Runeguard 044

“Night,” I whispered, “clear the doors.”

“My pleasure, Dace,” she replied.

The black dragon took shape outside and bathed the ratkin clustered nearby in fire.

At the sound of the creatures’ shrieks, I wrenched open the door and rushed through. “Seal it behind me,” I yelled over my shoulder to the players inside.

I scanned the streets. To the left and right, I spotted fleeing ratkin. I took off right, chasing after the larger group.

I had no chance of catching them, of course, but I fully expected the creatures to turn upon me once they had overcome their fright.

“Night, scout the town, and direct me to the largest group of ratkin,” I said while I ran.

I felt the black dragon spirit, invisible once more, wing aloft.

“Turn left at the next intersection, Dace,” she replied after a moment. “You will find two dozen ratkin gathered less than thirty yards ahead.”

I swerved left as Night directed and drew my longsword. As a lighter weapon than either of my hammers, it was the better choice for fighting while on the move.

Immediately, I spotted the ratkin Night had spoken of. I charged towards them. Out of the corner of my eye, I glimpsed the band I had been chasing slow their steps and reverse direction. I ignored them.

“Should I flame the creatures?” Night asked.

“No,” I replied. “I don’t want to scare them off entirely.”

Twenty yards from the ratkin, I was spotted. The entire mass peeled away from the door they were trying to break into and rushed to meet me.

An arrow whistled through the air and pinned one of the creatures to the ground. I risked a glance upwards. 

A Warden grinned down at me. I recognized the building I approached now. It was the tavern. I spotted more Wardens on its roof. 

The ratkin who had been attacking the tavern door had been shielded from the Wardens’ fire by the roof’s eaves. By charging me though, the creatures had exposed themselves.

My lips turned upwards in a bloody grin of my own. I had initially planned on sprinting away the moment I made contact, but with the Wardens to support me, I realized this was an opportunity too good to be missed.

I ground to a halt and risked a glance over my shoulder. Another two dozen ratkin were approaching from there too. I gesticulated wildly behind me to make sure the Wardens saw them as well.

Then I set my stance and waited. Arrows began to pepper the street behind me. I didn’t turn around to look. Narrowing my eyes, I waited for the first of the ratkin approaching from the front to reach me.

Four yards. Three yards. 

At two yards, the ratkin leapt, flying through the air for my armored face. I sidestepped the attack, and gripping my longsword in both hands, cleaved the creature in two.

Another ratkin took to the air, but before it reached me, it was shot down by two arrows.

The next ratkin tried an altogether different tactic. Dropping to all fours, it scurried across the ground towards me. I plunged my longsword downwards and pinned it to the ground before it could reach my feet.

The move left me open though, and a ratkin flew at me from the right. Releasing my sword, I smashed its face in with a mailed fist. It flew backwards. 

Yanking out my sword, I swept it in a lethal arc, catching out the three ratkin who had rushed forward to attack.

I stepped over their blooded corpses, and advanced into those massed beyond. More arrows whistled down from the sky, dropping more enemies on my left and right. 

The skirmish was going well so far. Trusting my armor and the Wardens to protect me, I waded into the ratkin to inflict as much damage as I could.

✵ ✵ ✵

A few minutes later, the remaining ratkin decided they had had enough and fled. I ran my eyes over the bloodied streets.

There were over three dozen dead and dying ratkin scattered across the ground. Raising my head, I gave a thumb’s up to the Warden on the roof.

“We got your message,” one shouted down.

I exhaled in relief. “Don’t delay your departure,” I shouted back.

They nodded and with a final wave, I jogged away. “Where to next, Night?”

“There are a dozen ratkin thirty yards south of your position.”

I turned in that direction, panting slightly from my exertions. Already, I could feel tiredness setting in. I would have to be careful not to exhaust myself. But for now, I could still keep going.

A second later, I spotted the ratkin and accelerated into attack. I was onto the creatures almost before they sensed my presence. My blade flicked out and cut down the nearest with practiced ease. Then the next two. 

The rest of the ratkin recoiled, disturbed by the suddenness of my attack. Retreating to either side of the street, they hissed at me angrily from a safe distance. 

I ignored their calls. I didn’t have time to kill every ratkin I ran across. Soon the others would attempt their escape. Barging past the creatures, I continued southward. Behind me, I sensed the ratkin gather in the streets again.

“Are they following, Night?” I asked after a few moments.

“They are,” she replied.

“Perfect,” I breathed. “Lead me to the next group.”

For the next few minutes, Night and I navigated a slow circuit through the town. At every opportunity, I killed as many of my foes as I could, but I didn’t slow my steps again.

And with every passing minute the tail of ratkin following in my wake grew longer. The creatures could have caught me, of course, and tried to—once.

But after Night swooped downward, and blackened both ground and ratkin, the creatures learnt to keep their distance. Slowing their steps to match my pace, the ratkin followed in my shadow, hissing and shrieking in frustration.

“How much time do we have left, Adi?” I asked, my steps noticeably heavier now. Jogging in full armor was no joke.

“Three minutes, Dace.”

I heaved a relieved sigh. My job was almost done, and soon I could stop my damnable running. “How many behind us, Night?” I asked, sparing myself the effort of looking behind.

“Nearly a hundred,” she replied.

I closed my eyes for a moment. I was weary, but I could go on for a little longer, I thought. “Alright, let’s bait one more band of the critters,” I said, “then we’ll call it a day.”

Night was silent for a moment as she rose in the air to survey the town again.

“There’s twenty ratkin up ahead. Only…”

“What?” I gasped when she fell silent. 

“The creatures are in the northeast quarter. Smoke still obscures the area, but I can see more bands of ratkin moving nearby. Many more. If you head that way, you risk being overrun.”

“The northeast quarter?” I murmured in surprise I had lost track of my whereabouts in the city, trusting wholly in Night to guide me. “Alright, let’s leave them be. I’ll cut—”

“I see humans,” Night said, interrupting me.

I drew in a sharp breath. “Where?”

“In the street, being chased down by the same ratkin band ahead.”

I gritted my teeth. Damn. “Can I reach the players in time?”

“Both groups are moving westward fast. If you hurry, you might just be able to, but—”

“I know,” I said. “I risk attracting more attention than I can handle.” I felt silent for a moment. “There is no help for it. We must get to those people.”

Night did not try to dissuade me. “Turn left at the next junction, then immediately right. That will put you on a direct intercept course with the two groups.”

I nodded and sped up until I was running flat-out. My chest began to burn, but I kept my arms and legs pumping.

Smoke wafted across the street, the dense black kind. I was in the contested part of town. There was something familiar about it, but I had no time to pursue the thought. My mind was focused on two things only: one, running and two, reaching the people ahead before the ratkin did.

Bursting through another plume of smoke, I spotted the hunters and hunted. The ratkin pack was almost on their prey, and even as I watched the players turned to face their pursuers. But their numbers—a mere half-dozen—looked too few to threaten their foes.

“Night, flame those ratkin. Now.”

The black dragon spirit sped through the street, easily outstripping me. As she cut through the air, her draconic head took shape. Night opened her mouth, readying herself to spill out her flames, but before she could, the six players lobbed the objects they held in their hands at the ratkin.

A series of deafening blasts rocked the street. The ground shook and I nearly fell. Flames exploded outwards and Night recoiled.

Of the twenty ratkin pursuing that had been pursuing the players, nothing remained.

“Bloody hell,” I snarled as I regained my balance. The entire goddamn town must have heard those explosions. Certainly, all the ratkin in the northeast quarter would have.

My gaze darted to the players. They looked as stunned as I was by what they had wrought. Alchemists, I thought. Putting my head down, I hurried towards them. 

“Dace, you must flee immediately,” Night said. “Ratkin from all across the northern sections are converging on your position.” She paused. “A few thousand at least.”

“Forget them,” I said between breaths. “We’ll deal with them later.” A laughable notion, I knew, but still the ratkin army was not my most pressing concern right now. “Get rid of the rats behind me.”

I sensed Night’s disapproval, but she did as I bade.

“Dace, perhaps you should listen to Night,” Adi said.

I waved her to silence as I skidded to a halt before the alchemists. Hands on knees, I took a moment to regain my breath.

“Dace?” asked a shocked voice.

I looked up. It was Alexis. “I thought you didn’t believe in violence,” I said, voicing the first words that popped into my head.

The young alchemist stared at me in silence for a second.

“Who is this?” an older man next to her demanded.

We both ignored him. “I had a change of heart,” Alexis said. Her face twisted. “After those creatures killed my father.”

I suppressed a spurt of sorrow. Now was not the time for grief or consolation. With only a short nod by way of acknowledgement of her loss, I gestured to the blackened and charred ground behind me. “You got more of those firebombs?”

“Lots,” Alexis said. “We held off using them until now.”

I didn’t ask why. “You’re headed to the amphitheater?”

She nodded.

“Good, get going then,” I said. “The path south should be clear.” The alchemists just stared at me. “Now!” I barked.

That got them moving. After a few steps, Alexis paused and looked back. “What about you?” she asked.

“You let me worry about me,” I said. “I’ll be fine. Just get yourself and those firebombs to the amphitheater.” I paused. “And if you see the matron, tell her not to wait for me.”

Alexis nodded uncertainly. “Thank you, Dace.”

I brushed aside her gratitude. “Go,” I said. Straightening, I swung around to face northwards and the tension in my shoulders eased as I heard the tread of her retreating steps.

The streets ahead of me were already darkening, filling to the brim with gray, furry creatures. A veritable horde of them. I equipped my shield and took up my sword in my right hand.

I could try running, but tired as I was, there was no way I could outpace such a horde, even with Night to help. And besides me fleeing would leave the escaping alchemists exposed, and I couldn’t do that.

I breathed in deeply. Then coughed, sputtering out smoke. Not a good day to die, I thought, then chuckled. When is it ever?

I felt Night draw up behind me. “The ratkin behind us have scattered,” the black dragon said, “and the humans have made it through unhindered.”

“Thank you, Night,” I said.

She was silent for a moment, no doubt eyeing the oncoming throng. “What is the plan?” she asked quietly.

“We die,” I replied simply. “But first, we take as many of them as we can with us.” And buy Alexis and the others what time we could. “Are you with me?”

“Always, Dace,” Night replied.

I smiled. “Then let’s be about it,” I replied and charged forward, the black dragon spirit streaming above me.