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Yaanik and Jord were with me.
“Climb.” The older giant went for the wall, which I eyed with trepidation. This wouldn’t be easy. If I could even do it. Strong didn’t make me good at hauling my own butt up sheer stone.
The ground shook again. As if we didn’t have enough to stress us.
I held on as tight as I could to the wall. I was halfway there.
Then I was on the ground, the breath knocked out of me, staring upward.
A face came into close view. “Are you okay?” Yaanik asked.
“Yeah.” A breathy reply.
He hauled me to my feet just as the ground shook harder. I clung to Yaanik as we rode out the undulation. Even when it ceased, the air kept vibrating. The crack was audible over the chugging of the approaching centipede train. I saw it as the cracks in the building spread, zigzags among the glowing moss. It began to collapse as the centipedes reached it. Bugs went flying, hitting the ground and charging in all directions, their chain disrupted.
One of them ended up in the pit with us, which led to running for the wall to climb it. Jord had scaled it and knelt on the edge waiting to offer a hand.
Yaanik climbed just beside me. His smile turned into a rounded one of surprise as the centipede in the pit abruptly decided to climb and slammed into him.
Yaanik dropped. And so did I when I lost my grip. At least it wasn’t too far to the ground. A place I didn’t want to be.
The centipedes freaked out. They swarmed in all directions, including our pit. The one that hit Yannick had made it to the top of the wall. Jord stepped aside to let it pass and beckoned.
Another bug began to scale the wall. Then another. The line of bugs began reforming, an army of them stamping.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Yaanik asked.
“That we’re screwed.”
“That I’ll bet riding one of those is like a bucking wild ram with less bucking.”
“Ride?” He and I stood in a clear spot for the moment, but I worried about the bugs suddenly deciding to not wait their turn in line. If they changed their stampede direction, even just slightly, they’d crush us.
“Grab the hairs behind their heads.”
“Antennas,” I said even as I had to admit his idea had merit. We needed to get up into the tunnel. The bug would take us. Before I could talk myself out of it, I threw myself at the next climbing bug. My hands gripped its spongy appendage. It didn’t buck me off. A good thing since the tunnel was a little snug for that.
The problem being, when should I get off? Once we reached the smooth canal on the other side, it gathered speed. Apparently, they were going slow in the city.
By that time I realized it moved too fast for me to scout a safe spot. Not to mention it was dark. What if I got off at the wrong moment? What if I got trampled by a bug coming up behind me?
What if it took me to its nest?
Gulp. My bravery went only so far. And apparently so did my ride. When it veered sharply, I lost my grip and flew off with a yell. I hit the floor and skidded.
It turned out I wasn’t alone. A second thump and a familiar, “Yahoo!” followed.
“Yaanik?”
“Good idea riding those centipedes, lassie. That was fun.”
I wasn’t about to admit I’d been scared. Let Yaanik think me courageous.
He lit the head of his axe, and I blinked at the flames. Not the first time I’d seen the giants do this. Apparently, they kept a special fat with them that burned without burning. Great for smokeless light.
“I can’t believe you followed me.”
“As if I’d let you go off and have all the fun by yourself.” He winked.
