Come on, Darius. Stay awake!
Darius slapped himself, trying desperately to keep his eyes from fluttering closed with exhaustion. He held the lantern up, squinting ahead into the winding passage that twisted up and away into the darkness.
How much further do we have to go?
Hunter's cloak moved stiffly around his body, as though it resented being draped across a stranger's form. He had wrapped it around his own shoulders before crouching down to enter the dark tunnel. Thank Titan the passageway widened considerably after only a few minutes of struggle so he hadn't needed to crawl on his belly like a trash slug for too long. The cloak kept him warm in the damp passage, dirty as it was, and the weight felt steady and comforting on his back. It was grounding, like a firm hand on his shoulder steering him towards his goal.
Find Hunter, and get out.
The beast child ran ahead, not needing a lantern to see his way in the darkness. He definitely seemed to know where they were going with how confidently he scampered through the dark underbelly of the earth. Once or twice he paused when the passage diverged before them to sniff, testing out the way with his nose before gesturing to Darius with a grin and venturing on. Darius tried a few times to engage him in conversation but all he got in return was a few grunts and some rude gestures. It was a little cute but mostly infuriating, and Darius eventually resigned himself to a long walk in sour silence.
Putting aside the lack of decent company and the tedium, Darius' mood was improving. He quietly thrilled at how easily he could glide along, barely even needing to use his legs as they ascended through the tunnels. Whatever the Titan's blood had done to him, it felt like the Abomination had become almost an extension of his own limbs. He couldn't even feel a strict delineation where the foreign matter met his skin. It responded immediately to his every thought, shifting and reforming around his body to suit his needs. The only thing he couldn't seem to control was that ridiculous wavering mass of Abomination material congregating on his head, completely covering his hair. For whatever reason he could not get it to come down. He tried calling it with his mind, using the seemingly endless material to form new tools and weapons which he immediately dissolved in frustration. He even took to swatting at the unruly blob with his bare hands before giving up with an exasperated growl.
On and on they walked in silence. The rock walls of the tunnel gradually gave way to soil, thick and crumbling whenever Darius brushed against them. It was damp and the smell of mold filled the air with its cloying miasma. He could taste its heavy, disgusting spores on his tongue. Even so, the familiar, clinging touch of earth between his fingers was comforting.
I hope this means we're getting close.
The little demon halted suddenly and threw up one clawed hand, ears twitching and alert. Darius froze behind it.
"What is it?" The beastling didn't answer for a moment. He looked back at Darius with wide eyes, pointing frantically into the darkness in front of them as though trying to convey an urgent message. He then dropped to all fours and bolted down the passage like his tail was on fire.
"Wait!" Darius stumbled, legs briefly tangling in Hunter's cloak before he caught himself and ran after the child. It was bloody fast for something with legs that short, and Darius was hard pressed not to lose sight of it in the twists and turns of the tunnel. The lantern light swung violently from his arm, throwing shadows across his path in a disorienting display which made it even harder for him to keep his footing. He panted heavily, careening through the tunnel while trying desperately not to run smack into any protruding rocks or sudden corners.
Darius realized he could hear something ahead of him in the tunnel. The sounds of high pitched hissing and clanging interspersed with thumps and distant roars reached his ears. It reminded him a little of one of Alador's blasted machines going haywire. The din grew louder and louder as he raced on in the darkness, heart hammering with exertion and dread. He turned a sharp corner and nearly tripped over the beastling who had stopped right in the middle of the passage, attention fixated on the turbulent scene before it.
Darius looked up and was treated to the terrifying sight of two enormous ratworms, their massive tails thrashing agitatedly only a few feet in front of him. The sound of their roars reverberated through the cave walls and seemed to shake the ground under Darius' feet. They didn't take any notice of their impromptu audience, their attention fixed on a flailing figure between them.
There, backed up against the wall with only his fists to defend himself, was one solitary Golden Guard. Darius only stared in shock for the briefest of moments before he pulled his abomination material from about his body and sent the rapidly forming figure of a golem flying into the fray. It reached its blobby arms around the neck of the closest ratworm and squeezed tight. The ratworms shrieked as they suddenly found themselves attacked from behind, completely forgetting about the cornered witch. Darius darted between the grappling monsters to Hunter's side. It was bad. Hunter's shoulder was bleeding again and the fabric of his hose was torn away on the left leg, exposing a nasty looking bite. He sagged against the wall of the cave panting heavily, his eyes blown wide with adrenaline.
"Hunter! Are you alright?" The eyes blinked and seemed to come back into focus. He gaped at Darius, mouth dropping open in astonishment.
"Darius! Of all the bone-headed… how are you even here? Your leg?"
"Nothing a little Abomination Magic can't fix!" Hunter gesticulated wildly at Darius' head.
"And your hair! What in Titan's name happened to your hair?"
"While I'm flattered by your attention to my dashing good looks and coiffure, I think… Watch out!"
Hunter barely dodged a lashing tail and hurled a rock back at the hissing ratworm. The Abomination was doing its best, but it was hard to pay attention to directing its movements and tend to Hunter at the same time. They would have to run for it. Darius reached out and snagged Hunter by the wrist, yanking him along as he turned and dashed past the distracted creatures into the tunnel, the beastling following hard at his heels. It was making high whining noises and hisses, but Darius didn't have time to stop and ask what was the matter with him. He merely yelled back over his shoulder.
"Come on! Let's get out of here!" Hunter gasped in pain as Darius yanked on his arm.
"Slow down, Darius! Please, I can't…"
"You can do this! You have to! My Abomination will only last for so long and then they'll be after us!"
"Darius, please!" Darius stopped and Hunter stumbled into him with a gasp of surprise and pain. His hands came around Hunter's arms, supporting him as he swayed on his feet. "I'm sorry." Hunter's voice was barely a groan. "Just give me a moment to catch my breath." The child tugged at his tunic, pointing frantically down the tunnel.
"I know, I know! Give us a minute, okay?" Hunter leaned into Darius's hold, taking in deep, shuddering breaths. He turned his head, glancing down at the little creature.
"Who's this?"
"A friend. He found me in the cave and helped me get out to come find you." Hunter smiled weakly and reached down to ruffle the beastling's unruly mop of hair. It shied away, snapping at the gloved hand, and growled suspiciously. Hunter gave an exhausted laugh.
"He's cute. But…I still don't understand. How are you even able to stand right now? Your leg was broken!" Darius chuckled nervously.
"Oh, it still is." Hunter looked up at Darius, his eyes narrowed in confusion.
"That doesn't make any sense."
"Well… remember that vial of Titan's blood you dropped? Um, I kinda stepped on it. And broke it." Hunter's jaw dropped into an expression of abject horror.
"You WHAT?"
A roar shook the tunnel. Darius grabbed Hunter by the wrist again and yanked him along.
"Time to go!"
"Darius!"
"I promise I'll tell you the whole story once we get out of here!" They ran on, away from the sounds of the pursuing creatures, as the tunnel rose and fell beneath their feet, twisting and turning, but going ever upwards. Behind him Darius could hear the rough sound of Hunter's breathing and the pounding of heavy footfalls. He could see the tunnel widening up ahead. Was this it? Were they going to escape? The beastling was screeching again, trying to get his attention at what he felt to be an astoundingly inopportune moment. They passed through the tunnel, into a wide cavern. He held his lantern up high, casting its light into the open space to illuminate a sudden drop off and…
Ratworms. It was an entire nest of Ratworms, all of their yellow glowing eyes turned and fixed on the intruders.
Oh Titan. You have GOT to be kidding me.
Darius wrenched himself around, attempting to dash back into the tunnel, only to find himself staring into the face of a spitting, furious ratworm. Darius saw the great mouth open, lunging towards him and knew there was no escaping this. For one terrifying eternity he was frozen, unable to move, unable to tear his gaze away from the looming jaws. He almost didn't feel the hands on his body, shoving him out of the way. Time came back to him with a painful thud as he hit the ground and the huge rodent teeth closed around Hunter's torso. Hunter gave a strangled yell and then there was a horrible crunching sound of metal and bone. The ratworm shook Hunter like a rag doll before snapping it's head to the side, flinging him off the ledge.
Darius could only watch in stunned silence as Hunter's body collided with the rock floor below, his head smacking against the stone with a sickening thud.
"Hunter!" The scream ripped from Darius' throat as he threw himself forward, arms raised. The Abomination came bursting out around him, enveloping his entire frame, head to toe, in a thick violet mass. He felt himself rising up off the ground, clad in a powerful purple armor which hugged his skin and supported his aching, broken body. The strength of its reaction was so violent that he staggered forward into the ratworm which had attacked Hunter. It turned on him, spitting with bared teeth.
He didn't need to think, didn't need to form any sort of coherent command. One moment the ratworm was lunging for him and in the next, its head was falling with a satisfying plop at his feet. Darius lifted his scythe from the gushing corpse as the entire room erupted into angry screaming. Ratworms rushed at him from every corner but his eyes were fixed on the prone figure below.
"Hunter!" There was no answer; no movement or sign of life. He darted through the swarming masses which pursued him, their gnashing teeth snapping shut only inches from his dodging arms and legs. He reached the ledge and lept, pulling his Abomination forward to carry him across and brace his fall. Even so, as he landed he felt something give in his broken leg.
Darius fell to his knees beside Hunter's body, crying out in pain and rage as he pivoted to throw his arms up defensively over his head. A massive purple shield of abomination goo shot up and over them both in a liquid dome. The ratworms scattered screeching to a safe distance, spooked by the violet eruption. Darius knew it wouldn't be long before they tried attacking again. He looked all around through the purple shield, trying to find a way out of the cave when the screaming cacophony suddenly ceased. With a renewed stab of fear he whipped his head back around to face the encroaching horde and his mouth dropped open.
The beastling had sprung up on a tall rock and now stood on all fours face to face with the largest ratworm Darius had ever seen, gesturing animatedly and making loud chattering sounds. The ratworm hissed angrily, its one good eye fixed pointedly on the little creature. The whole colony of ratworms were eerily silent, all of their massive forms fixated on the two figures animatedly conversing before them. Darius watched the exchange with bewildered fascination. The ratworm growled and bared its teeth, but the little demon didn't even flinch, hurling back a foray of impudent chatter. Whatever the two of them were saying to each other, the surrounding ratworms seemed to find it immensely distasteful. They began to advance on the child, and their hisses grew in a threatening crescendo of sizzling, acidic spit. Darius looked away from the battle and down at Hunter's face, motionless and drenched in blood.
We don't have time for this.
"Come on!" He called to the beastling. "Come here to me!"
The beastling backed up slowly, never taking its eyes from the lead ratworm. They followed, edging closer and closer while hissing ominously until they had it backed up against Darius' shield. He let it drop for the briefest moment as he reached forward to yank the little creature through the barrier just as the ratworms lunged. It landed in his lap with a yelp of surprise and latched onto his torn and dirty tunic with a ferocity that would have been endearing in different circumstances. The two of them watched with baited breath as the ratworms struck at the shield with their barred teeth and tails, but it held fast under the onslaught. They were safe for the moment, but trapped. There was no way he could fight off an entire nest of ratworms by himself while carrying Hunter.
Unless…
Darius looked back down at Hunter's ashen and torn face. He was still breathing, but every breath sounded shallow and labored. There was one way, but it was risky. Maybe with whatever enhanced powers his abomination had received from the Titan's Blood he could pull it off. They were completely surrounded, and it was the only thing he could think of. The only way out. Darius licked his dry lips, chest heaving in time with his rising panic.
I don't know if I can do this.
Anything could go wrong. They could end up flattened, smashed to pieces inside a rock, or in the Boiling Sea, or out in space for all he knew. Or they'd just dissolve into a lump of purple goo. It was such a long shot, but if there was any way to get out this was it. It had to be. The shield shuddered above him, galvanizing him into action. He pulled Hunter's limp body against his own with one hand and wrapped the other around the beastling. He shut his eyes tight, conjured up the single unwavering image of the sky, and thought…
GO!
The ground dropped, no, pulled away from him, sucking him down in a massive purple whirlpool. He felt them falling down, down, down into the Abomination's embrace. He yelled as it filled his nose, his mouth, his eyes…
And then he was blinking in the light of mid-day, staring up at a bright blue sky.
They had come up into a forest of tall pine trees, their maroon needles reaching towards the open sky above. They were on a mountainside somewhere, he could tell by the sloped ground and the slanted growth of the Everreds around him, but aside from that he had absolutely no idea where they were. The air was so clear he could feel his lungs stuttering with every fresh breath they drank down. Hunter groaned and coughed weakly in his arms. Darius looked down at him and froze, taking in the sight of all the fresh wounds littering his friend's body thrown into stark relief by the daylight.
Titan, how much blood could there be in a witch?
The beastling scrambled at his side looking frantically from side to side and blinking owlishly in the bright sunlight. He looked completely terrified out in the open. Darius tried to stand but couldn't support his own weight even to rise on his knees. He had overspent himself. Nothing, not his limbs nor the abomination, was responding anymore to his terrified and exhausted mind.
"Help!" His voice was dry and pathetically weak. He took a breath, trying to steady himself and shouted again.
"Help! Someone! Can anyone hear me!" He screamed and screamed until his throat was raw. He could feel tears streaming down his face. How much longer until help arrived? How much longer could they hold on before it was too late? There was a crashing noise from what seemed far away and a distant voice drifted through the trees.
"Halloo! We hear you! Keep calling!"
Darius needed no further encouragement. Clutching Hunter tightly to his chest he threw back his head and shouted. The beast child covered its furry ears with its furry hands, screwing its eyes tightly shut.
"Help! Help us! We're here! Help!"
There was another crashing sound, much closer this time. It was the last straw for the overwhelmed little demon. With a screeching howl he darted away on all fours into the underbrush and disappeared from view. Not a moment later a gaggle of witches burst into the clearing.
They all wore heavy gloves which obscured their sigil marks, but they were dressed like members of the Construction coven and carried various saws, picks, and other miscellaneous hand tools. They stood in stunned silence for a moment, staring at the violent scene before them. Darius licked his chapped lips.
"Please." It came out as a pathetic croak. "Please help us!"
A giant witch with leathery blue skin stepped forward.
"What happened here? Who are you?" Darius pulled off his cloak with one shaking hand and held it up, displaying the sigil of the Golden Guard emblazoned on its filthy fabric.
"This man is the Golden Guard! We were on a mission for the Emperor. He's hurt, and he… Oh, my Titan, I think he's dying! Please, we… we need to get to someone in the healing coven right now!" The little crowd around them immediately erupted into a cacophony of exclamations.
"The Golden Guard? Titan!"
"Someone call St. Epiderm's!"
"What will the Emperor do to us if the Golden Guard dies here with us?"
"He'll have our heads, that's what he'll do!"
"Who's the kid?"
Someone knelt down next to him and started checking Hunter's head wound. Darius felt suddenly very faint, and he remembered that he hadn't eaten for Titan knew how many days. His broken leg throbbed and his head pounded with the sound of his own heartbeat. His vision started to go dark around the edges of his tears, and there was a noise like a thousand fire bees in his ears. The shapes of the people around him and the noises of the crowd started to disappear into the buzzing till they became indistinguishable blurs of color and sound. There was a gentle hand on his shoulder and someone said something to him, but the exact words were lost on him. Someone was pulling Hunter's body out of his hands.
No. I need to stay with him.
He thought he had said it, but the words didn't seem to make it all the way to his ears. Darius tried to tighten his grip, but whatever magic had powered his terror-filled flight from the tunnel of nightmares was rapidly draining from his limbs. A wave of dizziness rolled over him and he fell backwards into the arms of the surrounding witches. Exhaustion overwhelmed him and he closed his eyes, sinking down into the familiar embrace of oblivion.