Dark Crow Rising

"Come on... Come on!" I mutter desperately as I walk through the dark tunnels of the bug hive. My right arm is perfectly still for the moment, still gently clutching the little beetle. So much of Vapooliar's armour has fallen off after cracking. I need to get out of here before I destroy my whole arm!

But, I can't find my way out. Every tunnel is pitch black with strange, slug-like things travelling them and I can't hear a meaningful thing. Only my footsteps and heavy breaths echo back to me in this place. All this time I've wanted it to be quiet but now I don't even know where to go!

I glance down at my steadily unarmoured right and then towards the glow of the insect. This building dread within me, I want to ignore it, but I keep looking at the beetle. It's like I am actually looking at a candle. The wick is burning up too close to the melted wax...

Despair grips me tightly and I slow down to a crawl, only to catch a disturbance in the air. I glance back towards the way I came and am relieved it is not the worms. But, if it's not them, where is this noise coming from? I can't see anything approaching even when I let the beetle shine unimpeded.

"Screams?" I question as I start to remember how I first woke up in this damn hive. All these noises were echoing about me, even if I couldn't see them, they made one thing obvious. There's a way to them. A way to them...

I just need to follow the sounds...

"Back off, Pack of Seven. Do not howl for Undwote..." I mutter as I slowly figure out where the noise is coming from. I stare into the deep black of the tunnel and breathe. I want to move, I am moving... But only in my head.

Feeling a slug-thing squirm against me, I shiver and back away. Nodding to myself, I start to move properly and my left-hand keeps switching from open claw to fist. Whatever is this way, it is at least a hint as to where I might need to go. There's a chamber this way, surely, and, I hope without a doubt, a tunnel up.

Just got to find that tunnel, yeah.

Find the tunnel going up...

"Lights...?" I whisper as I move the beetle out of the way so my eyes aren't getting confused. And, I am proven right. There is light of some kind up there. Many colours.

Red, blue, yellow, white, so many... Weak, but it's there!

I kick one of the slobbering slug-things away with-as-close-to-joy as I can feel right now. It hits the walls with a wet, popping smack and I pick up the pace. Only to hear something crack below me. I stop.

I do not bother leaning down and I just shine the beetle on it. I look away and try to keep my eyes on the roof of the tunnel. No... I did not just see small, filth-covered bones.

Such small, delicate bones.

My stomach shakes uncomfortably and I hit the wall with a stagger after my mind copies it. I wait for a moment and whine quietly at the lack of a glass of water. Food. I just walked over the remains of food...

Children, babies.

Watching one of the slug-things pop the bones of one out of its backside, just at the edge of the darkness. I grow heated. My lefthand digs into the wall until I grasp something hard and I yank it out. Walking up to it, I take the thankfully jagged rock and slam it straight on its head.

The thing pops blood over me and I heave aggressively over the briefly spasming body. Crushing the bloody rock, I chuck its remains down at the slug-thing and keep on moving. I want to find that light now... I want to find it now!

I want to get out of here...

"A way out... Please, be a way out." I beg as the multitude of lights in the distance grow brighter. I start to hear words more clearly. Soft and weak, but they make it to me regardless. I wait a moment to let my mind calm down with the buzzing and remain still.

No being like how I was when I first thought I escaped this hive. No being like that, Vapooliar is not here for me this time. I need to be more than that, a man. A man who -will- escape!

I nod to myself over and over again, walking alongside it, towards the noise and light. Even if this route will just bring me to bugs intent on savaging me with their claws, I'll keep going. My want to be free is stronger than my worry of Death... I want to feel safe.

I will be safe.

I will fan this mere, pathetic ember of hope into a roaring fire and get out. I will get out. No bug will stop me, no loss of armour shall withhold me. I will tear the ground apart until I see the sky again!

My heart races and I mumble incoherently, passing by a tunnel with chitters coming from it. Sweat breaks through my filth-painted skin and barely washes some of it away. I narrow my gaze at the shadows and move away from them, keeping to the certainty of only two paths towards me. But, I am confused.

Am I scared of the bug? Why am I scared of it? I've been spending day after day fighting them. I've killed them again and again with increasing dullness to the act.

So, why am I scared?

"Reach a high floor, only to drop from it..." I remark at my emotional situation as the edges of my eyes seem to stiffen. Like an abdomen intentionally tensed before a mirror. However, I finally seem to reach the chamber and I stop. I listen out carefully as I slowly breathe.

Nodding repeatedly once again, I step out into the open with a ready right hand and a fist of iron for the left. But, it's just those creatures with the bulbs... The lights on their heads, the things Vapooliar couldn't get to help us. Needle-Legs...

"This is quite the gathering..." I mutter as I walk through the confused display of species. It's mostly needle-legs, but I see some things that look like Heiya and her father as well. I am unfamiliar with a lot of creatures here, but... At least they are not bugs, I can find solace in that.

They are also in much better shape than the ones I met with Vapooliar and the others...

I buckle slightly, being the centre of attention in this pit of despair. I am not sure how to react to this grim five minutes of fame, so I just keep walking. I keep my focus on the tunnel beyond this chamber and keep on walking. Each step is stiff and jagged, though, I roughly and crudely make my way through the opening on the ground.

Amongst all the dirty, tired legs...

Only for something to get in my way, a little thing that reminds me of Heiya. Only she's a lot smaller, if Heiya is the size of a child then this is no more than a toddler, maybe less. I meet their stare and try to shuffle around them. But, I can't look away from those small, dark eyes and their twitching button nose.

One of the needle-legs walks up to us and she motions Littler Heiya away. I look at the yellow glow it is producing and frown at the familiarity. Yellow hair, yellow light... It's not much to go on, but, isn't that...?

"I remember you..." it confirms to me as it looks down at my hands miserably. It chokes back tears and my mouth slightly opens as I recall it.

"The seed made it out." I tell it as I walk around it. Well, I hope it did, I didn't see a crushed body with reddish fur anywhere since the bugs attacked. It's hard to recall who I saw outside of the mountain before I was...

"Then why're you here!?" it demands to know as it comes to grab me. Backing away, I stare at the confused, frightened mother as she holds back her sobs.

I consider its question and look at the ground, "It doesn't matter..."

Walking away to the dark tunnel, I glance at Littler Heiya as she joins a group of small creatures. There are nearly enough of them to fill a classroom. I shake my head and keep on walking with an increased speed. Hitting the soft, wet wall, I glare at it and then at the beetle.

"Are you sure my son is safe? Please... Tell me you are being honest..." the needle-leg mother begs as she pours her heart out behind me. Keeping my eyes on the darkness ahead of me, my left fist forms and tightens.

"It... He got out, that's all I know..." I tell it as I bring my right hand up closer to my head. Letting the beetle light up my face more clearly for her to see, even though it's not my intent.

"I made the right choice...? Giving it to a wind-person..." she questions as she shifts about.

"I'm not one of them." I correct as I briefly look back into the chamber. I spot everyone inside of it and how they are scared. I focus on what can only be unfortunate children and sigh. Turning back to the wall, my forehead hits the muck with a wet smack.

Crying, whining, scared mutterings, anger, fear. I can hear it all coming from behind me. They want someone to save them, someone strong. But, I don't want to, I can't.

I just want to get out of here... I want to go home!

"Up." I mutter as I glance at the beetle once again. It glows a distinct, pale blue and I stare at its skull-shaped shell. I nod to myself and look at the wall. There's no point in trying to find the exit, I need to make one.

Glancing one final time at Vapooliar's ruined armour, I make a silent prayer. I just need it to hold out long enough for me to reach the surface. Thurnmourer, please ensure that this craftsmanship proves itself more. And, I place the beetle against the wall with a steady stare.

Closing my eyes, I push forward and feel its strange power go off. Dust rolls and blows down to my boots and I start to climb the sliding stepway. Higher and higher, I try to ignore the armour as I hear it fall apart more so. I ignore the numbness in my hand and keep on pushing.

Growling as I watch the materials around me change colour, noise follows me up the in-progress tunnel. My left-hand digs into rocks, soil, gravel and clay and then it does it again. It keeps me going up even as I struggle to find my footing within the rolling ground. It's like I am in a pipeline of somewhat dry, grainy water...

I growl my frustrations some more and keep pushing upwards, even as my arm starts to ache. Hearing a sharp ping, I snap my eyes around just in time to watch the last piece of armour fall off my arm. But, something's off, the light from the beetle is bright and and powerful. But my arm is patchy and dark...

Shaking my head, ignoring what has to be just a mind trick. I fight back the strange tiredness overwhelming me until something smacks me. I stop and rustle my filthy, shaved head about. Clumps of earth fall onto me and hair-like things tickle and touch my scalp.

Roots...

I am close to the ground, I'm nearly out!

Breathing a laugh and smiling, I push upwards with renewed strength. Bringing my lefthand forward at the end, I push until moist grass can be felt. I laugh some more and clench my hand tightly. I push through the last of the earth and pull myself out into the open by digging my hand into the earth's top layer.

"I did it..." I go as I drag myself back to my feet. Staring up at the cloudless sky, I grin at the full moon as it shines a light on me in my moment of triumph. Centre stage, that is where I am!

But, as I loosen the three fingers on my right hand, I second guess the subtle thought. I look down at my arm and see something that should not be there. My real, normal arm is gone, only a tattered sheet of aged skin covers what it has somehow become. In the dark of night, it appears to be a black mass, but, following the arm, I land on the three digits.

A set of claws.

"N-No... It can't be..." I let out as I realise why I was being called 'Newlyborn.' I feel sick as I glance down at my body. Then, hearing noise from my fresh hole, I turn towards it and watch as lights follow through. My eyes widen as they sparkle and my chest starts to hurt as if it is killing me.