I couldn’t stop smiling. I did it. I did my job. Crimson didn’t lose a member, just like Alisson had ordered. A white aura suddenly surrounded me and I felt weightless. Alisson let go of me. I grabbed onto his hand, my legs shaky and thoroughly unused to flight. The members of Crimson flew up and toward the ceiling. I looked over to the rest of Crimson. Dane was holding onto Amelathet.
“Amelathet needs healing.”
I said, and Dane shot his head toward me, before flying closer to Patsel, who with one hand started casting magic on her.
“What the…”
Patsel was speechless for a moment as we flew by the flares that were high in the sky. Soon we’d be in the pitch black.
“I don’t know how she’s even alive…a few sticks and stones are holding her together…”
“Better than being dead…”
I grumbled at Patsel. No one here knows what I had to go through to save her. I could’ve easily just regrouped with Crimson, told everybody she was dead, and that’d be it.
Alisson, who was roughly pulling me along as opposed to the gentle guidance of Berein, leaned in and whispered,
What took you so long?
I pushed my head to his ear,
I followed your orders.
Alisson recoiled with a look of confusion, squinting at me.
“What?”
He whispered. I flicked my head to Amelathet. He looked, but seemed to be even more confused as result. He shook his head, and looked forward and away from me, acting as though he’d misheard me. Maybe he did. It is loud with all the air rushing past us.
“What are you two talking about?”
Rei said suddenly, and my heart jumped.
“That.”
I said on my toes, flicking my head back toward the nest.
“What?”
She followed my head, and her face turned to shock.
“T-the bug nest! What the hell did you do to it!?”
Following Rei’s bizarre exclamation, everyone, including myself, turned back to look at the nest.
Half of it was engulfed in a raging fire. Stacks of smoke rose into the cavern ceiling. Hundreds of bugs were swarming around the fire, some catching fire themselves and flying helplessly around.
“Hot damn! You set a fire from within it now didn’t you!” Dane exclaimed, sounding proud of me.
“But how did you get in it in the first place?” Patsel asked suspiciously.
“The bugs took Amelathet away in the attack, so I went after her.”
I said plainly. I couldn’t speak too loudly. My wounds were draining my strength rapidly. The team murmured with awe, wide eyed at me. I felt a short surge of pride in that moment.
“You actually charged right into the nest? Alone?” Patsel asked.
I nodded my head weakly. Patsel looked to me in suspicion. He squinted, then suddenly gasped.
“Alavier – She’s bleeding!”
He said suddenly.
“Wha-?”
Alisson looked back toward me in shock, before promptly pulling my body up closer to him.
“You’re right…there’s so much dirt I couldn’t tell…”
Alisson muttered, holding me closely in the air. My eyelids felt heavy. I suddenly wanted to sleep right there in Alisson’s hands.
“Where are we heading?”
Alisson asked.
“The ventral shaft that Auburn went down, I should be able to make a hole in the ceiling with the last of my mana.”
Berein answered. Sure enough, we were flying perpendicular to the hive, and theoretically, we should end up under that large tunnel that we last saw Auburn in. Now that I was actually flying up toward the ceiling, I realized just how massive this place was.
Alisson leaned his head to me.
“Are you okay?”
He said, his face filling my vision.
“I’ll make it…”
I replied weakly. Alisson frowned.
“Alright, let’s see if this works.”
Berein said, lifting her staff at the ceiling. It emitted a purple aura. Everyone looked on with bated breath, still continuing to fly up as any second wasted may be our undoing. Berein looked to be firing pretty prematurely, seeing how far away we were. She must be spurred on by me and Amelathet being so wounded. Patsel can heal much easier while he’s not in the middle of flight. Real medics like him, not fakes like me, have a toolbelt of spells they can use to give first aid, and not just the simple regeneration spell that I have. It’s a fix all end all in most cases, but if you know what you’re doing with other utility spells and are trained in scientific medicine, healing someone is a cinch. Right now though, Patsel can’t exactly use all those medicinal skills in that noggin of his while we’re hundreds of feet above the air.
“Tch…Can anyone give me some guidance?”
Berein said, apparently giving up on aiming a spell at pure black.
“We’re all out of flares. Do your best.”
Rei said sternly. The dull auras surrounding everyone were starting to blink in and out.
“Parlama.” Alisson muttered under his breath.
Alisson casts a spell suddenly. A bright blue light shot out from his hand, and soared upward toward the ceiling. It illuminated barely anything, but was very bright and easily visible. That spell is a Sidonian field officer spell, one that’s used to direct forces and artillery. It looks like no one heard or noticed.
“Thanks for the spot.” Berein nodded at Alisson.
A few seconds passed. Berein suddenly fired. The pitch black that was surrounding us seemed to flee in the face of the purple wave of light that was ejected from Berein’s staff. It wasn’t a small attack spell like the rest I’d seen, the spell expanded outwards to the width of a house as it soared to its target, taking the shape of a thorny branch or raven’s claw. The spell passed Alisson’s targeting light, and crashed into the ceiling of the cavern. I could see chunks of rock fall from out of the dust and debris cloud. There was a minute of tense silence as everyone flew upward, staring down the smoke and dust. The auras of flight surrounding us were now all blinking rapidly.
Finally, the dust cleared.
“There. There’s an opening right there.”
Rei said, her eyes shimmering. She pointed the tip of her sword up at the ceiling, which to everyone else was nothing but a black plain.
“Follow my lead.”
With that she increased her speed and headed the group. The ceiling was not but a few hundred meters away. I could see a faint orange light on all of it, from the raging fire that now completely consumed the bug nest. It was like a sun in this dark cavern. Only a dozen meters left, and after that, we’d finally be free of this hellscape.
Alisson’s flight spell ran out. He dropped like a rock right passed me. My eyes widened from their previous lethargy. I wrapped both my hands around his arm and pulled as hard as I could upward.
“I’ve got you-!”
Two hands suddenly wrapped under my armpits, and pulled me up much more gracefully. A few meters above was all that was left. Berein was over head me, and above her, the rest of Crimson had already entered the opening. Those last few seconds, I was convinced that my flight spell was going to run out, and that I’d sink like a rock with Alisson, while Berein fruitlessly tried to pull us up. Thankfully, that moment never came.
“Gah!”
Berein grunted, giving me a throw over the lip of the opening. All three of us made over and into the tunnel.
A long moment passed in silence as everyone just laid on the floor, panting in fatigue, me included.
“Ha…haha…”
Berein started chuckling all of the sudden.
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“We made it, we actually made it…”
She got to her feet, and started to drag me away from the opening. Alisson watched her with sharp eyes, and with a deep frown.
“We’re even now right?”
She chuckled at me.
“Let go of me…I’m not a cripple…”
I said, weakly struggling against her grip and trying to get to my feet for myself.
“Your wounds say otherwise.”
Patsel said, suddenly overhead me. Amelathet was by my side, still unconscious. I was propped up against the wall with her, as Patsel descended on me with his healing spells.
“Hmm…You’re lucky…almost all over your wounds are just cuts and bruises, there’s just a lot of them, nothing too serious like her.”
Patsel said, his eyes flicking over to Amelathet.
“Well I suppose it makes sense that you wouldn’t be in the worst shape after fighting your way in and out of that nest single handedly.”
Patsel remarked, kneeling and casting Tier Three Healing spells on both me and Amelathet. Alisson was only a foot away, his back turned to me, eyeing the tunnel ahead, but I could tell he was very wary of letting Patsel and Berein tend to me instead of himself.
“We’ll recoup here for a few minutes until Patsel can stabilize those two.”
Dane said, speaking with Rei a few feet away. Berein had deployed more mage lights around the tunnel, so for the first time in a while, I could see where the floor ended and where walls started.
“Berein, try and get the other teams on the line. Tell them they’re not done out here yet.”
Berein nodded, raising her hand to her ear
“I only have a shot glass of mana left, but I’ll try.”
The team was silent for a moment. The only noise being the drone of the healing spells of Patsel. Very faintly, I could make out a fire’s crackle, and the roars of beasts. They must still be fighting down there.
“I know it’s been a long day but, Ferris, do you have anything to report that we should know?”
Dane asked, an eyebrow piqued.
“Nothing that urgent, no.”
I said, my strength already returning to me. My muscles were still sore, but now at least I could feel they were sore. That, and I wasn’t tempted to close my eyes anymore to sleep. I was now suddenly awake and alert, though very worn out from the day’s events and of the aftermath of an adrenaline high.
As Rei and Dane continued to talk strategy, I was finally left to breathe a sigh of relief, and let my bones relax for a moment, and let my body breathe large and filling breaths.
“Ferris…”
Patsel said suddenly, a hand over my thigh.
“Thanks for, what you did back there…You could’ve easily just turned around but…”
He looked to Amelathet.
“Thank you.”
He said, smiling. I nodded. I didn’t save her for you. I followed my orders.
“I’ve got an open channel on the line.”
Berein said, standing up with a bit of excitement. She extended her hand out in front of her. A small ball emitted static for a moment over her palm.
“ - - - This - - - s Team Mystic, broadcasting openly, please, - - - anyone, - - - respond.”
The static suddenly turned into garbled words. I could just barely make it out.
“Respond to them Berein. Tell Mystic-” Dane was cut off by another transmission.
“Team Auburn reporting! We’re pulling back to - - - heavy lo - - - es - - - minimal damage to the hi - - -”
Berein rose her hand to her ear.
“This is Team Crimson reporting. We’re in one piece, barely. We’re pulling out of the hive. Please don’t leave without us, over.”
There was silence for a minute after Berein’s words.
“Mystic reads both - - -nd Crimson - - - We’ll hold out as long as we can - - - They’re pounding the hell out of us - - - up at the surface. - - - here - - - quick - - -”
The static took over the garbled words, and nothing followed after that.
“Did you here that? I didn’t think Mystic was under attack up there – We need to get move on.” Dane said, hefting his mace. “Patsel, how are those two?”
Patsel frowned.
“They both need a full day’s rest in bed; But they’re both stable.”
“Perfect, let’s move.”
Dane said, smiling. Patsel nodded. It must really tick him off as a medic to always have to leave people injured thanks to always being in a combat zone. Before Patsel could lift me up, Alisson turned and extended his hand to me. I pulled myself up. It was much easier to stand than last time, and my hands weren’t shaking anymore. I had Patsel’s spells to thank for that.
Dane hefted Amelathet’s limp body with one hand as if she were a twig.
I stuck close with Alisson as we started move out down the tunnels. I desperately wanted to tell him about all I did, and receive lots praise and cheerful smiles for my hard work, but around everyone else, I kept my mouth shut.
…
“Move it! Move it! Move it!”
“I got it! I got it!”
“Three more dead center!”
“Four right!”
Crimson had long ago stopped engaging enemies. It was now a full scale sprint to get out of here. I’m lucky that I’m able to stay on my feet, else I’d’ve gotten left behind long ago. Beasts attack us at every junction, Guardians come from every tunnel and burrow new entrances into the one that where in. I’m just sticking close with Alisson, and helping him when needed. I’m not exactly in the best shape – Running out headfirst would only get myself killed.
Alisson was struggling with a roamer that was biting into his gauntlet. Apparently fed up, he punched it, sending it stumbling back, dazed. It shook its head, about to attack when Enhérejär came crashing down through the roof of its skull. A Guardian had already taken its place, and was raising its limbs to attack Alisson. Alisson was down low due to his strike. I stepped forward, and vaulted over him, bringing a stiletto up into the head of the Guardian that was before him in a single swift motion. I stumbled back past Alisson, reassuming my position in the mobile formation. Dane was at the front, carving our path out through the swarms, still holding Amelathet under his arm. Berein and Patsel were completely useless, out of mana and arrows and items. Rei, me, and Alisson, were currently the backbone of Crimson, and also its rearguard. It’s a duty I didn’t exactly enjoy, especially not while being chased down a labyrinth of dark tunnels hunted by swarms of rotting flesh monsters.
“Up this way and around the bend!”
“What the hell do we do once we get up there!?” Patsel shouted. “I didn’t exactly bring a shovel!”
“The way up ahead is the way we came in – Just shut up and keep running!”
The adventurers really have a lot less discipline than standard Sidonian Infantry. Man…what would I do to have a few comrades at my back…just a few infantrymen and this inundation would be effectively negated. Contrary to the wary desperation of the adventurers, me and Alisson had stoic expressions.
Finally, the incline leveled out, and we approached a bend in the tunnel. Light poured around the bend that was it, the way out. I only vaguely remembered the surroundings thanks to the amnesia I’d suffered after entering the tunnels.
“Do not engage!”
Dane ordered. In response, Rei and Alisson, instead of holding back to take out the closest beasts, kept up with the rest of Crimson. I quickly realized why Dane gave that order.
As the light of the sun splashed across our faces, another kind of light whizzed my head. Magic bolts came soaring from the blinding outside, cutting down the pursuing beasts. Without thinking I turned to engage. The rest of Crimson did the same, digging in our heels now that allies were at our backs. The swarm of beasts chasing us was large, easily in the hundreds. Spell fire and their staggered attack turned the once imposing wall of beasts into lemmings; Instead of forming up to attack, they’d been in pursual, and as such had completely broken ranks. They were mercilessly cut down. Even I, exhausted from hours of fighting and wounds, didn’t have a problem.
As I fought, my eyes had gradually adjusted to the light of the outside. Even though the sun was setting, casting a warm orange over the dead forest, it was still way too bright for me to not squint. On the outside of the tunnel, were the two other adventurer teams. Mystic was facing outwards, their four members all breathing with fatigue, piles of bodies at their feet. They were the reason we weren’t engulfed from two sides. Auburn looks to have just recently got here, as they had turned to support us.
“Took your time, Dane.”
“I always do.” Dane cracked a smile, walking toward the leader of Auburn. “We went to depths I’d rather not recall – What’s going on?”
“Camp is broken down and mounts are ready to go – Mystic was attacked at our basecamp, so they retreated to us about an hour ago.”
“What about the hive? Have any luck?”
The leader of Auburn shook his head.
“We ran out of mana just putting a dent in the damn thing. There were way too many beasts for us to hold back – We had to retreat. Sorry about that.”
Dane shook his head.
“Don’t worry, we weren’t in the tunnels behind you. We fell down into the cavern below, with the hive.”
Auburn’s leader was piqued with interest.
“Really now?”
As the two team leaders were joined by Mystic’s leader in a brief moment of respite, I couldn’t help but stare down the tunnel we’d left. Just this morning I was staring down the same tunnel, now here I am, having seen its sights. Alisson walked to me, leading our horses. I was about to open my mouth to him when my eyes widened, seeing something in the darkness of the tunnel.
“We can talk later, right now, we should-“
“Sequiturs…”
I muttered, my mouth parted, speechless. Out of the tunnel, I saw three of them. Three. That’s, one more than last time. They were only a dozen meters away, and I could see their smiles and large eyes piercing my skin.
“What did you just say?”
Mystic’s leader asked quickly, having suddenly turned to me. I lifted my finger toward the tunnel.
“Three…”
Wordlessly, the leader of Mystic rose her weapon, and fired off a barrage of spells.
“Open fire! Open fire!”
Within a second, every single caster with magic left were firing spells at the tunnel on command. The barrage was short, but intense, kicking up a cloud of dust. Every adventurer turned to the tunnel, wary of more beasts. A long minute of silence dragged as the dust cleared, everyone simply standing ready with their weapons drawn.
“…Are they gone?”
The leader of Mystic asked, her eyes sharp. The tunnel was clear. It was like there was nothing there to begin with.
“They’re gone…”
The leader of Mystic heaved a sigh.
“…T-thank you…”
I said, the image of the three Sequiturs burned into my mind.
“No, thank you. Sequiturs can be seen by multiple people at once, I’m glad we had someone with us who can sniff them out.”
I looked up to her with gasp. She tilted her head with a small smile.
“What? You don’t know? You’re not crazy, they’re not hallucinations, they’re real threats that we need to take seriously. You must’ve gone to someplace you really should not of been in to have that…ability.”
Before I could respond, a hand was set on my shoulder. It was Alisson.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded, my terror wearing off quickly.
“There was three of them.” I mumble.
Alisson blew a burst of air through his nostrils.
“Sounds like you picked up another unwanted piece of filth down there.”
“As if I’m not already carrying enough.”
I remarked. Alisson lifted his hand off me, sludge forming a string from my shoulder and his gauntlet.
“Alright,” Auburn’s leader projected to all the adventurers, putting his hands on his hips. “Mount up, were getting back to Pūshkinskaya – And in one piece. We need to tell them about this hive.”
A few roars interrupted his orders, they had come from the tunnel.
“All the more reason.”
He added.
All the adventurers got to their horses. From what it looks like, there wasn’t a single death. There were injuries, lots of them. Some adventurers were just like Amelathet, held together with crumbs and tape; but they were alive, that was worth something. Amelathet was strapped down to her horse, and led by Dane with a rein. As I jumped up to my mare, who was clearly happy to see me, I felt Alisson prop me up from behind, helping me up.
“I don’t need any help.”
I said on impulse, wiggling out of his hands and pulling myself onto my mount.
Alisson continued giving me a look, so I added, “I’m fine, really.”
“If you say so.”
He finally resigned and mounted up for himself.
By the time the adventurers were ready to go, the thundering footsteps of several hundred beasts could be heard down the tunnel. There’s something though, something familiar. Something that’s leaving my stomach tight, and my ears throbbing in pain. Among the rushing the scrambles of the beasts, there was one particularly loud set of steps, thundering and booming ever louder. Its tempo sounded like a humanoid running.
The adventurers all quickly set off. As they did, the beasts of the tunnel ran like swarms of rats out of the tunnel, pouring out and inundating the clearing we’d been in mere seconds before. One figure remained standing, only peeking out of the tunnel; It was tall, and vaguely humanoid, though it was shrouded in black, and I couldn’t make out much more than that.
The hive entrance passed out of view, and I set my eyes forward. What the hell was that thing? Why does it look…so…familiar…
Right…up in the tunnels above the cavern, after I’d woken up, I saw that silhouette behind me, it was the same as the one I just saw back there. I quick look around to the rest of the adventurers, seeing their wide, twitching eyes, told me I wasn’t the only one to spot that dark figure on our way out.
The ultrasound pounding at my ears only faded a full five minutes of riding, and my hearing was finally replaced with the loud cracks of broken branches and twigs as the horses galloped through the skeleton-like forest, the setting sun disappearing below the horizon.
***