The rough plan in my head was as follows: we would go to the Skaven mine, announce that we had a valuable hostage, and propose an exchange. However, we certainly wouldn't release Gotri immediately. Otherwise, they would attack us right away. We would return to the tunnels with him, the human captives, and some of the Skaven. We would move far away, and then release Gotri. Or kill him along with his escorts... That would depend on his behavior.
While Erik and I discussed the plan, Magg was crunching on rat bones. I glanced to see if the sight was frightening our hostage much, but… he was eating his fallen comrades himself. He enthusiastically gnawed on the corpse of a Stormvermin, occasionally cleaning his snout with his paws like an ordinary rat.
The upcoming gamble was deadly dangerous but promised wealth and a chance to save some of the unfortunates languishing in Skaven dungeons. I was surprised myself at where all this benevolence came from. Perhaps after witnessing the horrors of the night when the Goblins ravaged the village, a part of me now didn't want to allow such things to happen. A character transformation, so to speak.
At the same time, the desire to save the captives was combined with a thirst for bloodshed within me.
My shoes were getting even tighter. I could feel my toes pressing against the thin leather. My body was growing and getting stronger.
— Stay close to your furry friend, — Erik chuckled, placing a hand on my shoulder. — You're on watch duty for him. Here…
The Halfling handed me a heavy pistol. I took it as a sign of great trust.
— Are you sure, Master Erik?
— That rat is dangerous to everyone but you, — the Halfling said, then lowered his voice to a whisper. — I don't like your idea. It stinks of big trouble, kid. But where you go, I go. Just promise me you'll blow that little rat's brains out the moment you feel a threat.
— All right, Maste—
— Just Erik, kid. I'm not Peck, and I'm not trying to play commander.
— Are we ready to go-crawl? — a voice came from the direction of the outhouse… that is, the Skaven wizard. — Treasures-riches await you.
According to the Seer, the walk to the mine would take about three hours, assuming he hadn't lied, of course. And if he had lied, in three hours we would have another rat snack for Magg.
———
Meanwhile in the Skaven Mine
Overseer Skitteka sat in the gloom. His lair was illuminated by a single lamp. The lantern, which burned oil extracted from a special kind of worm, gave off very little light, just enough to make the large Skaven's bead-like eyes gleam. Skitteka's mood was extremely foul, even by the standards of the Ratmen's wretched life. A inspection by the war-clan leader was approaching, who suspected their mine of hiding some of the Warpstone. Besides, a Grey Seer had recently passed by.
The arrogant-malicious wizard had taken some of the mine's Skaven personnel with him as he needed more servants. This included several of Skitteka's minions. Before that, the Seer had an argument with a Moulder caravan that had stopped nearby to rest. Now the biggest rat from Clan Moulder was complaining to the chief overseer, Ivaskik, about the wizard who, using a token from the Council of Thirteen, had taken a large amount of Warpstone from them.
Warpstone…
Skitteka would very much like to sink his claws into the powder reserves of Warpstone, sniff it, and plunge into bliss for a few hours. However, the Skaven knew that it was too risky right now. Chief Overseer Ivaskik had a grudge against him, and not just one. An entire maw full of razor-sharp teeth with which he would sink into Skitteka's throat if given any excuse.
"Must overthrow-dethrone the foul Ivaskik," — the Skaven thought feverishly, and then said aloud:
— Come here, little kitty.
— Yes, my lord, — a submissive voice answered.
A young human female—his spy among the slaves and favorite plaything—first walked, slightly bowed, and then crawled on all fours toward Skitteka.
The thin, blonde girl climbed onto the huge Skaven's lap, and he began to scratch her head with his claws. It was painful, but she had to endure it and even pretend to be pleased.
— Tell-report, little kitty, what news is there among the slaves?
— They are afraid, my lord. The rumor is that very dangerous Skaven have arrived and will be taking humans for sorcerous experiments.
— Right to be afraid. Clan Moulder. But their caravan will soon leave-vanish. They might take a few slaves. Their beasts must be fed well on the road.
The Skaven laughed hoarsely, squeezing the girl's thin neck. It seemed that in a moment he would break his toy. The slave girl endured the torment as best she could, trying to purr softly, but tears glistened in her eyes.
The girl's suffering was abruptly ended by a minion who burst into Skitteka's lair.
— Urgent-quick! — the small Ratman squeaked. — Surface-things have come. They snatched-grabbed the Grey Seer Gotri.
Skitteka immediately jumped up, releasing his toy from his paws. His eyes gleamed, and his whiskers twitched. The Skaven didn't yet know how to use the current situation to his advantage, but he desperately wanted to find a way. To get revenge on Ivaskik, to get revenge on Gotri, to trick-fool everyone.
Skitteka headed for the exit, and the slave girl followed him. On the one hand, Adora, as the girl was named, was glad that the clawing had stopped. On the other hand, she had very much counted on Skitteka feeding her at least a little for the latest batch of news from the slave pits. However, the Skaven now forgot about everything else. Adora herself, though, was interested in the strange events. Some surface dwellers had captured a Grey Seer and were crazy enough to demand a ransom for him? It sounded too ridiculous, but where there's smoke, there's fire. In every unusual event, Adora had to look for a chance to improve her situation or even escape.
"You probably want to know how I ended up in this situation?"
I couldn't remember where that phrase came from. A movie or some joke. But it perfectly suited our current predicament.
Hundreds of cruel, greedy, or hungry eyes bored into us. There were many Skaven here. They occupied most of the spacious hall with a high ceiling. But what was worse than the quantity was the quality of the Ratmen gathered here. Besides the crowds of cannon fodder, one could see a dozen Stormvermin, an engineer team in protective gear, and five hideous creatures that looked like a perverted version of hound dogs. Rat Ogres with canine features. The leashes were held by a massive, fat Skaven in complex armor.
I could see signs of mutations on his snout. His right eye was a murky green color, and two smaller, bulging eyes jutted out beneath it.
— That is Grey Seer Gotri, — the huge Skaven said in a creaky voice. — And he has fallen into trouble-a trap.
— Silence-shut-up! — Gotri shrieked, with me standing behind him, holding the Grey Seer at gunpoint. — As a representative of the Council of Thirty I demand respect-veneration. You must protect me, yes-yes. Give these things what they want-desire. And then escort them… to a safe place.
Ha. Very funny, Gotri. We won't let you go until we're a couple of kilometers from here. On the way here, the cave became noticeably narrower and clearly wasn't of Dwarf origin. We left the cart in the last wide section, hoping that Skaven, Goblins, or any other subterranean scum wouldn't get to it. If necessary, we could hold a defense even against a superior number of Ratmen there. That's where we would take Gotri after the negotiations.
I tightened my grip on the pistol in my left hand and the blade in my right, surveying the monstrous gathering of Ratmen. Suddenly, I noticed a human girl among them. Probably a slave. She was looking at me with a mixture of surprise and apprehension. I smiled, although it probably looked like a grimace. My nerves were now stretched tight like the cables holding a multi-ton bridge over an abyss. If I let up even slightly, everything would plunge into the void.
— Grey Seer Gotri… — the rat with the wolves squeaked again and nodded toward another healthy Skaven, armed with a whip. — Chief Overseer Ivaskik and I were just discussing-talking about your deeds. Grey Seer Gotri took-borrowed so many servants and so much Warpstone from us… Where is it all now?
There was a clear threat in the Skaven's creaky voice.
— They don't seem too happy about his return, — Erik whispered to me, holding my shield in his left hand and a butcher's cleaver in his right.
— When are they giving us the gold? — Magg asked matter-of-factly, picking pieces of rat fur from his teeth.
The Ogre wasn't quite grasping the atmosphere around us. They were preparing to give us a beating, not gold.
— Ogre-thing is good-useful, — Overseer Ivaskik joined the conversation. — We need to clear the rubble. Big stones. And then we can eat-chew. Much meat.
He said this in the Skaven language, so Magg wasn't offended.
— Better take-seize those two smaller ones, — the owner of the Rat-Wolves answered him. — Our Clan Moulder catches-takes big creatures. Master Throt will be pleased.
— Silence-shut-up! — Gotri shrieked again. — You must rescue-free me! The Chosen of the Horned Rat!
— We tried-strived to save the Grey Seer, — the rat from Clan Moulder squeaked. — Shame-pity the man-thing killed him faster.
Simultaneously, he nodded toward the engineer team. The bearers of Skaven technology raised something and aimed it at us. Without thinking long, I instinctively moved back. Several shots rang out. Fortunately, neither the Skaven engineers nor their pistols were known for their accuracy. The bullets knocked greenish sparks off the stone walls.
After the engineers' fiasco, the Skaven from Clan Moulder decided it was time to use cruder methods.
— Kill-kill! — he roared.
— Stop-stop! — Gotri shrieked in reply. — In the name of the Council!
Just our luck to get caught up in a Skaven conflict of authority. However, I had practically no doubt that the local troops would side with their immediate superiors. They were just slightly hesitant now, probably wondering if there was a chance to overthrow the boss with the Council envoy's approval. But they would quickly conclude that the boss was here, he was strong, and the Skaven government was far away. And so it happened.
— Kill-kill! — the large Skaven demanded again, unleashing his Rat-Wolves.
A fight was about to erupt, one in which our chances of survival were approaching zero, unless…
A simple and insane idea came to me, but it could work.
— You're a better shot, — I said, handing the pistol to Erik. — Hold them back.
And, while Magg was fending off the Rat-Wolves with his bludgeon, I grabbed the trembling Seer Gotri by the scruff of his neck with my now-free left hand. He was mumbling again that the Horned Rat would surely save him. I shook the Skaven and growled into his ear:
— They are traitors. They want to kill you, Gotri. There are more of them, but think… your magic doesn't affect me, but will it work on them?
Gotri perked up a little.
— Yes-yes. Sorcery. Strong-mighty magic. I will punish-chastise them. Tried to shoot good Gotri. Ooh… Traitors-traitors.
Simultaneously with this mumbling, the wizard pulled a pouch from somewhere. Inside was a dark green powder that shimmered slightly in the lantern light. Gotri shoved his nose right into the pouch, inhaling and then even licking the ground Warpstone with his tongue. The Grey Seer's fur stood on end. His eyes and horns began to emit an unholy sorcerous glow.
Time was running out. Enemy squads were already approaching us. A Rat-Wolf tried to lunge at me, but I presented my blade, and the creature impaled itself on the sword with its maw. The monster didn't die, but it staggered back, spitting up blood.
— Gotri, — I shouted, turning to the wizard.
He was glowing even brighter and mumbling even greater nonsense. It seemed he was completely high. Then I simply lifted the Skaven with my left hand, holding him out toward the enemies. Gotri let out a maniacal laugh.
A flash!
Two Stormvermin advancing on us were struck by green lightning, causing terrible wounds. Gotri swung his staff, sending a wave of smoking flame at the other advancing enemies.
— Die-burn! — the Seer shrieked. — Ah-ha-ha-ha! I am the great Lord-Master Gotri. The Beloved of the Horned Rat. You are all doomed-fucked!
My resistance to magic didn't prevent Gotri from casting spells. However, the energy he unleashed began to affect me. I again felt a strange surge of strength and unusual lightness in my body. It wasn't as powerful as the last time. I managed to maintain my sanity.
— Gotri, over there! — I shouted, noticing the engineers aiming at us again.
I shifted to the left, moving out of the line of fire. A flash of Warp flame engulfed the Skaven missile infantry. Panic was already beginning among the other Ratmen. The losses were too great. In just a couple of seconds, the Seer had killed or wounded more than a dozen hornless rats. Magg took care of a few more wolf-like creatures.
— Fight-fight! — the Chief Overseer shrieked, trying to whip his minions into battle.
A shot rang out. Erik's bullet didn't kill the rat, but seriously wounded him. He immediately lost all desire to continue the fight. He was about to run, but I turned Gotri toward him.
— Die-perish, treacherous Ivaskik! — my handheld lightning-gun shrieked, sending a lethal charge into the fleeing overseer's back.
The owner of the Rat-Wolves was also preparing to flee. Gotri noticed this himself and, pointing his staff in that direction, roared:
— Forward, my faithful man-thing! Chase-chase! Stab-stick!
Wow. What a career advancement. I had been promoted to the faithful man-thing of the Horned Rat's Chosen. He was seriously tripping balls right now. However, we had to press our advantage and preferably finish off the enemy leaders. Then the local rats, intimidated by Gotri's power, would gladly give us any ransom.
I charged forward. Only two Stormvermin tried to block my path. One was instantly killed by a burst of Warp lightning. The second was wounded and finished off with a stab to the neck from my blade. Where did that brute in armor run off to?
Panic reigned all around. Rats were scattering everywhere. Some, however, were so crazed with fear that they posed a danger to me. I had to wield my sword, collecting doses of bloody rage on top of the magical power-up. It was… exhilarating!
"Do not give in, warmblood," — Loom-Pia cautioned me.
With great difficulty, I suppressed a maniacal laugh, entering one of the side caves. Three Stormvermin and a dozen ordinary Clanrats tried to block the path. A bad idea! In my right hand, I had my sword, and in my left, a bio-magical weapon of mass destruction in the form of a "Stoned Grey Seer." I tried to use both as effectively as possible.
A green beam hit a Stormvermin, splitting his halberd in half. I, meanwhile, dodged the strike of the second. My reaction was even better than in my normal rage mode. The sword was practically dancing. Moreover, I tried to hit the Stormvermin in the nose, he dodged, but a green bolt of lightning broke off my blade. The Stormvermin shrieked, clutching his snout.
Wow!
I was like a conductor electrified by magic.
The outline of a spectral claw appeared in the air, squeezing the third Stormvermin and breaking his bones. Blood poured through the gaps in the Skaven's armor.
The Clanrats wavered. I descended upon them, slicing my way through with my sword. Splashes of blood, squeals, severed pieces of flesh, and tufts of fur.
Breaking the resistance, I rushed into a circular room. There, the massive owner of the Rat-Wolves was trying to load a long-barreled rifle. Seeing us, he dropped the weapon, grabbing two curved short swords. It wouldn't help. I put the Grey Seer in front of me, expecting him to put an end to this confrontation with a single flash of lightning, but…
Nothing.
I looked at Gotri and realized that my Skaven had run out of fuel. The wizard went limp. The Seer's whiskers twitched very feebly, and a thread of drool hung from his open maw to the floor. I shook him, hoping the rat would blast one more time. Gotri merely released a ringing gaseous trill and completely lost consciousness. Damn it.
— The wizard is dead-pooped out! — the huge rat sneered, clanging his curved blades against each other. — Now I'll cut-slice you, man-thing.
Putting Gotri down on the floor, I adopted a relaxed stance, smirked, and then said in the Skaven language, making my voice as terrifying as possible:
— Who did you call a man-thing, you wretched mortal! I fought in the legions of the Dark Gods before your pathetic race ever set foot on the streets of Skavenblight.
— No-no! — the Skaven wailed, taking a step back. — You lie-deceive! I…
— I will devour your soul, and your tail… What I will do to your tail even the most skilled executioners of Clan Eshin cannot imagine. I will pluck out every single hair, and then plunge it into boiling oil so that…
The magical power-up and rage gifted me with what was practically a diabolical inspiration. My opponent was strong, experienced, but he belonged to the Ratman race. His triumph quickly turned into fear. He couldn't believe a human knew the Skaven language. The rat was already starting to back away, and that's when I attacked.
A feint to the right, a feint to the left… the Skaven frantically tracked my hand and…
Sharply dropping my blade, I swept his front paw out from under him. Then I jumped back from a desperate counter-attack attempt. However, fear had paralyzed the rat's movements. He haphazardly flailed his blades and lashed out with his tail, which I promptly cut. That was the last straw. The rat turned and, limping, fled. I tried to stab him in the back, but hit an armored section. Never mind. The enemy was already doomed.
The rat ran from me, bleeding and literally dropping feces. We sped through a long corridor with a turn and ran straight into a crowd.
Ragged, dirty, but armed and clearly ready to fight. Only, unfortunately for the Skaven, these were no longer rats, but humans. It seemed that, taking advantage of the commotion, the slaves had started a revolt. Among the people, I saw the same girl, holding a trophy Skaven sword in her thin hands.
In an instant, the slaves fell upon the terrified rat, showering him with a hail of blows. It looked very much like our insane venture had actually succeeded.