Oh my! Its a Giant-Man-Eating-Rat! [Verus]

[Amael Farmourner]

Third Cycle, Seventh Brightening of Optia. Era XIV PF

Baby trotted ahead of Temujin, her lean body blended into the ash and ruins that surrounded her as she lead deep down an alleyway, past the Dirty Prince and into the heart of the old Archadoon. Blackened ivy weakly crept up the side of a forlorn looking building that had been built from stone and demolished partially during the intense blazes that had engulfed the city.

The dog froze, her short and broad muzzle twitching, her wedge shaped ears darted forward as she scented the air, paying no attention to the Human that accompanied her.

"Be careful," said the voice again, this time Temujin could clearly see her muzzle move as she spoke to him. "We are getting close." Quietly she stepped over a few gnawed on corpses, scenting them absently before continuing on. The whisper of large clawed feet could be detected, scurrying across the stone and rubble.

[Verus]

Following the mutt through the charred streets that used to be the bustling heart of the city, Temujin gave the dog a sideways glance as it told him to be careful. He'd held the thing talk at the tavern, but it still weirded him out all the same. But then again, a lot of things had been odd to him since the brightening he had left his home in the mountains. This empire was a strange place, and no doubt, he would find something odder than this in his travels before too long.

When she gave her warning though, he drew his swords. One from his left hip and the other came loose over his left shoulder. He held them pointed to the ground as his ears listened to the sounds of scurrying feet around corners and down alleys. These sounded big, sounded like a nice challenge.

Continuing to follow 'Baby' through the ruins, he tried to guess numbers by the sounds of feet... it wasn't working very well for him. "Any idea how many their are?" He questioned the mutt, his eyes roaming the wreckage watching for the creatures to come.

[Amael Farmourner]

Baby stilled, her posture squared and low-set as she quietly sniffed. "Now? Or the estimated population?" she questioned, her dark eyes never once darting back at him. "Now... I would say three. Normally that is their attack numbers, three to eight, either that or they swarm with the whole nest. I've lost three of my siblings to them." Quietly she nosed at a hole, old wood creaked dangerously almost masking the sound of scurrying feet that suddenly stopped.

Angry squeals fell upon them, echoing along the ruins of the burnt buildings. Suddenly, the scurry of feet was almost like a thunderstorm, then, silence before five large rats erupted from the nooks and crannies of the ruins.

They were massive, almost the size of the fighting dog Baby.

Deeming her a threat, they tried to swarm over her first, a few leaving their exposed backs to Temujin.

[Verus]

Three to eight... it didn't sound so bad. Continuing along their way, Temujin froze as wood creaked and the scurrying footsteps stopped. The time had come for him to see these 'giant' rats for himself. Sure enough, they came. Five of them came into view heading straight for the mutt that had accompanied the rhaghrnd. 'Wrong target,' Temujin thought to himself as they swarmed Baby. Certainly they were large, but the rhaghrnd wouldn't go so far as to say giant.

Watching as they swarmed the dog, Temujin spotted two that had left their backs open to him. Stepping in, he took his time with the first one.His right arm wielded the shortsword slightly better then his left so he reached forwards with it, aiming to rake the blade across the rats throat and let it bleed out. In case it moved though, he struck again. As he drew the blade in his right arm back towards his body, he whipped the one in his left around, a hacking maneuver that was aimed to strike at the base of the rats neck. When he had tangled with a pack of worgs, this had paralyzed the beasts body. While worgs and giant rats were not that similar, he was betting inside they were close enough to the same for the strike to do what he intended.

Without bothering to make ensure the rat was dead, he moved on to the second one that had it's back to him. Stabbing forwards, the tip of his right shortsword aimed at the beasts side he aimed to piece the creature between the ribs hoping at least one of it's vital organs lay there. Even as he withdrew the blade though, his left came across his body then down in a diagonal slash aimed at hamstringing the rat.

[Amael Farmourner]

Temujin made short work of the unguarded rats as Baby torn down the others, blood, unnaturally foul smelling arose from their limp corpses before the dog snorted into their remains. Her fur was hardly even ruffled and with a shake, it was all back into place as she cocked a brow at the Human.

"You fight pretty well, Human, I will give you that," she tilted her head respectfully. "So what brings you into this mess?"

She trotted along the ruins, sniffing quietly, not waiting for him or his answer. Silently Baby moved through the debris effortlessly as if she had been to the old cellar many times - in which she had. Finally they found it. A sunken pit that held gnawed off doors, roughly set in stone.