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Dark Angel Part 9
Date: 10/28/2015, Categories: Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Author: Levanahyll, Source: LushStories
... where the six-foot deep gutter met the sidewalk and street. There was another grate-covered entrance and a tunnel beyond that dipped beneath the street. “That might be a way into the tunnel systems beneath the city. If I were heading a rebel group, that would be the best place to make my headquarters. Besides… I feel Annie’s life-force is underground.” “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go.” Seth nodded and they both dropped down into the ditch. The closer they got to the tunnel the deeper the trench became. The concrete looked stained with a light green, but when they reached the grate, Ashriel wrinkled his nose at the stench. “What is that foul smell? It permeates my gas mask.” “It’s a lot of things, Ash,” Seth replied pushing against an opening in one corner. The metal grates groaned as its slightly rusted hinges protested being used. Seth dropped down into the dark tunnel with Ashriel following. “You have humanoids living down here, so there are all types of waste, plus rodents and insects.” Ashriel grimaced and tucked his wings tighter against his back. The last thing he wanted was to acquire an infestation of vermin in his feathers. Just thinking about it made him shudder. “That coupled with acid rains from above and other waste by products being constantly flushed through here—“ “I get it,” Ashriel mumbled looking around. Farther ahead the tunnel turned pitch black. “There’s a button in the center of your goggles,” Seth was telling him as he continued forward. ...
... Ashriel felt around between the rounded lenses and felt something similar to a small bolt. He pressed it and the darkness turned into a glowing green sharp image before him. The walls of the tunnel looked like large welded metal sheets. Ashriel cringed when he saw glowing insects crawling around. They numbered in the thousands and every once in a while his boot would crunch a few making his stomach roil with disgust. The rats, or at least they sort-of resembled rats, scattered out of the way as they approached, to which Ashriel was highly grateful. The hideous hairy thing had limbs like spiders and made awful clicking and hissing sounds. Ashriel could see two pointy fangs in their snarling faces. His heart clenched. His beautiful Anniel was down here. Rage gripped him then. He would kill whoever dragged her down here. “Is she frightened?” Ashriel asked Seth, his heart pounding with anxiety for his woman. “Not really. She just wants to go home.” Ashriel’s eyes flooded with tears and guilt filled his very soul. This was his mission. He shouldn’t have dragged anyone else in with him… especially not his sweet Anniel. “Stop beating yourself up over this. We’ve run more dangerous missions than this. This is nothing.” “What do you mean by more dangerous?” Ashriel scowled at Seth’s back. “Last mission we set out to rescue Zak’s woman. We were captured by an Arborian witch and set up for a ritual to release Davariel’s other from the realm of reflections.” Ashriel stopped cold, his jaw open ...