After their extended day of rest, it was time to return to the labyrinth. Benny and the others packed up most of their things, leaving only the non-essentials they could afford to abandon. They'd use them later if they decided to return.
They had realized the rats weren't on constant patrol of the Sub-Space entrance. They could mostly come and go as they wanted, as long as they timed it right.
There was a set schedule the rats followed for their expeditions into the labyrinth. They usually went during the height of the day. Though the sun was always up here, they could still tell when that peak arrived. The heat became unbearable during those times, as if signaling the clock hitting the twenty-fourth hour mark. In Aerthe standards, it would be equivalent to twelve hours, but since this was the system of Centuury, it differed greatly.
After a brief meal, they headed out of the cave. They were relieved the rats didn't patrol this area constantly, but that relief didn't translate to carelessness. They remained in constant tension, as if being watched, even though they weren't actually being tailed.
Complacency kills, and they were invaders here. They had a rough idea about the rats who dwelled in this place, but it was limited. There was more to this kingdom than what they knew, which was why they needed to return to the labyrinth. To plan their next steps. To recruit the other survivors to their cause.
This would surely give hope to their hopeless situation. And maybe, just maybe, after solving this mystery they would find a way out of this fucking hellhole they were trapped in.
---
Unbeknownst to them, there was a rat man hidden in the darkness of the trees. He watched intently, as his shift required and his mission details specified.
He hadn't questioned the order initially. There was no way something could come through the gates. There had never been such a case in any story passed down to them. It was a one-way ticket only they could use. This member of the Intolerance Division had been sure of it.
It wasn't until the later hours of the day, when the slaves they'd sent had returned from their expedition, that he'd almost reported the same thing he did yesterday. No anomalies.
But then, thirty minutes after the slaves passed through, he heard a different rustling sound. It wasn't from the cave but from the surrounding foliage.
Startled, he instinctively gripped his prescribed weapon. He'd never used this thing beyond the normal drills, except when bullying slaves.
Then came figures cloaked in shadow, heading towards the dimensional crack.
He almost fell on his bottom, saved only by his tail stabilizing his balance. As the four figures drew closer, he realized what they were.
Humans! Those fucking disgusting non-tail bastards.
It had been so long. He'd only seen detailed drawings and read descriptions of them since it had been a thousand years since the rat men last saw these creatures.
The slaves who survived their expeditions hadn't reported such encounters, but that made sense now. Those who encountered the humans probably hadn't survived to report anything. (Like the ones Benny had hunted for meat.)
He pulled out a horn to alert nearby teams stationed in the area. The sound it made was recognizable only to their division, a specific pitch and rhythm that cut through the ambient noise.
---
Meanwhile, Benny and the rest heard the sound. It wasn't strong, but it was close enough. They realized something was nearby. The possibility they'd been discovered was already high.
They couldn't see who blew the horn, but they understood what it meant. Whatever was coming, their little force of four would struggle against. Hopefully the rats were still disorganized.
Benny signaled to the others to hasten their movements, using only hand signals they'd learned so they could communicate without words.
They sprinted forward towards the dimensional crack.
Then something jumped out of its hiding spot, directly in their path.
"Fuck!" Benny and the others could only curse in unison.
They'd been found. Now it was time to make their exit.
"Run!" Gustav yelled with urgency as they felt the earth beneath them vibrate. Whatever was coming wasn't a small number.
The rat man stood in front of them, eager to stop their advance until his teammates could arrive to help. Unfortunately for him, the people he'd encountered were masters of combat. He was alone.
He was dispatched permanently before he even realized what happened. Ripler's blade stabbed through his skull and separated his head from his body in a single decisive motion.
The rat was dead. The sole witness who had seen the humans invade.
But Benny's group couldn't hide the crime they'd committed. They were pressed for time and couldn't fully cover their tracks. The rat's comrades were already closing in, drawn by the horn's call.
They had to get the fuck out of here. Now.
The four of them reached the dimensional crack just as shapes began emerging from the trees behind them. Shouts in the rat language echoed through the forest, angry and alarmed.
"Go, go, go!" Gustav shouted.
They dove through the crack one after another, the familiar sensation of reality twisting around them as they crossed back into the labyrinth. Behind them, the shouts grew louder. Closer.
The last thing they heard before the dimensional barrier sealed behind them was the sound of many feet hitting the ground in pursuit.
They'd made it out. But now the rats knew.
The secret invasion was over. The war had just begun.