Earlier that day...
'But, those flesh-burrowing beetles are frightening! They really are!' Siel had exclaimed. 'She's sure to answer all our questions if - if you call upon even a single one!'
And despite all the horrifying things the younger tower magician had been saying earlier, Arin had found himself unable to hold back a small smile at the excitement in his voice.
'Could it be, Siel, that this is one of your suggestions only because you want to see one of those burrowing beetles?' he'd asked, keeping his voice level.
Siel's already wide eyes had become larger. 'No! I was simply offering what I believed to be one of the best ways to - I hadn't...! The thought hadn't even crossed my mind!'
'Oh?' Arin hadn't pushed. He hadn't wanted to embarass the boy too much.
This wasn't his younger brother, after all.
Instead, he'd diverted the topic slightly.
'I'm afraid I don't know too much about beetles,' he'd admitted. He'd figured that much was fine; Rin probably wasn't publicly known for being enthusiastic about entomology.
'So, are those flesh-burrowing beetles the ones that frighten you the most?' he'd asked.
Siel had glanced up at him. Then, probably realizing his senior brother seemed to genuinely be interested in learning, the younger tower magician had relaxed into a lighter step as he walked.
'Well, those - the ruinspikes - are horrifying, indeed, but only so because of how they look. Ruinspikes are large, and have sharp mandibles, but unless one is otherwise restrained, one could easily pull them off and destroy them before there is any lasting harm done. They are safe enough.'
Arin had tightened his jaw at the thought of some large, pointy creature drilling into his skin being considered 'safe enough'. Shuddering lightly, he'd asked, 'What sounds worse than a ruinspike to you?'
'Ahh,' the boy's voice had taken on a somewhat delighted tone; he was clearly overjoyed at being asked to speak on something he was interested in. 'The giant, bone-crushing grimjaws sound far more horrifying to me. I've read that once one latches onto a limb, nothing can pry it's mouth open while it's still alive. And leave it there for just a few seconds, and - ' Siel had animatedly slammed his hands close in front of his face ' - the limb is severed at once!'
Arin had swallowed.
He really, seriously, wanted to get back home soon. He'd never complain about the cockroaches in his drainpipe ever again.
'Right, I see. Thanks for shari-'
'But!' Siel had interrupted, even more excited now. 'I'd even rather face a nest of those than a single needleworm!'
'...Needleworm?' Arin had asked, despite himself.
'Yes, the needleworm beetles, the ones that are found near the northern desert regions!' the boy had exclaimed. 'Within the Empire, I'd go so far as to say those are the most frightening beetles of all!'
More than skin-burrowing and limb-snapping?
Arin hadn't said anything. He needn't have, anyway, because the younger magician had jumped straight into providing a description the moment he'd caught his breath.
'They don't look too intimidating, and aren't even particularly large,' he'd began. 'At first glance, they don't even fully look like beetles! Their patterned wings and proboscis-like protrusion make them seem like nectar-feeders.'
'However, their wings are armored, and the proboscis isn't even really a mouth part; they have mandibles like most beetles! Those deceptive protrusions, that elongate up to several inches, and are hard as stone, are the truly frightening part.'
'You see,' Siel had lowered his voice to a hush. 'They feed on freshly dead flesh. But out in the desert, the dead flesh is typically dessicated, and the fresh flesh is still alive. So, the needleworms detect the warmth of living breath, alight upon the lips of their chosen victim, and, fast as lightning -'
The boy whipped around animatedly to face Arin, ' - stab right up the nose, and diagonally into the brain. Without a chance to fight back, and often even without realizing what's happening, death! Even someone with an armor-type talent cannot defend against that!'
'...I see. Very horrifying, but also, very... interesting,' Arin had nodded, keeping his voice level.
'Hmm.' Suddenly shy, Siel had scratched his head, and turned to look away. 'I'm glad you think so too, senior brother Rin,' he'd said in a slightly more composed voice. 'In any case, being able to bond with, or summon, something like that, is one of the reasons why a beast talent seems to me one of the most powerful and versatile ones!'
Arin agreed.
What a pity neither he, nor, apparently, even the original owner of his body, possessed such a talent.
*
Presently, Arin had shut his eyes, visualizing the needleworm beetles as best as he could, based on what Siel had described to him, and what little information he'd been able to find during the rest of the evening, after his 'call'.
Once he'd learned he couldn't have Tarra be here, and would be relying purely on the illusion tool, there was no reason for him to restrict himself to just one single, overpowered killing machine.
Besides, he had a feeling that this method would be just a tad bit more palatable, for both himself, and for the over thousand victims of his planned massacre.
Better, at least, than his previous plan of hacking and burning.
Arin recalled the exact number of sleeping villagers, that he'd learned from the recordskeepers notes. Settling upon a number that was slightly higher, he then whispered clearly into the bracelet,
'Needleworms, appear.'