Chapter 1: What Going On?

The old rat just stares at me for some time now as he looks like he’s contemplating my name. "That’s a dire name for a stranger. Do you know of what it means?."

I give him a deadpan stare, “No, I don’t. I’m not too much of an expert when it comes to interpreting crazy voices in my head, perhaps you can help?” I ask him with an over-exaggerated grin on my face. “Seriously, though, it’s my name, what’s wrong with it?”

He looks to me with a fierce stare and I shrivel back. Seriously, this guy looks crazy when he’s angry.

“Temper your tongue, whelp. It’s in old language. It means end of days, god wars, or final judgement. Take your pick.” He grumbles, finally staring at something else as he looks through his books.

"All the same, my name is Maggable. I used to be the head Magician up at the keep... Before the previous Keeplord lost himself to power."

Okay this is news to me. I know nothing about any keep or lords. This is the information I was looking for. But seriously, Mag-gamble? Really? That’s his name? I can think of other things to call oneself but- wait... Did he say magic?

"Did you just say magic?" Maggable looks up from his books as I look at him with the biggest grin you have ever seen. I think I’m making him uncomfortable, so I stop and look away to gaze at my tail... that is now wagging. Do I have no control over this thing? I didn’t know rats could wag their tails. What am I, a dog?

Maggable looks amused as he watches me, "I said magician, not magic, but all the same, yes. It’s rare to see one interested in the arts. Mostly, it’s looked upon with scorn and derision. I see the look in your eye, but do you really think you have the patience to learn?"

I can’t tell if I should be offended, or answer his question. Is he just being a prick or being serious?

"I'll never know unless I try."

“Well it won’t be easy, let me think about it. You have to understand, the arts are not to be trifled with. I have no idea if I’m teaching a runt with a match to be led to a barrel of gunpowder. I’ve no clue if you’ll light it. What assurance have I that you aren’t looking to cause trouble?” replied Maggable.

“At any rate, before I even think about teaching you anything let’s get something to eat lad." It's only now that I start to really think about what he is or could be. Sure, he is by no means nice, but I guess I'll find out more after food. I know what rats normally eat, so I hope the food’s not weird. I follow him to the dining area.

I thank whatever gods are up there right now that the meal that I’m eating isn’t rotten food or other weird things. The item on the menu for tonight is skate, a species of stingray that’s very good with lemons and butter. It doesn't look like Maggable has any lemon, but the goat butter he has goes deliciously well with it.

"You're really enjoying that aren't you?" Maggable asks as I peel the cooked fish off the bone with my fork. As I put more in my mouth, there's an explosion of flavor so good that I almost finish the fish before Maggable could even get started on his.

"It’s a shame that no one around here ever wants or tries some of the things the fishers catch,” he says. “It’s hard to catch them with all the storms around the island. With it being so hard and very little ratfolk buying them, I fear the fisherfolk will be going out of business." I lick my lips clean as I pick at what’s left trying to get the last of the fish off the bone's. He’s just starting to eat his.

"They have no idea what they're missing. If you're not willing to try something once then you'll never know if you'll like it or hate it." I say with a nod, but I look down at the bones of the fish to see that I’ve pick them clean. I was hoping that would last longer, that's some pretty good fish. “You know what? You look like a Mag. Your full name is a mouth full,” I say.

"Whatever flips your skirt, Lad. At any rate, learning magic is no easy thing. It takes years of training, and only the most skilled or gifted can cut that time to a year at the least." It almost sounds like he's trying to get me to give up on this. Well, if he wants me to give it up, he’ll have to try harder than that. "Well then that just means I have to convince you sooner than later." I say with a big smile on my face as Mag eats another mouthful of fish.

Before Mag could say anything to that we hear some yelling and the sound of wood breaking, followed by even more yelling and some screaming. I snap my attention to the entrance, then back at him. That doesn’t sound good.

"Damnit, they weren’t supposed to start this early!" says the old rat as he’s rifling through his things. He gets up. Picks up some bags and hands one to me.

"Go to the bookshelf. Take the three books on the far left on the top shelf and the two books from the bottom right, then grab the small statue on the mantle above the fireplace!" I want to ask why but by the look in his eye he was afraid of something, and his mood tells me time is of the essence.

So I do as he asks, not caring what I grab as I shove way more books than he told me to into the bag, figuring that I at least grabbed the ones he told me to, followed swiftly by the small statue. "Don't know why he wants this creepy thing." I say to myself as I stuff it into the bag with the books.

On top of the fireplace I see something that makes me stop what I'm doing. It’s a painting, but not just any painting. It’s a painting of those two cats from before sitting outside of a cave. They were both smiling, it wasn't them that I was looking at. It was the two yellow eyes in the dark of the cave in the painting.

"Did you get the books!?"

Bloody ell! He makes me jump out of my skin, appearing out of nowhere. That crazy old rat almost gives me a heart attack. I look back to the painting to see the cats and eyes were gone. I shake my head in disbelief. "Yeah, I got the books." I walk back into the back room to see Maggable stuffing a bag full of food as fast as he can. I yelp as he quickly throws a cloak over my head out of nowhere and shoves me out the back door, half blind.

"Come on let’s go, we don't have much time," He says. As much as I would like to know what going on I don't think he’s going to tell me right now. I follow him out the back into the alleyways where I woke up. We dart from alley to alley until we come out on a main street. We put our heads down and walk for about ten minutes before we see a large group of rats all walking down the same street. We make our way into the crowd of about forty rats all rushing about in a panic.

"Where are we going?" I whisper harshly as I try not to get in anyone's way. The crowd is a bit frantic, some were pushing to try and get out of the large group with little luck. Even the guards don’t seem to understand what’s going on, numerous though they were.

"I’ve heard wind of a coup d'etat, but never did I imagine they would start this early!” Mag whispered harshly.

“A coup?!” I nearly yell.

“Quiet boy!” He whispered harshly, “Keep your voice down, and no more questions until we get out of here. We’re blending in to leave with the outgoing crowd.” I look around as he tells me this. It looks as if we’re in the lower section of the town now. Sprawling stone houses arranged around narrow alleys and streets surrounded us, all seemingly converging on the street we’re on now. Down the road I can see a massive stone gate, and here is where I can see the beginnings of several fires around us being started.

As we pass by, several guards are coming out of homes, shoving their tenants with them. My blood runs cold as it seems as if some of the guards are taking advantage of the chaos to loot some houses. I start to get a real bad feeling as I watch as the chaos ensues everywhere. "How on earth did this come to happen?" I ask in a solemn tone as look around at everything around us in speechless silence. It’s unimaginable. I could never see this happening on earth.

"We have our current Keeplord to thank for this. He’s been dealing with the food shortage the only way he knows how; by cutting back in the slums and common folk area. I’ve heard whispers of some of the guilds arming for a coup, but that was just a few weeks ago! Regardless, we must escape the ensuing chaos. Goddess only knows what will become of this once great city..."

I didn't know what to say to that. I’m so out of my element here. I know one thing for certain. I want to find this keep lord and give the git a good kicking to his ball's! This is wrong no matter how things are run here. It doesn’t take me long to see we're about to reach the main gate. I can see a large number of chains on it, most likely to open and close the big doors.

"Whatever you do keep your eyes hidden. If they see you're eyes they will kill you."

“Wait, WHAT?”

“Keep it down, fool!” Mag forces my head down as we pass a few guards.

One of the guards give me a shove to move me along outside the gate. "Move it scum!" I barely repress the urge to knee the guard in the ‘nads as we pass by. Before I can even think to, I realize that we’re past the gates as they start to close. All those people will be trapped in the chaos! I give an involuntary shudder at the horrors those people will have to endure.

The large gate's seal shut with a tone of finality. I look around and...

“HOLY CHRIST!” I yell as my voice echoes into the dark cavern that seemingly goes on for miles, illuminated by small pockets of dark-blueish lights coming in from certain places in the massive ceiling and spare patches of glowing mushroom. I’m definitely out of my element.

We’ve been walking for a while, but how much time exactly I’m not sure. Time itself seems irrelevant to the world around me. I’m really just awestruck gazing around at this underground highway. Several others travel with us to form a traveling group of sorts, and the mood couldn’t be more dire. Families trudged along the rock highway with only as much as they could carry, and after what seems like hours, we finally stop to rest as I look around.

Like the cavern that surrounded the city, this cavern is just as massive, or... more like a continuation of the previous one. Several thousand feet wide and longer than the eye could see. I also notice that I can see surprisingly well for what looks like a very dimly lit cave. My current vision makes my surroundings seem like twilight, when I’m certain it’s supposed to , this place seems endless. I imagine that poets writing about the abyss that stares back referred to this place. That got me thinking, what else could live down here? I put that from my mind for now.

"Hey Mag, where are we going?" I can tell the old rat doesn’t like my nickname for him. He just gives me the evil eye. Still creepy...

"For the last time I don't know... There aren't that many keeps and underground cities that would welcome us with open arms."

This gives me pause. Now that we’re out of danger, maybe I can ask him some things.

"Say Mag... What are we?" I ask as I walk next to him. He just looks at me funny like I've been drinking or something.

"An odd question, to be sure. From what you’ve told me I’m guessing you don't mean to ask that in a philosophical manner... I have my suspicions about you...“ He tells me as I gulp under his hard gaze.

“Regardless, I suppose I can humor you. We're Nightwalkers. Have you never heard of your origins?" I have nothing to say to this as I simply shrug. He regards me for a second, before moving on to stoke the campfire in front of us.

"We are Nightwalkers, descendants of a race of rat's. We know very little of our ancestors origins, but what we do know is the point in which the Goddesses of the heaven came into our history. One in particular, our lady of the night."

"A long time ago our ancestors were primitive, capable of nothing but the most rudimentary of speech, and hunted largely in packs. We were discovered, eventually, by one of the two royal sisters from a faraway land, their names being-"

"Princess Celestia and Luna." I mentally kick myself as he looks to me with suspicion. I may have told him my origins, but he still doesn’t know that there’s a children’s cartoon show of the very goddesses he’s telling me about. I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole.

“Yes... you are right. Pray tell, how do you know this? The history books do not know them by name.”

“You hear things...” I say vaguely, and he regards me for a moment before moving on.

"Right... When we were found out by the goddess of the sun, she was revolted by our primitive ways. She wanted to banish us to a faraway land. But Luna had seen potential in us, and looked to reform us-”

“So, what’s the difference between rats and Nightwalkers?”

“...” He looks at me with a glare.

“... Sorry.” I mutter, and nod for him to continue.

“I know not what Luna saw in us, but she gave us the guidance and knowledge to become the creatures you see now. Celestia was opposed to this, but she let Luna be at any rate."

"Change was hard for us, but over time our ancestors got better and slowly started to warm up to the ideas Luna was trying to teach them, and they changed for the better."

"Then sadly came the night Luna fell to the shadows, the night she became Nightmare Moon. She then turned us into something darker... Where we once were just rats, we became Nightwalkers, with various gifts or curses of the night that came with it. We see well in the dark, and we become nigh undetectable in its shadows. We were meant to be her army, to march out on the rest of the goddess’s homeland. As luck would have it, she was defeated by Celestia. After that when we had no one to guide us."

"Then we turned to the only one who could help us." He then looks at me.

I don't even need to guess who he's talking about. "Princess Celestia..." I say, feeling like this story does not have a happy ending.

"Right, however the night she decided our fate she was still overcome with grief. She banished our race from their lands. It took a while before we were able to tame this island. But that is for another time." Oh come on, you were just getting to the good bit! Regardless, one look around and I see that our timeless amount of walking has taken it’s toll on everyone here.

I kick another stone off the small path surrounding the camp. After Maggable told me that story a number of things began running around through my head. I can't SLEEP! How is anyone supposed to tell if it’s night or day down here?

And learning magic is still on my mind. Wouldn’t it be cool to throw fire around? How did the masters always say it on those adventure games? Tap into your inner being... something something, chosen one, end of the world? Screw it. Might as well give it a shot.

I extend my hand and start waving it around thinking fiery thoughts. Nothing happens.

“Fire!”

Nothing.

“Flame on!”

Nothing again.

“Spark! ... Fwoosh! ... Restore my honor! ...” Still nothing. I’m starting to look like a deranged conspiracy theorist. I try once more.

“Incendio!”

WHOOOSH!

A wave of fire rushes out of my palms and fans out. I jump about in panic as it fans out against the ground as well, causing me to make a weird high pitched noise... wait.

Did I just fucking squeak?!

I’m stunned for just a second until I notice my hands still on fire. Yelling like a screwball, I do my best impersonation of a hummingbird as I wave my arms up and down in panic. Finally, as the fire starts to die down from my hands (I don’t know whether frantically blowing on them really did anything), I slowly look over to Maggable quietly staring at me. A few moments pass before we say anything. Maggable gives me the most deadpan stare I’ve ever seen from him. I chuckle nervously.

“Oh, uh... hi?”

“...”

We stare at each other a few moments longer.

“I, uh... didn’t wake you, did i?”

His glare doesn’t budge. “Hrmph. Hard to sleep with someone yelling and waving his hands in the air as if he’s on fire.”

“B-But I was on fire! I swear! Didn’t you just se-”

He swiftly stepped up to me, “I saw an uneducated, dangerous, ignorant fool playing in matters he should not even be able to accomplish,” Maggable interrupts me. He seems really angry, but after a moment, he lets out a long sigh.

“Ugh... I suppose if I do not teach you, you’ll find a way to set the island on fire.”

“Wait... we’re on an island?...”

He glares at me.

“But, I don’t even know how big it is... How can I-”

“At any rate! You almost just cooked yourself! Your first thought should be “how not to kill yourself!”

I can do nothing but give a small embarrassed chuckle as he gives another sigh. A few more moments pass.

“Alright, fine. I’ll start teaching you the basics. But be warned! Practice the lessons I am about to teach you without supervision and I will string you up by your feet and leave you here for the beasts of the dark to feast on.”

“Hehe...” I chuckle nervously once more as we settle down for what seems to be lessons, though they might have been more attempts to talk my ear off. Say what you might about the guy, I think he cares deep down... probably. Not setting the island of fire does seem like a good case to make...

Over the next hour Maggable begins to teach me the basics while we walk on the path, and what I’m learning so far has my mind spinning. I never knew there was so much to know when learning about magic, I had always thought it was a “point, shout, and shoot” deal, but dear lord was I wrong. The particulars are confusing, some of it going straight over my head, and the lessons get especially frustrating after about the fourth time he slaps me on the dead after my attention wandered off. Not my fault he lectures like a dry twig.

After several hours more, we start to wrap everything up. We’re now sitting in front of our campfire once again. I glance around to see the sleeping forms of several of our impromptu refugee caravan soundly sleeping the indeterminate night away. I wonder how they know it’s time to get up?

“Pay attention!” He whispers harshly, “I swear it’s like talking to a pup! We know not the words and how they came to be, but we know their power is not from this plane. The words themselves were chronicled by the users with the glowing eyes, and the history books all agree on one thing...“

He stopped for a second and looked at me gravely.

“Not one creature ever discovered with the glowing eyes brought anything less than total ruin or salvation to their land.”

I stop poking the fire to look at him. A sense of dread overcomes me as I ponder his statement.

“And this relates to me how?” I asked as I feel we’re off track. It feels like he’s trying to pull my leg. I mean, every Nightwalker who knows magic is insanely op? Feels a little far fetched to me. Regardless, I put that from my mind as I go over the lesson in my head. While I’m thinking, another thought comes to mind.

“Hey Mag, why don’t your eyes glow as well?” I ask. He gives a dismissive grunt.

“I am old. When you reach my age you have to work harder on keeping hold of your ties to magic.” Maggable replies as he reaches for his sleeping bag and stalks off to find a place to sleep.

As I settle down in my bed roll that I got from one of the merchants who was handing them out, I realize that while I’m a bit more tired than I was before, I just don’t want to go to sleep. I look around in hope that maybe one of the other refugees are still awake, but no such luck there.

I can see that not everyone got a bed roll. I saw some of the male's who had families give up there's for their kids and wife. At least I think they're all married.

I even gave some of the kid's my share of the food earlier I felt they needed it more than I do.

I get up and walk away from the camp I didn't go too far just so no one can see me. "Okay, let's do this" I take a deep breath and look ahead. "Cheshire cat..." Okay so far so good.

"Cheshire cat." Okay I'm feeling a bit silly right now but they did say if I needed help to call out there name so here hoping it wolk's. "Ches-" I was stopped when I heard a voice.

"Did you get the food?" I hear one voice say before hearing another. "Ya I got most of it." I stop what I’m doing and blink looking back the way I came, what the hell? I think as I walk back to camp and see a green pegasus and a gray griffon...

...

Okay... Holy Swim Swim Doggo! What are they doing here?! I can see them at the end of the camp holding large sack's over there back's. Just what are they doing here, who are they? Well it didn't take me long to come up with a plan of action call out to them and ask. "Hey what are you two doing?"

I call out and as soon as they saw me they turned around and ran away like the devil himself was here wait isn't that the sack's with all the food in...

“Fuck!” I yell as I ran after them they're running away with all our food. "Hey come back here!" I keep yelling and waking up half the camp as I ran off, I got to say these two were running fast for holding the two large sack's with nothing but their mouth's and why aren't they flying away? It not like they don't have the space to fly down here.

Just where do they think they're going anyway? I mean there not a lot of places one can go without being seen and how did they end up down here anyway?! One more thing how can I still see them in the dark? Was just the many questions I thought about as I follow them round a corner I then saw them run into...

I stop as I look up at the large open door way with what looks like dead Ratmen all around it... Okay this looks bad, these bodies look old like husk's hollow and forgotten corpse. I can still hear the sound of hoofs running on cobblestone in side, shit do I go in after them or go back? Well if I know tomb's and dungeon game's like I think I do, there are going to be a lot of traps in there. I think as I look around “And I'm not sure I could do this alone what am I saying, this is not a videogame!” I say as I facepalm at this.

"What happened, why is half the food gone!" Well I guess it about time someone showed up I can see some Nightwalkers from camp show up along with Maggable following behind them. "What did you do!" Wait, what did I do? one of them must think I took the food for myself. Yeah like I'm that stupid. "A griffon and a pony took the food from camp I ran after them, they went in there." I point to the what looks like a tomb to me.

Here where things get interesting they back away upon seeing it in fear, well all but the old Mag anyway. "A cursed tomb of old something better left forgotten." What is he talking about, wait don't tell me there are skaven in there or something. I don’t know what's in this tomb but I hope nothing lives here.

"Mag what going on, please tell me there aren’t skaven living here." I asked as he looked at me as if I said something stupid, what why would he look at me like that? It was a good question. "I don’t know what a Skaven is but I’m sure it’s not. You really know nothing about our history do you?" I just blink at him then point at the tomb again. "Then who made that?"

"We did." What... He, they did? okay I'm more confused than before just what was going on? I think to myself as he sighed at me before walking over to the dead body's and looking through them. "Some of our people when trapped on this inland tried to find someway to call on Nightmare Moon. Most made these tomb's like this one, they didn't last long however. They tried using black magic and failed, they were cast out. This happened 800 years ago, so it shocking to see one still standing."

He then pulls what looks like a staff off of one of the body's then blows the dust off of it. Mag then looks like he's talking to the crystal on the end of it before it light up, it may of looked simple but it still looked cool to me. How can he use magic so naturally, where with me it feels like I'm fighting something inside of me. Wait, why am I not more shocked about all this? Maybe I really am crazy, maybe this is really the afterlife who knows for now I'm just going to do what I did in my last life, wing it. I thought to myself as I walk up to the old rat.

"So we’re going in after them?" I ask as I stand next to him and take a peek inside with the light from his staff showing that no one has been here for years maybe even longer. But we could see the hoof, Talon and pawprints on the dust covered floor. Who know what in there, could even be some spider webs. "You're mad, you want us to go in there?!"

I hear one of the Nightwalkers call out before I gave my rebuttal. "You lot are free to do whatever you want me... I'm going in their after them. They must've found a way down here right? that also means there a way out." I say with a smile on my face.

"You can't be serious, you'll both be dead long before you even see the light of day!" Yells out one of the Nightwalkers in the back, I pay them little to no mind as me and Mag make our way inside. Something tells me we're going to have a right old time.

I take back what I said this place smells, It cold, dark and there are cobwebs everywhere. I feel like I walked into one of those old horror films, but in the meantime I'm still working on my fire magic and only stop when Maggable think one of the hall's we're walking in is trapped.

Seven times out of ten his right, The other three on the other hand I see long before he knew what was going on. Also I see better in the dark, I have no idea why? but we stop when I see a shadow move. "Did you see that?" I ask pointing down a hall.

Mag nod's at my question he then holds his staff up ready to most likely use some kind of spell. Me on the other hand just pulled out the dagger I had and looked at it... Yeah I don't feel all that confident about this but I had Mag on my side, I'm sure he'll help me if things turn bad... I hope.

We both slowly move round the corner and unlike the last husk's we saw outside, these one's had armor and weapons. One more thing they were hung up on the walls of the hallway by web's. "Yeah... This doesn't scream giant spider's... At all..." I say to myself looking at them all.

"What make you think there more than one..." Mag asked as he looks at the body's and some of the discarded weapons. "There always more than one, It like an unwritten law or something. When you walk into some kind of creepy tomb there always more than one giant spider you have to kill." I said as i carefully step over some bones on the floor.

I look at the body's but I do nothing to disturb them, I know spider's use there web's to know if food is nearby... I was just kidding about the giant spider's. I can see at the end of the hall a door just a bit open, oh crap I don't like this. I feel something hit my chest and see Mag staff in my way, I look to him as he handed me something covered in dirt and spider silk.

"You'll need this lad." He say as I take it, it was a sword of some kind, I look it over then put my dagger away before I pull the sword out of it sheath. Wow this sword was beautiful, I mean I'm no blacksmith but I can tell when someone put a lot of work into something and this was one of them. This was not just a sword this was art. I thought as i ran my hand over the side of the blade.

"Thanks..." I say as I try and tie the sheath to my belt. "So... What do you think on the other side of that door?" I ask as I hold the sword in my right hand, there no way this is all real right? I keep thinking to myself. it a dream, this is all just one big dream right? This is just too crazy to be real, well I've always said I was crazy all my life. Slowly we walk up to the door and then I push it open slowly, why must the door give off that horrible screeching sound. I know why it been uncared for who know how long and left here to rot. I think as I poke my head inside.

The room was a large chamber like room and had a large crystal in the ceiling that was giving off light, it had what looked like mural art all over the walls. I didn't understand what most of it was or what it supposed to mean but I was more interested in the shield that was covered in web's that was resting on a small table made of stone.

Me and Mag look at each other then nod as we both slowly walk into the room. I keep my eyes and ears open for any kind of movement or sound that was out of place I then move closer to the shield and carefully look around it. To make sure it wasn't some kind of trap, finding nothing wrong with it I slowly and carefully pick it up.

I can see Mag looking at me not at all to pleased with what I was doing. I just smile back as I look at the shield, it looked as if it was made out of scale and had what looked like fang's or spike's on it. I wasn't sure, I rub the webbing off to find that the scale's were a nice shade of green.

I put the shield on my left arm and hold it up to Mag only to see he was looking at something else. Well so much for showing off my new toy, the shield was not too heavy for me to carry around. I start to relax and look at the mural's but I stop one of the works of art as it was covered in web's and all you could see was a wing.

Huh that's odd. I think as I walk over to it and clear the webs away with my sword and stop when I see the full picture. My eyes widen at what I was seeing, no way, no fucking way! "Mag... Mag, get over here!" I tried to whisper loudly.

I was lucky he heard me and started to walk over to me. "What is it boy, what did you find." I just showed him the wall. "Tell me what this looks like to you?" I hope I'm wrong, I really do because if I'm right this could be bad. "This is not something I've seen before, I know one thing this is not Nightmare Moon."

The picture was of a monster that all I could think of to call it, it looked too skinny for something like that to be alive. You know what... I'm just going to come out and say what it is, it looks like the jabberwocky. As crazy as it sounds that what it looks like to me, this must be a dream... I must be dreaming. I'm going to wake up soon in the hospital and they will tell me I can never walk again or something.

"I don't understand what could this be?" I sigh as Mag keep looking at it, I look off to the side and look at the webbing I push aside with my sword. Wait, I look at it more carefully it was a lot bigger than it first looked. I follow it up and down as I look at it, huh this looks a lot like a... I stop thinking as I realized what it was. "An egg sack..." I say softly as I look at it with large eyes.

"I'm sorry boy what did you say?" Asked Maggable as he turned to me and looked at it. "This is a egg sack." I say again as I slowly back away from it then we heard it. The sound of something like soft sandpaper rubbing against itself and then we heard more of them. We look to the way we came in, only for the sound to be getting louder.

"Fuck me sideways..." I said as I back up. Okay, okay no need to panic, it could just be the other nightwalkers playing a joke on us right... Right? I think as the Mag pushed past me. "Shut the door!" I hear Mag scream at me as he run over to shut the door and I was right behind him as we both hurry to close the door.

"FUCKING HELL!?!" I yell at what look like a large spider legs trying to get in! Wait I have a sword, out of panic or reflex I slashed downward and cut off a number of leg's. We heard a number of cry's from something on the other side before we closed the door and heard them hitting the door trying to get in.

"Why did I agree to do this, I didn't really think there was really big fuck ass SPIDER'S!" I saw Mag run off somewhere as I try and keep the door closed. Thankfully he didn't take long he came back with what looked like a spear and wedged it in between the door frame and the door handle to keep it closed.

We move away and find that it working. "How long you think that going to last to keep them out for?" I asked as a large fang speared through the door it wiggled a bit before being pulled out of the door. "Not long." We're dead we are so dead it not even funny!

"Come on this way I saw a way out before you called me over!" Mag said as he grabbed my arm then pulled. We ran to the back of the room away from the door and saw stairs going up. How did I miss something like that, we just start running up the stairs as fast as we could.

Well as fast as Mag can go, I did offer to help him but he didn't want any and then we hear the door give way. "That just grate..." I say as we keep running up just how far do these stairs go?! I think in a mad panic but stop myself. Okay don't panic we can get out of this, just go up past this turning and more stairs going up. I think with a deadpan look on my face.

I look to Mag as he hobbles past me and look back the way we came, I could see there eyes glistening in the dark. There eyes were hollow like a doll's eyes talk about creepy. "I, I can't run anymore..." I turn back to Mag and see his down on one knee holding on to his staff to keep him upright. I sheath my sword then go over to him and put one of his arms around my shoulders as I try and lift him up to his feet.

"Come on Mag we're not dying here!" I say as I pull him along, we get back to trying to get away from the horde of spiders that were oddly taking there time coming after us. It was strange how we just turned the corner and they just start slowing down.

Okay run everything you know about spider's I think as we keep moving, one they use there web's to catch their pray. Don't see a lot of web's here so how are they following us by sent?, not likely but for all I know that how these spider's hunt.

Two some spiders go out and hunt for their prey like some tarantula's do and lastly they wait for prey to come to them. So far nothing is helping, I look to the crystal on the end of Mag staff, It can't be... can it? could they be drawn to the light. I think to myself as this idea slowly worked it way around my head only one way to find out. "Mag cut the light." I say as I try to help him move.

"Forget it, I'm not running anymore!" He say as he push me to one side just what was he talking about? “we needed to get out of here!” I yell Mag then he started to glow I just watch as he turns around and faces back the way we came he start to say something I can't make out.

The Crystal on his staff stop giving off light and then was starting to give off a fiery green flame. "I'm sick of running and hiding!" The old rat said as I hear the spider's getting closer just what was this crazy rat thinking?! I think then the horde of spiders hissed at us once they saw us. The next thing that happened was the large number of spider's started hissing and moving faster to get to us.

And then the next thing I know every last one of them was set on fire. I look to Mag seeing him throwing fireballs at them it was so, Awesome! Then I hear a screech and look up to see. “HOLY FUCKING HELL!” I scream.

One of the big spider's jumps down from the ceiling I didn't have time to think as the large FANGS OF DEATH started coming right at my face! So I did the only thing anyone would've done, stop staring at it like a goddamn idiot!

After yelling at myself to do something I lift my shield up in the hopes to stop the attack. Yeah you ever get tackled by a rugby player?, no me ever but I would think it was something like this. I was forced to the ground by it and could both feel and hear it fangs trying to get through my shield. Oh and my back was killing me from landing on the stairs.

As I try and hold off this thing, I look to Mag only to see he has his hands full trying to keep back the other spider's that are now walking on the sealing. I see him blast a number of them back into the open flames.

Okay looks like I'm on my own as I'm holding off this monster of an arachnid with my shield, I try and get to my sword that I was half sitting on and my mind go blank again. I'm not even sure why this is happening.

I take my sword and stab the spider under it belly, the thing gave off a scream that would make you think it was a bat that just came from hell. But I didn't stop I stabbed again and again on the third time it backs off.

But I did not back down I hit it with my shield right in it face making it back off with a screaming hiss. I stand and get ready for it to attack again, my mind was rushing through all the information inside my head from movie's, video games, documentaries, my life, you name it. To try and find anything as well as everything useful to kill this thing.

I watch as the spider get ready for another attack as it mandibles water in anticipation and looks like it ready to jump right at me. I take one step back and bend my leg so I'm at the same angle as the stairs. It jumped and I made my move.

I lean back when it jump I then hold my shield up over my head so it fangs had something to try and bite into and I see my target, the spider abdomen. It holds all the internal organs the spider need to live.

And with one thrust the sword slice right into it abdomen, I can feel it legs grab me as it try and get through my shield with it fangs. Then with one move I open it abdomen up like a wet paper bag, all I could hear was it screams as it let go and rolls down the stairs into the fires below.

I blink slowly as I saw the stone steps move under me. I was confused, was I walking... why am I walking?, where am I going?, where did the spider's go?, why is it so dark? and where that light coming from. I think to myself then slowly start to look around we're still walking up the stairs was all that a dream or something? "Good you're awake" I heard Mag voice.

I slowly turn to rat-no, Maggable. He had one arm around me to help hold me up and in his hand was his staff with light glowing softly only showing us the next step as we climb up the stairs. What happened, did I get bitten, I don't feel in pain or tired just what was going on? "Maggable... What going on, where are the spider's?" I asked trying to clear the fog in my head.

He looks at me in shock, or was it confusion I can't tell with the light being so low. He looks at me as if I should know what happened. "Well for the most part they pulled back after you kill three of them, but by the looks of you. You was unconscious as you was fighting, it was like you was some kind of animal." He said as we kept moving.

I just stare at him as he tell me this what the hell happened to me in the middle of that fight? "You almost attacked me as well, before I thought you went mad but once I got a good look at your eyes. I could tell you had no control over what you was doing. But in the end I got you to start walking... I wasn't sure if you was going to wake up." He said as he looks at me.

Holy hell he's serious, but what does this mean is this apart of my new body? Will this happen every time I'm in a life and death situation, what wrong with me maybe I should find a doctor or something once this is all over.

"Hey boy look there light up ahead, we're almost out." He said sounding happy about that I look up and see his right. We almost out of here I think then I turn to Mag and start to walk on my own. "Thank you for what happened back there. But could you stop calling me boy?, I'm 28 you know." I say with a small smile.

Maggable smiles at me and looks on ahead as we walk to our exit from this hell hole. "Only if you call me by my full name Rag." I can't help but laugh, I must be rubbing off on the old rat. I mean Nightwalker, man that going to take some getting used to. We're almost out of here we stop at some old wooden doors that look like no one taken care of them for years.

I put one hand on one door and Maggable uses both his hands to push the other. The doors gave ways as we both walk outside I pay no mind to what around me or the cold as I look up at the sky and take a deep breath. Oh god the air is so clean, I feel a bit high just from breathing. It then that I really take a look at my surroundings.

It was a beautiful landscape I can hardly believe what I was seeing and then I hear Mag call out to me. "Ragnarok!" Just as I turn to the sound of his voice, I feel something hit me in the back of the head. Then everything slowed down as I fell into the snow I saw Maggable getting ready to fire off some kind of spell. But from the left he was hit by some kind of blue light.

My eyes felt heavy as I saw Mag try and get up but just falls back into the snow unmoving. I see something walk over to him as my body felt numb. It was getting darker and harder to see. There were so many of them and the last thing I see were two orbs of blue before the darkness takes me.

Juts thought I'd put up what been done so far. It not finished but I thought I'll give you all something while waiting.