"Are you sure its wise to follow this crazy bitch?" Legna whispered.

For the past hour we've been following Ratter's through miles and miles of heavy swamp and foliage, towards her home town of Woodstone or as she put it "her Kingdom", despite her earlier pancaking she's right now casually walking ahead of us as if it were safe despite Danger Sense telling me otherwise.

Danger Sense is now level 4

Although uneventful for the last hour my Danger Sense has been steadily levelling up, perhaps its thanks to whatever is stalking us that's prompted its rapid growth, I've found it steadily becoming more and more accurate with each level.

At first I just had a vague awareness that there was something nearby but with each level I've been able to find a general direction, a secondary effect that I've been able to grasp is that the stronger the Danger Sense the stronger the monster.

I'm guessing with more levels it'll become more and more accurate until it evolves.

"We should be nearly there, it's been quite a while since I've come back to my manor, I think I might have a fine wine when I get back" she calls out before slipping, landing face first into a muddy quagmire.

As if taking cue my Danger Sense suddenly amps up, I turn around only to see a black blurr approaching me.

"Shit!" I said as I'm tackled, the collision of bodies throws me off balance throwing poor Legna off my back into the swamp, the scraping of claws across my scaled sides is quickly followed by pain quickly jumping towards the source I'm confronted by the beast before me.

Before me stood quite literally a black panther and yet it wasn't, as if armoured it had scales covering its underside and limbs, being twice the size of a human it was far more nimble than it looked as it quickly distanced itself.

Having no luxury to check on Legna I prepare myself to strike the panther, shooting a few Cluster Fireballs to keep it on edge it easily leaps out the way before charging towards me, its aim at my injured side it quickly closes the gap between us.

"Curse of Naivety!" Legna's called out, the panther head twitching as the curse takes ahold.

"Xen! The pussy is confused, strike it now!"

Lesson learnt I prepare a counter-attack, drawing its attack out it leaps into the air towards me, a foolish move I leap backwards leaving the beast vulnerable as it lands where I once was, infusing both my claws and Legs I launch myself towards the beast, my tackle connecting I tackle it to the ground.

Lying on-top of it I unleash a vicious series of slashes towards the struggling panther, my claws stained in blood as they dig deep the beast howls and groans with each strike, its struggles growing weaker and weaker until finally it gives one final weak shuffle before collapsing forever.

"Oh looks like you finally slayed that pussy!" Legna says.

Caked in its blood I gave Legna a toothy grin

"Yeah...I regret saying that now that you've given me that freaky smile" while climbing onto my back.

*Ding*

Level Up

Level Up

Level Up

Level Up

Level Up

Mana Infusion is now level 6

Swiping away the menu, I had no time to distribute my stats, having already gotten off the panther we continued onwards, having dealt with our stalker Danger Sense would rarely alert me before fading.

Soon the thick foliage gradually waned as we got closer to our destination before disappearing completely, replaced by a thick wooden wall, almost as tall as the tree's, Ratter's had finally lead us towards our destination.

Walking alongside the wall it felt as if we had walked into another dimension the sound of the jungle ceased, our footsteps breaking this silence we trudged along, a few minutes later we finally found the entrance, marked by a simple stone road that shot out towards the jungle.

"Hang on is that a fucking road?! why have we been walking through every fucking swamp in this place when there was a bloody road only 20 feet away!" Legna's cries out.

"HALT" a rather deep voice called out, looking towards the source two guards clad in tarnished metal plated armour approached us cautiously, with faces obscured by metal helmets only their long pointy ears indicated that they were Rat people, with silver spears pointed towards us they slowly made their way over towards us.

"Who are you and what exratly do you have with Woodstone!" one of them demanded through his visor thrusting his spear towards Ratter's.

"My name is Rattertails The Third, a noble of this fair city I've come back to my home as I want to"

The guards noticeably flinching at the word noble slightly twitch their weapons yet do not relent as they continue to point their weapon at Ratter's..

"Can you explain why you have a Lizard and child are following you? they look a bit micey for a noble women"

"Oh should a guard as ratself be asking a noble women such a question, do not inquire into other mices business or would you rather I tell your captain how you viciously told me to...*whisper*" She says leaning in closer towards the guard, finally pulling back she flouts a very unconvincing sad pout towards the visibly shocked guards.

The guard gives off an audible squeak "Ma'lady forgive my rudeness" before kneeling on the ground almost kowtowing to her.

"I don't give a rats ass about your rudeness just let us in already"

Hastily getting up the two guards push open the wooden gates open.

"Do you wish for an escort to your estate fair noble?"

"No need I live nearby on Wood street" She replied as she stepped through.

Walking through we were met with a rather anti-climactic hole in the ground to which the road ran directly into it.

"See that you have that confused look on you the cities underground dumb-ass" Legna said before I gave him a quick nudge down the hole.

Standing on the edge of the entrance the sound of a busy city echo'd from within, following Ratter's advance into the cave the muttering of guards caught my attention.

"Wood street? isn't that the eastern slums...." The guards voice becoming drowned out as we entered the hole.

The walk down the hole was short lived, slowly the noise of a bustling city grew louder and louder until finally the city of Woodstone was in sight.

Despite my initial expectations the Rat people are far more advanced than I had ever considered of them, testament to their advancement as a very large underground city stood proud before us, in the centre large and luxuriously build buildings stood tall among themselves as the city grew smaller and smaller towards the outer ring.

Even from this distance buildings held a unrealistic level of detail, as if laughing in the face of modern architecture back on earth, even the roadways gave of a feeling of being meticulously planned as they stretched across the city with signs of lampposts decorated with shining orbs lighting the many streets.

In the centre of it all was the biggest building in the city exclusively built white, with five large obelisk towers for each corner with one larger tower in the centre of which a bluish glow radiated from its pointed tip, to which all towers were connected into a squarish shaped dome.

"Hey Ratter's, what's the large building for?" I asked curiously.

"That old thing? Its powers everything from the steam-works to the Magilight you see in the streets, its also what keeps all the wildlife from invading the city"

Having stared long enough we set off down towards the city, Ratter's house was located in the far eastern section, besides the leaders whom lived primarily in the centre nobles would live on the edge of town, with the threat of constant invasion the weakest side would fall the fastest while the stronger side would withhold if not dissuade attackers.

With that said however with each year a cycle would commence in which one of the four main gates would theoretically become stronger or weaker depending on one of a multitude of factors however for the last 30 years the eastern entrance has been crowned as being the strongest.

Our journey to Ratter's "mansion" was fraught with many trails especially the large horde of Rat children whom wanted nothing more than to climb the "big scaly thing", which to the shock of the many spectators could only gasp and stare at the spectacle as many kids tried to swamp me.

ME! the Hydragon reduced to a children's jungle gym...

I had hoped that Legna would shoo them off but it seems as if the Rat children took him as part of our "travelling circus" since they almost dragged him off in an attempt to get him to play with them, aside from the few curses launched at me, the stupid cunt Ratter's seemed to find it far too amusing to lend a hand.

Thankfully a smaller horde of angry mother's came and beat the ever living shit out of their children, even from a few blocks away the distant wails of crying children can be still heard, unfortunately for Ratter's she had a little accident when we "accidental pushed her into nearby waterway.

Soon enough the once smooth stone gradually turned into unkempt streets, dirty and littered with all manners of crap, the once clean Rat people replaced by filth covered beggars and the homeless.

The further we stepped into this territory of poverty the more it kept growing worse, only traces of the once perfect road remained while the sources of Magilight grew increasingly distant and paler.

Soon enough we had reached our destination, Ratter's slightly soggy happily skipped forward as if ignoring the complete poverty around her before stopping outside a large house.

"And this...this is my house, behold!" she say's with outstretched arms.

Ratter's house was....shit.

"Well...compared to the other houses it definite looks...nice" I said awkwardly.

"But shit is still shit even if you compare it next other shit..." Legna chimed in.

As she had said, it was indeed a manor house which in its prime would have suited a noble and yet right now before us is a house that is on the brink of collapse, the once wooden roof now occupying the second story of the house, rotten wooden frames and shattered glass was all that remained of the windows the sorry state of the house was only complete with a large hole for a front door.

"Well the last time I was here there was really nothing wrong with it but then again maybe the servants haven't been doing a good enough job" she asks while cupping her chin in her fingers.

"You keep saying the last time you came here but when exactly did you leave?"

"Well...erm, hmm when was the last full moon? hey you there!" she calls out to a nearby beggar.

In rags that rivalled even Ratter's a sheepish Rat man tries to slink away into an alleyway before Ratter's dashes off towards him, his effort futile a pitiful squeak is heard from within the alley before she casually walks back towards us, the frightened beggar scurrying away.

"Apparently seven years ago" she says almost unconcerned.

"SEVEN FUCKING YEARS AGO!" Legna voice echoing throughout the cave.

"Legna shush, it can't be that bad...can it?" I say in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Come on in, I'll introduce you to my family" Ratter's said as she disappeared into the dark decrepit house.

Legna having already jumped off my back looked at me as if waiting for a cue.

"It's bad but honestly its better than outside right? plus we've already come this far..." I said to Legna, receiving only a worried shrug.

Letting Legna enter first a slight problem arises....I'm too big.

"Just put your fucking head through" I heard Legna call out.

Taking Legna's advice I sit beside the large hole, slowly I squeeze my head inside.

The insides of the manor were far from pretty, the corpses of what was once furniture and decorations lay scattered across the large tattered carpet of the entrance, the few doors now reduced to splinters or missing completely.

Legna whistles as he inspects the hallway "I didn't actually think you'd have a house but I guess a shit-house is still a house" his jib unanswered.

"Hey where's Ratter's?" I call out to Legna receiving a shrug in return.

Suddenly a light is seen coming from one of the doorways, a faintish blue slowly growing larger, a curious Legna deciding to investigate goes towards the edge of the door.

"Boo!" Ratter's jumps out towards the approaching Legna.

"Holy fucking shit!" he screams falling back onto his ass.

"Ha ha *cough* ohoh oh" Holding onto a bluish Magilight Ratter's approaches the centre of the room before lightly settling it down onto the wooden floor.

A sudden nudge from my side almost makes me jump, pulling my head from the house a small band of guards have encircled me and the house, their spears pointed at me, their leader only distinguished with a red feather in his helmet.

"Oh...hello?" I ask sheepishly.

"It talks? Fuck I owe Carl 20 Copper's *Ahem* I have been told that we have someone here is pretending to be a noble, under Woodstone law impersonating a noble has a penalty of death, may the accused please show themselves" the leader gruff voice calls out.

A few moments is all it takes before Legna and Ratter's step forth.

"I can't believe it...the lost Third has finally returned, MEN LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!" the leader waving his hands before kneeing down, hand over heart he dips his head

"Lady Third, please let this knight return you back to your throne"

___________________________________________________________________________

Author's note:

This one was just...hard to write.

Taking the advice of the reviews I'll try to write longer chapters, I won't be writing any more chapters this week however as I will be immensely busy with real life (learning how to drive a truck, woo)