Chapter 5
They saw no sign of the gryphon for the rest of the afternoon, but that didn't mean Skyseeker was about to relax, her heart rate rising every time they reached the exposed peaks of the hills, the land so barren the flying monster could have seen them from dozens of leagues away.
Every time she urged the Horned Rat to put a stop to these Trantine Hills, she would be disappointed, always met with the same scenery as she surveyed the world from the higher ground. The bumpy landscape seemed to have no end, slopes and inclines in every direction, save for the wall of mountains that formed a natural barrier far to their east. At least the cover of darkness would arrive soon, the skies turning a pleasant shade of orange as the sun dipped to the horizon.
"So, man-thing," she began, slinking after the human as he descended the hill. "When will it tell-say how it got outcast from… Empireial place?"
"Never," he muttered, his pistol clocking against his hip with each stride. "Stop asking about it."
"But silence as boring as Tilee-place!" she whined, throwing her head back dramatically even though he wasn't looking at her. "Need stimulation!"
"Then go find the nearest breeding pit, rodent."
"Horrible man-thing! Males not know what happens to breeder in pits! Make death by feather-thing look very nice in comparison!"
"Could you stop shouting?" he asked, looking up to the clouds. "You'll bring the gryphon straight to us if you keep yapping away."
"Want silence? Then spill beans!" she ordered, though she still took his advice and lowered her voice an octave.
"Urgh…" He dragged a palm over his eyes, Skyseeker peering up at him with an expectant look on her muzzle. He seemed to be considering her question, her relentlessness was finally getting to him.
"Fine," he declared after a moment, Skyseeker pumping a fist in victory. "but not here," he added. "Let's find somewhere to camp first, then we'll talk."
She was already bounding ahead of him before he'd said first, Skyseeker combing the plains for shelter. It took maybe twenty minutes, but she soon found a small cluster of shrubs surrounding a raised rock, enough to provide cover should the gryphon come looking for them.
It was getting late, Skyseeker having to rely on her trusty goggles to cut back the encroaching darkness, soon spotting the man-thing wondering around out to her right. Useless thing would have gotten lost in the night without her around. She called him over, waving her paws to get his attention, waiting for a few minutes for him to catch up. She pointed proudly to the campsite with a finger, the man-thing appraising the shelter with a nod.
"This'll do," he said, crouching down in the grass. "Don't really want to make a fire and lure the gryphon over, but the alternative is to freeze. Help me set one up."
Skyseeker grumbled, but she soon set off in search of burnable sticks, dropping a handful of them at his feet after a few minutes. Soon they had a healthy campfire beating back the darkness, the man-thing's shadow long and shaky as he took a seat beside the flames.
"It might not look so now, but I was one of the most esteemed generals of Reikland," he began. "I had the ear of many noble families, I wore armour that would take a footman a decade to cobble the gold for, and I overcame villains that even the Emperor's Finest couldn't even dream of defeating. If that sounds arrogant to you, that's because I was. A more pompous young lad you'd never find, but I always got the task done."
Skyseeker sat across the fire from him, bundling her cloak over her shoulders as she settled in.
"When word reached my ears that a village had been seized by a band of secessionists, I leapt at the chance to prove my worth," he said. "I was already halfway out of the gates with a regiment by the time the other generals decided to act."
"Secessionists?" she asked.
"Imperials who no longer recognised the Empire, seeking to form their own state."
"Ah, many Skaven Clans made from splintering too. Proceed!"
"When we arrived, we found the traitors had rounded up the entire village. They threatened to put every man and woman to the sword if we made a move against them, so we laid siege and awaited reinforcements, but fortune wasn't with us. My scouts reported beastmen stalking the woods nearby, looking to mount an attack to our rear. Cursed things had us outnumbered three to one."
"I had to decide between breaking the siege and face the beastmen," he said, prodding the flames with a stick. "Putting the lives of my men at risk. Or to pull back and wait for reinforcements, leaving the villagers and the traitors to the mercy of the beasts. I made a lot of tough calls fighting for my country, but none were like this."
"What did man-thing choose?" she asked, her eyes wide.
"Neither. I assembled the men, and carried out a raid under the cover of night. The secessionists had to be dealt with, and I planned on the traitors surrendering once they knew we were inside the village. We liberated nearly half the village before the alarm was raised, but instead of giving up… the bastards carried through with their threat."
He tossed the stick into the fire. "Eight hundred people called that village home, and by the time we'd taken control… barely two hundred lived through the night. I should have known the honourless traitors would have no qualms killing the innocent, but a part of me thought they'd still have some humanity in their hearts. It is as the elves say – above all the races, it is we humans who are the most easily seduced by the whims of Chaos." He looked up at her, a hard expression on his face. "I should know, because after we took the village, I had all the secessionists rounded up and executed."
Skyseeker blinked at him, the human continuing before she could get a word in.
"That might not seem so harsh to a Skaven, but for us, it is considered honourless to kill those who have surrendered. At the time, I told myself it was deserved justice for the fallen, but now… now I'm not so sure."
"… That how man-thing outcasted?" Skyseeker asked. "but, kill-kill enemies good for Empire, no-yes?"
"It's not who I killed, but who I got killed that caused my exile," he explained. "When reinforcements arrived and helped drive the beastmen away, word spread quickly about what had happened. The people of Reikland, even the village survivors, criticized my actions They said I cared about my prestige than their lives. When the Emperor's advisors leaned of what happened, they were quick to call my mental stability into question. People demanded I should hang, but my service to the Empire ensured I was banished instead. I was sworn to only return when I, in the Emperor's words: Learned to put the needs and values of the Empire before my own."
"And now I wander," he said, gesturing to the plains beyond the fire. "these southern provinces seemed as good a place to begin as any, the lands are still held by men. Well, for the moment," he added, no doubt recalling the Skryre warband's invasion.
"What man-thing doing here-here?" she asked. "Think it will just fall over thing that will end-stop its exile?"
"Sigmar will guide me on my search," he said, not elaborating further. "Now you know my secret," he continued, resting his hands on his knees. "I'd ask you not to go blathering about it to everyone, but I know neither of us don't exactly a lot of friends in this place."
"Promise to keep man-thing's secret, IF-!" she added, raising a paw. "Man-thing keeps breeder secret secret."
He seemed to find that amusing, chuckling at her as he replied. "Sure thing, lass. Lad, I mean."
She cocked her head at the odd term, but guessed that meant he had accepted her deal. She yawned suddenly, stretching her arms over her head, about to turn in when she suddenly remembered something.
"Here," she chirped, clipping off one of her pouches and tossing it to him. The pouch arced over the firepit, landing in his outstretched hand.
"What's this?" he said, testing its weight. He poured its contents into his other hand, blinking when a pile of olives landed in his palm. "What the… thought you ate all of your bounty before? What's this for?"
"Man-thing miss many things," she replied, glad he wasn't as perceptive as she thought. "Said before not give information for twenty fruit-things. Take-have twenty one fruit-things, counted personally!"
"Oh. Well, thanks…"
Satisfied with herself, Skyseeker curled up into a ball, the flames warming her front as she closed her eyes. Though tired, her excitement was turning her mind into a frenzy. At last, a secret had fallen straight into her paws! His ceding of his past meant he was already starting to see her as less of a threat, the fool. Her advantages on the man-thing were growing.
"Hey, question," the man-thing said. Skyseeker shot him an annoyed look for interrupting her schemes, but she let him speak. "Say that you were in my position, assaulting that village of traitors. Would you have done the same as I?"
She considered for a moment, trying to imagine what she'd do with so many man-things under her command. "I'd leave man-thing bait for hoove-things, make Skyseeker warband look weak-weak. Then, when hoove-things least expect it… spring trap!"
"You thing a numerically superior force could be ambushed so easily?"
"Numericalness nothing against sneaky-attack! Why ask anyway?"
"No reason." He turned his back on her, resting his head on his many bags. He closed his eyes, and after waiting a few minutes to be certain he was sleeping, she followed suit, her dreams plagued with gryphons and olives.
-xXx-
The hills were getting broader, the space between them channelling so deep into the earth they started to resemble valleys. It seemed that no matter what direction she and the man-thing set off in, it was always an uphill journey, Skyseeker stumbling to her knees as she baked in the oppressive heat.
"Keep up now," the man-thing called, not even bothering to look back as he marched ahead of her. Mental issues aside, the creature seemed to have an endless pool of stamina to draw from. He'd not so much as paused for a break since the morning.
"W-When nap time?" she called back, but he mustn't have heard her, his noisy armour growing quiet as he scaled the hill. At least the soft grass provided some measure of relief, Skyseeker laying one cheek on the ground as she regained her breath.
"Hey, rat!" the man thing called from atop the hill. "Get up here, there's something you should see!"
Skyseeker dragged her feet and paws up the incline, the ground slowly scrolling past her with each agonising pull of her limbs. After a few painful minutes, she finally reached his side, flopping onto her back as she peered over the lands. From this height, she could see the sprawling hellscapes of the plains in its entirety, chains of hills in every direction, their sizes ranging from small bumps to towering mountians. At the furthest reaches of her vision, she saw greenery dotting the fields of wildgrass, gently leading thick walls of trees. That must be a forest, it must mean they were closing in on the edges of the plains.
"Could just tell Skyseeker end of plains was close," she muttered, glaring up at him.
"Wasn't talking about that," he said, pointing out to their north as he hunkered next to her. "I meant that."
She followed his finger, squinting her eyes into the haze. There was something moving from one hill to another, two valley chains from where they were standing. She twisted the dials on her goggles, zooming in for a better look, her eyes growing to the size of plates when the image bloomed. Crawling across the slopes like an infection was a mass of brown fur, metal swords and weaponry glinting in the light. A wall of man-things stood some distance away, the creature's ranks three rows deep, flanked by even more man-things who brandished rifles and pistols.
The man-things were firing in volleys, the cracks of gunpowder visible, but silent, the charging ratmen falling by the dozens. She could see other, fast-moving combatants surrounding the main skirmish, horses ridden by man-things seeking to flank, along with Skaven pilots trying to do the same. They were riding Doom-flayers, motorised vehicles with a singular wheel at the front, and a pilot seat at the back, with every protruding inch of steel covered in barbs and wicked spikes designed to make ramming as painful and effective as possible.
"Friends of yours?" the man-thing asked, shielding his eyes with a hand.
"Not know," she replied, peering into the ranks in search of a banner. It took a few seconds, but she soon found the markings of a Great Clan, the flag jutting from the back of a giant rat, or perhaps it was an ogre, it was hard to tell from this distance. "Wait! Look-see Great Clan Pestilens banner! Not friends!"
"Pestilens? How many Great Clans are there anyway?" he asked, blinking when she held up five fingers, then changed her mind and lowered one of them. "These Clans, are they all out for Tilean blood?"
She made to correct him, but reconsidered. The less he knew about what Skavendom was doing, what she was doing, the better. "Skaven always fight-kill Tilee-place," she said, which was partially true. "Vermintide nothing special."
"If you say so," he said, reaching down to pluck his canteen from his belt. He took a generous swig, the sloshing of liquid drawing her attention. When he noticed her staring, he rolled his eyes, holding it out to her. The sudden movement startled her, Skyseeker clutching the handle of a weeping blade as she leaned away.
"I know what you're thinking, you needn't worry," he assured, shaking the little bottle. "Go on, can only take so much of your incessant panting."
The allure of a drink overpowered her suspicion, and she snatched the canteen from his hand, putting his back to him as she fiddled with the lid. When she figured out how to unscrew it, she brought the canteen to her lips, taking one draw, then another, then poured some of her face for good measure.
"Alright, that's enough," he said, making to grab it off her. Skyseeker squeaked, pushing her feet into his chestplate, the pads of her toes burning as they touched the heated metal, using him as leverage to roll herself out of his reach. She tumbled head over heels, placing a hand on the canteen to keep it from spilling. "Hey! That's the only water I have, you want us both to die of thirst?"
Skyseeker wanted to just ignore him, but he had given her a drink without demanding anything in return, perhaps she should heed his words. She placed the cap back, tossing him the canteen, mumbling a thank you as she licked her wet whiskers.
"You're welcome," he said, his tone implying he wasn't very grateful. "So what do you know about these Pestilens rats?" he asked, stashing his canteen away."
"Pestilens love plaguing!" she said. "Brew many concoctions, kill enemies with air, not knives. See green air, don't forget to hold breath."
"Rats making poison? As if the gryphon wasn't enough to worry about," the man-thing muttered, stashing his canteen away as he glanced at the distant vermintide. "Come," he ordered, rising to his feet. "Sooner we're out of these hills, the better."
-xXx-
Roderick and Skyseeker weaved between the hills, the sounds of battle growing louder and more numerous as they trekked through the heart of the Trantine Hills. The snaps of flintlocks and warpstone rifles rose to a constant backdrop, carrying from first behind them, then to their west. He'd been informed during his time with the mercenaries that the Skaven were a constant thorn in Tilea's side, but this felt more like an invasion then a simple nuisance.
He glanced behind him, his vermin follower lingering a few paces back. She was constantly eyeing the skies, likely fearing the return of the gryphon. He couldn't blame her. She probably looked like a tasty snack to the flying carnivore, not that he was safe either, he'd seen gryphon's snap fully-armoured men clean in half with their powerful beaks.
"Stop!" the Skaven ordered, her head swivelling in quick half circles. "Man-thing hear-hear that?"
He thought she was just talking about the gunshots, but after a moment he caught onto something else. Armour clanking together, interrupted by a low murmur of conversation. It was coming from over the hill they'd been walking towards for the past few minutes, just ahead of them.
"Let's take a look," he said, lowering his voice. "Nice and quiet, okay? We've come this far without incedent, don't want to start now."
The rat, Skyseeker, nodded, then plunged her face into the dirt. She cupped her paws full of dust, then began to rub the earth into her cloak and shoulders, rolling around to help spread it over her face and short torso. She looked like a pig that had been gifted a fresh trough of mud.
"What the… What in Sigmar's name are you doing?" he demanded, the rat standing up after a moment, covered from face to belly in dirt.
"Camouflaging!" she chimed. "Hide from feather-thing, hide from all things!"
He supposed her dirty cloak might blend in a little better now that it was filthy, but her spontaneousness still caught him off-guard. She was clearly devoted to this mission of hers…
"Let's go," he said, leading the way. The slope here was shallow, only rising a dozen or so meters into the air, Roderick drawing his pistol as he approached the top. From the way the wind combed the grass, they were downwind of the voices, so at least their scent wouldn't give them away if it was Skaven.
When he approached the top, he got down onto a prone position, Skyseeker mirroring his movements as she sidled up to his left. There were no shrubs nearby to cover him, so he removed his helmet lest its shine give him away.
He raised his eyes over the lip of earth, the landscape as similar as the ground they'd already crossed – flat grasslands stretching in every direction, with only the distant hill breaking up the plains. Movement drew his gaze lower, Roderick spying a cluster of figures gathered by the foot of the hill on the far side.
Lounging around in various states of alert was a group of Skaven, dressed in cloth tunics the same shade as the grass, chittering and muttering to each other. A couple of them were lounging around, tails curled over their furry legs as they snored loudly, while the majority of them were huddled up in a circle.
As Roderick watched, the rats in the circle seemed to be passing something between them, but he couldn't see what from this angle. He could, however, hear the ratmen taking turns sniffing loudly through their blocked noses, one of them lifting his muzzle to exhale loudly.
"Scouting party, likely from that vermintide we saw earlier," he muttered, backing down out of sight.
"Man-thing don't say?" Skyseeker asked sarcastically. "Hear I think-thought Skaven skitter hills for fun!"
"Could mean the Skaven are heading in the same direction as us," he said, ignoring her comment. "What's that thing they're passing around?"
"Maybe new weapon, or maybe warpstone!" she answered, that last notion making her bounce on the spot. "Strange if so, sharing warpstone not as good as keeping for self."
"Indeed, communal creatures you are not," he said, remembering the way she'd stuffed herself into that vat of vinegar. "Think they'll move off soon?"
"Clanrats taking nap time," Skyseeker said, peeking over the lip of earth. "We go round-around, manoeuvre past swifty. Easy scheme!"
"Much as I hate to admit it, I agree with you. Rather not announce ourselves to every man and rat in these hills. Still," he added, gesturing to the sides. "Not a lot of cover out there, we'll have to loop pretty far if we want to stay out of sight. It'll add time to our journey, but we're not in a hurry… are we?"
"Time is of essence!" she snapped. "Skyseeker must complete mission soon, before other rats do it first!"
"Wait, other rats? Like who?"
She flattened her ears against her head, clearly frustrated at having said too much. "Man-thing thinking too much," she grumbled. "More skittering instead! Time is of essence!"
"Then by all means, skitter away." He waved a dismissive hand.
She muttered an insult aimed at his intelligence, then turned, dashing on all fours as she moved back down the incline. Now it was his turn to follow her, it seemed, Roderick jogging after her as they moved out into the grasslands.
-xXx-
Skyseeker waved him on, their path jutting abruptly to the right after half an hour of walking in a straight line. There was no cover whatsoever out here, Roderick feeling the hair on his neck stand as he tried to keep an eye on all his angles. Although the patrol as just a speck in the distance, having nothing standing between them and him made him nervous.
His companion would occasionally peer in the scouting party's direction, her goggles glinting as they reflected the light. If she had any similar reservations, she kept them to herself, weaving deftly through the tall stalks of grass, her pace just swift enough that he could keep up if he jogged.
"Sure they won't spot us out here?" he asked, glancing at the barren ground all around them.
"Unless Pestilans' have goggles too, we hidden for now," she replied curtly, not waiting for him as she pressed on.
"Not just rats I'm worried about," he muttered, turning his eyes up. Suddenly he wasn't so sure about navigating all this open ground. At least the hills provided some measure of cover, and the next chain of mountains was a good league or two away to their south.
"Then shut mouth and move legs," Skyseeker snapped, the fact she too was peering up at the sky occasionally not going unnoticed.
She increased her pace, Roderick having trouble keeping up in his armour, the metal cooking him in the intense heat. There wasn't much effort to spare for conversation, the pair navigating over the flat ground in silence, occasionally dodging or jumping over a protruding rock. It took them most of an hour, but his reservations about being in open ground turned out to be in vain, the two of them reaching the next set of hills without incident. There were even a few hardy saplings clinging to the nearest slope, Roderick joining the ratwoman as she collapsed into the shade of one.
"See? I am the supreme master of evasion schemes!" the Skaven said, literally patting herself on the back for her efforts.
"Your clandestine nature is undeniable," he admitted. "But let's keep moving. Where there's one patrol, there will be more."
-xXx-
"Feels like the perfect place for an ambush," Roderick muttered.
They'd been following the same snaking trail for the rest of the evening, two giant hills forming towers of earth to either side of them. The natural canyon was tight enough to obscure them from any further scouting parties in the area, but the seclusion went both ways, the consistent sounds of warfare hinting that battles were taking place somewhere just out of sight.
"Good plan, man-thing," Skyseeker chirped, hopping over a boulder behind and to his left. The land was pockmarked with other large rocks, the faces of the steep hills in particular. They would barely reach knee-height for a human, but to a Skaven, they would make excellent cover. "But can't stay-wait here, Great Clans overrun this place soon."
"No you dolt," he chided. "I meant if someone were to set up an ambush against us, this'd be the place."
Skyseeker took a long draw of air, her shapely chest expanding as she filled her lungs, expelling them with a sputter. "No stink of Skaven or man-things," she informed him. "No chance tracking greatest assassin! Rick-rod just being stupid paranoid thing."
The pass narrowed as they pushed onwards, reaching the point that almost no flat ground existed between the hills, Roderick stumbling through the uneven terrain. He glanced up at the hill on their left side, certain he had caught movement, only to find himself staring at a patch of dancing wildflowers at the top of the slope.
Worry began to well up inside him, but their list of options was few. Climbing out of the canyon would risk a twisted ankle or a steep fall, not to mention the cover they'd be giving up would put them at risk of discovery by the Tileans and Skaven fighting for these plains. They'd walked too far to simply turn back as well, pushing on was the only viable path.
Soon the pass began to bend to the right, the curve of the hill obscuring whatever lay in the distance. He watched as his Skaven companion navigated through the terrain like a grasshopper, her wide feet able to let her control her weight better than he ever could. The way she flowed from spot to spot was oddly mesmerising, for a five foot vermin of course.
Before long, something began to slowly appear around the bend, the trail coming to an abrupt halt as it met with a treeline. It was a patch of forest, the woodlands spilling onto the slopes a little, forming a distinct U-shaped canopy of bleached leaves and branches, stretching some unknown distance further into the canyon. After days of walking through exposed ground, the sight was a welcome one.
Before either of them could comment on it, Roderick and Skyseeker stopped in their tracks, sudden movement from between them and the forest giving them pause. From behind the boulders and bumps in the ground, figures began to rise into view, dust and clumps of grass sliding off furry shoulders and long muzzles. Just as Skyseeker had covered herself in dirt, these Skaven had buried themselves in the earth to conceal themselves, lying in wait for something to pass through.
There were seven or eight of them, the Skaven raising black swords in their paws, one of them opening his jaws to loose a predatory hiss that reminded Roderick of a striking cobra.
"Just being paranoid, was I?" Roderick demanded, turning his furious gaze on Skyseeker, the rodent's lips quivering as she thought of a response.
"S-Stupid man-thing's fault! Clanky armour gave us away! Told man-thing clothes were bad!"
Roderick didn't have time to formulate a reply, the Skaven unleashing a war-cry as they started to charge, leaping across the uneven ground, swords poised over their furry heads. Most of them wore nothing more than a few tattered sheets of green cloth over their chests and legs, the most protective gear Roderick could see being a few patchwork helmets, made from hammered sheets of steel connected by thick bolts.
Their equipment was lacking, but their numbers weren't, Roderick seeing another group of rats coming into view up on the slope to the right, also laying in wait behind any bit of cover they could find. The Skaven would have stood a better chance combining their forces into one big attack, but nobody ever said that logic was in the Skaven vocabulary.
"Backwards scurry?" Skyseeker asked, her neck shifting and turning as she looked at every approaching rat in turn.
"Little late for that!" he replied. Roderick drew his pistol, the silver sights catching the sunlight as he aimed at the closest Skaven. He fired, his arm snapping up, the round punching a hole through the Skaven's chest in an instant. The rodent stumbled, like the shot had simply winded him, only to be shoved carelessly to the ground by a Skaven directly behind him.
Roderick reloaded, shoving a fresh charge into the barrel, trying to ignore the thundering footsteps of the charging ratmen. He held out his pistol once more, the crack of a second gunshot echoing over the pass. The Skaven he'd aimed for tried to duck out of the way, but too late, a red mist spraying out behind him as he fell.
The rats were closing, but Roderick dared to try for a third reload, the Skaven moments away. As he fished for another paper charge, he glanced over to his left, Skyseeker shifting as the vermintide bore down on them. He had accepted that she wasn't a threat to him, but now that more of her kind were here, he wasn't sure what she'd do. As if being a Skaven wasn't enough, she was a damn wildcard to boot. Not the most logical choice of an ally, all things considered.
He released the breath he'd been holding when she drew those corrosive blades from her belt, holding them out towards the oncoming rats as she dropped into a low crouch, her long teeth bared. When the nearest Skaven was within range, she leapt, the muscles in her legs like coiled springs as she propelled herself, leading with her daggers and plunging them deep into his furry chest.
The Skaven didn't react in time, dropping his weapon as Skyseeker yanked her daggers out of his torso, pushing his convulsing body aside. The rest of the charging Skaven stopped abruptly, skidding in the dirt as they looked on in confusion, like they'd only just now recognised Skyseeker's presence. One of them gestured curiously in her direction.
"What rat-thing doing?" he asked, a bewildered expression on his muzzle. "Fight man-thing, not us-us!"
"Skyseeker never break deal-pacts! Good business practice!" She reached into her cloak and produced a warp-star, thrusting her arm out as she threw it. The confused ratman tumbled to the ground, the star imbedded in his throat.
The four remaining clanrats split their attention, two changing direction and going for Skyseeker, the other two rushing Roderick. He didn't have enough time to push the lead ball with his ramrod before they'd be on him, Roderick abandoning the effort, flipping the pistol instead so he was holding it by the barrel.
The Skaven closest to him unelashed a furious hiss, dragging his sword across the ground, and heaving it up in a cleave, aiming for Roderick's chin. He sidestepped the swing, stepping in and clocking the rat on the snout. The wooden grip on the pistol was reinforced with brass, the ratman yelping as blood seeped from his nose.
To his right, the second Skaven closed in, driving his curved blade towards Roderick's chest. Rather than dodge aside, he moved closer, seizing the ratman by the wrist. He shoved his armoured shoulder into his muzzle, twisting his arm at the same time, the Skaven dropping his weapon with a yowl of pain. Roderick clasped the sword before it fell, using it to slice open its former owner's belly. These rats telegraphed their attacks like recruits, and the fact they'd been hiding in this pass for who knows how long hadn't done them any favours.
Glancing to his left, he watched Skyseeker swing her daggers in a severing motion, but instead of aiming for the Skaven, she targeted their oncoming weapons instead. The green blades cut through the dark metal with ease, severing one sword just above the hilt. The disarmed ratman immediately gave in, falling to his knees, rasping out some plea for his life, the other pressing the attack. The two rats exchanged a handful of blows, but ultimately the ratman's sword was cut in twain, the axe clattering to the dirt. Skyseeker had clearly learned from her fight with Roderick, staying on the defensive, letting her opponents ruin their own weapon on her corrosive blades.
Skyseeker loosed a feral snarl, the two ratmen stumbling away in fear. They turned to flee, clutching their heads in a panic, Skyseeker snickering in triumph. Her amusement was cut short when she glanced up the incline, thrusting out a dirty claw.
"Man-thing! Look!"
Roderick had just finished off the dazed Skaven, plunging his stolen sword into his chest, following her pointed finger as he freed it. The second group of Skaven was halfway down the hill, around ten ratmen sharing a wordless warcry, but two of their number stood out. They were taller, wearing the Skaven equivalent of a knight's armour, flanking the procession. They were both wearing full-face masks, two breathing canisters jutting from the sides of their chins. One looked like he was carrying the most oversized blunderbuss in existence, while the other was clutching giant globes in his gloved paws.
The latter of which suddenly lifted his arms, tossing one such globe in an overhand throw, Roderick noting he had dozens more of the devices strapped to his chestplate, the balls jangling together with each stride. The tossed globe fell a few meters short of Roderick, the glass canister smashing against a stone. It seemed to be made of glass, the device shattering violently, but rather than the earth being rocked by an explosion as a grenade would do, instead a cloud of green vapours erupted from the impact, the fog rolling out like a liquid in all directions of the compass.
"Don't breath-smell it!" Skyseeker warned, hopping away despite being further from the cloud than Roderick. "Tampered warpstone gas, very poisonous!"
"I can see that!"
Another cloud of warpstone erupted on the left, then the right, a wall of dense, green vapours obscuring the advancing Skaven. They were using it like a smokescreen, no doubt taking the opportunity to flank.
"Tree time!" Skyseeker yelled, dashing further up the pass. Roderick concurred, following behind her as they circled the warspstone gas, Roderick ripping another paper charge open with his teeth, his hand steady even as he hurried to keep pace with Skyseeker.
He could hear the skittering of paws on his right, Roderick turning his head to see a trio of Skaven appear on the spot the first group of rats had been slain. They scanned the area, confused for a moment before they spotted Roderick. They made to pursue, but before they could, another globe of warpstone toxin landed by their feet, a cloud of gas spreading with a sound reminiscent of a leaking steam valve, the Skaven shreikign as they scrambled clear. The one throwing the globes either didn't know, or didn't care he was putting his fellow Skaven at risk by chucking them blindly into the pass.
Thumbing back the firing mechanism, Roderick held his pistol ready as he made for the trees, spying Skyseeker's pink tail slip into the undergrowth. He followed after her, pressing his back against the nearest tree, panting through his helmet as he leaned out to peer in the Skaven's direction.
Through the closest wall of vapours, a figure emerged. It was the other armoured ratman, wielding the bulky, blunderbuss-like weapon. From neck to waist, he was decked in armour, parts of it painted over in a shade of green just as deep as the gas surrounding him, his face protected by a bulky rebreather. What appeared to be a giant brass ball was strapped to his back, with a canister poking out of the top, a large piece of glowing rock sitting flush against the glass casing. That must be a piece of warpstone Skyseeker had told him about.
He could the rat rasping through his mask as he brought his weapon to bear, aiming its tube-like muzzle in Roderick's direction. He pulled a mechanism fitted to the stock, a stream of green liquid spewing across the ground. It msut have been oil, the grass and rocks suddenly igniting, erupting in flames the colour of emeralds as the rat lifted the weapon, a scorching heat washing over Roderick's face.
He heard Skyseeker shriek somewhere to his left, the ratwoman tossing herself as far away as possible, Roderick doing the same. He threw himself to the ground just in time, the tree he'd been hiding behind setting ablaze, the ratman waving his flaming weapon back and forth to spread the inferno.
A shrub to his right parted, one of the poorly-armed rats narrowing skimming the edge of the flames as he barrelled into the trees, his beady eyes locked on Roderick's. The two exchanged blows, Roderick dispatching the rat as he climbed to his feet. He couldn't see Skyseeker, but he could hear shouting somewhere to his rear, her high-pitched voice mixed in with a few others. She must be dealing with her own ambushers.
Another spurt of liquid flames penetrated through the trees, the armoured ratman trudging fearlessly into his proceeding blaze, his furry feet clad in what must be insulated boots. He swept his warpstone weapon in wide arcs, cackling like a madman as he ignited everything in his path. Roderick shielded himself with an arm as the flaming weapon angled in his direction, feeling scorching heat on his arm as he was caught in the cone of fire.
Roderick retreated deeper into the forest, spotting Skyseeker further to the left. She was duelling with another Skaven, the two rats dodging and snarling, her goggles switching from her opponent to the flamethrower. She was dangerously close to the cone of fire, the flamethrower-wielding rat advancing in her direction. Both she and her opponent would be set alight in mere seconds.
He held his breath as he drew his pistol, lining up the iron sights with his eye. His vambrace was trailing green flames, but it didn't affect his aim, Roderick firing a bullet at the ratman's rebreather, the Skaven's crazed laughter cut short as one of the trailing tubes popped off like a snapped suspension cable.
The rat dropped to his knees, keeling over his weapon as though trying to hug it. Skyseeker spared him a glance, offering a curt nod before returning her attention to the rat she was sparring with.
Roderick redrew his stolen Skaven sword, spotting another ratman hopping through the bushes to his flank, drawn by the sound of the gunshot. He didn't want to waste ammo on these simple Skaven, Roderick stepping in with a lunge, slicing the rat across his belly, dropping him with an ease that bordered on trivialness.
Seeing that Skyseeker had dispatched her opponent, he scanned the trees for the creature throwing the globes. He didn't have to look for long, the armoured rat leaping through the treeline just behind the corpse of the pyromaniac, seemingly undeterred by the grim sight as he moved deeper into the trees.
The Skaven's hearing was keen, even with the mask, the vermin swinging round in Roderick's direction when he plugged his handgun with a ramrod. The ratman put a hand to his vest, where two more of the transparent globes dangled from his clasps, but he couldn't beat the speed it took to pull a trigger.
The pistol fired, the crack echoing, Roderick watching through the wisp of smoke as the ratman stumbled, suddenly becoming engulfed in a cloud of green vapours. He blinked in surprise. Was his whole body made up of the perilous gas, the bullet bursting him like a balloon? He wouldn't be surprised, Skaven were vermin that thrived in decay and toxins.
As he made to reload, the lingering vapours swirled, and the masked ratman rushed into view, his frenzied wailing muffled by his rebreather. Roderick lifted a brow, certain he hadn't missed, his eyes wandering down to the Skaven's vest. He could see blood trailing from a bullet wound, along with part of a smashed glass globe. His bullet must have hit one of the weapons, the device slowing the shot enough to spare the Skaven.
The globadier drew a blade from his belt, too close for Roderick to reload his pistol before it was on him. He squared off against the ratman, the rodent pulling the last globe hanging from his vest. Barely a few memters away, he threw it in an overhand arc, Roderick narrowly dodging to the side, the globe skimming past his helmet, shattering on the ground somewhere behind him.
The globadier closed in, swinging his sword in a sideways arc, Roderick meeting it with his own blade, the two Skaven weapons clashing with a metallic ring. Roderick followed up with an uppercut, but the ratman stepped out of the way, holding his blade in two hands and thrusting. Roderick let the rat glance him on the arm, trusting his armour to take the blow while he counterattacked.
He managed to catch the ratman on the shoulder, driving his sword into one of his vest straps, but the point met resistance. The globadier's armour was just as sturdy as his own, maybe moreso, his blade bouncing off the brass-coloured metal harmlessly, forcing Roderick off balance.
The rat took advantage of his surprise, putting Roderick on the defensive as he delivered swing after swing, never repeating the same angle twice, Roderick ceding space as he retreated. The Skaven switched his weapon from one paw to the other, driving a fist towards Roderick's belly. The plates on the knuckles of his glove must have been reinforced, the blow knocking the air out of Roderick's lungs.
He knew Skaven were fast, but this particular vermin was downright crazed, Roderick unable to counter under the onslaught. He was forced to take another step backwards, tensing as he realised what the rat was doing. He could sense the cloud of toxic gas directly behind him, feeling its presence like a wall. He wasn't sure what coming into contact with the warpstone gas would do, and he wasn't eager to find out. He had to finish this vermin off quickly, but his crude blade did little against the heavily armoured rat.
The globadier drove his blade towards his face, Roderick raising his weapon to block. As the blades clashed, he swiped left, the rat mirroring his movements, the two weapons locking together at the crossguards. Roderick put all his strength into the clinch, the ratman leaning closer as he did the same, their helmets almost touching as they buckled under one another's efforts. Roderik could see his reflection in the ratman's visor, the rodent's scowl just visible beyond the glass. The sight gave him an idea.
Rather than try to overpower, Roderick instead drew his head back, clocking the rat's mask with his helmet in a desperate headbutt. His vision blurred with the violent impact, but the globadier recoiled, lifting a sluggish hand to his face, opening him up to a crushing strike from Roderick's pommel. He drove the blunt edge into the Skaven's muzzle, hearing the glass part of his mask shatter, one of the jutting canisters popping off like a cork from a bottle.
With a snarl, Roderick pressed forward, stepping to the rat's side and whacking him across the back of his head with his blade. The rodent's neck was also protected by a collar of metal, but the force of the impact drove the Skaven forward, while Roderick circled around to his rear, forcing their positions to reverse. Now it was the Skaven who had his back to the gas.
The rat scrutinised him through his now cracked visor, his eyes full of fury. Roderick came at him, the Skaven reacting slower to his strikes than before, his damaged vision giving Roderick the edge he needed. He forced the rodent to defend from above, feinting his strike, instead delivering a savage kick to the rat's stomach, the blow powerful enough to send the Skaven arching through the air.
The Skaven was swallowed into the thick cloud of gas, his figure becoming shadowy and distorted as he landed on his rear. The rat began to sputter, swiping desperately at his masked face as the gas seeped into his lungs, his rebreather no longer functional.
Roderick held no pity for the Skaven, but even he felt shivers crawl down his back as the rat began to make a horrible death rattle, his limbs kicking out as tried to claw his way out of the cloud, his weakening limbs failing him. A few grim moments later, and the ratman began to gradually relax, the Skaven curling up like a dead spider ashe went silent.
He turned away, fishing a paper charge from his belt as he examined the scene around him. Everything was on fire, the distinct cone of emerald flames expanding to every nearby twig and leaf. On the far side of the burned out clearing, he watched as Skyseeker wiped her magical blades on the grass, cleaning them of blood before stowing them inside her many belts and straps. He could see the bodies of four or five Skaven littering the ground around her, she must have dealt with the rest while he'd mopped up the globadier.
"Are… Are you well?" he asked, trying to steady his breathing. Skyseeker nodded her hooded head, circling the flames, standing by his side as she glanced from him, to the globadier, then back to him.
"Rick-rod killed warpstone throwers…" she asked, sounding genuinely confused. "Not think it survive…"
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he grumbled, lifting his visor and rubbing his temple, still dizzy from his headbutt with the rat. "We should make a hasty retreat, the shots and the smoke will draw more of your ilk. Mine too, no doubt."
He made to move, but Skyseeker stopped him, pointing a claw at his arm, Roderick tilting his head as he followed her finger. The plates covering his bicep was sizzling with lingering lines of warpfire, Roderick batting at them until they were snuffed out, patting the rest of himself down just to be safe. After he was done, he shouldered his way into the trees, moving in the opposite direction of the treeline, Skyseeker trailing behind him.
