In tragic silence, the bloody tear lands Kadlin's thigh. Grania's eyes pop open and she takes in a very deep breath. Kadlin's face turns to one of utter shock and happy confusion. Grania coughs up blood, but differently than before, more like she is clearing out her lungs. As Grania starts to breath rapidly, Kadlin starts to tremble in disbelief. Almost like it's a reflex, Grania wraps one arm around Squeak's body and the second one grabs the back of his head as she pulls Squeaks into her as if her body is begging him not to stop. Grania's breathing stabilizes and Kadlin's mouth moves like she trying to say something, but nothing is coming out. Grania pulls him in closer, holds him as tight as she can, takes a long, deep breath and lets out a sigh that mixes relief with pleasure. Taking that as his cue, Squeaks takes his hand off of her and releases his bite. With reluctance, she lets go of him, he carefully climbs off her and, at the same times, they all three look at Grania's wound. The delighted shock from both Grania and Kadlin fills the room as the wound finishes closing up so perfectly there isn't even a scar. After a moment of disbelief, and in a voice filled with wonderment, Grania looks at Squeaks and can only manage a single bewildered word. "How?"
Ashamed, and covered in her blood, he turns his head away and lowers it. "Well well, I was thinking of how I could save you you. Then then I thought that a feral wererat, even in human form, could survive that wound wound." With a very small voice that's thick with guilt, he says "So so, I gave you Lycanthropy Lycanthropy."
Kadlin slides through the pool of blood over to Grania and hugs her tight. Tears run down her face as she squeezes her tighter. "I-I can't believe ya are alright! Never, ever scare me like that again!" Grania chuckles as Kadlin finally lets go of her and takes a seat. They look at each other with huge smiles as the hold each other's bloody hands. Still with a big smile on her face, Kadlin turns her joyfully teary eyes to Squeaks. "Squeaks, thank ya! Thank ya! An thank ya a million times more!"
"No no need to thank me me." He smiles at Grania who smiles back. "I I couldn't let her die die. At at least, not without trying everything I could could."
As Grania and Squeaks smile at each other, Kadlin's thinks about what just happened, then looks up to Squeaks. "I'm so happy I brought ya with me. Ya have some magic skills I didn't even know about, like makin Lycanthropy take effect fast!"
He clears his throat and starts an explanation, knowing this will give his friends a well needed moment of rest. "Well well, how fast the trait is passed on depends on a lot of stuff stuff. The the type of Lycanthrope and how the trait enters you makes a big difference difference. For for example, a shallow bite from a feral weretiger can take weeks to give you the trait, but a jugular bite will give you the trait in a few days days. Wererats wererats have the most potent trait of all Lycanthropes and a deep bite from a natural wererat can give someone the trait in less than a minute minute. My my blood is so potent, a few drops directly into the blood stream can give you the trait in a few heartbeats heartbeats. That that is why I cut my hand on Kadlin's axe because I can't heal fast from wounds made by weapons of the Gods Gods." He looks at both of them and smiles seeing how happy they are and gives Grania a bittersweet smile. In an almost shameful tone, he says "Sorry sorry I was a bit rough with both of you, but I didn't think I had time to explain explain."
They both look at him with understanding smiles. "Ya don't need ta be sorry for anyhin honey!" exclaims Kadlin. She lets go of Grania's hand, carefully to her feet, walks over to Squeaks and gives him a massive hug as she starts to tear up in joy. Though he appreciates it, Squeaks is very uncomfortable with the hug because his head falls directly into her cleavage. After a long hug, Kadlin lets go and takes a step back. "Ya tha best Squeaks! I owe ya food for tha rest of ya life for what ya did."
"Me too." Grania says softly as she rubs her sore neck. "Even if you, ummm, bit me really hard."
"Sorry sorry about that, but you were almost dead, and I thought giving you a double dose of trait couldn't hurt hurt." They all smile and chuckle at that macabre comment. The still concerned Squeaks looks over Grania still sitting in a pool of her own blood. "How how are you feeling Grania Grania?"
She takes a moment to think. "Ummm, I'm really tired." She takes a deep breath. "But considering how I felt a few minutes ago, I can't possibly complain about that." That comment makes them all smile.
"That that is normal after you gain the trait trait." He lets a small sigh of relief. "Just just make sure you get treated when we get back to HQ HQ. Trust trust me, you don't want to be a feral wererat wererat."
"Good to know." Grania twitches her nose as she looks around at all the blood on the floor. "Holy shit! I bled a lot!"
"That ya did!" Kadlin exclaims as she walks over to the body of Zedekiah. Looking at it with loathing, she scowls and kicks him in the side hard, twice. She kneels down and gives the punch dagger a quick twist before she removes it. She wipes it on his shirt and looks it over before offering it to Grania. "Where did ya get this handy little thing honey?"
Squeaks smirks as Grania takes it from Kadlin and absorbs it. "Squeaks gave it to me at HQ before we left. He told me to, umm, always carry a weapon and man was he was right!"
With a smile, Kadlin shakes her head in disbelief. "Ya are our miracle worker honey! I might just have ta take you with me on every mission." She looks around and grabs Zedekiah sword. After wiping it on Zedekiah's shirt as well, she offers it to Grania. "Here honey. Ya goin ta need this."
She takes it hesitantly as it still has some of her blood on it. "Not sure I want to use the weapon that almost, ummm, killed me." She looks back and forth between Kadlin and Squeaks. "What do you mean I'm going to, ummmm, need it?"
Kadlin's expression turns real, and she lets out a small, sad breath. "We got ta get out of here an there's a lot of guards. Ya need somethin bigger than tha dagger. Just be careful with that sword around me cause it's made to kill demons an undead."
Grania lowers her head and starts to tear up. "We're still going to die in here, aren't we?" Kadlin rubs her shoulder gently and Grania sighs feeling the helplessness inside Kadlin. Grania looks over at her precious wererat and sighs. "Squeaks, ummm, thanks for saving my life and all, but I want you to get out of here. Escape, get back to HQ and try to send help. Please. I don't want you do die."
"No no!" His ears perk up at the sound of very distant footsteps. His hand drips a vibrant red drop of blood from his self-imposed wound. "I I will not leave my friends to die die!"
"That's very noble of ya honey, but Grania is right." Kadlin looks over her wounds as she carefully bends over and picks up her axe. "Go an get help. Hopefully we will stay alive long enough for it ta matter."
Squeaks walks over and helps Grania to her feet. "Never never!" His powerful gaze looks to the injured demon. "How how much energy do you have left Kadlin Kadlin?"
She looks down and sighs. "Not much. I might have enough ta take down fifty or so."
Squeaks hears the footsteps get closer. "That that should be enough enough. I I will take point point. You you two stay together and protect each other other. We we will make it out of here together, I promise promise!" He walks over to the door and waits.
Kadlin and Grania look at each other with a lot of disbelief then back to Squeaks. Kadlin asks "What ya talkin about honey? There must be five hundred, maybe a thousand guards out there!"
The sound of footsteps reaches the door as Squeaks closes his eyes and lets out a long, controlled breath. Waiting in front of the door, he says out loud to himself "Time time for me to prove my rank rank."
Keys and talking can be heard from the guards on the other side of the imposing door. Kadlin readies her axe. "What da ya mean honey?"
The key is put in the door as he stands there in silence. Grania looks at him, feeling his resolve, and hesitantly starts to say "Ummm, Squeaks I..."
She stops abruptly when Squeaks' whole body starts to glow faintly. They both stare at him in a state of awe as his katars pop out from his wrists, glowing like his body. The door unlocks with a thunk as a small kukri materializes, tied around the tip of his tail. The door flings open at the same moment as Squeaks' eyes. They glow a fierce white as he sees nine elite guards in front of him, who pause for just a second not expecting to see a four-and-a-half-foot tall glowing wererat standing in the room. Squeaks takes advantage of the moment and blinks into the group. With several quick and expert slashes, his glowing blades disembowel four guards. He leaps in the air and his tail swings side to side, slicing the throats of two more. In the air he unleashes three quick blasts that kill the last of the guards. He lands with amazing grace and looks over his shoulder to see Kadlin and Grania are staring at him, stupefied by the sight. "Come come on on!" he orders as he looks down the hall and starts to run. They both snap to it and race out the door.
The group turns the corner and sees another small pack of eight guards rushing at them. There isa blink, some masterful strikes, a pair of energy blasts and all eight of the guards dead. The group continues running as Grania says to Kadlin "Did you know he was, ummm, this powerful?"
Kadlin shakes her head. "Not a clue. But he's our miracle right now, so don't think about it an just keep runnin honey!"
The party keeps running as an alarm blares through the hall. As they make it down the rather narrow hall, they meet several more guards all who are quickly dispatched by Squeaks. They turn another corner and see a large metal door that's locked tight. Not letting something like that stop him, Squeaks charges up a rather large blast in his small hand, hurls it at the door, blowing it open and the party races through. They stop, look around and find themselves in the training room with at least a hundred guards. All the guards look at the party, pause for a second, then charge. Squeaks smirks. In a primal Lycanthrope rage, he fearlessly charges, slicing his way through the hostile crowd with a flurry of blades and blinks. In his bloody madness, he gets hit many times, but the wounds heal as fast as they are made. A few guards make it past him and to Kadlin and Grania but, with a bit of lighting, Kadlin takes care of some. Grania, her eyes glowing red, uses her telekinesis to make her new sword slice and stab to take care of the rest.
Once the room is cleared, they keep moving on. They encounter and dispose of several small packs of guards until they make it to the end of a long hall and another metal door. Squeaks stops and pulls out his flask. Kadlin and Grania look at him curiously as he pops the top and slams it. He puts the flask away, twitches a lot, puts his diminutive hands together and starts making a large ball of energy. Grania and Kadlin take a few steps back as it grows bigger and bigger till it's the size of a large watermelon. With a squeaky roar he unleashes it. With the sound of shattering metal, it rips a massive hole the door and keeps going, killing many of the guards on the other side. He looks at Kadlin and Grania. "Stay stay here here!" He blinks into the room.
The air is filled with the sounds of slicing, screams, blinks, blasts and death. As Squeaks does his thing, Kadlin and Grania take the opportunity to catch their breath. Through the blown open door Grania sees Squeaks leap back with a broken spear sticking through his torso. He pulls it out, flings it at someone, his bladed tail disembowels someone charging from his rear, then blinks out of view. Not thinking, she smiles and says, "He is amazing."
With a happy smile Kadlin looks to Grania. "Ya know he likes ya right?" Grania turns bright red and looks at her with wide, slightly glowing, eyes. "An I think ya like him too."
"H-h-how can you..." Grania gets very awkward as half of a body lands in front of the doorway. She glances at it as it lets out a small last breath, then she looks back at Kadlin. "I mean, ummmm, I do, but ummm, b-but I, ummm, belong to you, my Mistress."
Still smiling, Kadlin shakes her head. "Not anymore honey." Grania frowns, her eyes turn sad and starts to pout her lip. With a smile, Kadlin puts her fingers on her chin. "After what ya did for me, savin me life, I can't look at ya like that anymore. I'm a demon an ya are mortal. Ya are supposed ta be lesser than me. But that was beyond brave. I look up ta ya for that. An ya can't be below me if I look upta ya. Now I look at ya as a friend."
Grania gives her a bittersweet smile as a large energy beam vibrates the building. "I understand Mist... I mean Kadlin. You were always my friend." They look at each other for a moment as Squeaks slams someone into the ground, cross chops his head off and then blinks. "But I will always love you."
"An I will always love ya honey." Grania takes Kadlin's hand off her chin and gives her one last, loving kiss on her soft lips. They both looks back to the opening as they hear Squeaks still killing and both sigh at the same time as the last guard lets out a cry. Then there is silence. Squeaks blinks in front of the opening, covered in blood and glowing much less than before, and they both seem relieved as he seems in one piece. He motions to his friends to follow; they nod and rush out. Out of the hall, they look around the large dormitory and see hundreds of bodies everywhere. Kadlin and Grania would normally be in shock by the site but are too busy running for their lives to fully grasp it. The party makes it out of the dormitory, up some stairs and onto the main floor.
The take care of a few stray guards and are almost to the main temple room when the floor starts to spread open in front of them. Kadlin and Squeaks both leap over the widening pit of spikes, but Grania hesitates. She reaches the edge and, before she can stop herself, starts to fall in. Squeaks blinks, grabs her just before she falls and blinks back to the other side. He holds her tight, and she blushes. As if time paused so it could happen, they look deeply into each other's eyes and, in that moment, both are completely content. In a very serious tone, Kadlin shouts "Ya two can fall in love later! We are almost out of here!"
Embarrassed, he lets go of her, who is possibly more embarrassed than him, and they continue to run. A few turns and a few dead guards later, they make it into the main temple room and are greeted by the last handful of guards. Kadlin blasts a guard with a blast of lighting, Grania surprises one by running it through with her new sword and Squeaks takes care of the rest. As they approach the door, the room shakes as one of the four bronze statues in the room starts to move. The great bronze man stands over a story tall with hollow eyes adorning his lifeless face and moves with the sound of old gears. The party looks at it and, in unison, lets out a few very loud expletives. Both the hands of the automation raise slowly, and its fingers point to the party. Squeaks blinks in front of Kadlin and Grania and makes a large shield of energy. Like small cannons, the bronze man starts shooting explosive rounds at the party from his fingertips. The shots explode violently on Squeaks' shield. The shield holds against the vicious assault as his other hand begins to glow. At the same time, Kadlin rolls her neck as she starts to send electricity to her axe. They both finish powering up at the same time and Squeaks fires a beam of energy. The blast knocks it off balance. Kadlin sees the opening, leaps out from behind the shield and flings her axe at the left knee of the bronze man. It strikes with a massive thunderclap, blows the knee apart and the statue falls over, hitting the ground with an earsplitting crash. Grania uses what's left of her energy to lift the dismembered leg high into the air with her telekinesis. The bronze man starts to take aim again as Grania smashes the leg into the head of the automation. The mechanical monstrosity stops moving as molten lead starts to run out of its crushed head. Squeaks drops his shield, Kadlin retrieves her axe, and they continue their escape.
Just outside the temple, the street is very quiet and peaceful. A wagon full of hay just rolled past, a few people barter with some vendors across from the temple and the sun is lowering in the sky, painting it an array of yellows and oranges. The picturesque scene is broken by a large blast that blows out of the sturdy temple door. Chaos erupt and people scatter in every direction. In the midst of the chaos, the party races out of the temple and onto the street. They run down the main road till Squeaks stops suddenly. He points his hand at the road, charges up a large blast then blows a huge hole in it. Without a word, he grabs Kadlin and Grania by their arms and blinks down into the tunnel under the road. The old passageway is dark and musty smelling but seems long abandoned, so they run as fast as they can until they turn a few corners. Not hearing anything moving, they all stop and take a breather.
"Ya are incredible Squeaks." the grateful demoness says softly, not wanting to make too much noise. Squeak smiles for a brief moment before he leans against the wall and starts to breath heavy. His faint glow fades away causing Kadlin and Grania to look at him with great worry. "Squeaks. Ya alright there, honey?"
"Yeah yeah." he replies between long breaths. "Just just spent a lot of energy doing all that that. I I am really hungry hungry."
Relieved, they all smile. After a very short rest, and Squeaks eating the rest of his Jordan almonds, they continue down the old tunnels for a while but at a slower pace. All of a sudden, Kadlin stops dead in her tracks perks her head up. "Me man is back!" She closes her eyes and concentrates. A moment later, the quiet of the tunnel is broken by the sound of a portal opening. Alan steps out of the portal and looks at the three as the pop of his closing portal echos in the darkness. Kadlin's eyes light up, she runs over and wraps her arms around him. She squeezes him tight as her eyes tear up. "Oh, am I glad ta see ya babe! I missed ya! I needed ya!"
He hugs her back just as tight. Lost in the moment, their gazes meet, and they lean in close almost kissing. "I missed you too baby. I was so worried when I heard you were unaccounted for." He takes a second to look at Grania and Squeaks and is surprised to see their clothes are torn up, they're covered in blood with and look very tired. His eyes move over to his partner who looks just as tired and has a number of wounds on her. With no tact, he blurts out "What the fuck happened here?"
"I will tell ya tha story later babe. All I'm gonna say right now is we owe these two drinks for tharest of their lives!" She squeezes him tighter. "I was so worried about ya. I felt ya power up an leave."
"Sorry, baby." He sighs. "It got crazy down south." He runs his fingers over her back trying to avoid her still-bleeding wounds. "But that story can wait as well. Right now, we all need to get back to HQ. Protocol six was ordered." They all nod in agreement. His hand on Kadlin's waist, Alan opens a quick portal to HQ and they all hurry through it. Once they step through, it closes filling the dark tunnel with another pop.