Once outside, they sat staring at the tunnel's entrance, hoping to see something emerge even though they knew there was little chance that creature would ever step into daylight. The sun, pale and distant, felt insulting after the absolute darkness they had just crossed. It lit the scene with a raw, miserable light: their faces smeared with dust and soot, their armor scratched, and the small group of survivors gasping for breath, cut to half its number.
They had lost much in this battle. Several soldiers had been killed, dragged away by the beast. Their muffled screams still echoed in the silence that now followed. The air, though fresh, was heavy with the scent of churned earth, sour sweat, and fear.
