The plan was simple. In the morning when the sun just breaks and the power dynamic shifts between the roaches and shifts, they were going to make their run for it. The backroom with the escape tunnel had two openings with doors still attached, they would hall ass from their room to it and block it off.
The roaches should be a bit more timid and slow to react due to their fear of the spirits. It seems like they kill the roaches on sight as well so they spend the nights hiding. No matter how many of them there were, they could only die helplessly to the slow moving specters that appeared out of nowhere.
They had to make their way through two rooms to get to the back one, which wasn't too far of a space but would be enough to alert the roaches to their movement. Skye was able to point out where each door or opening was so they could prepare and get through it as soon as possible.
Once back there, Skye and Kai would block the doors with their bodies and Elli would get the hatch open, they'd then both disengage and enter the pathways. Once in the pathway Elli and Skye would hold the hatch shut and Kai would lay down his ring of protection to ensure they couldn't follow.
With any luck the protection also extends to the air space above them and a few roaches will die above as well.
Kai chimed in
"Why don't you two just hold on to doors and I'll put down the ring in that room? Then we can take our time getting it open and just stroll on through. Why make it more complicated than it needs to be?"
He made a valid point that Skye was also thinking. Elli replied in a matter of fact manner.
"Out of the two options, what do you think would work best? I hold a door closed against creatures trying to push in for the minute it takes you to place the ring all by myself with my body like this."
She gestured to her body, still swelling from all three of her falls. He might have helped the wounds close up, but the damage had been done.
"Or me and Skye use our combined body weight to hold down a hatch."
She paused to look at Kai, giving him time to chew over how little thought he put into the suggestion. He looked away with a bit of the shame in his eyes, which she caught and tried to lessen the blow of her words.
"I don't mean to be rude, I want you two also thinking about these. Don't do something just because I say so. We all need to put our heads together to get through this. We've seen how my plans can sometimes work out. I've failed too many times to count. If you see a better option, tell me, and we'll go through the outcomes together."
Pulling a hatch down with two people who can leverage their body weight was easier than one person pushing back against a tide of roaches. Kai and Skye had more weight on their bones to press against the door, so they had a better chance. They could easily see her logic.
If either one of them fails, or if the wood breaks, that would be the end of it. It was another gamble, with the last one failing, they were due a win. That's how gambling works right?
They went over the plan a few times, checked the gear on themselves and each other, and waited for the sunlight to glow orange and yellow through the cracks of the door.
The moment finally came, and they burst into action.
Skye was leading the charge since he knew the layout better, pushing through the first door and instantly making a beeline to the right corner of the next room. They quickly crossed the room in a few strides, getting to the next door, opening it with his body as he slammed through it.
The world then came alive, the sounds of chirps and scurrying could be heard in the walls and in the ceiling, under the floorboards all around them.
The first room was cleared and they made their way through the second, the door annoyingly located on the left of the room, forcing them to cross a greater distance. They ran in a straight line with Skye, then Kai, and Elli taking the rear.
Skye had told her in great detail how to find the trap door and where it was in proximity to the room. She would also see his roots sticking out of it making it an easy target.
The walls rumbled and the flood broke into sight behind them, coming from every opening in the walls and from behind them. The ones in the courtyard must have gone around the ring of protection through the side buildings and joined the fray.
The group pushed themselves for the last stretch, not trying to save their energy, they had to give it their all in these next few moments or else nothing would matter.
Skye pushed through the door of the last room first and instantly ran to the left to block off the other door, pushing his back against it and wedging his body to give him more pressure.
Kai entered the room right after him and instantly turned to close the door and Elli blinked into the centre of the room now that she could see it. Kai slammed the door right as the tide rushed into it, causing a few roaches to fling their body through the crack of it.
They knew the creatures were going to be right on their heels the whole time, they just didn't know how right they were. The pause they got from waiting until the first signs of morning gave them the split second delay that meant making it to the room or being swarmed before they even got close.
They quickly turned around and lunged at anyone they could find, only to be met with the hard boots of Kai. Their strength was in their numbers. Alone, they gave a satisfying crunch when stepped on. Skye thrusted his hand down and materialised his weapon into it, jabbing Thorn into a few as they charged at his direction too. Lucky enough they seemed to completely ignore Elli who was too far away to draw their attention.
The flood of monsters heaved against the door Kai was holding, almost sending him flying back. He gritted his teeth and pressed more firmly into it, feeling the vibrations of their assault through the door and across his body. The pain of the day before radiated like he was on fire.
They started to ram themselves against the door in unison, like a hundred miniature battering rams.
SLAM
Their bodies hit the door
Soon after they must have circled around because the same started to happen to Skye's door. A one, two, smash, one, two, smash, besieging the doors. Elli frantically felt around the floorboards and found a place to grip, though with just her fingertips.
The hatch was old and had not moved in a very long time. The roots were small enough to get through but that doesn't mean human fingers could.
SLAM
"Skye!"
Elli yelled
"Throw me your spear now!"
Her voice didn't leave any room for questions, only compliance. He trusted her fully in that moment and threw Thorn at her. He felt naked the second it left his hand, he was the only one without a weapon now. These two could leave him as bait for the roaches as they escaped and he would be defenceless for long enough to get eaten completely.
SLAM
Dust shook from the door frame and walls.
No, don't think, just hold. They would never do that.
His whole job was to hold the door. Hold the door. Hold. Door. Nothing else.
Elli caught the spear and quickly turned around in one motion, jamming the spear between the floor boards and using it as leverage to pop it open. Blue sparks sprayed across the room from the tip of the spear hitting the stone so hard.
She pressed down with all her weight on the spear, hearing the wood groan and creak under the wrapping of the roots. Thorn was sturdy, but everything had its breaking point.
SLAM
The wood of the old door begins to splinter against Kai's body. He yelled to Elli.
"It's now or never, the door isn't going to hold!"
It was amazing that the doors even held up this long, though no one really knew how long the castle was abandoned. For all they knew it could have only been a few years and was just built really poorly.
Elli pushed down on Thorn with all her might, lifting her body off the floor completely and bouncing up and down for added force. The once straight spear now started to look like a bow waiting to be stringed.
Skye watched on with horror as his most beloved pointy stick was being treated so harshly. If it was destroyed there was a chance he'd just open the door out of spite.
The hatch finally popped open enough for Elli to fit her fingers underneath without Thorn breaking, able to then lift with her legs and full body; she got it open enough for the team to get in.
"It's open, let's go!"
Elli yelled under the stress of the weight.
Kai and Skye looked at each other and nodded, a silent understanding of when they would both go. The slamming against the door in unison exerted a lot of force, but it also was rhythmic and easy to understand.
As soon as their rat sized bodies slammed into the door they both knew they had a window of opportunity.
SLAM
They released and pushed themselves towards the opening in the floor, meeting in the middle and running side by side. Taking three massive strides across the room the next slam came, and the doors burst open, letting the flood of grey bodies into the room.
As they spilled into the room a moment of confusion seemed to wash over the hive mind of roaches, like they didn't actually expect that to work. Suddenly they were in the room and had to figure out what to do after that. Luckily there was some food in sight.
Skye and Kai had the lead but the force of the horde pushed the monsters in front forward. They both took another step and then dived into the hole, threatening to tackle Elli who was in their path holding up the hatch. She instantly disappeared and the door started to fall on top of their bodies, skimming the back of their legs as they flew underneath it.
They both tumbled down the stairs and the heavy door slammed half way shut, the bodies of the roaches who were right behind them getting wedged in the opening, not allowing it to close all the way.
Elli was there, pulling down on the latch of the door as their bodies wiggled in the gap, more monsters trying to leverage it open with their flat heads, threatening to pull it up.
"Help me!"
She yelled again, not only was this her idea and plan, she was also taking charge of the execution of it. No one seemed to mind and followed orders like good little soldiers.
"It's so nice to have strong decisive leadership isn't it"
Dubs said to confirm he was here too. Skye almost forgot about him, he's become so quiet around people. Was Dubs actually really considerate? Or was he shy around other marks?
Skye jumped into action and crawled back up the stairs to help Elli pull down on the latch, their combined weight starting to crush the roaches that were trying to push themselves through the opening. They squealed under the new weight.
The more that joined the more effort it took to keep the hatch down. They were now intertwined in a tug of war over the door. The monsters wanted it opened by another inch or two so they could start to squeeze through, and the team wanted not to be eaten alive.
Kai stood behind them with his brow pinched and a scowl on his face. His jaw held tight as he focused his mana. It seemed as if the runes weren't just being engraved in the ground but his body as well, allowing himself to become the conduit for the power.
It took 60 seconds to cast, but in a fight like this, where you have to put everything you have into each moment, that felt like a lifetime. A few of the roaches were starting to squeeze through the crack, wiggling back and forward as their legs scurried, only to be stomped to death by Elli or impaled by Thorn which was now back in the hands of its rightful owner..
Her frantic feet stomping as they fell and the sparks of metal on stone were a sight to behold, the icy blue sparks from the tip of Thorn lighting up the room. It could be mistaken for an old ritual dance if anyone had the time to appreciate it.
The Hatch would lift, then Skye and Elli would throw themselves downwards to pull it again. Every time it lifted a few more would get through the gaps and would instantly direct themselves to attack whatever they could find.
In the dark of the tunnel they were almost impossible to see with their grey smokey fur. The light admitting from the crack in the hatch and the sparks from Thorn was their only way to see anything around them but even that was being eclipsed by the thousands of bodies.
The dance continued and Skye let out another yelp as something else attached to his leg and began to bite away chunks. They shredded through the roots wrapped around him like it was paper.
He could feel his blood start to flow down his leg and onto his roots underneath his feet, sending weird sensations into his brain. The stickiness of it on the ground felt like it was flowing from his skin onto his skin.
He shook the thought from his mind and ignored the pain. Only one thing mattered right now and that was to not allow themselves to be overwhelmed. If a few got through and decided to take a bite he would just ask Kai to suffer and heal him, he would do it right? They were best friends after all.
He bashed his leg against the wall to try and flatten it, only for it to be replaced by another on a different part of his body. It felt like ants crawling up his skin, as soon as he brushed on off there were two more to take its place.
Skye could hear the subtle cries of pain from Elli as well, who was most likely not doing any better. They were killing as many as they could but more would fall from the opening in the hatch like the beginning of a rain storm. Little drops here and there and only getting more consistent.
At this point every inch of the opening of the hatch was covered by a flat faced freak using its body to lift it for just long enough for a few to get through. The dam was breaking, and they were working together to do it.
Skye could swear he could hear them yelling "Heave, Ho" every time they lifted. Sure the newly formed team of Skye, Elli, and Kai were really working well together, but you can't out cooperate a hive mind.
Creatures were latching on to whatever they could find, fighting between themselves to find space now. Skye and Elli held on tightly to the bar of the hatch, refusing to let go. They would bash themselves against the walls and each other to try and knock them off long enough to stomp on them. Even the floor was getting slick with blood and bodies.
They couldn't imagine how Kai was holding up behind them and they couldn't afford to turn around and look. He was a sitting target for them, unable to move while casting the spell. He would have to deal with the pain of the runes and being eaten alive at the same time.
Just as Skye thought about his poor companion behind him, the glow of the runes around them started to light up the dark tunnel, and just in time, his spell took effect on the world. This had to be by far the longest minute of their lives.
Kai crumbled to his knees and gasped for air, the runes burst into action in recognition of the monsters, catching their very souls on fire. Skye felt safe enough to look back and he could see countless creatures latched onto Kai, now running for their lives.
The few that were stuck in the wedge of the hatch started to flail and push themselves backwards to escape, firmly lodged. Some succeeded and others did not, wailing in pain until their bodies gave out.
Skye took the moment of peace to stomp on the monsters that were flopping on the floor, getting payback for every bite they had taken.
Now that they weren't trying to get in, he pushed up the hatch and pulled in the bodies that were trapped. Once he was done, he and Elli joined Kai on the cold floor, catching their breaths. It worked. It actually worked just like they thought it would.
We'll not just like they thought it would. They did get lucky. The battering ram of bodies made their escape easier but they didn't think they would work together so well to try and lift up the hatch. It was like standing on an ant hill for a minute, unable to leave.
There had to be hundreds of roaches on the ground as well, far more than they thought would have been able to follow them into the tunnel.
Skye was the first to catch his breath and took Thorn, cutting open the roaches. The sharp dagger that made up the tip of Thorn left a frosty streak along the bodies as he sliced them open, stopping the blood from flowing out.
He took on the job of retrieving the slivers while the others rested. He took as many as he could carry and had to come to terms with the fact they would have to leave the rest. He handed them out equally, then added a few more on top of Elli's and Kai's pile.
"Why are you giving us more, what are you trying to pull"
Said Kai, still breathing heavily, suspicious of anything free.
"It's a victory reward for a plan accomplished beautifully. Our very first mission and it was a success. Go team Valkyrie!"
Skye pushed his hand in front of the two still on the floor, inviting them to put their hands on top of his to do a victory chant. But no one moved, and in the corner of his eye he saw Kai's name and status bar disappear.
"I'm joking! Don't be like that! Join the team again Kai"
"I wasn't fucking around, you had one chance and you blew it. Come on Elli let's leave this asshole behind"
Kai got up and turned around to start walking, Elli stayed in place and said
"Oh come on Kai, that's no way for a dignified man of team Valkyrie to act. Come put your hand in the middle."
She gave a smirk and put her hand in the middle along with Skye, both of them looking at Kai who stood frozen, dumbfounded by the turn of events. He looked around for help but no one was coming to save him in this dark tunnel.
He patted his body quickly, checking his pockets, and asked as he walked back.
"Do any of you have another exploding sword or something? I'm trying to do something"
They both smiled as wide as they could, Elli tilting her head towards their hands in the middle, inviting him again. His name appeared in the corner of their eyesight once more and he placed his limp hand in the middle.
"Good job team"
Elli said in a soft tone
"We actually survived."
"To surviving!!
Kai exclaimed and threw his hand up in the air, causing both Elli and Skye to do the same.
"Did you really lead the cheer just so I wouldn't say team Valkyrie, Kai?
Skye asked while laughing to himself.
"Yeah well my first idea was to see if I could blow us up really quick, this was the second. Be happy Elli didn't bring me back another sword with a fun enhancement."
He was happy, they were all happy. Bruised and battered, bleeding and scraped. Their bodies felt like they were crumbling around them. But they were happy. Happy to be alive.