I imagined she rolled her eyes at me, but for the moment she thankfully did not pursue any further. A small saving grace.

The rats, those not busy feasting, looked at me with their dull yellow, beady eyes. But there was no baleful menace in their gaze, just an odd, curious regard. They made no move to attack and a new confidence filled me.

I hacked at a dead rat, its features stilled in the rictus of death, shearing off its tail. Still, the other rodents made no aggressive moves.

But this did not assuage Larynda who had not felt my dark communion with them. “Gil, like, we got to go!” she urged.

“We came here to do a job… and we are not leaving until we are finished,” was my simple flat response.

“But…” she began again before I silenced her with a raised hand.

“Come, help me,” I commanded, gesturing to the plethora of dead rodentia. A great number of them looked like they had fallen far from the species’ family tree.

Many of the rats had scattered off now in search of greener pastures, and those that remained, like us, had business with the fallen rats. And so we worked together under the curious gazes of the vermin. Larynda was much less efficient than I, her lesser attributes and squeamishness somewhat impeding her progress. To her credit, once she got used to the bloody work her pace picked up measurably.

I lifted a bloody bundle, tied into a bunch by rawhide strips, to my shoulder. Just doing a job, I repeated to myself endlessly, trying to ignore the wet, squelching presence.

“Time to go,” I ordered curtly, to which Larynda gave a small nod in return. She was, no doubt, tired, but from the determination I saw in her features, she was still game.

We carefully made our way past the remaining rats, which sniffed and squeaked as we passed. Many had undergone bizarre changes. Some displayed unusual combinations of body parts, while others sprouted tentacles and pseudopods, features alien to their species. Among them, one peculiar rat sported a large mushroom on its back, enveloped in a swarm of spore flies. It was a surreal, random assortment of mutations.

Together, we continued in the direction of one of the exits for what seemed to me to be an indeterminable amount of time. My heartbeat began to slowly settle as we made distance from the macabre site, leading my thoughts down strange tangents.

It was amazing what the lack of digital entertainment did. It made me seek ‘fun’ down some very dubious avenues. Violence. The anticipation of it, almost as much as its execution, was staining my psyche with its shade. This was an education in human nature, an undeniable reminder of our fundamental properties.

I hated myself for it, bitterly, and knew in a heartbeat that I would trade this all away for a comfortable couch and a welcoming screen. But that line of thinking was for those who never amounted to anything. That was the old me, I realized with a sardonic grin.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Was it just my environment that was painting my thoughts and desires so? Or was it something more sinister? That wasn’t what I needed to think about, was it? The voices within agreed that there were other more pressing matters to see to. Convinced, I felt myself nodding.

“Hey… slow down a bit…” wheezed my charge between labored breaths, interrupting my thoughts.

“We can’t… we need to get out here,” I snapped.

Hands on her knees, she continued with her complaint, “Wait… can’t go on…”

“Very well. A quick rest to catch your breath, but we can not afford to dally here. I will carry you if I must,” I warned.

I estimated giving her two or three minutes, during which I closely monitored my Mana, noticing it was replenishing slowly. Pulling out a Mana potion, I had an internal debate about whether to drink it or not. The miser that I was, I ultimately decided to conserve my resources.

“So… like… what happened back there? And what was that icky thing that was a shield that went into your arm?”

“As to what happened with those rats… and that Quiverings thing, your guess is as good as mine… that was strange, I tell you that.” I paused, looking away for half a second while I gathered my thoughts. “And as to that… as I said earlier it was something that I picked up. A magical shield of sorts. Just like in the stories. Oh, and just as an observation, perhaps it would be best if you use a different spell next time. The effects of that black fire… were erratic. That crystal thing that you did, for instance, might be a safer bet. How did you do that anyway?” I replied, eager to change the topic.

From what I could discern from her expression, she did not completely believe me about the shield.

My question prompted a surprisingly swift answer, “I dunno, it just felt right. Like something I’d done before but jus’ forgotten like… No that ain’t right. More like hearing the first notes to a song… and humming the rest?”

“I have no idea what it is you are talking about. Just keep in mind whatever that water witch told you about using that magic. Your Control, or whatever you call it, is important. Practice when you can,” I put forward, keen to keep things focused on her and not me.

She looked at me as if she was digesting my words, running them around her mind before she answered. “You’re probably right. Sage advice, that. Need to work on the water stuff anyways… got plenty to work with down here. Bit difficult for some reason… maybe because it aint all exactly jus’ water. Lotsa icky bits in it too.”

Just as I was about to voice my agreement, I heard footsteps accompanied by the familiar clank of armor. There was also a distant murmur of voices. A small group was approaching, at least by my estimations, though echoes often made liars of even the best guesses.

I sighed to myself and raised a hand to call for silence. The arrival of this new group introduced a complication I had little energy to address. With my mana reserves reduced to less than a third, barely enough to cast a simple Heal spell, I knew I needed to act.

Unstoppering the mana potion, I took a deep swig. Almost immediately, I noticed the difference in quality compared to the last one I had consumed. A fiery sensation ignited within me, drawing the magical energies of the world toward its center and revitalizing me. It felt as though my body was opening up to the world around me, sharpening my senses. My surroundings became crisper, allowing me to perceive subtle details I normally would not. I saw the exact, even lines of the stone tiles, heard a drop of water falling from the ceiling and the faint echo of distant footsteps above, and felt the texture of every fiber touching my skin. Smelled and tasted the rancid air.

Holding back the urge to retch, I smiled a crazy smile as my Mana surged. Whatever happens next, they will not find me completely unprepared.