Some do...

Groban and Arthur were both strong enough to carry one of the women each. Thankfully both Grace and Ashlin could walk on their own and Grace was even still fully armed. Ashlin's armor had been destroyed and her weapon lost somewhere in the tunnels. Helena didn't like that her two best fighters had their hands full, even if Grace, Reese, and Nathanial were now there to help. She put Brintley and Natalie in front of the group to guide everyone. Helena and Paxia were at the back of the group to protect the rear.

Backtracking should have been easy, but once they reached the next room, Helena's fears from earlier came to life. Several of the creatures surged from the far tunnel. Their escape route would be cut off if they didn't move quickly. Nathanial and Reese rushed to stop the surge but there were more than they could handle. Helena yelled for everyone to keep moving as she and Paxia ran to help the pair. Reese's spear had impaled a creature, but he couldn't get it to come lose. Tentacles reached for him, but Helena intervened and cut them away.

"Run!"

Reese looked at her in fear for a moment before nodding and rushing down the tunnel the others had taken. Paxia fought hard, bashing two away with her massive hammer before sliding one hand down to her side and grabbing a throwing axe. She let loose on one that **** Nathanial back against a wall, but it didn't kill the creature. She tried to go to his aid, but a swarm of tentacles reached out and grabbed her wrist. She was fortunately wearing gauntlets, but she wouldn't be able to escape with it. She had to let the beast pull it off her before she delivered a crushing blow to it with her hammer.

Helena had finished off another and was desperately trying to keep the creatures from grabbing her. A scream echoed through the chamber and she jerked her head to the wall where... Nathanial.... The beast was on top of him now and she could hear the crunch of bone as it began to devour him. There were at least a dozen more of the tentacle monsters. There was no way they could win this fight.

"We have to run Pax!"

"The exits blocked lass!"

"Deeper in then! Its the opposite direction, but its our only chance."

The pair knocked aside the tentacles around them and ran for the dark tunnel across the room. Paxia drew another axe and spun, throwing it at the nearest of the creatures chasing them before resuming her escape. Helena didn't have a lot of hope in this wild plan, but it was all they had. The tunnel grew darker and darker as they ran and it twisted at times like the tunnel that had led to the nest. Occasionally they would hit a wall and have to scurry to find the right path. Eventually they began to hear the sound of rushing water.

"A river! If we make it to the water we can let it carry us away!"

"Aye lass, now run!"

The tunnel finally opened up to a large cavern, dimly lit by glowing mushrooms. They could see a small waterfall pouring into the river that looked like it ran towards the docks. Then Helena saw more of the beasts coming out of the hole where the waterfall was... She pushed Paxia into the water and out of the way as one launched at them from above. Paxia was quickly being washed away, but Helena was stuck in the shallows with the beast now turning its attention on her. She could hear more of the beasts coming down the tunnel she had just escaped from.... She didn't know if escape was possible anymore.