91 Chapter 19 - King of Rats (1/2)
Ellie gestured to either side, as she slowly approached the edge of her lookout. Far below were a dozen ratmen holding torches of green flame in one hand, and wicked curved daggers the other. Before them on a stone platform lay a terrified woman, her bare stomache painted with the markings of a sacrifice.
To Ellie's left appeared a goats head, Fial the Faun pulling free his little bow. At this distance, the Faun Sharpshooter wouldn't miss, but he couldn't take all down them alone and Ellie wasn't good enough with the bow just yet to help.
Ellie contorted her hands to form several symbols above her, and then led her party below. They scrambled down the rock in this pitch-black cavern, a gruff wall of bearded steel leading them. While only tall as Ellie, Dwargon was four times wider under all that plate, and wielded a thick square shield and mace. Silent as always Dwargon led them from the front, a black-furred Satyr with a hell flame axe right behind him.
Then came Ellie and Armen, Armen being the magical elf who even now freed continued to wear that fine dark suit of an apprentice butler. Armen wound small flames like fireflies around his knuckles and walked with silence only Fial could match.
Meanwhile Ellie the rogue felt dumb and stupid, her throwing knife pouches now filled with bandages and potions. Yet they waited for her instruction, the weakest amongst them somehow in charge.
Again she wondered why Scab had to leave her. He was a prick, but at least they had matched each other strength for strength. This new party...it made Ellie feel as if she should have just stayed home.
Splitting up, Dwargon went left while the Satyr Warlock went right. Ellie had heard his name a few times and never been able to pronounce it, and so they had nicknamed her Rams.
Ellie waited, about to give the signal as Dwargon and Rams got in position to attack - a deep howl filled the cavern as Dwargon charged, the slapping of steel-toed feet shattering the hissing silence.
”Foolish old man!” Ellie yelled, leaping forward, twin knives in hand. Over her shoulder, Armen cast a bolt of ice that froze a ratman whole, while Rams crashed into the ratmen right flank with her burning axe ripping through one ratman's shoulder to slice through another's belly.
”Armen! hold your magic for larger threats!” Ellie yelled behind her, dodging a ratman's spear thrust to use [critical-strike] and stab it through the eye.
As another ratman was about to stab her in the side a well-timed arrow slammed into the creature's head.
Ellie raised her hand in thanks, Fial's arrows continued to fall in a carefully placed order to take out those ratmen who proved more of a threat.
Ellie entered the battle again, facing off against a ratman wielding a broken sword. Soon their sparing was interrupted by a wave of fur, as the ratmen once again summoned the creatures of whisker and tail to assault them.
”Who has the girl?” Ellie yelled, Rams immediately diverting to charge towards the chained woman. ”I didn't mean get her - Fial cover her, Armen drive away these rats!”
Arrows picked off those who would disrupt Rams while Armen unleashes a cone of cold that froze a swathe of rats and chilled many more. Fleeing with an army of squeaks, the rats were banished for now.
But not the ratmen, and has Ellie turned to Dwargon her heart sank. He was surrounded by several of the creatures, his gore coated mace slamming through skull and spine while taking several hits apiece. The dwarf had entered one of his states again and was clearly going far beyond what he could handle to keep the ratmen in check.
Out of party members, and quite sure Armen was low on mana, Ellie charged herself. The ratmen turned on her immediately, their fast hands and sharp blades delivering a series of shallow wounds no matter how much she focused on dodging.