“Looks like what?” Rygic worriedly asked. Hearing the words, that’s weird, followed by almost looks like, was never a good thing in his opinion. 

Ruby’s gaze lingered on the dead rat for a few contemplative moments before lifting to meet Rygic’s concerned eyes. “Let me look at the others before I answer...,” she interjected, not waiting for an answer, she moved to the next rat. A fleeting trace of concern seemed to flicker across her otherwise composed face, a subtle shift not lost on Rygic. With meticulous scrutiny, she inspected several more rats, before extending her gaze into the depths of the murky sewer as if to pierce the darkness. A hush, as dense as the shadows in the damp, echoing sewer, draped over the group. Silence breathed through the air, accentuating the distant trickle of water and the faint scuttling of tiny unseen creatures. The group looked to Ruby, eagerly waiting for her to reveal her suspicions. 

Still kneeling over the undead rat, Ruby looked up at the members of her group, each face showing concern. “These rats were already dead when they attacked us,” her words cut through the silence. 

Each member of the group reacted differently to the gravity of her statement. Quart subconsciously took a step back, silently muttering “Spirits save us.” Lita, her senses alert, cautiously advanced a few steps further down the sewer, scanning for signs of more vermin. Dreck did the same, but in the opposite direction, listening for anything beyond the hushed splashing of the party’s movements. Meanwhile, Rygic knelt next to Ruby and attentively studied the morbid bodies before them. He noticed their eerie, pallor-white eyes, mottled and diseased skin, patches of missing fur, and wounds oozing with pus. 

Rygic's voice trembled with a mix of curiosity and concern, his brows knitted in deep thought. “How is that even possible?” he nervously questioned out loud. 

Ruby's usual blank expression fixated on Rygic for a few awkward moments before she spoke. “Some refer to their condition as undeath. High-level death mages can perform spells to bring the dead back to life. But it’s different, their forms are different. They normally come back looking as they did before they died, only more ghostly, as if you could almost see through them. However, casting such a spell is seldom done as it's considered taboo. This type of magic is typically reserved for the direst of circumstances such as high-level investigations involving murders or treason. These,” she pointed toward an undead rat, “have been risen back into their original bodies.” 

“Necromancy,” added Dreck without looking back, his voice cutting through the uneasy atmosphere. “Kosany spellcasters are well known for using the dead to augment their forces.” His hands rested on the hilts of his daggers as he stared into the darkness.  

“Great, so we could be dealing with a rogue Death Mage? There’s no way the Kosany could have gotten through wards placed around the city. Could they?” questioned Rygic.  

“Highly unlikely,” answered Lita. “Not only would the runes around the city warn us, but Lord Stephan Dormyre also employs a team of mages sensitive to Kosany magic.” 

“Due to the stigma already associated with the nature of our magic, we death mages tend to keep tabs on our own. This wasn’t a death mage dabbling with powers they shouldn’t have been using,” disclosed Ruby. 

Hearing that the ruler of Rinkon had such mages, as well as Ruby’s statement about death mages, Rygic felt some of the tension he was feeling began to ease. “Then, is it possible for an undead rodent to spread their malady to others? And if so, could an infected rat sneak into the city and spread it among the rats down here?” questioned Rygic. 

“Yes,” mused Ruby in her usual measured tone. “A single undead rat would have a very small presence, so it could be possible to go unnoticed.”  

“Then it had to be a single undead rat” Quart quickly suggested as if doing so made it emphatically true.  

“That is the most logical explanation,” Ruby reasoned, though the look on her face said she didn’t quite believe it.  

“Should head back? Report it to the guards?” asked Dreck.  

“I suggest we scout a little further in,” declared Lita as she motioned in the direction that led further into the dark sewer. “We see just how bad the infestation is. Maybe this was the only group. If we find more, we double back and warn the guards.” 

“You can’t be serious,” squeaked Quart. He glanced nervously about. 

“I vote we grab one of the undead rats and go straight to the guards,” voiced Dreck.  

“And if the guards don’t find any more undead rats? We won’t have time to gather enough rats to complete our quests while the guards investigate. I doubt the Academy would give us credit towards the count for finding these vermin,” inquired Lita. Her voice carried a trace of urgency and annoyance. 

“Sorry Lita, I agree with Dreck. I can’t risk the lives of the party. You saw how wildly they charged us. The undead rats were totally unconcerned about the damage they were taking. The chance of getting overrun is too great,” stated Rygic. 

“Shhh!” Ruby’s whispered command sliced through the air like a blade. The party immediately quieted down. They strained their ears to try to detect what Ruby might have heard. “Something is coming, it reeks of death.” 

Almost immediately, Quart snapped, “Let’s get out of here!”   

Alarmed by Ruby’s statement, Lita immediately relented. “Alright, let's make our way out,” she said while looking at Rygic, awaiting his confirmation. 

“Agreed. Dreck, take point and scout on ahead,” Rygic instructed. He was proud to see no one had outright panicked.  

Dreck, being the closest to the direction leading back to the surface, took a few purposeful steps before abruptly stopping as if he walked into something solid. Shimmering hues of purple and black mana appeared before fading from view. Quizzically looking up and down, he cautiously extended his hand, fingers outstretched, and tentatively reached into the space ahead. He was met with tangible resistance as the purple and black hues once again swirled and congealed upon contact before once again dissipating. A faint, but deep, droning sound could be heard as he probed the void. “I think it’s a barrier of some sort!” he said loudly as he glanced back, a trace of worry entering his voice. 

Lita immediately turned and redirected her focus back towards the darker depths of the sewer, her sword drawn, shield at the ready, poised for action. Dreck instinctively surged forward to claim his normal position, just off to the side of Lita. Rather than stand in the middle of the party, Rygic tactically stood behind Quart and Ruby, guarding the way back should the barrier fall and rats attack from the rear. One hand rested on the hilt of his sword strapped to his waist, the other holding the wand Skoshi gave him. A short moment of silence ensued as the crew held their positions, but it wasn’t long before they began to hear the tell-tale sound of scurrying rat feet and an eerie accompaniment of shrill shrieks punctuating the darkness. Seamlessly, Lita sheathed her sword and pulled out her potion launcher, ready to fire the moment she saw the vermin.  

“I don’t like the sound of those shrieks. Quart, can you send Sea Lantern towards them for a quick look?” asked Lita. 

“Sure thing,” Quart whispered, not wanting his voice to carry. He concentrated on the illuminated water orb that had continued to hover above Rygic and then wiggled his fingers and pointed in the direction of the haunting cries.  

The orb glided with a graceful slowness and made its way towards the terrible sounds. Its light illumined the path as it moved forward, shining its blue hues over the bodies of the rats from their previous skirmish. It passed over several similarly small groups of dead rodents before coming across two colossal hordes of active vermin. On one front was a furious swarm of red-eyed rats, shrieking in anger as they violently clashed against the other group. Across from them were rats with milky white eyes, bearing the sign of the undead. The living rats were steadily overtaking the undead ones until Sea Lantern had moved a little too close, unwittingly capturing the attention of the unaffected rodents. Distracted, the animated corpses seized the fleeting advantage, and with an unholy zeal, they tore into their living cousins with abandoned recklessness. Diseased flesh clung to emaciated frames, while razor-sharp incisors gleamed in the dim azure light, sinking into flesh with sickening wet sounds. Blood, tissue, and fur painted the ground and mingled with the sewer water. Rygic’s stomach churned, and he had to look away, unable to endure the gruesome scene. Beside him, Dreck's face twisted in disgust, his features contorted, and he brought a hand to his stomach as he dry heaved. Lita’s expression mirrored a sense of revulsion and unease. Fortunately, Quart was too focused on maintaining his spell. Only Ruby seemed to be unaffected as she looked on, taking in the nightmarish display, seemingly unaffected by the scene. 

Just as the last living rat fell, the undead turned to face the group simultaneously as if they were of one mind. No sound could be heard from them as they stared at the party with their lifeless eyes. A shiver crept up the spines of each member and they could feel the hair rise on the back of their necks at the sight that met them. Without warning, the undead rats lunged forward and began to madly rush towards them.  

Lita was the quickest to recover. She immediately fired off a couple of rounds of flame oil. The resulting eruptions created two pockets of bright orange infernos that enveloped a portion of the encroaching undead rats. Though many of the rats died in the fire, many more survived and they continued to surge towards them with unrestrained aggression. She quickly returned the potion launcher to her storage ring. Aqua blue Light from Sea Lantern reflected off her sword as she hastily drew it from the sheath on her hip. Positioning herself defensively, she brought her shield in front of her and prepared to be as much of a barrier as possible against the impending horde. In tandem, Dreck notched arrows upon his short bow and began to shoot, his skilled hands working tirelessly to thin their numbers before the creatures could reach Lita. Bolts of mana flew past Lita, striking the leading rats in an effort to slow their pace. 

“There’s too many of them!” squeaked Quart as he fired a water bolt from his staff. 

“Save your mana and focus on healing Quart, we’ll need it!” instructed Rygic. “Does anyone have an area of effect spell?” 

“I do, though I am not sure how effective it will be against them,” Ruby's voice cut through the chaos, competing with the sounds of trampling claws and ceaseless screeching. Closing her eyes, she began to tune out the sounds around her and muttered “Desuboru.” She then slowly began to move her right hand back as if pulling something heavy, her arm slightly shaking from the unseen weight. Tiny black flecks of mana began to form, gathering in her palm like disconnected specks of night that gradually came together. The mass of black mana continued to build up, forming almost a perfect circle that pulsated with midnight energy. As she drew the power towards her, the air around Ruby seemed to stir, creating a gentle breeze that lightly tousled her hair. Finally, when the darkened orb was about twice as big as her fist, she made a throwing motion as if tossing a ball. Rygic expected to see the ball of death mana travel towards the rats, but instead, the sphere vanished only to reappear almost instantaneously at the very heart of the horde. From its epicenter, the ball of mana began to expand outwards, a creeping tide of lethal darkness slowly engulfing the surrounding rats as it pulled them into its center. Like a hungry maw, the swirly globe of obsidian mana consumed a considerable number of the advancing pack within its grasp. With a low hum, the sphere began to shrink back to its original size before completely dissipating. Everyone except Ruby took a collected gasp as the rats that had been trapped now lay unmoving, their bodies slowly turning to ash. 

“What was that?” mumbled Rygic just above a whisper, as if transfixed. 

Ruby wearily leaned on her staff while panting, though she wore a sly smile. “Death ball,” she said in between breaths. “The bigger the ball, the more mana I have to use. I will need a minute.” 

“Great job!” piped Quart. Though the majority of the rats perished, those few that remained continued to charge towards the party undaunted. Not to be outdone, he cast Water Wall just in front of the surviving undead rats.  

“My turn,” stated Dreck with a determined look. His grip tightened on both daggers as he whispered “Obakeho” before instantly vanishing into the shadows using Shadestep. Just as quickly, he emerged behind the furthest rat, his sudden appearance catching it off guard. In a whirlwind of lethal precision, his daggers struck with practiced accuracy, effortlessly silencing and stilling the surprised undead vermin before him. He glanced at the others still racing towards the party, paying him no need. A mischievous smile formed on his face as he looked at the next closest rat. One by one, the undead rats began to fall, slayed by Dreck’s twin daggers. Each strike was executed with deadly finesse. The last remaining rats had finally noticed him. Six dog-sized rats, eyes vacant and milky, abruptly turned towards him. “It’s about time,” he commented, eager to dispatch them. As if understanding his words, they screamed with even more ferocity. Baring razor-sharp teeth, they lunged forward, jaws snapping with an unending hunger. Meeting their charge head-on, Dreck deftly parried one with his daggers, sending it crashing into another rat. A seamless roundhouse kick followed, delivering a bone-crunching blow to the head of another just as it was coming into range. Without wasting a second, he took a few quick steps back, whispering the words Subayaiha, the incantation for the spell Swift Blades. The arcane spell took on aspects of his shadow magic affinity and veiled his daggers in a shroud of smoky grey mana. The spell boosted his attack speed, turning his blades into a blur of ethereal menace. In a flurry of final slashes, he easily dismantled the remaining foes. As the final rat fell, he used Shadestep to rejoin the group, the shadows relinquishing their hold on him with a graceful swirl of smoke.  

“That was some fancy footwork, Dreck,” commented Lita. Quart chimed in “I don’t think we’ve gotten to see you fight quite like that until now.” 

“Great job everyone,” congratulated Rygic. The group, except for Ruby, were smiling, happy to have survived another wave of undead rats. 

Ruby lifted herself from leaning against her staff and positioned it firmly on the ground, holding it tightly as she steadied herself. “Those rats were not what I sensed earlier,” she warned. 

Rygic immediately glanced towards Ruby. The look in her eyes told his instincts her words were true. He quickly walked back to where the barrier was and lightly tapped it with his boot. Purple and black mana swirled and shimmered briefly before fading, just as before, and he could feel the resistance preventing him from proceeding further. Before he could comment on it, his attention was brought back to Ruby. 

“Something is coming,” she whispered. “It's close.” 

The group cast their gazes deeper into the sewer, initially greeted by an expanse of darkness. Gradually, a faint and unsettling hue, an ethereal shade of green, materialized in the depths. As it drew nearer, the glow began to grow brighter and intensify. Accompanying this eerie gleam came the distinct rustling of countless feet, an army that seemed to shadow the light's movement. An indescribable sense of unease began to pervade the air and each of the party members could feel something unnatural coming from the direction of the ominous light ahead. 

Rygic whispered, “Do you know what that is, Ruby?” 

Ruby merely nodded before uttering, “Maybe, and if I am right, we will most likely not get out of here alive.”