Nick wasted no time. He sprinted toward Grizzizzik as the rogue got to his feet, seeing the wererat. “We don’t have time to hide your decisions. Stop being so prideful and start using magic. That thing can’t get hurt by your rapier, either, because it’s not silver. This is a strictly magic based combat, which means Hraktar is out. Our tank is out. We need every single spell caster we can get. Stop trying to hide it!” Grizzizzik growled, like he had come to the same conclusion, but his stubborn pride was still stopping him. “Damn you, Grizzizzik. We’ve got to defeat these guys. Ezekiel could die!”
“We… don’t know who this wererat is, right?” Derek asked.
“I really hope not,” Tyler said, scrolling through his phone. “Pretty sure it’s a random minion of Akshi’s. Or a really powerful demon rat. But demon rats and earth rats weren’t supposed to mingle, either.”
The wererat snarled as it moved forward, swiping at Clarissa with its dangerous claws before biting down hard on her shoulder. Clarissa screamed, which jolted Ezekiel to his feet. Nick watched, eyes wide, as Clarissa’s hit points plummeted to five. Tyler’s eyes widened.
“We need to kill it,” Tyler said, glancing at Derek. “If it is someone from earth, we’ll… deal with that when we get there.”
“Grizzizzik, please. More than Ezekiel might die tonight,” Nick said.
Milo and Hraktar ran toward the battle with enough time to see a swarm of rats headed straight for them. Milo yelped in surprised and scrambled up Hraktar. The fighter had little choice but to hold the mana fusor while the swarm of rats attacked his legs. Hraktar grunted as his hit points dropped from twenty-seven to seventeen.
“Those demon rats mean business,” Derek said.
Hraktar grunted as blood trickled from multiple bite wounds on his legs. “I thought you weren’t afraid of rats, Milo.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t think I was afraid of women until one tore my heart out.” Milo glanced up. “I’ll see if I can get to the trees.”
Ezekiel pushed his hand forward, blasting the wererat with sacred flame, but the wererat easily dodged it, snarling.
“You are not that powerful! Get away from it!” Clarissa shouted as she lifted her hands in the air, her eyes changing color. A spirit of a bear erupted out of her, circling around the battlefield, giving everyone an added eight hit points.
Grizzizzik was backing away when one swarm headed for him. The rogue leapt out of the way as some of the demon rats jumped to bite him. Grizzizzik growled, and Nick felt his breathing come easier. His character would protect himself, and since he was that desperate, he would do what he needed to.
Time slowed down, and Nick mentally searched the list of spells. Even as a magic caster, Grizzizzik didn’t have a lot of options. Though maybe he could help get the wererat, since that was the biggest bad guy right now.
Nick mentally chose mind sliver, and a d6 popped up. Nick gave it a roll, and it landed on a six, which made him let out a breath. As long as the wererat rolled low, six points were coming his way. It wasn’t nearly as much as what he was used to, but Grizzizzik couldn’t use his rapier right now.
Time resumed, and Grizzizzik grumbled. Almost hiding it, he brought his hands together and muttered something, a spike forming. Grizzizzik shot it forward. The wererat was too focused on Ezekiel to notice, and the spike slammed into its head. It shrieked, spinning around and snarling.
“Does anyone have any rotten food?” Nick shouted.
Derek glanced at his vehicle. “Well, I mean, I could check my parent’s minivan. Not sure when the last time they cleaned it.”
Nick searched through the spell list. “We need some rotten food for a spell.”
Derek nodded, rushing over to the minivan. While he was doing this, another swarm headed for Hraktar and Milo. The mana fusor jumped into the air toward a tree branch, grabbing a hold.
“Come on, Hraktar!”
The fighter jumped, grabbing onto the branch right at the last moment as the rats tried to chomp on his ankles. The two of them were there only for a moment before there was a snap. The branch broke and they hit the ground as the swarm passed.
Hraktar coughed, but stood back up. “There’s nothing for me to do. I’ll be your shield while you spray them with fire.”
“I mean, I won’t say no to that.” Milo pulled out his flame thrower. There were two swarms headed straight for them, and Milo was on his knees. He held his flamethrower and smiled ever so slightly. “I missed you, my dear cannon.”
Another burst of flame erupted from the tiny cannon. It was a ton, considering how small it was. It hit the two swarms closest to them. The rats screamed, writing in the flames. The swarms disintegrated, consumed in the flame, the squeaking disappeared.
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Hraktar raised an eyebrow. “I guess you won’t need me to hold you.”
Milo pumped his fist in the air. “Science, bitches!”
“There’s still two swarms and a wererat! You two be in charge of finishing the swarms. We’ll take the—” Clarissa was cut off as the wererat charged Ezekiel. It slashed at Ezekiel’s chest, draining seven of his eight added hit points. Then it bit down hard, bone crunching underneath the wererat’s jaw. “Ezekiel!”
His hit points dropped to zero, and he went limp. The wererat practically spat him out before swirling to face Clarissa, placing itself between her and Ezekiel’s unconscious form. The druid was breathing deeply, but glared at the wererat with a rage that Nick did not want to get too close to.
The swarm of rats again came after Grizzizzik, who tried too late to step out of the way. The swarm was much smaller, and thankfully resulted in only a tiny bite on Grizzizzik’s ankle, costing one hit point. He pointed at them, looking at Milo. “Burn these vermin over here first, please.”
Clarissa threw her hands in the air, and a bonfire exploded underneath the wererat. The creature leapt to the side, almost sensing the vengeance in Clarissa’s face. The bonfire lit up the battlefield.
“Does Milo need to save Ezekiel?” Derek asked.
Rafael shook his head. “He’s got one success. He should be—” Rafael was cut off as one swarm of rats headed straight for Ezekiel’s body. “Oh, shit!”
They surrounded the cleric, taking bites out of his flesh. Clarissa screamed. Hraktar bound forward and scooped Ezekiel’s unconscious form in his arms, trying to kick away at the demon rats.
“That… that was…okay, that was a crit. He’s got two failures now,” Rafael said.
“Keep us posted,” Tyler said.
Hraktar kept backing away from the rats as Milo slid forward on his knees, blasting the rats and Hraktar with the flamethrower. The fighter grunted as he lost six hit points.
Milo winced. “Sorry, my friend.” The swarm shrieked in pain before dying out.
Hraktar shook his head, stomping a bit with his legs. “It’s fine.” He placed Ezekiel on his shoulders. “I’ll keep him here until we take care of the last swarm.”
The wererat, in order not to get hit by the bonfire, turned and ran straight for Grizzizzik, his claws out. He swiped at Grizzizzik, but the rogue dodged before tripping right into the wererat’s teeth. Screams were cut off as time came to a stop.
Make a constitution saving throw.
Nick winced, grabbing the d20. He did not want Grizzizzik to get lycanthropy. There was no way he wanted his cool half man half snake creature also turning into a wererat.
It landed on a fourteen, and the +2 made sixteen total.
Successful.
Nick wasn’t sure who was successful, the lycanthropy or Grizzizzik. Considering it was a sixteen, he wanted to believe it was his character.
Time resumed, and he watched the extra hit points Clarissa gave him disappear. It was fine. Grizzizzik was still in pretty good shape, all things considered.
Derek ran forward and handed Nick a handful of stale French fries. “I found them between the seats.” He brushed his hands on his pants.
Nick stared at them, seeing hair clinging to one of them. “Um… yeah. Thanks.” They had probably been there for ages. Not necessarily rotten, but certainly old. They’d have to see how this worked.
Grizzizzik threw off the wererat and danced around the swarm of rats trying to snap at him.
Clarissa ran straight for Hraktar, placing her hands on Ezekiel’s forehead. Bright, sandy light filled the battlefield. Ezekiel gasped, flailing a little as he received four hit points back. Hraktar eased the cleric to his feet again.
The world held still, and Nick chose acid stream. Time resumed, and he turned toward Grizzizzik. He rushed forward, placing the stale food in his hands, which the rogue did not like at all, but he had little choice. The wererat was snarling, getting on all fours, ready to leap at him.
Grizzizzik held the food forward, then used his other hand to make a quick motion, saying something that was dark. It was the only explanation for the language Nick had heard.
A stream of acid shot out, dissolving the food and smacking the wererat in the face. It shrieked in surprise before backing away, snarling.
Hraktar pointed to the remaining rats, following it with his finger. “The swarm is right there beyond the light.”
Milo aimed his flamethrower, and again a burst of flame shot forth, hitting the swarm. The shrieks were loud, but there were still a few rats who escaped.
The wererat shrieked, slapping his arms and shaking off the acid. It snorted, not at all happy as it glared at Grizzizzik.
“Grizzly Bear? How did you make that acid stream?” Clarissa asked.
“Too busy to answer questions.”
The remaining few demon rats headed straight for Hraktar. He probably didn’t notice them. They were so small, but they bit his ankles again and he shouted in surprise. The rat bit down hard and stayed attached. Hraktar kicked his foot to dislodge the rat, and it went flying, tearing a chunk out of Hraktar’s ankle.
“Ouch!” His hit points dropped to thirteen. “Nasty vermin.”
Ezekiel pulled out the smallest vial of holy water Nick had ever seen. “Seriously? That’s what you prepared?” Nick asked, turning toward Rafael.
Rafael glared back. “It’s really expensive game wise, okay! Powdered silver is scarce.”
“By the Great Lady of Light, I am blessing you three as you attack the wererat,” Ezekiel said, flicking water on Hraktar, Clarissa, and Milo.
“No, not me.” Hraktar winced as the water hit him. “I can’t do anything.”
“Oh, right. Well, that should help you… not be scared,” Ezekiel said.
Hraktar mumbled something unintelligible.
Nick felt annoyed, glaring at Rafael. “What are you using holy water for? You don’t have to use materials, you have your medallion! It’s your spell casting focus!”
“What?” Rafael asked.
“Seriously, when is the last time you played this game?”
Alejandra grabbed Nick’s arm, squeezing it with a sense of desperation. “Please stop fighting.”
Clarissa turned toward Hraktar. “Stab him and keep the sword inside.”
Hraktar was confused, but pulled out his great sword and easily sliced through the wererat’s gut. The creature cackled at the fighter’s attempt, but Clarissa wasn’t done. She began whispering something in elvish, glaring right at the wererat as Hraktar kept the great sword in its stomach. Around the sword, the skin began to bubble and morph. It gasped, backing away with the great sword still inside.
Nick chose another mind sliver, and the wererat was again hit. Two points didn’t feel like much damage, but the wererat still looked too well considering how long this battle had been going.
“There!” Hraktar again pointed at the few remaining rats. Milo blasted them like he was some deranged exterminator, and the last of the demon rats were gone.
The wererat glared at Clarissa, pulling the white hot sword out of its side. It showed an incredible amount of intelligence as it turned its gaze on Ezekiel. The wererat remembered how much Clarissa hated that he attacked Ezekiel more than any other, so it dropped to its hands and knees, sprinting straight for the cleric.
“No!” Clarissa shouted.