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‘Leave them both behind,’ was a voice trickling through Shade’s mind. It had taken the shape of his father’s, which ever-so often managed its way into the boy’s thoughts. One of the girls allowed her fear of bugs to draw her a scared child in this scenario, and the other could only barely keep up. ‘Everyone is a resource, and no one is consistently useful,’ the voice continued, clawing at the Dark Elf’s consciousness. He was ready to draw his blade and assist the armored halberdier, but aid was scarcely required once she had managed to rid herself of the filthy attackers. “Over here!” Shade exclaimed, leaping onto a heightened ledge. With one foot on the wall as the boy jumped, his hands reached for the ledge, before a weightless form made its way to safety. 

Turning around, Shade dropped his hand down to the others, most notably the halberdier, in an attempt to assist her. The heightened ledge would keep them safe, if only for a short moment, with squeaking and chittering sounds crashing together into a chorus of chaos. His plan had worked, for now. Looking beyond the others, Shade noticed how rats and cockroaches had singled each other out, and showed no mercy in what was to come.

Pincers and teeth fought for supremacy, strength combating the pure power of numbers. Scouting ahead had given Shade a better outlook of what they could use, and tactical decisions were far easier to make with knowledge of their surroundings. Had he not ventured out to learn of these sewers beforehand, he would have had no understanding of this escape route. 

Hard carapaces and cockroach shells could be heard breaking beneath the weight of a heavy rat bite, but an onlooker would have been able to deduce that numbers were coloring themselves victorious. No matter how dangerous the rats had been up until his point, those insects warranted another layer of fear. It surprised Shade to no end that these foul, vicious beasts had been left out of the quest briefing. They were arguably more dangerous than the prey the group had ventured into the sewers for, to begin with. 

“We should be able to catch a breather,” Shade spoke, gulping before he fell down to his backside, and leaned against the wall. Their savior had been an elevated alcove, a ledge where they could regain their strength and rest, but it would not bring them further. A temporary sanctuary, and at the very least, neither cockroaches nor rats could reach them there. They were also at an advantage with the high ground. The guard’s long weapon could easily reach down towards the floor and attack whatever unwelcomed guest made itself known. 

“Are you okay?” Shade continued, as he shifted his attention to Guard Lady, concern making its way towards his black eyes obfuscated by both a hood, and the surrounding darkness. “We should take a second to rest,” the Dark Elf spoke, turning to the war of wretches which maintained itself beneath them.