A Rattling Monster

Damn, I lost his track. That was the thought of the Green Claw, still stuck inside the sewers of Ronta. This whole chase was utterly useless for him. Normally, each time the Clan Master gives him a target, he will locate it with the help of the tool provided by the Sicle Clan. This time, it was the scent-catcher, once the target trail is found, no one can escape it. And he had followed it, from the forest of the elf to the city of the human. But he never managed to reach the rogue ratman. Even with his speed and by resting for a short time, the moment he left the protection of the treants, he could never catch a glimpse of the ratman. That was an insult to all the Green Claws.

For days, he had roamed the sewers of this city, hoping to see his target. But after all this time, he figured out that the rogue plague master had found out his presence. And that puzzled him. He was absolutely certain that no one had the possibility to see him. Even sensed him. So how his target knew that he was tracking him? Otherwise, he wouldn't have walked more than four times the size of the sewers. And always in a circle, never going back on his step. Sometimes, he even doubted that this was really his target. I mean, he clearly plagued the humans, he saw countless dead bodies across the sewers. And he was aware of his presence. Only someone with another tool of the Sicle Clan could have done that.

He even had gone to the surface one time, to mess up with the scent-catcher. It took him an entire day to make the tool working again. And now, he is stuck. The reason is the dwarf throwing bombs all around the place. He destroyed the evidence. And his incessant naggings about duel and killing ratmen is irritating the assassin. Even if he was not on the list of the important peoples to kill, the ratman was considering making an exception. That was to show how pissed he was. It was probably one of the few times a Green Claws ever failed an assassination. And not even because the target was too powerful, but because he couldn't catch up with it. A ratman, incapable of outrunning his prey. The entire Clan will laugh at him for that.

But as he watched more and more the dwarf, he noticed that he was wearing a rare equipment. Something that was extremely hard to get. Was he an Iron Beard? Why would a member of this army be inside a human city? A few questions were raised inside the mind of the Green Claw. The report of the lower assassins of the Clan Noctulis hadn't stated an alliance between the Holy Kingdom of Aria and the Grey Mountain Kingdom. But a member of the royal guard of the dwarf was inside this very city. And he was equipped with the standard equipment. A sac filled with bombs, I guess the three potions to resist the poison and plague of the ratmen were there too. Runes inscribed on every single piece of armors and both the axe and the shield. Taking his head and reporting this to the Council will make them forget his failure.

But now, how to kill this indestructible fortress of steel and muscle. While most humans armors were weak or had a lot of weakness, counting on those for a dwarf armor was just plain stupidity. Especially the armors of the Iron Beard. Even their beard was protected, so hoping a weakness was useless. How many bombs did he use, I heard at least 3? That means, the minimum is five, so two more are expected. He didn't use any of his potions, I think. Damn, if that plague master was here, he could have distracted him, now I have to attack him alone. But such thoughts were only slowing down the assassin. He needed to attack before he got close to another sewer grid. If he had the support of the humans, there was no chance for the Green Claw to kill the dwarf.

During this time, the dwarf was carefully watching the surrounding. Before, he had sensed no danger, but his experience was telling him that right now, he was in danger. His axe was still not drawn, he only had his shield and his other hand inside the bag of bombs. Ready for anything coming at him. At one moment, he heard a rock fall. He turned his attention to the opposite of the sound, where he finally saw the demon he was looking for. A shadow a little darker than the other. An assassin. So Graeme was apparently right, a Green Claw was located inside Ronta. Even if he saw it, he didn't throw a bomb. He only had three more. Now that he confirmed the presence of such a threat, his survival was more important than his vengeance. He needs to tell that to the humans.

"IT'S A FINE DAY TO DIE VERMIN! WHAT A PLEASURE TO MEET A GREEN CLAW INSIDE A SEWER! REMEMBERING YOUR FAILED ASSAULT ON THE MOUNTAIN KING?"

The dwarf carefully retreated a foot at a time. If he began to run, his defense will show some weakness that the assassin will exploit. He already lost the sight of the shadow. Now it could come from any direction. The closest sewer grid was at more than a hundred meters. Too far in his current situation. Walk softly, listen to your surroundings. His training of Iron Beard was kicking back inside his mind. A shadow on his left pounding on him. He threw a bomb, only to find out it was a trap. A piercing dagger is now planted on his right shoulder. Even if the dagger was very sharp, it doesn't really injure the enduring dwarf. But his reaction with his shield will be slower. And he lost a bomb.

The most important is not the dagger, it is the poison inside it. The Iron Beard quickly drink his three potions. Even if his opponent is a Green Claw, those three potions were the proudest achievements of the dwarves' alchemists. It will allow him to live for at least thirty more minutes. After that, if he doesn't have the help of Mathews, the Archbishop, he will be dead. But he only walked for twenty meters.

Plick Plick Plick

Something is dropping in front of him. He knows that it is just a bait, but his mind is still diverted by it.

Rustle

On his left. Nothing. And behind him, nothing at all. What was that? But the distance is now half of what it was. His left hand never leaves his bombs. A silhouette is rushing just in front of him. Without even watching it, he violently bashes behind him. He senses that he has hit something. But by the time, he turns himself, it has disappeared. Just a hit from his shield will provoke no injuries but will prevent an attack for a short time. He can now see the light coming from the sun.

Another shadow is jumping on him from the left, so he throws a bomb to his right. But this time, the shadow was real, he can see partially the face of the ratman. The target of this attack was his left leg. The dwarf will have a hard time walking. But only twenty meters.

Lansco tries something as the last hope. He stops defending himself and rushes toward the exit. The assassin was clearly not expecting this but his speed is far greater than the speed of an injured dwarf. Three meters before the grid, the dwarf feels the ratman right behind him. He stops, turns and throws his last bomb not toward the ratman, but on himself. The explosion blows both of the opponents, injuring lightly the assassin because of the distance and barely stunning the dwarf, thanks to his heavy armor. Of course, a part of his beard has burned, but that's a low price, he is now directly under the sewer grid.

"HELP ME HUMANS MAGGOTS! QUICKLY!"

But if the armor was heavy enough to protect him from the explosion, it is incredibly hard to climb the ladder to exit the sewers with it. And during the short moment where he is not yet out, the assassin rip both of his leggings in pieces and his legs are now riddled with flesh wounds. Only the menacing looks of four magicians make the ratman flee. The nearby priests commence to heal the dwarf who has fallen unconscious but watching his state worsen, they are asking for Mathews immediately. Those wounds are nothing to him, but the poison spreading inside his body will be his doom if it is not cured quickly.

In the end, a few minutes later, the Archbishop could be seen walking toward the injured dwarf, his face turning white shortly after, due to his efforts of getting rid of the poison. Lansco wakes up for a short moment but unfortunately, just the power of one Archbishop is not enough. He will need to heal him multiple times before finally getting rid of the potent poison. A moment before falling into a coma once again, Lansco pronounces some dark words.

"Green … Claw … human. One … here … Ronta. Warn … Mountain."