Rising early, as no one could get any rest after the incident, they packed away their makeshift camp and headed into the tunnels. Aaron was shocked to find that the one who tried to assassinate him was the Ranger with the flame Insight.

Bently explained to him that those with Insights of the Flame were typically crazy fanatics. Something about the Insight of Fire being fierce and chaotic can cause the mind to be affected, especially if the Insight is taken too far and the mind is too weak.

The big man had been watching the Ranger since their journey started, as he had been appointed by the Council. Bently warned him that not everyone was willing to work with the Firstlings. He couldn’t help but shrug, as he didn’t expect any less and was a little anxious to see the response of his siblings.

‘Would they call him a traitor?’

Putting the thought aside, he followed the group as they traveled the tunnels, coming to the large Cavern of the Nest. Emotions began welling up as they neared, and he had trouble catching his breath. He also noticed Bently starting to show signs of difficulty.

Aaron walked into the old Nest as Bently and the Rangers stopped at the entrance. He kneeled in the center of the Cavern and tried to suppress a shudder as he reflected on their crazy lives.

They had been through so much in such a short amount of time.

It almost felt like an eternity since they were born.

And it had only been measured in days.

As he reflected, he couldn’t help but sigh forlornly. The Nest was so empty and quiet... Mother and his siblings were not here, and they never would be. Their lives were forever changed, and the path forward was as dark as the path behind them.

He shrugged off the dark thoughts and looked at the brighter side as he rose.

Mother had given them the greatest gift she could.

Life.

The rest was up to them.

He inspected the escape tunnel his siblings had taken and found it impossible to get through. They had completely collapsed the tunnel, but the Bond still pointed in that general direction, so he knew they hadn’t gone far.

Regrouping, they set off to find a new path, twisting and turning through various side passages, as Aaron used his senses to lead them closer. It was far more difficult to find a way than Aaron would have expected, as the tunnels were a maze, and didn’t always lead in the right direction.

Most of the time, they would take a tunnel further away just to get closer. ‘Stupid Labrinth’ He grunted as they took yet another tunnel. He was a little worried as they went, as Mother had warned them of certain areas of the tunnels that they were to stay away from.

Darker things lurked there.

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Slowly, he began to feel the Bond strengthening, and he knew they were almost there. As they headed down one of the tunnels, noticing signs of activity throughout, he couldn’t stop his excitement from building. Elation exploded inside him as they rounded the corner, but was abruptly cut short…

By the deathly screams of his siblings.

The scene that appeared before them was a nightmare.

He paused, horrified, at the walking abomination of flesh that was rising from the tunnel floor. Something that was not meant to be seen by mortals and those who had never lived long enough to tell the tale.

It was made entirely of disfigured limbs, with no face or eyes to be seen. Its whole body was covered in giant boils and protrusions, leaking black sludge, some bursting and splashing smelly liquid on the tunnel walls.

In the middle of its twisted frame was cut the most horrifying mouth you could ever imagine, twisted and dripping with foul ooze. And from that maw came the most dreadful wail that ripped into his soul, knocking him to the floor. He gritted through the pain as he tried to calm the tremors shooting through his body.

It wasn’t natural, as if the truths of the world had been distorted... or corrupted in some foul way.

No matter where he looked, the abomination was like a blight, a stain on the fabric of reality.

He rose, trying to recover from his shock, and watched in fright as the creature moved forward in a wild dash. It swung its foul appendage and knocked his brother flying to the tunnel wall with tremendous force. It grabbed his sister with the other grotesque appendage, as his other sibling's cowered.

Pulling power from the Bond and pushing it into his legs, he prepared to dash to his sister's aid when a hulking form shoved him to the side.

And a savage roar filled the Cavern.

Bently shot forward like a bull, a green aura covering his massive frame as he tackled the foul creature into the cavern wall, causing the tunnel to shudder. He swung his fist like a cannon, striking the creature to the floor and crushing the ground.

Swiping his large blade with practiced ease, he freed his sister from its grasp as he kicked it, launching the thing back through the tunnel. He picked up his unconscious sister and ran towards his siblings.

Aaron watched in complete shock.

And irritation.

‘Bastards stealing my glory!’

It all happened so fast that he could barely act. He raced over to check on his brother as Bently handed his sister to his siblings and began to walk back down the tunnel to finish the horrifying creature. The Rangers followed closely, shooting arrows in a steady stream.

Aaron helped his Brother rise as they headed for his siblings. Looking over his Brother, he seemed to be fine if not a bit ruffed up. As they reached the group caring for their sister, they looked up at the now aura-filled tunnel and the beast of a man who had come to their rescue.

Bently stood tall, his sword held high, as the pale green aura wrapped his blade in its deadly embrace.

Then the sword fell.

And the world knew fear.

Energy shot from the sword like a blade made from the heavens. It cut through the cavern floor and ceiling as it shot forward, striking the abomination and splitting it down the middle in a jagged tear. The remaining energies began burning away the smaller pieces of flesh that remained, and with one last shudder, the last vestige of life vanished into ashes.

Aaron walked forward but stopped as Bently turned and nodded, sagging to the tunnel floor, completely drained. The Rangers rushed to his side coming attempting to aid in any way they could.

Aaron looked at the big man, still unsure exactly how he felt but glad he had been here. He didn’t know if he would have been able to face such a horrible creature. It was a weird feeling. The bastard was steadfast in his iron will and seemed to hold to his word as if his life depended on it.

But maybe it did.

Aaron didn’t know how the Mark worked and only knew that the man's life would not be a long one. The ruptures in his soul were getting larger and would consume him long before any type of life could be lived.

Excitement gripped his chest as he turned to his siblings.

Seeing his brother looking at him sternly, he slowly walked forward. Smiling wide, he went in for an embrace.

His brother stepped forward.

And punched him.