Operation Honey Trap vs The Emperor of the Apocalypse

The girls picked their way carefully through the overgrown streets of the old capital. After the episode with the snakes they were on high alert. It was a balancing act, trying not to disturb any tubiàn, but making good enough time to keep ahead of the guards.

"This must be the old business district," said Winter in wonder, looking up at the tallest buildings she had ever seen in her life. "Some of these even dwarf the Great Wall."

"After what was living inside that church, let's hope these giant buildings aren't hives for hordes of tubiàn," said Delphi.

"There must be some kind of cap on their numbers based on how much food they can get their hands on," said Ruby. "They can't all grow that big and multiply without a constant supply of a lot of food."

"Well that's comforting for us," said Indy. "Lots of big beasts all competing for food, and we're walking a herd of grazing animals through the middle of it."

"That's pretty much it," said Delphi. "And actually the horses were a liability when the snakes attacked, and the guards have their own horses now, so they haven't been the biggest assets for us."

"You wouldn't be saying that if we were walking right now," said Feifei.

"You're right Feif; and the trip would take twice as long," Delphi sighed.

"I wonder if those guards all escaped from the snakes," said Winter. "Even though they're our enemies, I would still feel bad if one of them was killed or injured defending us."

"Don't get soft on them Winter. You won't be able to do what you have to do," said Delphi.

"I know, I know. It just didn't feel right leaving them there like that."

"Now we've committed to rebellion, there's only one thing to do. We have to win. Defeat will bring worse things than can ever happen to us over here."

"You're right Delph," Winter shuddered, contemplating what the Emperor would do to them if they were dragged back to the palace…

"Captain," called Feifei from the back, "I have a bad feeling. I keep catching movement in the corner of my eye, but when I tun to look it's gone."

"Do you think it's the guards?"

"No. Animals of some sort."

Delphi trusted Feifei's instincts implicitly.

"Alright girls, bring the horses into position. Four rows of two. Loveday take the front with me. Feifei and Indy bring up the rear. Arrie and Winter behind me, then Ruby and Lili. Get your weapons ready. Swords and bows."

They walked the horses on cautiously in absolute silence, weapons raised, constantly scanning their surroundings.

The tall buildings in the old city blocked much of the sunlight, so it was dark and cool, with a stiff wind blowing down the tunnel created by the wall of skyscrapers.

"Bugger this," called Delphi after they had crept along for at least two of the very large city blocks. "If they're coming, they're coming. Let's ride girls!" she called.

As soon as the horses started to gallop the sky was filled with large black blobs that the girls squinted up at as they rode.

"Tubiàn spiders," screamed Lili, who was particularly sensitive to them after the one that had descended on her head as they fled the palace. "A shit-ton of them."

The spiders were riding on long strands of web and using the breeze to surf between the buildings.

"Start shooting them now!" shouted Delphi, who kept up the flat-chat gallop with the girls in formation behind her.

They started firing arrows into the swarm. Spiders and their innards were now plummeting from the sky.

The girls at the front were shooting spiders ahead of them, whose bodies were dropping down onto the horses further back. Ruby's horse startled and left formation as a dead spider hit it on the head. Lili was a strong rider, and she wheeled the pony back into line.

A live spider landed on the haunch of Lili's horse. Feifei shot it clean off before it could bite.

"Thanks Feifei," called Lili.

Feifei didn't pause, loosing arrow after arrow with superb aim.

It was raining spiders now, dead and alive.

A live spider landed on the haunch of Delphi's horse. She swiped it straight off, cutting it in half with her sword. Her horse whinnied and kicked backwards, upsetting Winter's horse with a kick to the face. The pony tore off to the left. Ruby kicked her horse after the girl, managing to herd Winter's horse back into position.

A spider landed on Ruby's back as she was circling back into her spot. She squealed and tried to brush it off with her hand.

"Stay still Ruby," shouted Indy.

Indy shot the spider cleanly off her twin's back.

"That was horrible," Ruby wailed. "Its legs were dancing on my back."

"I've got you meimei. Just stay where I can see you."

"Keep galloping girls," shouted Delphi. "We just need to get out of these tall buildings."

She turned down a narrow side street, forcing the spider swarm to scramble.

It was tougher riding off the main road. Junk and shrubbery forced them to swerve and zigzag as they galloped, but they got ahead of the spiders.

"There's sunlight at the end of this street," shouted Delphi. "Keep riding hard girls!"

The spiders chased them relentlessly all the way to the end of the street where the dense buildings finished.

Feifei and Indy were both riding while facing backwards and shooting the leaders that pursued them.

A spider swung down between their two horses, putting four legs on each galloping horse. The two girls each cut off the legs that touched their pony.

The legless spider rolled to the ground where Indy's horse kicked it like a ball, knocking it into Lili's horse which also kicked it, spinning it off into an ancient fountain.

"Goal!" cried Lili.

"I'm glad you can see the funny side of this near-death experience," Ruby said to her, still shuddering from the feel of the huge arachnid crawling on her back.

"If it's my time, it's my time, but while I'm free of that effing palace I plan to enjoy every minute, whatever we're doing. It all feels so good because we're in control of our own destiny."

"I feel the same way, I just can't bring myself to enjoy every minute. The minutes with tubiàn attacking us, I can categorically say I don't enjoy."

"What's not to enjoy? You're a Guerilla Girl, you're kicking some ass, you're fighting for freedom with your best friends."

"It's a magnificent competition," called Delphi, "and we've won this one too!"

They rode out of the towering skyscrapers into a forest that was once a park.

Feifei glared back at the ugly dark spiders that sat hunched on the face of the last building before the park, watching them gallop off.

----------------

It was only a few hours later that the guards rode through the same downtown street, following the girls' trial.

Commander Meyer raised his hand for the men to stop when they saw all of the dead spiders with arrows through them.

"Let's go men," he kicked his horse into a gallop. "Grab as many arrows as you can as we ride."

The men leant down as they rode, pulling out the girls' arrows.

Niko, who was on rearguard duty, looked up to see the same dark shapes flying along in the wind behind them, getting closer and closer.

"Incoming spiders Commander!"