The news of the Worm Mother's size cast a heavy shadow over the small camp. Lena sat by the dying fire, her boots still caked in the gray mud of the growth.
Ollen paced back and forth, his heavy footsteps the only sound in the pre-dawn quiet.
"If it's as big as you say, we don't have the numbers," Ollen said, stopping his pace to look at her.
"Even with Dren and Tok, we'd be swamped. Those offspring aren't just mindless; they're protective. You said they were huddling around her. That means the moment we touch the Mother, every worm in that forest is going to come screaming for our blood."
Lena nodded. She knew he was right. "We need a distraction. Something big enough to draw the entire swarm away from the center so we can strike the head."
Ollen rubbed his jaw. "Help is coming. I sent a messenger to the nearby establishment last night. A company of a hundred demon soldiers should be arriving anytime now."
Lena was surprised for a moment.
