Chapter 11: The Trap Is Sprung
Chapter 11: The Trap Is Sprung DikiyobaSmoo led Synergy, Ephesos, Rakshasi, Alorael, Dikiyoba, Student of Trinity, Zorro, and Zephyr Tempest up to the small clearing in the mountains where the summoning machine had been. Now it was silent and seemingly deserted.
"I thought you said that the summoning machine was here," Synergy told Smoo.
"There was! They must have moved it," Smoo said.
"I believe him," Ephesos said. He and Dikiyoba were carefully examining the ground for signs of the rats' activities. "They tried to cover it up, but there were rats here, and lots of them. I just don't know how they got the summoning machine out of here, because they didn't take it down the path we came up."
Dikiyoba followed some tracks across the clearing and into the rocks. "Dikiyoba thinks there may be a small path... yahhh!" Dikiyoba stumbled back as a blue rat lunged out.
Alorael quickly aimed his sniper rifle at the blue rat and fired. Incredibly, the rat staggered a bit but kept coming.
"What! That's not possible!" Alorael said. He fired again. This time, the rat died. Alorael was immediately hit by three or four curse rays simultaneously from the green rats in the rocks above. He was knocked to the ground.
Student of Trinity pulled out his sling and launched a rock at one of the rats, knocking it from its position. Several more green rats hit Student of Trinity with curse rays. Several blue rats lumbered out of their hiding places, followed by giant and mung rats.
Zorro tucked Galactic Core safely into his pocket. "This should be an interesting fight." He drew his sword and stabbed a mung rat.
"It's a trap!" Synergy turned to leave, only to find Smoo and several red rats blocking the path. "I don't think so." Smoo drew his sword and attacked.
"I knew it! You're not the real Smoo. You led us into this ambush on purpose," Synergy managed to get his sword out in time to parry the attack.
"I've got this under control," Smoo told the red rats, "Go join the attack."
The red rats dashed into the fray.
Zephyr Tempest cast ice lances on several rats. Ephesos cast divine retribution. Alorael and Student of Trinity had recovered from the curse rays and were sniping and slinging rats respectively. Dikiyoba went after some of the giant rats. Rakshasi and Zorro teamed up to battle the blue rats. As one turned to attack Zorro, Rakshasi stabbed it from the other side. The blue rat would then turn to attack Rakshasi, but then Zorro would stab it. This worked well until Rakshasi tripped over one of the red rats that were scampering around. He yelled as the blue rat bit him.
"Rakshasi!" Zorro stabbed the blue rat again. The blue rat started to attack him, but a bolt of divine retribution hit it. The blue rat died. Zorro kept the giant rats at bay while Ephesos cast a quick heal spell on Rakshasi and helped him get back up.
Meanwhile, Synergy and Smoo were still dueling and Alorael was sniping at the green rats from behind Student of Trinity so he didn't have to worry about getting hit by the curse rays. Student of Trinity did, though.
"Argh! Not again!" Student of Trinity staggered from the ray and the rock he had just fired landed several feet away from the rat he had been aiming for.
Zephyr Tempest was about to cast another ice lances spell when another of the red rats tripped him. He leapt back up and tried to cast ice lances on it, but missed.
"Someone kill these red rats!" he said.
Dikiyoba pulled out a haste potion and drank it. "Dikiyoba can do that!" Dikiyoba charged after a red rat.
Another two curse rays hit Student of Trinity. "So... weak... can't... take... any..." Student of Trinity fainted.
A curse ray hit Alorael. "Hey! That's no fair!" Alorael searched for a safer spot to snipe from.
"Ice lances!" Zephyr Tempest said. A blast of ice froze four giant rats.
"RETRIBUTION!!!" Ephesos yelled.
The wererat watched the bolts of energy strike seven or eight rats and once and realized that it was time to make its move. It launched itself at Ephesos from its hiding spot high in the rocks.
"RETRIBAHHHHHH!!!"
The wererat landed directly on Ephesos and began clawing him. Alorael stopped to aim his sniper rifle at the wererat, but three curse rays hit him at once. He was knocked into the rock wall and didn't get up.
"Ice lances!" Zephyr Tempest said. The wererat was hurt, but it didn't stop its attack.
"Retributi..." Ephesos began, but his voice gave out before he could finish the spell. He shuddered once and lay still. The wererat then lunged at Zephyr Tempest.
Zephyr Tempest stumbled back. "No! Ice lances! I refuse to die again! Ice lances!"
---
While the battle was taking place, Drakefyre and Delicious Vlish were searching the Blades of Avernum Forum. They had seen several rats, but all of them were red and so impossible to keep up with and track back to their hiding place. Suddenly, Delicious Vlish stopped and held up a tentacle.
"Do you hear that?" he asked.
Drakefyre listened carefully. "Sounds like yelling. And squeaking. Someone's fighting rats. It's coming from the mountains. Let's go."
Drakefyre and Delicious Vlish hurried up the mountain path. They were about halfway up when they heard Ephesos yell as the wererat landed on him.
"Faster!" Drakefyre broke into a sprint.
"I thought you said that the summoning machine was here," Synergy told Smoo.
"There was! They must have moved it," Smoo said.
"I believe him," Ephesos said. He and Dikiyoba were carefully examining the ground for signs of the rats' activities. "They tried to cover it up, but there were rats here, and lots of them. I just don't know how they got the summoning machine out of here, because they didn't take it down the path we came up."
Dikiyoba followed some tracks across the clearing and into the rocks. "Dikiyoba thinks there may be a small path... yahhh!" Dikiyoba stumbled back as a blue rat lunged out.
Alorael quickly aimed his sniper rifle at the blue rat and fired. Incredibly, the rat staggered a bit but kept coming.
"What! That's not possible!" Alorael said. He fired again. This time, the rat died. Alorael was immediately hit by three or four curse rays simultaneously from the green rats in the rocks above. He was knocked to the ground.
Student of Trinity pulled out his sling and launched a rock at one of the rats, knocking it from its position. Several more green rats hit Student of Trinity with curse rays. Several blue rats lumbered out of their hiding places, followed by giant and mung rats.
Zorro tucked Galactic Core safely into his pocket. "This should be an interesting fight." He drew his sword and stabbed a mung rat.
"It's a trap!" Synergy turned to leave, only to find Smoo and several red rats blocking the path. "I don't think so." Smoo drew his sword and attacked.
"I knew it! You're not the real Smoo. You led us into this ambush on purpose," Synergy managed to get his sword out in time to parry the attack.
"I've got this under control," Smoo told the red rats, "Go join the attack."
The red rats dashed into the fray.
Zephyr Tempest cast ice lances on several rats. Ephesos cast divine retribution. Alorael and Student of Trinity had recovered from the curse rays and were sniping and slinging rats respectively. Dikiyoba went after some of the giant rats. Rakshasi and Zorro teamed up to battle the blue rats. As one turned to attack Zorro, Rakshasi stabbed it from the other side. The blue rat would then turn to attack Rakshasi, but then Zorro would stab it. This worked well until Rakshasi tripped over one of the red rats that were scampering around. He yelled as the blue rat bit him.
"Rakshasi!" Zorro stabbed the blue rat again. The blue rat started to attack him, but a bolt of divine retribution hit it. The blue rat died. Zorro kept the giant rats at bay while Ephesos cast a quick heal spell on Rakshasi and helped him get back up.
Meanwhile, Synergy and Smoo were still dueling and Alorael was sniping at the green rats from behind Student of Trinity so he didn't have to worry about getting hit by the curse rays. Student of Trinity did, though.
"Argh! Not again!" Student of Trinity staggered from the ray and the rock he had just fired landed several feet away from the rat he had been aiming for.
Zephyr Tempest was about to cast another ice lances spell when another of the red rats tripped him. He leapt back up and tried to cast ice lances on it, but missed.
"Someone kill these red rats!" he said.
Dikiyoba pulled out a haste potion and drank it. "Dikiyoba can do that!" Dikiyoba charged after a red rat.
Another two curse rays hit Student of Trinity. "So... weak... can't... take... any..." Student of Trinity fainted.
A curse ray hit Alorael. "Hey! That's no fair!" Alorael searched for a safer spot to snipe from.
"Ice lances!" Zephyr Tempest said. A blast of ice froze four giant rats.
"RETRIBUTION!!!" Ephesos yelled.
The wererat watched the bolts of energy strike seven or eight rats and once and realized that it was time to make its move. It launched itself at Ephesos from its hiding spot high in the rocks.
"RETRIBAHHHHHH!!!"
The wererat landed directly on Ephesos and began clawing him. Alorael stopped to aim his sniper rifle at the wererat, but three curse rays hit him at once. He was knocked into the rock wall and didn't get up.
"Ice lances!" Zephyr Tempest said. The wererat was hurt, but it didn't stop its attack.
"Retributi..." Ephesos began, but his voice gave out before he could finish the spell. He shuddered once and lay still. The wererat then lunged at Zephyr Tempest.
Zephyr Tempest stumbled back. "No! Ice lances! I refuse to die again! Ice lances!"
---
While the battle was taking place, Drakefyre and Delicious Vlish were searching the Blades of Avernum Forum. They had seen several rats, but all of them were red and so impossible to keep up with and track back to their hiding place. Suddenly, Delicious Vlish stopped and held up a tentacle.
"Do you hear that?" he asked.
Drakefyre listened carefully. "Sounds like yelling. And squeaking. Someone's fighting rats. It's coming from the mountains. Let's go."
Drakefyre and Delicious Vlish hurried up the mountain path. They were about halfway up when they heard Ephesos yell as the wererat landed on him.
"Faster!" Drakefyre broke into a sprint.