[Bee Blueglade][Session 1 - Level 0][Part 3]

The three of them scrambled down the tunnel into another cave. This cavern was aglow with bioluminescent worms crawling across the ceiling and walls. At the back of the cavern on the ceiling were a few roots poking through. Bee figured the ceiling was thinner there.

The three looked at the roots and their gaze moved down towards a massive fat rat below it. The size of an ogre, dozens of nipples across its underside, as a swarm of infant rats suckled upon her.

A sentry stood on its hindlegs and swiveled to look at the group. It was a massive rat with spikes across its back that looked across the room at the three. The giant rat fell down onto all fours and charged at them.

"Get to those roots." Haren said as he swallowed his fear.

He charged headlong at the spiked rat. He thrusted his spear forward and stabbed it into the shoulder of the rat. He pushed the beast backward, ending its charge, as it struggled under the spear.

Alerias ran to the back of the Rat Queen. He jumped up onto it and ran along its spine. He dodged its gnashing teeth and leapt at the cave wall. He grabbed on and began to climb to the roots.

Bee lunged at the side of the spiked rat and stabbed his dagger into it. The dagger plunged through the skin and into the meat of the beast.

The swarm and one more giant rat followed the group. The giant rat had larger curved claws. They stopped at the entrance to the cavern and then moved towards the two humans.

Haren stabbed his spear down into the spiny rat, killing it. He pulled Bee up by the arm and pushed him towards the other side of the cave.

"Get out of here." Haren yelled at Bee.

"Not without you!" Bee screamed in reply.

Alerias dug at the roots. Clawing his way through the cave ceiling. As dirt rained down on him the moonlight poured down.

"Come on already!" Alerias called down.

The Rat Queen moved. Her infants detach from her and plop to the ground. She moved towards the back wall. Reaching up with her front paws as her claws slowly inched towards Alerias.

"Damn it. Let's go." Haren ran toward the Rat Queen.

Bee and Haren squished baby rats under foot as they ran to the beast and began to climb up her back. Gripping onto her fur and pulling themselves up.

Alerias pulled himself up through the ceiling. He looked up at the night sky as he grasped the grass. He pulled himself further up. Something snagged his pant leg, he began to scream out for help, as he was dragged down back into the cavern. He slid down the slanted cave wall straight towards the open maw of the Rat Queen.

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He swung his crossbow around and fired at the ogre-sized rat. It hit her snout. She let out a squeal as she pulled away.

Haren and Bee leapt from her shoulders onto the cave wall. They grabbed on and began to climb upward. Alerias was slightly above them, his feet stuck in good holds, as he reloaded his crossbow.

The swarm of rats scurried up the cave wall among them the clawed rat climbed straight up the wall with ease. The Rat Queen swiped her paws down her snout and snapped the bolt off.

She then lashed out at the cave wall aiming for the three of them. The claw missed Haren and went straight for Bee. The younger man grabbed onto the wall and sprung upward grabbing another handhold. The claw passed underneath him knocking out a chunk of the wall.

Alerias fired another bolt at the Rat Queen. It struck the beast in the shoulder, but she hardly flinched.

Bee and Haren climbed past Alerias and up to the roots. Haren climbed out first as Bee pushed him upward helping his ascent. Alerias turned over and started climbing after the two humans.

The Rat Queen reached up and grabbed Alerias by the leg pulling him away from safety. She held him up above her mouth. A terrible stench emanated from her open jaws.

Without a second thought Bee pushed off the wall and leapt at the Rat Queen. He slammed into the side of her face and plunged his dagger into her cheek.

Her mouth snapped closed, dropping Alerias. The elf tumbled off her snout and grabbed a hold of her fur.

The Rat Queen reached up and grabbed Bee. She tossed him against the cave wall with one paw. Her other paw quickly slammed down onto him crushing him against the wall.

"No!" Alerias drew a bolt with a free hand and stabbed it into the rat's fur.

The Queen moved its paw across towards Alerias. Letting go of Bee’s corpse. His body hung limp in the air. It didn't fall, instead it looked as if it was floating underwater, and Bee's dark brown hair drifted upwards. At first it shined like it was wet and catching the light. In a flash the shine was a bright golden aura that blinded the rats.

With the Rat Queen distracted Alerias leapt from the Queen and landed several feet below the glowing Bee.

Bee's bones snapped back into place, his eyes popped open, and he quickly reached backward grabbing the wall. In a second his weight came back to him and the light of his hair dulled.

Alerias and Bee climbed up the wall and out of the hole as the rats recovered.

Haren was standing there. Six other villagers were around him holding torches and pitchforks. Haren though had something different, he kicked a barrel of oil down the hole, and stepped back. Two of the villagers tossed torches down the hole and within seconds the screams of the Rat Queen and dozens of infant rats echoed out into the night.

A figure bursted out of the dirt, a giant rat with curved claws, and it looked around with wild eyes. Three villagers immediately raised pitchforks and stabbed at the beast. It slashed through one pitchfork, bit another off at the shaft, and the third stabbed into his back.

Alerias began reloading his crossbow but Bee screamed out as he tackled the rat and stabbed it through its shoulder. The beast writhed as one of the villagers stabbed it in the side again. Bee pulled his dagger out and slammed it into the eye socket of the rat. It finally fell limp.

Bee rolled off of the creature and was helped up onto his feet by Haren. The villagers shone a torch over the dead rat beast. Some of them pulled back in horror. Others looked at it with disgust.

Haren had dried blood streaked down from under his clawed eye. Alerias was covered in dirt. Bee had blood splattered across his body from head to toe and gripped a black orcish dagger.

“What are you?” An elven voice called out.

The villagers all drew their attention to Alerias and then followed his gaze to Bee Blueblade. The young villager looked surprised to be under his employer’s scrutiny. But his own hand drifted across his chest as he remembered his body being crushed against the rocks.

“I don’t know.” Bee replied.