V1 Incline 23: Nin

The feeling of the wind grows stronger. The scent of fresh air makes Vadei's nose dance with joy and we all pick up the pace. Pushing forward with Vapooliar and some of the soldiers, we inch closer and closer to freedom. Murmurs become joyful remarks but caution remains on everyone's minds.

There have been no bugs thus far...

We have seen the signs of them and we keep finding big footprints that lead nowhere. But, in terms of seeing them, not at all. It is strange that we spent all that time preparing for what appeared to be no reason at all. Yet, better safe than sorry, I suppose.

"What is going o-" I start to say before Rohlant's dirty hand covers my mouth sharply.

"Do not finish that sentence." the superstitious soldier tells me as he firmly glares into my eyes. Looking away, I shut up and scratch my head.

"Yeah, don't spook the poor old artillery officer." one of the soldiers huffs in bemusement as he backs up closer towards me.

"Be quiet, Footman Envo." Rohlant rumbles with a click of his tongue at the end.

"What was that, Battcomm Rohlant? Didn't quite get that, try shouting it instead." Envo taunts as he recoils from the back-of-the-head smack a colleague gives him.

"How is it we managed to survive that valley with you, exactly?" another soldier asks as he lowers his gun. Looking towards what must've been the exit, that same soldier sighs in relief as a gust travels towards us.

"Recklessness is as valuable as caution, Aarut." Envo explains as he fiddles with his gun some more. Hearing another remark about 'boom-pikes,' I start to get curious. I don't like just walking through these dark tunnels. Speaking to someone should help, maybe.

"So, what's a 'boom-pike,' exactly? A few of you have commented about it." I ask as we transition from the damp soil of the hive to the mountain's actual, stone body. Thankfully for our ears, the rock is quite wet so the sledge isn't as noisy as it could have been. Though, still, hearing the scrape of weighted steel on bare rock makes me shiver. If we have somehow lucked out thus far, this noise will doom us.

We might as well just play the Unwote-calling music as loud as it can be!

"A hunk of junk." Aarut answers and Envo gives him a look.

"At least we know how to use them!" he tells the other soldier before they devolve into bickering.

Stepping closer, Rohlant puts his arm around me, "You know what a pike is?"

"Yes, pointed stick, no?" I answer, feeling like it was a bit of a silly question.

"Close enough, so, pike, gunpowder-fed tube on the underbelly. Perfect weapon for breaking formations or gutting an armoured ryphurgok." he explains to me and, somewhat being an engineer, it sounds clunky to me.

"How do you even fight with one of those? A long stick is hard enough to control." I comment, recalling some of the times I have held hollow steel pipes during my time working.

"You set the men up, brace your weapon and you wait for the order." Rohlant huffs with the roll of his one good eye.

"But even then, just a line of pointed steel is better, no? Just keep pushing with a bed of nails..." I argue as I try to think of a mental image that works for me.

"Clearly, you need to spend some time on a field against ryphurgoks." he tells me as he shakes his head.

"I... I don't even know what they are..." I say as we come up upon a vast chamber. It seems to be completely empty, but at the far end of it, there is light. Moving to my right a little, I even catch a glimpse of a tree rustling in the wind.

"THE EXIT!" Vadei howls excitedly as she starts to bounce with joy.

"Move ahead with caution, stay together even outside." Vapooliar tells us as her wisps start to spread out across the chamber. This place is massive, but, even high up, there is nothing. It feels artificial but I see no signs of tools having done this. Not a single rusty tool anywhere at all, either.

Oddly, though, despite her excitement just now, Vadei is now still...

"Uh..." she lets out as her ears act up. Looking around, I see nothing but the whispers are clearer than ever. Hive, they keep repeating that term. Tasks for the hive, jobs that need to be done for the hive.

Something I need to do for the hive...?

Shrugging it off at first, I step forward and freeze up as a noise chases after us. A roar... No... Hundreds!

"EVERYBODY MOVE!" Vapooliar barks furiously before she suddenly appears at my side. Feeling the wind follow her, her hand stops me and she pushes me back. But, I can't move. There are so many roars coming at us from the tunnel we just left.

"Vapooliar..." I go as she steps closer to the tunnel. She looks around the rock and her sword starts to glow.

"Nin, stay with the others, I'll be right behind you." she tells me as she stabs her sword into the rock with its edge facing my way. She takes a preparatory breath and forces the blade's flat face upwards against and through the rock. Chunks burst out towards her and cracks start to spread instantly away from the blade. Grunting, she snaps the blade out of the rock and a brief shower of shards comes with it.

"Vapooliar... You might have underestimated how strong you are!" I point out as the cracks surge towards the chamber's ceiling. Only one chunk falls and shatters at first, but it is just the first one in an escalating, pouring stampede of debris.

"Nin, go!" she tells me as she starts to run for the exit. Taking her words to heart, I chase after her with the sledge. A man screams at my side and something warm squirts out at me. Tasting blood, I start to feel cold and I go faster. But, looking at Vapooliar's armour, I contemplate taking it off abruptly.

I can just leap for the exit if I do!

Spotting a space that looks safe, I go there and try to pry at least some of the armour off. Behind me suddenly rings out with a bang and I stare wide-eyed at the boulder-crushed sledge. Stopping my efforts with the armour, I turn around carelessly and get caught in the straps. Swearing under my breath I snap them off and stumble into another boulder.

It wasn't there a moment ago...

"You're joking..." I mutter before my gaze snaps towards the tunnel as a bug hops into the open. Watching it roar with spread-out arms, I panic and shove another boulder out of the way. Following the developing maze, the roars get closer and closer until one goes off in my face. Staring up at the beast, I dive down into a tight passage just as a sharp, chunky rock falls.

Bug blood splatters across my face.

"VAPOOLIAR!? VADEI!? HEIYA!? ANYONE!?" I cry out as chitters and roars come at me from all sides.

"Ni-" I barely pick up as I stumble towards the light. Clenching my gun against my chest, I prepare myself. This is the situation it is meant for... Now is the time to use it.

See them, pull the trigger!

Spotting a bug, I pull it and its top vanishes as emerald-laced yellow light shoots from the barrel. Going along with the kick of the weapon, I fall against unstable rubble. It rolls down my back and front and I trudge towards the light. Firing my weapon again at the bugs, I find an open path. Backing up along it, I keep firing my weapon erratically at anything.

Flashes of bug outlines. The sound of their roars and chitters. The ones who step clearly before me. Nothing at all.

"NOT NOW!" I roar at my gun as it starts to just click. Turning around towards the light, I rush to it with all I have as my back hairs stand up. The air swooshes behind me and my chest clenches up. Roars go off right in my ear and the rocks seem to fall in front just to spite me.

"NIN!" I hear Vapooliar call out into the cave as emerald light starts to fill the collapsing chamber.

"VAPOOLIAR, I'M HERE!" I cry as I climb up onto a deeply lodged boulder. Slipping on something, my foot gets grabbed by a bug. Pulling it free with one clean motion, I start to laugh as I panic. Jumping over to the next boulder, I slip down into an open path and the others come into sight.

"COVERING FIRE!" Vapooliar orders the soldiers as she waits with held breath. Yellow bolts whizz past me and bug screams propel me onwards. Mixed in with the bolts, singular bangs ring out and sharp whistles. One bug goes down at my side from a sudden burst in its skull.

Reaching out for Vapooliar, she does the same as the exit grows wider and wider, closer and closer!

"You are mine." a voice clearly chitters inside of my head as the mountain suddenly slides shut. Crashing against the rock and not breaking it in the slightest, I stare at the immediate darkness in front of me. Not moving at all, the roars get closer and closer as do their footfalls.