Evidently, it didn’t understand -- and neither did I. The noises coming out of its mouth were, as the ones before, shapeless and meaningless. The language lacked bite. I lacked comprehension. All eight of my feet were screaming at me to get away from it -- but aside from how ugly it was, it didn’t seem too harmful. It? He, maybe. It lacked the strong curves of a female physique. There was a gentleness to his voice that suggested benevolence, and he was holding his hands up in a way that could be construed as “passively peaceful”.

And even if I did flee, where on Arach’thanas would I go?

That was a scary thought. My home? My congregation? Gone. Out of reach.

My cursing stopped for a moment, and I stood still where I was. Oh, Diunlum. Maybe, if I was lucky, this leg-lacking bloke knew how to fix this situation. Hopefully. It didn’t seem likely, but... I tilted my head and clicked my fangs together thoughtfully. Slowly, I pointed up at the sky. Maybe slug-creature would understand this much. Not the words, but the intention. “Up there, portal. It’s gone? Did you summon? Can you… indicate anything about what the fresh hells just happened here? Or are you as stupid clueless as I?”

A breeze passed by. I stopped pointing, a deep shudder running from head to tarsus. Bitch, don’t you be blowing on me. I didn’t have any proper threads to defend against the cold. My joints were locking up in fright; didn’t need this shit too. “Fuck you, and your father’s father,” I muttered to either the wind itself, or no-one in particular. There wasn’t anything around here who’d get a lick of what I was saying, I was starting to realize.