Darkness dominated the sky as the occasional splatter of stars illuminated the crisp green fields which lay so far beneath them.
I walked gently through the camp towards the king's large tent.
The camp was no less lively now that it was at midday with rats celebrating the day's successful hunt or mourning the one depressing rabbit they managed to catch.
As the king's tent came into view I made a sudden left turning down one of the less populated areas.
After only 5 more minutes of walking the tents gradually became more and more scattered before finally ending and making for the thick treeling which stood almost like a wall barring of the terrors which lay deeper in the forests.
Loitering around near the tree line 5 rats stood armed to the toe in supplies and gear. It was to be a long expedition.
As I grew closer the 5 rats turned to face me.
Thassius, twig and Sniffer all looked more than prepared for the road ahead.
Next, I eyed up the two new members. Both stood at a similar stature to Sniffer with a deep wood coloured fur.
The first rat made a quaint gesture.
"Welcomes, I is Nibbles"
"Ands I is Chitter"
The odd synchrony of their movements while strange was easily passed off.
I gave them a small nod.
"I am Schreetch head taker".
Turning to Thassius I asked.
"Is everything ready?"
"We have everything we could ever need"
"Good, let's leave before we are spotted by goblin spies"
Our now solid group of six rats quickly made their final preparations. Checking each pack for anything wrong we finally set off.
The abyssal tree line was far from inviting. But it felt like the darkness was on our side for the first time in a while. We rats are cave dwellers. Most of us were born in the darkness.
While not perfect our night vision was leagues ahead of your simple goblin. Even If we got close enough for a goblin to see us it would be next to impossible for them to escape from the prism, let alone our pursuit.
The woods were a deadly place before. But none of us are the same rats we were before.
It took mere moments for the final preparations to end.
With all of us prepared I stepped forward slowly being swallowed by the inescapable wall of shadow.
The expedition had begun.
----------------------------------
Only 2 hours had passed since we had begun walking.
The moon now hung steadily in the centre of the sky occasionally sending a lucky few bursts of light which managed to slice through the thick leaves above us to illuminate the forest floor.
The occasional light brushing of animals rummaging through the nearby foliage distracted our steady march however they ran away quickly when faced down by Thassius's large hammer.
The endless trees stood as a gentle reminder that even through silence we were not alone.
The occasional glance to the top of the tree line was a horrifying sight.
Eyes, beady and red glaring down at you from some unknown cretin slowly clambering through the leaves far above our heads.
The forest is a haunting place at night. Yet we might be the most dangerous creatures here.
As I pulled my eyes away from our airborne stalkers Twig came to a slow yet meaningful stop.
His finger slowly creeps towards his mouth as he motioned to one of the nearby bushes.
Staring towards the bushes displayed nothing more than bundles of harmless vegetation.
Sight could no longer help us here. In response to the unknown threat I carefully released the prism letting a hushed word escape my throat.
"Devour"
A similar tactic I had used for styx. There was no demand for clarity when speaking the characteristic.
As a slow ripple of red approached the bush a rustling sound echoed through the forest as a creature lept out from it.
A furry creature of medium height. No larger than Twig himself.
In fact on closer inspection. It was almost no different to Twig.
The creature was a rat.
I watched the chaos unfold as the small rat replied with a shocked yelp at the now impending doom which fell upon it in the shape of Thassius's great hammer.
"Please... please .... please don't hurt me".
The rat pleaded as thassius used his remaining might to divert the strike hitting the ground with a thud.
"I'm just a little rat"
The rat yelled.
I rushed over slamming my hands against its mouth before bringing the other up to my lips.
This little bastard was gonna give us away.
"Why are you"
"I was just checking the surroundings".
"Then leave, quickly, do not come back to this place. Goblins and creatures will swarm here after your little performance."
In fact on further evaluation. The forest was almost eerily quiet as if the creatures had fled instead of diverging.
"What's your name midget"
"Kelp... and that's not nice"
"Well kelp"
I turned around in all my theatrical brilliance I could muster.
"You are a fool."
With my back now turned I once again let out a quiet whisper as a burst of red shot towards the small fur ball now bundled up near thassius.
"For your acting is terrible"
The red wave hit the small creature like a truck washing over it. However, what I felt through the wave was no fur. It was slimy wet skin.
"Hehehehehehhe"
A maniacal laugh shook through the forest as the bundle unfolded. The facade of a small rat fell away to reveal a creature slimy and deformed in shape and colour.
"What gave me away"
The once soft voice of a young rat fell away into a monotone gargles rattle.
"A rat does not speak so clearly. And nature itself gave you away, I have never heard the forest quiet."
The creature now towered above the red wave. Six long spindly tentacles unravelled from its body. It must have reached nearly 9 feet tall. Its imposing figure is only amplified by the bulbous head and deep purple skin.
Truly a creature from nightmares.
Battle came quicker than i expected.