The tunnels were still pitch black. No matter how many light runes they lit or light magic they tried and used, the darkness greedily ate the light and dimmed the tunnel like nighttime. Ghwynmyr along with Orphella and Urfaal silently followed the Orkhamuus as they went deeper into the caved labyrinth.

"Why so silent, my friend?" Wahakim asked out of nowhere.

Ghwynmyr got confused. The three of them looked at each other asking themselves who the Orkhamuu was referring to. They stared at one another, their eyes moving pushing each other to answer Wahakim. Orphella's eyes and Urfaal all pointed at him, pushing him to answer.

"Oh…I am sorry," Wahakim interjected. "I was referring to you, good friend Ghwynmyr!" He looked back and smiled at him.

Ghwynmyr nodded, "Oh! Tis me yah wanna talk?" He stroked his beard, "I nay know whut tah think 'bout it." He glanced at his comrades who eagerly listened to him as they walked further down the tunnel.

"Hmmm…" Wahakim pouted his lips, "I do not blame you for what you think." He raised his hand and signaled they paused on that spot. "Let us rest here, my friends. For this journey to the unknown is long and arduous." He added.

Arduous was a nice way to put it. They all knew that this expedition was near failure, but they wanted to keep their hopes up. No matter how dark and gloomy their fate was they never wanted to give up. The last thing they wanted was to die in that hellhole doing nothing. They rather take that chance. The chance that the old Commander had gave up on. More than just clearing and navigating their way into inside the earth labyrinth, they wanted to save their comrades and take as much ores as they could.

Wahakim sat down on the cold dusty ground, using a fire sprite to light the small circle they huddled in. The Orkhamuu was kind enough to pass around the little supplies he had left. They broke bread along with his brethren and drank a courage-inducing wine one of them snuck before the expedition began.

Ghwynmyr constantly looked around, trying to be aware of the possible threats that might come in creeping their way as they idly rested for a moment.

"My friend, relax," The Orkhamuu said as he poured a bluish liquid out from an intricately ornated bronze flask. "My brothers will keep an eye on us while we rest."

Ghwynmyr nodded, "Tis you do, me friend! But nay can't rest…not in this…" He pointed the ceiling. "Tis like we've been trap by the earth's guts." He laughed out his frustration.

He looked at his comrades sitting right next to him. Their eyes hopeful and full of vigor. They kept a promise to one another that they will make it out alive and free themselves from slavery. No matter how bleak the odds were, they were determined to get out of there alive and well.

Wahakim and the other Orkhamuus laughed along with him. Their laughter echoed throughout the dark hollow halls of the tunnel. Ghwynmyr wasn't sure if they were just laughing along with him to lighten up the mood or they were truly amused of what he was saying.

"I..hahaha…am…sorry, m-my friend!" Wahakim was wiping the tears off his eyes and tried to calm himself down. "But that was funny! Guts?! The earth has guts?! I wonder where the butthole might be?" There was another surge of laughter among the Orkhamuus.

Ghwynmyr wasn't sure whether to laugh along with them or be insulted. For the short time he had been together with the Orkhamuu, he always thought of them as pious and just warriors who dedicated their life to their god. But right now, he just felt alienated with their laughter and mockery.

Urfaal came closer to him and whispered in his ear. "Should we laugh along?"

Orphella and Urfaal looked at him asking what the laughter was all about but even he couldn't really tell what it was. He had no idea what they were laughing all about.

Wahakim composed himself once again and cleared his throat. "I am sorry, my friend." He said. "I wasn't trying to insult you. It's just that we…well…me personally found guts a funny word." He stifled a laugh.

"Well, tis alright!" Ghwynmyr shaking it off.  He understood that some people had a weird sense of humor and didn't want the Orkhamuu to feel embarrass over it. "Oh! Are we goin' further?" He pointed at the dark path beyond.

Wahakim followed his finger and nodded, "Yes, further and further until we reach that god-given sunlight." He nodded.

"Do yah 'ave a plan where we need to go?" Ghwynmyr asked once again.

Wahakim nodded and was about to reveal his plan when suddenly Urfaal stood up and drew his sword.

"Something's coming!" The beastman interrupted. "It's coming fast!" He bared his teeth.

They all stood up, alerted with the beastman's warning.

"I cannot hear anything, coming." One Orkhamuu said as he listened to the ground.

"Tis nay comin' from the ground," Ghwynmyr lifted his hammeraxe and picked up some earth runes on his satchel.

Suddenly a gust of wind began to blow from the opposite side of the tunnel. Their skin prickled as the wind touched their bodies. A distinct rotten scent spread through the air as they hear wings flapping from a distance.

"Brothers!" Wahakim announced. "It looks like our god Apholak has yet brought us foes to test our devotion!" He smiled. "And what do we say to him?"

"We slay them in honor of Apholak!" The rest chorused as they drew their weapons out. "May your sun tear the darkness asunder!"

"Good." Wahakim smiled. "Now come and gather children of the sun! We shall strike them with our god's wrath!" He looked back to Ghwynmyr and asked. "What say you, friends?"

Ghwynmyr looked at his battle-ready comrades. Orphella drawing her bow pointing at the darkness and Urfaal wielding his sword crouching as he waited for them to come. Ghwynmyr moved forward beyond the lines they formed and lifted his hammer.

He whispered on it and smiled. "May my weapon rejoice as it bathes the blood of my opponents!" He squinted his eyes and saw bat-like creatures coming forward towards them. He planted the earth runes on the ground and hastily wrote some runes of his own on the ground.

He looked back at them and smiled. "Lemme begin with this!" He smashed the hammeraxe on the ground activating the written runes. Suddenly fissures appeared from the ground and directed its way towards the flying creatures.

"Skwyr!" Ghwynmyr shouted releasing earth spikes and stabbing the creatures' dead on their tracks.  He looked back at them shouted, "Watch out, tis still a plenty!"

The earth spikes crumbled by some powerful gust of wind and revealed an angry swarm of the monsters rushing towards them, mouths open and ready to attack.

Ghwynmyr braced himself for another bloody carnage.