The Underground II

The more I think about it, it all adds up with everything that's happened. Even though something like this was delayed given how long it's been since I opened the doors to that hall, the appearance of that man was no doubt a result of my stupidity. Oddly enough, I could feel him staring at me even though he wasn't even looking in my direction.

That overwhelming presence slowly disappeared, with his voice now echoing in my head, and with how people were reacting just now, with their confused expressions doused in fear, he was in their minds as well.

"For those brave enough, you are permitted twenty minutes before the beasts rain down and begin their feast. Do give the High Order a good show of your inevitable demise," he said, his voice soon fading into nothing before the rumbling returned.

No doubt, that was their sign of giving us time to prepare in whatever way we can.

Many of the men chose to take up their pickaxes shortly after hearing the warning. They were well maintained compared to mine, with the heads being sharpened to a fine point. Despite their courage in taking the beasts on, the rest of us knew of the strength the monsters possessed. They make concrete crumble with just a step, and crush bone like they were twigs. Even bullets had trouble penetrating their skin. Despite that, a sharp weapon still worked decently enough. We couldn't explain it, but damage from a weapon and not a firearm did way better compared to any firearm.

"Are you serious!? How do you expect to fight if a bunch of them are coming all at once," spoke a woman, pleading for her husband to accept their fate. Her face was pale, with eyes filled with fear like she was staring Death in the face. Through the wailing and cries, her husband took his strides to meet up with the rest of the men who prepared for a fight.

The woman was no different than the other wives and lovers of the Den, except for a few who actually chose to fight as well.

They had more guts than even I could possess. Teddie joined them all too, but I had this sense that he was as scared as everyone else through that fake veil of confidence that he put up. "Don't worry about me. We'll all be fine."

Just what is that confidence they all have? When he said that, everyone nodded their heads.

"Before you say anything, kid, I know what you're thinking," spoke up an old man. He wore a black leather apron over a gray shirt and pants. His grayed out hair and beard showed his age, but his build was a different story, something that rivaled Teddie's.

"That ain't confidence. Unlike you, they refuse to despair, living through fear."

"How do you know that?" I asked, with the old man giving me a warm smile as he hoisted his pickaxe over his shoulder.

"Because I'm the same way as them."

He spoke so casually about all this. How could they? We all knew how strong the beasts were, that's why we're hiding in the first place, why we try so hard to stay out of sight whenever someone goes up to find food and water. As the old man walked away, I heard some footsteps behind me, and when I looked back, they belonged to my dad. Just like the old man, his pickaxe was in his hands too.

"Dad, I. . ."

Almost immediately, my dad shook his head before putting his forehead against mine, grabbing the back of my head. In a way, it was comforting, but that moment was fleeting as I could feel that he was shaking. It made me realize that all of them were scared.

It's just like the old man had said. They were scared, but didn't let it bother them in the least. Their despair, through their horror, was outshined by a glimmer of hope, a wish that everything would turn out fine. And through all of this, my dad was able to give a soft chuckle from his throat.

"It'll all be fine, son. I'm counting on you to help everyone get out and into the tunnels. Lead them to the Den next to ours," my dad requested. Did he have that much faith in me, someone who couldn't even power through a bit of news they had at dinner? "Don't doubt yourself through all this. I'm giving you this task for a reason," he added. His eyes stared into mine, and I could feel that he was placing all of his trust in me through them.

"I. . . Okay," though I was reluctant, I knew I had to live up to his expectations. I had to hold onto that light of hope everyone else had.

When dad walked past me, I could feel everything shaking across my body. My legs kept shaking, my arms shivered and my hands never stayed still. I had to clench them into fists, tensing up my body just to have some level of stability before I walked forward. I grabbed my backpack with all my tools and supplies. Moving towards the tunnels, I took a deep breath.

"Everyone! If you want the chance to live another day, then follow me through the tunnels! I refuse to let everyone just stand here and do nothing when those guys are trying to fight for our survival!"

I had to fight how anxious and scared I was, I just had to say what I was feeling at that moment. There wasn't any time left for me to think.

"Everyone that's even a little bit good at digging, go in first and start digging extra tunnels when you get to the end! We need extra paths for everyone to spread out."

We got word of another Den we had not gotten in touch with yet. I started helping with the others a while ago to start a tunnel towards their general direction that they gave us after we got their signal via radio chatter, but it all stopped in order to have more men help out the miners and scavengers. Last I checked, we got pretty close. It just needed a bit more of a push and we'd be there.

I was seeing everyone's faces change, ones that had loosened despair's hold on them just enough to prepare for the journey.

As I ordered, the diggers moved in first through the tunnel, giving them a head start before everyone packed their things and moved on through. I advised which places to mine through first, allowing two or more per path in order for better efficiency. We needed this to work, and I had to fight every fiber of my being not to buckle and fall back. I was still so terrified, but I had the men choosing to fight putting their weight on my shoulders, and I had to do my best to lift and carry it all.

When everyone got into the tunnel, I looked back at the men, swallowing my saliva as I took up my pickaxe. I grit my teeth, fighting back tears that built up like a dam waiting to burst. "None of you better die, you hear me!?" I called out to them, with them all letting out quick laughs. My dad, who was up front, was given the position of leading the fight with a hand raised, giving me a thumbs up.

That little gesture told me it all. I was just like them in this situation, I was just handling it in a worse way than them. They had this iron will that was being fortified with each person standing side by side, not allowing doubt to crack the surface.

With a nod, I turned my back to them before heading through the tunnel.

Everyone who stayed behind looked over at each other, not even exchanging a single word before nodding their heads. "That's a good kid you got there, Adrian," said the old man.

"Yeah. . . if he just got out of that shell he built for himself. . . I think he'd be a better man than me," Adrian spoke, letting out a sigh. "I hope to see it one day, too."

"You will. After we get this over and done with, I'll help whip him into shape!" Teddie spoke up, rather abruptly. Adrian chuckled before giving a nod.

"I'd like to see that," said one of the men in the back.

Though, that small talk wouldn't last for very long after the rumbling returned, which was preceded by the ferocious roar of the beast from earlier. The men stood their ground, holding their weapons in front of them, prepared for whatever came to face them in their own homes.

Holes in the ceiling were soon made, enough for several small beasts to drop, snarling as they quickly began to slowly walk towards their prey.

They were almost wolf-like, with four limbs and fur covering their entire body and sharp teeth. But, their teeth were serrated, sharper than any dagger or knife. They had four eyes, all of them glowing an intense yellow, bright like the sun. Even though they were similar in size to normal wolves, their appearance and reputation as fierce predators were well known by everyone in the Underground.

Those that took up their arms, who knew the beasts all too well on their own, still kept their footing, not allowing them to move a single step. They spoke not a single word to one another, and yet their coordination was like nothing anyone had ever seen. They knew when to strike and when not to; where to attack and where not to; and above all else they knew how to defend against the claws and teeth that could rip their flesh like tissue paper.

With trained eyes, they hoisted their pickaxes to the base of where their claws grew from, pushing them back. When they went for a bite, the handle of the pickaxe was shoved into the back of their maw before being kicked away.

It was all thanks to old man Halbert that forged their weapons into the condition they were now. They were strong enough to handle the full brunt of the beasts' attacks.

The sharp points that were at the end of their weapons' heads were proved to perfectly pierce through the flesh and bones of the beasts. But, through their injuries, they continued to strike, as though they felt no pain. Even if they had a broken leg or lost one, they still went on fighting until they were slain.

Though it took some effort from them, they were able to kill the ones that came down first. Even though they had no idea how many the man in the uniform from before had intended to bring down, they still came to the conclusion that they had to fight for as long as they could. If it was long, or if it was short, it didn't matter. All that mattered to them was that the rest of the people were being given the chance to get help from the nearby Den. If they had a few more fighters ready to help, they would be able to fight through the battle that was waged upon them.

Some had the idea of even closing up the tunnel. If they did, it was either to flee and join back with the rest of the Den's citizens, or to keep the monsters from following them and making their efforts mean nothing.

"Stand your ground and keep at it. No matter what is thrown at us, we'll keep fighting until the last one falls!" Adrian yelled, trying his best to boost morale as effectively as possible. He had to hold onto his hope. It was all he could muster before the next swarm followed the deaths of those that arrived before them.

Meanwhile, I had taken charge in digging straight through the tunnel. With seven other people helping me dig through the dirt and rock, we were making some good progress. I had this odd feeling that the same could be said for the other diggers that were making paths forward.

With how the tunnels were dug, they could fit eight people standing side by side. Because of the debris coming from each hit of the pickaxe, the citizens were ordered to be six feet behind the diggers in order to keep them safe so that the diggers could work. I periodically checked on the others via two-way radios that were gifted to them. I obviously couldn't run back to check on them, I just had to believe that we were all moving at the same pace. We had to for everyone to be safe.

We all ended up splitting into ten different paths so that there would be a good number of people following the other diggers. Those that still knew how to fight were all in the back keeping watch of the rear in case any monsters came through, and we all hoped that in the event that happened, it didn't mean what we thought it would.

Once I got into the groove of digging, I was in my own little world. "Just keep hitting where you've been, the rock is pretty weak here. I'll tell you guys where to hit if it gets harder," I instructed. It seemed so simple to me, but it left everyone surprised to see me become this calm and collected, at least from their perspective.

I was still as scared as ever. So much so it felt like it was getting harder to breathe like before. Everyone's expectations and hopes were on me and everyone I was leading. All of it was so damn hard to stomach, like I was eating the rocks I was breaking through. I can't say I hated it; I can't say I didn't want it; I can't say I wanted it to stop, but this wasn't how I wanted it to start.

I always figured that as I got older, I'd get through this timid phase of mine, which was always what everyone mentioned whenever they saw me when I was out of the tunnels and back home. I returned to this shy kid I grew to resent, a side of me I knew I had to get rid of at some point in time, but I never have the guts to do anything about it. Being scared and anxious was just how I was at most points.

Every time dad left, I got scared and wondered when he'd be back. It wasn't just him, I hoped a day never came that someone ended up dying before the rest of the team got back. There were times where one or two got taken from us, and on those days I'd cry because it meant I never got to see them again.

It made me sick. Not the fact that I cried, that was a natural human emotion to hearing news like that or seeing it with your own eyes. I just wish I was able to be like them, the ones who risked their lives for the sake of others. Even though I was doing just that, I didn't want it to be forced upon me. I'm pulling myself together as best I can at this moment.

It made me wonder, though. . . what if I did take that sword spear back when I first found it? Would we have a better chance at fighting them? It's too late to go back. If I did, I'd be leaving everyone alone without someone to guide them, and I'd just be risking my life if anyone saw me.

We were pretty far away from the Den now, and yet we could still hear the echoes of courageous fighting and undying perseverance. For us, all those men were holding things together. Through the growls and snarls, everyone here followed me and the others, doing our best to keep things going and moving faster with each strike onto the earth. At this pace, we'd be at the other Den in no time.

It was then that another rumble of the ground started, with our ears being filled with the bloodthirsty roar and howling of beasts that we no doubt bigger than the ones dad and the rest were already fighting. Everyone was left wondering what to do next, but the diggers pushed through it all, the doubt and despair that was beginning to set upon all of us.

"Hraaaaagh!!!"

A cry struck our ears then, it was so recognizable that, for a moment, we all stopped. I even halted my swing as my eyes widened.

"Dad. . ."

I spoke under my breath again, trying my best to hide the pain of realization. That was a cry of pain, not one of victory.

I felt all their eyes on me again, with them all wondering what would come of this occurrence. Though it was subtle, those closest to me could see the shivering in my shoulders, and the shaking in my breath.

Why? Why now of all times did I have to hear that? They said they'd all be back. If even one of them was gone, we'd be devastated. Hearing that scream told everyone what was soon to come.

"This isn't happening," I couldn't believe this was real. We were so close to getting help, so how could it all just crumble so fast while everyone was waiting for them to come back at the end of this? I was the last to see all of them, and their faces told me that everything in the end would be all right. Everything would turn around and we'd all be together to live another day.

"It can't!"

I turned, my pickaxe remained in my hands as I barreled through everyone behind me. Some knew to move out of the way, others I just pushed through so that I could move faster. I have no idea why I was doing this, I was just letting my legs guide me all on their own. I didn't even bother keeping my tears from breaching through, with them rolling down my cheek. What did I think I could do to help them in this situation? If dad was taken out, how could the rest of them pull each other together and fight back? I knew I would just be in the way, but I'm still moving to return to them, I'm still holding my pickaxe and keeping my eyes forward.

"Don't die on me! I don't want anyone to die today!"

My voice echoed through, reaching those fighting the beasts. With their eyes widened, they refused to believe what they had heard, with confused expressions on their face, leaving them to wonder why someone like me was coming back to them.

I refuse to see anyone die today. With a promise like that which they made to us all, I had to see it through somehow.

Even though I could see a large beast towering over all others. It had three horns, red eyes, and fur as black as the night's sky. It was something never described by anyone, no one in the Den had heard of a beast like this. But despite the fear in my heart, I could feel something burning in my chest that was something else entirely different than what I had felt before. It was intense, and yet I still allowed myself to leap off the ground.

All that followed was a white light focused within my hands as I took hold of my pickaxe in both of them, hoisting it over my head. It was the same light I saw before, but still shined more intensely. It changed the weapon I already had in my hands to what I saw before, what I had admired so much in the short time I've seen it. Still, all my eyes did was focus on the head of the beast as I was able to plant my feet onto it.

"Hraaaaaaaaaaagh!!!"

The same cry dad let out from before was expelled from my throat, but not done out of pain, it was one that was meant to instill a speck of hope within the hearts of the men that had, for a moment, lost their own.

As I held my weapon in hand, I brought it up as high as I could, still shouting from the top of my lungs as I forced the tip of the silver blade downwards. It pierced the skin of the beast with virtually no resistance, blood trickled from the wound, pouring downwards as the life in its eyes seemed to have been lost, with the color dimming as I stared into them.