Story 2 – Plague of the Rats
A messenger rat runs throughout the
undercity knocking aside everyone in his way, some of which fall to their
deaths. Eventually, he makes it to the very bottom of the tower, barrages into
the meeting room, and immediately falls to the floor in respect of the leaders
present.
“Vicar Sylvatic! Cardinal Ischemic,
Archbishop Ascariasis! I bring news from the frontlines! We have lost ninety
percent of the army including generals and warriors of renown,” the messenger
says.
“Was General Sars among the
casualties?” Ischemic asks.
“Yes, sir.”
“Good, good,” Ascariasis says while
laughing and clapping. “Our plan is proceeding exactly as we intended.”
“Combine our new soldiers with our
existing army. Also, fill the vacant roles with our newly appointed and
approved leaders. Hopefully, they’ll be more agreeable than the last. You are
dismissed, messenger. Go down to the mess hall and tell the generals and other
cardinals the news and our decision. Give them this letter that details who
gets what position and tell them to give you the reward that the Holy Vicar has
promised,” Sylvatic says.
“Yes, sir. Thank you, Vicar,” the
messenger says before taking the letter from the vicar and then leaving.
“Our new underlings should be more
trustworthy since they know why they have their jobs and who gave it to them,” Ischemic
says.
“And these enhanced soldiers of
yours, Ascariasis. Are you sure they are as strong as you claim?”
“Yes, they are. I’ve tested my
mutations on myself as you can see.”
Sylvatic takes his bladed staff and
cuts off Ascariasis’ four arms and his modified head which has multiple eyes and
mouths.
“I meant to see their strength. Don’t
play coy with me.”
The decapitated rat’s body
recomposes itself in seconds much to the surprise of Ischemic and the pleasure of
Sylvatic.
“See? It does work. I knew you
would cut me up so I allowed myself to so I could provide the best demonstration.”
“How self-sacrificing of you.”
“Do you want to know how I could
hear you despite not having a head?”
“Tell me later. Right now, I just
want to take back what is rightfully mine, the Holy City of Constantinople.”
The three rats leave the meeting room
and go to the large mess hall where hundreds of thousands of rats are eagerly
awaiting their command to deploy. Sylvatic steps up to his podium with his two seconds-in-command
behind him and on a lower platform.
“My faithful pack, we are on the
verge of taking what is rightfully ours. The surface world thinks we are
nothing but mutated vermin who deserve to live in our nuclear wasteland. I say
that we are, in fact, blessed. What is called the Great Treachery by them has
given us most of the eastern lands that are suitable for us and has transformed
our bodies into ones that can survive not only harsh weather and these
dangerous lands but also survive blows that would kill a normal human. Today,
we will claim our divine inheritance and through it, begin our conquest of the
world. With me, your holy vicar to lead you, we will know no defeat while our
enemies will know only fear!”
Every rat, including Ascarisasis and Ischemic, cheers at Sylvatic’s speech
before following his command to charge toward the surface. The rats come
pouring out like a black tidal wave of disease. From below, siege cannons are
carried on the backs of monstrous rats the size of elephants and manned by
smaller rats to fire and maintain it and the beast. Carts driven by horse rats
come racing out with the troops all of which carry specialized and veteran
soldiers and large ancient church bells that signal their enemies’ doom. One of
these carts all the way in the back is decorated with gold, carries Sylvatic, Ascarisasis,
and Ischemic, and is the most well-protected as it is plated with well-refined
metal. Meanwhile, the slaves and lower-class warriors have to run alongside the
carts and monstrous rats. Their mutations allow them to keep up with the army,
however, it still isn’t pleasant for them, especially since they have to run
for miles across the ashen nuclear wasteland.
After traveling for half a day, the
army reaches the fortified ruins of Constantinople. The force of orcs that currently
owns it is made aware of the approaching rats by their lookouts and the entire population,
even the children and elderly are mobilized to fight except for those who are
too sick or fragile to fight. From the makeshift metal and stone walls of
Constantinople, the orcs fire their bows and cannons. Most of the rat army
stops so they are out of range of the orc’s attacks, but the slave army continues
moving and is wiped out before a single one reaches the walls. With what seems
to be most of their enemy’s forces dead, the orcs cheer and dare the rats to
send the last of their forces at them.
“Stupid orcs. Stupid, stupid orcs.
They know not the doom they have inflicted upon themselves,” Ascarisasis says.
“Show them then the fruits of your
labor,” Sylvatic says.
“All cannons, load up my concoction
and fire it at the corpses of the slaves!”
The cannons on the backs of the
monstrous rats are loaded with glass balls filled with black and green liquid
that are fired at the corpses as commanded. Once the concoction hits the
corpses, they begin to mix together into separate and hideous beings with the
heads of multiple rats, bones jutting out of their bodies like blades, and multiple
tails. These rats are larger than even the rats that are carrying the cannons and
writhe as if they are in excruciating pain. This sight terrifies some of the
orcs with some of them retreating before being killed by their own for their
cowardice. Sylvatic steps out from his cart and stands on its roof.
He slams down his staff and says, “Charge
and take what is rightfully mine! What is rightfully ours!”
As the rat army cries out, the large
hideous mutated rats run ahead of the army and take much of the attention of
the orcs, and are mostly unaffected by their attacks. The towering rats smash
through the walls as if they were nothing and proceed to kill and eat whoever
else they find while causing chaos in the city. Before the army behind them
enters the city, the bodies of the monstrous rats violently convulse and then
explode with acid coming out that melts everything and everyone it touches
except for the rats. Once the carts reach the walls, the soldiers come out and
lay siege to the city with the rats with cannons on the back pelt the city’s
inner defenses with cannon fire and don’t stop firing even as their own forces
advance and get hit by friendly fire. Sylvatic, Ascarisasis, and Ischemic watch
their forces fight and slaughter the orcs from a safe distance from one of the churches,
the Hagia Sophia.
“It’s glorious, isn’t it?”
Ascariasis says.
“It is. I’m just glad the monsters
you created are dead,” Ischemic says.
“What? You don’t think we could control
them? They followed their orders exactly as we intended. If that’s not enough,
the rats with cannons are also perfectly in control of their actions.”
“I’m not sure if the more monstrous
ones did as we commanded because we commanded them or because they did so out
of self-defense.”
“Regardless, these units will
always be used for the purposes you have seen, so they will only be alive for
minutes at most.”
“If you say so.”
“You should trust me more, just as
the good vicar does. Speaking of which, how are you enjoying the show?”
Sylvatic cuts off one of Ascarisasis’
outreaching hands that soon regenerates before he says, “I have waited years
for this. Do not disturb me as I drink in the glory of this moment that I deserve.”
“You deserve? I think we all share
in the glory of this momentous victory,” Ischemic says. “My hardened soldiers and
handmade cannons and carts are the final piece in the puzzle of our achieving victory.
You can see from here that they’re overwhelming the final stronghold in the
city and finish off what remains of the orc’s army. If you only relied on Ascarisasis,
you’d be without troops because they rely on formulas and experiments whereas I
rely on strength and steel.”
“Without my formulas and experiments,
we would’ve lost more forces breaking through the walls and the city’s first
lines of defenses. I think I should be given most of the glory if we’re fighting
over it. Battles are decided in the opening moves after all.”
“If you want to bring up opening
moves, then I should gain all the glory above both of you,” Sylvatic says with
venom in his voice and while slamming down his staff. “I bring all our servants
under one cause. I am the head of the Church and the one who gives us a
purpose, and a plan and dictates the laws. Without me, you would be fighting among
yourselves with no real plan and overall goal and the orcs and other rat clans
would wipe you out.”
The three rat leaders look at each
other with hatred in each other’s eyes until one messenger rat comes to them
and bows down.
“Sirs, we’ve taken the Holy City.
All that remains left to do is plunder it, make it our own, and deal with the
captives and remaining citizens,” the messenger says.
“Gather the captives and citizens.
We and our soldiers are all famished from such a taxing battle and should have
our fill and leave none remaining from the city at the same time,” Sylvatic decides.
“Yes, sir.”
After having their fill of their
enemies, the three leading rats think they can come to a compromise, settle
their differences, and calm the tension between them, however, the tensions
worsen when they have to split the plunder and decide who gets what part of
the city. While they are debating, they come to a temporary compromise to have
basic defenses set up by their slaves from the underground city. Two days pass and
no progress is made. In fact, the three rats hate each other more now than
before to the point where Sylvatic cuts down Ascarisasis. Instead of taking it
this time, the decapitated rat fights back and cuts off a leg and arm of the
victory despite missing a head of his own.
Seeing an opportunity to take power
for himself, Ischemic joins in the fight but is also cut down as well. Now
that the fight is at a standstill, the three rats see that both are
regenerating their limbs and that no normal blade or weapon will kill them, so
they stop fighting.
“You both injected yourselves with
my formula?” Ascariasis asks as if flattered.
“Yes, I did. I saw that it worked
and wanted to use it just in case,” Ischemic admits.
“You do good work despite your idiocy,
so I can’t say your pride is completely misplaced,” Sylvatic says.
“I can say the same about you.”
“I can say the same about both of
you.”
All three rats laugh and then admit
to a truce.
Sylvatic goes on to say, “We have
enough enemies as it is from the orcs, elves, other rats, and whatever else
that survives in this wasteland. Once they and the humans are out of the way,
we can see who is the strongest and who should be the master of the world and all
humanity. For now, we shall work together for each other’s benefit as one
united trinity.”
The other two rats agree before
they all shake hands. A messenger rat barrages into their meeting room to tell
them news of internal conflict and a wave of enemy rats allied with orcs coming
their way. They shrug before mustering what forces they can as the enemy force
throws itself against their walls. As the battle is happening, Sylvatic stands
above his two peers and watches the battle with them. Slaves from the inner
walls are thrown over and at the enemy and the groups of slaves that are killed
by the enemy are dosed with Ascarisasis’ concoction and turn into monsters that
push back the attack and blow themselves up after a few minutes and shower the
enemy with body melting acid that only their own allies are immune to. As the
battle is happening, the three leaders enjoy the finest blood wine that they
harvested from their captives and lay back as if it were a relaxing Sunday morning.
“Life is good, isn’t it?”
Ascariasis says.
“It is. It looks like our forces will
soon overrun our enemies. Let us toast to our victory and future victories,”
Ischemic says before they toast. “Waiters, bring us more wine. Also, bring out
our entertainment.”
The waiters do as they are told and
bring wine and rat exotic dancers out to the leaders that would be considered
uglier than sin to a sane human, but to a rat immersed in sin, they are as
beautiful as diamonds.
“Yes, this is the life and it will
only get better,” Sylvatic says as he comfortably lays back in his chair.
