Pain.

That was what Jack felt, as he went in and out of consciousness. Pain, pure and blinding, taking away everything thought and surpassing every other feeling. For the brief moments where he had been awake, he felt himself broken. What faint sense he had, telling himself where his arms and legs were, told him they were in placed where they shouldn’t be. Couldn’t be. He felt wet and cold and he feared he had soiled himself. Yet it wasn’t that he smelled, but iron in the air and iron on his lips.

Blood.

It was like a nightmare, broken apart by short moments where he could actually see. Think. Each time he opened his eyes, he saw only darkness. But he felt earth underneath him, cool and somewhat firm to the touch. And thought the maddening pain, he tried to speak, only to feel his jaw broken. Tried to move, only to feel himself twisted unnaturally. He was leaking. He couldn’t know, but he feared that the periods of time when he was unconscious were getting longer and longer. He had to do something. He had to scream for help.

But his mouth wasn’t working. And darkness took him again.

This time, even his thoughts were jumbled. Like the state one has, just before sleep reaches them. They… fell. He remembered that. There must be someone around. There must be. Yet, he was in no state to call for help. No state to scream. How could he signal whoever was around that he needs to be saved, for someone must be around. His friends needed to be saved too, for they must be alive.

He couldn’t move. Couldn’t see. He needed light.

Light.

He knew magic could create light. It created so many other things. But… he didn’t know the Spell. No matter. He’d learn it. Like he’d learned others, he’d learn this as well. He strained, thinking hard about channeling his magic.

And fainted.

Once again, he woke, feeling in is bones that this would be the last time. He focused, channeling his intact mana. In was inside himself, waiting to be used. He channeled it, towards his hand, wherever it lay. He felt the flow of magic reach towards it… but he also felt the darkness creep on his mind again. Faster and faster he willed it to move, until he felt it reached what peak he was capable at the moment. Whether it worked or not, he had to try!

Light!

Nothing happened, for a short moment, long enough for Jack to notice a quiet despair, before light bloomed ahead of him. It was wondrous, fait yellow light, basking him in its glow. Yet… something was wrong. For the light revealed his body and he saw that it did not come from his hands.

It came from a gem. Fixed atop a wooden staff. And the light also revealed the short figure holding it, one of a few. Jack only had a moment to realize what it is that he was seeing, when he blacked out once again.

***

He awoke once again, to his utter and joyous surprise, only to start coughing. At least that meant his jaw was back in its regular place. He felt himself, even as he gasped for air, noticing his hands and feet were alright. Bruised, scraped raw in placed, but in place. He tried to sit up, and noticed he was laying in a kind of cot.

“Jack!” a voice said.

He felt a warm embrace and smelled a familiar scent.

“Ava?” he weakly asked.

“Oh, thank the gods of forest and mountains both!” she said.

“Let him breathe, Ava.” Another voice said.

Jack sat up and finally took in his surroundings. He saw Ava, still clinging to him and Brom standing next to him, looking tired, but happy. Nole was there too, sitting down on the ground, the man giving Jack a warm smile.

“We thought the worst, sir. When they brought you in… but we had hope. I’m glad to see you awake.”

“When who brought me in?”

“Jack.” Brom said. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

He thought back and remembered. Remembered how Brom looked when he clarified what Amenor’s leader shouted. |Dangersense|. Hoe the ground opened up… or fell apart. Hoe e felt like flying when he was actually falling. He didn’t remember the impact, just a feeling of shock, horror and pain. Even the memory of the pain made him flinch. He remembered himself thinking… wrong. Disjointed memories from disjointed thoughts. But he also remembered how he desperately wanted to save themselves, to call for help. How he had tried to brute force his way into learning a new Spell, before seeing light bloom and noticing…

“Ratlings.” He said.

“Pretty much, yeah.” Ava sniffed and let go.

“I remember falling and being hurt. And trying to call for help, before being discovered by them. Nothing after that. I didn’t see you… obviously. But I didn’t hear you either. How are we alive?”

“You almost weren’t.” Ava said. “Out of the four of us, you looked the worst. Then it was Nole. The horses died and the carriage is broken up, but at least that broke some of his fall.”

“Not much.” Brom muttered.

“Oh, it hurts, I can say that much.” The man said. “But I was conscious by the time they brought me here.”

“I was too. I was the first they brought. Ava was the second and you the last.”

“How hurt were you?” Jack asker the satyr.

“Broken legs, dislocated shoulder, cracked ribs. You, know the usual. Also… this.” She said, pointing.

At her horn. It wasn’t massive damage, but one of the tips had broken off. About a fifth of the total length of the horn. It wasn’t at all bad looking and not even that noticeable, but Jack knew what that meant for her.

“Ava… I’m so sorry.”

“Eh, forget about it. I’m going to impress any Satyr with my looks to soon, but that’s alright. I learned I prefer humans, anyway.” She grinned.

He saw her clear attempt to steer away from the subject, so she allowed her too. He’d talk to her more, after the moment had distanced itself in the past and the were out of this mess.

“And you, Brom?”

“Brom was the best.” Ava quipped. “Almost no damage.”

“Almost being the operational word.” The dwarf grunted. “I made myself into a sphere, to lessen the impact. Given my… constitution-“

“Short and stocky.” Ava grinned.

“It was relatively easy. I managed to use my shield Skill to guard against the initial impact. My |Rockskin| Skill also alleviated most of the damage. I was still hurt internally, but nothing broken. I then used my axe to side down the wall. It worked fine for a moment, as the walls of that pit were not perfectly vertical. Even enlarged, my axe lost its grip and I feel. I do not know from what height, but it must have been quite high, for even after using to stored momentum in shield to break my fall, I had still managed to sprain my ankle. Yet I used the axe as an improvised walking stick.”

“Wow.” Jack said. “Alright, so, I almost died and all you got was a twisted ankle. You’re terrifying, you know that, right Brom?”

“Hmmm. Not enough, it seems. I may have been almost fine, but the impact rendered you all silent. I could not find you. Indeed, I moved in the wrong direction, until they found me.”

“Right. I’m guessing they’re the ones that healed us.”

“They are.” Ava said. “But Jack… you looked in one piece when they brought you in. But they said that you lost a lot of blood. You were so pale… barely breathing. We asked them if you would make it, but they didn’t answer.”

“Sorry for that. I’ll try to land softer next time.”

Ava’s punch made the pain in his shoulder rekindle. But it was worth it, to see them smile.

“Right. Status. What do we know?”

“We know we’re in some type of holding cell.” She said.

“They told me I am a prisoner.” Nole said. “So, I guess they don’t think of us as visitors.”

Jack looked around, taking in the room. It had a plain dirt floor, hardened and compacted, until it resembled stone. The room itself was circular, with a rounded ceiling, almost like an uneven half-sphere. But the wall, slash ceiling, were composed of earth too. Smoothed out, as if by water, in the places where Jack could see. Because a majority of it was glowing by glowing moss of different colors. Red, green, blue. Other nuances as well. All in all, the light in gave out was not unlike the light from the sun, albeit dimmer. And on once side of the room stood a wide, yet squat wooden door. It had metal hinges, and it seemed studded with pieces of metal, but even from where he sat it looked thick and sturdy.

“And this is a cell. Did we hear from them after they brough me here?”

“No.” Brom said. “They pushed in food and water through a hole in the door, but they didn’t respond to our attempts at communication.”

“They did check up on you when they did. They used a long rod to poke you with. So, maybe they were just waiting?” Ava guessed.

“Which makes it even worse.” Brom said.

“Why?”

“Because it means that now, with you awake, we will have to confront them. And we are without gear.”

Jack nodded. He had noticed it too, but preferred to talk about the current events first. They were all without gear. Ava had her breastband on, but her bows and arrows and pouch were missing. Same with Brom, axe and shield taken, his armor too. He only wore a tunic and trousers, no exterior armament. Nole was mostly intact, but that was only because the man had a simple weapon before. Jack lost his gear too. No axe, no rapier, no armor, no pouch, no…

Instinctively, his hand shot to his chest, where a necklace should have been.

“They took that too.” Brom said. “The Night’s Pearl.”

“Damn it. Think they could use it?”

“Perhaps. Brom said. “Yet that brings is to a different matter.”

“Even if they can’t, can they trace its magic?” Jack said. “Because if they can, they could tell we’ve used it to talk with Mrk.”

“Which means… no talking our way out of it?” Ava asked.

“Yes. We might have been otherwise able to convince them of being visitors. Or simply unlucky.”

“Then I guess it we play it by the ear. See how they act, when they come to see us. How good are you at hand-to-hand fighting?”

“Oh, I completely suck-“

The wooden door opened in an instant. Not by swinging open, but by depressing itself inside the room and then sliding to the side. Jack noticed how the metal hinges were just decoys. They played no part in the opening mechanism at all.

Crafty.

In open doorway stood a single figure. A ratling. He looked much older than Mrk, more mature. Still short and furry. But only slightly hunched over. It carried a hooked halberd and was dressed in metal and leather armor. Funnily enough, even though it walked in with a superior and menacing air, it still walked around on bare feet.

Four other ratlings walked in, flanking the first one. They all wore leather armor and were armed with long staffs, the wooden pole weapons being encased in metal at each end.

“-at taking it easy. Oh, I’m a master at hand-to-hand fighting. It’s what satyrs are known for.”

Jack felt like the first ratling only allowed Ava to complete her sentence out of a sense of decorum.

“I is chief warden. You are awake. You all fall in ratling pit. Why you here? Explain yourselves.”

“So they all talk like that.” Ava whispered.

“We are Death’s Bane, sir.” Jack started. “We’re an adventuring team. We were headed towards the mountains, on a quest to slay a dangerous monster.”

“No monster here. And this is ratling territory. No accept others.”

“With all due respect.” Bom started. “The neighboring villages have warned us of no other settlements in this area. No ratling settlement ei-“

“I no needs lesson in talking to others from dwarf. Your kind takes. We takes to. You no speak, we no speak. Hold tongue when speaking with me, dwarf.”

Jack had never seen anyone put down Brom like that. The dwarf looked struck. But the chief warden, for all his Mrk-like speech, spoke with authority and confidence. Like a hammer falling in the dark.

“I ask again. Why you here?”

“We are on a monster slaying mission, sir.” Jack resumed his story. “We are sorry for intruding, we didn’t know you had a settlement here. And, thank you, for healing us.”

“You is welcome. But.” the ratling said, sighing. “You is children.”

So saying, he reached behind and produced a sphere, composed of glass panes rimed with metal, like a bauble. And inside was the Night’s pearl.

“We ratlings know magic. We knows this artifact. We find out this use for talking with someone. Distance away. Someone in warren. I ask again. Final time. Why are you here?”

Jack traded a look with Brom. He had them there. What story could they compose that would let them off the hook? No, there wasn’t one. They had to fight. Could he still use magic? His mana felt weak, but he didn’t think it was actually obstructed. Had they not felt it? Or they just couldn’t block it.

Could Brom take them bare handed? The chief warden looked dangerous, but the other four? Jack thought he could take them. He nodded and to Brom and started to raise his hand.

When Ava burst out.

“Not talking. Tracking. That’s an artifact we used to track someone. And… this is top secret, a mission from our kingdom, but I guess we have to tell you. We’re tracking a mouseling. She’s wanted by our leader. We didn’t mention because… we know how ratlings and mouselings are. But we swear we didn’t know there would be a ratling warren here.”

The chief warden’s eyes got larger and larger, his brows raising up, until he looked at Ava in something like shock.

Way to go, Ava!

“What kingdom you from?”

“The Barony.”

“What leader?”

“The Baron.” She answered, in a tone that also added ‘obviously’ to her answer.

“No. Name of leader.”

“Joviel Larue.”

Jack had to keep his face neutral to hide away his incredulity at Ava having bothered to remember all of this.

“Why The Baron want mooseling?”

“How should we know? When your leader tells you to something, you just do it, right?”

The ratling nodded.

“You didn’t seem surprised when I talked about the ratling.” Ava pushed.

“Is she, perhaps, here?” Brom asked, entering the game.

“No need know. Not yet. …if you speak truth, The Baron send someone else? If you no get mooseling.”

He means if we don’t return at all.

“Probably.” Jack shrugged. “We’re The Barony’s top tracking adventurer team, but if we don’t manage, our Baron would probably just send combat specialized adventurer teams.”

The ratling nodded and fixed them all with a piercing look.

“That is not good. But me understand. If that truth. Because warren concerned of other adventurer team. We have prisoner. Prisoner is adventurer. Team might came after. You team?”

“Uhm… the weird speech is throwing me off a bit. But no. We came here for a mouseling.” Ava said, complaining a bit, like only she could.

“Suspicious. Two teams. Same area. And you no know of others?”

“My apologies, chief warden.” Brom said. “But adventurer teams only know one another if they are famous or if they are from the same area. What is this other team called?”

“I no knows.”

“What? Then how are we supposed to know if we know them?” Jack asked, in mock outrage.

Slightly on the back foot, the chief answered.

“Team had ratling in it. Is from Helmrest. Fought with Amenor.”

“Oh, them.” Ava laughed. “You think we’re them?”

“I understand your confusion, chief warden.” Brom politely told him. “But though we are both adventuring teams, the difference between us is grand.”

“Yeah, I mean, those fools don’t even have a team name.” Jack smiled. “And they aren’t real adventurers. More like their own village protectors. A glorified Village Watch.”

“How could you even- No, wait. Tell me this, chief.” Ava giggled. “Do you think some fresh behind the ears adventuring team from Helmrest of all places could afford a carriage and a driver with an actual Class?”

That seemed to be the final nail in the chief’s incredulity. He looked at Nole, after Ava pointed at him.

“Hello, err, chief ratling, sir. My name is Nole. I’m a |Coachman|, Level 7.”

The ratling looked at them, each in part, before finally speaking.

“We maybe make mistake. If so, we apologize. And give you back equipment and make new carriage. Better. Ratlings good with tools. Coin too, for pain. But I needs be sure. You all come with us.”

“Where Jack asked.”

“We has methods for knowing truth. Costly, but… seems you really not prisoner team.” He said, motioning to the other ratlings to flank them, as they escorted them out of the room.

“Oh, all right. But we’ll get our gear back, right?”

“Yes.” The chief tiredly said.

Now that he seemed to almost believe them, he was more relaxed about not appearing to be made of iron in front of them. The other ratlings relaxed too, looking at them in interest. Especially at Ava, who instantly started to strike different poses, captivating their attention.

Good.

Jack used the lack in attention to nudge Nole. When the man looked at him, Jack motioned towards the chief and looked around themselves in wonder. He mouthed ‘talk’. The man’s brows shot up, but he instantly walked ahead and talked.

“Uhm, mister ratling? Hi. Like I said, I’m just a |Coachman|, not an adventurer. And I doubt I’ll ever see the inside if a ratling warren. Not that I ever thought I would. Uhm, you see, I have children, back home. Could I… could I trouble you for some words? Tell me about this warren and the ratling way of life? My family would love it.”

Jack had to handed it to him, Nole was asking the chief because Jack wanted him to, but the man probably did want to know all about this. There was an innocent wonder in his voce and face, enough that it made the chief warden lose even more of his ice. In that broken speech of his, the warden started to tell Nole about themselves, a couple of the other ratlings chiming in too. And between that and Ava now visibly flirting with the other ratlings, Jack could have a quiet moment with Brom.

“What do you think? Run or fight?”

“There has not been much opportunity to run so far.” Brom muttered.

“No, but it looks we might find some up ahead.”

Jack motioned to Brom, having him look at what he had seen. The tunnel they were walking in had a low ceiling. Tall enough for Jack and Ava to walk upright, but not much taller than that. It had the same form as the cell, more rounded then square. A tall half circle. And it was steadily growing larger. Because, from what Jack saw, at the end of it lay a large room. He could see a central pillar or tower in the middle of it. Light came from openings inside it, so Jack supposed it was hollow on the inside. But more than that? Light also came from the ground. Which may be a sign that he ground level for the tower was not the same as for their tunnel. Why would that be? Maybe it was because theirs wasn’t the only tunnel leading to the room hosting the tower.

And if that’s the case, then we can use the others to escape.

Jack had seen a few side rooms in the tunnel. And when they had left their cell, he saw the tunnel going in both directions. It likely led to the pit, not that they could use that as their exit.

“I see. I see what you mean.” The dwarf hummed. “But even if we could… how would we fight?”

“We don’t have to clear them out in order to run.” Jack pointed out.

“No. Yet a short fight is inevitable.”

“Well, I can feel my magic. I don’t think they blocked it. I can probably cast a few Spells.”

“Good. But we have no magic of ourselves.”

“No, but Ava has a secret bow.” Jack smiled. “It’s summoned by a Skill, remember?”

Brom’s eyes widened.

“True. Then… perhaps we have a chance. Yet once again, I lack the means to help.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. You’re strong. Strong enough to carry a ratling with us as we run.

“Why?”

“Because we need information. Otherwise, we’re just running and hiding.”

“Understood. Then I hope this room brings with it opportunities.”

“As do I, buddy.”

They walked ahead, for a few more minutes, until they reached the exit and finally walked out from their tunnel. And into a positively cavernous room. Jack was right, it was the meeting point of more tunnels. So many more.

The central tower also acted a pillar for the room’s ceiling, structured as a dome. Four lesser pillars also supported it, going up from the third level. Because the room was composed of five levels. It was structures as an inverted cone, each level, starting from the bottom, growing wider then the last, sitting above the one below it, connecting to each other via dug-out stairways. And each had tunnels set into it.

Jack saw that they were on the fourth level and that their level had five other tunnels set into it.

“Central place is where we need go. We use stairs.” The chief warden said. “Come.”

“This is incredible.” Nole said. “Can I ask more about this room?”

The ratling nodded and started to talk even without being prompted. Jack stepped forward and raised a hand towards the chief warden.

“Excuse me, can I ask |Wind Orb|!”

“Good gods!” Nole exclaimed.

It might have been a bit much, but Jack didn’t know who they were up against. He even saw a magical barrier flash for a second, protecting the ratling. But his Sell wasn’t aimed to hurt him, only to blast him off. Which it did. That being said, being blasted from the fourth level, straight ahead, meant that the chief warden flew through the air like Jack and his friends did before. Jack saw him impact the tower, bounce off and start falling again, before he turned.

“|Shield|. |Bolt|!”

The ratling underlings had panicked for just a second, before attacking him, snarling wildly. Nole retreated behind him, though the ratlings didn’t seem to be targeting the man. Jack’s bolt did absolutely nothing, as the ratling who he aimed at simply broke it with his staff.

Good reflexed. Have to aim for the face.

But he didn’t manage to. Two ratlings were on top of him in seconds and they moved in concert. One smashed his staff against his shield, cracking it at the other did the same from the side. The first one then whirled his staff, bringing the other end right atop his Spell, dispelling it, as the other used his as a spear, using the metal end of it to hit Jack it the throat and stomach in two quick hits.

He fell to his knees, gasping for air.

He then felt a barrage of hits, metal on skin, pounding on him from all sides. It must have only lasted two seconds, though, before Nole bellowed.

“You bastards!”

He attacked, weathering the hits meant for Jack, as he punched sloppily, but continually at the ratlings. He was taller than them, but the ratlings were clearly trained. One of them had a broken snout by the time Nole was down too and was snarling furiously, when Ava screamed.

“Get down!”

They both landed on their stomachs, as the Satyr screamed again.

“|Horns of the Moon|!”

The twin arrows struck the ratlings in the shoulders, propelling them backwards and having them fly down, after their chief, even if not as foecefully. Jack got up, wincing and tasting blood. He saw another ratling, this one with both legs being completely full of holes. Probably from Ava’s other Skill.

“Sorry for the wait.” She said and Jack saw she was sporting a cut lip. “This one had a Skill. Tied me up. Just managed to break loose before they beat Brom up.”

“I’ll live.” The dwarf said, looking as worse for wear as Jack. “I managed to capture one.”

And Jack saw him. One of the ratlings was lying on the ground. Bound and tied with his own clothes. He may not know everything, but he’d be a good source of information. Yet, even after the fight that could have only lasted a minute, they could hear sounds from somewhere around them. Others have heard. Or saw the chief and his underlings flying. They were being hunted.

“Here’s how it’s going to happen.” Jack said. “You will tell us everything we want to know, starting with how we can get out of here. And if you will not lie to us. Because even if we get captured, I can still cast that Spell I’ve used to blast your chief away on you. And even I don’t know what’ll happen if I shove my hand down your throat and cast it. Not something very nice, probably. But it won’t come to that, I’m sure. You’ll help us, right?”

Privately Jack doubted he could even cast a normal |Bolt| Spell. And he despised himself a little, for acting like that. Scaring this ratling who had only followed orders. Hurting the others. Yet, hey could take no chances. They were outnumbered. Chances were good they were overpowered.

For Mrk. I’m doing this for Mrk.

The ratling looked at him, looked at his outstretched hand and nodded.

“Good.”