I finished prepping the food, and looked over the meat that remained, an idea forming in my mind. The Edenites and the Pilgrim had managed to go back and forth through the Forest of Teeth without needing to burn through it with a laspistol. That meant I should be able to do the same thing. My first thought was torches, but I didn’t like the idea of giving off smoke and letting people nearby know where I was. Looking at the meat in front of me though, I realized there may be another solution.

I butchered what remained into small parcels I tied with pieces of the brown robe I’d taken, and held the bundles under one arm. I approached the section of forest I knew to be the Forest of Teeth and cautiously made my way inside. As before, it was thick, but the initial travel through it wasn’t too difficult, particularly with my enhanced physical abilities. Then the chattering began, and I started to feel the pull of vines against me. This time, instead of fighting it, I took one of the packaged meats from under my arm, and chucked it into the woods near me. The chattering ceased, and I was able to make it another few miles before it started again. I grabbed another meat package, tossed it in, and made it into the woods deeper without issue once again. This repeated until I’d made it all the way to the other side, within sight of the spring I’d first encountered before I’d entered. I tossed the remaining meat behind myself into the woods, and made my way to the spring, where I drank the irradiated water deeply, feeling a bit of a tingle in my cheeks as I did so.

I still didn’t have a way to store water, but I was certain I could find something, along with a change of clothes, in the Metal Wastes. The only issue was that they had been a two day journey the last time. That meant four days of travel without water, unless I got lucky and encountered some rain, or an alternative water source. It also meant backtracking, which was not something I was keen on doing. Still, I was already through the first leg of the journey, and felt relatively safe from the Edenites, who I hoped were too busy with their own issues to look for me. Even if they were looking, they had no way of knowing where I was.

I took another long drink, and started walking. There wasn’t time to waste, and I was certain I could make it, though it wasn’t going to be an enjoyable trip. In the end, I managed to make it there in only a little over a single day. My increased knowledge of the trek, and my enhanced speed allowed me to travel there much quicker. After some digging I was able to find a long black officer’s coat, a new backpack, some pouches for my belt, and a number of canteens. I’d also found a kind of officer’s hat that I tried on, but found it didn’t suit me. I’d wait until I had something with a brim that went all the way around. Until then I wrapped the top of my head with some cloth I scavenged to help stay cool. The Edenites that scavenged the area had focused on weapons and raw materials, so the sundries I was looking for weren’t hard to find.

I made it back to the spring with little issue, filled my water bottles, hunted a giant lizard to restock my meat supplies, and headed back to the Metal Wastes. I was tempted to take shelter there for a night, but decided to move a ways past it. I wasn’t sure if Eden would be back for material to rebuild their wall any time soon, and I also didn't want another experience like the last time I’d been there. I’d rather avoid strange Russian whispers if at all possible.

After several more days journeying I reached the territory near the crevasse. I checked my jump pack, and found that it was still not functional. I sighed, and started the odd gait I’d learned to avoid encountering the Man-Wyrms. I would have to cut through their caverns to survive without the use of my jump pack, but it definitely wasn’t ideal. Still, now that I knew the layout of their caves and how to move through them safely, it should be much easier than it had been on my way through the first time. I was hoping to at least avoid being swallowed and vomited back up.

The cement building with the strange warning came into view, and as it did, I started to smell something. It was familiar, wet fur and blood. It was coming closer to me as I moved. I turned my head toward the scent, and saw nothing, which told me exactly what was following me. I slung my shotgun to the side, and drew my rifle, aiming in the direction of the smell. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker, some kind of light in the direction I was looking. I let out a breath and fired.

I was rewarded by the sound of a yelp of surprise followed by a roar of fury. Suddenly, the beast was closing in much more quickly. I kept firing, emptying the magazine, and slung the rifle over my shoulder. I drew the shotgun and started running. I didn’t have a sword, or any explosives, so I felt I needed to keep my distance. I also thought I may have an advantage if I could get inside and use corners to know from where the creature was approaching.

As I ran, I started to feel underground rumblings. They were the same ones I’d felt the first time I encountered the Man-Wyrms. I sped up, seeing no other option other than to keep running for the building. They might be able to get me if they came out of the tunnel that was there, but if I could climb onto the roof, or get someplace higher that may be enough to keep me safe until they lost interest. Assuming the invisible coyote didn’t tear me limb from limb before then.

The beast sped up, more desperate now that it was playing the dual role of predator and prey, and it leapt for me. I fired my shotgun at it as it landed, but it grabbed my foot and started yanking me towards it, its camouflage fading to show an emaciated and mangy looking version of the same creature I’d dealt with before.

I gave it a firm kick in the teeth, knocking its head back, and drew my knife to prepare for a desperate struggle.

Before I could be pulled closer to it, the ground beneath us erupted, and two of the Man- Wyrms were suddenly dragging the beast backward in the same way it had been dragging me. Its claws opened releasing me, its eyes widening in terror as it let out high pitched whines, clawed, and bit at the monsters, both of which had opened their hideous maws to drag backwards. Once it was fully engulfed, they shared a kind of hideous kiss before they snapped their mouths shut and cut it in two with a spray of blood. Once they were done, they turned to me.

I raised the shotgun again and took aim, readying myself to freeze them.

They seemed to look at me, moving their limbs and heads toward me for a few seconds, then they just walked past me. I watched as they made their way into the concrete warehouse, and vanished inside of it.

I followed them warily, making my way inside and feeling the radiation increase exponentially as I did so, but I kept it from overheating me by leaking any excess that caused me discomfort out of myself. I lowered myself into the tunnel using the spikes the Pilgrim had left, and did my best to retrace the steps I’d taken the last time through. It wasn’t difficult. I could still see the remnants of my fight through the tunnels as I’d exited the previous time. As I moved, more of the Wyrms noticed me, regarded me for a few moments then simply walked away. One of them even took a moment to expel some food from its mouth in front of me, and push it gently in my direction before walking away. I traced the rest of the way through their nest and exited into the Cut itself.

I made my way to where the climbing hooks had been driven into the cliff face, and stood looking at them for a few moments, before climbing to the top. It was easier than the last time, and I still had the energy to keep pressing on after I’d finished the climb, but instead I sat for a few moments, looking over the edge.

The monsters in the tunnels no longer saw me as food. They saw me as one of their own.

END OF BOOK 2