Downtown Boy

The dead rat fell backward. Its friends in the bloody intersection roared and bolted towards them. Teri gazed at Yayoi and then at Taku. He was a bit amazed, but he couldn’t let them see that.

“Thanks.” Yayoi smiled at Teri. “You feeling a bit relaxed now?”

Teri scoffed and moved forward, passing Yayoi and facing the rats about to tear him to pieces. He was, in fact, still very nervous.

The rats didn’t wear some kind of armor. They were relying on their tough fur to tank blows—which made Yayoi’s feat more awesome and painful to accept. Bladed weapons wouldn’t work either. Daggers might, but range would then be the issue; it was more likely that he would have his throat ripped out before he could stick it into the rat’s skull. So, the good ol’ spiked wooden club was still his best option.

But then, something else caught his fancy. The dead rat had a weapon.

“Ready?”

“Yep.” Taku raised his staff. “Yayoi, please watch our backs while you rest your… butt…?”

Yayoi chuckled and pressed her back against the wall. “Sure.”

The ground trembled as the rats moved, making Teri grin. They will get his ass in about fifteen seconds. And ignoring the sudden pressure placed upon his shoulders and with the guarantee of Yayoi stepping in to save him, Teri marched with a firm grasp on his shield. He let go of his spiked wooden club and picked up the dead rat’s weapon, a simple metal rod with a wrapped leather handle. Its shaft split into four blunt ridges, each growing more pronounced as they neared the striking end.

They were coming closer.

Teri waved his new weapon. “Taku, what should I call this?”

“A bar mace?”

“Bet.”

Teri relaxed his shoulders and took his stance, raising his shield and having his weapon ready. A part of him wanted to look cool, but what did that even mean? Would he need to slaughter these rats? Would he need to fight them off without taking any damage? Or would it be actually cool if he just said that he needed the help of his friends?

No that wasn’t it.

Yayoi was the cool one.

Teri widened his grin, thinking about the first time he saw Yayoi use magic and the way she made the wind move through the corridor. Something clicked in his brain, and he realized that it was her presence he felt back then. It was as if Yayoi herself was walking through the corridor while the wind explored its every nook and cranny to locate their enemies.

That very same sensation, the feeling of phlegm sticking to his throat or mild heartburn now that he was painfully made aware, remained. It was a colorless flame. It bore no heat or cold. Yet it flickered. It was weird. The more he focused on it, the more he could sense his very own presence as himself. He could tell that he was wavering, overthinking.

It was also tangible. It was covering him. Focusing on it quieted his thoughts. It pulled him close within a breath.

Fear. Confidence. Even himself. Gone. He felt more in control. He felt a bit more powerful and deliberate with his actions.

“Bind!”

The first rat was bound, causing the second one to stumble. The third rat was able to jump over both of them and keep its pace. They were monstrous, really.

“Can weee sandboxx the brand voiiiceeee to uuup its toonal uppcyccleee?” Weee needd to buuuubble-wraaap the deliveerabless beforeee the roolloout,” the third rat said with its somewhat high-pitched yet guttural voice.

It started running on two legs, baring its yellowish teeth and two bloody claws—that could only dream of shredding Teri’s body.

Teri dashed and slammed his shield against the rat’s face before it could regain its momentum. It lost its balance. It had to step back. Then he whipped his bar mace and broke the rat’s face open. It would’ve had a better chance if it kept running on all fours.

“A bar mace, huh?” Teri smiled as he felt his weapon’s ridges crack through its nose, teeth, and the front of its skull. “Not bad.”

One down. The monster twitched and fell to the floor.

It was dead.

Teri didn’t need to look back. He puffed out a breath, feeling a bit of warmth from his right shoulder and elbow.

He walked forward and kicked the second rat right before it was about to get up, effectively pinning the first rat on the ground with its friend’s weight.

“Let's piiiiivot to taaaakeeeee thiiiiissssss low-friiiiictionnnn enerrrrgy tapppp. It’s emmmmmooootionaaally actioooooonaaaaable—”

Teri broke the second rat’s face too.

The last one.

Teri took another step forward. His nose started bleeding. The fear. The pain. It was still not here. His right arm felt numb. It didn’t matter. He gripped the bar mace with both hands. His vision turned red. Hot tears of blood started running down his face. He planted his feet and crushed the immobilized rat’s head with one swing.

Done.

Teri breathed through gritted teeth, figuring out that it was time to shift out of his focus. His body blazed with pain the moment he did. His knees buckled. He grasped for air as though his brain suddenly forgot how to breathe. He coughed out blood and fell on both knees. He was going to fall headfirst to the ground, but Taku was able to grab his shoulder and heal him just when he was about to completely lose the feeling of his body. He regained his strength, little by little, as Taku’s warm golden light enveloped him.

“Good enough. I would’ve given you more points if you kept standing up.” Yayoi moved past Teri and stood guard over their party. “However, you did kill two rats on your own. So, I’ll give you that. You were cool, Teri.”

Teri groggily raised his head. “Wait, not three?”

“Nah,” Taku replied. “Apparently it doesn’t count if I helped.”

“There were rules?”

“Yes,” Yayoi replied. “I just made them earlier while you were fighting. It was supposed to be just one since Taku’s spell immobilized two rats, but I decided to give it to you anyway. So, you’re on the lead. I’ll change that soon enough.”

Teri wiped the blood from his face. “Are there any other enemies around?”

“There shouldn’t be. The intersection is clean, even the paths leading south and further east,” Yayoi glanced at Teri and Taku. “I also suggest going straight in your starting area and taking a longer break there for now.”

“I think so too,” Taku added.

It would be unfair for Teri to disagree. He also didn’t feel that great about the thought of dragging his party members down. “Okay, let’s check whatever they dropped in the intersection first. Then, we’ll head straight into the starting area. I have some things I need to share and explain… Something that might help us clear this dungeon.”

Yayoi smiled at Teri. A pure, confusing one. “About that power… I thought it was natural, so I didn’t explain much of it. There’s something that you two need to know.”