The first day spent in the tunnels ended up going well enough. Herding this many people was far from easy, especially when spread into such a long and narrow group, but it had its own advantages of being able to keep everyone close together and lit. Officers kept watch at intersections to make sure that no one got off track, and Yuko took up a spot at one of them to be a medicine check point.
According to the siblings it was rather pointless to have people start taking the medicine while still in the city, but everyone should have taken them on the way out. Still, they didn't want to lose time to people who refused or forgot becoming sick from the kegare and slowing down the group. Yuko managed to get more than a few people to take the pill, but she was sure she didn't get everyone. It wasn't like she could smell it. Squeezing herself past the entire collective to get back to the front ended up taking most of the day as she ended up getting caught in conversation after conversation, not that she minded. Yuko had never felt so recognized and that in and of itself made the day quite pleasant.
Spending that first night in the tunnels had people nervous, but the officers figured it was better that way than the potential no sleep of being under the sky for the first time.
The officers should have expected to lose an hour or two in the field. Every possible reaction under the sun could be found amongst the people. The first half hour was spent making sure people stayed together and quelling people's overwhelming feelings. The next was spent in a large circle to explain some of the rules of the surface world and keeping everyone's eyes on the task at hand. Shizumi handled explaining the feelings and effects of kegare exceptionally well, while Satoru was much more equipped to elaborate on topics like the sky, sun, weather and sea off in the distance.
In the meantime, Yuko spent a significant amount of time convincing everyone to eat. Even with the medicine, the effects of the kegare weren't fully suppressed, and most people in the group were likely feeling even a little ill, which would be undeniably rough on their appetites. Eating with them definitely helped, and Yuko was happy to do so. She also caught the last few people who hadn't taken their medicine yet. The threat of being left behind remedied that rather quickly, and some encouragement to keep going from her and surrounding people helped them stay on their feet despite their uncomfortable state. Yuko hoped none of them caught the Bloat in the time it took them to take the medicine…
Yuko already felt for the next groups, where only two people would have seen the open sky more than once. Kosuke’s suggestion to have the trained officers spend a day at the exit would prove to be quite valuable, but it was still very little experience compared to even the small amount Yuko's party had under their belt. They would likely be struggling even more.
Once everyone got somewhat adjusted to the new world, the rest of the day went by peacefully. It was cute to see the kids of the group explore their surroundings and play in the grass. A small part of Yuko wishes she could join them, if even for a little bit. Maybe after this was all over, she'd get to take some time to enjoy the wonders of the surface world a little more.
Crossing the bridge the next day proved a little more concerning. The group passed over the course of two intervals, just for safety's sake. That didn't stop two people from falling into the water, however. Fishing them out proved more difficult than it should've been, but it didn't involve too much of a time loss, at least.
They were at the edge of the forest when they set up camp for the day. The next day, they'd be halfway. They'd be passing where Fukui died…
Yuko shook her head and turned her attention elsewhere. Her eyes fell on a pair of glowing green eyes in the foliage of the trees. This wasn't the first thirioid they'd come across. Fortunately all of them had kept their distance, probably too intimidated by the size of the group to get in the way.
She walked over to the nearest other officer that was also keeping watch of their environment. “Do you have any idea what it is?” she asked as she pointed the creature out.
“I can't make out the shape either, but I've spotted a few more. Definitely a pack creature,” they responded as they pointed out the location of four more that were better hidden by the leaves of the trees. “I don't trust it. They've been watching since I noticed them.”
Yuko frowned and turned around with a hurried step. “... I'll go find the others.”
She couldn't know for sure if these thirioid would be trouble, but she was sure that if there were just five of them that they could see, there could be more, and Yuko would not be equipped enough to deal with them alone.
Whistling over some more people of the party was easy enough, at least.
By the time Yuko had returned to the scene, one of the thirioids had jumped down from the trees.
It was an uncanny creature. It almost resembled a person but much smaller, yet its face was different and it walked on its hands and feet, as well as having a tail. Facing sideways, it approached the closest tent on the border of the campsite.
The people sitting at the fire near it were frozen, completely lost at what to do.
Yuko wasn't sure either.
It didn't behave hostile, yet there was no way to predict what it would do.
“Oh no…” Kosuke muttered as he found Yuko and examined the scene.
Wakane called over to the people in a loud enough yet gentle tone. “It's a monkey. Give it what it wants, and hope it's satisfied and leaves.”
The way that the two of them had a tight grip on their pistols made it clear the chance of that being the case was low.
“Or else..?” Yuko asked quietly.
“It gets upset and every single one in the trees follows suit,” Kosuke murmured back.
Yuko noticed the red dot of Shizumi's rifle on the trees, even if she couldn't spot the woman personally, while Satoru slowly approached the campsite. She decided she'd be most useful in joining him.
The thirioid approached the man and asked for his shovel. He handed it over hesitantly. The creature investigated it for a while, before dropping it and suddenly grabbing the backpack and tugging.
“Hey, back off!” the man responded as he pushed it away and held his back to his chest.
The monkey tumbled back with a surprised yelp, before releasing a cry in outrage. The cry was followed by a cacophony from the trees.
Yuko winced as she braced herself. Of course it wouldn't have been easy.
The creature screeched again as the man stumbled back. It lunged forwards, only to be intercepted by Yuko, being tackled to the ground.
Gunshots rang out around her, but she didn't have the time to look. Her attention was squarely on the creature under her hands.
It changed its target immediately, pushing against Yuko's grip and swiping at her as soon as it managed to shift the balance.
She winced as claws collided with her cheek. “Why does everyone keep bringing knives to a fist fight!” she cursed as she kicked it away. Using the momentum of the kick and its confusion, she got to her feet and started stomping on the thirioid. She didn't care if that wouldn't destroy it, she needed it away from her. Preferably in a state where it couldn't fight.
Fortunately Satoru was by her side not a moment later. He pulled her away from the creature before shooting it as soon as her foot was no longer a hazard.
As soon as Yuko had a grasp of her situation again, she took a scan of her surroundings. Monkeys were retreating back into the trees, some limping. Additional warning shots were released as the creatures left. A few tents had collapsed, but no one was struggling anymore. She counted six more metallic bodies lying in the grass, and two more people injured, if lightly.
She breathed a sigh of relief as the coast was safe, allowing herself to tumble back into the grass and catch her breath.
Satoru offered her a hand up. “You're injured, Yuko. You should let someone take a look at you before you rest.”
She did feel an odd throbbing in her cheek, now that she was made aware of it. “Damnit. Shizumi..?”
A chuckle. “C’mon.”