Assassin Crow Evolution

The deadly rainbow, although massive, appeared to have a master controlling it.

It wasn’t everyday one would see a one-hundred meter centipede, and almost everybody would not believe that someone could control such a beast. It didn’t sound right.

Yet, despite the centipede’s flagrantly violent nature, there were a bundle of creatures that circled around its head without a fear in the world.

It was hard to spot these creatures, on account to the centipede grasping everyone’s attention, but Jimmy eventually noticed them.

To his surprise, he saw giant mantises fluttering around the centipede’s head. Seven of them.

Well, the mantises were considered giant, sure, but at six feet tall, they paled in comparison to the centipede who was hundreds of times their size. This was why it took a while to spot the mantises.

Jimmy looked at them, and said, "So they were trying to protect this big bastard? But that doesn’t make any sense. Why did those other mantises attack us back there? It’s not like we can ever kill this thing."

"Maybe they didn’t want to be interrupted?" Vorin circled close by.

"Maybe, but this doesn’t look right." He said.

The team circled around the beast for a while longer, but perhaps they overstayed their welcome.

The giant mantises noticed them.

If the mantises attacked like they usually did, Jimmy wouldn’t consider them a threat, but their reaction was entirely different this time. Unique, to say the least.

Jimmy heard one of the mantises say, "You must fall."

All of a sudden, he and his friends fell from the sky. They lost control of their bodies as if death itself overcame them, and yet they were conscious. They could see everything.

Jimmy expected to break every bone in his body. The drop was high enough to almost guarantee it, but to his surprise, the team stopped falling before they could’ve hit the ground.

’What?’ He thought.

"You understand me, don’t you?" The mantis spoke, "That’s interesting. It certainly works to your favor. I would’ve crushed you otherwise."

A moment later, Jimmy could move his neck, and his head overall. He regained control over it, so at the very least, he could respond.

"I do understand you a little bit." Jimmy blatantly lied, because he didn’t want to be harvested.

"Do not lie to me, bird. You understand all insects." It said, "I’ve recovered your name within your tiny brain, but I don’t care for it. As for me, you shall call me General Xin."

"Okay, General Xin." Jimmy nodded.

Vulnerability would not even begin to describe the situation he was in right now. For a moment, he wished that he could shoot fireballs out of his beak, because that would be the only thing that would get him out of the mantis’ seemingly telekinetic grip.

Yet, even an attack light that would not be enough, as the six other mantises would crush the life out of him before he could react!

"I don’t like that you can read my mind, General Xin," He kept the conversation going, after a moment of silence from the other, "But I have to assume that you want something from me."

"Is that so?" General Xin titled his head.

"Yeah," He sighed, "You don’t care that I can speak to all bugs, so let’s not act like it was what saved my life."

"Interesting..." General Xin said, "Well, I can meet you half-way and expose your deepest secrets, but I will not do that, and I’m going to admit that I do need something from you."

As the two of them spoke, the large centipede raged in the background. It grabbed a tree with its highly venomous, claw-like forcipules in front of its head, and tossed it to oblivion. It might land in another country.

It was fair to say that the centipede was upset about something, despite the fact that it obeyed its masters.

"Is your pet sick?" Jimmy asked.

"Wugong is not sick," General Xin answered, "She’s... upset."

"No kidding," He said.

"Yes, it’s a dire situation." General Xin said, "I apologize that our troops attacked you. They were sent out to prevent foreign intruders, as any animal that doesn’t belong here would irritate Wugong further, but they were never told to kill. I’m happy you took care of them, because I would’ve killed them otherwise. But let’s get to what’s more important... Wugong is upset, because a Fire Ant ate her eggs, and then she ate the ant along with her eggs."

"Damn, that’s sad, honestly." He said.

"Indeed," General Xin sighed, "We believe that the eggs can still be recovered, if someone were to crawl inside of her, and retrieve her eggs before the Fire Ant reaches its foregut."

"The ant is still alive?" He exclaimed.

"It should be," General Xin nodded, "Now the fumes within her are toxic for us mantises, or we would’ve retrieved the eggs ourselves. This brings us to you. I formerly request that you go inside Wugong, kill the ant without damaging the eggs, and retrieve the eggs. The fumes shouldn’t be toxic to birds, and I believe you’re capable enough to do us this favor."

"What if I say no?" He asked.

General Xin did not answer right away. Though, he realized that he had perhaps been too kind to the bird which he could crush in a heartbeat. He didn’t like the position that desperation was putting him in.

"I recommend that you don’t refuse my request," General Xin said. "Though I know you’re simply being stupid, and not angling for a reward, I actually do have something to offer you."

A moment later, he raised one of his forelegs, flicked what Jimmy assumed to be its wrist, and then, seemingly out of thin air, three feathers appeared!

"This is what you’re after, correct?" General Xin smirked, "Sentient Feathers, the crown treasure of a bird who isn’t a complete amateur at evolution. The youngest feather here is six thousand years old, bird, and it has seen the world at its best, and at its worst. I doubt that you can merge with any of them, but as far as Sentient Feathers go, you won’t find better ones even if you try."

"Once again, I don’t like that you can read my mind, but I agree to your terms." He sighed, "We’ll get those eggs back for you."