[04:09]

Lucian crouched on the roof of his shack, which he'd stabilized from the inside with small pillars built from the sturdy limbs of the trees around him. A batch of similar branches lay on each side of the roof, the ends sharpened into spear-like points, ready to be driven into whatever creature runs his way. Even with his gear equipped, he was painfully aware that he knew nothing about using primitive weaponry. Even with the light exercises he'd been performing with his dagger, he felt that he'd hardly improved.

His body shook, and his heart was beating quickly. He touched the scars on his cheek and shoulder, recalling how badly the rats had injured him during the First Wave. If there were more rats, and he hadn't made enough improvements...

"That's enough!" Lucian slapped his face with both hands and shook it off. As long as they were just rats, he would be fine. He had twelve of the long spears, his dagger, and the paralyzing tails from the two saber-cats hidden under leaves against each wall of his shack. If the rats were to step on them, he hoped he could drive the spears into them without much trouble. With his lack of practical fighting experience, he would have to make up for it by setting traps and playing defense.

"Looks like all of the rabbits have hidden within the hedge," Lucian mused, wondering if his instincts would one day save him the way that the wild animals' did. "Well, all but one..."

The little green rabbit that accompanied him everywhere was sitting on top of the roof beside him, calmly staring off into the distance.

"What a strange little creature," Lucian chuckled and ran his hand over the bunny's fur. "You stay up here until it's over, okay little guy?"

The rabbit's nose twitched, and it hopped to the center of the roof, laying down and opting for a nap. Lucian shook his head and took stock of his inventory once again. His position was adequate, and he was sure that the strange, sturdy limbs that made up his shack wouldn't budge to anything as weak as a rat... Even if they were ridiculously oversized.

"Hm. Hmmmm. Hmm..." The melody in Lucian's head began to play louder, and his lightened twist to the song put him in a better mood as he watched the final seconds drip off the blood-red timer.

[00:03]

[00:02]

[00:01]

The timer disappeared, and Lucian looked around the well-lit Tile, thankful that the time for the Wave fell in the middle of the day. He lay prone on the roof, looking toward the shadowy walls from the four locked Tiles surrounding him. It only took him a moment to spot the first signs of movement. Two of the massive rats poked their heads out of the Northeast Tile, which was one of the closest to him.

"You're sure that the structure is just as much a priority for them as I am, right Ed?" Lucian whispered.

[Yes]

He hid as best he could as they sniffed the air, hoping they would go straight for the nearest wall to them and that he could take them out with his spears before more rats crawled out of the blackness. He slowly dragged the nearest spear to his side, holding it tight and waiting for the beasts to make a move.

As he hoped, the two rats promptly noticed the structure and began sprinting toward it. Lucian's grip tightened on the spear. His heart beat rapidly, and he could feel his body tensing up. Instead of fear, he felt excitement as the lyrics of the strange song repeatedly fell into his ears.

The rats were a bit staggered, and the first of the two slammed into the side of his house at full speed, causing the structure to shake. He waited for the second to catch up, but it tripped over the saber-cat tail trap, expending its charge and tossing the rat to the ground. Lucian wasted no time getting to his knees and stabbing his spear down at the closest creature with both hands.

Caught by surprise, the rat didn't have time to move, and he felt a sickening suction as the spear pierced through the beast's shoulder. He tried to pull his spear back, but the rat squealed and almost yanked Lucian from the roof in a bid to get away. Barely keeping his balance, he let go of the spear and rushed to grab another while the second rat still lay motionless beneath him.

Lucian drove one spear into the paralyzed rat's stomach and another through its neck. He wasn't strong enough to stake the beast to the ground in a single thrust, and he didn't want to take any chances. The spears stuck tight, and he only managed to pull the one from its neck before he caught a movement from the corner of his eye.

Turning quickly, Lucian saw three more of the monsters bearing down on him from the Western Tile. The injured rat was still running wild, so he shifted his attention to the newest threat and grasped the recovered spear tightly. He knelt on the westernmost edge of the roof and waited for the creatures to arrive.

"Come on! You rat bastards!" Lucian screamed, trying to get them to leap for him and not attack the wall directly. A single rat breaking his structure was near impossible, but three barrelling into it at once... The wall would be fine, but the vibrations could loosen the pillars holding up the roof. There hadn't been enough time to create a proper foundation for them, as this had been a last-minute idea.

His taunting seemed to work, and the first rat launched toward him, missing the paralyzing trap and gaining much more height than Lucian had expected. Still, Lucian grinned. He stood before the incoming rat and thrust his spear forward, impaling the creature and releasing the spear as it tumbled to the ground.

Another of the rats tripped over the western tiger tail, sliding across the dirt and stopping beneath him. The final creature of the pack had slowed down upon seeing its fallen comrades and simply scratched at the side of the shack, trying to tear down the wall.

Lucian laughed, and just as he went to stab the creature, a loud screech sounded from behind him. He jerked his head... and found that four more of the monsters were sprinting toward him from the Southeastern Tile.

"Fuck..."