FALLEN WARRIORS

VIII: Hold On Loosely

Minho's next, his eyes never leaving the disturbing sight. What more disturb him is that he sees that the man's munching rapaciously on a flesh of something he doesn't bother finding out. The others swiftly follow him, getting behind Ilithyia as they try to keep in the food they've consumed earlier from coming up.

When everyone's safe behind her, she slowly backs up, her gaze never leaving the Crank who's passed way the Gone. "Go," she tells Jorge as well as the others. "But don't go too far. I'll be right behind you."

"Follow me." Jorge instructs to the Subjects, waving his hand to the direction of the other end of the tunne.

Gradually, they all follow him without asking, before throwing a last look to Ilithyia. A boy seems reluctant at first, fidgeting in his place as his gaze alternates between his friends and Ilithia.

"It's okay," Ilityia takes a quick glimpse to him. The boy is no older than fifteen, his ginger hair is dishevelled and slightly filthy from all the dirt, making his hair looks darker. She knows him, and even before he was sent to the Maze. He was nice to her despite her being a Warrior. "France, right?"

"Yeah. ." he sounds puzzled as to how she knows his name as he recalls he hasn't given out his name yet.

"You should go with them, I'll be right behind you. Trust me." She assures the boy, "just making sure he won't charge at us."

"Okay." Though sounds unconvinced, he obliges and walks to the direction where the others have went.

Aftet some time, she's convinced that the Crank's no threat and opts to follow the others, but not putting her weapon away as a stealthy attempt at being ready to defend herself if she is to be attacked by a Crank.

She runs after the group, leaving the Crank who's still busy eating his probably dead friend. The group's not too far from where they encountered with the Crank. She accelerates and goes by Jorge's side at the front of the group.

Then they continue their journey in silence.

• • •

"Hold it." Jorge stops, an arm held in front of Ilithyia. The others halt into a sudden stop at Jorge's command. His eyes dart to every space of the hallway. He drops his voice, eyes still trained ahead of him. "Did you hear that?"

"What now?" Ilithyia hears Minho grumbles to himself from behind. "Another one of your psycho cannibalistic friend?"

Jorge ignores the smart-alleck Minho told him, face apprehensive. "No."

Ilithyia tightens her grip on her longsword. "Do you think it's-"

"Anything's possible down here, chica." He whispers, glancing in worry at her. "They haven't attack us, which worries me."

"I'm sorry," Minho interferes in a sardonic tone, overhearing their conversation. "They haven't attack us?"

Ilithyia turns to him, who stares at back at her expectantly, "put it this way, a group of notorious Cranks that have passed the Gone started to dissappear long time ago. Then we found them at the Underneath, their insanity completely gone. How do they survive? Well they found themselves famished after such long time not eating, then they started to devour on their allies-not friends, but allies-and when they weren't satisfied, they started picking on their own flesh. No, they're not gone yet. They hide in the depth of these tunnels, somewhere waiting to satisfiy their animalistic hunger for flesh. Fresh flesh. That Crank we met, he was probably one of them. Why he didn't attack us, I don't know. But we've gone this long and haven't got attacked by them. Usually, they would strike as soon as they acknowledge that there's someone entering their home. We've made it clear since the beginning we entered the Underneath that we are here, so why haven't they attack us?"