Moth Ch. 023

"I'm hungry," complained a voice from next to him. Apparently his Lei was done pretending to be interested in forest soil. "Do you mind if I join the feast, just for a little while?"

Kokata narrowed his eyes at her. She had promised not to leave him to join the feast.

"I'm sorry," said Lei. "It's that aroma. It's driving me crazy."

Kokata wasn't the least bit enticed by the sweet smell, but he could see why his sweet-crazed woman would be.

"Did you bring any silk-thread?" he asked.

"A tenth-ball," said his Lei, patting the small pouch at her side.

"Give it to that Baltin guy, and tell him you would like a bowl of sweet mass and some dipping sticks."

"Sweet mass and dipping sticks?" asked his Lei.

"It's a beetle thing," snarled Kokata, keeping his eyes on the beetles. "You'll love it."

"Sweet mass and dipping sticks," repeated his Lei, her wings rustling with anticipation. Then she lifted off the ground and flew the short distance to the Baltin guy.

"Sweet-crazed moth," whispered Kokata, shaking his head.

Beetles gathered around his Lei, and Kokata's legs twitched for him to jump to her and scatter the dangerous strangers. The beetles were all smiles, and friendly words, and...

Kokata gritted his teeth as Baltin laid a man arm around Lei's shoulders and yelled for someone to fetch a bowl of sweet mass. Lei didn't seem to mind at all.

A brownish beetle-woman hugged Lei and Baltin moved his arm off her, relieving Kokata of the sting of jealousy that had almost made him forget his fears.

A beetle-woman arrived with a bowl of sweet mass, just as Kokata caught sight of the scorpid girl. She was circling the mass of beetles with a fly in her arms. There was a heavy air of guilt about the way she walked, with her face lowered and her shoulders hunched forward. But there was also something decisive about her step.

Kokata could relate.

His Lei excitedly accepted the bowl of sweet mass, and the, "Don't touch the bowl. It's hot," warning. And turned to walk back to him.

Kokata returned his attention to the small scorpid. It had to take a lot of courage to carry her prey past her village of beetles, and it showed. They obviously didn't know that she caught her own food. The child had only dared tell him in a whisper.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Kokata saw Lei stop to sniff at the bowl. Her wings rustled with delight. The sides of his mouth tugged at his lips. As he had guessed, the boiling sweet mass was the aroma that had been driving her crazy.

The scorpid child had passed the beetles and now ran the last short distance to Kokata.

"Are you sure it's not dead?" asked Kokata, looking at the unmoving fly in her four arms. For a fly it was fairly small, being of a size a child could carry.

Submitted to literotica.com by the author.

The girl nodded.

"I stung it," she said. "Don't worry. My poison isn't dangerous to eat. Not in small amounts. The healer sometimes make the sick drink it. It's good for them, she says."

Kokata reached for the fly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lei gather the dipping sticks in the hand with which she held the bowl's handle. As instructed, she was careful not to touch the warm bowl.

The scorpid girl let go of the fly, and Kokata raised it to his face, pretending not to notice the girl's breathless stare. What he wouldn't have given to see another predator with mind openly eat live prey when he was a child.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lei, grab hold of the stirring spoon and lift it out of the bowl with a large clot of thick melted sugar attached to it.

He was just about to bite into the fly when he realised that Lei wasn't just admiring the sight of the resin-like substance on the spoon.

"Lei don't!" he yelled, just in time to see her stuff it into her mouth.

He dropped the fly mid-jump and was at her, but it was too late.

Lei was screaming, the sound was tearing his mind to pieces, her mouth was one big open burn-wound.

Kokata screamed too and pulled her tight against him. He sank his teeth into her shoulder and sprayed his poison till she went absolutely limp.

"Lei," he screamed, pulling his teeth out of her flesh. Her burned lips had swollen beyond recognition, her tongue was sticking out between them, miscoloured and swelling.

Beetles were at him. Kokata snarled at them and sharpened his legtips.

"I'm a healer," yelled one, and reached for Lei.

Kokata pushed her with the blunt backside of a leg, sending her flying through the air.

"Get away from us," he screamed at the beetles.

Kokata cuddled Lei's unconscious body tighter and crouched to jump.

Something stung the back of his neck and he felt small feet landing on his back.

Lei's body fell from his hold.

Kokata screamed and grabbed for her, but no sound left his throat, and instead of grabbing Lei his legs fell to the ground. Kokata fell with them.

His neck stung again.

Kokata couldn't move. He couldn't even close his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Black," said a tiny voice from behind his head.

Kokata couldn't feel his legs. He couldn't feel his body either.

All he could feel was fear.

The beetle he had pushed through the air was back on her feet and was pulling his Lei away from him. She was stuffing fingers into Lei's swollen mouth and was yelling at other beetles to fetch things for her.

If Kokata had been able to move, he would have killed her.

"Her tongue is swelling into her throat," said the beetle, who had said she was a healer. "I need a tube, fast."

Beetles blocked Kokata's view.

"Hurry, before it closes her airways," yelled the healer.

Kokata's view became blurry. He was crying and he couldn't blink to clear his eyes.

"Good. Now give me the burn lotion."

There was silence. Apart from shuffling of many feet. And it seemed to last forever.

"Take her to my hut," commanded the healer-beetle.

Kokata's soul was tearing into pieces of mad anguish, but there was nothing he could do to stop the beetles. They walked away with his Lei. Kokata's tears finally released, and his vision was again clear.

A single beetle remained within his line of sight. It was the Baltin guy.

"Can you hear me?" asked Baltin and approached Kokata.

Kokata could make no sign.

The Baltin guy knelt in front of Kokata.

"Lei has serious burns inside her mouth," said the Baltin guy. "Our healer has shoved a tube into her throat to keep her airways open. She has also covered the burns with burn lotion."

The Baltin guy paused, and looked at something behind Kokata.

"Is he unconscious?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," said the scorpid girl, she sounded like she was weeping.

"You did the right thing, Rebekka," said the Baltin guy in a comforting voice. Then returned his attention to Kokata.

"I don't know if you can hear me, Black," he said. "We have taken Lei to our healer's hut. She is going to take good care of her. Healer Sasha has a lot of experience treating burn wounds. I will make sure that you get word on how Lei is doing as soon as there is anything to tell. Allright?"

Kokata was glad he couldn't move. If he had killed the healer then who would have taken care of Lei's burns?

"Can you blink?" asked the Baltin guy, and waited.

Kokata couldn't blink. He couldn't even feel his eyelids.

"I guess you can't," said the Baltin guy. "Don't be alarmed, I'm going to close your eyes so they don't dry out."

The Baltin guy reached a hand to his face and the world went black.

"I'll just go tell them to bring word as soon as there is anything to tell," sounded the Baltin guy's voice. "Then I'll come back here. Rebekka will guard you while I'm gone. Don't worry, we won't let any harm come to you."

Kokata heard the beetle-man walking away. He could also hear his own breathing.

"My poison will start to fade in some hours," promised the scorpid child, she still sounded like she was weeping. "You'll be back to normal sometime tomorrow."

Kokata would never be back to normal unless his Lei recovered. He wished the beetle-man hadn't closed his eyes. In the darkness all he could see was Lei's screaming, burned, mouth.

*

Copyright of Nanna Marker 2010.