Chapter 27: Rats

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Rats

"A cornered animal looks for an exit; a survivor looks for a weapon, even if that weapon is the horde that was meant to consume him." — Maxim

The silence that followed the scraping sound was absolute.

Riven stood frozen in the narrow corridor, holding the brass lantern in his left hand. Its flickering light barely illuminated the damp stone walls.

His right hand gripped the hilt of his sword.

The blade was awkwardly positioned against the ceiling. There was barely enough room to move it, let alone swing it properly.

If something attacked him in this passage, he wouldn’t be able to fight normally.

He would have to thrust.

Skitter.

Riven’s eyes narrowed.

That wasn’t the sound of an ordinary rat.

Something heavier was moving through the darkness. He could hear claws scraping against loose gravel, followed by a strange, dragging noise.

He tightened his grip on the sword.

Backing away wasn’t an option. The passage was too narrow to turn around easily, and Boulder and Gorn were waiting outside.

He didn’t trust either of them.

If he retreated now, he would have to squeeze past them with his back turned. He had no idea what they might do.

He needed to deal with whatever was coming.

A heavy thump echoed through the tunnel.

Riven raised the lantern.

Something moved at the edge of its light.

Then it stepped forward.

A burrow-rat.

At least, that was what Riven assumed it was.

The creature was far larger than any ordinary rat. Its body was nearly the size of a large dog, covered in patches of gray-pink skin. Its fur had mostly fallen away, leaving behind a slick, scarred hide coated in cave slime.

Two enormous yellow incisors protruded from its mouth. Thick saliva dripped from their tips, and its small black eyes reflected the lantern light.

It lowered its head and hissed.

Riven stared at it.

’So that’s a burrow-rat.’

He had expected something smaller.

The creature’s claws scraped against the stone as it crouched, preparing to charge.

Riven shifted his feet.

His shoulder throbbed beneath his shirt. The cleric’s warning came back to him, but there was little he could do about it now.

The rat lunged.

It moved far faster than its size suggested.

Riven had no room to dodge.

Instead, he lowered his body and planted the bottom of his sword against the ground. He pointed the blade toward the charging creature, gripping the handle with both hands.

The rat slammed into it.

Squish!

The blade pierced its chest, and the creature’s momentum drove it farther onto the steel.

Riven’s arms shook from the impact.

The rat shrieked.

Its claws scraped violently against the walls, throwing sparks as it struggled to reach him. Its jaws snapped only inches from his face.

Riven gritted his teeth and pushed down on the sword.

The creature thrashed harder.

Pain shot through his injured shoulder, nearly forcing him to release his grip.

He couldn’t let go.

If the rat managed to pull itself free, he’d have nowhere to run.

He leaned forward, using his body weight to keep the creature pinned against the floor.

The rat’s movements gradually weakened.

Riven yanked the sword out and thrusted it back in.

Its frantic squeals became wet, choking noises. A few seconds later, its body went limp.

Riven remained still.

He waited until he was certain it was dead before pulling his sword free.

The blade came loose with a wet sucking sound.

He staggered backward, breathing heavily.

His shoulder was throbbing.

He looked down at the dead creature. Dark blood spread across the stone, and some of it had splashed onto his shirt and face.

He wiped his cheek with his sleeve.

"Disgusting."

His voice sounded strangely loud in the tunnel.

Riven took a moment to catch his breath.

He had killed it, but the fight had been far from easy. If the creature had been any faster, or if he’d missed his thrust, he might have been dead.

And he had no intention of fighting another one like that.

He raised the lantern and looked farther down the passage.

Something moved in the darkness.

Then another shape appeared.

Riven narrowed his eyes.

Two pairs of black eyes reflected the light.

A moment later, he spotted more movement behind them.

There were several.

At least six.

The smell of blood had attracted them.

Riven slowly lowered the lantern.

’So much for a few stray rats.’

He looked back toward the entrance.

Boulder and Gorn had known there were creatures in here. They might not have known exactly how many, but the fresh tracks and blood should have told them something.

And Gorn had still sent him inside.

Riven’s expression hardened.

’They want me dead.’

He couldn’t prove it yet, but he was beginning to understand why they’d needed someone small enough to crawl through the passage.

If he died in here, they could simply claim he’d been careless.

They would collect whatever rewards they could and move on.

Riven looked at the dead rat again.

Then he looked toward the approaching creatures.

He had a problem.

His shoulder was still injured, his sword was too large for the narrow tunnel, and he was badly outnumbered.

Fighting his way through the nest wasn’t an option.

He needed another way.

His eyes moved between the dead rat and the creatures gathering farther down the passage.

An idea began to form.

It was risky.

Very risky.

But he didn’t have many choices.

Riven crouched beside the carcass and examined it.

The creature was heavy, but he could probably drag it a short distance. Its blood had already spread across the floor, leaving a dark trail behind it.

He glanced toward the tunnel entrance.

Then back at the rats.

If he could get them to follow him, he might be able to turn the situation around.

He didn’t need to kill every rat himself.

He just needed to make sure Boulder and Gorn couldn’t ignore them.

Riven tightened his grip on the sword.

For now, he would have to keep moving.

He pulled the lantern closer and began dragging the dead rat toward the entrance, careful not to put too much strain on his injured shoulder.

Behind him, the scratching grew louder.

The other rats had noticed him.

And they were coming.