148 CXLVIII. | 'The Battle with a Behemoth of Old...'

Hector learned very quickly about how important distance was when fighting a building-sized opponent--and not just from the worm, but from one another, as well. As soon as he saw that first group of Rainlords get alternately flattened into the ground or swallowed by the ensuing avalanche of sludge, Hector started moving, not needing to hear the shouts from the others, ordering everyone to spread out before reengaging.

As his legs carried him and his full suit of endlessly misting armor around to the monster's flank, he tried to think. Certainly, this was an enemy unlike any he had ever faced previously. He couldn't just let his instincts take over. If he wanted to be of any use here, he needed to take a measured approach.

And given how much mass and apparent speed the beast had at its disposal, the sheer amount of momentum that it could generate was unreal. Trying to stop or even just deflect its smothering body seemed completely out of the question, as Melchor Blackburn was currently demonstrating. Even a controlled explosion from Darktide himself couldn't throw the worm's enormous bulk off course.

Not in a direct collision, at least, but maybe--

The thought went unfinished as Hector was fortunate enough to be the next one to acquire the worm's attention. With scarcely more than a twitch of its head as a warning, it lurched suddenly in his direction and became briefly airborne in a flying leap.

Hector reacted with the only thing that he could think of and used an iron platform to launch himself sidelong and out of the way. The monster came crashing down with the force of a hundred thousand bricks.

When Hector's feet caught the ground again, he found it cracked and shifting up and down, making him struggle for his balance. Worse still, he discovered sludge all over his right arm and leg, hissing nastily against his armor.

He didn't have time to worry about any of that, however, as he noticed the worm was still in pursuit, snaking toward him this time and tearing up the earth in all directions.

There wasn't much choice but to keep launching himself away, he felt. His trajectory wasn't the best, what with everything shaking nonstop, but he at least managed to stay narrowly ahead of the beast--so narrowly, in fact, that he got an all too clear view of an electrical storm brewing in its huge maw.

That wasn't going to be good.

He tried making larger and larger platforms each time he launched himself, but as expected, the worm just barreled through them without the slightest show of concern.

Thankfully, however, help arrived in the form of a giant, bladed pendulum. It swung down from the cavernous darkness and caught the monster just behind the head, cutting close to halfway through its body before getting stuck.

The worm seized up, and its bulk shuddered visibly. It roared again, and the pendulum snapped in half, letting the embedded chunk be absorbed deeper into it.

Hector took the opportunity to gain some distance again. He watched Melchor leaping in overhead as he was falling back. The man was dragging another pendulum along with his bare hands. The thing must have been four times the size of his own body, and yet he swung it upward with the ease of a simple fire axe.

The blow landed cleanly, catching the worm right in the mouth and cleaving diagonally up through its head and eyespots. The severed chunk of meat and sludge flew off, and the worm abruptly stopped its rampage in order to convulse and shiver.

Then the electricity from earlier surged out of its torn mouth in blindingly bright arcs, making the previously dim cavern suddenly light up in its entirety. Hector had to shield his eyes as his feet finally found stable ground again and returned to running.

Through the brilliant flashes, Hector saw the discarded hunk of the worm's head still moving, and indeed, squirming its way back toward the main body. He also saw Melchor get sent flying by a rogue spark that was the size of a bus, leaving only a trail of smoke behind.

The other combatants seemed to take that as their cue to provide relief, and a storm of gunfire and servant-made projectiles exploded toward the beast all at once. They must've been holding back until now for fear of hitting Melchor. Or himself, Hector figured.

However, instead of contributing what would probably be a minuscule amount to the collective assault, Hector decided to turn around and check on the train while he could.

The first thing he noticed was that it was not there anymore. Then he saw that it was high above his head, floating slowly upward, the front tip of it having already reached the edge of the gaping hole in the tracks where it had fallen.

It was Dimas' handiwork, Hector knew, though it looked like a few others were helping him support the train's weight, too. Hector decided to add a few quick pillars of his own while he was here.

Abruptly, the sound of a maniac laughing in his ear drew Hector's attention, and when he looked over, he saw one of the treasure hunters from earlier standing there, draped in a multitude of firearms and apparently having the time of his life.

This was one of those non-servants from the surface. Apart from the helmet, his climate-controlled suit was mostly hidden beneath all the ardor-fueled weaponry and ammunition the man was carrying.

All in all, Hector supposed he shouldn't have been surprised by this scene.

The man stopped firing to reload, then seemed to change his mind and holstered his weapon in order to exchange it for another, much bulkier one. He pulled what looked like a giant egg out of the ammo bag at his feet and slipped it into the loading chamber. Then he smiled and yelled, "Try this on for size, you overgrown shitpile!"

He pulled the trigger, and there came a deep shunk as the now-flaming egg launched out of the barrel.

When it hit the worm, the entire cave shook as an explosion ripped into the monster's side. The resulting fireball was so bright that Hector had to shield his eyes again, but he was still able to see several defensive walls go up simultaneously as everyone tried to brace themselves against the impact.

But it wasn't just one impact, Hector discovered. It was a chain of explosions, and each one only made the resultant earthquake even worse, until rocks began falling from the distant ceiling.

The beast was down for the count, though. The explosions had torn it in two, and both gigantic pieces were struggling to find each other again.

The crazy guy just laughed even louder than before.

The Rainlords closed in on the worm, no doubt hoping to finish it off, but they also had to worry about the falling rocks, which didn't seem to be letting up. Hector rushed forward to help them out with that, adding a thick layer of iron to the dome that they were building.

As he worked, he spotted Selena Cortes a few yards away, only then realizing that he'd kinda just left her behind.

She didn't look like she was doing so well, either. Her reaper floated over her, seemingly trying to talk to her while she sat there on her knees, eyes shut, hands over her ears. After another moment, Hector also noticed tears streaming down her face.

He wanted to go help her somehow, but he was still trying to be mindful of everything else going on.

Then Garovel, perhaps sensing Hector's hesitation, said, 'The worm's not dead.'

Another roar arrived, as if to prove the reaper's point, and the beast lunged back up, fully reformed. It rammed headlong into the dome that the Rainlords had been making and clobbered it, sending car-sized chunks of metal or mineral toppling overhead. Hector and every other builder scrambled to dematerialize their work before someone ended up flattened.

Through the ensuing chaos, the worm didn't let up. And since the Rainlords had unfortunately gathered a bit closer together while the worm had been downed, the beast now had the opportunity to come bulldozing through the loose crowd that they had formed.

And Selena Cortes was still not moving, Hector noticed, even as the worm turned in his and her general direction.

No time to deliberate.

Hector materialized a sloped platform on the other side of Selena and used it to launch her into his waiting arms. "Grab on!" he shouted to her unnamed reaper, who made no argument.

With the worm bearing down on them and everyone around scattering like startled birds, Hector decided to go upward. Iron materialized below his feet and flung the four them into the air, high enough so that the worm would be able to pass harmlessly below.

Or at least, that had been the plan.

Instead, the worm decided to chase after them specifically and arched up to meet Hector in the air, and suddenly, its slobbering, sludging jaws were closer than ever.

Well, shit.

Even less time to deliberate.

Had to be simple. No thought required. Something he could make in an instant.

A giant iron bowl, of all things, materialized right in front of him in midair. He'd pointed the concave side at the worm's face.

Its huge mouth fit almost too perfectly into it, and--for a few vital seconds--the bowl became a kind of muzzle. So instead of Hector, Garovel, Selena, and her reaper all being swallowed, they slammed against an iron wall with Hector's shield.

Not that much of an improvement, but an improvement nonetheless.

The impact was enough to punt the four of them all the way across the cavern and into a far wall, cracking it and loosening a few stalactites from the ceiling.

Hector wondered how many bones in his body had just broken, but his armor and regenerative vigor were doing their jobs, and he managed to create another iron platform to catch everyone before they peeled off the wall and fell.

Rather than lowering them all back down to the ground, however, he looked for the train and tracks, which he discovered were not quite as far away now as he might've expected. He started growing his platform in its direction, adding tall support pillars as needed.

Selena sounded like she was trying to say something, but Hector couldn't make it out. A part of him wanted to ask what was wrong, but something told him that was a question for later. Or possibly never.

Right now, with everything still as confusing as it was, he should probably just try to say something comforting, right? Something like...?

Uh...

Well, maybe saying nothing at all was okay, too.

'God, you're so useless!' the girl's reaper said aloud. 'I can't believe I ended up with such a--!' But the reaper cut herself off, leaving the thought unfinished.

The following silence became suddenly uncomfortable.

Hector found himself blinking as he worked on his mobile staircase. He had to consult Garovel. 'What the hell was she saying just now?'

Garovel took a few moments to respond. 'Unfortunately, we don't have time to worry about that right now,' he said privately. 'I'll look into it later. You just stay focused.'

Hector couldn't argue with that, though he wanted to. When he neared the train, a group of Hun'Kui militiamen slid a door open for him and helped Selena inside.

"I'm sorry!" she was saying through choked breaths. "I just wanted to--! I couldn't--! I'm sorry--!"

Hector was at a loss for what to say, not even really understanding why she was apologizing.

'It's okay,' Garovel told her. 'This sort of reaction to worms is actually quite common. Don't be too hard on yourself. We have to go now, but we'll talk to you later, Selena.'

She looked at Hector with tear-filled eyes for some reason.

Still, he didn't know what to do. So he just gave a kind half-nod and then pulled away on his bridge of iron.

As he headed back toward the fighting, he couldn't get what just happened out of his head. 'Garovel...'

'Not everyone adjusts to combat as easily as you do, Hector. But I won't forget about her, so for now, just put it out of your mind and concentrate.'

Really, Hector wanted to ask about Selena's reaper, but he knew Garovel was right. There would be time for that later. Assuming they lived through this battle, that was. He did have confidence in the Rainlords' ability to take the monster down, but as he got closer to the mayhem again, it did not look like much progress had been made.

The worm still thrashed wildly around, occasionally catching servants out and sending them flying or just chomping them down. Perhaps most incredibly of all, Hector saw Darktide and Zeff come bursting out of the worm's backside in a maelstrom of mercury and ice. Apparently, they'd gotten eaten during Hector's absence.

One might have expected such a gaping back wound to slow the beast down, but it paused for hardly more than a shiver before continuing its rampage.

From his midair vantage point on his bridge, Hector tried to find an opportunity to reenter the fight, but seeing so many familiar faces charge in and get swatted away or be forced to dodge... well, it was a little disheartening.

Evangelina Stroud and Diego Redwater attacking in unison. Then a group of Blackburns, led by Horatio. A group of Delagunas, led by Salvador. A group of Sebolts, led by Carlos. And even the Najirs.

Everyone was struggling to do any kind of real damage. So what the hell did he think he was going to accomplish?

He knew that he was better suited to taking defensive action, but that didn't seem to be the problem now. The remaining fighters looked like they were avoiding major hits well enough. But any time someone appeared to land a solid blow, the worm either brushed it off or its wounds simply reformed.

It wasn't long before Hector was beginning to feel everyone's frustration. 'Garovel, how do we kill this fuckin' thing?'

'Uh...'

'Really, Garovel? Nothing?'

'Hector, honestly, buying time might be the best we can do here. I mean, if the Rainlords can't kill it, then...'

Not exactly the keen insight that Hector had been hoping for, but he supposed he couldn't really blame Garovel.

'...That is, unless those non-servants from the surface have something else up their sleeves,' said Garovel. 'Which it seems like they might.'

'How can you tell?'

'Their souls are all gathered together, right now. Seems like they're working on something. They're to your right. Do you see them?'

He did. And just as the reaper said, they were huddled up in a circle. 'Ah. They're standing over a pile of guns.' He squinted. 'And it looks like they're taking them apart.'

'Well, let's go talk to--'

An interruption arrived in the form of yet another earthquake, and Hector found his bridge crumbling beneath him. He caught himself with an iron slide and curved it toward the group of gunmen. A few sideways tumbles and unintended front flips later, and he managed to find his balance and stick the landing right next to them.

They all turned to give him startled looks before relaxing again.

'Ask them what they're doing,' said Garovel.

Before Hector got the chance, however, the quaking returned and so did the worm, thrashing its way alarmingly close.

Hector raised his hand flatly upward in front of his chest, and with it, iron appeared below the gunmen and their work, boxing them in instantly. Then Hector grew the whole box in his direction at launching speed, carrying the gunmen and himself out of the worm's path.

The sudden motion knocked everyone over, apart from Hector, who kept his attention locked firmly on the sludge monster. Thankfully, it did not seem to have taken an interest in him for a third time. Yet.

"Thanks a bundle, Senmurai," came a familiar voice, belonging to one of the gunmen. It was the crazy-sounding guy from earlier, Hector realized.

Senmurai? Hector wanted to ask what that meant, but there were more pressing matters. "Do you guys have a plan?" he asked instead.

"Oh, wow, you sound so young!" the man said with a laugh. "Couldn't tell in all that crazy armor!"

"A plan," repeated Hector. "Do you have one?"

"Son, don't you worry. Good old-fashioned human ingenuity is here to save the day again."

"Excuse me?" Hector could see the gunmen piecing something together from all the disassembled parts. Something quite large.

The guy gave another hearty laugh from inside his helmet. "There was never any problem so tough that it couldn't be solved by a big enough gun!"

Hector's eyes widened as he watched them continue working. At length, he couldn't stop himself and just had to ask, "Who are you guys?"

"We're with the West Intar Company. Search & Discovery Division. I'd shake your hand if mine weren't so busy right now."

Hector recognized the name. The West Intar Company. Or just WIC. It had something to do with international trade, as he recalled.

That was about the extent of his knowledge, but by now, Hector had come to realize that the mere fact that he had heard of it before was also somewhat informative. Because if he didn't need Garovel to tell him what it was, then this company was probably pretty damn famous already.

He was still going to ask Garovel about it later, though.

Hector observed the group in silence for a bit longer, not really knowing if he should ask them anything else. If they truly did have a way of killing the worm, then he didn't want to distract them with questions.

The same guy from before reengaged the conversation on his own, however. "The name's Robert Sheridan, by the by. What's yours, son?"

"Hector Goffe."

"Good to meetcha, Hector Goffe. Is this your first time down in the Undercrust?"

"Y-yeah..."

"Pretty wild, eh?" Another short quake punctuated his sentence as the worm slapped its tail down in the distance. Each of the WIC men had to pause before they could resume building.

The giant gun was nearing completion, from what Hector could tell. It must have been almost twice as big as he was. Certainly not something a non-servant could wield unaided.

'Oh god,' said Garovel. 'I'm sensing a lot more worms all of a sudden.'

'Where?' said Hector.

'Everywhere. If we stay here, we'll be overrun in a few minutes. Everyone needs to get back to the train right now.'

Already, Hector could see some of the other Rainlords pulling back from the fight with the worm, no doubt on the orders of their reapers.

Hector started moving the iron box again. "Hold on, everyone. We're going back to the train."

A few huffs of vague disapproval arose, but no one argued.

Then there came still another earthquake. But this one was different. Instead of going away after a moment, it persisted, and the ground began to shift and sink more violently than any time previously.

And then the ground was suddenly gone. The cavern floor splintered and heaved up all at once, becoming a hundred thousand tiny rocks suspended in midair, and Hector had nothing beneath his feet, save his own iron.

The box was falling, and he had to react. He grew iron hooks out of the box's side and dug them into the nearest wall--which, unfortunately, was not as near as he would have liked. The box tipped over as it caught in the air and swung down, and Hector had to complete a barricade before anyone fell out. Now it really was an entire box of solid iron, with everyone inside thrown upside down with gun parts clattering around.

And if that wasn't enough, there was no light inside, either.

So Hector breathed deep and visualized the outside of the box. The side was scraping against a cliff of unstable rock--the same unstable rock from which the box was also suspended, by way of the ten hooked spears he'd materialized.

Hmm.

Now this was a problem.

He had to be careful here. He couldn't just add iron to the box in a blind panic. If he did, then its weight would also increase, making it more likely to lose its already tenuous grip on the wall.

But he couldn't very well just not do anything, either. There was a good chance the box was going to fall on its own soon, anyway. And of course, the worm was still stomping around up there.

'Where is the worm?' he asked Garovel.

'At your ten o'clock, roughly.'

'How far? Can you tell?'

'Only about six or seven meters,' said Garovel.

Agh, that was too close. He didn't want to just launch everyone up and out of the hole at once, not when the worm could turn on a moment's notice and snatch someone out of the air.

So he went to work on a trio of iron ladders, instead, hooking them over the top of the hole in order to avoid adding any unnecessary weight to the box. Then he motioned through the dimness and said, "Up we go. Hurry."

Hesitant, the company men did as they were told. Robert Sheridan waited with Hector while his three companions went first.

A man's poorly lit face appeared over the edge of the cliff above. "Need some help down there?!" said the voice of Horatio Blackburn, who didn't bother waiting for a reply as he helped the three climbers up, carrying them with an apparent materialization ability.

"Thanks!" Hector shouted up at him, then motioned for Mr. Sheridan to follow.

But before the man could reach a ladder, the worm came crashing down in quaking fury. The impact sundered the hole, and the iron box snapped off the crumbling wall and started to fall.

Hector spiked his iron out in all directions, hoping in blind desperation that it would catch onto something--anything. The box's descent slowed but didn't stop, until it abruptly caught on something. In the increasing darkness, Hector couldn't tell what, but for an instant, when he looked up, he saw another silhouette at the top of the hole and thought he heard Zeff's voice shouting something.

Then the rocks gave way all around them, and the iron box started plummeting again.