The thing is looking at me.

It is looking in my direction, but with insects eyes who can look anywhere at the same time, and my present state of mind, for me, everything is targeting my sorry ass.

It moved slowly on the shield, poking on it sometimes with is sword-like trunk, trying to find a way to enter.

It would look ridiculously fake, like a cheap halloween doll made from iron wire and bristles brushes, if it was not for the fact he is moving and... drooling something transluscent.

I didn't dare move from the wagon. In my frozen state, i slowly, softly called Carl.

" - Caaaarl, do you think we can do something ?"

No one answer.

" - C... Carllll ?"

No answer. Are you trying to fuck me with cheap thriller horror movies suspens ? I slowly turn my head.

Crap, now i have the horror movie mentality who kicked in. Generally, i would turn now to see all the people killed and devoured while still alive, and i will be beheaded on the spot or something horrible like that. I finish to turn and on the other side is -

- At least two dozen of giants mosquito from all sizes.

Luckily all outside of the shield. Pffff. Safe. At least for now.

Carl seems concerned about the situation - really ? i wonder why ?? - and discuss with the others in a very low voice, meanwhile Book girl is still standing while generating her shield. I would like to pat her for the good job, but it would end up with the shield fading and everyone dead, so, no thanks. Beastcat is still holding the horses who are lying down, while blocking theirs eyes with patches of tissus.

Ha, they just finished the discussion.

" - Carl ? What can we do about these monsters ?"

" - Kyle. We can Do nothing for now, these monsteRs are not as sTrongs as they look, but they aRe Troublesome since they tRavels has swarms and are Poisonous. They paralyze the Prey when they start sucKing their insiDes, and they can easily Pass through leather with the sTings in their proBoscis."

Yeah, thanks for the ray of hope you've just provided and all the scientifics details. Now i have the mental image of being sucked to death by a bunch of these things, looking at my own brain being aspirated, like in some old Starship troopers movie.

" - If we waiT for some tiMe, they will naturally Go away, the problem iS, if they're on a fRenzy, they have a Troublesome tRait."

THANKS FOR THE DEATH FLAG. We can be sure it will happen now. Next you're planning to speak about your fiancee you will marry when you come back home and shit like this ? Arrrgh, stop, i still have the horror movie mentality working at full throttle i said. "Dont worry, we're perfectly safe !".

And, just after i think that, since the law of murphy command it, i start hearing a low buzzing sound, who slowly go crescendo. Damn it, I KNEW IT. FOR FUCK SAKE, WHY DID YOU SAY IT.

From a low and annoying buzzing sound, like a mosquito flying just near your ear, it go gradually to the sound of a whistle blowing at full lungs, still just at your ears. It was uncomfortable to the maximum, and even trying to block the sound was useless, because it was reverberating directly in our brain. Fuck, this is supposed to do what ? Explode our skull with sounds ?

Since Doggie is a dog and has a naturally enhanced hearing, he is howling and whinning so much that beastcat need to use one of his hand to tie a headband around his head to tone down a little the sound who is hurting him. But it is almost useless. And the moment he do that, all the horses began to panic and get up in fright from the sound, loosing the makeshift blindfold on their eyes in the process.

They see the fucking mosquitos and begin charging randomly in the camp. Murphy, i hate you.

Beastcat manage to calm down one of the horses while Warrior en chief defend in front of Book girl and Carl. The three others, Priest, Warrior damage and Boobs elf try to calm down the last four horses, but they dont have time to do so. In sheer panic, they escape from the protection of the shield - withouth destroying it apparently - and began to run away at full speed.

The first one did a little more than twenty meters before he collapsed, sucked to death by two giant insects who jumped on him the second he got out from the safe zone. And the three others, looking at the number of these fuckers who went after them, i dont think they will fare better than the first contender.

My eyes are morbidly attracted by the sight of the poor horse who lie down outside. Now, three more insects have begun to drain him from his blood and... everything other in the inside. Holy crap. I'm not a lightweight for the gore stuff, but THIS is not something you would like anyone or anything to die. Shit, it seems he's not even totally dead. The corpse of the horse slowly deflate while the abdomen of the mosquito slowly inflate and take a red tint... I forcibly look away, to concentrate on that's happening to us now. Some mosquitos are still just outside the shield, poking on it sometime, while Book girl maintain it with a deadpan expression. In the meantime, Beastcat managed to use a rope to tie down the limbs of the remaining horse to ensure he will not have the same fate as the others.

The campment is devastated and our tents are brokens. We only have one horse now. The situation look grim.

Boobs elf rummage around to find what exactly has been destroyed and what is usable, meanwhile, another discussion with Carl and the three others begin.

They all seems annoyed, but not nervous or panicking, so i think i can relax a little ? Proof of that, they didn't even unsheathed their weapons since the beginning. This magic-shield-zone-thing look sturdy after all, but i'm more concerned about the stamina or magical power or whatever is used by Book girl. How long can she maintain that ?

And behind me, the same fucking freaking gnat is still testing the solidity of the shield while looking at me. What ? You want to have childrens with me or what ? Get the fuck out with the rest of your family.

.... If i remember right, technically, i would be used to feed the larvae. So yeah, it would have children with me. Inside the childrens. I look at the poor horse, who is now a deflated baloon, except for the bone mass. I would finish like this. A rubber human costume. BRRrrrrzzZzghtfmbll. A little spasm make me shudder.

Ten minutes after, nothing really changed outside, but Carl and the others finally finished to discuss.

" - Kyle, we have Done a checK-in of the recent Developments. We still neeD to cRoss this forest to arrive aT another ciTy, but since our mounts aRe Dead, we will have to aBandon the wagon and walK. The lasT horse will Be carrying our luGgage."

Walking ? here ? With fucking monsters everywhere ? With my snail speed ?

" - Carl, can't we attach the horse on the wagon ? Or one ? It will be less taxing on the horse to transports equipments on the wagon than carry them on himself right ?"

" - SaDly no, because of the weighT of the wagon, we wouldn't Be able to get in aFter. And Beside, we would Be able to travel more freEly and Faster than with the waGon with only one horse. I'm sorry, it was uneXpected to see these monsteRs here, they're generally More in the South. We will neeD to see what attracted them in this zone aFter we Get at the next Town guilD."

You fucking like to throw flags, huh ?

" - Haaa, yes, then how will we do for tonight with these things still here ?"

" - Nina Can maintain her barRier until morninG. These creatures are only noCturnal, so they will leave once the lighT start being bRighter. She has already Done iT before, so we are noT worrying. One people of our escoRt will stay on guaRd with heR. We have to sleep now, Nina will sleeP on the horse Tmorrow, but we will neeD to depaRt at Dawn. I know it Can be frightening buT try to relaX please."

YYYeaaaah, like i will simply sleep like that. With just hundreds of giant killers-insects next to me. So relaxing. And tomorrow, we will have to travel inside the man eating forest, on foot to boot. The future look so dreamy, really. I dont foresee anything going wrong. Hey, why do we need to go ahead now that i think about it ? It's more dangerous, no ?

" - Cant we go back to replenish our stock of horses ?"

" - We aRe now faR away from the city, it will taKe almosT the same Time to go bacK than going aheAd."

" - ... I understand. you're all professionals after all, so you know how to react better than me.

I will try to sleep."

" - Good nighT. Try to have a Good sleeP."

Yeah. Good night. These are the right words. At least he didn't say any other death flag like "dont worry, tomorrow will be a quiet and safe day !" before leaving. Haaaa...

I collapse in the wagon while thinking. I'm so mentally exhausted it's really possible that i will start sleeping at some point after all. I brood again about what happened since coming to this world withouth asking for it. At least, i can be happy to not have been dropped in this forest alone in the beggining.

But i must say, i expected adventurers to do a more flashy and easy job than this ? Like, fireball, and poof, roasted insects, or an insecticide spell of some sort with citronella scent ? A giant slipper ?

Or perhaps our escort is just not that strong ? They have killed all the wolves but... Well, i admit they detected the mosquitos and reacted accordingly... Haaaaa, i dont know, tourmenting myself like that will not help in anything. I need to sleep now. No nap on the wagon tomorrow.

Ho shit, i forgot about that too, i really need to sleep fast, or i will be a living zombie, later on the road. Crap, how much days did he say we would need to walk from dawn to evening before ? Shiiiiit...

I turn to the side to make myself more comfortable, and close my eyes.

I open an eye again and see monstersquito who is still looking at me, with the head upside down. I must look really appetizing.

I turn to the other side. And i dont know why, but my imagination take over and i see myself being empaled in the ass, then quickly drained from everything. By the ass.

Finally, i think i will try to sleep on my back.

In my dreams this night, monstersquito gave me a special accupuncture session.