Saga awoke the next day feeling far better than they had the morning before. Not waking up with a hungover made a world of difference, and they grunted in appreciation as they stretched and works some kinks out of their muscles before heading to one of the corners of the room where a small area had been clear for hygiene.

Picking up a small fire imbued crystal, they popped it into a bucket of water and waited until the water warmed up enough to have steam rise from it. Washing their face, they looked up at the small mirror that hung by the wall. They noted not for the first time that they had gone through some rapid changes. Their arms that had been nothing special before were now taught with muscle and thickness. All of them felt just a tad bit more defined and Saga could not help but admire the changes the magic had brought forth.

There was something to be said about handy, body-altering magic: It did wonders for your body dysmorphia. They weren’t sure, but they felt as if they might have gained a little as well. After they had fixed their fiery-red hair in a thick set of braids to keep it out of their eyes. After they felt clean and tidy, they headed out the door.

It was still early in the morning, and the winter sun had yet to rise over the horizon, keeping most of the city lit by pale crystals and crude, iron lanterns. Saga headed for the longhouse, intent on getting their gear out. Today was the first day to be mostly on their own. They were happy they had Sasha, but it would be strange not moving around with the small party of friends. All of the people knew far more than they did about this world.

The yard was mostly empty of people, most either asleep or already busy with their daily tasks. There was no trace of the party two days prior, and the place felt far more vast with so few people about. Attrid was loaded by the standards of this world, or at the very least of a very, he came from an old, rich lineage to have such an estate. Saga didn't know how political power worked in this world, in the North or otherwise. But the way Halvar had talked about the warring Jarldoms and the notion of Ainar ruling in place of his father made them think that hereditary power structures were prevalent within the North.

Their eyes drifted across the courtyard as they moved towards the longhouse, feeling the crisp winter air, it was colder today than it had been for the last few days since coming to the warmer parts of the North and saga made a note to acquire herself one of those thick, fur-rimmed hoods Vetra always wore. As they approached the large building of the earlier festivities, they spotted Sasha. The ax-dancer had beaten them to the armory and was already sporting her gear. Her long purple hair was pulled back in a tight bun and she was decked out in the new cloak, wearing it over her coat of plates and other gear.

"Morning." She said, giving Sasha a quick hug and kiss before they could slip into the longhouse.

"Morning. Do you ever sleep? I woke early and you were already up and way ahead of me." Saga said with a glance back at their quarters.

"Too nervous to sleep. I woke up earlier and couldn't fall back to sleep. Decides to get a head start."

"I feel you there," Saga grunted and rolled their shoulders. They could feel the nervous energy roll of both Sasha and themselves. "It's just rats though. How hard could it be." They said, quietly cursing themselves the moment they spoke. There was no way such a comment would not backfire.

"Undead, flesh-eating rats."

"Yes. True. But like, isn't this how every adventurer starts?"

"Adventurer?"

"Yes. Adventurer. Wait, is that like, a dirty word somehow."

"Adventurer is more less just another word for a glory chasing sellsword. The kind that leaves more bodies in their wake than anything else. They are more common outside of the North. You might want to refer to yourself as something else when dealing with people here in the North."

Saga blinked. The fact that adventuring, the thing you simply did in fantasy worlds, was something that was looked down upon was a bit of a chock. They had assumed that was the title Olaf and the others used, but now they weren't so sure. Then again, the people they've met so far seemed to be all about oaths and honor.

"Aren't Olaf's younger brothers both adventurers?"

"Don't let them hear you call them that." She said and sighed softly as Saga looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Taking coin to be someone's sword is one thing. The brothers would be in service and take an oath. Act professional."

"And the ones you refer to adventurers aren't the kind to do that." Saga surmised.

"In general? No. They come looking for treasure and loot. The kind to seek out war only to level and then loot and leave. Adventurers are not people of honor."

"Noted. I'll try to keep that in mind I suppose." Saga said with a thoughtful hum. Saga wanted some clarifications to the whole thing. To them, someone who grow up on tabletops and LARPs, adventuring was the entire point of having powers and being in some distance magical realm. But then again, with adventurers, it meant you had to deal with murder hobos. The kind of people who have power, and very little respect for life. And they knew that the term adventurer was often used for people who went to active combat zones back in their old world. Maybe that's what it was, Adventurers was the word for that kind of violent thrill-seeking opportunists. Maybe there was something to what Sasha was saying. But they still thought Olaf's brothers fit the bill, as they went abroad to fight for some lord.

"It's been a shame to see your handsome face smashed in for calling someone honorable an adventurer."

"You'd come to my rescue though, wouldn't you Sasha."

"After the first punch? Maybe."

"Oof, that's harsh but fair. " Saga said with a soft chuckle. "I'll gear up, and then we can kill some rats."

***

As soon as Saga slid into their coat of plates and threw the cloak over their shoulders, they felt their awareness sharped and their minds switch. They hadn't worn the thing in two days and soon as they felt its comfortable weight, it was as if their body remembered that they were in fact a warrior. A berserker. They grabbed their spears, sliding one onto their back while sliding the other over their shoulder. Their mind felt at ease, even if the nerves of going out to chase down some undead creature was gnawing at them. As they stepped out, they unslung the shield on the wall and threw it over their back as well.

"You ready." They asked Sasha who waited at the door to the longhouse. Her face was set in a serious expression, her eyes telling Saga all they needed to know. The two of them had walked in silence for

"Ready." She said before the two exited through the large gate, out into the streets. Their first stop was an old family home just inside the outer walls. It had been abandoned, the last of the family who owned it had passed away without children, leaving it dilapidated. It had once been a single-story house with a small stable. The new owners were the ones who had seen the rats, and they had refused to go inside since. Saga could see them as they walked up to the house. They were a couple, a few years younger than them. Saga figured they were around twenty or so. This house must have felt like a lucky break for a young couple. They would have given their left eye, Odin style, for such a house back home. A small homestead within city limits? That would have cost them more than they made several years back home.

"Rat extermination patrol. At your service." They said as they walked up to the couple. They gave the two a friendly smile as they looked at them confused.

"We are death sworn" Sasha, pointing to her cloak. "We are here to deal with your undead."

"Oh. Alright." The couple looked from the buff, redhead warrior with their striking blue eyes and strange intensity to the fey-touched, purple-haired woman and then to one another. "I am Glay. This Jorgen." The smaller of the two men said he was a good head and a half shorter than Saga at their height.

"Don't worry. We will be in and out, shouldn't pose much of a problem" Saga spoke with confidence they had no idea where it came from. Saga raised an eyebrow at the suddenly hyperconfident berserk but said nothing, instead, she grabbed her axes. The two move towards the house, circling it to look for any sort of burrow or rat's nest. The first thing Saga noticed was that the little backyard felt off. While it was inter still, the place felt almost aggressively void of life.

"I think they are still around," Sasha said, kneeling over something that Saga could not see. Walking over they almost had to stop to vomit. A dog, or what was left of it, was gnawed into pieces. They had seen dead animals before, birds are eaten by cats, the occasional dead rat, or similar. But the way the dog had been killed was not for food or even to be toyed with. It had been torn apart, various bits dragged outwards in different directions.

"Poor creature."

"Likely a stray. Wager it lived near the dilapidated house. Look at its jaws, seems it got one of the nasty things. " Saga quell nausea and leaned in, seeing the rat in question. It was bigger than anything they had seen at home. IT reminded them of the city rats they had seen on the internet, the ones that were just obscenely bloated on human leftovers.

"So. Maybe I shouldn't have said it was an in and out kinda job."

"You do like to speak and act before you know what's going on. Or even where you are."

"Wow. You are spicy today." Saga huffed, glancing towards the house. "Let's clear the house."

***

Saga glanced about as they stepped a foot inside the house, eyes sweeping the house for any sign of disgusting, undead vermin. Each step inside the house was spiking their adrenaline, as they could feel something. It was a hard thing to put their finger on, but there was a quiet malevolence about the place. A little light was peeking in through a hole in the roof, the winter suns pale light finally reaching the city, even if this house was partially in shadows due to the high walls.

They stepped in deeper within the house, eyes searching the dust-covered floor for tracks. The deeper in they went, the more Saga felt as if they weren't alone. They stopped dead in the tracks and looked up into the rafters. At least seven sets of red, shining eyes looked back at them.

"Son of a bitch!" Was all they managed to get out before the first rat dove down at them like an undead missile. Its horrible little jaws and claws went straight for Saga's face but Saga snarled and batted it away with the shield. It didn't make a single noise as it was hit. Just a wet thud as the flew through the wall and scrambled back to its feet. Sasha whirled into action next to the saga, ax in either hand she leaped onto a table and pulled herself up into the rafters and the small attic. Her axes cut a swathe through the rats, killing two in one attack.

Not to be outdone, Saga moved in for the rat they smacked away. The thing was the size of a small dog and nimble, Saga stabbed once, twice, three times, but the thing dodged. With angry snarl they glanced to the rafters and whirled about, tossing their spear full force at one of the rats that had been biding its time. It had far less area to escape to and was snatched off the wooden beam, nailed to the ceiling. The rat they had trouble hitting took this opportunity to rush in for an attack but was surprised to find a leather-clad boot kick it with enough force to make an American footballer blush as Saga punted the thing. It squealed this time, in anger rather than pain. Saga didn't go for their other spear, instead, they grabbed their short sword, moving in to stab the thing three times in quick succession, trying to keep nausea away at how the rat squirmed and bled and tried to tear itself off the sword.

Undead creatures were awful to fight, they just didn't know when they were meant to die. As sage turned to see how Sasha was doing they saw the axedancer nimbly jump down from the rafters, making swift work of a rat that was trying to fight with half its body missing. The two found a little issue in dealing with the remaining rats now that they were no longer reacting to an ambush. Sasha found that the spear worked best once they got the timing and technique down. The extra range let them safely pin a rat and keep it in place if the first thrust didn't kill it. The two of them methodically cornered and killed the rats, splitting the undead vermin's attention and giving each others openings to exploit. The battle was over less than a minute later.

Saga turned to Sasha who was already raising an eyebrow at what she knew would be a cheeky comment.

"See? In and out."