The putrid mutations on the wall replaced any of the stones. As Cirino and Cas rushed through the dimly lit tunnels, they followed the trail of destruction left by the battle between the Castrato and the demon.
'He shouldn't have sent them off with such a vague order.' Cirino thought to himself.
Though the order was given in a panic, sending the Castrato out without proper command or support might've been a death sentence. A death sentence for the Castrato and the Auxiliary force, both. Neither could support the other, and once the abominable flesh mound was dead, the Castrato would be left alone with no orders.
'Of course, it's possible that they were ordered to go back to main command, but that risks them running through tunnels without proper support or insight.' Cirino thought to himself. He looked to Cas, 'though, I should probably ensure that Cas can keep himself alive should I fall. Just to make sure.'
"Cas, don't stray too far from me unless said otherwise. Clearly and specifically said otherwise. Protecting me is your main priority, and eliminating the flesh mound is second." Cirino ordered.
Though he could not see Cas' face, he assumed that he took those orders in. Alyssa, being the superior officer, held greater sway than Cirino when it came to orders. And though his feelings on her were less than stellar, she was clever enough to give her Castrato specific orders as backups.
As the two rushed through the halls, the corridor widened, splitting into two separate paths. The air grew heavy and foul — they'd reached the sewers proper. Waste flowed sluggishly down the stone channel, the stench thick enough to burn Cirino's throat. He cursed under his breath and looked down.
His boots, already caked in grime, soot, and blood from the earlier battle, were now about to be baptized in filth.
"Perfect," he muttered, then sighed through his nose and stepped forward. The cold, ankle-deep water bit at his legs, sending a shiver up his spine. He forced himself to move — one squelching step at a time — and the tunnel began to narrow. Before long, he had to crouch to keep moving.
Cirino prayed he wouldn't have to crawl, and, mercifully, he didn't. The cramped passage soon opened into a vast chamber — a space so large it made his breath catch. The sewer's flow poured down into a yawning void that stretched endlessly beneath the city.
The cavern walls shimmered faintly, streaked with veins of azure crystal that cast ghostly light across the chasm. They glowed like stars scattered across the earth's underbelly, soft and otherworldly.
Cirino stood at the edge, awestruck. "What is this place?" he whispered.
It was nothing like anything he'd read or imagined — a sprawling abyss hidden beneath Dunsleight's slums, carved far too perfectly to be the work of time or nature.
Cirino gazed into the abyss below — a depth so vast that the sound of falling water never reached him. It was bottomless, or near enough. A dark eternity swallowed by shadow. His eyes followed the curve of a nearby ledge — far too distant for him to reach — and there he saw it: the broken corpse of a Castrato knight.
The knight's iron helmet had been crushed inward, skull caved like paper beneath a hammer. Blood pooled around the still figure, its body twisted in a silent, reverent sprawl. A grim reminder that even the Empire's perfect weapons could break.
Cirino swallowed hard, forcing his gaze away.
'Focus on the mission.'
Curiosity tugged at him, whispering that he should explore, but discipline—and something colder—kept him grounded. He needed to cross that gap. The Castrato had likely jumped it before; Cirino, however, didn't share their inhuman strength.
He turned toward his companion. "Hey, you think you can get me over th—"
Before he could finish, Cas moved. Without a sound, the knight reached out and wrapped an arm around Cirino's waist.
"H–Hey, wait—what the hell are you—"
Cas took several measured steps back. Cirino's eyes widened. The realization hit just as the knight lunged forward and leapt into the air.
The world fell away.
Air howled past his ears; his stomach lurched into his throat. Cirino bit down on his tongue to stop himself from screaming, clutching his carbine to his chest like a lifeline. The weightless feeling sent a cold tremor up his spine.
Then—impact.
They landed hard. Cas rolled with mechanical precision, distributing the force with brutal grace. Cirino wasn't as lucky—he was dropped mid-roll and tumbled onto the stone with a graceless thud.
"Son of a—" He hissed through clenched teeth, several very colorful curses flooding his mind as he pushed himself upright.
He groaned, dusted off his uniform, and shot a glare at the iron-masked knight.
"…A little warning next time would've been nice."
The knight, as usual, stayed silent. But Cirino liked to imagine that the guy beneath the helmet was rolling his eyes. Pushing any thought away, Cirino looked around. The crystal-lit halls shimmered a faint blue, and the blackened stone skies resembled the knight sky.
Moving through mossy stone and faded icons, he looked up to find a large door closed tightly shut. It had an insignia, a horned raven with blue crystals for its eyes. In its talons was a doll, heart pierced by sharpened claws.
"What is this place..." Cirino huffed.
He tried to open the door, pushing against it, but it wouldn't pry. He told Cas to do the same, but the result was similar. Not even a Castrato Knight's inhuman strength could make it budge.
"It won't pry..." Cirino commented. "If the mutant's beyond that door, we can't reach it."
Cirino turned around and looked to the other end. There, the cavern split open to reveal another trail for them to follow. He slung his carbine over, pondering on his next move. He was deep into the caverns, and the auxiliaries had yet to follow him. He could stay and wait, but how would they even reach him?
'If that thing can tear through a bunch or Castrato Knights, it's better if we regroup.' He hummed to himself. He narrowed his gaze somewhat. 'Maybe we can retreat? We clearly need more numbers... and a better commander.'
Just as he thought that, footsteps echoed from where he rushed in. Cirino gripped onto his carbine, yet lowered it once one of the Auxiliaries showed themselves. The young looking man pointed to Cirino. "He's here! I found the prisoner!"
The commander walked forward, brushing through the auxiliaries before turning to Cirino. "You have some nerve rushing in without support."
Cirino furrowed his brow, then a retort came to mind.
"I did have support, his name is Cas." He pointed to the silent Castrato.
The commander furrowed his brow.
"You've disobeyed me for the last time. How did you even cross? Which path did you take?"
"Cas carried me over." Cirino said, "not the most pleasant experience, but workable."
'Unlike you.' He internally added.
"Then have him carry me as well. We have a monster to hunt, after all."
'With these numbers?' Cirino incredulously thought.
"I think we should retreat." Cirino said, turning to the commander. "The Castrato you sent are dying by the dozen."
'Come to think of it, why isn't Alyssa here?'
Isn't she meant to head the assault? When she said she'd test him, he supposed that meant being absent altogether.
"Retreat? When the enemy is here? Our purpose is to hunt, prisoner. If we die, then we die. But have faith in my men, they are stronger than you think." The commander said.
Cirino eyed some of the men visible on the crack. They looked away, fear deep in their eyes. They were brave for coming here, it wasn't at all foolish to run away. In his mind, it'd just be a waste of resources. The Castrato he sent this way was likely already dead.
"Listen, Commander uh..."
"Cameron, Cameron Iudas Carter." The man curtly answered. He said that as if his name lent him some form of authority.
'Never heard of you.' Cirino thought.
"Alright, Cameron. There's a difference between bravery and stupidity, you're leaning more on one side than the other. Your men don't stand a chance, especially since the Castrato knights you send are likely dying by the dozen."
"The Castrato Knights have clearly done their work. Some of the blood we'd seen was from the creature, their sacrifice will not be in vain."
'Did you forget that thing could regenerate, you pompous idiot?' Cirino dryly thought.
"Look, just—"
"Enough." Cameron cut him off, his tone as sharp as his scowl. "Send me over first, and I'll discuss terms with you. I will not brook disobedience, boy. So I will grant you this one leniency."
Cirino stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, pressing his lips into a thin, incredulous line.
"…Seriously?" he muttered under his breath.
With an exaggerated sigh, Cirino turned to Cas and waved a hand dismissively. "Alright then, Cas. Get this dumbass over here."
He made sure to say it loud enough for Cameron to hear. The commander's face flushed red, jaw tightening, but before he could bark another word, Cas moved. The iron-clad knight leapt across the gap, grabbed Cameron by the waist without hesitation, and hoisted him like a sack of grain.
There was a strangled noise — half a yell, half a protest — before Cas vaulted back, landing hard on the opposite side. The commander stumbled upon landing, nearly tripping over his own boots.
Cirino barely contained a snort, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Graceful as ever, Commander," he said dryly, shaking his head.
'That one's going in the mental archives.'
"Shut up." Cameron stood up and dusted himself. "Now get the rest of the troops over."
Cirino gawked. "You just said we'd discuss. I'm not sending any more men to their deaths, especially since there's no chance of victory."
"How many times must I reiterate, the Castrato have softened the creature enough." Cameron spat the words as if it was the most obvious poison. "The will of the High-Crown must be followed, they will kill the creature or die trying as they were trained."
'They.'
Cirino felt a dangerous glint in his soul. They, he said. They. Not we. Not his men. They were trained, not him, not Cameron. Treating their lives as if they were nothing, as if they were just tools to use and then discard. For a soldier like him, it was absurd to even think.
"They were trained to fight, to kill, not to die with nothing to show for it." Cirino spat out. "You don't want soldiers, you want puppets. My decision is final, I'm not sending them out here. You want to kill the beast? Go ahead, leave the rest of us to retreat."
He huffed, turning his head and speaking. "Send me back, Cas, we're retreating."
Cas moved, grabbing Cirino by the waist. But before he could jump, a heavy roar echoed and shook the cavern.
The platform shook, and Cameron nearly stumbled.
"What in the High-Crown..."
The soldiers on the other side stumbled, the roar was mighty enough that even the caverns began to shake. Pebbles fell from walls, cracks tore at the stoney surfaces.
Cirino plugged his ears, and Cas did much the same. Cameron fell on his knees, plugging his own ears. One poor soldier, clutching his ears, stumbled forward and fell all the way down to the void below. A scream followed, then fell silent all the same. Cirino grit his teeth, his gaze cast upwards.
"Cas, we need to get ou—"
But the caverns shook far too hard. Rubble, stone, and debris began to fall. Crashing the only way out, leaving Cirino, Cas, and Cameron stranded on one side. Cirino grit his teeth.
'Shit...'
And as if hearing their misfortune, the world piled on. A low groan sounded from below, and Cirino dared to look down. There, a mass of multiple mangled spawns, similar to the foes from before, were crawling up the platform supports. There were likely hundreds, possibly thousands of them.
"Shit." Cirino hissed out loud, this time.