Day 22

Julia Sarcos

For several reasons, the sight of the fully armed raid party was strange to Julia. The biggest was the contrast between them now and before. When the Sixty had just begun to explore. Their first breach into the tunnels had been with them wearing little more than t-shirts and shorts. Fantasy t-shirts and shorts, she smirked to herself. The next was just seeing a group dressed for medieval-style warfare that wasn’t a renfaire. There was a startling difference in the sight. Here in this moment, the raiders were truly prepared for a fight. They strode confidently, but death was still a very real possibility. It was a mixed feeling for the shieldmaiden, one of faith and fear.

The rest of the strangeness came from the minor details. It was the fitting of the armor that bothered her. Like a splinter that couldn’t be removed or ignored. Despite the various styles, every member wore their garments tailor fit. It was a disturbing level of invasion into their privacy that The Pit knew their sizes. It repulsed Julia and she shuddered at the thought. In her time here, the shield maiden has grown to love her fellow Sixty, but her hate for everything here only grew.

Fear strangled at the core of her, but she strove to the frontline anyway. Someone had to see to their escape. To make sure every step forward was being taken. That was how Julia had made peace with her fear. With a promise. A personal covenant to hold it together and escape. She would see herself out of this and help everyone make it out too. It may have started with her picking out the shield on a whim. Just wanting something to hide behind for her own protection. Now, the shield maiden wanted to safeguard the Sixty from harm. A desire that added to the terror as it strengthened her will against it. Many fears ached in her heart, but she would keep moving. She had enough strength to keep the panic in place.

The little joys helped. Julia enjoyed her time with Clarrisa, Malachi, and the others. She had almost become comfortable. Two weeks of routine could make anything start to feel normal. Even dungeon crawling. Daily raids had brought about a surety of expectation. Malachi’s announcement that they would try the upper tunnel broke that illusion of safety. The shield maiden's hands shook at the prospect. There was something treacherous to the entrance of the upper tunnel. She didn’t look forward to what horrors awaited.

Marching at the head of a fully equipped Sixty did a lot to calm her nerves though. No one noticed the shaking hands or the wild eyes, but her heart slowed at the sight. Her own armor added its own reassuring weight. Going off Molly’s list, she had focused on maintaining her dexterity. Chainmail made up the bulk of what she wore with plate armor to cover her limbs and a barbut style helmet to top it all off. Julia chose an open-faced variant for the wider view. She marched along with apparent calm to everyone’s perception. Only Clarissa noticed. Whether or not it helped, the redhead tried to ease her nerves with jokes.

“What do you call an oinker that knows kung fu?” asked Clarissa with a grin.

“An oinker?” frowned Julia. “How many bad jokes are you going to tell me?”

Sighing, Clarissa brushed past the question, “Duh it’s a pig, and this one can kick ass. What do you call it?”

“I don’t know,” said Julia, distracted. She tried to catch Malachi’s eyes, but the chosen leader was busy wrangling the Sixty into position. Only a few parties would be exploring the upper tunnels. The rest would be holding the opening to keep their rear safe. Or at least safer since the honeycombed nature of the new tunnel made clearing danger very problematic.

“A pork chop!” giggled the archer. Julia groaned while the other clutched her stomach and laughed freely.

“Why do you love such bad jokes?” admonished the shieldmaiden.

“Uh, because they're funny,” said Clarissa with a roll of her eyes. “I could ask ya riddles for a distraction instead, but nothing’s better than a good laugh. I’ll get you with one of these.”

“You’ve told me twelve already…” complained Julia. “I think it’s perfectly natural to be nervous about going in there for the first time.” She gestured hard towards the upper tunnel entrance. This was as close as either of them had gotten to it.

There was a miasma of malice that flowed from it. The Doors had beckoned them to enter, but this entrance said “enter and beware” with perfect clarity. The message came from many details. The lighting had changed from a mix of greens and blues to a pure disquieting blue. The fauna’s new bioluminescence made even the lit areas appear gloomy and the shadows became pools of forbidding darkness. It was a place that felt like descending into the basement as a child when the lights went out. An unforgettable fear in the background of this while taking in the terrain, was the Ratsins. They had mutated once, and there was every reason to believe the abominations would alter again. How twisted will they be this time? whimpered Julia in her head. We’ve already seen some messed up stuff… the Vile Fields wasn’t a picnic…

“Huh, yeah it is creepy,” agreed the redhead. Then they turned away and asked, “What do you call two birds that stick together?”

“Really?!” gasped Julia.

“Yes! Really! Now guess!”

“Ugh, I don’t know,” replied Julia.

“Vel-crows!” cheered Clarissa.

Unable to help herself, she laughed. “Damnit, red!”

Standing proudly with hands on hips, the red declared victory, “Hah! Gotcha! Bad jokes for the win! Betcha feel better too.”

“Maybe, but mostly just annoyed at you,” grumbled Julia.

“Psh, no reason to be angry at mu-wah,” said Clarissa. “There is no reason to be embarrassed at laughing at a bad joke. Not everyone can be so cultured as to have lost all their humor.”

“I feel like you're throwing an insult at someone you used to know there,” pointed out Julia.

“Yeah, stupid Soren,” growled Clarissa. “Dude used my weakness for gambling to get a peek at my backstory. Made me feel a little nostalgic and regretful. So many people I didn’t finish getting revenge on… Sigh… O’ well, c'est la vie.”

“You are the oddest person I have ever met and I think you are also the best friend I have ever had,” said Julia, voice edged with bewilderment.

“Oddest person, yet!” pressed Clarissa. Adding in a shy, embarrassed tone, “Also, yeah, love ya too.”

Julia rolled her eyes and bumped their shoulders together playfully. A voice echoed out. She froze as Malachi called for the pushing teams to get ready. The nervous tremble returned and her breath drew in harshly. The upper tunnel seemed to loom over them all, a gloomy shade devouring the light. The searing blue glow made a mockery of illumination. The shadow quivered with hidden mouths and claws. Then Clarissa’s hand was on her shoulder, somehow shining in the gloom with glitter and glow-in-dark nail polish. She spent cores on polish, thought Julia dryly.

“Remember, don’t panic,” whispered the archer, that rare seriousness entering her voice. “It doesn’t help anything. It’s spooky, but you ain’t alone. I’ve got your back and Malachi’s got your front.” The last part she emphasized with shifting her eyebrows. Whether it was the words or the surreal image of nail polish in a dungeon, Clarissa had helped Julia find her feet for real this time. Not just distracted. The tremble receded and her lung pulled smoothly.

The shieldmaiden walked up to the entrance with her shield and sword ready. Malachi grinned at her before turning back to direct the order for the push. They would at least begin together before splitting into parties. There was no reason to take any risks. He directed her to take the point position with Zachariah and Elena on either side. The feel of his faith in her felt warm. Something to draw strength from. I don’t need to look back, thought Julia. Clarissa has that locked down. Our Malachi believes in me enough to put me here. I have to remember the faith that others put in me.

People shuffled behind her into position. Julia clenched her jaw and searched the dark while she waited. There was that eerie stillness ahead. Not even the shadows shifted. Anything could be hiding, yet nothing moved. There was only the distant screams coming from afar.

When Malachi called for them to move forward, Julia was surprised to experience relief that the wait was over. Moments before she had been trembling at the thought of entering the upper tunnel. Once deciding to enter, waiting had been its own torture. Especially when staring at the hellscape you would soon be traveling through. The shieldmaiden moved forward and took a deep breath as her foot crossed the imaginary line.

Nothing happened and it continued that way for the next couple of steps. The frontline moved slowly while their heads constantly shifted for anything. The smooth walls of the tunnel ended and the honeycombs began. Dark empty pits in the walls stared them down. Weapons were eased. Teeth gritted as she peered into the deep pits. There was the sound of dispersed gravel, but nothing appeared. Their steps echoed as they strained for any warning of a pending death.

With a growling voice, Malachi broke the silence, “Allen, Burn the left! Jorgenson, wipe out the right! Archers and casters, be ready if even a nose pokes out! Melee, prepare for an angry response! If they won’t come out on their own, then we’ll entice them out. Strike!” A roar of fire and wind split the air. One side of the tunnel was lit up by angry flames and the other by the Mana glow of conjured wind. High-pitched screams announced the hidden enemy.

Scorched and scoured, the Ratsins dove out of the pits to lash out at the first targets available. Melee fighters holding the sides were ready. Julia wanted to turn and watch, but the front needed to be guarded too. Out of the corner of her eyes, she detailed the changes in the monsters of the upper tunnel.

It was mostly the muscular ones that were called Pure Ratsins that came out. They popped out of pits with hungry shrieks. The abominations thrust themselves free and charged. Bulging muscles tore around the damage caused by spell work. Black blood splattering in the air before meeting the defensive line. There was an awkward malformity to the beast. As if they were interrupted in the middle of a transformation.

Bodies softened and were more vulnerable than before. Hard protrusions broke through the skin of the Ratsin along the spine and several points of thick bone. Greenish flaps of wet skin hung across their bodies in shreds. Each appeared soaked in rank bluish goo.

The sore-covered Bloated Ratsins were scattered about in the horde. Sicken half-baked forms lashed out at their own kind as charged towards the humans. Blobulous forms of rat soup huddled around meaty skeletons of Ratsins. Too ill-formed to move naturally, they poured howling from the pits. The second wave of flame and electrified wind silenced those living failures on either side.

After the second volley from Allen and Jorgenson, the other range fighters added their own wills to the fight. Arrows rained onto the rat things. Most shots only slowed the charge, but Ratsins dropped wherever a green streak went. Damian’s voice cut through the din, a field of violet stars burst into life above the Sixty. Violet streaks crashed down among the abominations and exploded. Rat thing flesh catapulted into the air in chunks. Ice shards and bolts of darkness blasted into both sides. Before the monsters made it to the Sixty, acolyte Russel placed a hand upon the ground. Stone ruffled in a wave, breaking up the momentum of the charge.

The clash of bodies was a blanketing cacophony. Roaring in defiance, the melee fighters stood against the wave of monstrous flesh. Their blades gleamed as they slashed down. Mana flashed as their weapons sliced upwards. Enraged monsters gurgled and thrashed to the ground. The gores splashed upon them, but the Sixty didn’t flinch. They had gotten used to the cost of slaying monsters. It was, after all, an easy price to pay to get the Ratsins out of their sight. The dismembered corpse of a rat thing was a softer image than a living one.

Julia kept one eye on the battle around her, but the main focus was ahead. Very few of the creatures made it close to them. Elena and Zachariah eliminated any that did. She stared into the dark of the upwards slanting tunnel. A passing feeling, of moving air or a flicker of movement. Mana surged alive along her blade and was in position in an instant. Before her thrust could begin a pale Rueben appeared waving his hands frantically before you.

“Shit, shit, it’s me!” exclaimed the scout. “Sorry, I was haulin’ ass back and forgot to decloak!”

“O’ sorry Rueben,” replied Julia, relaxing with a sigh. “Did you head up there?”

“Aye, you guys put on quite the distraction,” explained Rueben. “I figured it was best to take advantage of it… and well, what I saw is why I came back quick. Gotta warn you, some big ass Ratsins on their way.”

“Ahh, go tell Malachi, we’re ready,” said Julia with a mildness she didn’t quite feel. She had begun to separate from herself. The panicky aspect of her sinking into a ball in her stomach and an accepting spirit taking over her movements. The scout rushed through the line. The shieldmaiden breathed out slowly. Behind them, the battle grew louder as the Sixty rushed to finish off the honeycomb Ratsins. Her Mana trembled in anticipation. A trumpeting chorus announced the new foes.

A tremor rose up from the ground. The pounding grew as large figures descended down the tunnel. They strode towards the Sixty like lurching bears on their hind legs. Humanoid arms hung low, almost dragging. Jagged protrusions with blue veins broke through the skin. A blue irradiated glow followed in their wake. Wrathful azure eyes focused in on the frontline. A chortle of rage announced the change from a lumbering march to a bullrush.

The frontline changed stance for impact. Shields up, weapons prepared. The new type of Ratsin raised their fist in preparation. Acolyte Russel rushed to stand behind the line and stomped the ground chanting his spell. A ripple passed through the stone again. Instead of a wave of broken earth, the stone became liquid under the beasts. Most of the giant monsters tripped and sunk deeper into the stone. The ground resolidified to trap them, but the three of the monsters at the front escaped the trap. Meaty arms gripped solid ground and pulled their loathsome bodies from the Mana-induced mud. They roared with malicious pride.

Calmly, Julia endured the wait as the three beasts lurched forward. The battle behind them was still raging, forcing the frontline to hold. They couldn’t go meet the attack. All there was to do was wait. Shields raised as Mana grew lively around the defenders. There was an anticipation in the air that was almost eager and palatable. Julia signals the two beside her and they began gathering Mana at their shields. They had developed a simple trick for this type of situation. It wasn’t quite a spell, but it was a stretch of their Mana abilities.

Her shield began to glow dark blue. Beacons of magenta and sunshine blazed at her sides. When the shadow of the Ratsins fell upon them, all three thrusted their shields forward with a roar of defiance. The rat things raised their wicked hands, ready for the pounce. They slammed into the barrier unprepared. A field of their three colors divided the Sixty from the Ratsins. The fiends screamed in pain.

The damage the monsters did to themselves was noticeable. One collapsed immediately after esstenitally headbutting with all of it’s weight. It gurgled upon the ground. The other two bled from the snout and one’s arm hung loosely. They scrabbled upon the ground with wounded cries. When the Ratsins rose it was with angry snarls and glares for the three of them. Howling, a blue glow emanated disturbingly from their arms. Julia felt the impact of their sudden attack through her connection to the barrier. All three of them had flinched, but the barrier held despite a moment of wavering.

Grabbing the attention of her companions, Julia called out the plan. When the abominations brought down the force of their fists again that was their moment. The barrier was only held long enough to take the blow. The three of them dropped it and lunged forward. Their blades shone in the dark of the tunnel. Stumbling from the disappearance, the monsters were completely open.

Zachariah’s spear hit first, plunging under the ribs of the Ratsin with a broken arm. Thick skin resisted the attack mildly. When the spearhead came out there was a spurt of tainted blood, but it clotted quickly. Julia and Elena struck together to end the other one. They hoped to reduce the number of attackers instantly. The ax went for the neck and her sword maneuvered to gouge the belly. Dense muscles broke reluctantly, but the potentially grevious wounds clotted as well. The Ratsins reeled back only momentarily.

The frontline shifted back to the group as their support added their force to the battle. Spikes of stone courtesy of the earth acolyte erupted around the Ratsins. The one on the ground was heavily impaled. The two standing lost their footing and took more injuries in the fall. Two green arrows shot in short succession flew towards each of the living opponents. They clashed in a spark of emerald light. Both arrows were stuck in the forehead of a Ratsin, but failed to penetrate further. Julia heard Clarissa curse behind her.

The three frontliners charged back in with an angry archer unleashing a barrage of cover fire. The earth spikes flattened as they got closer. Weapons came down before the Ratsins could recover. With a monstrous roar, Elena brought her ax thunderously down upon the neck of a rat thing. Gore splattered as the huge woman chopped a few more times to assure the kill.

Julia backed up Zachariah this time. The spear and shield wielder thrust for the eye of the Ratsin. A quick flinch by the creature saw a long wound across the face instead of losing half their sight. The monster lurched onto its belly as the hind legs were too mangled. While Zachariah tried to reposition, a clawed hand countered. Julia stepped in, shield up and sword digging into the wrist. The rat thing raised its head in a scream. A spear thrust took advantage of the opening and was buried in the soft place under the jaw. The monster wheezed a final breath and all three retreated.

They didn’t relax. Ahead in the gloom was the sound of crumbling rock. Entrapped monsters were breaking free. A violet light zoomed over ahead and landed among the Ratsin. Its light illuminated about a dozen of the monsters in various states of freedom. A violet dome revealed more as it enlarged to cover up several nearby rat things. The howls of pain covered up the sounds of crumbling. The battle on the sides was over. Malachi called for the Sixty to march forward.