29 - Secret Tunnel

“Onwards!” Billy cried, charging down the tunnel, shield out front.

“Gods damn it, Billy,” Rhinus said.

“Affirmative. God damn it, Billy,” Scrap Heap said, following closely behind.

“Is he always this reckless?” Aelin asked, bow at the ready.

“Yes,” the entirety of the party announced at once.

Rhinus, Scrap Heap, Aelin, Roland, Jessum Crowe, Marit the cleric and Loc the gunner barreled down the tunnel after Billy. None of them really had any trouble keeping up, as Billy’s stride wasn’t all that long. Still, foregoing the usually cautious approach wasn’t necessarily their style, especially down a tunnel where monsters had appeared from.

After a few minutes of running, Billy slowed to a brisk walk. Not because of any sense of caution, but because he was getting tired. The tunnel was relatively straight and seemed to go on for miles.

“We need a group name,” Billy announced while they made their way deeper underground.

“Team eye-shot,” Aelin suggested.

“Team Holy Might,” Rhinus said.

“Team Blood God,” Marit said.

“Jessum’s Flock!”

“The Alchemic Eight!”

“Darkness Incarnate.” At that last one, the party went silent.

“So, uh, Loc,” Rhinus started. “Anything you wanna share with the group?”

The one armed gunner shook his head almost sheepishly.

“Team Shitters!” Billy declared.

At the uproar of protests, Billy explained further.

“Guys. We can be Team Shitters. We get shit done. See? It’s a motto and a name all in one.”

The others groaned. Before the party could protest, however, the walls of the tunnel seemed to come alive.

“Ambush!” Billy yelled, darting between the moving walls and through to the other side.

“Gods damn it Billy,” he heard someone yell from behind.

What they had mistaken for rock formations lumbered towards the rest of the party. They were humanoid masses of rocks the same beige as the tunnel walls. Billy counted at least four of them.

“Earth golems,” Aelin shouted as she loosed three arrows in quick succession. They plinked off of golem faces and blasted off small chunks of stone as they failed to penetrate. Seeing her arrows rebuffed, she slowly drew a fourth arrow, channeling mama into her wickedly curved black bow.

Loc fired a round from his pistol, making the entire group cringe in pain. The confined space of the tunnel only served to amplify the sound of the gunshot. The bullet didn’t even seem to do much, either. It lodged itself in a golem’s chest and just stayed there like a piece of jewelry.

Roland withdrew a vial and sprayed a black, sticky substance onto the golems, slowing them slightly and giving Rhinus the opportunity to dart in and out with his hammer. The tank slammed his oversized weapon into golem after golem, pulverizing them.

Then, Rhinus stumbled. A stone hand rose from the tunnel floor, grabbing hold of his ankle. The two remaining golems surged forward, hardly impeded by the remnants of the tar-like substance. Billy panicked and sent a surge of flame into both golems, lighting the tar. The goo burned hot, emitting a thick, black smoke that filled the tunnel in seconds. Everyone’s eyes started watering, people started coughing as the cloying smoke choked them out but by bit.

Two fiery golems swung at Rhinus. Arrows and bullets ineffectively tried penetrating their cores. Rhinus brought his hammer down on one of the golems, which crumbled upon impact. The other golem planted a large fist right into the tank’s ribs, bending armor and sending a puff of air out of his lungs.

Billy channeled fire magic until the last remaining golem was red hot. Then, an arrow pierced the molten stone and hit something vital, ending the creature’s assault.

Marit produced a small mace and brought it down on the stone hand holding Rhinus in place. It shattered and lay still. Rhinus watched it warily for signs of movement, trying to cover his mouth with a piece of cloth, but the hand didn’t move or despawn.

“Earth shaping,” Marit said breathlessly. “Anyone see any of them cast?” The rest shook their heads.

Jessum Crowe conjured a gust of wind that cleared the tunnel of smoke and then played a song of rejuvenation, healing Rhinus.

Finally able to breathe easier, Billy approached. “Ha! We’re the Shitters. We get shit done.” Billy kicked a corpse before it despawned.

“You know, Billy,” Marit chided, “you almost did more damage to the party than to the golems.”

“That’s what we have healers for,” Billy scoffed. “No point in dragging out a fight when you can literally heal any of our injuries.”

“You know what? Fine,” Marit said. “But I think the healers should get your share of the loot since you’re costing us with your recklessness.” He leaned over and sacrificed a golem to his god or whatever. Billy didn’t care. It’s not like he was in the tunnel for gold and glory. Though, some were, apparently.

Billy set a brisk pace down the tunnel once the others were ready to move. There really wasn’t much to see other than stone, clay, rocks and sand. The tunnel stayed pretty uniform most of the time, aside from a few areas where rocks had fallen from the sides. After two hours of steam rolling it down the tunnel, Marit called for a halt.

“Scrap Heap is detecting more and more vital signs in the area,” the cleric said. “He’s going to scout ahead while we take a bit of a break. We’ll need all of our energy soon. Rest up.”

That said, the scout scouted. He slinked off silently, disappearing almost instantly. He returned within a few minutes and motioned for the group to retreat a bit up the tunnel.

“There is an enemy stronghold up ahead,” he declared.

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“A stronghold?” Marit asked.

“Affirmative. The tunnel opens into a dark cavern. Within the cavern, there is a prisoner pen, some rock formations and fortifications blocking off a large nest-like building.

“That isn’t good. I wonder how long it’s been brewing down here,” Marit mumbled.

“Can we access the prisoners?” Billy asked. “How many are we dealing with?”

Scrap Heap tilted his head to the side slightly. “I could only detect three living prisoners. Two women, one younger boy.”

“Could we rescue the prisoners and send them into this tunnel before the enemy attacks?” Marit asked.

Scrap Heap nodded. “Affirmative. The cages are quite far from the fortifications, about thirty feet from where the tunnel exits.”

“Let me go see,” Billy said. Marit the lizardman suppressed a groan. Billy walked down the tunnel and looked into the cavern. It was as Scrap Heap had described: dark. Ahead, he could see torches lighting what looked like a cross between a castle and an ant hill. It had walls and a gate, but the inside was a mound riddled with holes carved into the rock. Everything between the tunnel and the fortress was shrouded in an almost impenetrable darkness. Billy channeled his Gift, analyzing the situation for a moment before returning to the party.

“So?” Roland asked.

“We’ve got two options, the way I see it,” Billy said. “We either use the prisoners as a distraction or we ignore them until we’re done.”

Rhinus gripped his hammer tightly. “Billy, those both sound horrible,” the tank said. “Have some compassion, man.”

Billy shrugged. “I think the first option is the best. We free the prisoners and ambush anyone who comes to see what the ruckus is.”

Rhinus seemed to calm a little at that. “I still don’t like using them as bait, but if they’re only a distraction because we’re freeing them, I’ll help.”

Seeing as no one else had any better plans, they set out. Scrap Heap and Aelin slinked forwards, hiding behind a rock formation between the cages and the fortress. They could both see better than Billy could, so they easily made their way without making a sound. Jessum, Loc and Billy snuck over to the cages while Marit, Roland and Rhinus stayed in the tunnel.

Billy stumbled on a loose rock, but Jessum caught him, holding him by the arm to guide him along. When they reached the cages, Lock let out a disgusted sound.

“They’re not doing so hot,” Loc said.

“Can you pick the lock?” Billy asked.

“Probably,” Loc said hesitatingly. “Let me see…” The one-armed gunner fiddled with the door, which clanked and groaned a few times. Jessum cringed at every noise, holding tightly to his lute. The prisoners no doubt needed healing, but now wasn’t the time to play a song of rejuvenation. Instead, he went over and whispered to the woman and the boy.

“Please, you have to help her,” the woman said.

Jessum passed a bit of food between the bars. “Help who?” The bard asked.

“Penelope,” she said. “She was with us for days, but they just took her. Please, you have to help her before they…” She trailed off, shaking violently. She didn’t look ok. She was dangerously thin, her hair was falling out and she was clutching her belly awkwardly. Even in the almost complete darkness, the oiliness of her skin was visible.

“Alright, stand back,” Loc said. “I think I’ve got it.” With a clank and an ungodly loud screech, the door to the cage opened. “Quickly, now,” Loc urged them.

The two prisoners limped out of the cell, the woman holding the boy protectively.

“Please, we can’t leave Penelope,” she said.

“Don’t worry,” Billy reassured her, “we’re gonna get her out. Now, come on. We need to get you back to the tunnel.”

Billy supported the boy’s weight as they walked back to the tunnel. The boy cringed back and squirmed under Billy’s arm, not letting the guide hold him up by his waist, but by his shoulders instead. It wasn’t as helpful, but Billy figured the kid had gone through a lot, so he didn’t push. As they escorted the prisoners to the tunnel, the fortress gates opened. Three beetles clicked and clacked their way directly towards the cages.

The first two beetles ambled right by Aelin and Scrap Heap, the pair not reacting in the slightest. When the last beetle passed, though, Scrap Heap and Aelin attacked. He brought two scimitars down on the creature in a flash. Metal split chitin as easily as a butter knife through hot butter. The scimitars passed straight through the beetle, scraping and sparking against the stone floor.

Aelin, meanwhile, sent a volley of arrows at the second beetle. The first arrow skittered off chitinous plates. The second arrow lodged itself firmly between plates of armor, sinking in until only a hint of feathers poked out. When the monster screeched and turned around, two arrows landed almost in unison into both eyes.

Within half of a moment, two of the three patrolling beetles were down. The third clacked its mandibles as it rounded on its ambushers. It surged towards Scrap Heap, but was met with a wall of blades and a barrage of projectiles. It didn’t fare much better than the other two.

When Billy met back up with Roland and the others in the tunnel, his mood was subdued. “Roland,” he said seriously, “You need to take a look at the prisoners.

“No, we’re fine,” the woman said. “A bit of food and water and we’ll be alright.”

Roland shrugged, looking at Marit for direction.

“No, Roland. They aren’t fine. Get some light and check them over,” Billy said, a bit of steel in his voice.

Roland, confused, took out a glowing stone from his bag. It bathed the tunnel in a clear blue light. The prisoners shied away, probably because of their prolonged stay in almost complete darkness.

Roland instantly saw what Billy meant. The boy had some sort of growth bulging out from his stomach, pressing tightly against his skin. He tried to hide it, but his torn up clothes weren’t enough. The woman held her own stomach tightly.

“Ma’am,” Roland said tentatively. “Do you also… Have one of… Those?” He asked, pointing at what looked like an egg sack protruding from the boy’s stomach. When she nodded, she burst into tears.

“Please don’t kill us,” she pleaded. “It ruptures after a few days, then we’re fine. Camden and I have already been through it a few times. I swear, it’s not as bad as it looks.”

Billy gawked at the sight. Roland turned green. Marit looked revolted, his hand slowly inching towards the dagger on his belt. The others looked away, refusing to make eye contact.

“I don’t know,” Billy said. “I don’t really feel like falling for the old ‘I’m not really infected, I’m fine’ thing. Fool me once, you know.”

The woman threw herself onto her knees, pleading. “Please, I promise. Please.”

Roland looked at Billy disapprovingly. “I can probably mix something to… Get rid of them. The sacks, I mean,” he added quickly after seeing Rhinus’s horrified expression.

“Is it safe?” Rhinus asked.

“Probably safer than leaving them be,” Roland guessed. “But I don’t really think we have much choice.”

A low growl escaped from Marit’s lizard throat. “We could always just…”

“No!” Rhinus almost yelled. “That’s absolutely wrong. We can’t just kill them because we’re afraid that something might happen. We can’t go there.” He gripped his hammer tightly, tears forming in his eyes.

Billy shrugged. “Just let Roland give ‘em a potion, then watch them to make sure they don’t turn into mutant beetle zombies. Easy.”

Camden’s eyes went wide with fear. “Do you really think we’ll turn into… Those things?” His knees trembled and Rhinus had to step in and hold him to stop him from falling.

“Probably not?” Roland guessed.

“Nah, anything can happen,” Billy added unhelpfully. “We just have to wait and see.”

“Who’s staying with them, then?” Loc asked, the lines on his face seeming more pronounced, his skin seeming even paler in the blue light.

“I’ll stay. It’s not like I can play my lute out there,” Jessum Crow, bard extraordinaire said, nodding his head to the cavern.

“I’m staying,” Rhinus said. “To make sure they’re safe.”

Roland shook his head. “No, they’ll probably need you in the fight. I’ll stay and monitor their conditions. I’ve got a few things in my bag that might help.”

Marit snorted. “If they turn into anything…” He trailed off, shooting daggers at the two prisoners.

“That’s pretty cold blooded of-” Billy started saying before a death glare from Marit cut him short.

“Alright,” Billy said. “Bard and Roland stay back with them, we go mess things up at the beetle fortress. Got it. Shitters, move out!”

The others groaned, but followed nonetheless.