Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

This incessant sound, it was terrifying at first, now it's simply an annoying constant reminder. What must it have been like for those who endured days, no, weeks of fighting these creatures inside tunnels? Their vision limited by the range of their torches as constant reminders echo around them, the sound piercing the darkness to maintain fresh in their mind, the knowledge that Rykz warriors are always close enough to literally breathe down their necks.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

As we get further along in the tunnel, my eyes finally manage to pierce enough darkness to discern the form of the large gray grub mentioned by Lady Lance, it merely looks like a writhing mass of odd shapes to me at this point.

I occasionally discern enough details to find a bulge of flesh moving, but I try my best not to look ahead too much as the … grub is disturbingly large and unsettling to observe as it squirms around itself, occupying the entire width of the tunnel.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

The closer we get, the more details appear on the creature, it has large triangular ivory teeth projecting forward from its center-mass, positioned in a circle around the mouth, a simple gaping hole leading inside the grub. The teeth sometimes close in on themselves, coming together perfectly to obstruct the mouth's hole in a pointy configuration.

I can see that the teeth are slowly rotating but otherwise holding their relative position, giving me the points of reference that I was missing to understand that the creature isn't writhing around so much as rotating on itself around its center-mass.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

There is some kind of goo visibly covering the top and bottom of the creature's gray flesh, that along with the creature's rotation points me towards a few conclusions.

“That thing isn't touching the ground.” I raise my voice despite our sustained pace, making my breath shorten even more, because this seems important enough that I want to make sure they didn't miss it.

“Are you blind, peasant? Can't you see that gunk the thing sweats right there between it and the ground?” Patrick snaps.

“That's exactly the point I'm making.” I let my eyes roll in ridicule since he cannot see them from behind me. “We see that the stuff oozing from the creature is only present between the top and bottom of the tunnel, but none where it is clearly in contact with the walls. It is much too odd that the distribution of slime remains constant despite the thing turning on itself like a wheel.”

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

“So you think it is turning on itself to push the goo towards either side of the tunnel?” Yvonne asks.

“I think this thing lives inside the ground and that it isn't a predator.” I wait but none of them seem to understand. “If it's not a predator and it lives inside the tunnels it digs, or compresses, it pushes the ground aside? Anyway, it comes to reason that it has a way to collapse its own tunnels to protect itself, otherwise it would have no way to escape the first predator that enters its habitat.”

“With teeth like that, how can it not be a predator?” Patrick scoffs.

“Wouldn't be the first prey to have impressive teeth.” I shrug. “But as far as I can tell, the tunnel around the creature looks more rounded out than the somewhat angular corners around us now.”

“Shit, you're right, that fat grub is eroding the walls.” Yvonne swears.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

The two echoes reach us with such close timing that they make us all start in surprise at the irregularity. Lady Lance raises a closed fist, making us stop around her in a circle.

“Two and two, Jessica will distract the grub while I look for an opening to overcharge it, when I give the signal, you break, run and don't stop.”

“Don't waste time.” Patrick grunts between grit teeth, his eyes darting to me, before turning around and taking position with Yvonne across the width of the tunnel.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

“No problem, s'just a big fat grub with teeth as big as my hands. Rotating teeth with muscles strong enough to push tons of earth aside.” I swallow the ball of nerves I've managed to conjure up all by myself like an idiot. “Maybe don't boost the outer shell of muscles?” I say nervously as we walk towards the hulking worm.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

“It might work better if I focus it all on its insides and its heart rips itself apart.” Lady Lance muses. “But the same reasoning applies if we boost the outer layer and it quickly rips itself apart, our job would be pretty much done.”

“It digs tunnels by pushing tons of dirt away, do you really think you can add enough power that it actually overcharges something like that?”

“I definitely can … but if they're too resilient it will take much longer and it may help the creature collapse the tunnel on us.” She nods. “I agree, boosting the inner portions alone seems like the safest and fastest bet.” She turns her head slightly and makes an encouraging smile.

My heart beats harder at the sight and I start forward towards the grub, initiating the flow construct I left on standby with a single thought as I wave my hand in circles above my head, aiming to catch the thing's attention.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

Maybe bait its teeth left so my Lady Lance can sweep to its right, it shouldn't take more than a second or two to transfer a prepared construct. I slow my gait slightly when I wonder what kind of range the grub's teeth can reach and realize that if its anything like a worm that extends the head forward before retracting the tail on itself inside the body, then this creature's range is … longer than I first thought.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

I hear a crash a distance away behind us in the tunnel, no doubt the Rykz engaging Yvonne and Patrick. That happened much sooner than I expected, but that's the entire point of the constant breathing cries, to create pressure and misdirection. The sounds of battle behind me remind me that our lives very much depend on our success. Well … I'm probably fucked sooner or later either way, but her life does depend on this.

I jump a few times in the same spot and that seems to catch the grub's attention as its teeth edge in my direction, I start forward, jogging with my nerves on edge, fully prepared to evade the creature as soon as it tries to rush me.

When it happens, the speed is above what I expected but I'm not too surprised as I planned to witness something beyond my own expectations. I remained fully aware throughout making the few plans I had time to make that my lack of combat experience could get me killed while baiting the three meter in diameter worm.

There is nothing fancy in the grub's attack, it simply throws its head forward with wide open teeth and I simply put my left leg forward to push away from the attack, creating a counterpoint that I use to change direction.

The maneuver works despite the fact that I reacted so immediately at the first sign of danger that it left the grub with enough time to try to adjust the angle of its charge. But the massive creature's strength apparently has limits as its change in direction is minimal.

I stand there, relieved as I watch the large head of the grub slowly recede backward, the body seemingly receding inside itself. I take a step back too as the head approaches my level in its retreat.

That's the moment when my expectations fail me as the creature, in a shrewder move than I could have imagined in my naivety, suddenly swings its head sideways at me without getting back into position. The force behind the movement is pitiful for a creature with such large amounts at its disposal, but it is plenty enough to handle a tiny thing like me, the large head slams into me, impacting the entire area from my lower ribs to my knees.

I am thrown sprawling to the ground with my entire front feeling like a huge bruise, unable to catch my breath as lack of oxygen is already making my lungs burn. I see a leg pass over my body, recognizing Lady Lance in a corner of my mind, her palm is glowing golden with ten times more energy than I would have if my reserves were full.

She brings her arm around in an arc to hit the grub-like creature with a fierce palm strike to the side of its head, the palm following through with the blow for an extended second as the glow dissipates and the creature's teeth are thrown violently into the tunnel's wall.

Leomi then immediately turns around to lean over me and seizes the front of my collar with a full hand grip, she swiftly starts dragging me away from the inside of the thing's strike range.

My head still turned towards the grub as I am pulled away, I witness the being's entire rhythm accelerate, its gray oozing flesh taking on an extra size as it bloats slightly. It soon resumes its previous position retracted almost fully on itself but its movements this time seems rough, the rotation uncontrolled as the teeth often drift off-center.

“I think we got it.” I voice rasps its way through my throat as I end the sentence with a coughing fit.

“We did.” She holds out a flask of water at me, it seems like she has spent the entire day with one within reach to give me at every occasion she can find. I shake my head off the train of thought as I gladly drink water. “You good to go?” She asks.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

“This fucking noise!” I exclaim in annoyance, pulling the flask away from my lips, as I once again hear the noise I'd managed to ignore while focusing on the grub. “How do we make enough space to get past that?” I point at the grub, its writhing motions having stopped as its head hesitates between advancing and retreating inside its body, occasionally flashing to take empty bites out of the air around itself in panic, the irrational behavior informing us of the pain the creature must be feeling.

“I have the reserves left to boost myself and push the mass away, but I don't think its possible to reinforce bones and ligaments enough to sustain the ton of flesh this thing is made out of.” She pauses to observe the last dying throes of the creature, a jerking full retreat of the flesh inside itself, compressing to block the tunnel fully.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

“Fuck!” I yell.

“Actually … that gave me an idea. Get the others, we don't need to forcefully push it aside when the mechanism is already present naturally in the grub.” She starts forward, taking full hold of two teeth to start walking backward as she pulls on them along. “Hurry, we need to get trough and put it back before rigor mortis sets in.” She yells over her shoulder.

Patrick and Yvonne are fighting only thirty meters away from us, but the distance seems longer to me as I cross it and notice that the sounds made by the Rykz warriors are definitely originating from much closer than they did before we stopped. The old fear resurfaces within me but I do my best to ignore it.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

They are fighting with the same creatures we faced in the ambush, the scout types with two spikes, interlocked armor and a head seemingly flattened over their shoulders. Two of those scouts already lay dead on the ground while they're fighting another two over the bodies in a tense back and forth.

“The way is clear!” I try yelling from a dozen meters away but they are too focused on the fighting to hear it so I hurriedly make my way closer to repeat myself. “Breakaway! The grub is dead!” I yell once more.

This time they seem to acknowledge the information as they both change rhythm, changing their probing blows to heavy strikes aiming to force their opponents to take a step back to cope.

The Rykz on the left does pull away to evade the blow instead of blocking it, but the other one makes the opposite decision, raising and crossing both of its natural weapons to block Yvonne's strike, her sword hits one of them, diverting the force of the blow, making it slide along the spike before hitting the other one and stopping the sword dead in its tracks.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

Yvonne doesn't let that bother her as she lifts her foot and kicks the spot right under the pommel of her sword where both spikes intersect, surprising and shoving the Rykz violently backward, the creature trips on the body of its dead lookalike before sprawling to the ground.

Patrick, instead of breaking away, jumps on the opportunity and lifts his sword arm to straight up throw the weapon in a deadly spin towards the creature laying on the ground, destabilized and without footing to dodge. The blade impacts with the carapace, breaking parts of it as it pierces, injuring the Rykz but mostly sending it back to the ground, sprawling once again.

Yvonne takes the opening and jumps forward, plunging her own sword straight into the flat head, the Rykz scout stops moving and goes rigid before Yvonne lands her second strike through the chest next to Patrick's sword.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

The last Rykz scout doesn't even startle or hesitate at the death, turning on itself and running away with swift strides. It didn't seem like the Rykz was afraid or panicked in any way to me, I think it simply determined the fight lost and took the next logical decision, retreat to report.

Patrick moves to take his sword back and they both take pieces of cloth already stained with brown out of their packs to wipe them as they walk up to me, wasting no time either in following through with the next logical step, getting past the grub.

I swallow the jealousy rising in me at the honestly awe-inspiring cold-blooded demeanor displayed during and after they dispatched the Rykz. I was barely able to handle my emotions when I failed to properly bait the grub while they're killing a half-squad of Rykz and they don't seem fazed in the least.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

I see movement further in the tunnel, beyond the fleeing Rykz scout. I quickly throw together the flow construct to enhance my eyes, a tiny trickle that will last me about ten seconds.

“The warriors are here.” I tell them as they walk past me, but they don't even turn around to take a look, shrugging.

“Let's get past that grub first, they're far enough that I'm not concerned yet.” Yvonne says nicely while Patrick ignores the entire conversation.

I make use of my enhanced eyesight to take a good look at the Rykz warriors, the origin of the haunting noise that followed us these past hours. Emperor! Its only been a few hours and yet this noise managed to ingrain itself in my fears.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

At first glance, they seem very similar to the scouts, except larger, one flat head taller and without the natural interlocked carapace or spikes instead of forearms or hands.

They are covered in pieces of … armor, not carapace. Armor made out of a material much duller than iron but I can still recognize the reflection of a small but unmistakable amount of light at this distance. The upper and lower trunks are each protected by two separate pieces of armor linking into each other, they have shoulder guards and sleeves of blade mail to cover their arms.

These warrior's most distinguishing feature, however, is located below their elbows, as their forearms, comparable to a human's if only a bit larger, flow into wrists that connect to a small round palm around which are spread three claws at equal distances from the center and each other. The claws are located a hundred and twenty degrees from each other, measure at about half the size of a human hand at its base to continue for twenty centimeters as they thin in a vicious arc and end in sharp points.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

Each of the warriors is carrying a large round shield of about seventy centimeters in diameter and made of the same material as their armor, in their other hands they hold long and large sabers, they hold the weapons by placing their clawed palms around the bulbous spheres replacing the straight handles humans use. There are three large grooves dug inside their spherical handles, no doubt allowing them to maintain an almost unshakable grip on their weapons, two grooves on either side of the blade and another at the bottom, where a human pommel would be, really.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

That damn breathing sound … and now I have a terrifying image to go along with it. I shake my fascinated mind off the creatures and turn around, launching myself into a small jogging to catch up with the others, impatient to find somewhere relatively safe further ahead and finally get a chance to rest.

Lady Lance succeeded in forcing the grub's body to extend, she reached a spot even further than it went when it jumped at me, revealing enough space on either side that we are able to pass by sidestepping while squeezing our backs against the wall.

I experience a brief moment of fear as we make our way past the largest part of the grub when I realize that if the wrong nerve starts twitching, triggering the wrong muscles in the outer layer, we could all die ironically flattened like stepped over worms.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

The shril shriek follows right behind us as we emerge, alive, from the surprisingly odorless voyage between the grub and the wall, perhaps because the goo covering it doesn't have much of a smell and it's spread over most of the monster's gray flesh.

The tunnel on the other side is no different but we do see two Rykz watching us from a distance away. Same size as the warriors except without armor and without carapace, their obsidian black rubbery flesh is directly apparent. I spot their string-like muscles protruding underneath the flesh around their joints, especially around their three large fingers, there instead of the claws the warriors carry. Their flat heads feature a horizontal oval opening on the front with two chewing mandibles protruding on either side, idly opening and closing.

“Don't.” Yvonne places a hand on Lady Lance's shoulder to stop her from running after the creatures observing us. “They're workers, they will happily lead you around in a chase and fight to the death if you catch them, just to exhaust you.”

“We're close to the old mine.” I say, pointing at the traces of red on the walls.

Rh-hyyyyy, kszz.

“Okay, let's not waste time putting the grub back in position since the warriors will be able to get past it too, let's keep moving.” Lady Lance leads with a jogging start and we match the speed as we form up behind her with me at the center as usual. “Once we reach the mines, we will break every support for the tunnels as we go. We'll have to break or pull the beams and then run because there is a chance the tunnel can collapse all around us.” She pauses for a moment before continuing, still in the same tone she uses to give orders. “Jessica, you'll go ahead first while we do that to find a relatively isolated and dry campsite.”

I don't comment, lowering my head to hide my anger and shame as the comment makes it clear to me that she still sees me as fundamentally weak.