Fred held the torch above him as he walked. The rats made sure to stay a few feet away from the torch. But the second they left they would fill in the space behind him.

“How do so many rats even get food?” Questioned Fred, Rodrigo shook his head.

“Nathaniel has magic rocks that can grant wishes. He probably just wished for them to be fed.” Answered Rodrigo. With a chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

“You guys talk like wish stones are utterly alien. Do you not have them where you're from? "asked Amanda, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.

“No. Where I’m from, all we have is stones, sticks and our wit. Nothing fantastical like that.” Said Fred as he walked, Rodrigo nodded in agreement.

“Where I’m from. All we have is Might and muscles.” Said Rodrgio.

“You guys use such interesting phrasing.” Said Amanda. “Is that a part of your culture too?” She asked with curiosity still burning in her gaze.

Rodrigo and Fred both shook their heads at the same time.

“No.” Said Rodrigo.

“It just sounds cool.” Said Fred, he glanced over at Amanda. She did not have the silent glare he expected on her face.

~Hmm. She doesn’t seem as miffed as she was a few minutes ago. I wonder if she’s the type to let things go quickly.~ Fred sighed. ~She might be hiding it. Anyone knows that group discourse cannot be allowed for high risk situations like these. Yeah. I’ll just assume that and let it go.~

Fred’s right eye twitched slightly. ~What was that? I saw some black dar-~

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!’ Fred spun around to the scream behind him.

Atop Amanda was a massive rat the size of a horse, Its massive jaws covered her whole chest, and its legs held her in place.

*Crunch* The rat's jaws bit into Amanda's chest. ~!!!!!!!!!!!!~

“AH!” Fred jumped in Amanda’s direction, his fist raised in the air. The rat spun on its front foot. And released Amanda from its jaws. She collided with Fred midair Knocking him to the ground.

~Shit.~ Fred pushed Amanda’s body off himself. He turned to face the rat. It was hurtling towards him. Mouth open. A creature like this should have been chump change for Fred. But now it was a death sentence.

Knowing he couldn’t dodge Fred raised his arm into the air. Letting the rat bite him in the forearm. The weight of the rat tipped Fred forward. Dragging him to the ground. He was unable to resist and fell.

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“AHHHHHHH!” Fred screamed the pain overwhelming his senses.

“I’ve got you!” Yelled Rodrigo. He stabbed the hot end of the torch into the rat. Its flesh sizzled.

Fred jerked and thrashed under the rat's bite. No sensations left in his mind but the primal fear of death. ~NOT AGAIN! NOT AGAIN! NOT AGAIN!~

The rat let go of Fred’s forearm and turned in Rodrigo’s direction. Fred watched barely coherent as the rat jumped in Rodrigo’s direction, Jaws open. Rodrigo fell backwards, Fred’s torch in his right hand. As the rat flew above Rodrigo he thrust it upwards, stabbing it into the roof of its mouth.

The sound of sizzling flesh echoed out.

It fell onto the ground prone. Fred couldn’t move. The pain was too much. All he could do was stare as the rat Stood up. Its legs were shaking.

Rodrigo stumbled towards the rat, a savage smile on his face. He fell towards the rat, his hands extended.

He might have lost his physical strength but he still had his weight. He pushed on the handle of the torch. The tip of it burst from the back of the rat's neck. The second it touched the air it blazed.

Rodrigo grinned. The rat turned its head to look at Rodrigo, “BRUGHHHU” It let out a twisted moan. The damage done to its throat was too great.

Fred pulled himself to his feet and stumbled towards the rat. He looked it in the eyes. A sadistic grin on his face. ~That’s what you get.~ The rat raised its head into the air. And slammed it into the ground. “BULLGHL”

It raised its head again and slammed it. And again, and again. And again.

It did this until its brain was exposed. Then with one final titanic slam, it shattered its skull into bits. Rodrigo gave the rat desecrated corpse of the rat a respectful nod.

“A true warrior dies by his own terms.” Said Rodrigo, Fred paid him no attention instead he looked around his surroundings for Amanda. He saw her decrepit form immediately. About thirty steps away from Fred laid Amanda.

Fred walked up to her. Her eyes were dead and lifeless. Her chest was caved in with a curving line of puncture wounds starting at her upper belly and ending just before her neck. She was dead. Fred fell onto his butt. ~Why?~ Fred bit off the tip of his tongue. Blood flowed down his throat.

Rodrigo walked up behind Fred. He put a hand on his shoulder the heat of his torch caressing Fred’s back.

“This is just how it goes. We were too weak. She was too weak. Pair too many weaklings together and everyone ends up dead.” Rodrigo turned and walked towards the tallest wall of rats. It was the direction where the wave was. The first place they had decided to search.

“Come on. There isn’t time to spare. We have to get the stones before Nathaniel finds us.” Said Rodrigo. Fred got to his feet. His eyes were dead and he didn’t even react as the wound to his forearm spilled blood.

~That’s………… That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a dead body.~ He walked behind Rodrigo. ~Rodrigo’s right. It was my fault. I was weak. In a world like this you have to be both strong and smart. Or you’ll die. And I’m neither. I’ve never been either~

…….

Fred and Rodrigo walked for hours. Neither said a word the whole time. Finally after all that silent walking. They arrived at a stone square, it was perfectly cut with a corner that was so perfectly 90 degrees that one could cut their finger just by touching it.

“We’re here.” Said Rodrigo.

“Yes.” Responded Fred simply. The wound on his forearm had clotted. But now blood covered the entirety of his right hand.