Day 59

(Little Rat POV)

For the first time Chanti didn't pass out as we spent our night together. In the end I called it a night early, since I'm feeling sleep deprived. I wake to find her riding me... she looked a little ashamed... until I helped her finish. She asked if her lascivious nature troubled me.

Of course I had no idea what the term even was. However it was about her behaviour...

How could I say it was a problem? Nothing about the time we have shared I would consider a waste. I understand she asks if I find her desire for me ugly, if I have these things called regrets.

My answer was quite simple.

“Is that what you feel? I look at you and see nothing but my mate. If it pleases you, it pleases me. Regrets? I know no regrets in this life, nor will I allow any.” [Tirmin stroking her hair gently] “If you feel regrets, then act upon them.”

“I'm a slave! I'm your slave. But... you have never used that power over me. I tried to hate you... I really did. I have only one regret. That I was so stupid those few weeks ago. I didn't see you were so noble back then. So I will voice my only regret. I am sorry for what I did to you. I can't ask for your forgiv...” [Chanti murmurs]

“Granted. I hold no ill feelings for you. So forget your pain, your fears, your sorrows... because they are not real. There is only today and the future. Slave or not, you are my treasured one. If I must, I will let you go free.” [Tirmin]

“No... no. I don't want to be free. I am your slave, now and forever. I swear it on this curse that controls me. So please don't free me. I want to be only yours, until I die.” [Chanti vehemently states, clutching me tightly.] “I don't trust myself, in my weakness I could betray... but the unfeeling curse upon me cannot be corrupted. I want to live and die for you, do not free me from this wondrous compulsion. I am not trustworthy without it. Freed I would be unworthy of you.”

“What brought on all of this?” [Tirmin]

“A knife, food and gold went missing, the knife I brought here. I was interrogated. Only this compulsion kept me from telling the truth.” [Chanti]

“What is this about?” [Tirmin]

I look at her closely and then run a hand down her body as I see bruises and faintly detect the lust stink of many men.

She shudders in my grasp as she realizes I know what has been done.

I see it in her eyes, she thinks I will abandon her.

“Yes... when I would not answer their questions they took me by force. They hurt me, so much. But I did not say a word. I know I am filthy and unworthy of you, so I took advantage of you one final time. After tonight I will never again do this. All I ask is to allow me to serve you.” [Chanti]

I hug her tight. I feel tears in my eyes. This pain in my chest... what is this feeling?

“This is my fault...” [Tirmin]

I see clearly only one thing I must do.

I go to Karamech. I bring a platter of roasted meats and some ale, hastily pilfered from a tavern kitchen.

I do not have time to waste.

He looks at me warmly, as does his king while the female studies my face.

She sees it in my eyes. The hurting.

Then they all do.

I give them the food, the ale.

“Forget the transport, the minerals. I will free you. I ask only one thing: teach me. You are all mighty warriors or you would not be alive in this cage. I have something I must do, so I ask for this one thing. Teach me how to make my enemies tremble and die.” [Tirmin]

“Lad... what has been done for ye to be so changed?!” [Karamech]

“Something I did not understand until I saw the aftermath. Something that cannot be forgiven or accepted.” [Tirmin] “Teach me to become the agent of death itself!”

The grey furred warrior looked at me silently for a moment.

“Your Majesty, may I?” [Karamech]

“I'll allow it. It is a small sacrifice for greater gains. Teach him. Teach him to the best of your ability.” [King Hensai]

From that moment the elderly elite warrior instructed me. I came to learn his special ability was specifically for the purposes of training raw recruits. Ultimate Drillmaster.

He shared with me secrets and tactics he had observed or used.

I listened, devouring every word. If he was the ultimate trainer I strived to be the ultimate student.

My view was blocked by a blue rectangle. Within that rectangle I read what I had become. Somehow, it made the painful throbbing exquisitely ache.

Tirmin has obtained Class Change!Original Class: Budding HeroNew Class: Ghost of Despair

Skills Learned:

NondetectionInfo: The skill of passive stealth. While standing still this skill renders the user invisible to standard sight. Cannot be used while observed. Unlimited duration.

Maim (lesser)Info: The skill of causing brutal, agonizing and crippling injuries. Higher levels increase pain and reduce efficiency of healing (both natural and skill based) on the victim.

Sight Evasion (lesser)Info: A skill of temporary stealth. When caught in motion while sneaking gives a two second burst of invisibility. Greater versions extend the time; doubling it per tier.

SabotageInfo: The skill to damage inanimate objects and poison supplies. Allows a stealthy person to cripple, trap or otherwise cause harm to others through objects or to the objects themselves. Until sprung; traps are undetectable to those without the skills to sense them.

SilenceInfo: Remove the sound of impact, movement, speech, etc. A skill of subterfuge which eliminates vibrations. Automatic use when attempting stealth. Can be extended to those touched. Can be placed around a sealed or secluded area.

Ancestral Trait: Lordly RatInfo: Your origins are of Royalty in exile. Generations of your ancestors have struggled and died futile deaths as cowards ignorant of the world. You are different. All physical aspects reinforced. Natural Vessel comprehension. May stake your worth on one trial of higher scope. Success grants the Greater Trait: Usurper King of Rats

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An incredible number! It says so many things I don't know where to begin.

“Well lad? What are the results? Which four skills did ye get?” [Karamech]

“Four? I see five and something called an 'Ancestral Trait'?” [Tirmin] “They all look like strong ones. Well, if you will excuse me for a moment...”

I creep toward the guard standing at the mouth of the cage. He is a tall male of the ape people. He bears a spear and a dagger shaped like a spike sits on his belt. He is lightly armored, with metal plates on thick cloth.

I pull the knife free and he doesn't even feel it. I can't even hear my heart or breathing at the moment like I should.

I place my hand on his back. He stirs at that touch. Then I drive the bronze weapon deeply into his back. He crumples, his clothing only a minor hindrance.

“The key.” [Karamech]

I'm not actually too sure what a key looks like, so I just hold each item he carries for the caged trio until he tells me to stop.

I give them the key, but then make them wait. I haul the dead man to the cage and with the help of friendly hands hook him up by the collar so he appears to stand upright.

Then I circle the camp, reaching the arena. I hear the boots of a guard crunching on the stone and freeze. A slave of a strange hairless species passes me on a leash as it is hauled by a guard. It was fleshy and pale. I'm quite astounded by the ease these skills offer my actions. They were only a body length away from me and missed me. That must have been nondetection.

I find the armory of the gladiators and help myself to a set of three heavy weapons and add a second weapon to my personal arsenal: a handaxe.

Returning to the cage I pass them each a weapon, which the huge people use single handed.

I hear a crack of wood as I look around for more guards, to find Karamech has snapped off a cart wheel from the wagon parked near their cage, to use as a shield. If I'd known I could have silenced it. Darn.

A whistle noise blares out, but at least I cut off the sound from reaching inside the barricade or the town. It seems to be a warning. We only have the slaver guards in the field to deal with. That can't be too many. The majority are usually in the slave pen in the barricade. And the city guard aren't close.

I should bite my tongue. Thirty.

They move to intercept the huge Karamech who takes the front. He stands his ground, waving a huge sword.

The guards slow and don't approach carelessly. I wonder why... oh right. They've seen the gladiatorial battles every day. They're afraid. I wonder why, I mean he's only big and strong... with years of experience... and the best training... and skills... Okay, I get it now.

So do the guards as they try to circle and attack from all sides. That sword is almost as tall as I am, but he uses it like a short-sword. With chopping sweeps to the flanks he cuts down the nearest three and the wheel to batter those on his left and front. The king and his sister take a defensive stance and guard Karamech's back. I see. This is a hard thing for these guardsmen to fight, the sister holding her side with a long handled hammer and the king a double-headed axe.

They strike down several as the crowd spreads out.

One walks back a few steps, nearly bumping into me. Heh.

The handaxe hacks into his knee and he falls screaming.

One second.

I take a step to the side.

Two seconds.

I lunge at the nearest man as he turns to see what the other is screaming about now that the silence from my strike ended. The dagger I hold drives deeply up into his ear hole. His death sigh is silent. I hold him upright by the handle.

Using his corpse I hide from the sight of the others.

I let the body drop, now I'm sure I'm hidden again. There is a kind of tingle that makes it clear if I can be seen or not. Strange. But convenient.

As I stand there I notice a pair of guards raise bows and ready arrows on the outskirts of the fight.

Well... here I go.

I sprint at them, circling around the fight to flank them.

I'm visible now. They haven't noticed me yet... five body lengths to go!

They can't hear me coming! They don't realize I'm here until the axe hacks into the spine of the first, below his chest armor, just above the hips. He goes down like a snapped twig.

My tail meanwhile wraps around the ankle of the other and with a flick I send him tumbling to the ground. With one foot on the first to keep him silent I sink my dagger into the throat of the second as he tries to stand. He screams as his blood gushes but he has no voice, just wheezes come out. I seem to have cut his voice. Oops. (sarcasm)

The bows look useful. I take one and the arrows.

Back to being invisible. The first bowman is still alive, but has no way to turn to look at me. The second is not able to see anything any more.

I send a few at the guards intermittently, using the two second invisibility and nondetection in conjunction to pepper the enemy. Soon the crippled and dead are all that remains. The Hortun people are amazingly strong, I watched the female rip the arms off of a guard. A burly man.

The trio seem to be expecting more attackers. They don't know the main garrison hasn't heard a thing. So they aren't coming.

“Little one? Where are you? You can come out now, the danger has passed.” [Karamech]

They thought I was just hiding?

I break my invisibility, sending an arrow to land at his feet.

“Who was hiding?! I was killing.” [Tirmin] “Why else would the arrows all miss you?”

“Your power? It is not direct combat, I see. I thought that was what I was teaching, but evidently ye took it in a different direction. Not a bad one, though.” [Karamech shrugs]

“Shall we empty this accursed place? I have an idea to improve your chances of escape.” [Tirmin] “And things to do during the chaos it causes.”

“What do you have in mind?” [King]

“An illusion.” [Tirmin smirking]

What we learned:

Spy rat evolved into Assassin rat!

He's almost an opposite of Rick. Stealth and cunning versus unsubtle firepower and ingenuity.

Now we know why the little guy is so different from the bog standard rats.

Revenge, it is a great motivator.

Many ugly bastards will die soon... they hurt his lady... they're going to wish they were dead.