For a moment, they stood there, panting heavily, their relief palpable. They were safe, at least for now. They had made it. They had survived.
As they pressed their backs against the chilling metal of the ancient door, the adrenaline rush from their escape slowly faded.
Their breaths came in gasps, their chests heaving with each inhale and exhale. Their hearts hammered against their ribs as if yearning to escape their bony prison.
The villagers stared in disbelief, their eyes wide with the terror of their daring escape. Sweat, dirt, and sheer fear were visible on their pale faces. Their knees trembled, and some collapsed, their bodies quivering with exhaustion and fear from the relentless pursuit. Their hands shook, still clutching the torches that had been their only light source in the tunnel's darkness.
"We clearly need more people to kill all of these monsters," one of the villagers said.
"You are right," Samuel said, "We clearly underestimated how many were there..."
He was undoubtedly tired, his breaths coming in slightly heavier and his muscles aching from the sprint, but there was tranquility about him that set him apart, probably thanks to the system. Though filled with the echoes of danger, his eyes were more measured, analyzing their surroundings and assessing their situation rather than being consumed by fear.
While his body showed the physical signs of their sprint from danger - the sweat clinging to his brow, the heaviness of his limbs - his composure remained largely undisturbed. That honestly freaked the others a little bit.
He stood a little apart from the villagers, giving them room to recover while he surveyed the surrounding landscape, his mind already moving on to the next step of their journey.
As their breaths steadied, Samuel glanced at Erik. His eyes, weathered and tired from the fight, blended with admiration and worry. He inhaled deeply, savoring the crisp air of the outside world, a stark difference from the stuffy and damp air inside the old city they had narrowly fled.
"We need to tell Amos about this since it is clear more than just a handful of us are needed to kill them all," Samuel said, his voice a gravelly whisper, weary yet determined. "Those thaids in there... they are too many, and with their ability…"
He cast a quick look over his shoulder; his mind filled with the terrors lurking on the other side of the door they had just closed tightly. "There's a sea of them in there, Erik."
"Yeah, that was what I kind of told you. We've probably seen but a fraction of their numbers, and already we've lost two good men," Erik said.
Samuel's eyes locked onto Erik's, a wordless connection passing between them. "That is an underestimation, lad. Even with your explanation, I couldn't have imagined they were that many. I thought they were a lot based on what you said, but I thought they amounted to a couple thousand at max." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is a well-prepared, well-equipped army. We can't take on a swarm like that with just a few of us. We'd be picked off, one by one."
His eyes fell upon his weathered hands, twisted and aged from years of toiling on the farm and fighting off Thaids. His fists tightened the sting of old scars awakening within him.
"We need to rally the other villagers, gather every able-bodied man and woman willing to fight. Because when we open that door again..." He paused, looking back up at Erik, a fire kindling in his eyes, "We need to be ready to wipe those abominations off the face of this earth."
Due to the weight of Samuel's words, the air became still. He spoke the truth: they lacked the power to accomplish this task with ten people. The problem was that keeping people away from defending the village was going to be problematic with the threat of Frant's soldiers looming over the village.
Ethan glanced over at Erik. His eyes had a spark of humor, contrasting with the dire situation they found themselves in, but his face was sad. "Nice birthday, eh?" he joked, his tone lighthearted yet tinged with exhaustion.
"Yeah, a perfect one..." Erik replied, his voice dripping with irony and a touch of irritation. He took a quick look around, taking in the reality of his surroundings. The ordeal had ended, but he knew they would move into a different kind of turmoil.
The weary group made their way toward the village; their tired bodies weighed down by the hardships they had faced and the sorrow of losing two friends.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a cloak of darkness over the land, the band of eight adventurers departed from the ancient city.
With each step, they ventured closer to the village, their path concealed by twilight's fading light. As the final rays of sunlight vanished, the world was bathed in a warm, orange glow.
Beneath the dusky sky, their path was cloaked in a calm stillness, interrupted solely by the gentle whisper of foliage beneath their steps and the sound of their heavy breathing.
They walked along the natural trail, a path their feet knew well. The torchlight flickered, making the shadows dance on the ground. The wavering silhouettes stretched out against the vegetation that bordered their path.
They were all tired but determined, their eyes fixed on the path and their minds filled with anticipation for what awaited them.
Despite their weariness, the villagers pressed on, driven by a surge of energy and the longing to reach their homes. In the midst of them all, Erik glided with an air of tranquility, his face composed and peaceful as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Finally, the majestic shapes of their village in the treetops appeared, with the glowing lights from the houses already shining brightly. It was a comforting sight.
As they drew closer to their destination, their eyes fell upon their beloved home, filling their hearts with a comforting sense of peace. Relieving, they continued their journey, leaving the dangerous Acidspitter Arthropods behind.
They had made it back home, but they were aware that another, more human, threat awaited them.
New n𝙤vel chapters are published on fre(e)webnov(l).com