Isiea grabs Ash and dashes towards the exit the packrats had shown.

" lets go now! "

He ran for the hidden tunnel, following the pack rats as they scuttled through. The corridor was low and narrow; they had to duck their heads to avoid the ceiling, and the walls scraped their arms as they fled. Behind them, gremlins poured through the opening like ants, skittering along the walls and ceiling, hissing as they pursued.

Ash suddenly stopped.

(Ping)

Isiea pauses momentarily. ,, Why are you stopping? ,,

Lise turned around. " Ash what are you doing?! "

Ash's voice, despite the pain below the surface, was calm. "I hope you find your brother. If you see Puck again, tell him I regret having to step out of our duel."

Turning to face the horde, he raised a pickax like a baseball bat, bracing himself against the wall. He must've snatched it from the crates, right before they reached the tunnel. The broken chains, still dangling from his wrists, trembled as his arms shook. The gremlins halted a few yards away, their eyes bright as they analyzed this new threat. As one they began edging forward.

,, Just come on! ,, Isiea snaps. She grabs him by the arm and forces him forward, visibly impatient.

" I'm not leaving without you! "

Screeching, the gremlins attacked.

Ash jerked out of Isiea's hold, smashed two of them senseless with the pickax, ducked as another leaped at his head, and was overwhelmed. They swarmed over him, clinging to his legs and arms, biting and clawing. He staggered and dropped to a knee, and they skittered up his back, until they could no longer see him through the writhing mass of gremlins. Still, Ash fought on; with a snarl, he surged back to his feet, sending several gremlins flying only to have a dozen more take their place.

"Go!" His voice was a hoarse rasp as he slammed a gremlin into the wall. "Now!" There was no sense in being captured again.