The figure had already reached the end of the alley and turned quickly into another street in the maze. Elysia ran past open doors, scattering frightened-looking beggars and stepping on monstrous rats.
Her heart was pounding inside her chest and her sweat ran down her face. She felt nauseous and she thought she wished she hadn't eaten so much at Dr. Niccolev's. She clutched the scroll tightly in one hand, the other clutching the scabbard of her sword to keep it from hitting her legs.
"Stop, ratfolk!" she yelled, but her words had no effect on the fleeing ratman. All the beggars jumped for cover inside the nearest door, and Elysia continued to run.
"Why am I doing this?" she wondered herself. As far as she knew, the ratfolk had done them nothing but favors by warning them of his brothers' plans. "In that case, why are you running away?" Elysia wondered; but she already knew the answer.
Who could know why a wererat did things?
Elysia's heart leapt as she saw the creature stumble and fall.
Maybe she could catch up with him after all. Swept up in the fury of the chase, she wanted with all her soul to get it. She wanted to grab the wererat, stare into his eyes, and question him.
"Nope." She thought her. "It's not likely that he understands human speech."
According to the book she had read, the wererats had their own language, which included a number of specialized dialects used by the various clans. Still, this one at least knew enough Common to write the notes, so maybe she could question him. She ran faster as her heart burned with hope that maybe, at last, she could get some answers to her questions about the ratfolk.
Elysia's primitive predatory instincts were awakened and her legs kicked in with more force.
♦ ♦ ♦
Tell-Tongue looked over her shoulder and cursed.
It was impossible.
That stupid female not-human-thing was still after him!
Why? What did she hope to achieve by chasing him like that? Why couldn't she just leave him alone and read the message Heskit One-Eyed had written on the scroll?
If she did that, she would undoubtedly, she would realize that she had more important matters to attend to that night…, such as heading to the palace and thwarting the plans of the Black Magician Dhalthar.
"Life is so unfair!" thought Tell-Tongue wretchedly. Here he was, in his failing health and intimidated by some of the fiercest and most powerful ratfolk that had ever lived, and about to make an enemy of one of the most powerful wizards of his race. His head ached, his eyes burned from the fever, it seemed to her that his heart was going to burst from the exertion of the race, and his lungs felt as if they were on fire.
And where was he? Not in a comfortable lair, but pursued through the horribly open streets of that human city, by a terrifying female warrior who was so dangerous she didn't look like a female. She was like a terrifying nightmare. The injustice of it all mortified Tell-Tongue.
What had he done to deserve that?
He took another look back and saw his pursuer beginning to close the distance between them. It was as if she was a bloodthirsty wild animal. My pursuer was so freakishly terrifying that Telltongue swore he'd been able to see a glint come from the female's eyes.
Telltale Tongue prayed for night to fall or fog to rise. He was sure that he could lose the female in the darkness or the shadows, or if he could reach the hidden entrance to the sewers where the invasion forces waited, he would be safe.
He risked a glance back again…and cursed as he felt his feet leave the ground.
He knew he should have watched where she was going!
♦ ♦ ♦
Elysia quickly closed the distance as the Ratfolk scrambled to its feet; Elysia's body seemed to move on its own, each step that she approached her prey felt that a fire was beginning to burn inside her.
For a brief moment Elysia wondered if she should stop to draw the sword, but she decided against it. She would lose ground, and the ratfolk was apparently unarmed. He could draw the weapon when he had the ratman cornered.
Besides, he didn't need the sword, he had claws; claws as sharp as razors, capable of cutting and dismembering flesh. Claws with which the ratfolk hunted his prey.
♦ ♦ ♦
"Praise the Great Rat God!" thought Tell-Tongue, for before her she could already see the entrance to the sewers. She knew he had only to jump for her and he would find himself in the comforting midst of the ratfolk army. Down there waited Felbrood, Izak Grottle, Heskit One-Eyed, and all his soldiers. But when he was already flexing his legs in preparation for the tremendous leap that would take him to safety, she felt a powerful hand close on his shoulder.
♦ ♦ ♦
Elysia felt the ratfolk tense as she took it. She jerked hard on his shoulder to make it spin, and was about to let go when the malevolent-looking creature glared at her with hate. He was smaller and leaner than most ratfolk, but he had a nervous strength that made him difficult to hold.
"Hears!" Elysia gasped. "Tell me what are you doing here."
She suddenly felt a sharp pain in her left wrist and she realized that the wererat had just bitten her. Overwhelmed by her shock, she Elysia released him.
♦ ♦ ♦
Telltale Tongue released itself from the grip of her tormentor and leapt gratefully into the sewers. As he emerged from the canal, he looked around and saw that the stormtroopers had already assembled, and a horde of wererats were waiting there. He, too, saw Izak Grottle and the others waiting in the leaders' position, to the rear. A pack leader of the warriors looked down at Telltongue as the latter rose from the filth and brushed his fur clean.
"What's going on?" asked the group leader.
"They're chasing me…" Giveaway Tongue gasped without thinking. Before he could expand on that statement, the crew leader acted, eager for a piece of the glory.
"Good!" the ratfolk yelled. "Hurry! hurry up charge!"
♦ ♦ ♦
Elysia examined the bitten wrist. She thought it wasn't too bad. She then looked up in horror as she heard ratmen ascending the sewer access ladder. She had shortly before pondered whether she should chase the runaway ratfolk into the hole, and then she realized that it would have been suicide.
The face with the evil grin and snapping jaws of a stocky ratman in black armor had already emerged into the gloom, so Elysia wasted no time and lashed out with her claws, knocking the ratfolk toppling among her companions. ; she then turned and ran.
The predator became the prey.
A little while later, a mass of ratfolk warriors, yelling with anger, poured out into the alley. Bergheim's invasion had started ahead of schedule.
♦ ♦ ♦
"Nope! Nope!" yelled Tell-Tongue as the tight mass of ratfolk warriors passed him, the pressure of their furry bodies pushing him back into the filthy sewer waters. For one terrifying moment, he felt as if he were going to drown, but then he surfaced again just in time to see the last of the warriors scramble up into the light. Above him, the demented face of Caldovil looked at him with an evil smile.
"Have you delivered the message?" the humble pontiff of the Scourge asked in a gurgling voice.
"Yes! Yes!" squealed Tell-tongue, as she thought that perhaps now was not the best time to tell Feldovil that the troops that had come out were doing everything they could to hunt down and kill the female to whom the message had been delivered.
♦ ♦ ♦
Behind her, Elysia could hear the screams of her repulsive pursuers and the shrieks of those unfortunate enough to cross the wererats' path.
A brief glance over her shoulder told her that the ratfolks were putting to the sword anyone in front of her. The sight of that of her made him sick, but on the other hand she was glad for her, as every little pause or hesitation from her allowed her to increase the lead she had on them.
Her wrist throbbed where the little ratfolk had bitten it, and then she realized that she was clutching the scroll he had thrown at her. For a moment she toyed with the idea of throwing it out into the street, but instead she tucked it into her jerkin and ran on. At least she wasn't slowed down by the weight of armor, as her pursuers were; although surely her partner Frey of hers would have had no problem with that.
Slowly, the thought crept into her mind that the ratfolk invasion must have begun. The sight of many heavily armed ratmen in the streets could only mean that they were preparing to begin a definitive attack against the city and that they did not feel any fear of those who might defend it.
Elysia thought that, at that precise moment, her confidence was justified, since not a single member of the city guard was to be seen. Of course, most of them would probably be in the noble quarter surrounding the palace to ensure the safety of Emilia's party guests.
Elysia hit a wall and bounced, then turned and ran down an alley that connected to another street. This area of narrow lanes and alleys was a veritable maze, and she wasn't sure she was headed in the right direction. She could only move as fast as she could and listen for the sounds of her pursuers, all the while praying she wouldn't go full circle and run right into them.
She racked her brain for a plan, but all she could think of was that she had to get back to The Stinky Pig as soon as possible and warn Frey and the others. At least here was a strong detachment of mercenaries, and a potential rallying point for any army of human warriors. At that moment, all she had to do was find a way out of that area. Her heart heavy with fear, she continued to run.
She had to arrive with Frey, she had to arrive with the dark hero.