Tiny! She dropped the broken sword and scrambled over to where he had landed. He still hadn't moved. She got onto her knees and scooped him up gently. He was limp.

"Hey! Tiny! Wake up!" she shouted. He still didn't respond. She held him against her, trying to listen for breathing. "Come on, little buddy! Everyone else is gone! It can just be you and me now!" She squeezed him tightly, trying to will him to wake up.

Then he twitched. Dinah gasped and held him out, seeing if he was coming around. Her heart leapt as he began to rouse, grunting and grimacing. Ever so slowly, his eyes fluttered open. At first, his gaze was dull, but it slowly focused and saw her. He smiled sweetly at her, letting out a high-pitch noise.

"Good boy!" Dinah cried, holding him against her again. She felt around the back of his head for any wound. There was a large not, but no blood. He had apparently only been knocked out. Tiny's arms slowly came up and wrapped around her neck. For a few moments, they held each other, finally content.

Without warning, Dinah crumpled to the ground. Now it was Tiny's turn to be concerned. He sat up and grabbed her face, panicked.

"I'm okay," Dinah said weakly. "I'm just...exhausted. This has been the most exhausting day of my life, and on top of it all I'm pregnant, so that just makes me more exhausted. I'm exhausted, is my point. I think I'm gonna pass out for a while. Will you watch over me?" Tiny's eyes lit up as he nodded. As he usually did, he curled up beside her and put his head in the crook of her neck. Dinah's eyes closed and she let herself drift into sleep.

*

When Dinah awoke again, she immediately groaned. Her whole body was unbearably sore. She opened her eyes to find that Tiny was still there, snuggled against her. Perhaps sensing that she was awake, he popped up and smiled at her. Dinah would have pet him, but her arm felt like it weighed a ton.

"I feel miserable!" Dinah whined. Tiny looked sympathetic. He leaned forward and nuzzled against her face. It wasn't like he could do anything about it. Dinah then felt a new sensation around her stomach, but this one was very familiar. "And I'm starving!" Tiny nodded and bounded away. He returned shortly, his arms full of fruit, herbs, roots, and even some meat.

"Wow!" Dinah cried. "Where did you get the meat?" Tiny slowly turned his head, and she followed. She saw a skeleton nearby, which had clearly once been covered by bat flesh.

"Oh," she said flatly. "Well, beggars can't be choosers." She then struggled to sit up. Tiny went up behind her and gave her a push. Together, they managed to get her upright. The rabbit-man then began handing her food. Although Dinah was a little leery of the meat, as she wasn't entirely sure if that bat monster was part human or not. All the same, she had clearly used up all of her energy, and she needed even more than usual because of the extra people inside of her. Ultimately, she sighed and just ate it.

As she ate her meal, Dinah took in her surroundings. To her surprise, and some annoyance, the other rabbit-men hadn't left. Instead, they were tending to the female lagomorphs, wrapping their wounds in leaves and giving them food. In particular, they were feeding them fruits, which the primary source of hydration for all of them. There were only six females, however. The body seventh laid off to the side, wrapped completely in vines and unmoving. The last one Dinah had carried up from the pit had died. She was very glad she put in all that effort for nothing. Well, she should have known better, nothing to be done now. They still had six women. She had hoped they would divide them up and leave, but it didn't look like they were going to. Dinah's stomach turned. The bat monster had killed a few, but there were still well over fifty of them. She couldn't take a dozen of them, how would she fare against that many?

Perhaps most alarming, a group of especially tall male lagomorphs were gathered together. They appeared to be conversing with each other, high-pitch noises coming from their huddle. Dinah began to grow pale. She remembered the last time one of the taller males was in charge. She was too exhausted to flee too. She was going to be at their mercy.

Tiny glanced between Dinah's horrified face and the meeting of tall lagomorphs. He apprehensively flinched for a few seconds. Then he bounded away from Dinah and towards the group. The crusader's eyebrows raised in surprise. Tiny shoved his way into the group. He began squeaking loudly, likely explaining something. A few of the tall ones tried to talk over him, but the smaller rabbit-man stomped his feet and silenced them. He continued to squeak loudly, pointing at Dinah, and then the bones of the bat monster, repeatedly. The tall lagomorphs stared at each other, rarely speaking. Tiny's impassioned speech, whatever he was saying, seemed to be making an impression. They turned to Dinah, and then the injured female lagomorphs, as if they were considering something. They all huddled together again, now with Tiny in the group. Dinah kept looking around nervously. She wasn't the only one. The other lagomorphs, male and female alike, were also watching, wondering what was happening.

Finally, the group broke up. Tiny hopped over to some of the vines that were growing all over. He ripped a few of them off the ground, tying them together and making a wreath with it. He then stood as tall as he could and began speaking loudly. All of the other lagomorphs seemed to be muttering among each other, as if he told them some shocking news. After explaining a bit more, however, they all seemed to agree. Then, rabbit-people did the last thing Dinah expected.

All of the lagomorphs hopped over to Dinah. The crusader cringed, expecting them to pile onto her. Instead, they surrounded her, Tiny at the lead. Then, all in unison, they bowed towards the ground. Tiny held his wreath out to her, offering it to her. Silence then filled the cavern.

"Wait..." Dinah said, her eyes darting around. "What is...what are you doing?" Tiny shuffled forward, the wreath still pointing forward. He wiggled it a little, as if imploring her to take it. That was when Dinah realized what was happening. That wasn't a wreath, at least it wasn't supposed to be. It was a crown.

"Are you..." Dinah said weakly. "Are you trying to make me a queen?"

Tiny squeaked in the affirmative.

"Queen, as in queen of the lagomorphs?"

Tiny yipped in agreement.

"Okay, not to sound ungrateful, but WHAT?"

Tiny popped up and pointed towards the bones of the bat monster. He then pointed to the female lagomorphs as well, before pointing to the pit. Dinah could get what he was saying. She saved the women, and by extension the future of all these people. He also slew the one kidnapping the females and killing the males. She had essentially changed all of their lives for the better. Still, a day ago she had been their prisoner. Now they were trying to anoint her their ruler.

"Listen, I'm flattered," Dinah began. "but I don't honestly think I could be queen..." She abruptly stopped. Her mind began to connect the dots. She could be a queen. Plain little Dinah, who had always been taught to be quiet and out of the way, could be a QUEEN. Dinah stood up, her soreness suddenly gone. She straightened her back and struck a bold pose.

"Queen," she said, her voice becoming deep. "Queen Dinah."

Tiny's eyes brightened as he saw the idea was growing on her. He nodded, bowed again, and offered the vine crown up to her. Dinah thought for a moment more, rubbing her chin. To go from the plain, quiet orphan to a queen would be quite the upgrade. Drop-dead gorgeous commander Talia didn't get to be a monarch, did she? Dinah would have an entire race of people serve her and acknowledge her as their superior. Plus, if Dinah was their queen, she could help them defend themselves from monsters like that bat. She could also tell them not to kidnap people. There were noble reasons to do this, not just selfish ones! Dinah was doing it for the noble reasons...probably!

"If you make me queen, you all have to do what I say," Dinah explained. "That's what that means. In return, I do my best to make sure you're taken care of and safe. Do we all understand that?" All of the rabbit-men yipped in agreement. "Good. As long as we're clear." She hesitated for a moment more, and then quickly reached down and snatched the vine crown. She placed it on her head, anointing herself Queen of the Lagomorphs. All of her new subjects began hopping up and down, squeaking and yipping at her. Dinah stood with her arms crossed over her breasts, suddenly feeling smug. Maybe there was a reason she went through all that suffering after all.

Just as she was at her highest moment, her coronation was interrupted. All of the rabbit-men, at once, stopped their celebration. Each of them jerked their heads in the exact same direction, completely silent. Dinah's eyes darted around them, contemplating whether to order them to resume praising her or not. Then a streak of fear went through her.

"There's not another bat, is there?" she asked. Tiny turned back to her, worry in his eye. He quickly shook his head. "Oh, thank god! What is it, then?" As the other rabbit-men scattered, Tiny stayed, thinking for a moment. He couldn't quite communicate with her yet. Dinah made a mental note to learn their language, since she was their queen and all. Tiny went over and picked up a rock. He then hopped back over to Dinah and began etching something on the rock. It took him a little while to draw anything, so Dinah watched her other subjects. Most of them were gathering supplies, while a few were tending to the females. The women seemed to understand as well, as they were cooperating with the men. The rabbit-women were carried to a bed of leaves and vines that were being built. It appeared they were making a more permanent place to put them. This only confused Dinah more. Why wouldn't they take the women with them?

She glanced back down to see that Tiny had finished. He had drawn a stick figure with a crown on its head. Dinah initially thought it was her, but then noticed that it had horns sticking out of its head.

"The demon king," she said. Tiny nodded at her. "It was the demon king you heard? He's calling you?" Her favorite rabbit-man nodded again. "What does he want?"

Tiny only shook his head. He didn't know.

"Wha...he just gets to call you whenever he wants, and you just have to go?"

Tiny nodded. Dinah shifted uncomfortably. She didn't like the sound of this. If the demon was half as strong as legends suggests, he could easily squash them all without even trying. Why would he need them for anything?

"What if I order you to stay?" the crusader offered up. For the first time, Tiny gave her an exasperated look. He pointed to her, then the picture of the demon, before motioning high above his head.

"The demon is a higher king than me. Is that what you're saying?"

Tiny nodded solemnly. Dinah grinded her teeth. Unfortunately, that was probably right. She was the new queen of maybe sixty lagomorphs. The demon king was a monstrous being that had ruled the desert for thousands of years and had never been defeated. There really wasn't a comparison.

"Some of you are staying behind," Dinah complained. "Why can't you be one of them?"

Tiny pointed to his mouth and then to her. He was going to speak for her. He was the only one who could really express her will. None of the other rabbit-men even knew her.

"I could just come with you, you know!"

Tiny narrowed his eyes before slowly pointing at her stomach, like it was obvious.

"I'm the queen! I get to do what I want! I...I...!"

Tiny motioned for her to come down to his level. With a sigh, Dinah knelt down. The lagomorph stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her neck. She returned his embrace, and for a few moments they just held each other. Tiny gently nuzzled her face, reassuringly.

"You have to come back to me," Dinah said. "I'm going to order you to, and I don't care if a demon tells you otherwise or not, understand me?" The lagomorph nodded against her face so she could feel him. Much to her chagrin, Tiny let her go. He gave her a delicate kiss on the lips, one she returned. He then turned and hopped away, joining the large group that was gathering supplies and preparing to leave. A much smaller group was staying behind, apparently to take care of the other women, including Dinah. The new queen gave a heavy sigh, her crown already feeling heavy.

"If he doesn't come back," she muttered. "I'll have that demon's head. I don't care how powerful he is!"