Ashes of the Fallen

"I can see one, standing guard at the front of the entrance," I whispered to Katherine, who was clearly agitated by the thought of returning to the cave.

"Are you sure about this… last time, you didn't make it out," she reasonably questioned, as it was the truth and exactly what had happened before.

Toggling [Keen Sight] back to its normal mode, I turned to Kate and gave a weak smile. I didn't know how this was going to turn out, but I wanted to try.

If anything, I still had the confidence that I could pull it off.

"Just try to stay behind me, use your mana as you see fit and if you want to attack or heal, I leave those decisions to you," I explained while drawing my weapon.

With halberd at the ready, I began to circle around the lone [Wild Rattanorv Zeta] as it wandered aimlessly back and forth between the cave's entrance. The three foot tall creature carried no weapon nor armor and was more or less an overgrown rodent in appearance. The round body and greasy fur with a long hairy tail was characteristic of a European water vole… that was basically, what they looked like.

A cross between a brown rat and a water vole, only larger.

Plus, a semi-upright posture that lent to their bipedal evolution.

Fat and fluffy yet greasy looking all the same.

They were intelligent, as was evidenced the last time I tried to fight them, but they weren't athletic or dexterous in the least. With their evolution they gained more advanced communication and the ability to use magic, fittingly frost magic to go with their water affinity. They also clearly had lost some of their agility as they weren't quick.

They were quite slow, actually.

Successfully stalking the rodent, I was now within striking distance as it turned its head up with ears perked. Nose twitching, sniffing, as if it had smelled something different. Then it turned away from me and stared off into the distance.

I was facing upwind and my scent was concealed as it blew downwind, carried harmlessly behind and away from me. I could smell the rat but it couldn't smell me. The very basics of hunting were being employed today, for I was hunting an intelligent beast.

The rat then turned its face up to the sky as something caught its eye.

I dashed, immediately closing the distance between us as I rammed the spear-tip into the back of the neck of the rat, piercing all the way through its soft flesh and weak muscle and coming out the other end. Lifting it off the ground I twisted the pole arm in my hands and threw the dead rat off, sending its corpse bouncing harmlessly onto the grass with hardly a sound.

They were light creatures, despite how fat they looked.

I turned into the entrance of the cave while waving at Katherine to follow.

The mountain breeze was blowing outwards, coming down from the mountain and through the cracks and on through the cave, and eventually, out the door. It was a different kind of downwind situation. One all the more favorable for me.

The strong gusts of wind also helped clear the lingering smell of urine.

No longer with a mask, this was a pleasant surprise.

Stalking the corridor, I silently crept through the single path that had been opened to us as my eyes darted back and forth. They were unaware of our presence, for now.

Reaching a corner, I slowed my pace as I took a peek around.

On the other side, two Rattanorv were hunched over what looked like, a smaller rat. An actual rat… they were eating it raw, sharing it, even.

Cannibals, no different from reality.

A disturbing sight.

Bringing the halberd to my waist and keeping it parallel with the ground, I took a breathe and steadied myself. I was starting to get angry… no, I had always been angry.

It, was starting to consume me.

Bursting around the corner with only the sound of the dirt and rocks being crushed beneath my feet, I thrust into the closest rodent as it turned its head. Straight through the eye socket, a solid thud was felt as I impacted bone and came to a halt.

The skull had stopped the blow from being fatal.

"Shit," I muttered immediately.

Right on cue, the rat shrieked loudly with its piercing cries cutting through the cave interior. A squeal and squeak followed from the other rat, as I kicked it onto its back. Pulling the halberd free I raised it up and dropped it down with a ferocity that was warranted. The Rattanorv didn't even see it coming.

And as the axe-head clanged from the contact with solid rock, the brown rat fell apart. Two perfect sides to a whole, falling in either direction.

The other [Wild Rattanorv Gamma] had already begun to cast a frost bolt in desperation, but another kick sent it flying into the cold light gray wall. The hard collision with the rock wall stunned it temporarily, as it tried to get back to its feet.

Attempting to stand, as if it were human.

A quick thrust pinned it against the wall as it wiggled and squealed for a second, only to relax and eventually slump over the edge of my bloodied weapon. Retracting my weapon, I watched the body of the rat fall to the floor before me.