The boy analyzed the situation at hand. His eyes flickered from wall to wall, the stones upon the floor, then finally... His enemy. The Goliath that towered above him had seemingly only gained more rage.
"Calm yourself." The boy flushed the air from his lungs, turning to the hairy creature with newfound air in his lungs. "Alright..." He took aim, and yet something was wrong... He couldn't fire. The beast before him had been losing its mind, giving only a bare minimum of 10 seconds to react.
Yet, Mugen was simply incapable of pulling the arrow back. "Come on!" Mugen cried out, but the very wires were so tightly strung that it was impossible to actually shoot an arrow. Mugen lacked the physical prowess, the strength required to fire an arrow from this bow.
Mugen's heart sunk upon the subtle realization. His skin turned pale and his body fell numb.
*Rauuuuuuugh!"
The beast released it's cry! It's large hoof implanted itself into the floor before scraping against it vigorously.
It was ready for a charge!
Finding the energy to move once more, the boy took off! He ran like the wind, gripping the bow in his hand tightly. He raced the mammoth of a creature towards the mineshaft opening.
*Smash!*
Mugen launched himself out of the way. The creature shattered the wall of the ditch, creating a web of cracks before it. "Damn." He watched in awe, almost losing hope completely.
This was no time for a break! Mugen jumped to his feet and took off once more. He ran swiftly thought the dark mineshaft, leg after leg in a swift motion.
"Come on!" He chanted, forcing his body to perform at a greater level than before. Even though he hadn't heard a single thing of the beast, he kept running. After all, this mineshaft was large enough for such a Titan to enter. In all retrospect, if this were to have been a dead end, Mugen's fate would've been sealed.
Perhaps... It was about that time. Coming to a stop, Mugen took gaze upon a wall... A wall, consisting of the collapsed boulders. With such a thing living in this place, all of this damage must've originated from it. That damage, it was the very thing Mugen feared the most.
"No, No, No... This ain't it right?" The male took a step back, checking behind him before returning his gaze. He bit harshly down on his bottom lip. The stress and the overwhelming despair was getting to him. He couldn't fight back, nor had he the ability to run away.
He was still young, and for the most part... Things went his way... This very feeling of uselessness was getting to him... Was he going to accept it? Not a chance!
Wiping away his tears, he searched the wall before him as though he hadn't a second chance. By taking a torch hung upon the wall, he illuminated the wall with the dim blue color. 'There!'
An opening!'
Something one couldn't see unless they lit themself a path. Not to mention, it was small. This opening was in no shape meant for a grown man, much less a rampaging ten feet beast. Dropping on his stomach, the male shimmied into the tight and clustered space. The stones were so tightly condensed that soon, he wouldn't simply be sliding anymore.
He'd have to grind past the rough exteriors in order to pass through. The boy's back, stomach and arms had now harvested raw flesh. In order to slip past the boulders, he had to berid some of his skin.
"This... It hurts..." The stinging grew increasingly, but Mugen knew he couldn't stop here. His drive was simply too strong. Despite him knowing that he could die upon going further onwards, he still made the trip forwards through the darkness.
The tunnel before him was illuminated by torches, though the blue lights were so dull it was almost impossible to make anything out. The boy's feet carried him to a decision... A choice between two paths.
The tunnel had split off. One trail went left, the other went right.
"Let's see..." Mugen walked without thinking. "No sense in overthinking this..." He took the left tunnel, allowing himself to bathe in the temporary darkness. Mugen's steps echoed through the tunnel as he lightly rubbed the raw flesh on his arm.
The male took step into a large opening. It was a huge dome, gems scattered about in the rocks about. These gems glowed bright colors, barely illuminating the areas around the youth.
Though, something felt wrong. This opening, although natural for mining... There was something off. He felt something...
"Is that." He covered his mouth swiftly, his eyes plunging up to the ceiling of the cave. He heard the brief clicks and snickers of rodents... Except, it was worse.
Rather than a rat he saw, it was a whole colony.... A whole colony of rats with wings; Bats!
He could see the numerous figures as they moved ever so slightly, brushing their massive wings against each other. Some were asleep, some peered around the cave with their crimson eyes.
Their fangs reflected the very color of the gems. Mugen controlled his breathing... 'Should I run?' He shook with each thought, gritting his teeth. 'No...' He hammers into his head, taking a step forwards. He held his head low, clenching the bow tightly in his palm.
The squirming grew louder and louder, gnawing at his skull... Sweat raced down his face, his vision grew blurry with fear. He had never felt so useless before... Such creatures on the ceiling? They must've atleast been the size of a carriage each! He'd get slaughtered if he made a
*Click*
The boy collapsed to the floor. His body froze, his breathing faltering.
He tripped...
There was a numbing silence, followed by a grande awakening ceremony. The red glares took to the boy.
He was surrounded by a ring of hell.
"Hskkk!!!!"
They hissed profusely,
"..."
In a moment's notice, he ran towards the other end of the room, biting heavily on his bottom lip.
One of the creatures swooped down before him. Mugen took hold of the bow, "Move!" He smashed the edge of the bow into it's jaw, launching it to the side.
However before he could continue his mad dash, he rolled out of the way to avoid an angry onslaught.
"No! No!"
He blocked an incoming attack which launched him into a pair of harsh talons. He was impaled. "Gaah!" Before him, he could hear the flapping of wings, etching ever so closely.
Behind him? He felt the talons clinging to his very spine, the bat desperately wrapping it's wings around it's prey in order to get a good bite of his neck.
'Think! think!'
'Think...'
...
..
.
Before the army could trample him, he spun swiftly, allowing the flying massacre to slam brutally into their own rather than him.
The impact was enough to release the brutal grip... But it was also enough to push the male to the floor.
"...." The male took to his feet once more. No time to wallow in the pain.
He just...
He just ran!!!
As the bats regained their mental state, they began their assault. Flying effortlessly through the darkness, they easily caught up to the heavily injured male.
At the end of the large opening was setting odd... It was darkness...
Charging into the darkness....
He lost his footing....
He fell? Fell where? It was a straight path right? No! The darkness hid the truth!
Mugen's mind went berserk! He no longer heard the wings fluttering in the wind... He heard nothing... He saw the darkness.... And only fell.....
*SPLAT!*