The Stolen Candle - Chapter 2

Tipolei think the Lady be right. Bug guards not in hive, we go kill queen. Less casualties than big war if we go now.

A middle solution would be to try Echo's radio locally (or a portable one if one of you has one on your character sheet). If that doesn't work, you could keep trying the radio as you drive back. That way, you wouldn't need to go the entire distance back to Castle Refuge.

Chay starts rummaging around in his toolbox which is always full of bits and pieces because you just never know when you might need a particular length of wire. Then he grabs his toolkit, climbs up onto the roof and sets up an antenna amplifier, hoping to improve the vehicle's radio signal. Pleased with his work he then sets about connecting the other end to the radio's stock antenna.

That should do it, he says, admiring his work and then puts out a call to the castle.

"Thanks, Chay," Ben says. "We'll have to hope this works. Otherwise, we'll need a Plan B. Maybe Kai could head back solo? They're probably on the alert for a dragon right now. What do you think, Kai?"

Chay manages to extend the range, but how far is uncertain. From where you are, low behind buildings that are behind a hill, there is no chance of reception.

Well darn it! Unless we get lucky with reception it looks like we will need a plan B or Kai gets to go on a trip.

Chay is bitterly disappointed that his jury rigging didn't work.

You drive back toward Cartouche, and on a hill just outside of that town, you do manage a brief connection to Castle Refuge.

What message do you send?

Chay despondently drives on but then hears a crackle and sees a good connection.

Guys! We have a connection. What should we say? Quick or we might lose it.

"Ben Volent and company calling Castle Refuge. Xiticix colony at the coordinates we are broadcasting from," says Ben. "Require immediate military support, air strike if possible. We will do what we can in the meantime. Over."

You include the readout from Chay's map system, grid coordinates. As to air strike, you're not sure what they have available (other than a full sized dragon), but your warning was received.

"Ben Volent this is Castle Refuge. Message received, Xiticix colony at coordinates," (same coordinates you sent) "You're requesting military action. Please verify, over."

Hot damn! Chay pounds his fist on the dash, beaming from ear to ear. It worked.

"This is Volent, Military action is being requested at our these coordinates. Ben confirms via the transmission.

"Chay, you're a wizard. When this is over, you should receive some kind of commendation. We'll see back at Castle Refuge. For now, now we need a plan until the cavalry arrives. Suggestions?"

Some time later, your radio tells you to clear the area. As you're watching, an aircraft, really just a streak of silver in the sunlight, catches your eye. It drops down, flies low over the town then lifts upwards as the hive tower erupts in flames from the ground up. Chemical fire races up the structure, and consumes it from the inside out until it bursts like flaming paper. Dark shapes writhe in the inferno but fall still and are consumed.

The incendiary bombs also start fires in the area. Though there are no buildings close by, material on the ground catches and burns hotly, if briefly.

Just like that, it's over. The aircraft turns around, flies back toward Castle Refuge, waggling it's silver wings as it flies overhead of Echo. And is gone.

You stay and watch for a time. The surviving insects, devoid of their queen, simply join her in the flaming pyre. One by one they file in, workers, soldiers, hunters. When the flames begin to subside, you are fairly certain that every last one is dead.

A drive through town shows the devastation, the south side of town slowly burning down as the northerly winds spread embers that way. The remainder of the town seems unlikely to ever house people again, stripped as it was for accessible timber.

Still, people are resilient. Some newcomers may find the dead town and its ghosts of being eaten alive by an insect army to be better than sleeping in the woods.