Chương 23: Omnimancer 18: Rat Poison

Rat followed the weirdmancer with giddy anticipation, her rodent heart beating so hard it nearly tore through her chest. This was it! Her big moment. T his calamity of a human would finally end. Her purse would bulge with gold, a nd none of it would have happened without her information. Her initiative. A flicker of pride warmed her tiny chest at the thought of the role she'd played bringing this about. Sure, the job paid well. Real well. But that wasn't just why she was happy.

She was happy because she could finally rest easy knowing that such a terrifying Mancer would no longer be around to terrorize the streets. Why? Because a known evil, no matter how bad, was always preferable to the unknown. Years in the worst warrens of Takora had taught her that. Nobody that strong ever helped others out of the goodness of their heart. Though, he did help that random girl, a voice said in her head, causing her to hesitate for what had to be the dozenth time.

And then he confronted those Takoran shamans about her! How could someone like that be bad? And then, another, more worrying thought. What if he could actually do something against Hakan? Lux knew he had the strength for it... Then again, he'd also talked about insanity like chantless casting and generally acted like a bumbling idiot, so Tala didn't know how much faith to put in his words. No! Don't get distracted! Focus! Right. Might be tomorrow. Might be years. People like him always came to collect.

And as much as she despised Hakan and the way they treated her, as much as she hated being little more than a trapped rat… she knew them. Had learned how to deal with them. She squashed the image of this guy blowing down their doors, arm extended toward her in mercy. She squashed it because she'd had the thought before. Only once. S he still bore the scars of that mistake to this day. The worst part? It didn't even matter if the guy was some grand noble soul.

Mancers that strong always caused chaos wherever they went. Nothing but sorrow in their wake, blind to the harm they caused just by having such overwhelming power. Sure, maybe there was a hint of jealousy mixed in there somewhere. Who wouldn't want to be so powerful they could find employment anywhere they wished? Who wouldn't want to be treated with a little respect… maybe even paid a small compliment every now and again? Rat killed the thought before she went fully into delusion-land.

Something she was especially prone to these days. She forced herself to think of the gold waiting for her instead. Real, honest to Lux Gold. She'd finally have worth! A rat like her! This was her leg up in the world. So she squashed the aching regret as half a dozen of Haken's best cornered the weird human. There had been plenty of teams searching for him, of course, but it was Rat who'd guided this group to him. Her idea. Because Rat knew only his very best could take down this Whatever-mancer.

Her whiskers stood on end as Hakkan's squad moved in. The group of six might not have looked like much, with five of them being of the First Tier, but tiers could be deceiving. For one, they had several Biomancers among them, and even a Psychomancer too. What mattered most was how they worked together, and Rat knew from experience that this little team was tight. She'd seen firsthand how they took down Tier II Mancers of the higher races without even breaking a sweat. And then there was the giant bear of a man.

Kuulpin, the anchor of the squad. A Tier II human and one of the rare ones. The Second Tier was no joke. Rat had seen firsthand just how deadly he could be, but with this team, their combined strength might easily rivaled those in the Third Tier. As strong as this Trimancer human was, he didn't stand a chance. Not from what she'd seen anyway. And despite her poor vision, she saw a lot. For there was another reason she'd guided this team. Everything she'd seen of him told her all his strength lay in offense.

If he were a Bio, he wouldn't need to sleep as much or eat as often, would he? Not unless he was one of the weird ones who ate and slept for shits and giggles. Which, now that she thought about it, was entirely possible, even if it was rare for anyone that young to have that particular Gift. Not after the Heavy Fist took over. The shards stopped appearing on other peaks around that time too, though nobody knew why. Still, he didn't strike her as a Bio. Call it instinct.

The same instinct also told her that while his attacks were mighty, he was vulnerable. A fact she'd extorted top gold out of Hakan for. Rat almost groaned when the oblivious human turned into an abandoned alley. Did this guy not have a shred of self-preservation about him? Of course, Hakan's team didn't miss their chance. They moved in fast, cutting off his escape, leaving him nowhere to run. Yeah… that guy's crow feed. Rat licked her lips, barely able to put a lid on her excitement.

Hakan had only given her half her payment so far. Though that half alone was more than she'd ever seen in her life, she'd double it once the man was confirmed dead. Rat was already fantasizing about all the things she'd do with the money. All the food she'd gorge herself on, all the clothes she'd buy for herself! Her fantasy was rudely interrupted by the man muttering something under his breath. Lotta good that'll do ya, she thought with a snort. Which, of course, just came out as a high-pitched squeal instead.

The opening blow came from Kuulpin, the Biomancer, in the form of a haymaker punch. Rat almost snickered. That was just plain dirty, starting a fight without any warning at all, but that was how these guys operated, and honestly? She approved. The haymaker was just one of the Biomancer's moves. The guy was also a Kinemancer, and Rat could think of no better synergy in the world. His punch could cave in a house wall, and the force only added to it.

Not just that, but he'd chanted a Force barrier some time ago, augmenting his already nonsensical defense. The barrier acted like a translucent physical shield, stopping all physical attacks until it broke. She knew those things cost a lot of Lux to maintain, and few Kinemancers had the spell to begin with, but nobody could deny their effectiveness. Useless against magic of course, but still, what a spell. That, plus the passive Biomancer body enhancement spells he had in his little arsenal made him truly deadly.

The rest weren't far behind, slamming into the human with spell after spell, landing at the same time as Kuulpin's fist. Six Mancers and four schools of magic between them. All unleashed as one with perfect synergy. The blast was as blinding as it was deafening, and Rat cursed for allowing herself to get so close to the action. It took several seconds before her vision cleared and several more for her sensitive hearing to return. Screams echoed through the alley, which she couldn't place thanks to all the chaos.

They had to be her mark's, though. For a brief moment, the pang of guilt returned. Sure, he was one of the bad ones. Sure, he'd bring tragedy just by existing. But she'd hoped he'd at least go down quickly, without too much pain. Against that kind of firepower, he shouldn't have even stayed conscious after the first strike. But he had. Long enough to scream, at least. He was strong. Rat had to give him that. Just not strong enough.

Rat didn't need her or her ears to make out the telltale smell of overwhelming Lightning magic. When her other senses did finally return, she found him on the ground, and he wasn't moving. Must've been Hakan's Electromancer that did him in, she thought with pity. It made sense. The guy never did stand a chance. Not from a surprise attack that targeted his weakness. His noble sacrifice would fund her life, and soon, she'd be richer than she could ever have dreamed. Unable to help herself, she began to laugh.

Who cared if the others noticed now? The clothes! The food! All would be —!? Her laughter ceased abruptly as she noticed something. Something about the body on the ground. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The features were off, for starters. The clothing didn't match. At first, Rat thought she was just misremembering, but his hair was all wrong, too. Rat's whiskers twitched when she noticed another body. And another.

And another, all sprawled across the alley floor. Her heart threatened to fly out of her mouth. Not from excitement this time, but dread. What in all of Luxor…? All six of Hakan's men, including the Biomancer, lay motionless on the ground. Rat scampered forward, pushing at one of them with her snout, but it was useless. She'd known the moment she saw them. They were all dead. Gone in the blink of an eye. They'd fired first—and yet somehow, it was them who'd been killed. But if they lost, then… Rat froze.

Then where was the Mancer!? She looked around frantically until she barely made out the blurry form of a figure in the distance. Her tiny legs started moving before she realized it, scampering after him. Say what you want about rats, but they got around when they needed to. Especially so for shifted Skinwalkers with their enhanced Vitality. It was bumping into things along the way that was the hard part. When she finally caught up, she froze again. She'd expected wounds. A trail of blood, perhaps.

No way anyone got out of that unscathed. Except that was exactly what had happened. Not one singed hair. Not one bruise on his face. And on that face was a look that could freeze blood. Not angry or even irritated. Just… like he was out for a stroll on a cloudy day. The expression of someone who'd slaughtered six people in an instant, and couldn't be bothered to care. That, more than his magic or his weirdness, made him all the more terrifying than any army in the world.

Rat knew then that this human didn't feel like most did. Wasn't beholden to such emotions. No, in that moment, he very much looked to Rat like a golem, or like that army of shamblers the Low King of the Dead was said to wield. The ones that kept getting back up no matter how many times they died. Rat's spine iced with terror. Because this human was far, far stronger than she could've imagined. Because Hakan would pin this disaster on her head.

And because this man was walking somewhere fast, and whatever awaited at his destination was as good as dead. Rat scrambled to keep up, heart pounding, trying desperately to see where he was heading. But as he turned corner after corner, dread began to claw at her gut. It started as a hunch. Just a whisper in the back of her head she ignored. Yet with every turn, the voice grew louder until she was certain. He was heading where he shouldn't. To the one place in this world she called a home.

Even if the Dead Hands forced her to sleep in the dingy halls, kicking her and spitting on her for shits and giggles as they committed crime after despicable crime. Even then, it was the only home she had. Memories of her years on the streets flooded back into her. The cold, the pain, the hunger, and everything else. Never again. Panic threatened to take her, but Rat forced it down. No, things would be alright. He'd only gotten in through the sewers before. He wouldn't know how to get there from the streetside.

He was only going somewhere close by. Somewhere… He found the entrance. The old, rickety door that looked like it led to any one of the warehouses in the neighborhood. How he knew of it, she couldn't begin to guess. She'd given up trying to understand this creature long ago. She just wanted him gone. Dead and buried so she could move on with her life. Nothing but fool's dream at this point… Two guards stood at the gate, both weathered Biomancers Rat knew were even tougher than they looked. Surely…

Surely, they'd stop him? But after what she'd seen in that alley, Rat knew. She knew. And so, she could only pray. Never had she wished she could speak more than at that moment. To warn them, tell them to run. But she couldn't. All she could do was squeak pitifully as they crumpled like paper dolls. And the man didn't even pause. Didn't acknowledge them. Didn't even slow down as he moved past their sizzling corpses. The guards were dead before they hit the ground.

And the door that, despite its looks, was thick enough to stop near anyone, blew apart in a cloud of splinters that flew in every direction. Rat yelped, scurrying back as debris tore through the air, threatening to do her in. When she finally dared to follow, she found only chaos. Death. Everywhere, so much death. Bodies lay scattered in his wake. Guards, couriers, smugglers—it didn't matter. The human killed them all. Rat bore no love for most of them, true, but this? They didn't deserve this.

The flame of hatred burned in her chest, and she swore she'd make him pay. She didn't know how. Or when. Or where. But she would. She'd—!? Rat nearly jumped out of her skin when one of the bodies jerked suddenly. He's alive? Maybe the Mancer was sloppier than she'd thought. But then her whiskers brushed against another body, and the vibrations that came through proved their breaths beyond doubt. A steady rise and fall. She checked the others and discovered that none of them were dead. Not a single one.

Then the hit squad earlier. Were... were they alive too? Tala's head reeled. But why? Why would he leave his enemies alive? Wasn't he afraid they'd rise up against him, box him in? Wasn't he afraid they'd sound the alarm? Is he really so confident? Rat shook off the thought. She'd already underestimated him once, and there was no denying the truth when it stared her in the face. Because it was easy to kill, but far, far more difficult to keep someone alive.

That required a level of power far beyond what you needed just to end someone. To make them unconscious without killing them? That took a precision most Tier II's couldn't even dream of. The fact that this Mancer had controlled his Lux so precisely that everyone, regardless of size or weight, was knocked out? That was an unbelievable level of mastery. A true master of magic That he'd spared them all ought to have assuaged her. Ought to have lessened her dread. Somehow, it only made it worse. So much worse.

Despite every instinct of self-preservation telling her to flee to the farthest town on the edge of the world, Rat pressed forward, scampering past the other unconscious forms, following the trail of bodies down the stairs to the very bowels of the compound. Its deepest chamber on the central level. Hakan's private office. She didn't need to guess what she'd find. She already knew. Another body, probably unconscious. Poor Hakan.

So powerful, yet all his power couldn't buy him the strength he needed to deal with this human. Besides, the Dead Hands weren't the Hearthgard Brotherhood. They were a smuggling outfit. They were good at sneaking around, not fighting. So it was no small surprise to find Hakan pressed against the wall, the man's hand choking his neck.

"You're their leader?" the human asked in a voice that matched his cold, bored expression. Hakan raged at the man, clearly not realizing the predicament he was in.

"You! You little shit! Dural! Balun! Get your asses in here right now!"

"Don't bother," the man said casually.

"They're all dead." Tala's eyes bulged. A lie? And delivered so smoothly!? Was he in fact a master manipulator, too? Had he known about her and the squads coming after him? Tala's breathing grew ragged as she questioned everything she'd ever known about this Mancer.

"Now, if you value your life," he continued, "you'll tell me why you sent those goons after me."

"What are you—I don't know anything—" Hakan sputtered.

"Trust me, playing dumb isn't going to get you anywhere. Was it because I freed those poor people?"

"The hell you think? Of course it was!" Hakan snapped. To Rat's surprise, the man didn't grow angry at all. Instead, his shoulders just slumped, and he suddenly looked very tired.

"I see," he said.

"Guards!" Hakan cried.

"Anyone, help!" Silence. Not a single soul came to his aid, and that could only mean one of two things. Either every guard in the compound collectively had a death wish… or there wasn't a soul left to answer. Hakan's bluster evaporated like water in the desert and and his eyes went wide as the reality of the situation seemed to dawn upon him.

"Just... you!?" he asked, finally understanding what the terrifying Archmancer had been saying this whole time.

"Just me," the man deadpanned.

"You can't have. Not on your own! That's…"

"Impossible?" the Arch said with a sneer.

"Sure, for men as weak as your goons, yeah. Except, I'm not like them, see? So, yeah. I took them out. On my own."

"Th-they won't let you get away with this," Hakan said, but his voice was little more than a whisper, and his back seemed to bend under the weight of the Archmancer's presence.

"The Owl won't allow it." The man raised an eyebrow.

"The Owl, huh? Well, I suppose we'll see, won't we? He can't be all that tough if he employs shitstains like you."

"You! You don't know!?" Hakan muttered deliriously, and Rat's own tail stood on end. The Owl heard. The Owl always heard.

"You'd know better than to speak this way if you did!"

"Yeah," the man said, and Rat almost thought she saw sadness in his eyes.

"Maybe I would." Before Rat could fully take in the look of horror on Hakan's face, thunder cracked and her ears rang like bells, the flash of light so bright it turned her vision white. That was nothing next to the searing heat. She rolled on the floor, claws digging at her fur, whimpering in agony. What happened? Had the human spotted her? Had he attacked her instead of Hakan? Unlikely.

The human had only ever once caught onto her since the sewers, but she didn't get the sense he'd uncovered her secret, not even then. When her vision cleared and the pain in her ears dulled to a throb, relief washed over her. She was still alive, and no follow-up strike had come, and Rat felt ashamed for assuming the worst. Hiding was what she was best at. If she didn't have even that… then what was her worth?

Her eyes spotted Hakan's boots before traveling upward, wondering if the human's attack had somehow missed. Rat knew he always carried a few of those. But no, Hakan's form lay limp on the ground, unmoving. Rat's eyes glazed over, and her whole body shivered as cold terror rolled through her like an ocean wave. She couldn't move. And so she watched blankly, her mind unable to catch up as the human turned, locking his eyes onto her. Not just in her general direction or somewhere nearby. On her.

She tried and failed to calm her nerves. This was a repeat of just a few seconds ago. She wouldn't fall for that again—!? Rat watched in horror as the man pulled a rope from nowhere and hurled it. Her mind realized far too late that this wasn't a rope at all, but a net. A net perfectly suited for catching rats. Two words were all he said as he crouched down, bearing over her like a giant. Two measly little words that would change her life forever.

"Found you."