Chapter 24
As the lights went out P'trick screamed. Jay didn't mind the screaming so much, P'trick wasn't having a very good time and seemed hell bent on being miserable at all costs. Jay however hadn't been injured or even touched by an enemy yet and was having a great time. Dungeons, rats, magic switches, quests, and the promise of loot kept him busy enough that he didn't spend too much time dwelling on the dangers around him.
As the darkness fell over the group everyone stopped moving. The lamp slowly came to life in P'trick's hands and bathed the group in a soft glow with a dome of light around 8 feet in diameter. It forced everyone to stay close together. “What now?” P'trick demanded.
The three more experienced group members had instinctively moved to form a triangle around Jay and P'trick when the lights went out which impressed Jay a bit. That kind of reaction was only gained from lots of practice or a few hard fought battles.
C'nthia stood at its forward tip with Jon and M'tthew taking up the other two corners behind her. “Next,” C'nthia stated quietly as she made hushing motions at P'trick to calm down, “we get attacked. While we are attacked your job is to follow me and don't drop the lamp. That's all I want you to focus on P'trick.”
P'trick nodded and seemed to quiet down at that. He could easily follow her, and who couldn't just hold on to a lamp? Simple!
A beam of light shot in to the sky and she moved them off of the path and towards the beam. No rat had yet approached them but the entire group could hear their claws scrabbling on hard rock as well as the swish of many bodies moving at once. A wave of rats were about to find them and C'nthia pushed them to move faster to reach the beam of light
As they moved the lamp proceeded to dim slowly with each step P'trick took. By the time they were almost at the beam of light P'trick was panicking as the lamp almost went out completely.
“Easy,” said Jon calmly while placing a hand on P'trick's shoulder. “You've got this. It will grow dim as we move but we can make it each time as long as we follow C'nthia.”
P'trick nodded for a moment before shaking off Jon's hand. “I'm fine!” he said with a half-whine.
They walked in to the beam of light and the lamp burst in to brilliance once again. “Great. One down, who knows how many more to go.”
“We have to do more?” P'trick asked while starting to panic.
C'nthia gave him a withering glance. “Its a dungeon not a walk in the park. What exactly were you expecting in a dungeon?”
P'trick visibly pulled himself together but didn't lose his scowl. “Why not just use the path?!” he demanded.
M'tthew spoke up but didn't look away from watching the area outside their circle of light. “Because the path is a trap. Pretty much the entire thing is meant to wreck any group that attempts to use it. Sure, its safe from rats who won't step foot on it, but there are worse things in here than rats.”
The group went quiet for a moment before a sick sounding thump was heard as a rat crossed the lit boundary and disappeared in to a wet slurry as it didn't explode so much as suddenly collapse in to a meaty jelly. The larger the rat though the less the light appeared to affect them.
“Don't worry about the little ones, focus on the big ones!” Jon shouted over the sudden screeching of rats as they assaulted their circle, surrounding them in corpses which the rats climbed not just over but through in an attempt to reach them.
The circle of light worked well but as Jon had said it didn't work as well on the larger two foot high rats which Jay occasionally would have to pin down with his staff for another to kill with a sword.
The battle wasn't difficult. C'nthia, M'tthew, and Jon were professionals and could easily handle rats. If it had been just those three they could have run the dungeon without a care for wounds most likely.
Most likely, but not for certain.
Their quest made things harder by forcing them to try and make it through without being bit even once.
The real problem was sheer quantity. Only one or two needed to get past them to reach one of their level 1 group members, and they had orders to protect their lives at all costs. When there were enough enemies to literally form a blanket over your body once you fell it became difficult to solve the problem with a sword alone.
But the group was valiantly trying.
Just before it grew too much for the group the attack stopped. Their beacon of light vanished leaving only the light coming from the lamp. In the distance another beam of light appeared. C'nthia got everyone's attention. “We're moving!” she said before turning and walking carefully towards the next light beam, keeping an eye out for enemies and traps.
They found no new enemies in the darkness before they reached the second beam of light. Just as before their lamp grew dim before they reached the beam. The lamp burst back in to brilliance as soon as it was bathed in the column of light.
Jay looked around but couldn't see very far outside of the area lit by the lamp. While it kept most of the rats out it also made it difficult to see them coming. Still, Jay would rather have the lamp than not.
“Rest while you can but be ready to fight. We only have a moment or two.” C'nthia said in a business like tone of voice.
Jay stretched out a little, especially his upper back, which was feeling a little sore from all the use. He'd have to focus a bit on that in his future training sessions. Looking around at the other group members his gaze settled on P'trick who didn't look too good. He was sweaty and wide eyed and was breathing heavily.
“Um, C'nthia? P'trick doesn't look so good.” Jay said softly.
“Crap.” she said after taking a quick look over her shoulder. “Guys, keep an eye on him, he's slipping in to panic mode.”
Jon and M'tthew engaged P'trick in quiet conversation while keeping an eye towards the expected direction of the enemy. They tried to calm him down and offered reassurances that everything would be ok. They were getting close to being done. All he had to do was follow them and hold the lamp, they would protect him.
From the look on P'trick's face Jay wasn't sure that their efforts were working.
“Here we go.” C'nthia said as four two foot high rats threw themselves at the group.
P'trick screamed.
Jay tried to poke a rat in the eye but missed and instead managed to slide the end of his staff in to the creature's mouth. Jay immediately shoved that end in to the ground, pinning the creature.
Jon leaned over and and with a quick slice the rat stopped moving at all. Jay envied the grace with which his group mates moved from block to parry to cut to sidestep – they were impressive to watch.
No one was injured in that wave of four rats and after a moment another wave appeared. This time it was a sea of smaller rats and even though many were dying a few managed to get through forcing Jay to bash them with the end of his staff. At one point he even had to use his hand to grab one off of a terrified P'trick and toss it back outside of the circle.
The beam of light dimmed and everyone let out a deep breath except for P'trick who sounded like he was gulping down mouthfuls of air in a panic.
“Why isn't there another beam of light?” P'trick asked after a few moments had passed in darkness, only the lamp keeping it at bay.
“This is fine. When one appears we'll fight our way to it. That might just take a moment or two, that's all. No need to freak out over it. Everything's fine.” she insisted calmly.
Jon and M'tthew exchanged a look that Jay interpreted as them indicating that everything was not fine, but thankfully P'trick missed it.
The silence was pierced by a shrill screech made up of thousands of rats. It came from all directions. The noise must have been the last straw for P'trick because he sat down and began to blubber that he just wanted to go home now while making high pitched keening noises.
Hearing the noises P'trick was making she motioned to M'tthew who once again threw him over his shoulder while making sure he held on to the lamp as well.
The sounds grew closer and Jay was starting to realize they may be in actual danger when a bright column of light burst out of the ground. It was on the other side of the room. The far side.
They would never make it in time.
The entire group took off running without being prompted to with the exception of P'trick who bounced uncomfortably over M'tthew's shoulder and made panicked mewling noises.
P'trick was starting to get on Jay's nerves, but if the guy was actually having a nervous breakdown it wasn't as if he could help it, Jay thought to himself.
Jay looked ahead and could no longer make out the ground outside of the lamp's light. It was entirely obscured by rats which scrabbled over each other trying to find solid ground. Jay could hit one or two of them with his staff and the others could kill some as well, but a mere sword or staff wouldn't be enough.
Not stopping C'nthia muttered something under her breath and made a chopping motion with her sword.
Jay covered his eyes with one arm as a burst of flame shot out from in front of the group forcing a path between them and the column of light in the distance. The light it gave off was not the piercing white brilliance of the lamp or the column but instead a raging inferno. Everything the flames touched died, their corpses disappearing in to motes of light.
The screams reached a new, higher, pitch as the rats in front of them burned to death in the blink of an eye, leaving the ground strangely untouched by the flames.
The group continued to run towards the beam and found themselves almost there.
A rat larger than Jay had yet seen grabbed Jon's leg in his mouth but Jon immediately skewered it with his sword. The rat fell away but had managed to sink its teeth in to Jon's leg after it found a gap in his armor, which counted as a bite. Finally they reached the column and the now almost extinguished lamp began to once again glow brightly.
M'tthew put down P'trick but gently this time, placing the lamp on his chest. P'trick looked like he didn't see them anymore and appeared to be looking off in to the distance at something only he saw.
Jon shook his head sadly. “Dungeon Panic. He's got it bad too.”
C'nthia sighed but examined P'trick in a professional manner taking in his wide eyes, dilated pupils, inability to carry on a conversation or even walk under his own power. “I'd say you're right. He's not just scared. Looks like this is the end of the dungeon running life for him.”
Jay wasn't sure he understood but also wasn't sure he had time to ask.
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The scream of approaching rats made it clear he did not.
“Uh, why do they sound like they have deeper screams?” Jay asked with a bit of nervousness.
“That just means they're probably larger.” Jon said with a shrug.
The next rats were far larger and came almost up to Jay's waist. As the three experienced members fought them off Jay did his best to be helpful in combat while at the same time making sure P'trick didn't drop the lamp.
The fight wasn't technically difficult for the group so much as just exhausting. There were a lot of rats, and they were big. Still, the group had experienced fighters and the rats didn't really stand a chance. The only way they could really be a problem Jay thought was if the group were to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
The problem was that the rats did outnumber them.
Finally they had a moment to catch their breath. “Ok, from the size of that last enemy I think we are almost done. The rat sizes increase each round until we're allowed in to the next room to fight the boss. Also, contrary to P'trick's behavior, we haven't been in any real danger so far. They're just rats. As long as we're here and you listen to us you should be fine.” C'nthia said with a sad smile for P'trick.
The column of light disappeared and the group was left with only their lamp to light their way. No new column of light appeared. Without a clear direction to follow C'nthia kept the group together but did not move far. It was taking a long time for another column of light to form and even after C'nthia's pep talk Jay was getting a little nervous.
The lamp began to dim as well and P'trick became visibly agitated. M'tthew had to work at it to keep him on his shoulder. In the darkness Jay could make out what looked like a sea of eyes looking back at him. Finally a column of light appeared in the center of the room but the lamp already was not at full strength.
“Let's move!” C'nthia demanded and took off at a run.
Everyone else moved to keep pace with her and they were making good time before disaster struck. Maybe they were waiting for them, maybe something gave way just as they passed, it didn't matter the reason. What mattered was the sudden thick blanket of cat sized rats that dropped on to the unaware group from above.
Everyone reacted differently. C'nthia, M'tthew, and Jon reacted calmly as if this had happened to them before and used their hands to grab and throw them off while staying in the light.
Jay yelled, “AAAAH!!” without meaning to but was happy it at least wasn't a high pitched scream. He dropped his staff by accident but took the opportunity to use both hands to quickly get rid of the rats, throwing them with all the strength he had. Then he bent over, picked up his staff, and went back to fighting as best he could while staying in the light.
P'trick however had an altogether different reaction. His eyes grew wide and he screamed long and shrill as he grabbed everything within reach and threw it.
Jay mouthed the words 'oh-no' in what felt like slow motion as he watched the lamp sail through the air and off in to the distance. P'trick had a good throwing arm, Jay just wished he had stuck with rats.
C'nthia saw the distance to the lamp off to the left and the distance to the column of light, which was in the center of the room. The lamp was closer. Not wasting a moment she yelled, “RUN!” and took off.
They ran as fast as they could but it was clear from the start they would be overrun long before they arrived at the lamp. They all took small bites on their armor except for Jay and P'trick but thankfully none of them sizzled the way P'trick's earlier bite had.
It was pretty obvious to Jay that the group would be fine with the exception of Jay and P'trick. The rest of the group was higher level, heavily armored, and had more hit points and could take more damage before those points hit zero and they died. Jay and P'trick would be pretty much doomed however.
As they ran C'nthia shouted back, “If anyone has a bright idea then now's the time to use it!”
M'tthew shook his head and had switched over to his bow and arrows after handing off P'trick to Jon. Entire swaths of enemies were cleared out with each shot he took. Each shot split in to many more, more than Jay could count. There were still far more rats than arrows though.
M'tthew yelled while still firing off arrow after arrow, “I don't have any magic glowy things!” he insisted.
Magic glowy things reminded Jay of something he hadn't thought about since he'd last used it. “I think I have something but I have no idea if it will work!” Jay exclaimed.
“Just try it!” C'nthia screamed. The rats grew closer and were hanging off of the party's arms and legs, dangling as they bit on to armor and refused to let go. “GODS DAMN YOU P'TRICK.” C'nthia yelled in frustration as she tore them off and threw them in to the distance. “This was supposed to be a simple run!”
Jay didn't waste any more time. He wrapped one arm around his staff and used the other to take out his Mighty Book, opening it up to a random page. Concentrating on the book he thought the word GLOW as hard as he could and shouted it out loud, unsure if would help. “GLOW!” he yelled.
It helped.
His earlier use of the book had cast gentle glowing patterns, dappled light that draped across the room around him. This time was different, however, and the intensity with which he called forth the glow was mirrored in its appearance. The light did not gently drape itself across the room so much as it caused the room to explode in light. A large portion of the room suddenly burst in to a powerfully bright blue brilliance. What had before been dappled blue light was now a rainbow of brilliant colors but still primarily blue.
The sudden blinding magical lightshow momentarily overpowered the group and each of them stumbled before regaining their balance as the light dimmed to a more reasonable level.
“Keep running!” shouted C'nthia, her voice booming across empty space where a moment before there had only been a sea of rats.
They ran to the lamp and Jay grabbed it off of the floor before they all turned and ran for the center of the room.
The glow Jay brought forth from his Mighty book lasted roughly a minute, more than enough time for the group to arrive in the middle of the room and place the lamp inside of the column for a moment to recharge it.
As the light from the Mighty Book faded the darkness returned but was kept away from the group by the lamp, which Jay now carried.
No one spoke as the last wave came at them. C'nthia mumbled something under her breath which caused her sword to erupt in to bright red flames and killed anything that came close to them.
Jon had dropped P'trick in to the center of their formation and was swinging his sword in a pattern Jay couldn't quite make out. Streams of smoke whirled around the swords and made sizzling sounds whenever it came in to contact with flesh.
M'tthew kept his side of the group clear with his arrows, which he seemed to have a never ending supply of. The arrows split, some exploding, others creating pools of acid on the ground, while still others knocked entire groups of rats backwards many out of sight.
It was a slaughter and Jay was thankful when it finally ended and the lights to the room came on.
C'nthia looked over at Jay with a thunderous expression and Jay thought he was in trouble for a moment. “What the hell was that! Things go wrong and you just pull out some magical light like its no big deal! How long does that light last? Could you have used it multiple times? Why didn't you use it earlier?”
Jay looked a little stunned but finally managed to get out with a shrug, “Er, I don't know. I'm new here.”
M'tthew and Jon burst in to laughter.
“I'm new here. Sweet Gaia kid.” M'tthew said while shaking his head.
“How'd you do that anyhow?” Jon asked more seriously.
Jay shrugged and showed the group his Mighty Book to very approving nods. “Nothing in the item description mentioned the glow ability. I've no idea what its rules of use are really. I just knew it would glow. Anything was preferable to the darkness.”
The group exchanged a few looks before Jon spoke. “Some items have hidden abilities. There are Mages who specialize in Identification of magic items, but hidden abilities are something different. Unless you know the command word you wouldn't even know it had a hidden ability. You have to work things out through practice and experimentation.”
“I guess I don't care how you did it. I'm just glad I'm bringing you and P'trick back in one piece.” C'nthia said with a relieved sigh.
Jay thought “We're not home yet.” to himself.
P'trick moaned quietly. “I want to go home.” he insisted.
“Don't worry, we're going home soon,” C'nthia said kindly. Everyone appeared to have realized P'trick's current behavior was due to having a disease he could do nothing about. Dungeon Panic could strike any new dungeon runner no matter how brave they may think they are. It appeared to strike at random, and so they treated P'trick as if he had caught a nasty infection that also just happened to make him constantly panic inside of a dungeon.
“You're all being very nice about it,” Jay said while motioning at P'trick.
Jon shrugged, “A friend of mine got it when we were on our first run. Almost didn't recognize him by the time we had made it out. Its not something a person can just snap out of. P'trick will need a healer and probably counseling after today. On top of that he's lost any chance of becoming a dungeon runner – after today no group will take him. I don't need to pile on further injuries or insults on top of that. That'd be just mean.”
C'nthia let them rest for fifteen minutes while M'tthew double checked for traps between them and the exit. He found none.
Finally everyone gathered up back in to formation but with Jon carrying P'trick leaving M'tthews arms free to fire arrows.
The door to the next room was shut. Next to the door a plain looking plaque hung on the wall and Jay looked over to see C'nthia nod at him before he placed his palm against it.
You have completed a quest! Who is the Weakest Link?: exit reached without being bitten! You have been awarded 100xp!
A member of your party has failed the quest Who is the Weakest Link? and does not qualify for the next quest in the series. (Jon: FAILED – bitten by rat)
A member of your party has failed a previous Ratman series quest and only qualifies for the first quest in the series (P'trick)
Congratulations! You have been awarded another Dungeon Quest. This is the final quest in the Ratman! series and must be completed in order. Failure of any quest in the series will prevent its follow-up quest from being awarded. You may share this quest with your group in which case it will become a group quest. Personal rewards will still be granted for completion regardless.
Quest: Manrat!
Task: Defeat the Final Rat!
Reward: -unknown-
Jon sighed in disappointment while looking rather unhappy. “I was really hoping to finish this quest.”
Although the rats had bit some of the party only Jon had sustained any damage to his body, the other rats biting only armor or fittings. Armor and quick thinking had saved three of their members from failing the quest series entirely.
“Can't we always run it again?” Jay asked.
Jon looked over at Jay with a little bit of shock, “You'd want to do this again?”
“Absolutely,” Jay said with a grin. “This has been more fun than I could have asked for. Next time though I say we replace P'trick with a healer, or with anyone else really.”
The group all nodded at that except for P'trick who wasn't exactly aware of what was going on around him.
“We'll think about it.” C'nthia said flatly ending the discussion but Jon looked like he'd argue strongly for another run in the future. “Let's focus on finishing this dungeon. Last room is the dungeon boss. He's stronger, has more health, can do more damage, and has stronger abilities than any of the enemies we've fought so far.”
“Easy peasy.” said M'tthew with a smile.
“When we get in M'tthew will handle P'trick. If you have to fight just drop him. Otherwise set him down, toss off a few shots, then pick him up and relocate. Don't let the boss pin you down.”
Jon spoke up, “The last group said this boss has a major tell. He'll raise one arm and then slam that arm down and damaging anyone on that side of the room. So if he raises one hand just run to the opposite side of the room.”
“And if you see him taking a deep breath run to the sides of the room as that means he's about to rush down and back across the room's center.” C'nthia finished.
Jay smiled, nervous but excited, “I'm good to go.” Everyone else agreed and as C'nthia stood in front of the exit door it opened with the sharp scrape of stone against stone, the door disappearing in to the earth and revealing the final room.
“Here we go.” said C'nthia.