Challenge #04229-K211: Insect Swarm

Cats can get into trouble sometimes, and Lilbit was no exception to that. Poor cat upset a stinger's nest and got stung pretty badly tail and body. Fortunately, the kitty had Wraithvine, and Bibrid there to help, and gentle Gikka to hold her while she was being helped. -- Anon Guest

Even an immortal cat finds trouble before it's lost. For this little adventure, the famous feline had pounced after something rustling in the underbrush... and found more than she bargained for. The selfsame cat who had seen off a Dire Wolf some years prior, had now been bested by some of the smallest creatures in Alfarell.

The locals called them midge-bees, and left them alone because they knew what was good for them. They were the size of gnats and did not sting. They bit. Rather ferociously, as it turned out. Unfortunately for Lilbit.

She barrelled into camp, howling and yowling, as a cloud of mite-sized insects detached themselves from various parts of her body and fluff.

Even her magic, pest-repelling collar had no effect. These bugs were not biting her for her blood... they were doing it to protect their tiny, faerie-sized hive[1]. This made little difference to Lilbit as she complained heartily about her woes to her pet people.

Wraithvine fell to hir cushions with a solid thump, startled out of hir meditations by the noise. Bibrid emerged from his bedroll halfway back to his natural draconic form. Gikka leaped vertically out of her nest of furs despite her advanced years.

"Hey who what where?" managed the Kobold. "Oh. Cat."

Wraithvine boggled at the tiny bugs rising off of Lilbit like mist off a lake. Hir first spell was to gently capture one for identification. Followed shortly by a charm to drive the remaining insects away from her.

Then came the tricky problem of healing her whilst attempting to stop her biting, scratching, or licking her injuries. Which resulted in a three-way chase to kettle her in, capture her, and hold her still while Bibrid did his best.

Gikka sacrificed her arm for Lilbit to bite and kick, but the cat soon settled for having her chin scritched during the ordeal.

"Have we learned something?" chided Wraithvine.

Results were unclear.

[1] Faeries, also technically insects, could domesticate midge-bees if they were bothered with such. They much prefer easier ways of gaining honey - bullying Humans to gift it to them.

[Photo by Anna Karapetian on Unsplash]

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