Chương 10: Omnimancer 10: Tail of the Rat

Rat stalked the weird human despite every instinct in her body screaming at her to run and hide. Because she had to know. Who was this human who muttered chants like they were a chore? Like something to be rushed and mumbled? How was that even possible? And that power… her gut twisted every time she looked at him. Something about him made her angry beyond reason. Because she knew. There was more to this human than what met the eye. Something sinister.

Which meant the Hearthguard Brotherhood and the Shamanic Conclave would shell out heavy coin for it. Her heart still hadn't slowed ever since he'd used that impossible magic. Even just remembering it made her blood go cold. What was that? Not any School of the First Tier she'd ever heard of, and she knew of many. Luxor's tits, she knew of more schools than half the Psychomancers in Takora combined. Sure, maybe it came from some obscure peak or a hidden hermit village.

Her own Pumasillo was a Sixteener responsible for the Gift that made Skinwalkers like herself, so she wasn't unused to such things. But this? This wasn't some backwater Gift. It was far too strong. One that didn't smell like it belonged to a lowly human. Let alone a human without even a shred of Soulfire. How was that possible? She knew the answer. The answer she didn't want to believe. Or rather, couldn't. Because it would break her entire understanding of the way of things.

Because what would a human with a [Rare] Gift of the Second Tier—and all the status that entailed—be doing in a city like Takora? Nothing good, sure as nightshit. She shook her tiny head, her tail vibrating as she followed the humans through the sewer tunnels. The man had a caravan and a half of starving lowlanders in tow. His little band of would-be slaves. That has to be it! That was what irked her. Why play the hero, only to stab them later? Better to shackle them and let 'em know there was no hope.

It's what she'd have done. Unless, of course, he enjoyed that sort of thing. She'd seen him enter the Den earlier, changing out of those strange clothes into something plainer. If she hadn't seen that, she might've mistaken him for a local, even. But the way he carried himself—the way he walked—it was just wrong somehow. Too much confidence, for one. No, this guy wasn't from Takora, or anywhere near. That was for sure. Which meant he was a foreigner. Someone with a plan. And plans, Rat knew, were never good news.

Stuff that looked too good to be true usually ended with someone dead. Or many someones, in this case. Then, with no warning at all, the man suddenly whirled, and Rat's heart nearly stopped. Lost in her thoughts as she'd been, she'd allowed herself to get too close. Tala you amateur! This wasn't like her. She was better than this. Instinct made her freeze up, and unfortunately, rodent instincts were far stronger than human ones.

Cursing, she forced her body to move, trying to scurry in random directions like the countless other rats nearby. So long as she acted the part, he'd never know. They never did. Then why's he looking at me like that!? He couldn't know. Could he? No, that was impossible! Rat heaved a sigh when the weird human finally shook his head and turned, muttering something under his breath. After that, she made sure to stay well away. Maybe he had some Gift to sniff out enemies or something. Maybe he was a Psychomancer?

Shivers ran down the length of her body, making her fur stand on end. That was a terrifying thought. Nevertheless, she'd figure him out. Learn his little secrets and dig up dirt on his backers, then sell the info to someone important. Maybe Chayton or Bidzi. Or even Nakai. Lowliest of the Skinwalker people though she might be, there were advantages. There were always advantages, if only one knew where to look. It was how she'd survived as long as she had. That was how she'd risen as the Rat.

A cursed moniker she'd taken as her own. She was one of the best damn informants in the city as far as she was concerned. T he Rat could go places others couldn't, her small form slipping through cracks people never even knew existed. And while rats had garbage vision, her whiskers told her everything she needed through vibrations and scents. Sounds, too. She could actually sense quite a bit, and her small size meant she could escape better than anyone.

Only this time, she ensured she hung back far enough to avoid suspicion again. Which, of course, meant she lost them more than once. Only the gaggle he was with let her follow them. Follow she did, because this? This was the kind of scoop that could change a life for good. The group finally left the sewers, which was unfortunate because the morning light outside blinded her eyes for a full minute until they adjusted. Then she was forced to follow them through the snow. Her worst enemy.

Her curiosity kept her going anyway. Well, that and her greed, of which she was damned proud and no one would ever convince her otherwise. What was his angle? Maybe he'd turn on the debtors and sell them for coin? Risky move, that. They owned those trades, and Hakan didn't take kindly to anyone tramping on their turf, least of all foreign types. Risky… but not impossible. Then a voice in her head scolded her for ever thinking like that. At the way she'd been made to think. She started to feel guilty…

but she crushed it fast. Mercy was for fools. Mercy got people killed. Rat wouldn't die for that. She'd promised Talulah before she passed, hadn't she? Why'd she have to go and do that? Rat hated promises. They weighed you down. Made you suffocate. She pushed the thought away, exhaling hard, as if to ward away the air spirits lest they grow angry with her. She waited, watching for the moment the sick human stuck a knife in the back of a prisoner. For the moment their hope died.

Her head grew heavy with rage without her even realizing, and not long after, she was thinking up all the horrible ways she could get the vile human dead. Yes, just like that, he pointed them to the City Gates. Just like that, he condemned— Wait, what? He didn't even say a word. The prisoners bolted toward the guards, crying for help. The Hearthguard Brotherhood guards, of course, took them in without question. Rat narrowed her eyes in confusion. In the name of all the spirits, what is that madman doing?

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. It made no sense! Unless… Unless he was a Hearthguard plant? That was the only explanation. But then why mess with the Dead Hands? Why free their imprisoned debtors just to dump them on their own partners? None of it added up. Or maybe… Rat froze, remembering the way his magic had singed her fur. That had been Pyromancy, no question about it. But not some measly little [Lesser Fireball].

That was a Greater, at the very least. Which meant he was not only a Duomancer, he was a high-level Duomancer… and a Multitier. People with Schools in both Tier I and II were rare to begin with, and he was a human on top of all that! The thought made her whiskers twitch. Sure, such humans existed. Weren't especially rare, either, if you hung in their circles. Heck, Yas was a Tier II Electromancer. But a Multitier who'd mess with the Dead Hands? Alone? That was rare. And stupid.

Once the freed prisoners were back in the city, the strange man returned to the sewers, of all places. Why go back down there and not to his Hearthguard friends? What was he planning now? More confused than ever, she followed him anyway. Keeping her distance wasn't nearly as easy without the entourage to follow, but the man didn't seem to notice. He just wandered obliviously through the tunnels, muttering to himself in some strange tongue until he found a sewer grate.

Light shone through it, but there was no way anyone could get through that. He was simply too big. And then, with no warning except a half-assed chant, he disappeared. Rat scrambled after him, her claws rapping on the stone as she slipped through the gaps in the metal bars of the grate, but even as she did, relief washed over her. At knowing she didn't have to pursue this monster any further. That she'd done everything she could, and too bad he got away.

Then she rounded the corner and spotted him slipping into a side alley. Lux's tits! Grrrr! Just like that, the relief vanished and she gave chase, cursing herself at every step. Justifying her decision. This was the best lead she'd had in years. Maybe the best she'd ever get. Maybe enough to get out from under the Dead Hands' thumb, even. They'd be wanting revenge after what he pulled. If she played the stars right, maybe she'd come out on top!

She skulked behind him, eyeing him suspiciously as he gawked like some lost traveler wandering the streets. How could that be, though? He'd found the hidden Den easily enough, and those were made to be hard to find. None of this made any Lux-damned sense. It made him all the more infuriating. The way he looked around, the way he moved, the way he seemed so damned oblivious. Either he was secretly even stronger than he'd let on… or he was the dumbest piece of nightshit she'd ever seen.

Then, out of nowhere, he did something that made her whiskers twitch. He took off his black mask and pulled out a cloth, tying it over his mouth and nose instead. Right, like that's gonna fool anyone. What a Nashka. And then—just to prove her point—he bumped right into a beggar girl. Mumbled something in a tongue Rat didn't recognize, and kept moving. Well, well, she thought. You're somethin' special, aren't ya? Let's see what other secrets you've got to reveal. He must've come from far away.

That was the only thing that made sense. Maybe not a complete idiot, then. Just some clueless stranger washed up on a foreign peak. Still didn't explain half the impossible spells he'd pulled off so far, though. Spells that made Rat so terrified, she'd resorted to talking to him in her head. Rat's whiskers twitched as she watched the human from her hiding spots at the edge of the street. He stopped abruptly and turned back to the beggar girl sitting by the alley wall.

At first, Rat hadn't thought much of her—just another urchin, face half gone from some old burn and missing an eye. But the man—no, the Duomancer— seemed interested in her. Why? What was Rat missing here? She took a closer look and grimaced, thinking not for the first time how nice it was to have such bad eyesight. The poor girl couldn't even talk. She opened her mouth and nothing came out except for a garbled wheeze. The fire that had ruined her face must've taken her voice too.

And now here came the gallant rider, the bleeding heart. Rat almost gagged watching him dig into his pouch. Ah, great. Another saint with a handful of coins. She'd seen this act a hundred times. From the rich to powerful Mancers to those vile shamans. They all thought a few silvers would make all the difference in the world. Toss a few coins to ease their conscience, pretend they'd made the world better.

They never stuck around long enough to see that all it did was keep the downtrodden alive just long enough to suffer even more. As she thought, this one was no different. Worse, in fact, giving her copper, of all things. Rat squinted at the blurry sight. A decent handful, sure, but still, just copper. And then he touched her. Rat froze, her claws curling against the stone. Despicable. His hand rested on the girl's head—and then her skin broke. He was killing her! He was twisting her up even worse than before!

Rat's fur bristled. You sick nightscum! She cursed her weakness. Unable to do anything but watch on. The wretched— if she could kill him right there, she swore to Luxor she'd do it. How low would he stoop? It was all she could do to etch this horrible scene into her head. To recite its every detail before the Dead Hands, the Hearthguard, and the Conclave. Let him rot. Let him experience agony tenfold what he wrought upon this poor girl! He finally lifted his monstrous hand…

and Rat gasped, blinking several times to be sure she wasn't seeing things. But no. The burns really had faded away. The melted flesh smoothed out, and her eye socket was suddenly no longer empty. Before Rat's very eyes, the girl's face became whole again. Flawless and untouched… like the fire never even happened. The beggar let out a sob and threw herself at the man's feet, thanking him over and over. The human looked startled—panicked even—and bolted down the street before Rat could react, stunned as she was.

Rat didn't even think about pursuing. Didn't think of anything, really, because her brain simply refused to accept what she'd just seen. It was only when the girl wailed at the top of her lungs that the truth hit her like a Biomancer's fist. He healed her. The evil Mancer… healed her… And then another realization dawned upon her. Far more terrifying than the first. For he was no Duomancer at all. No, this guy was a Trimancer. And not just any Trimancer—A Vitamancer. A bearer of of the Life School.

A Tier Two school. Which made him just like Bidzi the Bear. Leader of the Hearthguard Brotherhood. A Trimancer with two Schools of the Second Tier and one at the First. Rat was stricken. Shellshocked, even. Anyone on the level of Bidzi was absolutely terrifying. And beyond rare. But how could this be? And why was he in Takora? Her thoughts became a tangled mess as excitement and dread warred in her chest. She'd come for a scoop. To save her hide, if nothing else. But this? This…

if she got anyone to actually believe her, she'd be rich beyond reason. But if she was right, then Lux help them all. Because who would? Sniffing the air, she realized the man—no, the Trimancer—hadn't gone far, and she caught up in moments. Rat found him crouched in another alley, a book open on his lap. He was busy tracing lines in it, muttering in that weird language of his. Rat crept closer, and as oblivious as he was, he never once noticed.

Entire minutes passed before he pumped a fist in the air, grinning, only to frown, then curse, before returning to his reading. Nonsensical as it all was, Rat dared not question his actions. High-tier Mancers were all weird like that. They could also rip you limb from limb a half-dozen ways, so if he was a Psychomancer, she prayed he hadn't caught wind of her thoughts earlier. He spoke once again, and this time, his words made Rat's fur stand on end.

"About damn time," he muttered.

"Jesus Christ, why the hell are the scripts so damned similar? Well, whatever. At least I can talk to them now." Rat blinked. Talk to who? Takorans? So he was a foreigner, then. But he'd just… learned the language? From a book? In a few minutes, just like that? She shook her head. What did she know of people at his level? Maybe it was a Trimancer thing. Just like how people got perks for hitting level milestones. Something not everyone knew.

The Trimancer got up and wandered off, asking someone for directions to the nearest Kiva, of all things. Rat followed, half in awe, half ready to pull out her whiskers with all the questions she had. Like how a Trimancer of the Second Tier had no Soulfire to speak of. Not even a trace of it. If she hadn't seen his magic herself, she'd have sworn he was some Ungifted nobody. She was so lost in thought she almost missed him opening a trapdoor and slipping underground.

She squeaked in panic, scurrying forward, but the door slammed shut before she got there, the impact shaking the stones. Cursed wood! She thought, hopping back before it flattened her. Heart pounding, she scanned the alley. She couldn't lose him now. Not after all this. Whatever this being was doing down there, she had to see it. Had to know. It wasn't long before she found a narrow gap in the wall. Too small for anyone to notice. Perfect for her. A grin crept over her face.

One way or another, this Mancer's darkest secrets would soon be laid bare before her whiskers.