9. Into the sewers again

As Alex stepped onto the square of the A.S.S. building the next morning she was again one of the first to arrive. Albert, Nick and Rick were already there, and she waved at them as she walked up to the Clerk.

It was the same one like yesterday, but today there was another man standing beside him. A slim, dark skinned older man that looked tough like boot leather, wearing good cloths, that were clearly made for enduring some abuse. As she stepped close the Clerk looked at that man a pointed at her.

You´re Alexandra? The man asked with a deep coarse voice. Bewildered and not knowing what was up, Alex just nodded as an answer. Good! Step to the side with me, I have some questions for you. He said and pointed at the side of the square. As they both moved over, Alex was obviously worried of this welcome, but the man just explained. Don´t worry, you are not in trouble! At least not with me. I will make it short. One of the groups found a possible Beastrat warren yesterday. Normally we would call in a bronze team to get this done, but I had another idea. I´m Instructor Zar´car, one of your future trainers at the Copperhouse and the one that will bring this new lot there in a couple of days. So, I like to use that warren as a little training opportunity. And I speak to you, because the higher ups only let me do it if I get a healer in this group. So, my question is, are you up for it or do I have to get me some Novice from a church?

While Kagami was hopping around them, shouting, Do it! Do it! No more boring slimes! Do it! Alex thought about it a little more deeply. It was more exciting than what they did the last day, for sure, but she wanted at least more information before volunteering.

Well, I might be interested, but I have some questions first. As the man nodded, she did go on. Who will be going beside me, and is there a bonus for it? I mean, nothing in the job description said anything about something like this.

He looked at her approving and said, You get double the pay for this day. And for the composition of the group, I haven´t asked anybody yet. Didn´t make sense, not until I have a healer. I´m of course coming with you, but just to oversee and to make sure that nobody dies. Why do you want to make a recommendation?

After a short thought she answered, Well, I never fought rats in a warren, but I would think it will be quite narrow.

He nodded and gestured for her to go on, I have already worked with Nick and Rick, and they are not that big and work with small blades. Then Neelis fire might be a good thing to have, but I don´t know if her axes are a good fit or if she has enchanted knives. Other than that, I just don´t know what all the others can do, but we will need at least someone that can hold of the rats, so the others can concentrate on killing them.

Good! At least you can use that head of yours! He said, seemingly satisfied. As to those two boys, you can ask them, and if they want they are in. But the Clan girl is a no. Not that she wouldn´t be a good fit, but she is Akademie. This is going to be a Copperhouse excursion. So, up you go! Ask them and bring them to me if they are interested.

Clearly given leave, Alex walked fast to the twins, who were waiting with Albert. They greeted her happy and she got right to the point,

Hey guys! Good morning, Albert. Say, are you two interested in getting double pay for today? That Guy over there is one of our trainers to be and needs people to raid this Beastrat warren they found somewhere down in the sewers.

Before the two could answer, Albert said, Ah, I heard about that yesterday evening. It´s somewhere under the warehouse district. They found a tunnel with clear traces. Possibly the emergency exit of a warren. And they want to send you green lot after it? Not my place to tell you what to do, but Beastrats can be nasty. Don´t do it if you are not confident in fighting them. Even with someone experienced like that guy with you, shit can turn ugly fast. And you had better have some cover or even armor. He pointed at the thick leather he was wearing, You never know what Beasts awaken to, but with those rats down in the sewer it´s some form of poisonous bite more often than not.

After hearing that Rick got a little nervous and argued with Nick who was clearly in favor for taking the job. After they argued for a while Alexandra had an idea. Look guys! As we all are going to that Copperhouse anyway I would make you a business offer. If you know, where we can get them, I can lend you the money for some basic leather armor, without any interest. But it must be something we can get right away, without any adjustments.

Now it was Nick that was clearly sceptic, Why? What´s in it for you?

Well, not much. I would have someone I already know a little for this job, and if you have my back today, you have it in the Copperhouse maybe too. Never wrong to have someone that´s watch your back. And as I said, it´s just a loan, so I don´t really loose anything, and you would need to buy some armor sooner or later anyway.

After that the two were in, and they shook hands on their deal. Then they informed Zar´car, So, Instructor Zar´car, they are both in. But we would need some time to get armor for the two, and I need to collect mine at the shop where I commissioned it.

Well, the others I have my eye on are not here yet, so you have about two bells to get it done. The instructor said, and so they made their way to a shop, the twins said was not so far from here in the craftsmen district.

The two led her to a shop that was more the secondhand kind. As they didn´t like to be more in dept as necessary, and as the stuff was good, even if there was clearly fixed former damage, she saw no point in disagreeing. But she insisted that they both took some greaves, bracers, and tough leather trousers. After that they walked to the Armor shop Alex had commissioned her armor.

Fuck! Nick said loudly, You buy your stuff here? That´s perhaps the most expensive place around here.

Well, I thought it´s better not to save money for the stuff that keeps my hide intact. She said and walked into the shop whose Clerk welcomed her much happier and more servile than last time. Luckily the Smith had delivered her new blade too, so she could inspect it all at once. The torso armor was nice and light. The base of glued together linen was lacquered in a dark green and with the leather pockets for the metal plates in brown it had a little bit of turtle look to it. As the one set of metal plates was already in those pockets, she just stored the extra set in her backpack and put on her gambeson. After putting the armor over the gambeson and fastening the simple leather bracers and greaves, she had bought in the first shop, she was very happy with her purchase.

After some practice movements, to see if everything was good, she finally looked at the blade. Of course she had clearly stated what she wanted, and they had made some drawings, but she was curious about it.

As she took it up, it made for a strange sight. A hilt with a guard like brass knuckles was at about two thirds of its length, which was about 60 to 70 centimeters all in all. Over the shorter blade was a sheath, which was more like a leather sock; the sheath on the longer blade had all the fittings to fasten it to her belt. After unsheathing both she tested the handling of it. It was clearly made for using it in her left hand, as she had wanted, but didn´t feel out of place in her right hand either. When gripped the shorter, perhaps 15 centimeter long, blade pointed straight ahead. Perfect for trusting. And the second, a little thinner, blade followed her elbow until it curved out at her elbow. This one was of course only sharp on the outside, while the blade up front was sharp on both sides. Thanks to the different width of the blades the balance was just perfect. After assuring the Clerk that she was perfectly happy, she placed the blade on her belt, at her lower back, and left the shop.

Outside the twins, that had been verry quiet in the shop, were very interested in her new blade.

She told them it was a common kind of blade where she came from, at least for those that used a second blade in their offhand. She even let them try it on their way back to the A.S.S.

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Back at the square, they hadn’t even needed the whole two bells, the Instructor told them that one other Copper was underway to get his better armor too, and introduced them to the the young women standing near him. This is Gretha Nurburg, she´s from one of the smaller towns around Nordhutten and an Earth- and Stone Infuser. That means she can form those and will be essential to widen those tunnels and making sure that they don´t crumble down on us.

She was quite a short girl, wearing thick leather and something like a tight leather cap which was like those mail hauberks that also covert her neck. She smiled somewhat coy at them and shook their hands.

Ah, and there comes our last one! Zar´car said and pointed to the door of one of the Inns at the square. Out of it came a very tall but also thin figure of a young man. As he nearly ran to them, they could see he was over 2 meters tall and thin as a beanstalk. He wore a good-looking leather armor and two hunting knives and some throwing knives on different belts.

As he stopped in front of them Zar´car said. So, this one here is Herbarth. He´s a ward of the A.S.S. and would be much happier if he could take his bow with him. But we will have enough problems with his hight down there. At least he is not wide in his shoulders as his old man was, as we were a team a long time ago. As it is, he is on his way to becoming a scout, and as such fills that role in our little group.

The young scout got a little red from embarrassment and shook everybody’s hand while the others introduced themselves.

So, after I get you all together, we can get going. Zar´car said. We start by walking to an entrance of the sewers in the warehouse district at the river harbor. Until we are there you can get to know each other, but before we go down, I want to hear a plan on how you want to get into the warren and some thoughts on how you best fight those rats.

With that he started walking and they followed him. Alex first got beside the short girl. Hello again. So, you are an Infuser, Earth and Stone, as I understand it it´s quite a feat to get a Class with an Affinity for your first as a human. Can you do more than form it?

Uh, yes! I mean, …. Actually, the part with the forming is the secondary thing that I can do. The girl answered with a timid voice. I still do train it and it is slow. But I can take dirt and stone and have it enclose me like armor. That is what I do best. You are a healer, that must be nice, with that you will be welcomed in every group. And it´s true that not everybody has an Affinity this soon, is it not the same with your people?

Well, I know that nearly every Elf has an Affinity when they awaken. But they awaken a lot later than humans, because they need a lot more time for growing up. And as a Nymph I have simply the Affinity of my mother, all Nymphs and Dryads have a Lifeaffinity, I think they call it Natureaffinity here. Alex answered her.

But you said that your father was an Elf. Does that mean you are older than you look? I mean, you look as old as us.

Alex laughed and said, Well, the kind of father a Nymph has is just important for how we look. But the time a Nymph needs to grow up is not that much other than with an Elf. So, I´m about 40. Gretha got big eyes at that. At least about that, we didn´t care much for counting years in my mother’s Hain. And don´t think much about it, I was just longer a child than a human. It´s not that I have something like a head start to you. I´m not longer awaken than you, and so I have no more experience than you.

Oh, okay! Gretha said, So if a human was the father of a Nymph, she would look more like a human?

Yes! But that would not be that different. I mean human and Elf are not that different. There can be much more difference by how much we resemble mother. I´m pretty much come after my father, beside the green hair and eyes. But I could easily have bark for skin or vines instead of hair, like some of my sisters.

What, you mean like you could be half plant? Came from behind where the three boys had be talking. She looked back at Nick that had asked the question.

Yes of course! Alex answered I´m the daughter of a Dryad. I am part plant! But you should see some of my sisters! I mean, a Halfelf Nymph with bark as skin and vines for hair is nothing as those that had Sapient Awakened as fathers. I mean we all are mostly humanoid as we resemble our mother, but there is always something from our fathers in our looks.

What do you mean by Sapient Awakened? Zar´car chimed in from the front. He had clearly paid attention to their talking.

Oh, I don´t know how you call Beasts that have gained sapiens. But there were always some at my mother’s Hain, as she helped them with the chances they had to getting used to, after they get a Class for the first time.

What a Beast with a Class? That or something similar came from everybody but the Instructor, who stayed surprisingly still.

Yes, is something like that not known here? Alex asked innocently. She knew of course that it was nearly impossible in a world of the first threshold. But she wanted to use the opportunity to build on her story, Well, if a Beast gets sapient it gets a Class like everybody else, that´s why the Common language has a sign language after all. You can´t expect of a Bear or such to speak Common like we do. I mean they can´t get the sound right, but they get the knowledge of the language with the Class like everybody else.

You should get better back to planning for the warren, said Zar´car before more questions could be asked, You can share stories after the rats are killed.

Okay! Alex agreed, We can go for a drink to celebrate after. So, for the planning I think it´s clear that Herbath is our Scout. I can help a little because I can see in the dark, but it´s better we let him do it, as he is probably way more capable at it than me.

Gretha is here to make sure we get into the warren and that the tunnels don´t collapse. But if she can armor herself with stone, she is also the perfect tank for when the fighting starts.

Why am I a tank? I´m not full of water! Asked Gertha bewildered.

Oh no, sorry! That´s how they call someone that holds the line where I come from. Mostly someone with a lot of armor and a big shield, but your style will work too. By the way, how do you fight? You have only that one knife as far as I can see.

Gretha pulled a handful of small stones from a bag at her belt. The Stones began to meld and layd themselves over her knuckles.

I just hit and kick things! I´m not jet good enough to make weapons. But it works for me just fine. Why call someone like that a tank?

Wow! Alex shouted, hopping a little bit Nice Earthbending, girlfriend! That is so fucking cool.

What, no! It´s the same temperature than before, it´s just stone. Gretha said.

No, cool means it´s fantastic! And I don´t know why they call it a Tank. Perhaps because of the full plate armor that most of them wear. At least she didn´t want to start explaining what a tank was, that would go too far. At least Alex thought so.

So, and as you are our healer, that means the stabbing part of our plan is for me and Nick? Asked Rick.

Well, yes. Alex answered, But if there is enough room for more than one or two, then I would like to do some stabbing myself. And if Herbath is any good with those throwing knives he has, then we have a ranged option too. She looked at him questioning.

I´m not as good with them as I would have been with my bow, but that is no option down there. The young Scout answered. But if we come on a singular rat, that we need to dispatch fast and quite, I will do my best.

Well then, I think that we have at least the beginning of a plan. Alex said and got next to Zar´car, which was still walking up front and was listening to them. But as it seems, no one of us has really any experience of rat warrens and it would be really nice to know what we can expect. You would not coincidentally know a fellow, that could tell us about that?

Zar´car laught with a deep rumbling laugh. Well, I have some experience even if it was some time ago, I raided a Beastrat warren. But first, has none of you ever fought against Beastrats?

Well, we killed a lot of rats over the years, Rick and me. Came from Nick, The bounty on rats is always up and you can sell them easy to the kitchens in the slums.

They all made faces at that, and Nick got going on. Hey, don´t look so disgusted! Fresh rat is way more better than some posh meat, that is already green because it didn´t sell. But as I said, we killed many, could be that some were already Awakened. At least you get really big ones from time to time, but who knows. But we never even saw a warren.

Zar´car seemed to wait for the others to chime in, but then spoke again as they just shook their heads. So with the warren, if it is one, we simply cannot know how it will look like. Other than a Beast warren in free nature, where the same kind of Beast more or less makes similar warren, the rats in a city use whatever they have.

It´s in the warehouse district, so it´s most likely in the basement of one of these warehouses. But we only have the end of a tunnel down in the sewers, and that is most likely an emergency exit of the warren. Even normal rats have at least one of those, quite smart buggers those.

As we have no idea where the warren is exactly, and we will lose a lot of time if we start to search multiple warehouses, we will have to go in at that point.

However the warren looks like, there will be a lot of rats, not just Beastrats. If we are lucky, there will only be a handful of actual Beasts in there. Depends on how long that warren had to grow. No matter what, you can be sure about a few things. It will be dark, narrow and those fuckers will come at you from every side when you are finally in there.

By now they seemed to be at their goal, at least he had stopped at a door, like the one they came up from the sewers yesterday. He looked at them and told them, So, before we go down there, I want to hear from you how you want to progress! Especially you, Herbarth! You are the scout and will be front and center, at least for the beginning.

And so, under their trainers’ watchful eyes they started to plan and discuss.