The sight froze the breath in my lungs.

  My hand, holding the flame, trembled slightly, sending wild shadows dancing across the stone walls as my mind struggled to reconcile the image of the polite, clean servant from breakfast with this broken figure huddled in the filth.

  Theo?!

  Down here in this dark, damp cellar, surrounded by rats and crates?

  The realization hit me, cold and sharp down my spine.

  Since that day Lord Ainsworth threw food at him, insulted him, and finally hit him… I hadn't seen Theo anywhere in the manor. Not once. And that was almost a week ago…

  Gods, what did they do to him?

  I took a few cautious steps closer, holding my fire-lit hand higher to see better in the gloom. “Theo…?” I asked softly. “Is everything alright?”

  He just curled tighter into himself, pressing his face against his knees. Looking closer, I could see dried blood crusted near his lip and dark, ugly bruises mottling his cheekbone. His thin pants were ripped at the ankles, and the skin beneath showed raw, red marks… they looked horribly like rat bites.

  What the hell happened to you down here, Theo?

  “Pip…” I whispered, stroking her fur as she pressed against my leg. “Can you please… help Theo?”

  Pip gave a short meow, then cautiously approached the huddled boy. She rubbed against his side, purring loudly, a comforting rumble in the cold silence. But Theo reacted violently, shoving her away with a choked cry. Pip stumbled back a few steps, letting out a soft, almost pained meow.

  Anger flared hot in my chest for a second—how dare he hurt Pip?!—but it died just as quickly.

  I knew exactly how he felt, huddled there in the dark. He felt worthless. Thrown away. Like the world just decided he didn't matter. When you're dumped in a place like this, cold, dark, and alone… it crushes something inside you. Hope bleeds away, leaving only misery.

  I knelt and stroked Pip, who now sat beside me, watching Theo warily. I sighed heavily. What was I supposed to do now? Theo was completely shut down, unwilling to accept even Pip’s simple comfort.

  In the flickering firelight from my hand, I saw one of the rats scurrying nearby dart towards Theo again. Before I could react, it reached his leg and bit down hard. Theo flinched violently, whimpering again, fresh tears falling onto his knees as his whole body trembled.

  A bottomless rage surged through me this time.

  Pip seemed to feel it too; a low growl vibrated in her chest, and she launched herself at the rat. The creature let go of Theo’s leg and tried to flee, but Pip was too fast. She pinned it with both front paws and delivered a swift, killing bite to its neck. The rat let out a piercing shriek that echoed horribly in the cellar, then fell silent.

  Suddenly, Theo started muttering frantically, his voice hoarse with terror. “Oh no, oh no, oh no… they… they’ll come now.” He pulled the thin, filthy blanket completely over his head, burrowing deeper into the corner like he could disappear.

  What? What did he mean, 'they'll come'? Come for the dead rat?

  I peered deeper into the oppressive darkness beyond my limited firelight, but saw nothing but shadows and stacks of crates. Pip’s reaction, however, was all the confirmation I needed. The fur along her spine stood straight up, and she let out that low, ominous yowl cats make when they sense serious danger.

  I swallowed hard, my own fear spiking. Then I heard it… faint at first, then closer… scratching sounds. Like claws skittering on stone. Coming from the darkness ahead.

  Tense, heart pounding, I stared into the blackness, holding my fire-light steady. And then I saw them… pairs of small, reflecting eyes. Gleaming faintly in the dark. And they were getting closer… getting bigger.

  Shit. If I only knew what was creeping up on us, I'd at least know what I was facing. They'd taken my damn goblin knife when I arrived. Could I really defend us with the flimsy magic I had?

  Wait a second… goblin knife… That reminded me. I glanced down at the bracelet on my wrist, the one with the dull red stone. Focusing my intent, I whispered quietly, “Appraisal.”

  Instantly, information flooded my awareness, sharp and clear.

  ========== APPRAISAL ==========

  Name: Bracelet of Servitude

  Category: Bracelet (Binding Artefact?)

  --------------------------------------

  (Further analysis requires higher rank)

  ===============================

  Could Appraisal work on… them too? Worth a shot. I took a deep breath, focused on one pair of the glowing eyes, and whispered again, “Appraisal.”

  Information flashed through my mind once more.

  ========== APPRAISAL ==========

  Name: Giant Sewer Rat

  Category: Animal/Critter (Rodent?)

  --------------------------------------

  (Further analysis requires higher rank)

  ===============================

  Giant… Sewer Rat? My mind flashed back to the rat Pip just killed. That thing was maybe slightly larger than rats back home, but giant? Hardly…

  And then it stepped into the edge of my firelight. My breath caught in my throat.

  This rat… this rat was the size of a calf. Its fur was mangy and patchy, its teeth long and yellowed, its eyes glowing with feral red light.

  Shit! Shit! Shit!

  Panic seized me. That's a Giant Sewer Rat? How could I possibly fight that? I had to protect Pip, and Theo… what the hell could I do?

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  It got worse. As the first giant rat emerged, more pairs of glowing eyes appeared behind it in the darkness. Dozens of them. Multiplying.

  Okay. This looks really, really bad.

  My Water Magic was pathetic; a water ball wouldn’t do anything against that monster, let alone dozens. My Fire Magic? Yeah, I could make a flame, maybe throw a small fireball, but that wasn't enough. The flame would die out halfway or just singe their fur. If only I had a weapon… anything…

  A chorus of high-pitched screeches suddenly erupted from the darkness, and in the next instant, I saw them—a wave of calf-sized rats surging forward, dozens of them, a tide of mangy fur and glowing red eyes rushing towards us.

  Pure, primal panic flooded me. Screw Theo for a second, gotta protect Pip! Desperation clawed at my throat, forcing a crazy, reckless idea.

  The giant rats were only three meters away now, maybe less, their claws scrabbling on the stone floor. I thrust my hand forward, desperately pulling on both Fire and Air magic simultaneously. Mana flooded my senses, hot and swirling, almost unstable. I gathered as much as I possibly could, feeling the dangerous energy build, then, as the first rats leaped towards us, teeth bared, I screamed the first words that came to mind, pouring all my intent, all my fear and desperation into the spell:

  “ROARING FLAMES!”

  A gigantic torrent of fire erupted from my hand, roaring like a furnace, engulfing the space in front of me. The sheer effort, the sudden, massive drain of mana, sent me staggering backward, collapsing onto my ass again. The world plunged into darkness as the flame died, completely spent. Pip instantly placed herself in front of me, a small, furry shield against the unseen.

  We sat there in the sudden, shocking blackness, the roar of the flames replaced by a ringing in my ears. I braced myself, waiting for the impact, for the surviving rats to tear into us.

  But… nothing happened.

  Just silence, except for a faint crackling sound and the heavy, sickening stench of burnt flesh and fur filling the cellar air.

  Then, blinking in the darkness, a familiar notification bloomed in my awareness.

  < Spell learned: Roaring Flames (Inferior) >

  Honestly, I couldn't feel particularly happy about learning my first own spell right then. My mind was far too occupied with the grisly reality of our dreadful situation.

  Okay, plan. Need a plan. First, wait a few minutes, let my mana regenerate at least a little. Then, get the hell out of here. It was somewhat reassuring to know I could cast magic powerful enough to protect us, but it clearly drained me completely in one shot. More like a desperate trump card than a reliable weapon. I urgently needed to learn more efficient spells, like a normal fireball maybe, something I could actually use more than once.

  The darkness was absolute now, broken only by Theo’s continued soft whimpering from the corner. Nothing else moved.

  “Pip, you still there?” I whispered into the blackness. A prompt, soft meow came from beside my leg. Thank gods.

  “Theo? You alright over there?” I called out, pitching my voice slightly louder.

  No answer, just the sound of his ragged breathing and stifled sobs.

  Sighing, I shook my head in the dark. How are we supposed to handle this? Should we try to break open the cellar hatch? No, that sounds like asking for more trouble. But we couldn’t just stay down here. I didn't know what Lord Ainsworth was thinking, locking us in like this. Sure, maybe Theo was disposable to him, but wasn't I important for his stupid tournament? Why risk my life down here with… whatever else might be lurking? It made no sense.

  I waited in the cold darkness, trying to gauge the returning tingle of mana within me. It felt like an eternity, but slowly, gradually, the feeling grew from a faint spark to a noticeable hum.

  Okay, maybe enough for some light, at least.

  Carefully, I summoned fire back into my hand, the gentle orange glow pushing back the oppressive dark. Pip was still beside me, alert. Theo remained huddled under his blanket, unmoving.

  My gaze inevitably fell upon the results of my spell. The sight sent a shiver through me, despite the warmth of the flame. The giant rats were scorched pitch black, frozen in their final moments, looking like grotesque charcoal sculptures. I didn’t know whether pride or fear was the right emotion as I looked at my handiwork.

  This power… this weapon I now carried inside me… Was I ready for that? Ready to bear the consequences of wielding it?

  I honestly didn't know. But I did know we couldn't stay in this cellar a minute longer than necessary.

  Getting to my feet, I cautiously approached the nearest charred rat carcass. Pip trotted silently beside me, stopping when I did. I hesitated, then gently nudged the creature’s scorched skull with my foot. Thankfully, it was completely stiff and unmoving. Dead. My spell had certainly seemed effective, but seeing it, confirming with my own eyes that they were truly dead… that gave me the peace of mind I needed right now. No nasty surprises.

  I turned back towards the corner. “Theo,” I said softly, trying to keep my voice calm. “It’s alright now. They’re dead. Come on, please. We’re leaving.”

  Theo didn’t stir. Not even a flinch.

  My eye started to twitch with annoyance again. Kid, I’m trying to save your ass here… we don’t have time for this! Losing patience, I raised my voice, sharp and commanding.

  “Theo, come on! NOW!”

  That seemed to do the trick. Theo slowly, hesitantly pulled the filthy blanket away from his head. His eyes were wide with terror as he looked first at me, illuminated by the flickering flame in my hand, then at the circle of dead giant rats. He visibly flinched.

  “Come on,” I repeated, lowering my voice again but keeping it firm.

  Theo still looked terrified, staring at me like I might incinerate him next. Great, I probably look like some kind of fire demon in this lighting.

  But he slowly, painfully pushed himself to his feet. Every movement seemed to cause him agony; his face was a mask of misery reflecting the state of his bruised and bitten body.

  Gods, Theo… I felt a pang of pity, but it had to wait. Survival came first. I gave him a curt nod, indicating the way back towards the stairs. Slowly, hesitantly, Theo started shuffling, and we made our way back through the grim scene towards the cellar hatch.

  It didn't take long to reach the bottom of the stone steps. I looked up, holding my flame high, illuminating the underside of the hatch above us.

  “You have got to be kidding me…” I cursed under my breath.

  Seriously? The underside of the hatch was reinforced with thick, solid iron plating. No wonder it slammed shut so heavily. No chance of breaking through that quietly, or probably at all. Shit!

  “Theo,” I asked, turning to the frightened boy beside me. “Is there another way out of this cellar? Besides the hatch?”

  Theo just gave a tiny, numb nod.

  Okay, progress. “And? Where is it?” I pressed, trying to keep the growing frustration out of my voice. “Can you take us there?”

  He just shook his head vehemently, eyes wide with renewed fear, backing away slightly.

  “Theo… pull yourself together!” My nerves were frayed raw now, the adrenaline wearing off, leaving me tired and stressed. I almost yelled again. “Tell me where the damn exit is!”

  He flinched violently at my tone and finally stammered out, tears starting again, “The… the s-sewers… wh-where… where the rats c-came from…”

  Sewers. My stomach churned. Oh, just perfect.

  I took a deep breath, weighing the options. Back into the darkness where those things came from? But the hatch was impossible. I had a decent amount of mana back now, maybe enough for one more blast if needed. And maybe… maybe the overwhelming stench of the burnt giant rats would deter others from coming this way for a while? It had been quiet since the big barbecue. Seemed like our only chance.

  “Okay,” I said grimly. “Lead the way.”

  I gestured with my free hand towards the area where the rats had emerged. Theo, legs trembling visibly, started shuffling forward again, leading us carefully past the circle of charred corpses towards a dark opening in the far cellar wall.

  It wasn’t just an opening; it was a huge, gaping hole broken through the stone, leading into a tunnel beyond. The stench hit me immediately, a vile wave of decay, excrement, and stagnant water that made me gag.

  Gods, that’s foul.

  Looking up, I saw water dripping steadily from a smaller hole in the ceiling directly above the tunnel entrance, splashing into the murky channel that ran along the tunnel floor. Probably the latrine chute from the manor above. Lovely.

  But the strangest thing… there was no door here. No metal grate, no barrier at all between the cellar and this sewer tunnel. Just a wide-open hole. Wasn’t that incredibly unsafe? If someone knew about this, couldn't they just walk right into the Baron's cellar via the sewers? Maybe that explained the iron-plated hatch on the other side. Still seemed like bizarrely poor planning. But who knew what nobles thought was logical.

  Sighing, resigned, I carefully scooped Pip up onto my free arm, holding her tight against my chest. She wrinkled her nose at the smell but didn't struggle.

  Then, taking another deep breath and trying not to heave, I stepped down into the disgusting, ankle-deep water of the sewer channel. It was cold and slimy underfoot.

  I turned back to Theo, who was hesitating at the edge, looking absolutely terrified. I offered him what probably wasn't a very reassuring grin in the flickering firelight.

  “Come on,” I said, my voice echoing slightly in the tunnel entrance. “Time for a shitty adventure.”

  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ??

  - Fookin Jerry