Echoes Of The Past  

Cautiously moving forward, the passage appeared to constrict around them, moreover, the air grew heavy, carrying with it the faint scent of decay. Every so often, they could hear the faint scratching of the Centzors just beyond the fallen rocks, a persistent reminder of the danger lurking in the Conclave.

Hao continued to expand the limited range of his Vibe Sense, searching for a solution to their predicament. If they remained in the passage for too long, the Centzors would eventually find a way through the rubble. Thus they needed to find a way out, and fast.

The Sword Fishes, sensing the growing tension, began to emit an eerie, high-pitched whine. The sound resonated through the passage, its frequency vibrating the very air around them.

Hearing this, Mentos cast a worried glance at Hao. "Is there any chance that sound will attract more of those things?"

Hao shook his head in response. "I don't think so, but we can't take any chances. Let's pick up the pace."

"Sounds good to me."

They continued to navigate the winding passage with an agonizingly slow process, they even stumbled over rocks. The Sword Fishes' bioluminescent organs cast just enough light for them to see a few feet ahead.

The air was filled with the weight of years gone by. Proceeding further into the underground labyrinth, they stumbled upon something that left them all awestruck.

The Sword Fishes roused their transparent organs and expanded their radiant light, illuminating the environment in a surreal glow. When the area brightened, Hao and Mentos couldn't believe what they were seeing. An immense expanse stretched before them, filled with towering, rusted machinery and remnants of old mining equipment. It was as if time had stood still, preserving the ghostly remains of a once-thriving operation.

"What is this place? I never knew these were down here," Hao's mind was hit with wonder.

Mentos, equally startled, replied, "It must be the handiwork of the ancient miners who used to work here. This place is like a time capsule to the ingenuity of those who toiled in search of Kem Ores long ago."

They continued to venture through the forgotten mine until they discovered more about the lives of the miners who once inhabited the place. There were abandoned living quarters, still furnished with simple cots and rickety tables. In the mess hall, rusted pots and pans still hung from the ceiling, as though waiting to be used once more. It was clear that these miners had built an entire community deep within the earth, bound together by their shared pursuit of fortune.

"Growl…" Maelstrom, who had once been so aggressive towards Hao, now clung to him as they made their way through the mines. The sounds of banging echoed in the distance, a constant reminder of the Centzors that were rapidly approaching. Knowing they had to find a way out before the fearsome creatures caught up with them, the group picked up their pace.

Hurrying through the caverns, Hao came to a standstill when he noticed a hole high in the ceiling that offered a potential escape from the ditch they were in. 'Up there…' His Vibe Sense indicated that it was their only chance to break free from their current predicament. Unfortunately, the hole was far out of reach, and the group was unsure of how to get there.

"Hey, Mentos," Hao called out urgently. "Do you think we can somehow get up there?"

Mentos studied the hole and the surrounding walls for a moment before answering, "It won't be easy. That hole is in the dead centre, so scaling the wall is no use, but I think I might have an idea." Saying this, Mentos unsheathed his Blade Edge, climbed atop Maelstrom for more altitude then unleashed the tether of his weapon upwards. WHOOSH! It reached its limit very soon before it even came close to the gap in the ceiling.

Upon retracting his blade, Mentos commented while glancing down at Hao, "It's no use, Vee. That hole is about roughly 63 metres high. Can't you use that Volume Raiser technique to get us all up there?"

Hao explained, "It won't last long enough to get us up there. The active duration is only ten seconds and the cooldown is about 2 minutes. We would surely fall along the way."

"Then we better figure out another way to reach it. I can hear those creepy bastards getting closer." Hopping down from Maelstrom's hide, Mentos glanced in the distance behind him where he heard loud screeching mixed with a vibrational frequency similar to a stampede.

"I can try that." Hao decided to see if his Night Tamer ability could get him up there, but as expected, the distance was too great, plus if he did make the jump, he wouldn't be able to teleport Maelstrom or Mentos with him.

"What to do? What to do." Searching for a solution, the Sword Fishes began to swim in tight, synchronized circles around Hao. He watched in fascination as the creatures created a mild spiralling vortex of water that lifted them upwards, it only lasted a couple of seconds before it dissipated.

'That's it!' Realizing their intentions, Hao smiled and turned to Mentos. "They're showing us the way out."

"What do you mean?" Mentos asked coming closer.

Hao conveyed, "Do you remember what that loud mouth man said to us back at the Mile High Depot when he gifted us these Bastians?" Mentos waited for Hao to get to the point, "He said that as long as these Sword Fishes have water in their tank they will be strong enough to pull heavy objects at high altitudes. This must be what they were trying to tell us a while ago."

Mentos' eyes sparkled when he heard this, "That's right! How could I forget about something so important?" Using his finger, he knocked his head for not remembering this earlier. "So what are we waiting for? Let's hook those fishes up to the big fella, climb on and get the hell out of here."

"About that… there is an issue." Hao made Mentos aware of the situation, by gesturing to the Sword Fishes' bubble back and saying, "Take a good look. The water in their tanks is very low. It must have depleted back there during the scuffle with the Centzors."

With his brows closing in on each other, Mentos asked, "So what are you saying, we can't get out of here until they have a refill?"

"I'm afraid so." Admitted Hao dejectedly.

"Where are we going to get water down here?" Mentos began looking around in the visible areas, no sign of water so far. Turning to face Hao, he suggested, "What if we just piss in their tanks, it's liquid right."

"Are you serious, you want to urinate inside them?" Hao felt disgusted hearing Mentos' suggestion, but then he began to consider it. "Even if we did do that, I doubt you and I have enough fluid in our bodies to accomplish the task. I don't know about you, but I've sweat a lot since those creatures began swarming us back there."

"Then what the bloody hell do you suggest we do?" Mentos lost his cool.

"Let's search around for any water source. We're underground right, there has to be some accumulation of water somewhere. Maybe the old miners fill a barrel or a jug somewhere." With that being said, they began running around the cavern in search of any given source of water. Their search took them deeper, however, they couldn't stray too far from where the hole in the ceiling was present.