River didn't understood what was really happening. But it was different so it must be nice.
She can hear most of every thoughts of her ride, Steel. She just only replies to those that are addressed to her. And it seems like Steel isn't a very talkactive person. It would've be nice if he talked with her from time to time.
'oh well..'
River doesn't really mind. She can time pass with other things. Like having the ability to see is really fun. How long has it been since she saw something? She can't really remember.
The world is so crowded as always, full of life and quiet.
'Actually, I can't hear anything. Maybe that's why it is quiet.'
He would have to give her permission. She could love to have more permissions to sense through his body. It would be so delightful and sweet.
But for now, she's satisfied with the sight. Seeing weird things move around her is such a fun experience.
She even told Steel about that weird companion that they had met before. A peculiar gentleman. Or a gentlething. Does it have a gender?
Steel seem to froze up after she mentioned that. Such an odd reaction. Maybe he is also shy like her.
After that, the next action of his really surprised her though. He embraced her in his arms for some reason.
'a hug?'
Maybe he wanted some heat from River's body. Or are there some carnal desires involved in that action. Too bad, her body is incapable of doing both.
'Later, I'll let him know if he ever feels lonely. He can just hug me and do whatever he wants. Mother never praises her children much. So I can atleast do that much for Steel. Hope I'll remember that…'
Unfortunately, she forgets everything later.
***
Steel ran with his tail between his legs. He doesn't really have a tail though.
The Devil Slug run after him. The narrow walls prevents much explosive moments from the slug. But it is still faster than the tired and wounded prey. It really just wants to kill Steel and devour him whole.
It is salivating at the mere thought of that. Steel just gets a shiver as the gaze of the slug pierce him
'there is no end to all this…'
He curses between his ragged breathes.
Only reason that Devil slug hasn't stabbed him from behind yet is just thank to the dark and narrow walls. Preventing the slug to use that singular arm of it. But it fails to reduce any speed from the abomination.
There are these random shaking of the ground that is happening too. Causing rocks and huge boulders to fall. Only possible reason for these quakes is that Huge devil spawn that he saw some time ago. It is probably increasing its root deeper into the ground or doing something else. Steel doesn't really care about it though. Only he cares about is escaping that devil.
Some rock also fell on top of River. But she gave no reaction. She is truly just oblivious to everything.
Steel jumps up from the huge boulder, keeping River close to his chest. He is carrying her like a princess caring position to prevent any slash of the Devil slug to hit her. He rather get hurt himself than release whatever dwells within her.
He wishes that the path was straight and free of these obstacles. But maybe these obstacles are the reason why he had survived so long. Had the Devil slug hit his arms on the jagged edges of the narrow walls?
'Glad to know that I'm not the only one struggling.'
Evading even more unrelenting attacks Steel looks at the walls to find any sort of hiding place. If this keeps going he would just die from exhaustion. He is just praying to a dead God that he finds something.
At that, another abomination jumps from the front. Steel staggers and falls, then he roll into a ball like position with River in his arms.
Slug sees this and tries to attack Steel with all its might. But get interrupted by the abomination at front that the slug misses to see. The new abomination seem to ignore Steel, or maybe it didn't even notice the rolled up Steel.
As the fight between two Devil spawns break out. Steel steals the moment and tries to run away. But before that happens, something hits him. Throwing him into the jagged wall.
'what the…'
It was the same Devil spawn, that Devil slug. It was ignoring the new abomination that came from afront and hit Steel instead. Cause of this action the slug devil also took a blow to the neck from the another abomination.
Steel can taste blood in his mouth. He curses and just runs away. Leaving the hateful slug behind.
later after that encounter, an hour or so passes. He just ran without looking behind with all his strength that he could muster. The quakes never stopped, making few boulders to fall from above again and again. He manages to escape cause of River's random pointing 'this particular things out' behaviour.
She never answered straight though. Even after Steel instructing her, she just failed to understand his meaning.
"if I survive. I'm gonna bury her for sure…"
It was a threat but it was hard to imagine her getting scared of claustrophobia or anything else. Isn't that body a little claustrophobic place itself?
Whatever the case, His lungs were burning from all this running, he was bleeding from unknown plays, a tooth might have broken cause of that farewell hit of the devil slug. But he survived.
Luckily enough, the elevation was increasing. So he doesn't have to climb that much high to escape this dark fissure.
As he escapes from the darkness his eyes are assaulted by harsh light. Making him sigh.
'so there is still time to escape…'
Looking around him, he can see the end of this damned death zero. Just few more hours and he will get to rest. Knowing his luck though, some other devil spawn might start stalking him or what if that same abomination come back again.
'no, no way…it surely is dead by now'
The another abomination was hard to see but it was much more stronger for sure. It even got a free hit on the devil slug, so it should be fine. Let's think positively.
However, his positive thoughts strangle themselves as he hears a terrifying inhumane scream.
He looks at the direction of the noise and freezes in place. It was that huge abomination he saw that had planted itself in the ground. Where did it come from? Wasn't it situated at the middle of the death zone?
Huge Devil's roots were outside of the ground. There was some damage to be seen on the abomination's body too. And weirdly enough, it was screaming at something much smaller than it.
Is there another crazy devil spawn that just wants to take this territory for itself? Devil spawns are hateful creature even towards their own kind. So fights between them is not uncommon.
But what he saw after squinting his eyes just filled him with bitter feeling.
'damnit, why is this keep getting worse?'
The tiny thing that is causing the huge devil spawn to scream with rage is a…Human.