Sunbeam Lair You give cicadas a bad name

Longish post ahead, aha. And a sneak peak at one of the internal territories, ehehe.

It was a disaster.

The swarm only seemed to be growing, feeding upon their home and leaving behind nothing more than twigs and bare branches. They were killing the lair, the little gluttons that they were, gorging themselves to the point in which it became a surprise that they could even continue to move. The tribe had responded, thankfully, and seemed to be doing their part in salvaging that which could be saved. Through all of the chaos, though, there came a voice. It was loud enough to be heard, as were many others, but the statement it'd produced was what had allowed it to steal her attention away from the task at hand. For there was Eve, claiming their home was being stolen away, resulting in a response from the chieftess that wasn't at all like her—she'd growled. Neither playfully nor affectionately, but out of sheer anger and frustration. The statement had been a bold one in her mind, and not at all how anyone living within the lair should respond during their current predicament. "If you believe a swarm of insects can steal from me—from us—this home of ours, then perhaps you do not belong here," she'd stated, the fact that she was disappointed in the other being made clear by her tone. The land itself was not a dragon, but it did serve as the home to several of the great beasts, and because of that it could never truly be taken away from them.

Not for a moment longer did she allow herself to be distracted by the seemingly traitorous phrase, head turning to face the others to ensure they were doing as instructed. It pleased her to see everyone, even those unfamiliar with plants, assisting in the saving of their herbs. While most would end up being dried out in the days to come and then stored away, those that could provide nutrition were also being collected. Asterr, too, assisting in the harvesting of the plants, snapping at and, in some cases, eating any of the locust that dared to threaten a plant her gaze had locked onto. It had continued like that, too, but for how long she would never be certain. Her mind was alive and senses in overdrive, adrenaline having shot through her system for the first time in ages. Nothing else matter, only the safety of her home's flora. She would store them away, whether they be already dead or in the process of dying, and then await the moment in which life could once again flourish within their home. In the end, they would win the battle forced upon them, and not a single bug would be able to change that.

With the swarm thickening, Asterr had needed to make a final call. To allow her subordinates to carry on with the task requested of them, or to get everyone into a sheltered location where they might wait out the storm in. Of course, she'd ended up choosing the latter, her new demand being issued after a sharp bark flew past her lips. "Everyone, it is time we seek shelter," she'd announced, hopefully having acquired everyone's attention beforehand. "These pests will stop at nothing, but we will not allow them to win. Come, we will wait this out and questions will be answered, and once everything has settled, our home will need our assistance in mending all that has been broken." With that, she'd started moving, motioning for those who'd heard her to follow. It was to her personal storage facility that she would lead them, her direction set for the farthest reach the lair had to offer. Against the wall that touched the mountain, southwest of the only known entrance into the territory. There, in the wall, there was a chamber that she'd happened across once upon a time, and it was through a narrow entrance into it that she would grant her followers entry.

Inside the small cavern was where she often stored her herbs, for away from any disturbances it was. Along the ceiling there were only small slivers to allow light to shine down through to the floor, the spaces seeming too small to be of any interest for the locust (still, a few got through every now and again). Once within the safety of its walls, she would draw herself closest to the back, wishing not to take up more room than necessary. It was bound to be a snug fit, but she was determined to make sure no one was left out with the bugs. Thus, to the back she would sit, awaiting for the rest of the tribe to file in, and dreading any questions that might arise.