(Some people will understand why I named a rat Alan after I ’sploded it. Others will not. I’ll go back later (ie, when editing this disaster) and fill in some descriptions to make the rat murdering more fun. This was written entirely in word wars, yay! So nonsense abounds. (Then again, I write pretty much everything in word wars…))
Apparently, for Katryn, it did not. That room would never be the same as it was before the fire damage.
The rest of the week passed in much the same fashion – Katryn constantly overpowered her spells and blew things up (much to her delight, Poehr had given up on asking her to power down the magic once he realised she was doing it on purpose), Weorn got his ass handed to him in the practice yard, Lillian had moved on from healing paper cuts to mending broken bones and deep gashes, Carson had managed to summon a small ferret (much to his everlasting horror – Katryn alternatively thought it was the cutest thing ever and the most hilarious thing she had ever seen. She ended up keeping it as a pet.) and Cassandra had rapidly assimilated the lute and proved to Eilyn that she was perfectly capable of barding. Eilyn, happy to get rid of a student (they rarely interested her for more than a week), passed Cassandra off to Silvanus. Under Silvanus’ tutelage, Cassandra started pick pocketing with some additions of her own – she had discovered that music had its own kind of magic in this world and, if she hummed the right melody, she could keep people from noticing her existence. Very useful for a thief.
By the end of the week, Viandir was ready to throw them out to the wolves, so to speak, so he gathered them together to explain their first quest. Their reactions were not quite what he was hoping for.
“A sewer?” Katryn asked for everyone. Even Rainier looked a little sick at the concept of sludging through a sewer.
“To kill rats?” Carson added.
“Giant rats,” Viandir clarified.
“Not as dangerous as dire rats,” Jerin added helpfully, “But still a menace. They keep digging up the garbage and spreading it across the street.”
“We’re going to go kill rats,” Carson said. “This sounds like a level one quest to me.”
“We’re doomed,” Cassandra said gloomily. Silvanus said nothing, quite glad that he wouldn’t be coming along on that adventure.
“Silvanus will be with you too,” Viandir said, ignoring all of the complaints. “Gear up. You leave in half an hour.”
“Can I get clothes suited for trawling through the sewer?” Katryn asked hopefully.
“Your clothes are suited for that, Katryn,” Jerin said cheerfully, “Good luck!”
“We will be with you every step of the way,” Viandir assured them, “No harm shall befall you.”
“Yet,” Carson muttered grimly.
Half an hour later, they were teleported to the sewer system beneath the capital city of Reann.
“Oh god,” Cassandra gagged, “It smells worse than I had feared.” Katryn was pawing through her spell book furiously.,
“There has got to be a spell in here somewhere that will remove the stink,” she muttered. Poehr’s voice came out of thin air to chastise her.
“There is,” He said, “But you’re wasting time and energy trying to find it. You should probably start by creating a light ball to guide your way – you’ll get used to the smell but it is always best to have the full range of your vision available to you.
“Speak for yourself,” Silvanus muttered, “I’m never going to get this stink out of my clothes.”
“I know,” Katryn said, “Isn’t it awesome? The only good thing about this place.” She finished off her calculation and inputted it into the staff. A ball of light flared into existence and hovered a foot over her head.
“Does it move with you?” Carson asked curiously.
“Of course,” Katryn said, “It would be pretty useless if it did not.”
“Come on,” Rainier said, “Let’s go kill those rats so we can get back to the palace and take a long shower.” With that, the six marched out into the tunnels where they quickly discover that the sewer was in flood mode and there were no pathways to walk on.
“This,” Cassandra said, “is so gross.”
“I hate getting my shoes wet,” Lillian grumbled.
“I’m looking for a water repellent spell, jeeze!” Katryn flipped the pages furiously.
“Don’t waste your energy with that, Katryn,” Poehr chided again, “You’ll get used to the water.”
Katryn ignored him and continued to flip through the book. “Ah! Found it!”
“Katryn! Don’t cast that spell!” Poehr said frantically.
“Why not?” Katryn asked, already running the calculations.
“You overpower everything! You’ll end up causing a massive backlash in our sewer system!” Poehr exclaimed.
“While that would be pretty awesome and probably solve the rat problem, I’m just going for a repellent shield of five centimetres from our clothes,” Katryn said calmly, “I overpower spells because I want to not because I lack control.”
“You have no experience with that please please please don’t cast that spell!” Poehr begged as Katryn finished her calculations and inputted the data into the staff.
“Too late,” Katryn said cheerfully. The water whooshed gently from her clothing and sunk back into the river running over her boots.
“Oh god, we’re all going to die,” Poehr moaned.
“Oh relax,” Katryn scoffed, “It worked perfectly fine.”
“Do me next,” Lillian demanded, “You owe me for the corset.”
“One second – I have to adjust the numbers,” Katryn said. It wasn’t long until all six members of the party were repelling water and trudging much more happily through the sewers. “I wonder if I can find a spell to repel the air.”
“That,” Poehr said, “Is a very bad idea. You’ll end up suffocating yourself.”
“Good point. Maybe if I filter out just methane – that should cut down the stink some,” Katryn pondered, “Yes, I think that shou – “
“Shhh!” Rainier said, “I hear something.”
The six froze and listened carefully.
After a few moments, Lillian said softly, “I don’t hear anything.”
“Nor do I,” Carson hissed back.
“Shut up,” Silvanus said, “I hear something.”
“Good to see that those ridiculous ears are good for something,” Katryn snorted. There was no lost love between Silvanus and the two adult women. Both Katryn and Lillian could see that Silvanus was after something that Cassandra possessed and neither of them were too inclined to let him have it.
“I think,” Rainier said, “I hear rats.”
“Good,” Cassandra said, “Now we just have to kill them and we can go back to the palace, right?”
“Hopefully,” Carson said with a shrug, “I say we storm the room and start hacking at them.”
“Okay,” Rainier said, “One, only one of us is carrying a sword. I’m certainly not killing them all. Two, that is not a plan. Katryn, prepare a spell to explode some rats, Carson, summon a cat or something – “
“Hello! Giant rats? I don’t think a housecat is going to cut it,” Carson said.
“Then a lion or a tiger or a bear,” Rainier rolled his eyes, “Just summon something. Lillian, provide healing as necessary, Cassandra, use that lute to put them to sleep or something. Silvanus… go bite them or something.”
“I am not biting a rat,” Silvanus huffed, “And I certainly am not going to fight something as ridiculous as a giant rat.”
“Too bad. Katryn, are you ready?” Rainier asked.
“Mmhmm. Just have to insert the closing statement on the staff,” Katryn nodded absently.
“Carson?”
“Yeah yeah. I’m not sure if I’ll get anything more menacing than a kitten, though.” Carson rolled his eyes.
“That’s alright,” Katryn said, “Pete will have a friend.”
“You told me that you didn’t watch sci-fi!” Carson exclaimed.
“I don’t,” Katryn sighed and rolled her eyes again.
“I’ll explain it later,” Cassandra said. “We should probably go attack the rats before Rainier attacks us.”
“Thank god,” Rainier muttered, “I’m not interested in listening to yet another discussion about science fiction.”
“Amen to that,” Lillian replied.
“What?” Carson asked, “I don’t talk about science fiction THAT much!”
“You do,” Katryn, Lillian and Rainier all dead panned.
“I totally don’t,” He protested.
“You do. Summon your cat,” Rainier said.
“No, wait, I want to ‘splode stuff first!” Katryn said and then rushed into the room cackling, “Ahahaha diiiieeee!” There was a muffled thump followed by wet spattering noises and a disgusted yelp escaped Katryn’s mouth. “Oh, ewwww!”
Lillian poked her head around into the room, “Is it safe?”
“Yes,” Katryn said, “Quite safe. Just a little gory.”
The other five trouped in.
“Just a little?” Silvanus gagged. The entire room was painted red with blood and internal organs were everywhere. Katryn calmly flicked an intestine out of her hair.
“I think I’m going to have to modify the water repellent spell so that it forms a force field against guts as well as blood,” Katryn stated, “Also, it should protect my skin as well as my clothes from the carnage.”
“That is so gross,” Carson wrinkled his nose.
“Wow,” Cassandra said, “It’s like this room came directly out of a slasher film.”
“And that,” Poehr said, “Is why I told you to power down your spells.”
“Heeeell no,” Katryn said, “This is awesome! I just spread Alan across the entire room!”
“Alan?” Lillian asked, too curious to let it go.
“An ex boyfriend. A total douche,” Katryn shrugged.
“You named a group of rats after an ex boyfriend and then exploded them?” Carson asked, disgusted.
“Actually, it was one rat,” Katryn said calmly, “It was very therapeutic. I suggest you try it on the next room.”
“I never realised that a rat contained that much guts,” Cassandra said in awe.
“Well, it was a giant rat after all,” Katryn shrugged. “Next room? I’ve still got this room loaded onto the staff.”
“Power it down already, Katryn!” Poehr said.
“No way – if I’m blowing things up, I’m blowing them up in the most spectacular of manners,” Katryn said stubbornly.
“Let’s just move onto the next room now, okay?” Rainier said with a sigh.
“Sure thing boss,” Katryn said cheekily. She was disturbing cheerful for a girl covered in rat guts. She casually cast the spell at the door to the next room, blowing it inside and crushing a few rats in its path.
“That’s nearly what happened to me the day after we got here,” Carson whispered loudly to Silvanus.
“Is she insane?” Silvanus asked in horror.
Katryn looked back and grinned, “Quite possibly.” She looked into the room “Oh wow, that is a looot of rats.” Carson looked in as well and gulped.
“And they don’t look happy. I’m summoning my cat now!” And, thus, Carson started the summoning spell. Circular and hypnotic patterns began to glow in the ground below his feet and glittering light surrounded his form as he muttered in Latin. After a final shouted phrase (Katryn thought that it might be a species name, but biology was never her strong suit), a large black panther leapt from Carson’s chest.
“Impressive,” Katryn said, pausing at exploding rats to watch the panther slash its way into the room.
“Thanks,” Carson said with a gasp, “Took a lot out of me, though.” His face was a sickening green beneath his tan. “I think I’m going to go sit down for a bit now.”
Katryn stopped casting altogether and started to input different numbers into the staff. “Okay, you can go bash things with your sword now, Rainier. I’m resetting the staff for more controlled bursts instead of my wide ranged killings.”
“Right,” Rainier said and then charged in.
“This,” Lillian said, staring at the blood stained Katryn and Rainier, who was getting almost as blood stained, “Is absolutely barbaric.”
“Okay mom, I’ll play a song to make it allll better,” Cassandra rolled her eyes.
“You do that,” Lillian rolled her eyes back, “I’m goin to treat Carson.”
“I,” Silvanus said, “Am going to remain out here. No sense in destroying these clothes any further.” He buffed his fingernails against his shirt nonchalantly. Equally casually, Lilian shot a flicker of healing magic at the vampire.
“Ow!” Silvanus gasped, “Dammit, that hurts.”
“Shush,” Lillian said, “I am trying to concentrate.”
A minute later and yet another room was plastered in blood with no rats in sight apart from the few dead bodies Carson’s panther and Rainier killed.
“Next room?” Katryn asked.
“Carson?” Rainier called out, “You good for moving yet?”
“Yes, yes,” Carson said with a groan. “I certainly can move one room over.”
“Excellent.” Rainier said, “Katryn, would you do the honours of blowing the door open again? It worked so well last time.”
“My pleasure,” Katryn grinned and dialled up the force push spell to eleven. In a few seconds she had the door blown down and was cutting down the advance wave of rats with a grim, and bloody, efficiency. Once the rats had slowed down enough for Katryn to pause a moment, she stopped casting and let the panther and Rainier cover her as she switched spells.
“I’m going to try a fireball spell now,” Katryn said cheerfully. “I think I want my meat charred.”
“Will you stop with the corny lines already?” Carson groaned.
“Absolutely no way,” Katryn smiled and continued to punch numbers into her calculator. “Got it! And stand back – I’m not sure how crispy this is going to get.”
Rainier and the blood splattered panther backed away as Katryn unleashed a huge wave of flames from the staff.
“Oh wow,” Cassandra sang out, “You’ve totally made a flame thrower!”
“Dude,” Katryn asked, “Are you and Silvanus actually doing anything?”
“Silvanus isn’t, which is sad because he is such a good warrior, but he’s only conserving his strength so that when you guys falter he can save our asses. I, however, am singing a soothing song to the rats. Without it, we’d all likely be dead by now,” Cassandra somehow managed to sound soothing and huffy at the same time.
“Such modesty you possess,” Katryn rolled her eyes as she cleared out the rest of the room with a final blast of fire. “Is everyone ready for the next room?”
“Just a moment,” Lillian said, “Rainier is bleeding – I’d like to take care of that first.” Lillian gently rested her hand on top of Rainier’s bicep and closed her eyes in concentration. A soft, warm glow spread from her fingertips and sunk into Rainier’s flesh, healing the ragged bite mark with only the slightest scar. “I believe we’re ready to go, but I think maintaining the panther summon is costing Carson too much energy.”
“I’ll be fine for one more room,” Carson disagreed. “After that I’ll let go of the summon – I should regain my energy then.
“What about Pete?” Katryn asked. “Is he taxing your reserves at all?”
“Ah, no,” Carson said, “Pete is a permanent summon – and supposed to be my familiar thank you very much – I expended all of my energy on him when I summoned him in the first place. It doesn’t take any work to maintain the spell because there is nothing to maintain.”
“Makes sense,” Katryn said as she made the last changes to the calculation stored in the staff. “We good to go yet?”
“Yeah, looks like it,” Cassandra said. “Blow that door down!”
Katryn made the motion to cast the spell, but nothing but a loud bang and the door rattling on its hinges happened.
“That’s odd,” Katryn said, “I didn’t put the wrong numbers in. Maybe the door is stronger.” Katryn paused, amped up her spell and tried again. Nothing happened at all.
“And that,” Poehr said, “Is why I told you not to cast the water repellent spell. And why I told you not to overkill everything.”
“Oh shut up,” Katryn growled, “What’s the recharge time on this thing?”
“Longer than you’ll want to wait in the sewers,” Poehr said. “There’s no way you guys will be able to take down the rats without Katryn – not without taking a lot of damage. I’m pulling you out.” The six were yanked from the sewers and into the palace with a sickening squelch.
“Ugh,” Carson said. “I’ll never get used to that. I think I’m going to be sick.”
“End your summon and you’ll be fine,” Jerin said, “And it was a very nice summon by the way. Like Katryn, it was certainly on the overkill side of things, however. You need to build up your strength and experience before attempting something like that again.” Carson gladly ended his summon and immediately looked much improved.
Tags: nanowrimo 2009