Chapter 62 At the end of the tunnels

Chapter 62

It was becoming dark when we arrived for work at the mayor's residence. We took a long to complete packing yard items for the excursion. The moon had begun to rise, casting jagged shadows across the cracks of the stone walls. As we moved in closer towards the tunnels, the air slowly got heavy and thick, with the scent of damp earth and an eerie feeling. I was a bit nervous, but not as much as Matilda. I could see sweat coming down the side of her face. As we stared at the gnarled oak door, knowing what lay beyond it. The entrance to the tunnels beneath the mayor's house. The only way to reach the enslaved people but first, we had to survive the rabbit demons on the way there.

Team 1 had Cailian, Matilda, Baby, Micha, and James. Team 2 Had me - Kaysi, Duke, Becky, Evan, and Josh. We had a group lined up and ready to go into the tunnels.

The demon rabbits weren't the soft, timid creatures from storybooks or gardens you used to. No, these things were monsters. Their fur was white, matted, and slick with the sheen of blood and grime. Their eyes - crimson and burning glow seemed to cut through the darkness like twin lanterns. Fangs, sharp as daggers, jutted from their snarling mouths. They had a powerful sense of smell. The worst part was they are so very agile and unnaturally quick, so trying to take them down would be rather difficult.

"Are you ready for this?" Matilda's voice was steady, but I could see her hand trembling as she gripped the Chakram.

"Not even close," I muttered. "But we must go get the people, so it is now or never."

Our group pressed into the tunnels as we had to take out the first rabbit groups at the beginning.

Josh pressed his back against the wall beside the door, his sword drawn. "We need a plan."

"Yeah," I whispered. "Kill them before they kill us."

"What a brilliant idea," Josh said dryly.

Matilda shot me a dark look. "We can't fight them head-on. They're too fast, too strong. We need to be smarter."

"I know," I said. "But how do you outsmart something that can smell your everything? I bet it can even smell your fear?"

Standing in the cavern where the tunnels met, we peered down the two large tunnels that divided our ways. Thankfully, we had copies of the map made before coming down here. 

Just then, a low growl came from the other side of the right tunnel pathway, followed by the sound of claws scraping against rocks. My breath hitched.

"They know we're here," James said, his knuckles whitening around the trigger of his bow.

"Perfect." I took a shaky breath and nodded towards the tunnel. "Once they are in the open. If they're as fast as they seem, they'll overcommit, and we can dodge them. Then we can ambush them and strike."

"And if that doesn't work?" Cailian asked.

"Then we run."

No one laughed.

We Waymakers must keep you Chiefs protected. We must also be careful because we do not know the age and stability of these tunnels.

Duke held up his lantern. A wave of cold air rushed out of the tunnel, sending chills down our spines. It carried the sour stench of mildew and something coppery - blood. The tunnel beyond was dark, a narrow stone hallway. Descending into shadow.

As Duke adjusted his light down the tunnel that is when we saw them.

Glowing red eyes flickered in the darkness. Four sets... Eight... Ten... Or More... Low, guttural growls reverberated off the walls, vibrating through my chest. Then, the first one moved.

A blur of white fur and claws shot toward us. I ducked as it lunged, its fangs snapping inches from my neck. Evan's sword flashed in the dark, slicing through the creature's side. It shrieked and twisted unnaturally in the air before crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.

More followed. "Get ready, everyone!" I called out!

"Matilda!" I shouted.

She spun, her Chakram gleaming. A rabbit demon leaped at her - too fast - but she twisted aside, driving the ring's blade into its flank. It screamed and thrashed, but Matilda kept hold of the ring, twisting until the thing's red eyes dimmed.

"CAILIAN, on your right!" I shouted, and at this point, we were all back to back as they surrounded us.

Cailian pivoted, his Chakram arcing downward. He sliced through another demon's leg, but it recovered faster than I thought possible, launching itself at his chest. Micah hurled Her Tessen war fan, striking it beneath its glowing eye. The creature stumbled, then collapsed.

I pulled Matilda up to her feet. "We can't keep this up!" She said, wiping blood from her cheek. "We have to get to the tunnels and get to the people soon!"

The demons regrouped and circled us. Their red eyes burned brighter, and their growls deepened. They were learning and adjusting.

Duke swore under his breath. "They're not just fast — they're smart."

The quite enormous demon stepped forward; it was twice the size of the others. Its massive claws scraped along the stone floor, and its breath came in low, guttural huffs. It stared at me, locking eyes as though it could see into my soul.

And then it charged right at us.

I barely had time to raise my sword before it was on me. The impact knocked me to the ground and away from the others. My head smashed against the rocky floor. My vision blurred, but I felt the hot breath on my face and saw the glim of fangs as the demon as it opened its mouth.

Matilda screamed and drove her Chakram into its back. "I won't let your demons take another one of my people." The demon shrieked, rearing up and giving me just enough room to roll aside.

I staggered to my feet. My sword lay just out of reach.

"Matilda, watch out!"

Too late. The demon's claws lashed out, tearing across her shoulder. She fell back with a strangled cry.

I snapped and lunged, grabbing my sword and driving it upward into the demon's chest. Its eyes widened then deemed, and its claws twitched. Evan came in with a final slice across its neck, and then it collapsed.

Panting, I dropped to my knees beside Matilda. Blood stained her sleeve.

"You okay?" I whispered.

She grimaced but nodded. "Yeah, I wasn't going to let you get hurt, so this is worth it. Besides, this is just a scratch."

Cailian stood over us, his sword dripping with black blood. Behind him, the other demons lay still for now.

"We need to move. Let's patch her up and go. Do you think you can still make the trip?" Cailian said.

After Becky patched her up, I pulled Matilda to her feet. The dark tunnel stretched before us, deeper into shadow. We had barely survived the rabbit demons, but this was only the beginning.

"We may have thinned some of the demons out, but are you - Ready?" Cailian asked. "Next, we have to split up and cover both the tunnels.

I swallowed hard, looking at our two groups. "Let's finish this quick.