Chapter 82 (Patreon)

Chapter 82

The rat man’s voice was definitely a little on the rough side of raspy, and it was only moderately deep.  Not nearly as deep as was expected.  It also sounded like he’d been hacking furballs all day.  “Why do you come-walk here in upper-top of the dark-black of the tunnel-ground?”

Well.  This rat man certainly had an odd way of speaking, but Riven could deal with it.  “I was trapped and had to get out using this sewer system.”

“Trapped-stuck?  Have you been-visited here much-alot in your time since the integration-fall?”

“No, this is actually my first time.  Are there more of you?”

“Of me-me?”

“Yeah, more of you rat people.”

“Oh.  You humans-apes not know-see us down here.  We try not to visit-see your people-humans if we can avoid-hide.  But yes, many-lots of us-we are down in the tunnels-ground.  The underdark has lots-many species, with us-we being just one.  Many caves-pits down here, a new world-planet in the dark-black that is not for human-apes to see.  But you are vampire-bat, you are not normal human-ape.  Not drow-elf either, but still home to dark-black.  As a member-rat of my nest-brood, I welcome you to our part-home of the underdark.”

The rat man gave his best version of a smile, which was a little bit freaky truth be told - but Riven smiled back - subconsciously flexing his fangs and quickly retracting them a second after.  The words the rat man had used… drow-elf, dark-black, and underdark all pointed to one thing he’d previously read about in fantasy novels.

“The underdark?  A second world in the dark-black?  You’re saying there are lots of different species down here in cave systems?”

The  rat man seemed confused by the question.  “Yes-yes, lots-many.”

“Interesting.  So what’s your name?”  Riven held out his hand to shake.  “Mine is Riven.  Nice to meet you.”

The rat man curiously looked down at the extended hand, then back out at Riven.  “What is this-this?  Do you want-need something from me-I?”

Riven chuckled.  “No, we shake hands to greet one another where I’m from.”

The rat man looked back down, then his huge gnarled fingers reached out to grip Riven’s own.  They shook, the rat man being intentionally gentle so as to not crush Riven’s fingers, which Riven appreciated immensely.

“My name-sign is Snagger, me-me is warrior-killer.”

“Snagger?  Good name.  Are all rat men as big as you?”

The rat looked startled for a moment, then gave out a squeaky laugh that was actually kinda cute.  “I was born-made for fighting-killing with claws-teeth and strength-body.  I am a fighter-killer for my nest.  Most rat-kin are small-short when compared to me-me.”

“Gotchya.  Well how often have you been around humans or vampires before?  You looked rather surprised to see me down here.”

Snagger and Riven talked for a few hours after that as the rat man recovered.  Riven on one hand wanted to leave to find his sister, but on the other hand didn’t want to leave Snagger alone after the rat man had helped him fight off the wyrms.  He didn’t know how many other wyrms were down here, and wouldn’t just let Snagger fend for himself when he’d so selflessly defended Riven and Athela.

And because of that, Riven got to know a lot more about Snagger’s people as well as the so-called Underdark while he waited for the rat man to recover.  It was absolutely fascinating, and some of it pertained directly to Riven.

The underdark was a vast, complex network of cave systems that’d been native to the planet Zazir prior to integration and merging of the three worlds.  It in the truest sense of the word was another world.  If Snagger wasn’t exaggerating, there were thousands of kingdoms, countries, and nests of creatures down here - and as a forward scout, Snagger said these tunnels led directly to where his nest was located on the fringe of the underdark.

Most of the species living down here were obviously able to see in the dark.  This included certain types of dwarves, rat-kin, gnomes, dark elves or drow, trolls, certain types of goblins, and a much larger variety of not-so-intelligent species.  What was most interesting to Riven though was that there were actually certain types of demons that lived down in the underdark too, and beyond that - Snagger claimed there were actually vampire communes as well.  Snagger hadn’t been overly surprised to see Riven upon identifying him as a vampire because of that, though he had been surprised about the eyes.

“Most eyes don’t glow-shine like you-yours.” Snagger said confidently while stretching an injured arm out.  “I not-no talk to vampire-bat people often-much, they think they better-good than we-we.  But I never see-watch them have bright-glow eyes like you-you.”

“The red glowing eyes aren’t normal for vampires?”

“No-no.  They are red-dull, not red-bright.  I not know why-how, but you are different.”

Well that was curious.  Riven thoughtfully scratched his chin and slowly nodded.  “I wouldn’t know, I just recently changed into one.  Anyways, I have to go find my sister and my demon companion is likely healed by now.  Would it be alright if we met up sometime?  I’m very interested in seeing what your people are like, and maybe visiting the nest if you will allow it.”

Snagger gave Riven the most joyful, teeth-filled smile he’d seen in a very long time.  “Yes yes!  Clan mother will be happy-joy to have vampire-bat friends!  We are looking for ally-friends in new world-dark, since we have been stranded-lost down here.  The underdark twisted-shifted and other colonies-nests no longer present-here.”

So the underdark had been rearranged too then.

Riven gave Snagger another handshake, noting that he was good to go again and not as exhausted as he’d initially been post-fight earlier that day.  “Good, the same can be said for me.  I’m very much looking forward to meeting you, do you want to set up a spot for sometime in maybe a week or two?”

“Yes!  Follow me-me, I will show you to spot-area where we meet-arrive!”

***

Athela was summoned back after that and her wounds had completely healed.  Something about being in the nether realms for periods of time let the demons he’d contracted with heal up quite quickly, though not as fast as his extreme regeneration was.  Thankfully they also didn’t bump into anymore monsters, and safely found a way out of the sewers not long after resummoning his minion.

The manhole exited out of the sewers led them into a fenced-off area meant for city maintenance people back on Earth.  The cover had been thrown to the side, and there was a man’s stripped corpse not far off that was beginning to attract flies in the dead of night.  There was also an open shed that had probably once contained tools, but now only held a desk and a broken chair with empty racks.  Beyond the chain-link fence and through an open gate where a broken padlock hung was an apartment complex – and then the rest of the small city was sprawled out beyond it.

They were still on the city’s western edge, though a little further into the northeast than the hospital had been.  Moonlight dimly illuminated the landscape along with a myriad of stars, and without any light pollution that Riven had been so used to he was able to make out extraordinary sights amidst the cosmos.  Beautiful nebulas, a comet shooting overhead, and what was probably a distant planet due to the size and orange color were obvious in the clear sky above.  Though he knew it probably wasn’t the Milky Way anymore.  In the distance across the city, fires still burned and the occasional gunshot was heard.  Once while pondering the sights they even heard a far-off scream, and he hoped that his friend and sister weren't some of the victims of whatever violence was happening right then.

Riven shook off his cloak, half tempted to leave the disgusting thing beside the manhole. Hopefully the stench would somewhat alleviate itself after it had time to dry, but stat bonuses were stat bonuses.  So he kept it on.

Not that he had anything else to wear aside from the clothes currently on his back anyways.

“That motherfucking…” Riven trailed off, angrily mumbling to himself about the monster swarm attack and ringing out his other smelly clothes before strapping his bag to his back again.

Athela suppressed a laugh.

“Maybe we can stop by a clothing store?” Athela suggested a minute later, covering her nose when he stood up and groaned.  “You still smell terrible.”

He glared her way.  “That’s probably a good idea.  If we see any then we will, but by now they’re probably all looted.”

“For clothes?  Really?”

Riven shrugged.  “Wouldn’t put it past people.  The last pandemic on Earth had everyone scrounging for toilet paper.  People are fucking animals, ANIMALS I say!  Clothes definitely wouldn’t be off the list, and they’ll get even more valuable as time goes on.”

She smirked, her red eyes narrowing, then she shrugged and leaned against the chain link fence while looking over at the apartment complex.  “Alright.  So now that we’ve found an exit, what’s the plan?”

She waved across the landscape around them.  “Mass murder everyone until we find Jose and your sister Allie?”

Riven snorted with amusement.  “No mass murder.  Sorry.”

Athela put on a pouty face and crossed her arms as crickets started chirping nearby.  “Well what do we do?”

“We explore a bit, and in the meantime we wait for the quest pings to light up their locations.  We weren’t able to see what area of the city they were in because we were underground in a basement, but now that we’re outside we’ll be able to get a good idea.”

“Ugghh!!!  Nooo!!!  Let’s go kill stuff!!!  That last fight was fun!”  Athela stamped her foot angrily in the dirt and was about to retort when a gunshot rang out from the apartment complex at their backs.  They turned as one, and a flurry of gunfire followed the initial shot with resounding screams and flashes of light on the third floor.

Then the apartment building’s top blew off in a flash of white light, which was quickly followed up with subsequent blasts of teal and black fire that took out a nearby wall.  One of the buildings began to collapse, and people started running from where they’d apparently been packed inside like rats.

Somewhat startled at the not so far off eruption of fighting, cursing, and screams, Trey and Athela quickly focused their attention on the nearby complex where dozens of humans wearing varieties of makeshift armor flared up with golden and white fires, forming a line and yelling at one another before a wave of undead scrambled out from the other side of the collapsing building and through an alley.  Skeletons wielding hatchets, swords, shields or just their claws came barreling ahead in a wave that crashed into the terrified defenders.

Meanwhile, crying women and children were trying to flee the scene where their husbands and brothers held the line against the oncoming horde of unholy creatures - running right on past the spot where Riven and Athela stood gawking at the scene unfold.

The holy caster threw up a large barrier between their group and the oncoming tide of death, only for it to shatter when a powerful surge of death magic slammed into it - sending some of those at the front line smoking and dead onto the cement and causing the screaming caster to reel with backlash damage from his failed spell.

“SHE’S COMING!” One of the soldiers screamed with fear causing his voice to shake.  Sweat beaded down his forehead and his shoddy club flared with purifying light.  “IT’S HER!  THIS IS NOT A FIGHT WE CAN WIN!”

Yet the rest of the line held, and with stoic expressions they met what they knew to be their end at the claws and weapons of the skeletal horde with screams of rage - all in order to buy their loved ones time to escape.  No one bothered replying to the man, for in their hearts they knew he was right.

*CRUNCH-SNAP-WRENCH*

The warriors entered melee and were quickly being overtaken due to sheer numbers over mere seconds.  The lone caster in the backline regained his senses and sent holy fires blasting into the oncoming enemies, but a palpable aura that made the air quiver with cold and relentless rage caused him to abruptly stop in his tracks.

For a brief moment, all eyes turned to the outline of a shrouded woman wearing a skull mask who stood along the edge of a nearby rooftop.  She looked down at the humans with a disgusted snort and her body flared with neon-teal light while raising a black wand that screamed a high pitched wail - condensing a magical attack meant to end them.

But to everyone’s surprise, a flare of red pulsed and bloomed skywards just as the woman released the attack, and two slender but highly condensed lances of blurring crimson magic intercepted the strike.

*BOOM*

The shockwave sent both skeletons and humans sprawling from the clash directly overhead, knocking many of them completely head over heels as a whip of flesh skyrocketed and swerved mid-air from one of two figures farther back maybe 40 yards away.  Crimson ice began spiraling up the red  leash and the tipped blade whipped forward directly for the woman on the roof.

The woman’s eyes narrowed from underneath her skull mask and she blurred in turn, dashing across to the opposite rooftop right before the one she’d been on was splint apart from third to first floor in a single strike that blew away part of the building in an instant.

Black lightning followed up in an audible clap of destruction, obliterating dozens of the skeletons from the side as they tried to recover and sending bone splinters in all directions.

The humans all gawked, many of them scrambling to their feet to chase after loved ones or helping fallen injured comrades up from where the residual blast had thrown them.  Yet even more just lay there, stunned at the power displayed from this new participant in the battle.

Riven stepped forward, easily smashing one of the skeleton’s who’d managed to break away to lunge at him with a downward swing of his staff.  He stepped over the remnants of the undead with a crunch underfoot, then his eyes went wide when three flaming skulls bloomed around the woman and roared towards him.  The attacks split the sound barrier and let off a sonic boom.

Within a split second his body lit up with hellfire as an explosion of flames radiated out from his very soul - blasting the surroudning area and eradicating the oncoming projectiles while simultaneously being blown back.  He skidded across the ground, shrapnel from the concrete spraying as his heels, which were gluing him to the ground with crystalized blood magic, tore through the earth.  He slid to a stop in a cloud of debris, glaring up at the woman who stared down at him with equal measure.

The crowd of skeletons, remaining humans, and the two mages stood very still and quiet while they evaluated the situation.  The wide eyed humans glanced from the woman on the roof to the man on the ground, and then to the demoness that stepped forward with blade-like arachnoid legs shimmering in the dim starlight.

“Athela.”  Riven slowly pointed up at the woman above them, clicking his tongue in annoyance.  “Deal with her.”

Athela let out a terrifying, unearthly scream of malicious glee.  Her claws extended, her black razor-sharp tongue whipped out of her mouth, and she blurred ahead as a torrent of death mana began to surge around the caster above in a storm of death.