After wasting most of the day in the guild hall, Leo finally collected the sewers grate key, a small torch and the map of the sewers, along with details on the giant rats located inside. It was already late in the afternoon, but having no other option, Leo headed to the main entrance, a large steel manhole near city center.
"Oh gods, what a smell."
Descending a slimy metal ladder, Leo noted the small stone sidewalks surrounding the large central ducts carrying the cities... wastes. The smells coming up from it were overwhelming at first, making his eyes water and his nose burn.
"Guess I'd better get started. Thirty tails of giant rats, coming up," he muttered to himself. Stepping forward, his feet made squelching noises as his worn boots landed in small puddles of condensed water, moving forward away from the entrance grate.
Unbeknownst to him, a slight shadow came down behind him, adeptly avoiding the puddles and bits of debris as it followed.
-
(*Scree-ick*)
"And that makes thirteen," Leo said to himself, pulling his knife out of the large rats side and beginning to sever it's tail. He had been lucky so far, only finding stray rats one at a time in the sewers.
The size of a large cat, with sharp yellow teeth and red-tinted eyes, they were repulsive to look at. Their quick movements made them difficult to combat one on one, as they would dart back and forth and leap at his neck whenever they felt cornered.
Leo finished his collection, and began moving onwards.
-
A few hours later, Leo was covered in scratches. He had managed to collect 27 tails, and he had barely scratched the surface of the sewers according to the map he was given.
"Three more to go," he said to himself, wrapping a small bandage on his cut arm.
In the flickering light of his torch, Leo moved forward consulting his map, and rounded the corner ahead. A sudden wave of pungent, coppery scent flooded his nostrils.
Placing himself at the ready, sword drawn and torch held before him, Leo cautiously stepped forward to a grisly sight.
A small corpse of a child lay ahead of him. Clothes ripped into tatters, a pool of half-dried blood beneath it, it had obviously been a few hours since the young girls death. Bits of flesh had been gnawed by teeth, and her throat had been torn out.
Leo vomited into the sewer canal next to him. Hands shaking, Leo took a few deep breaths to calm himself, rinsing his mouth out with the last of his water. He turned back to the corpse.
The girls long hair was dyed a muddy red from the blood. Her tattered clothing was common, but Leo saw a small silver bangle on her arm, with an engraving on it. Even with the torch, it was coated in slime and too difficult to read, so he pocketed it and decided to check it later.
Moving carefully around the body, Leo noticed several bloody pawprints leading past the girls corpse. Carefully slipping forward, Leo began to hear the sounds of rats squeaking ahead.
As he entered a main culvert, his jaw dropped. A swarm of dozens of rats crawled about the room. Slowly backing away, Leo bumped into the corner of the wall behind him, startling him into a full turn, dropping his dagger.
(*Clang*)
Leo turned around slowly. Several sets of angry, red eyes greeted him.
"Shit."
With the grace of a street cat hounded by a pack of dogs, Leo sprinted back the way he came.
-
Leo continued running, not sure where he was in the sewers. The sounds of the angry rats behind him continued.
Looking back over his shoulder, the rat swarm seemed to continue chasing him, swarming over the ground and pipes.
"Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shi-oof."
Leo was sent flying by a solid kick to his gut, launching him backwards, towards the approaching rats. His torch flew out of his hand, hanging over the edge of the canal, tilting precariously close to the waters below.
Leo slowly rolled towards the wall, looking up at the person who had suddenly ambushed him.
A familiar face smiled cruelly at him in the faint light.