From Ritz to rubble

The rain was fierce and torrential as Askan rushed through the forest, ears pinned against his skull as he desperately sought out shelter. Since he was such a manly man Askan didn't mind getting a little wet, but each raindrop felt like a thorn jabbing into his skin over and over again till he felt battered and bruised. He had to find shelter and soon but that was easier said than done in a forest like this. The redwood trees were tall and looming, reaching for the sky like ancient giants, but to Askan's frustration he soon realised that they were spaced too far apart to offer him any real shelter from the rain. That didn't stop him from trying though. He skittered from one tree to the next, squishing himself against the trunks as he tried to dodge the raindrops. Then, as he stood there panting and soaked he saw it, salvation!

The tree was far shorter than the redwoods, with twisting branches and a thick overhanging canopy that cast the ground below in shadows. Without even a moment of hesitation Askan darted beneath the shelter and let out a long, shuddery breath of relief. Thick droplets of water dripped from his coat as he stood there, marvelling at how dry the dirt beneath his paws was. The sound of rain fall still thundered in his ears but with the sudden transition from wet to dry it felt as though he'd entered a different realm, that somehow this space was cut off from the rest of the world.

The rain was still so loud that it took him a staggeringly long time to notice the buzzing of bees. At first he figured that they were just hiding from the rain but it slowly dawned on him that something was off, that with each passing second they grew more and more irate. The hell was their problem? Askan glowered at them as he took a step back, moving closer to the edge in an attempt to put an end to their hissy-fit. But it didn't work.  Instead more bees arrived on the scene, then more and more till Askan glanced up and realised that he'd jumped from one mess into another.

Just a few feet above him, clinging onto a sturdy branch was the biggest swarm he'd ever laid his eyes upon. Logic and reason told him to just cut his losses and find somewhere else, but the stubborn, unreasonable, part of his mind was having none of that. Would he really allow a few bees to chase him off? Yeah right.

As if sensing his change in mood the bees moved fast, buzzing louder as the dived him in one last warning. One that he did not heed. And then they attacked. In a black, hellish rush they swarmed him and darkened his vision. Askan bit and chomped at the air in a useless attempt to ward them off. There were too many, all attacking from different angles but somehow still moving as one. He backtracked, desperately snapping this way and that as their stingers jabbed into his snout and nose, setting his skin on fire.

Obscenities rushed from his lips as he shook his head in sharp, jerky motions. Like that would help, He'd been stung before and whilst it hurt like a bitch it wasn't unbearable, he could grit his teeth and deal with the pain, but then what? He could hardly bite them all and they weren't gonna just leave him, even though he'd received their message loud and clear.

Out of desperation he set his sights on a fallen branch and made a dash for it. Picking it up from the ground he adjusted his grip and wielded it like a sword, slashing and stabbing at the air in an attempt to keep the swarm at bay. It was certainly more effective than his former technique but even then he hardly even made a dent in their numbers. The swarm consisted of hundreds, if not thousands of bees and if he really thought that he'd be able to convince them to bugger off than he was a fool. Even he realised that.

With a bark of frustration Askan tossed his weapon aside. Fine! Turning tail he ran back into the rain, winching as it slammed down on his throbbing and tender skin. He waited with baited breath, half expecting the swarm to follow, but they didn't and Askan found himself grinning like a mad man. Really? Was that it, was that all they had? He watched, all smug and cocksure despite the state he was in, as they buzzed back and forth , unwilling to even set a foot out into the rain. Even as it  began to subside, transitioning into a manageable drizzle the bees remained behind the invisible line. Askan snorted in amusement but then quickly regretted it as his nose began to throb anew. It was time to ditch this joint, the bees could have this tree if they wanted it so damn badly.