Molly St Claire
Molly frowned. Cooly, she studied the split in the tunnel. We have been spoiled by straightforward paths, she thought. There was a discussion on which path to take as the cool-eyed woman considered the options. In truth, there was little to compare. No widely different details in which to contrast them with. Both dark and damp. Either looked viable. Reuben, and his protege Porsha, went up a tunnel each to about a hundred meters. They came back with annoyingly identical reports. Neither edged out the other as a better option. The fork loomed in their minds.
The indecision was further emphasized by the Sixty’s circling discussion on the issue. Her frustration with the hold was growing. “A choice needs to be made,” affirmed Molly. “Malachi, pick one or flip a coin. Something. We needlessly waste time here.”
She heard the bearded man mutter something about pennies and the screens before they spoke. “Alright, Molly’s got a point,” sighed Malachi. “We’re just spinning wheels here. I don’t have a coin, so let’s just go left.” There was some grumbling about the right, but no serious arguments were made.
The raid group slowly got moving as any gathering of people did. Attention had to be drawn and then directed. They headed up to the left. Molly turned her attention to the walls of the tunnels. The holes in the wall of the tunnel had altered since the alcove. In the beginning, the pits had the appearance of hand-carved indentions. Marked heavily by frantic digging to create a hidey-hole. A sanctuary to use at a Ratsin’s weakest moment.
Past the alcove, the holes were completely different. Not the honeycombed holes of nesting, but instead natural formations of parallel space. It was to her estimations that they were smaller tunnels or spaces that formed alongside the main tunnel. Many of the holes they saw were part of the same formations. A connected network of small stone burrows.
Perhaps, the earlier pits were small indentations that were opened up more, thought Molly as she theorized. They weren’t big enough yet because it was a lighter touch of these secondary formations. They deepened them for their transformations, but that is unnecessary for these later holes. The openings are much larger. It would seem to offer an alternate route for traveling upwards. The Ratsins are for an unknown reason drawn upwards. That is a disturbing parallel to us. I don’t like having anything in common with these abominations. About as much as I like what lurks in there.
She worried about what waited in that darkness. They hadn’t seen a single Ratsin since the alcove fight. A few times Molly thought she had seen a flicker of something in there. If those had been real, then it was the only sighting of the beasts. The feeling of being watched coming from the holes was enough for her to watch them attentively. She wasn’t sure if confirming her suspicions would relax her or make it worse.
The cool-eyed woman hoped her Mana sight would aid with the observation, but even the darkness seemed to swallow the Mana. Or my sight in that regard isn’t strong enough yet, grumbled Molly to herself. It is too bad I do not have that Discerning Eye spell of Anastasia. I wonder, is it possible to learn another’s spells? Something to discuss with Damian later.
It was only due to her careful watch that Molly caught the end of their peaceful march. From one of the holes, a splash of orange appeared. A stretch of wet flesh like a chameleon’s tongue launched at the Sixty. A moment before touching a melee fighter, the bulb at the tip burst open in a splash of mucus. The target man screamed as four orange fingers from the tongue grasped him tightly. It led to a thin, elongated maw thrust out of the tunnel. Cloudy green eyes surveyed them before making strange gurgling and clicking sounds. The captured man, Dawson Wu she thought, was wrenched off his feet and flew towards the monsters.
Molly reached out for the clusters of thoughts that were spells. She rotated through them to find one to help, but a flash of rose light interrupted her. Sword glowing, Vincent had stepped in to sever the tongue. There was a spurt of yellow ooze and the man fell to the ground. The orange fingers held tight as he thrashed for freedom. The swordsman dragged him back to the group before cutting them free. Frozen in place, the Ratsin stood as the oozing tongue shot back. Once returned, the mouth shut like a mechanical trap. From deep inside came a trumpeting scream that echoed through the tunnels. Returning cries came from several of the nearby holes. The Sixty quickly took that as a warning.
The first Ratsin moved out of the tunnel to reveal a thin sore covered body that became a slug-esque mess at the hips. The bloated flesh was covered in a greenish fluid to ease movement while underdeveloped hindlegs scurried uselessly in the air. It moved forward steadily by grasping and dragging with the front arms. The throat of the mutant Ratsin bulged like a frog as a new tongue-like flesh formed. Molly prepared to support Vincent when the reinforcements made an appearance.
Four more disfigured Ratsins made an appearance. No two were alike. One dropped from a ceiling crevice, more rotten bat than a disgusting rat. Another charged into their flank covered in jagged chitin that left it blind. A two-headed freak darted into the fight on eight limbs. Ahead of them rolled out a hissing ball of fur. When it stopped, the Ratsin uncoiled to reveal a creature consumed by a toothy maw. The final arrival was an abomination that differed very little from a Bloated Ratsin. Molly noted that it may be the most dangerous of the monstrous group. Greenish sludge curdled slowly into a pool around it and a hazy cloud hovered closely.
Grimacing, she left the half-slug Ratsin to the capable swordsman. The spells spun as the cooled-eyed woman considered where to act. The stormy Jorgenson had focused on the flyer, a sneer across the woman’s face as electric surges crackled in the air. Julia charged with the frontline at the Critter-looking Ratsin. Molly was happy to look away from that ball of childhood nightmares. The rhino-beetle beast was equally covered as Leon’s barrier stopped the charge cold. The crowd around it would end the rat thing quickly, decided the cool-eyed woman. The volatile Ratsin held back, somehow watchful with rolls of flesh covering their sight. The rearguard returned the scrutiny, but was willing to wait it out.
Uneasily, she turned away to focus on the many-legged creature. While one mouth belched out bile, it tried to carry away a woman grasped in the other. Working in concert, the eight legs gave it dangerous speed and agility. It looked like the mutant Ratsin was trying to dodge back into the tunnels with the prize. It dipped and docked as the people tried to slow the beast.
Molly was impressed by how calmly Daisey Solomon reacted. They had been chosen for a snack, but didn’t look too worried. Carefully the swordswoman was lashing out to free herself. It was the cool-eyed woman’s opinion that in time the other woman would do just that. It couldn’t be allowed to play out though. Too risky. She had just the spell to stop the monster in its tracks.
“I Summon A Binding,
Still Their Struggle,
Hold For My Inspection,
Specimen’s Shackles!”
Her lovely dark purple threads sprung out of the air around the many-legged monster. It was a little rough on Daisey, but the woman was able to wiggle free when the rat thing collapsed hogged tied to the ground. Seeing that the Sixty were moving in to take advantage, Molly shifted her attention to another battle.
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The flyer was unfazed by the potshots from Jorgensen. Disappointed, The cool-eyed woman noted that the beast was getting the better of them. While dodging electrified wind, it was screeching a sonic blast that caused other fighters to become shaky. Groups of her fellows were either being stunned by the attack or slowed as they protected their ears. It is extending the fights unnecessarily, calculated Molly. Regardless, this can be overcome. I will just have to be precise in my interventions. These monsters aren’t coordinating, only attacking at the same time. That is not at all working together. There is no strategy to this. Molly decided the bat thing was next.
“I Call The Shadows,
Instill Loss And Despair,
Bind With Darkness,
Void’s Impression.”
The cloud of dark purple burst to life around the bat Ratsin’s face. Worried that threads of Speciman’s Shackles would be too slow, Molly decided that blinding would do the trick. The monster shrieked in panic and moved wildly around. She decided it was only a matter of time before the thing crashed into a wall. The strain of casting two spells in quick succession was draining, but the weeks of training were paying off. Her training had been focused more on being able to quickly tip the scales of fights for her fellow. Even while maintaining her binding spell, the cool-eyed woman was ready to cast another spell.
Her eyes swiveled to see where next to put weight in their favor. The chitin-covered beast was still giving them trouble as the hardshell resisted the melee fighters. Even Allen’s flames were being shrugged off. Marking that one for attention, she shifted to the original monster. Malachi was facing the creature with the shielding duo of Phelain and Hector. That could be considered covered. A quick glance saw that Julia’s front liners had the mouth-spawn Ratsin almost hacked to pieces. That was a relief to her. The toxic Ratsin at their rear was still just standing there.
What is it waiting for, demanding Molly. With quick darts of her eyes, she looked for any sign of its intention. Is it just waiting to mop the losers or purely here to scavenge? The Ratsins of the upper tunnels are a different breed indeed. More aggressive, yet capable of pack efforts. Now, this one shows patience. This disturbs more than the rest. When and how will it act? With a growl, she once again leaves it to the rearguard to watch and turns to the other battles.
The rhino-beetle beast is the next target. In her mind, Molly turned to her available spells. Specimen’s Shackles was out of the question. It was currently too hard to maintain more than one casting of that spell. As the creature had no eyes, Void’s Impression seemed pointless. She considered Confusion’s Parable, but there was already too much chaos. Her newest spell. That was the way to go, the cool-eyed woman decided. It had coalesced during training. There was a unique pleasure at gaining a new power to alter the world. A sense of joy touched her chant. Something she rarely allowed to be apparent to others.
“I Revoke Your Strength,
Let Flesh And Bone Wilt,
Diminish Before My Will,
Vigor’s Faltering!”
A storm of dark purple energy fell upon the chitin Ratsin. Soaking in and highlighting every edge of the hard outer layer. The monster began to stumble. Blows began to find more than just purchase. The struggle quickly leaned in the Sixty’s favor. The curse was very draining for her, but it was deeply satisfying to see that it was effective. Like dominos falling into place, the battles were won one after the other. The chitin monster was butchered and much of the chaos was gone with it. As expected, the bat thing slammed into a wall. Those waiting for it finished the beast swiftly. The wrapped up Ratsin proved uncanny to survive so long bound, but its moxie ran out. The half-slug and Critter Ratsins were eliminated. All eyes turned to the final threat.
The toxic-looking rat thing stared back at them. Its body began to vibrate. Yellow drool drooped out of the distorted jaw. The Ratsin took a single step forward as it poured out more toxic sludge and fumes. It shrieked in hunger. Something answered back and it wasn’t the Sixty. The sound came from further up the path.
Molly turned to see a terrible shadow shifting across the wall. The source was just around the bend There was a charge in the air as the Sixty changed their attention over to the new threat. Cautiously, she turned back to see if the toxic beast would take advantage of the distraction. It had fled. The cool-eyed woman only caught a glimpse of the naked tail disappearing into a hole in the wall.
The foreshadowed Ratsin came around the corner in a shuffle. It was huge. Bulbous even by Bloated Ratsin standards. The abomination was damp with foulness that oozed from sores. The snuffles of the monster filled the cavern enough noise to hurt the ears. It shifted about as if blind until pausing. One big inhale cut the air and then its nose pointed directly at them. A rumbling began from deep down in the throat of the beast. As a scream escaped from it and there were bugling sounds exciting from the open sores. The clatter was an attack all on its own before the giant Ratsin snapped forward.
The Sixty flinching from the scream, backing off and out of the way of the first lunge. The hulking rat screamed in frustration. Malachi roared back to give it a reason. It was the biggest monster they had taken on and in mass, it rivaled a bus. Molly preened, Unfortunate for this filth, the Council had already prepared strategies. Victory goes to the prepared and one should always be prepared for giant monsters in a dungeon.
Allen started the assault off by launching a plume of flame into the face of the Ratsin. In response, the creature vomited and filled the air with the smell of sizzling bile. The attack didn’t do any damage. It did, however, offer excellent cover for the melee fighters. The tunnel flickered with the lights of their strikes against the rat thing’s forelegs. The flesh was hacked and the monster leaned back on its hindlegs. A massive soft belly was revealed. The melee moved up to hack at what was in range and Damian chose now to act.
The obsidian acolyte had been waiting in the wings for an opportunity. Supported by Anastasia, a tremendous ball of violet shot forward. The blast impacted the flabby stomach of the Ratsin. Cooked flesh replaced the smell of boiled bile. It was at this moment the secondary effect of Damian’s attack activated. The violet ball that burned inside the monster was now expanding. The rat thing howled indignantly and painfully. Mangled hands snatched at the ball to remove it and were instead scorched for their trouble. Shrieking, the giant tried to escape by moving away, but the burning orb was stuck inside. Molly almost felt bad for the horror. Almost.
When the violet light hit the maximum size and faded, a cavernous hole was left behind. The spherical hole in the flesh was quickly filled by charred organs and oozing yellow fat. It all poured out of the new crevice in the Ratsin. Falling onto the ground with a wet plop. The sound caught the attention of the beast. Before it could hungrily devour it, Allen cast their flames again and turned it all to ash.
Denied a quick meal and heal, the Ratsin snarled at them. The melee fighters arrived to begin on the hindlegs. With surprising agility, it leaped back. The rat thing swung the hairless tail upon landing. The sweeping attack hit everyone, but Vincent. His rose-colored sword continued forward after diving over the tail. The rest were scattered prone across the tunnel floor. A flayed hand slammed down on Julia before she could rise. Her sword blazed blue and stabbed into any flash in range. The Ratsin gave no sign it noticed as the beast thrash the other foreleg to keep Vincent at a distance.
Two indigent roars rose from the Sixty. Malachi charged forward with lightning ready in his sword and Clarissa cursed while raising her bow. Their leader struck the pinning arm with a full blast of electricity. This did elicit a reaction from the Ratsin. Its huge head turned and a streak of green breached the eye. A beat later there was an explosion of energy that left a gaping socket. The monster jerked back with a cry, releasing Julia. The archer yelled, “Boom bitch! Get off my girl!”
The Ratsin retreated while holding its lost eye. A strangled cry echoed as the beast looked scornfully towards them. Allen and Jorgensen marched up together. Acting in unison, they blasted the monster. Their spells fed off each other and grew to an impressive size. Molly felt the wave of heat even though she was far behind them. Electrify flames seared across the monster. Hair became ash and flesh charred brittlely. When Damian launched a violet sphere, the Ratsin was too weak to dodge. The monster laid upon the ground twitching. The spell impacted the head and sheared through. The fight was over.
The Sixty grinned together and took a break while the bodies powdered into their rewards. The large Ratsin of course took a long time, but the core size was the same. Even with the density being much higher, the weight didn’t seem any different either. Molly was perplexed, but it was Julia that was most intrigued by the paradox. The tiny woman expressed exacerbation that she didn’t bring her notebook to jot down notes. Reuben disappeared quickly when the shield maiden asked to use his. The scout was using it to make a map and wasn’t willing to lose it to Julia. The cool-eyed woman understood the notebook would be lost forever if he did relent the use of it.
Malachi called for them to begin the march upwards again. It didn’t take too long before they came around a bend and found the end of the path. The tunnel narrowed to a point before tapering off. There was nowhere else to go.
Shrugs and sighs were shared. There was nothing else for the Sixty to do, but turn around. Heading back to the fork in the road was the only opinion. Digging, even with the aid of Russel, was a waste of time. The pace was set quicker. Their path had been cleared already, and there were hopes it would make up for the lost time. Molly wondered how many times they would find themselves at dead ends on this trip. Better to map out the deadends now I suppose, considered the cool-eyed woman. The tunnels haven’t shown any signs of shifting so far.