Mable: This chapter got so long that I decided it would flow better if I broke it into two. Expect the next chapter to be posted very soon!

Within Reach

Chapter 11: Down the Hatch

Tap, tap, tap.

Abe's fingers twitched and he pressed his face further into his canvas pillow.

Tap, tap, tap.

He started to come around more. He turned over onto his stomach and groggily lifted his head with a dazed look. It was clear that it was still the middle of the night from how dark the hut was. He wasn't sure how long it was after he had gone to sleep though.

Tap, tap, tap.

It was at that moment when he recognized two things: there was something lighting the hut from somewhere in the room, and he had been woken by a familiar tapping sound. He pushed himself up and looked around on the bed, under his flat pillow, and finally moving his coarse blanket around until a familiar amulet rolled down into his lap. He eagerly took it into his palms.

It was his guiding bee; she was awake and calling for him. When she saw him, she waved an arm in greeting or to flag his attention, and then poised herself as though preparing to glow. He didn't need to be signaled twice and eagerly reached over the bed and into his bag. He pulled out the map and opened it in his lap for her.

"Okay, I'm ready," he whispered. He dangled the amulet from his fingers over the unrolled map. "Tell me where to go."

The bee began to glow and directed a beam of light towards the next place he was to travel to… Except she didn't shine the light at the map, she shined it towards the hut door.

Abe was understandably confused as he watched her do this. He looked back down to her before lifting the map in one hand to raise it closer. "Are you sure you can't show me on here?"

As was typical with her messages, she did not clarify. She continued glowing at the door until she stopped and fell back into a composed state once more. Limbs poised in focus, eyes directed back at him, and waiting for him to make a move.

So, he did. After all this time of waiting for his guide to give him direction, he couldn't very well question it now. Especially when she had been accurate up until this point. He had no reason to doubt that he needed to follow her, even if he wasn't entirely keen on wandering around out in the darkness without a clear direction. He gave an understanding nod and slipped the amulet over his head and around his neck.

Abe folded up the map and put it back into his bag. He tried to be as quiet as possible, now remembering that he wasn't alone in the hut. He rubbed over his face tiredly, smacking his cheek a little to try and wake himself up, and then stood from the cot. He lifted his pack by its strap- not wanting to risk making noise by putting it on- and began to sneak towards the curtained door.

"Give me just a few minutes to put my clothes on and I'll come with you."

"GAH!" Abe jumped forward and away from the voice that suddenly appeared behind him. He then recognized who it was and turned back towards its direction in the dark. "You're awake?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

"I didn't want to interrupt. She has a hard enough time sending a message as it is," Vesper replied. He clicked his lamp on and revealed he was sitting up in bed. Or, well, bed was sort of a stretch. He had made more of what would be considered a 'nest' of some sort on the other side of the hut. He had laid out his trench coat and some of his thicker clothes as a makeshift pallet, stuffed one of his shirts with other shirts to back a pillow, and then cocooned in his blanket.

It didn't look too shabby as far as beds went, but Abe noticed that Vesper didn't look like he had just woken up. He still asked, "Did I wake you up?"

"Nah, I couldn't sleep. I'm not used to going to bed this early and I didn't feel like reading," Vesper admitted. He worked the bedding cocoon out from around his legs. "I'll be quick. Five minutes tops."

"You don't have to come," Abe reminded as he pulled his backpack on, no longer having to worry about being quiet. Vesper raised a brow at him. "Not that I don't want you to come! Just, being so late and all, and you were working all day."

Vesper sent him a toothy grin. "Don't worry about me, I'm practically nocturnal. Besides, I can't let you go out there alone. I'd just be lying here thinking you were eaten by Fleeches until you got back."

"If you're sure," Abe said, returning the smile. He liked the idea of having some company, even if he was sort of expecting his guide to lead him towards the blimp, which would mean he would have to wake up everybody anyways.

He turned to give Vesper some privacy as he pulled off his nightshirt and replaced it with one of his button-ups that he pulled from his suitcase. He was just pulling the shirt over his head when Abe spoke up.

"You can see pretty good in the dark, right?"

"Pretty much. Not total darkness, but close," Vesper answered. He combed back his fur with his claws.

"That might really come in handy right now. See, here's the only light source we're gonna have." Abe reached back and into his bag before finding and pulling out his hand torch. He clicked it on and pointed it towards the Chiromor. "See?"

"How could I not?" Vesper replied, eyes narrowed to squints and trying to shield his eyes with a hand. Abe clicked the light back off with a "sorry" as he blinked his eyes back open to a comfortable level. "…But you're not suggesting we split up?"

"Course not. It's just that this torch's one of those rechargeable ones. Doesn't need new batteries all the time but doesn't stay on long, but between you, this, and my guide, we'll be fine!" Abe said with a returning smile. He almost seemed relieved, so the short battery must've been on his mind. Only problem was that Vesper felt much less confident.

"Don't be so quick to rely on my eyes, Abe. Just because they're meant to function like that doesn't mean they're going to," he said. After everything that went down earlier today, mess ups and failures abound, he had no faith in any of his 'functions'. Maybe he would be able to see, but maybe he would miss a predator until it dropped on his head.

Abe recognized that tone dead-on. He heard it a lot on his own voice, that doubt, that uncertainty. Even the fact that Vesper suddenly decided to keep his eyes down as he sorted through his clothes. Abe didn't like this one bit, so he came over and crouched down by his legs.

"You know, I've never heard of anybody reading in the dark like you do," Abe started. Vesper gave him a sidelong look. "Seems like it'd take great eyesight to do that. It's one thing making out shapes and trying to figure out what you're looking at, but to see and make out words? That's a talent. That's a really useful talent. One that any Mudokon would kill to have, including me."

"Maybe so, but this is different. It's one thing finding your way around an apartment and another trying to find your way through a dense jungle filled with predators. The apartment wasn't that dark and definitely wasn't as dangerous."

"I don't know. I couldn't see a thing in that apartment, and I usually get pretty good visual when it comes to dark temples and factories and stuff," Abe said with a shrug.

This finally got Vesper's grin back. "You don't have to sugar me up. I'm still coming with you, if you turn around long enough for me to put my pants on," he retorted.

Abe nodded and turned away, allowing Vesper to finish up. He moved quickly, skipping the gel and vest, and using the time he saved to look into his suitcase and then duffel bag. He knew that there was a light in here somewhere, but he was having trouble finding it. Even if he did, he knew it wasn't as bright as Abe's and ran on traditional batteries, meaning in both regards it was a downgrade.

It was looking like he really was going to have to use his eyes. Something about that was both exciting and terrifying. He rested his hands on his hips before looking over to Abe.

"Do you think we should bring the lamp?" Vesper asked. When Abe turned back, he gestured his head in the direction of it as to clarify.

"…I guess not. Looks kinda heavy, and we're not gonna want that much light. Might attract some unwanted attention if you get what I mean."

Considering that Vesper had just had a vivid mental picture of a Fleech dropping from above and strangling him with its tongue, he knew exactly what he meant. While Abe made his way out the door, Vesper hastily pulled out and on his shoulder holster and slipped his pistol inside. Whether or not he wanted to use it he was going to bring it.

Abe stepped out of the curtained doorway and looked around at the small village. It was amazing how quiet it had gotten over the last few hours. Not all the Mudokons were asleep, but those who weren't were mostly quiet. Plenty of makeshift tents had now been erected amongst the huts, but there were more than a few Mudokons sleeping outside. At least they didn't seem uncomfortable, migrating to the areas of thick moss to rest.

Most of the bonfires had been put out but the standing torches were still lit, keeping the area illuminated just enough that they could see any immediate threats. There was something peaceful about it all.

When Vesper came out it was time to move, so Abe hopped down from the hut and began to make his way towards the village entry. His guide hadn't told him to go there exactly, but she didn't tap for his attention to stop him either. Wherever he was going was probably going to start there, he supposed.

It was when they were walking out of town and out of the protective glow of the hand torch that a voice suddenly called down to them.

"That you, Abe? Where ya going?" It was a Mudokon lookout up on one of the platforms, still awake while the other Mudokons with him rested until it was their shift. None of them stirred even when he spoke up.

To answer, Abe turned around and while walking backwards hooked the amulet string with his thumb and lifted it. As though that was explanation enough.

"Oookay. Err, be careful."

"We will," he answered before turning back around and continuing out of the village.

The jungle wasn't pitch dark. It was pretty close, but it was a clear night and a few dull moonbeams managed to make it through the leaves and reach the forest floor. Abe kept his hand torch in hand, thumb on the button, but hadn't turned it on yet. Vesper was both surprised and unsurprised at how well he could see in this light but didn't jinx it by saying anything. Abe must've had the same idea as he didn't ask.

They arrived at the creek when the amulet began to glow once more. A beam of light aimed forward in a slightly rightward direction, close to the path into the jungle but not exact.

"Guess we're not going back to the blimp," Abe said. He then hopped over the creek, waited for Vesper to follow suit, and then clicked on the hand torch as they made their way into the deeper woods.

As he had forewarned to Vesper earlier, the hand torch didn't last long. So instead of keeping it on nonstop, Abe flicked it on for a couple of seconds every ten steps or so to scan the coming ground for danger, then would shut it back off to conserve its power. It seemed to be going alright for a while, but it was definitely getting harder for the Mudokon to see once they got under the thicker leaves.

Occasionally he spotted patches of night sky through the canopy and was able to look up and catch glimpses of the stars. Abe always found them especially pretty, but due to pollution- both light and smog- he seldom glimpsed them. Looking at them reminded him of the night he fled RuptureFarms. It felt like so long ago even though it wasn't. It was still recent enough that he could remember the feeling of running through the stockyards, that blend of fear and hope.

"Careful over this."

Abe barely got out a, "Wha-?" before he stumbled over a thick branch.

"Yes, that," Vesper said with amusement. He reached out and bumped his arm on Abe's before offering his elbow. "Here, take my arm. It'll be like the blind leading the blind, except I can see and still have no idea where I'm going."

"That might be a good idea. Thanks." Abe took ahold of the other's arm and let the other lead the way. The touch helped him get his bearings in the near dark, and it gave him an excuse to try and look for more glimpses of the sky.

Though it only lasted until his guide began to glow again to slightly change their direction. After that, Abe paid closer attention to their surroundings, what he could make of them, as they continued further into the jungle. The sound of night birds and chirping insects kept the night from complete silence, save the sounds of their footsteps.

It was a while longer before Vesper noticed that they were coming up on something. It looked like another one of those cliffsides, but this one was not of wood and carvings but instead of mossy rock.

"It looks like we're about to reach a dead end," Vesper forewarned. Abe promptly clicked on the hand torch again and shined it over the cliff face.

"Huh. That's weird…" He withdrew his hand so he could gently take his amulet between his fingers. "Where to now? Straight up?"

"I hope not," the other murmured.

It turned out that this wasn't the case when the amulet illuminated to point its light forward towards the rocks. As though there was something waiting right in front of them. Abe hummed and clicked off his light, letting it recharge for a few moments, and then clicked it back on as he stepped closer. He aimed his light to follow where hers had gone and found the beam falling directly on an opening in the rocks.

"Do you see that? I think there's a little cave over there," Abe said. He headed over with Vesper close at his heels, the latter's ears perking with his piqued interest.

Sure enough, there was a small tunnel in the cliff. It looked like there had been a rockslide that partially covered the opening, because when he looked into the hole, he could see it opening up more inside. It was dark though, descending into a blackened pit where the hand torch couldn't reach. It made him uneasy enough that when the light died, he yanked his arms back from the hole just in case.

"That's where we're going?" Abe asked warily. His guide tapped once at the amulet; it felt like a 'yes'. "Okay. That's where we're going."

"Of course it is," Vesper said tensely. Yet as uncertain as he sounded, he continued with, "Let me go first. It'll give me a chance to see how dark it's going to get."

He climbed over the waist-high boulder blocking the path and slid in feet first. The second he was in the cave he caught a whiff of something strange. It was a rank and sour smell, faded enough that it must've come from somewhere deeper in the cave. He looked deeper into the cave, seeing a bit further but not seeing anything of interest. This was just ranging on dark enough that he would have a little difficulty.

He turned back to the hole as the hand torch clicked on and looked just in time to see Abe staring directly at his holstered gun. Noticing he had gotten caught he quickly averted his eyes. Noticing this, Vesper slightly panicked and tried to explain.

"I'm not planning on using it or anything, I just thought it was better to be safe than sorry. Worst case scenario, I use it to scare something off. Just a warning shot would run anything off," he rambled in his defense. Abe looked surprised too.

"What? No, that's okay! I've seen you use it; I know you're not gonna accidently shoot me," Abe assured. "I just didn't notice you had it 'til now."

"Gotcha… Does it make you uncomfortable? You know, guns?" Vesper asked with a little concern.

"Not really? When they're aimed at me, yeah, but not like this. I'm just not used to having one this close that's not aimed at me," Abe confessed. He then climbed through into the cave. He immediately detected the same smell from the wrinkling on his face. "Kind of smells like Paramites in here… but a little too meaty. Y'know what I mean?"

"Like you're speaking a completely different language."

"It means we might not be alone in here. How's your sight?"

"Alright, so, remember when earlier when we were talking about how you were just seeing shapes in the dark, along those lines?" Vesper asked and Abe nodded. "I'm about to start seeing shapes. There's not enough light to see more."

"Uh oh," Abe said. Then in a moment of perfect timing, the hand torch flickered, and Abe was forced to turn it off to recharge. They stood there quietly in the dark for a pause. "…But you'll still hear anything creeping up on us?"

"I should. Strangely enough, the dark doesn't seem to affect that," Vesper joked.

At least there was that, Abe thought with a little relief. He then shrugged and said, "Then let's keep moving. Can't turn back after we've come all this way."

Vesper could've disagreed but couldn't deny that he was becoming increasingly curious in their expedition. Both in seeing what the guide wanted to show them and being in a real cave system, even if it was smaller than he expected. It was a taste of the adventure he had willingly signed up for.

"Guess not. Stick close, Blue Bird. I won't let you down," Vesper said with a wink. Only realizing afterwards that it was totally unseeable.

What Abe didn't miss was that newfound confidence in his voice. Even if it was only a shred of it, it was a far cry from back at the hut, and he was happy to hear it. He returned with a smile, which Vesper did see, before reaching out for the wall to guide himself along as they started into the tunnel.

There was something familiar about the cave's shape that Abe picked up on rather quickly. From length, height, and slope, it didn't feel like a naturally created tunnel. Perhaps one made by natives long ago, which would explain why his guide was leading him down here. He considered telling Vesper about it but was distracted when they came up on a branching tunnel.

Abe turned on the hand torch and shined it inside only to see the tunnel collapsed not far in. "Dead end," he simply said. Then he shined the light forward to check further down the tunnel before clicking it back off.

There was a squeak noise. He blinked and looked to Vesper, then to the hand torch, and then shrugged it off. Probably the button got something in it like dust or sweat, nothing to worry about. They continued on and around a wide corner, which Vesper alerted him to by grabbing his wrist before he walked into the wall and led him around and down the slope. Almost like it was corkscrewing down into the ground.

That was when Abe heard the squeak a second time, and that was when he realized that it was definitely coming from Vesper. It came directly from his direction and the torch hadn't been touched. Abe furrowed his brows but decided not to say anything. They continued onwards until the path straightened out and the floor became sticky.

"Ugh," he heard Vesper complain after a distinct squish from his direction. It was followed by a hesitation, Vesper stopping and leaning over in the dark, and then asking, "…Are those bones?"

Abe decided not to turn on the light to see. Especially when the smell coming from the floor seemed distinctly rotten. He physically pulled Vesper forward by the sleeve, and they continued on for about twenty steps before being stopped.

"Hey, turn your light on and aim it upwards. There's another tunnel up there," Vesper said.

With a click, the blue light and dull hum returned, and Abe shined the hand torch upwards. He hadn't realized the roof of the tunnel had risen until now and could see a ledge leading up to a second opening. With a curious hum of his own, he stepped forward and jumped up, catching the side, and pulling himself up to his chest before shining his light down this upper tunnel.

"Looks like it goes somewhere," Abe called back. "Hold on. Lemme check real quick." He looked around with the light until he found a loose rock and tossed it down the tunnel past where the light could reach. He heard it hit. "Nope. Dead end."

"Sounds about right," Vesper quipped. Then he made another squeaking noise.

"Y'know, if you hold your breath those go away," Abe offered. Vesper raised his brows before snickering.

"I don't have hiccups. I was trying, to-." Echolocate, when he had no idea how to do it or if he even could, in a tunnel system probably not made for it. "…Okay, you got me. I'll try that."

Abe wasn't really convinced but shrugged it off and started to lower himself to drop back down, only to freeze up when a new noise suddenly reached his ears. It sounded like snarling and scuffling coming from a distance, though he reacted the same as though it was right in front of him. He dropped down onto the mushy ground and shined the hand torch further into the cave, searching through the darkness.

"Did you hear that?" he whispered back.

"Yeah. It sounds like fighting," Vesper said, jaw tight and ears standing alert. "…Is that what Paramites sound like?"

"No, they hiss. I don't know what it is…" Abe trailed off. The vicious noises were starting to grow fainter until he could barely hear them, meaning it was moving away, whatever it was. "Can you still hear 'em?"

"I can… but it's getting further away."

Soon Abe couldn't hear anything more than the buzzy hand torch, which was about to go out. He turned back towards Vesper who still had his ears perked in attention. Swallowing thickly, Abe dared to shut the light off to recharge.

"It… It might be Sleeches," he admitted in a low voice. Just the thought made his skin crawl.

"Fleeches?" Vesper asked with an edge of dread.

"No, Sleeches. They're… Like Fleeches. I think they're related or something, but they're a LOT worse. They live in the dark, they hunt in packs, they're super-fast, and the only way to stop 'em is with light. They're afraid of it… But not for long."

"…Remember when we said we've gone too far to turn back? I think we should reconsider that," Vesper said matter-of-factly. Though it was clear that he was being dead serious. "We'll come back first thing in the morning. We could even pick up some help, I'm sure there's plenty of Mudokons out there who'd love to tag along. A small crowd would be a lot safer."

Abe tightened his lips, almost considering it when he thought of facing Sleeches, but then shook his head stubbornly.

"No. She wants to show us something so it's gotta be important. It can't wait… And if it is Sleeches, it doesn't really matter. They like the dark and it's probably gonna stay dark in here." He shined the hand torch over the walls before lowering it to the floor and looking to Vesper. "Maybe if we stay quiet, you can hear where they are and we can sneak around 'em."

"…Yeah, alright. If that's the plan," Vesper caved with a sigh. "You haven't led me wrong so far."

Abe's mouth perked into a smile before he turned ahead and began to lead them further into the tunnel. Now taking slow, cautionary footsteps as he led the way.

Unfortunately, it sounded like the growling and hissing was getting closer. Sometimes it sounded like it was even just above or beneath them but wasn't getting closer. Even when the hand torch needed to charge and they were left in darkness, the creatures didn't swarm in. Abe could only assume that this was because they didn't have a direct way in, but supposed they were lucky if that was the case. Hopefully they were stuck behind one of the collapsed passages.

But that hope was quickly dashed when he was suddenly stopped by Vesper's arm flinging across his chest.

"Vess?" Abe whispered. The other was silent, standing to attention and staring into the dark, which Abe couldn't see but could tell from the rigidness of his arm. The silence was suffocation and part of him wanted to take the plunge and turn the light on, but he resisted and waited, staring into the darkness.

Finally, Vesper spoke.

"So, I'm having trouble seeing that far ahead…" he began in the quietest murmur he could manage. "…But I know they're up there."

"What?!" Abe whispered back. "You- They're- Are you sure?!"

"Yes," he said through his teeth. "I can hear them shifting. They're small, but there's a lot of them."

"…Then why haven't they swarmed us?" he asked in a tiny voice. Just the meekness and fear in his voice alone was unnerving, but that question sent a chill through Vesper. He slowly lowered his arm to take Abe's hand in a tight hold.

"I don't know."

Abe swallowed deeply and tried to keep calm. Maybe the Sleeches didn't know they were here, or maybe Vesper was just wrong, but both seemed equally unlikely. They could just be waiting for the two to get closer or turn their backs. They would be trapped if not for the hand torch still gripped tightly in his hand. He rested his thump on the button before leaning in to his companion.

"I-I think… I'm going to try to scare them off with the light."

"Are you sure that's going to work?" Vesper asked. Abe was notably without answer. Normally light would scare off Sleeches, but there was something up with these ones. "…Guess it's worth a shot."

"If it doesn't work, we run for it… and hope we outrun 'em," Abe finished. He took a shaky breath. "Here goes nothing," he thought.

With that he whipped his arm forward at the same time as he pulled Vesper's back. Causing the Chiromor to stumble back as he smoothly stepped forward in front of him and flicked on the hand torch.

The path before them was illuminated, as were the numerous small creatures just on the edge of the light, blocking their way.

…But they weren't Sleeches.

Abe's eyes widened even more as he stared at the tiny bodies crowded before them. They were rounded creatures with two large eyes atop their head and wide mouths filled with sharp teeth. In a way, they looked like Fuzzles, or that's what he assumed from the cartoon depictions of Fuzzles he had seen on various advertisements.

Except there was something very wrong with these Fuzzles. Many of them were bald and those with patches of fur had a scraggly look to them. Metal pieces stuck out of their bodies; things that looked like pieces of drills and syringes sticking out of their flesh. Some of them were missing teeth, others missing eyes, and the eyes they did have had blown pupils showing a ravenous fury unlike any he had ever seen before.

The moment the light fell on them, they began to growl so violently that they sounded less like creatures and more like a piece of rusted mining equipment. Their faded and stained teeth still bright when surrounded by darkness. There were too many to count and they looked rabid.

Rabid enough to turn any of them into the sticky mush coating the bottom of this cave.

Abe audibly gulped before giving a quiet command: "Run."

Vesper didn't need to be told twice. He turned on his heel and bolted back down the tunnel, claws digging into Abe's skin as he yanked him back by the arm. Though the Mudokon was quick to match the pace and kept up as they ran right back up the path they came down. As expected, the Fuzzles tore after them, moving like a hopping mass of teeth and flesh. Their growling echoed down the shaft and caught up with their fleeing targets.

Abe clicked the torch on and off. On for a second, off for a second, trying to keep charge while trying to still see what was coming, knowing that one trip up and they could both be overtaken and devoured in seconds.

It was during one of these flickers that he caught sight of the higher ceiling and suddenly remembered the ledge. With the Fuzzles hot on their heels, he realized it was their chance at escape and slid to an abrupt stop underneath it. The suddenness caught Vesper to be lurched back, pulling his shoulder painfully as he staggered. Before he could ask, Abe answered by jumping up and pulling himself onto the ledge.

The noises were getting increasingly closer and after a quick double take between Abe and the tunnel beneath him, Vesper jumped up and grabbed onto the ledge. He got himself up to his chest before Abe grabbed him and hastily pulled him up the rest of the way. They scooted back further onto the ledge, Vesper putting out his arms like he was shielding Abe while craning his neck to try and look over the ledge. With the hand torch off, Abe could only listen.

Though listening told them plenty, such as how quick the Fuzzles were. Which, much to their surprise, they weren't. While the echoing snarls had led them to believe that the ravenous swarm had been right behind them, it took a few full seconds- including the time it took them to climb up- before the mass passed underneath them. The two held their breaths and stayed completely still on their perch, not risking even the slightest noise.

It wasn't until the Fuzzles continued through the tunnel and were far enough that they could barely hear them that they dared to move again. Abe released the breath he was holding and sat back against the wall. Vesper watched a little longer before following suit and sitting alongside him, still listening out for the creatures.

They sat there just long enough to catch their breath and make sure the Fuzzles weren't going to turn around. Then they both spoke at once-.

"This was why we should've gone back and got a posse!"

"I really gotta get more flares…"

It sounded significantly louder than they intended. Abe winced at it as Vesper pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to calm down. It was clear that he was at least a little shaken, the Mudokon could tell even without seeing him. He himself was startled to say the least, but this was pretty much normal for him. If anything, he was a little relieved that it wasn't Sleeches. As aggressive as these little guys looked, they weren't nearly as fast or aware.

Abe leaned his head back against the rocky wall and stared up into the darkness above him before speaking again.

"Maybe you should wait here, and I'll go on my own," he finally offered.

"There's no way," Vesper murmured, muffled against his hand. "Not going to happen. Splitting up is suicide, we're safer together."

"Good point… Okay… Okay, so- now that they've moved on, and they shouldn't hear us, maybe we should drop down and keep going," Abe tentatively offered. He flickered on the light and turned to Vesper. "Should be safe now. Err, safe-ish."

"Uh huh," Vesper said doubtfully. Removing his hand to reveal an expression deadpanned with doubt. "And what if they corner us? If this shaft winds up being a dead end too then we're done for."

That was a possibility. So far, all of the alternative paths had been dead ends and he couldn't be too sure that this one wouldn't share the same fate, but he held a belief that it didn't. This was where his guide was taking him, and she had never misled him before. Even when taking him into danger, she had always known where he needed to be. He clasped his amulet in his hand to give him some reassurance and it did, glowing warmly against his palm.

"That's not going to happen."

Vesper had never heard that tone in his voice before. It actually took him a little off-guard how seriously deadest Abe sounded. Confident and certain, like he was going to do it or die trying and had no fear of the latter. It was a brief reminder of who he was sitting beside, and it was enough to both quicken his heartrate and shut down any argument he might've made.

Abe pushed himself up into a crouch and made his way to the ledge to shine the light down into the tunnel. Once saw it was safe for himself, he lowered himself down and dropped into the tunnel, then flashed the light quickly down both directions to make sure nothing heard. The coast was still clear, and he beckoned Vesper who was looking down from the ledge.

Vesper started to move to climb down, only to hesitate and reach for his gun, resting his hand on it for a long moment before then slowly drawing it back away. It wasn't like he had enough bullets to fend off the Fuzzles anyway, so it didn't seem worth even trying and he instead followed Abe's example and climbed down.

They wasted no time and started back through the passage again. Abe led the way with the hand torch aimed ahead and moved much quicker than earlier knowing that it wouldn't last. With the light on he was able to see a little better, not that it gave him much comfort. Not far after where they ran into the Fuzzles they found what looked like a carcass left in the middle of the way, too mutilated to even tell what it was- at least not a Mudokon.

As luck would have it, at this moment the hand torch started to flicker, and Abe's was forced to pry his thumb off the button and handed over lead to Vesper. He didn't need to tell the other to make haste; once he got them past the remains of the Fuzzles' last meal he quickened his pace to match what Abe's had been. Though he could see he wasn't feeling much better than Abe was. The walls seemed to be narrowing in even when they remained in place.

Until all of a sudden there was light at the end of the tunnel. Not a bright light, but the subtle glow of moonlight that was only as visible when coming out of a cave steeped in darkness. A way out, something neither was expecting.

Nor were they expecting what they stepped out into. Both came out of the cave and into a much different world than they left going in.