You have their voice, I do not know
My mother warned me of this so
In to the dark I will not go
- Children’s Rhyme “A Friendly Voice”
It’s been one hour and we’ve been moving at a snail’s pace forward through the tunnels. We had all the signs of a Stalkers nest, but having one appear is a different matter. So now we’ve tightened our formation and are keeping close watch on our surroundings trying to catch any ambush before it happens. It may be safer, but the longer we stay in the dark jumping at shadows the faster morale deteriorates.
I’ve thought about turning on the song again to catch another one, but we’re not dealing with mindless enemies and it could end up doing more harm than good. A constant beacon of sound giving away our location and masking any subtle noises that could have been used as early warning. Though when an echo of footsteps bounces back and has me flinching for the hundredth time I’m considering it just to take the edge off.
‘Headline, hunter found dead, others on the scene say she started singing and alerted every monster in the tunnel. What are they teaching them at the guild these days?’
My attempt at distraction is interrupted by another split in the path, though this time with an ominous red glow from one of the sides. I can feel the tension in the air double, the atmosphere suffocating as we creep toward the new threat. A reminder that Stalkers may not be the only problem here, it’s not unheard of for them to build a nest in an area with another monster waiting to pick off anything that’s weakened or trying to flee.
What’s making the glow becomes obvious when we shuffle into the small junction. Melted stone walls in a vertical drop several meters wide going straight down, probably a Balroq. It’s a bit different from the namesake, being more of a large humanoid goat that is constantly on fire, but I guess people decided it was close enough. The heat coming from one is hot enough to melt stone so definitely not something I want to mess with, thankfully they’re not known to be aggressive.
Elizabeth pulls Kira back as the woman tries to peek over the edge of the hole, the Seraphim’s hands making a ‘What the hell are you thinking!?’ motion. Fortunately the scent trail we’re following goes into a different direction so we’re not going to accidentally run into fiery death.
We continue down the smooth rock tunnel, my worries growing with every passing minute. I know I should be focusing on my surroundings, but doubts about whether we’ll find anything left of the boy keep forcing their way into my thoughts. Even though I’ve been on a dozen or more missions, they were thoroughly controlled and overseen to prevent disaster. Any dead bodies had long since decayed and those were tough enough to stomach, none of them had ever been children.
Please let him be okay.
I send a pointless prayer out to anyone and anything that this mission will go okay, but whoever answered has a sick sense of humor. We finally get to the first gory signs of the Stalker nest, flayed or partially eaten bodies hanging from the ceiling of the chambers. Stalkers like to eat people a little bit at a time while they’re still alive or peel off their skin and watch until they die. A fact that my brain helpfully reminds me of. The victims are all adults, but it’s cold comfort against the waves of nausea I’m fighting back so I push it into the back of my mind, regaining some stability.
With that gruesome sight burned into memories, we continue on deeper into the nest. We’ll have to send a sweep in later to identify the remains, but that’s someone else’s problem. There’s not enough marks in the world to bring me back in here after we’re done.
Soon after we find the first clear sign of what we came for and I’ve never regretted being able to hear as much as I do now. Sobbing cries are coming from the tunnel up ahead and it’s all we can do not to rush toward them. The pained calls for his mother and the repeated “It hurts” are tearing my heart apart. I take another step back from myself, from the situation.
Pull yourself together. There is only the mission, nothing else.
I’m feeling out of sync, yet in control as we follow the sound of crying. When we come upon a large open chamber my instincts are warning me, the subtle shifting movements around me shows I’m not the only one. The moment we step inside the walls explode with Stalkers and we’re suddenly scrambling for our lives.
Flashes of edges come from the dark and it feels like the light is being swallowed up in the room. I can’t tell how many there are and I’ve barely avoided being decapitated twice by blurs of movement I’m unable to track. Kayla is standing right in front of me with dual swords, deflecting flashes of sharp scythes aimed at the two of us and It buys me enough time to toss the other dazzler and start reaching for a road flare.
“FLASH ON THREE!” I yell out, counting down in my head to when I need to squeeze my eyes shut. Pained screams and the ringing steel echoes out as sprays of blood splash on my face before my eyes slam closed. Light fills the tunnel in an instant and then vanishes, my hands already striking the cap of a road flare and throwing it at the wall before I open my eyes.
The blaze dispels enough of the unnatural dark to let me see that things are not great. There are half a dozen of the Stalkers flailing about and I see Z’s missing arm and leg right as I hear “Open Fire!”. The room flashes like a strobe light with echoing cracks from the gunshots. I fire a couple arrows as well, already aware that the bullet riddled Stalkers are dead.
I can only grimace and grind my teeth as I spot Kira starting to tie a tourniquet on what remains of Z’s leg, the woman gripping the stump of her arm tight with an impressive level of calm. Or shock. Kayla is holding her side but waves me off while Dawn is pulling a knot tight with her teeth around the end of her wrist where her hand used to be. Fuck. The only saving grace is that nobody died.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
When another muffled sob catches my attention I shuffle forward enough to peak down the tunnel and what I see starts to choke me up. Even as numb as I am, the sight cuts through me.
Jacob… god his eyes and legs.
I’m already almost to him before I can even think better of it when the wall suddenly bursts beside me. There’s a sharp pain in my left leg from the scythe sticking through it, but the other blade is spinning off into the distance, severed by an axe blurring past. I don’t have time to curse myself out, I just grab my titansteel and ram an impossibly sharp wireframe stiletto into the Stalker’s head right as it rips the scythe out of my leg along with a chunk of flesh. Its dead body collapses onto me and I barely stifle a scream from the pain.
I’m stupid, I’m so fucking stupid!
I struggle to get out from under the thing while Kayla softly consoles the kid. Good, if she’d gone to help me first I’d have had some words to say to her. I’m muttering some very unkind things about the Stalker though as I finally get myself free. The fresh hole in my leg mocks me as I press my hand down on it, fishing my first aid kit out with the other. I’m ripping the antiseptic wipes open with my teeth when I glance over and see Kayla holding on to the kid swaddled in some kind of cloth and out like a light.
“Not going to tell me off for being an idiot?” I joke with a slight wince as I finish bandaging up the deep puncture.
“We will both require a stern talking to.” she replies in her familiar neutral tone.
Glad to know I’m not the only idiot who rushed in, sure hurts like it though.
When we get back to the chamber the reception is a bit mixed unsurprisingly. Jacob is alive, but it’s hard to say things have turned out well. Dawn can still fire a gun, but Z is out of commission and someone is going to have to carry her out. We’re not in great shape here if another fight breaks out.
“Good news and bad news.” Elizabeth starts “There’s a closer exit to the outside that’s near the city wall. That’s the Good news. Bad news is that from here on you don’t say anything and you don’t trust anything that is said until we get out, understood?”
She scans the people in the room and seems satisfied once everyone either nods or gives a “Yes, ma’am”.
We split the remaining cores up one for each person though Z skips hers with a half conscious wave of the hand. It doesn’t feel great considering what she sacrificed here, but I guess she’s already expecting to retire after this. Kayla gets the extra one from the side tunnel and I’m more than happy to give it to her. I can’t speak for the others, but I’m honestly more glad for the short reprieve than the points.
+50 SP
It is a painful and nerve-wracking twenty minutes of limping to the exit and Elizabeth has to physically hold back Bridgett from kicking the obstruction clear to get out. If both of my legs were still working I’d have been right there with her.
We emerge only a couple hundred meters from the east gate and it doesn’t take long before we’re finally finally out of immediate danger. I’m about ready to fall asleep against the outer wall and I probably would have if there wasn’t a transport coming to pick us up. My enchantments have helped a little with my leg, but I’m definitely feeling the blood loss and it the ibuprofen is barely taking the edge off.
The kid would have died without the rescue and I’ve made five hundred marks after the split, I’m also up one hundred SP.
I try to reassure myself, reminding myself that it was a rush contract and everyone still survived, but this whole mission felt like it went to hell and I feel like a complete screw up.
Kayla plops down next to me, pulling her knees up to her chest while still in her full armor.
I tilt over to her and try to give my most light hearted “So how you doing?”
She responds with a sigh “It has not been a pleasant day.”
“Yea, yea today sucked.”
“That is why he is the most prominent member” Kayla finishes, as if concluding a presentation.
“What!? Just because he’s the face doesn’t mean he’s the best” Her argument just doesn’t hold water.
“I am only saying that there is a reason he is regarded as the leader.” She states as a matter of fact.
“Yea, I’m not saying he’s bad. Bonnie J is great, I’m just saying he’s not the best one” Sure he’s handsome, but come on.
“Then if not Bonnie J, who?” She asks, crossing her arms.
“Clay obviously, those sensitive eyes, that soulful voice. He’s like the heart of the group!” I’m motioning with my arms for emphasis because this is important.
“Ahhh, I see now. So Clay is more in line with your romantic tastes then?” She nods like she suddenly understands.
“And!? He’s still the number one, the attractive part is just a plus!” I practically shout. I can be objective, okay.
“The transport is here if you’re done arguing and want to go home” Elizabeth interrupts motioning to the truck with the open back and canvas covering.
“Oh and Denver is the best one, he wrote all the songs after all.” She comments smugly as she hops in the passenger seat while we pile into the back of the truck.
I’m glad, so very glad for this whole stupid argument because I think if I had sat there and thought about the day I would have broken down. I think Kayla knows it too, or maybe she also needed a distraction.
Every time I spot Jacob out of the corner of my eye I feel like a fuck up.
No, I don’t feel like a fuck up. I am a fuck up. One little plan Alex? Really? You barely did anything, stopped a single Stalker and threw a dazzler. Wow congrats, you must feel like a big damn hero. Everything went so well and there were no issues, that’s why Jacob isn’t missing his eyes and legs, Z has all of her limbs, and Dawn isn’t cradling a stump.
“Hey.”
I look up to see Elizabeth turned around from the seat and staring at me.
“This wasn’t your fault, you did good, we all did. We all could have done things different, sure. But to actually pull someone out alive from a Stalker nest and without any deaths. That’s one hell of a miracle. So don’t you dare blame yourself. Okay?” Her stern speech gets softer as it goes on and whatever thin shred of resolve I had left snaps by the end. All I can do is bury my face in my arms and let out choked sobs during the entirety of the ride back.