"Yundo, I... I don't like it here. It's so creepy." Amu's trembling voice rang in the slugcat's ears, followed by a sharp gasp when lightning struck the steel scaffolding close to them. Ever since they had left their makeshift shelter at the edge of the Ebony tower and continued their journey, things had literally gotten darker with every step. As they climbed along the underside of the megastructure, they were safe from the towering clouds and the torrential rain but also separated from the sunlight and traversing a world of gloomy darkness. Luckily, it wasn't pitch-black. While Yundo's own glow had finally faded, the colossal concrete machinery above them was studded with blinking red lights, and a lush overgrowth of orange slime fungus illuminated the scaffolding in dim light, just enough to make out any dangers ahead.

Don't worry, Amu. We're making good progress, and you'll be home in no time, Yundo reassured the shivering lantern mouse. Their mindlink was still working, but it had weakened considerably since yesterday, and the slugcat really had to concentrate to transmit his thoughts. Just hold on tight. He tried his best to sound optimistic, even though the environment wasn't exactly raising his confidence. They were surrounded by deadly hazards, hungry lizards roaming the area and the upper levels, lightning striking the lower levels, and the endless abyss yawning below them while the way forward was getting increasingly tricky to maneuver. The slugcat wasn't sure how high up they were, but one wrong step and one misjudged jump would mean the end, at least for the fearful little mouse in his arms. It was painfully obvious that nobody had ever been supposed to climb around this tower's underside, and the ravages of time had given it the rest, as the relentless storms had torn down much of the scaffolding.

As already on his trip through the ruined city and down the tower's outer wall, the construct's immense proportions were wearing Yundo out. Time lost its meaning, minutes and hours blending into each other, as he blindly stumbled forward into the unknown. Everything around him looked ever the same, and he never came across any recognizable landmark, so for all he knew, they could be climbing in circles.

Amu's constant apprehensions didn't help either. The lantern mouse's constant dread slowly but steadily seeped into the slugcat's mind. Had he celebrated the mindlink as a handy tool the day before, he was now growing weary of it because despite his best efforts and the weakening connection, he couldn't block all of his little partner's troubling thoughts. But neither that nor all the other adversities the world threw at him would stop him. Lash was waiting somewhere out there, and Yundo would not leave the poor lantern mouse to die in this hell! Nobody deserved to be separated from their loved ones.

However, while the hostile conditions couldn't break Yundo's spirits, they still slowed his progress to a crawl and sapped his energy. As if the Ebony Tower could sense his vulnerability, it sent even worse obstacles his way to make his life and mission a living hell. For the first time in hours, the environment changed, but not for the better, and the change delivered another harsh blow to the slugcat's mood. They had only been facing ordinary lizards so far, blue and pink ones that never really posed a threat as long as they kept their distance, but now he spotted a treacherous sparkle of yellow in the distance. Those kinds of lizards were among the worst because they hunted in packs. For every yellow-headed reptile in plain sight, there were two more lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike at their unsuspecting prey. 

The shiver racing down Yundo's spine intensified when he noticed another motion from the corner of his eye, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the pulsating, blobulous body of a daddy long legs a few platforms over. There was no scaffolding between them, but that couldn't stop that monstrosity with its countless prehensile, sticky tentacles.

"Yundo, what's wrong?" Amu whimpered.

"Shhhhhh!" Yundo reflexively pressed his paw onto the mouse's muzzle and muffled his voice. He barely even dared to point at the nightmare skulking not far from them, but he knew that he had to tell Amu. Look where I'm looking, Amu. Do you see that beast? We need to keep quiet and avoid it at all costs. Trust me.

Yundo knew that his companion had spotted the creature when he froze stiff in his arms. A new burst of fear assaulted his mind, and Amu wailed, Oh no, a drifting terror! It's hideous and has taken so many of us!

But it won't get us, I promise, Yundo guaranteed the mouse. And yet, he was even more uncertain about their success than ever. For once, the path forward was becoming more physically demanding. There were fewer platforms and poles ahead of them, and when he squinted his eyes, he could make out even more fleshy, pulsating heaps climbing and lingering in the distance. The daddy long legs had claimed this area as their own, and for better or worse, he had to change his route and move up into the tower's underside if he wanted to advance.

The slugcat knew that the construct above him was interspersed with vents and narrow channels, so there would always be a way forward, but it was also riddled with lizards and awkward to navigate. So it was either a gruesome death by hungry jaws or eternal torment in the belly of the Rot, but Yundo knew what he preferred thanks to his horrific experiences with the latter. Not that he would tell Amu about it, though, as the mouse was already scared stiff at the sight of the daddy long legs. We will make it.

Okay. I trust you.

Yundo patted Amu's little head and waited for the mouse to realign his grip before he put his new plan to practice. The moment the slugcat climbed up toward the tower's concrete underside, a stray lightning bolt struck the platform they had just been on. Was that a warning that fate was after their lives? Or was it a good omen since it had waited for them to leave first? He couldn't tell.

Once Yundo reached the dark facade, he entered the first vent he could find, and from that point on, their journey continued through tunnels of cold black steel and glowing orange fungi. In here, they could no longer die of lightning or drop into the abyss, but the slugcat also couldn't see any threats ahead anymore. Instead, he had to rely on his hearing more than ever, which was easier said than done. Most of the time, the howling of the wind, his heartbeat, and Amu's rapid breath drowned out everything else. So every now and then, he had to stop and press one ear flush against the steel to listen to the distant thumping and churning of the machine. Then, he could hear the quiet thudding of footsteps in the distance, could hear that they were not alone in these tunnels.

A confrontation with the underside's denizens was only a matter of time. After about a dozen listening checks, the telling clicks of sharp, pointy claws on metal were getting louder. Yundo still had his ear pressed flush to the steel beam when Amu suddenly tugged at his arm and pointed forward, Yundo, quick! Look!

The slugcat jerked around, and although he only spotted a hint of yellow, he already knew they were in trouble. Their ventilation shaft reached its end and led right into a spacious chamber that reminded him of a shelter room. Smack dab in the middle lay a yellow lizard, his hulking black body sprawled on a heap of decaying plant matter. The long antennae atop his gleaming head plate were at rest, so while the other members of his pack were undoubtedly nearby, they were at least not communicating and didn't seem to know of their presence yet. However, that could change at a moment's notice, and when Yundo turned around, he realized with terror that another lizard was stomping right toward them from the other end of the vent.

Now, the slugcat had to think fast because either reptile would discover them soon. Skimming his immediate environment, he identified a narrow vent above him just big enough to fit a lantern mouse. Amu, thanks for the warning. I need you to do something for me. Do you see the opening above us? I'm going to shove you inside it, and I want you to wait there until I'm done with the lizards, you hear?

Lizards? There's more of them? Oh no! I can't... I don't want to leave you...

I don't want to let go of you either, but you must leave if you want to live! I want you to survive after everything we've already gone through so far, Yundo objected and forcibly pulled the unwilling lantern mouse off his chest. Amu scrutinized him with a gaze of fear and betrayal, but he quickly stopped struggling and allowed the slugcat to stuff him into the vent as he saw the other lizard approaching fast. It had finally noticed them!

Yundo! Look! Another one is coming!

I know. You stay there while I deal with it, Yundo replied and quickly turned to face his opponent. Originally, he had planned to grab a piece of sharp rubble from the ground and use it as a makeshift weapon, but the lizard was already much closer than expected, and he only had time to retreat. Unfortunately, his reflexive step back made the slugcat trip and sent him tumbling out of the vent right in front of the other lizard. He landed with a painful thud, but the notion of the impending combat flooded him with adrenaline and helped him get back up on his feet in no time.

While Yundo was still recovering, the lizard next to him jerked up from his slumber and faced him with a shocked hiss, baring its impressive teeth while the antennae on his head flared up. Another echoing thud behind him announced the arrival of the second lizard, and when he scanned the room for exits, he saw that a third one was emerging from the only other way out. He was surrounded, without a weapon to speak of, and his chances of escape were virtually zero. The reptiles' gnashing teeth and hungry eyes left no doubt about their intentions, and the slugcat's throat tightened as he waited for one of their toothy jaws to close around his neck. However, none of the scaled predators went in for an attack yet. They just circled him and inspected him from all sides.

The slugcat seized the unexpected moment of peace to scan his opponents for any weak spots. As far as he could tell, the lizards were healthy and in perfect condition, their scale armors spotless, save for one glaring exception: each of them had a rock-hard, throbbing erection. Just like Lash, they had two large, glowing hemipenes. They were as yellow as their owners' head plates and studded with fleshy spikes that lined the pulsating meat from the tapered glans down to the junction of the two shafts.

Judging by the constant trickle of pre that dribbled from every single lizard cock, Yundo could tell that his opponents were incredibly aroused and pent-up. The sight stirred the slugcat's memories, reminded him of the things Modo and Radiant Heat had told him about this area and inspired a silly idea in his brain. These three were visibly horny and desperate for a fuck, so why not try and give them just that? After all, he had no other options, and if they were too busy fucking him, maybe they would forget about mauling and eating him?

The idea was stupid enough that it might work. Yundo took a deep breath before he dropped on all fours and prostrated himself before the randy lizards. He even threw his tail over his shoulder and spread his butt cheeks, wagging his rear to stimulate their lust and tempt them.

At first, the lizards were too stunned by Yundo's sudden change of heart to engage, taking another step back while their antennae trembled in the air. They were communicating, likely trying to decide what to do with their prey, and when one of them bared its sharp teeth at the slugcat, a cold shiver ran down his spine. Apparently, his offer hadn't convinced those beasts, and when he turned to check on the third and largest of the reptiles, he saw that the yellow and black mountain of scales and muscle was approaching him rapidly and with a gaping maw.

While the other lizards were still ogling Yundo with their black beady eyes, their boss had taken the initiative and pounced on him. However, he didn't close his jaw around the slugcat's neck. Instead, he just pinned him to the ground and buried him under his hulking body. The reptile didn't want to eat him -- not yet. His desperate idea was working after all?

The weight of the lizard's body forced all air out of Yundo's lungs, and when he breathed in again, his nostrils filled with the heavy, unrefined scent of the horny male. The mixture of sharp, noxious, and heavy odors reminded him of Lash, and in a cruel twist, it stirred his lust as if it was his partner mounting him and not a vile, sex-hungry monster.

The slugcat eventually decided to close his eyes and wallow in the illusion for as long as it lasted, shakily moaning Lash's name as the yellow lizard slid over his squishy body and aligned one of his massive, spiked peckers with his anus. The fantasy even helped him relax and loosen up, which was a helpful prerequisite for the imminent pounding.

Yundo soon felt one of the throbbing, leaking tips against his ring, and once the first inch had found its way inside him, the rest followed rapidly. Even if his partner wasn't Lash, his cock still managed to push all of the slugcat's buttons. Its sheer size filled and stretched him wide open, while its countless nubs and spikes unleashed an unparalleled tsunami of stimulation, breaking his mind almost instantly.

The randy reptile snorted victoriously once he had shafted his entire cock inside the tight slugcat, and the first thrust had been the perfect appetizer. After going for who-knows-how-long without a tight victim to break and breed, the desperate male didn't and couldn't hold back. With one foot on Yundo's head, he started to fuck him with no consideration for anything but his own pleasure, yanking his spiked prick out only to plunge it in ever faster and harder.

Yundo's voice deteriorated from a lusty moan into rapid, shallow snorts and grunts as the lizard ruined his asshole and his insides. The violent pounding quickly and thoroughly shattered his illusion that Lash was on top of him because his beloved lizard never treated him this harshly, even during his neediest phases. However, with a fat lizard cock straightening his guts and pummeling his prostate, the slugcat couldn't care less about his broken illusion. He was nothing more than the reptile's toy, a worthless cocksleeve, and his flexible and permanently lubed insides turned the relentless assault into corrupted bliss. The unfathomable onslaught of pleasure and stimulation swept away his last doubts and worries, stripping all his thoughts and emotions until only burning lust remained. Soon, his slit burst open, revealing his own dripping taper while he needily squirmed and writhed against the beast's paw.

Meanwhile, the yellow-headed lizard lost himself in the rapidly escalating rutting frenzy. He thrust and bucked his hips without rhyme or reason, pulling back far enough to pop his pecker out of Yundo. Every time it happened, he rammed in the other one of his two hemicocks, getting them both wet without the slugcat even noticing.

Eventually, the lizard managed to align both of his tips with Yundo's dilating ring. The first few times it happened, only one of his pricks slid in while the other bounced off the slugcat's butt, but it was only a matter of time until the angle and forces aligned just right. Finally, when both hemipenes got stuck at once, he was so surprised that he stopped dead in his tracks, granting his toy an unexpected breather.

The hazy mist around Yundo's mind cleared just enough for him to sense that something unspeakable had happened. The pounding had stopped, and yet, his anus was stretched even wider. The hemipenes! The moment the realization struck the little male, the lizard decided that it was time to reap his reward, and he thrust forward. Getting both bloated cocks inside the tight slugcat took extra effort, though, and the lizard had to break his toy all over again, ruining his ass with shallow but unforgiving thrusts. 

The slugcat's belly bulged and stretched obscenely around the spiky intruders, the wet slurps and smacks becoming obnoxiously loud. Luckily, his body was flexible enough to take the abuse without too much trouble. After all, it wasn't the first time Yundo had had multiple dicks inside him -- far from it -- but every time it happened, it became an unforgettable experience, for better or worse. With his insides wrapped tightly around the massive lizard dicks, he could feel every movement and even their individual throbs. The ordeal turned into even more of a sensory overload when the lizard decided to go absolutely feral on him and fuck him absolutely silly.

The entire time, the slugcat's own cock was rubbing and sliding against the cold floor, and it didn't take long until he succumbed to the obscene pleasure and came hard, his whole body tensing up as a powerful orgasm seized him. His anus would've tightened if it weren't for the two logs of meat forcing it open while his dick sprayed his load all over the ground, ropes upon ropes of thick, potent seed going to waste as he painted the rubble white. But Yundo was too absorbed by the rutting to notice the mess.

While the slugcat was nutting his brains out, one of the other two lizards had gotten horny enough to join. He didn't even wait for his boss to finish, and luckily he didn't have to because there was still an empty hole to fill. The male unceremoniously mounted the slugcat from the other side and shoved his glowing pair of dicks into his face, literally smacking the little male out of his orgasmic daze.

Yundo's mind was all but empty when another spiked prick prodded his lips. He reflexively opened his muzzle as the lizard's pungent musk wafted around his nostrils and granted the newcomer access to his gullet without even thinking about it.

The desperate lizard claimed the opportunity without missing a beat. Just like his boss, he rammed his cock into their toy's orifice, thrust his tip through the slugcat's storage sack, and didn't stop until every last inch of throbbing meat was inside Yundo, leaking a squirt of pre right into the slugcat's stomach.

As soon as the second lizard had explored the entire depth of Yundo's throat, he started to fuck his face with the same relentless vigor as his companion. The paces of the two hulking males quickly aligned, both shoving in and pulling out at the same time. Their dicks went almost far enough to meet in the middle, and their raspy growls and grunts mixed with the obscene slurps of wet flesh into a feral song of lust. However, the slugcat in the center didn't catch much of it as he plunged deeper and deeper into a vortex of pleasure, the endless stimulation pushing his mind beyond the breaking point.

Eventually, the strokes of the largest lizard became an uncoordinated frenzy as he approached his orgasm. He battered his cock into the broken slugcat a few more times before he burst with a deafening mixture of hisses and snarls, and his hemipenes flared and throbbed in sync as his internal nuts churned up a fat load for his plaything.

The sudden wet burst of semen rushing through Yundo's guts was enough to get his attention. While he couldn't see or hear anything with a lizard dick rubbing against his face and another one plunging down his throat, he could feel the larger other male's raw potency all the more. Hypersensitive from his constant orgasm and the intense stretching, the slugcat sensed every squirt of cum throughout the volley erupting from the male's two tips, how it streamed through his guts, pooled and collected inside him until it backed up and started to inflate him. And this was only just the beginning, as the reptile kept cumming for over a minute straight, filling him with enough semen to swell and round his belly into a heavy, sloshing ball before his climax weakened and the spurts abated.

While the smaller lizard was still going full force on Yundo's throat, his boss disengaged with a satisfied growl, licking his lips as if after a grand meal as he lazily pulled his cocks out of the slugcat. 

One more time, Yundo got to experience the reptile's barbs rubbing against his raw insides before the hemipenes popped free, leaving behind a gaping crater in place of the formerly tight and narrow pucker. The beast had done quite a number on his poor butt, but he didn't get much time to recover as the last lizard seamlessly entered the fray and mounted him for some very sloppy seconds.

Fortunately, the two males spit-roasting Yundo weren't quite as hung as their leader. Although they were trying their best to thoroughly wreck him, greedily wrenching their spiky cocks into him, the slugcat managed to keep his mind above the raging stimulation for once. Besides, there was something else that distracted him, a remote voice in the back of his head, and the more he focused on it, the weirder it became. Unintelligible words and strange emotions popped up seemingly out of nowhere until he finally understood what was happening. Radiant Heat's gift apparently worked not only on friends but indiscriminately on anyone he had sex with. The lizard's climax had tied their minds together!

The moment this realization struck Yundo, the confused groan of the largest lizard echoed through the chamber. The other male had undoubtedly noticed the link as well, and with a wicked, strained grin on his stretched lips, the slugcat decided to take the opportunity and get back at him for everything. He couldn't defeat the monstrous lizard physically, but at least give him a mental taste of his own medicine. With that, he opened up his mind and transmitted everything he felt to the overwhelmed reptile, making him experience what it felt like to get reamed and violated by two hung beasts, what it felt like to have two massive pricks inside his ass and one inside his throat, and share his resurging climax with him. While the slugcat sadly couldn't see the lizard's reaction to his mental shenanigans, he clearly noticed how it threw his mind into even greater disarray.

Yundo's thievish joy grew even more when he noticed that the other two males were about to blow as well. If he had considered the fuck a lesser evil before, he was now beginning to enjoy it, love it even. Not only did he love lizard dicks as much as ever, no matter if they belonged to Lash or another ravenous lizard, but he had also regained mental superiority. He had assumed control over a situation he had never imagined he could control. With that thought, the slugcat willingly yielded to his lust, knowing that he was sharing it all with the largest of them.

The lizards' thrusts became even more vicious as they wrenched the last ounce of pleasure from the slugcat. The one fucking his face even pulled out to replicate his boss's accomplishment, somehow stuffing both of his bloated hemidicks into Yundo's mouth hole and stretching his neck to the limit. The beast obviously didn't give him any time to adjust, breaking him in a desperate frenzy before he succumbed to a powerful climax. His scaly companion followed quickly, bottoming out inside the slugcat's ass with a loud snarl. A volley of hot cum splashed into Yundo's stomach while the other male filled his belly, swelling and bloating him with their massive, pent-up loads. He was used to getting filled by one lizard and even two on occasion, but three pushed him to his limits.

With so much cum and throbbing cocks inside his battered body, Yundo yielded to the stimulation once more. His mind snapped like a taut bowstring, and his body reared up against the lizards, squirming and twitching while his bent-back cock squirted another wet load across the floor, adding another layer to the messy puddle between his legs. At the same time, the defeated whine of the largest lizards sounded from the other side of the room. The slugcat couldn't see the leader of the reptiles rolling around, squirting all over himself, but he clearly sensed his jumbled thoughts and felt his desperate orgasm. Yundo had made him cum by the power of his mind alone, and his thieving joy about the accomplishment made more than up for the fact that his whole body was aching and his holes were utterly destroyed.

Before too long, the two unsuspecting lizards on top of Yundo joined the mindlink, and the number of thoughts transmitted between them doubled. The slugcat couldn't decipher any of their alien hisses and garbled emotions, and he initially struggled to process all the information that was crashing down on him. However, after weathering the first onrush, Yundo slowly but steadily clawed back control over his mind, blocked out the foreign influence, and finally showered all three of the reptiles with his own impressions of the feral fuck.

None of the lizards reacted with joy when the slugcat superimposed the sensation of his broken body onto theirs, and it crushed their spirits in mere moments. Their orgasmic delight evaporated in an instant and was replaced with dull discomfort and a sensation of fullness neither of them had ever experienced. One by one, they yielded to the strange feelings, pulling out of Yundo and waddling into their corner of the room to take a nap. Just like that, the bloated slugcat in the center of their den had become irrelevant; any thought of screwing or eating their prey had become secondary as exhaustion overcame them.

In the end, only the biggest of the lizards managed to stay awake, but judging by his half-lidded eyes and heavy breath, Yundo could tell that he was just as wasted as his companions. The slugcat, however, was coping much better with the situation. Unlike the three quadrupeds, he was actually used to getting railed and bloated beyond belief, and although he couldn't simply shake it off, he still managed to get back on his feet.

Before Yundo left, his eyes met with the lizard's, and to his great surprise, he noticed a spark of fear in them. Rightfully so. With his pack mates out of commission and too exhausted to move, the male was completely at the mercy of his own prey.

If the slugcat had tried, he probably could've killed them all. Though, while the thought crossed his mind, he scrapped it just as quickly. Killing the lizards would only cost him valuable time and do little more than quench his thirst for revenge because even if he removed these three from this plane of existence, three others would take their place before too long. Besides, he wasn't even out for revenge anymore, his mindlink was already punishment enough, and there were more pressing matters to attend to; he didn't want to leave poor Amu hanging any longer than necessary.

Not wasting another second on the defeated lizards, the slugcat turned around and waddled back to the vent he had dropped out of. Unfortunately, his swaying, sloshing belly made it incredibly hard to climb the few steps up to the opening, and he flopped back down a few times before he finally managed to heave his bloated body over the edge. 

Thankfully, the only still-awake lizard made no move to stop Yundo. Instead, he rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, falling into an uneasy rest like his two companions. The sight of the sleeping reptiles elicited a chuckle from the slugcat's lips. This had been a Pyrrhic victory, but a victory nonetheless.

Once Yundo was inside the vent, he didn't have to search long for the lantern mouse. Amu had left his hiding hole and crawled toward the exit of his own accord, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what he had been up to. The little male was sitting right in front of the slugcat with a rapt grin on his hanging muzzle, drooling and breathing heavily as he eagerly fondled himself, one paw lazily stroking his dripping cock while the other was halfway up his butt. Moreover, the sizable puddle of milky fluids around him told Yundo that his companion had already been at it for quite a while.

The moment Amu realized that he had company, his face lit up with surprise and then shame, the light organs on his back flickering erratically. "Oh, um, hey Yundo," the mouse muttered, staring bashfully at the ground.

Hey, Amu. I see that you've overcome your fear and even managed to have some fun while I was busy, Yundo replied sluggishly, because even just thinking his response took great effort.

"Well, yes... I-I just sat there in the dark, and s-suddenly I felt all h-hot and horny," Amu stammered. "I heard noises, and I got curious. I climbed out and peeked into the room with the lizards... and I saw that you were getting fucked by one of them. It was... pretty hot, and once the other two joined, I got even hornier and simply couldn't stop myself anymore. I didn't want to jerk off to them using you... it's just..."

Oh, don't worry about it. It's fine, Yundo assured the trembling mouse with a tired smile. Apparently, his mindlink had been a little too effective, and Amu had been subjected to the entirety of the spectacle. The poor male had essentially gone through the same things he had experienced. Luckily, the lantern mouse had taken the romp better than any of the lizards. At least you weren't scared or terrified by it, and that's great! This makes you the bravest lantern moue I've ever met.

"T-thank you, Yundo. But I'm not brave, just... s-so horny. I-I'm sorry that I..."

Again, please, don't lose your head about it, Amu! Now is not the time to worry about it! The lizards are out of commission right now, so we should seize the opportunity to move past them, Yundo reminded the mouse and pulled him into a big hug, kissing him affectionately to ease his worries a little.

"O-okay." Amu whispered, rubbing his watery eyes.

As soon as the lantern mouse had calmed down and was back in his usual place, arms and legs wrapped tightly around Yundo, they continued their journey. Unfortunately, their path led right through the lizards' lair, but as they climbed into it again, the slugcat was pleased to find that the three yellow predators were still fast asleep. Their rock-hard erections had blossomed again, and thanks to the mindlink, he sensed that they were having wet dreams, lust and arousal spilling out of their slumbering minds. Yundo grinned cheekily. He had an inkling that the three predators would remember this moment for years to come as the day a feeble creature like him had put them out of commission.

Once they had passed the lizards, it was back to business as usual. Gloomy twilight enveloped the two as they climbed through long vents and narrow passages while the mindlink with the sleeping reptiles finally faded into nothingness.

From now on, Yundo stopped as often as possible and listened attentively to the sounds of the machine to avoid another hostile encounter at all costs. He was already struggling with his heavy body, the sloshing and swaying of his belly, and his aching insides, and he knew that they would be entirely at the mercy of the next predator they ran into. Fortunately, the slugcat learned to understand the sounds he was hearing better and better, and he managed to avoid not only the other lizards roaming the ventilation system but also at least one daddy long legs and something he only saw a flitting shadow of, a blur of spiky pelt and spindly legs. The mere idea that it could've been a wolf spider sent a terrible shiver down his spine, and he made sure not to tell Amu. The lantern mouse had shown unbelievable courage so far, but he didn't want to push it.

A distant rumbling of thunder announced the break of the evening, but not a single drop of rain reached them. It also told the slugcat how long they had been on their feet, but even so, there was no time to rest. There was no safe shelter far and wide, so he inevitably had to move on. It couldn't get any darker anyway, and if only a single lizard discovered them while they were sleeping, he would lose everything he had worked for. At least Amu had calmed down enough to find some rest, snoring gently as he dangled from Yundo's chest, his long, black tail still wrapped around his neck and torso.

Ever since they had entered the underside, Yundo had been wary about their progress. There was no sun to guide him, no reference points to assist his sense of orientation, and he had to rely solely on his gut feeling. Even though he was a hardened explorer, the countless winding and meandering pathways that traversed this dreary place threw him for a loop and made him doubt himself more and more. After another hour of crawling and creeping through the ever same environment, his spirits were at a breaking point, and he climbed down, out of the machine, toward the yawning abyss and the daddy long legs, hoping to see any progress.

Yundo wasn't very confident, but for once, he was in for a pleasant surprise. The bottomless pit still gaped around them, but when he looked ahead, he was greeted by a massive wall that reached far into the abyss. They had finally reached the leg of the tower; they could finally descend further! The slugcat sighed with so much relief that the noise pulled Amu out of his slumber. The lantern mouse jerked up and hastily looked around, assuming that another danger was en route, but he only saw the grinning slugcat. "What is it? What happened?"

Look around you, Amu, Yundo replied, pointing at the wall ahead. We reached the drop, and from here, the path is clear.

A giggle of joy and radiant happiness poured out of the lantern mouse. Finally, I'll see them again! It has been so long! Lilly, Kilen, Masi, I'm coming home!

Amu's optimism widened the smile on Yundo's face and provided him with the encouragement he needed right now, reminding him why he was doing all of this. While the mouse thought about his friends and family, the slugcat's thoughts wandered to Lash and the scavengers. Hang in there, Lash! I'm coming home!

A disgusting smack pulled the two males out of their gleeful thoughts. A slowly approaching daddy long legs painfully reminded them that they were still deep in hostile territory. Without wasting another second, Yundo pulled his companion to his chest and carried on, his stride as fast and buoyant as it could be with someone as stuffed as he was. The slugcat climbed across the final few platforms to reach the gigantic wall, and from that point, the path only led down, guided by gravity.

However, although Yundo no longer had to worry about orientation, there were still more than enough dangers around them to keep him on his toes. In fact, their surroundings were getting populated with even ghastlier creatures. Nasty camouflage lizards made it challenging to plan ahead, as they blended into their dusky surroundings and tricked the slugcat's eyes, and the occasional scuttling shadow of a wolf spider kept his heart pounding and his adrenaline high. 

Fortunately, most of those predators hunted alone, and whenever one of them came close, Yundo's powerful throwing arm kept them at bay. They didn't seem too desperate for food either, as one or two bricks to the face were enough to deter them. It appeared that whatever Radiant Heat was doing to pacify and sexualize the creatures in its domain worked even on the worst of them. However, the one time the slugcat spotted a wolf spider's long, dripping, serrated ovipositor was more than enough to give him nightmares for the days to come.

Finally, with a clear destination in mind, progress happened faster than expected. Yundo felt as if he had just left the tower's underside when he already spotted glowing pricks and dots in the darkness below him. They had reached the bottom of the abyss, and Amu's nest was within reach!

The lantern mouse came to the same conclusion, and he grew increasingly restless in the slugcat's embrace, his head turning and his eyes moving non-stop as he scanned the environment. His whiskers twitched frantically, and the lights on his back glowed up while he thought as hard as he could as he tried to identify their surroundings.

Suddenly, Amu raised his arm and pointed at an opening in the wall just a few yards over. "There! That's the way to my nest!" His already squeaky voice had risen another octave, and he vibrated with anticipation.

Guided by the mouse's call, Yundo climbed along the last few poles and platforms to reach the entrance. Amu's excitement was infectious, and his joy in itself a fulfilling reward for his efforts. In fact, the slugcat was almost bursting with pride. He had done it! He had successfully saved the lost lantern mouse and brought him back home; he had successfully rectified a life, and it felt so good. Now he only had to return to Lash, and his own odyssey would come to an end as well.

Of course, the opening wasn't the entrance to the actual nest but first led into a complicated network of tunnels, vents, and passages. This time, it wasn't Yundo who led the way, but Amu. The lantern mouse had disengaged from the hug and marched through the labyrinth without ever stopping, choosing his way seemingly at random but at the same time with great certainty. No wonder he and his family had survived this long in such a hostile area. No predator was ever going to find them so far inside this maze, and even the slugcat eventually failed to remember the way back out. For once, it was he who relied on the mouse's help and not the other way around. Amu, where are we even going? I'm completely lost.

Just at that moment, Amu stopped and turned around with a proud smile, pointing out a small crack in the reinforced concrete. "To my nest, Yundo. That's it! That's the entrance to the nest. I'm h-home... f-finally!" His voice cracked, and he burst into tears of pure relief. However long he had been away from his home, the torment was finally over.

Alright, but let's not stop short of the finish. Come, Yundo encouraged the sobbing mouse and bent down, tenderly picking him up and pressing him against his chest before climbing the wall and squeezing himself through the narrow fissure.

As Yundo moved through the final passage into a narrow vestibule, Amu tightened the hug around his neck and stopped sobbing. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked the slugcat deep into the eyes, his adorable face and spirit shining with gratitude and contentment. "Thank you for saving me, Yundo. You are a true savior, one of a kind. I'll never ever forget you, and I'll make sure that the others treat you like our leader because that's the least you deserve!"

Yundo's heart lit up with happiness as the mouse's honeyed praise filled his ears. Of course, Amu. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I can't let someone as cute as you waste away. Besides, you've been a wonderful companion. I've never seen a lantern mouse as tough and brave as you.

Amu lowered his gaze with a deep blush, his light organs flaring up brightly while the slugcat's compliments dried his tears. "Oh... heh, alright. Thanks so much," he whispered. Then he turned to the darkness, calling out louder than he had ever spoken before, "Hey, everybody! Hey, Masi! It's me, Amu! I'm back, and I've brought a friend who saved me and helped me so much!"

But the void did not respond. Even when Amu repeated his words, there was no reaction, no reply returned from the chambers beyond, and no sign of life showed itself, not even the sounds of tapping feet. Something was wrong, and the oppressive silence twisted Yundo's heart inside his chest. For one reason or another, they were alone. 

There was no one else here. 

Amu's nest was empty. 

They were all gone.