Ash screamed as the jaws sank into her and she jerked awake, flailing and knocking her attacker away. She stood on her bed, blinking and trying to make out what was happening in the dim light filtering through the crawlspace. Another set of insectile jaws sank into her leg from behind.

  “Shit!” She cried out, kicking the creature away and scrambling for her weapon. Ants had invaded her home! 2 of them, skittering across her floor. She couldn’t stand for it.

  She grasped the handle of her club, hopping back to avoid one set of jaws and quickly swinging for the other.

  One ant spattered across the room and then she twisted and swung at the other, injecting a flame burst into the strike for good measure.

  The bright flash of flame lit up the space, half blinding her as the pieces of ant scattered across the room. She blinked to restore her vision, noticing she was finally alone in her room, but that she had also managed to set the corner of her bedroll ablaze. She quickly tossed half of her waterskin over it, coughing at the coiling smoke in the now-thin air. Using fire magic in here was not my best idea.

  Ash crawled free of her shelter, gasping fresh lungfuls of morning air and scanning the forest for more potential attackers. Fortunately, there were none.

  She quickly checked her combat logs, sighing in relief when she realised she’d resisted the ant’s venom both times. It looked like her flame burst unfortunately hadn’t done any damage to the ant either. The strike actually seemed to have come out weaker because of the kickback of the fire bursting free. It looked like that spell was still a dead end and she’d just set fire to her bed for nothing.

  But damn, the ants had found her. What am I going to do if they come again? She wondered. Don’t ants follow the scent trails of other ants, or something?

  It looked like she needed to build her own defensive boundary, or at least some kind of door for the crawlspace. She experimented with wedging a couple of the chunks she’d shaved off the heavy club into the gap, making a pair of rough bars that might just about prevent an ant’s access. It wasn’t much but it felt better than nothing for now.

  She needed a better solution really. She wasn’t quite sure how strong each dire ant was, but she could imagine the guardian prying those chunks free quite easily. One of those was likely just about small enough to scramble inside and then she would be trapped in the room with it and any other cronies it decided to bring along. She envisioned ants swarming through the crawlspace as she slept and shivered.

  Should I just beg to move into the village? She pondered, but the idea really didn’t appeal to her. She did not want to go crawling to Stavos for help at the first sign of danger. Eric and Hestia would vouch for her, but she had already relied on them too much. No, she could figure this one out.

  She looked at her heavy club. She’d left it resting outside against the moss coated stone. The head of that could cover a good portion of the crawlspace. Surely that would be too heavy for an ant to shift. Probably. But aren’t ants meant to be able to lift like 100 times their weight? She was pretty sure she’d heard that somewhere. Though, on second thought, that was probably somewhat to do with their tiny size. She doubted the large dire ants could go around hefting small boulders.

  Still, she wanted something more secure than just jamming a big stick through the gap. She had no way to actually make a door. How would I even go about making a hinge! But she was sure she could come up with something.

  A few minutes later, and she had it. She examined the nearby trees, looking for a suitable branch to enact her plan.

  After a couple of hours of refining her design and carving, she was done. She proudly brandished her creation. It was perfect. It was... It was.... It’s a stick with a hole in one end. She sighed, deflating a little at the thought. It was indeed a stick with a hole carved out of one side. The other end split off into three short branches that she had trimmed down. So, if she climbed through the crawlspace and dragged it after her, the branch wedged neatly into the entrance. It formed 3 diagonal bars, meeting in the middle and leaving only gaps smaller than her arm beside them. Too small for a dire ant. The genius of the stick was the hole. It was the perfect size to slide her torch into. The torch slid down until it stopped below the head, settling in place and locking the whole contraption a few centimetres away from the wall.

  She clapped her hands with excitement. Her home now had a door that she could lock from the inside!

  Wait, when did I start to think of the place as my home?

  The thought sobered her a little and she unlocked her new ‘door’ and pushed it free. Then she set about clearing out the scattered bits of ant. Part way through the gross task, she made an interesting and painful discovery. She placed her foot down near the far wall and instantly hopped back, pain blossoming in her sole.

  She had stepped on something dark and sharp, slicing clean through her battered sock and into her skin beneath. After applying a quick bandage to stop the bleeding, she examined what she had stood on. It was a tiny shard of obsidian.

  The thing the lizardman threw at her, this must be it! How had she forgotten about that? It was no wonder she had missed it in the darkness of her shelter, but still. Surely this was valuable to trade. She investigated further, finding a few more shards. Clearly what had been thrown had broken apart when it struck the wall.

  She carefully gathered them all, wrapping them in a spare bandage and placing them safely on her ‘table’ stone. That was a nice find, she just wished her foot didn’t have to suffer for it.

  She hopped around for a few more minutes, cleaning up the last bits of ant, before she felt recovered enough to walk again. Then she set out, leaving the door-branch jammed into the crawlspace. She unfortunately couldn’t ‘lock’ it from this side, but it would be obvious on her return if something managed to pull it free.

  She gathered the ant carcasses and carried them in her basket into an empty section of jungle before discarding them, hoping to maybe confuse any scent trail they may have left.

  That dealt with, it was time to see if she could help Hestia with the antivenom problem. Getting some for herself was keenly in her mind now that she had suffered further surprise bites from the disgusting pests. That morning ambush from the two level 1 ants could well have been her end, especially if her high Wits wasn’t helping her resist the toxin.

  It took her a while to find the first location. She had remembered seeing something similar to Hestia’s description of the balm herb she was meant to be looking for, but hadn’t though much of it at the time. Teardrop leaves with white rims. With little difficulty, she extracted it from the ground, examining the plant’s roots.

  ? Herb: inedible

  ? Herb root: inedible

  The root did not seem to match the bulky tuber that Hestia had described. Ash considered and then tasted a small section of the leaf and root, seeing if there was any extra information that could be gleaned.

  ? Herb: inedible, sour, mild antiseptic

  ? Herb root: inedible, bitter, poisonous

  Poisonous. Ash checked her log and discovered she had indeed resisted the ‘mild necrosis poison’ she had just casually sampled. That was lucky. Maybe the small quantity helps me resist it? Hopefully that, else I’ve just avoided death by pure chance again. Still, a mild antiseptic was interesting. She decided to pick a few more of the leaves to show to Hestia.

  Maybe I should hold back on eating random plants for a bit. She decided and continued around behind her ruins, heading near the third Bondi fruit tree she had found. There lay a similar looking plant. The leaves were white and green as described at least. She could tell the difference from the antiseptic leaves, just about. These new ones were slightly wider and more rounded at the base. The first one she grabbed resisted being pulled free, a stem and leaf snapping off instead. She tried again, gripping the plant more firmly and tugging. Finally, it came free, revealing a much more substantial root beneath. Surely, this was it.

  Balm herb: inedible

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Balm root: inedible, mild antitoxin

  Ash grinned, extracting the rest of the plants she found. She did her best to keep them intact, in case Hestia needed to replant them.

  You have reached harvesting level 6

  The notification popped up as she pulled the penultimate root free. She smiled, considering, and left the final one alone. With any luck it would spread again and she’d have her own little secret supply.

  She gauged the sun, deciding it was likely only around midday. A little earlier than she usually stopped by the village, but perhaps it would be good to show Hestia the herbs as soon as possible, especially if the ants were roaming as far as her shelter now. So, she made her way back to the outskirts.

  It looked the section of wall had been finished, a fresh gate now standing in the middle of the gap. Ash didn’t spot anyone as she walked up to the gate. The door itself seemed sturdy, standing taller than her. It looked built for a larger wall than the row of stakes, because she could still see fairly clearly through those. She peered around the side of the gate, eventually spotting some movement. It was the older woman from before. Livey, if she recalled correctly.

  “Livey?” She asked “Livey? Do you think you can find Hestia for me? I think I’ve found the herbs she was looking for.”

  “Oh yeah?” The woman walked closer, standing with arms folded on the other side of the wooden barrier. “And why should I?”

  “I… I just said that I‘ve got the herbs she’s looking for. They’re important. For the antivenom?”

  “No, you said you think you’ve got them.” She retorted “How do I know you’re not just wasting Miss Hestia’s time. You’ve already taken enough from us as is.”

  Ash paused. What had gotten into the woman? She had heard from Eric that some of the villagers were mistrustful of her, but was it really this bad? She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm before replying.

  “Look.” She pulled out the herb “This is balm root.” She tossed it over the stakes. Livey flinched back, even though the plant landed a good few paces away from her “Show it to Hestia. She’ll want to know. If she doesn’t, I’ll go.”

  “I’m not touching that!” The woman snarled “Nasty diseased girl, you think I’m touching anything you’ve been tampering with! No, I’m reporting this to Stavos.”

  Ash couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that. “Sure, do what you must.”

  “Don’t you mock me, wretch! I’m a good upstanding citizen, but you… I know your game. You’re in league with them, aren’t you? Those filthy-”

  There was a scream from across the other side of the settlement. Both women turned to look, but nothing could be discerned from this side. There was a tense moment as they listened, hearing the occasional indistinct raised voice.

  “What have you done girl!” Livey hissed “Are you here to distract me!”

  “What?”

  A bell started ringing, a loud voice booming out through the village. “Attack! Attack! All fighters to the western gate!”

  “What have you done!” The older woman gasped again.

  “I don’t have anything to do with what’s going on!” Ash responded with frustration. “Maybe the ants have reached the village. If so, the antivenom-”

  “No, I’m listening to no more of your babble! You stay out of our village, you hear me! Stay out!” and with that, Livey rushed away.

  Ash sighed, staring forlornly and the wooden structure and her fallen balm root. What should I do? Try and sneak into the village to help? Would Hestia even be able to prepare something from my roots in time to save anyone bitten? Ash wasn’t sure. Even so, she couldn’t just stand here doing nothing.

  She examined the gate, pushing at it but finding it firmly barred. The stake wall had small gaps between each pointed piece of wood. She noted a section where the gap was lit a little larger, maybe 15cm. With how thin her withered body now was, maybe she could squeeze through. She climbed over the ditch, then slid sideways between the two-pointed stakes, just about scraping between them. And then she was through.

  Ash picked up her balm root and was about to go look for Hestia, when she saw it. A flash of movement to her left. She turned and immediately knew she was in trouble. Both her and the whole village.

  A lone lizardman was clambering across the vine coated ruins, clearly bypassing the defensive stake barrier entirely. It was a little lither looking than the one she had encountered before, a few feathers poking out of its scalp. It had also clearly seen her, eyes locked on her as it completed its journey, hopping down into the village and turning straight for her, brandishing a mean looking club.

  Ash thought about wriggling back through the barrier, but wasn’t sure if she’d manage it before the creature reached her. Instead, she dropped her basket and pulled her weapon into her hands. It was time to fight. Perhaps if she struck it first, she would have a chance.

  It rushed forward, faster than she thought was possible. She tensed up, her level 14 weapon skill working to prepare her strike even if her mind hadn’t caught up.

  The lizard swung. She swung. It was faster. The club slammed into her side, pain blossoming and her health plummeting. Still, she followed through, remembering at the last second to channel as the head of her club connected with its shoulder.

  There was crack of shattering ice, and the creature was pushed to the side, nearly falling from the impact as her ice infused blow rocked over it’s body. 8 points of physical and an equal amount of ice damage leaving the creature reeling and hopefully ‘chilled’ too.

  Her health was down below half. It was now or never then. Ash realised she needed to hit it again before the thing recovered or another blow would finish her. She stepped forward, twisting to follow up with another great swing.

  The creature reacted, eyes widening as it scrambled to both dodge and counterattack. Too late. The Great-hammer smashed into its face, blasting the creature into the stone wall with another crack from her ice infused strike. It bounced off and fell to the floor. Unmoving. Dead.

  You have slain 1 Level 2 lizardman recruit. You have received 20 Exp!

  Ash saw the notification, but didn’t trust it, slamming her hammer into the lizard’s head once more for good measure, hearing it crack beneath her blow.

  Ash stared down at the mangled corpse beneath her, breathing heavily. She had done it. Killed it. Blood seeped out from the corpse. It looked so lifelike and… strangely human.

  Get over yourself Ash. It’s just a lizard. And this is just a game. Besides, shouldn’t you be worrying about there being more of them?

  Ash shook herself and looked around, checking for more of the creatures climbing over the ruins. It seemed like this was a lone rogue attacker. From the description, a young recruit. A recruit. It had almost bested her anyway. Without the chilled effect from her blow sapping its speed and reflex, it would likely have struck first again. Then she would have been the one dead on the floor.

  Ash hurried deeper into the village, heading for the sounds of commotion. She rushed around the main hall, noticing a few villagers and children clustered inside. Then she stepped out into the chaos by the western gate.

  3 lizardmen had breached the village, the gate lay broken open behind them. In the middle, Eric contested two with his sword and shield. All three of them were bleeding, looking to have already exchanged blows. The other lizard-man snarled at three nervous looking plain-clothed villagers, including the two people she had seen working on the fence the day before. Jori was holding a spear unsteadily, while the others seemed to be equipped with only work tools. The other craftsman was holding two club like mallets while the tan woman seemed to be carrying a pitchfork. Hestia was standing near the stake barricade, dissuading the lizardmen from leaping over it. One clearly had tried, and was now impaled on one of the spikes, still struggling to extract itself. A green tinted woman with a bow loosed an arrow into its face, finishing it off. Stavos was near the gate, focusing on a magical barrier that was preventing the other 6 lizardmen from simply rushing through.

  9 Lizardmen, 7 defenders. She would almost even those numbers.

  But… how much can I really help?

  Ash checked and she had a whole 5 health remaining, it ticked up to six after a moment longer, but clearly she wouldn’t survive another blow from even a simple recruit. Most of the lizards looked stronger than that. The impaled one and two others appeared lithe and young like the one she had killed, holding only a club or wooden spear. The two fighting Eric looked strongest and had obsidian axes and shields, while the rest had a build somewhere in the middle with a shield to supplement their club or spear.

  Ash received a skill notification but ignored it, focusing on the battle in front of her.

  If I can sneak in attacks, I could avoid being hit maybe? She stalled, not knowing what she should risk. Then the medium looking lizardman fighting the three villagers rushed forward, taking Jori’s spear to the side but batting the other two strikes away with its shield. Its club slammed into Jori’s head and the man went down, crumpling lifelessly to the floor.

  Ash screamed but found herself rushing in from the side, still unseen by the warrior as it rounded on the other two evidently untrained villagers. Ash swung the moment she got in range, bringing her large club to bear on the back of the creature’s skull. The crack resounded through the battlefield, the lizard bucking forward into the two startled villagers. They managed to recover fast, the man with the two mallets swinging while the woman with the pitchfork stepped back and thrust it into the stunned creature.

  Ash noticed the kill notification but didn’t stop, rushing on to the next lizard. It was one of the pair fighting Eric, this one having a cleanly scaled head while the other had a line of feathers running like a mohawk along its crest. The features blurred as she approached, club already in motion. Her following swing slammed into the creature’s side. Eric seized on the moment to bury his own sword into the same lizard’s gut. The other feathered lizard responded, hissing in anguish as it snaked a strike around Eric’s guard, tearing a rent in the man’s armoured shoulder. Still, he was alive and, from the contribution notification, another lizardman was down. She was helping. Perhaps they could really win this.

  Eric cried out in pain at his injury and Stavos turned to see what was happening behind him. At just that moment, his barrier shattered. The six remaining lizards snarled with ferocity and rushed through the gate.

  “Shit!” The man cursed, then focused on a new spell “Group barrier!” he yelled, and Ash felt a shimmering defence form over her and the other human combatants. “Hestia, stop them!”

  Ash tried to take it all in but just couldn’t. She saw Hestia gesture and a lizard blasted back, the other five rushed forward knocking away an arrow as they closed on Stavos, Eric and next to them – her.

  A shielded lizardman rushed towards her. She swung preventively, but her blow collided with its raised shield. More than that, her ice touch failed to go off. Her Will blinked, nearly fully drained from her earlier attacks.

  The creature’s club blurred towards her. She heard Eric cry out in anguish. There was a flash of pain and then her world was lost to darkness.