Chapter 2: King of the Gutters

Word spread faster than the sewer's stench. Mere hours passed until every rodent, be they big or small, anxious or cunning, was made aware of the victory by the stream, and they all gathered in uneasy anticipation around the rat of legend.

"Brothers and sisters," Rattonius began his speech. "Cheese-Nibblers, Trash-Grazers, Crumb-Hunters, Tunnel-Prowlers..."

The crowd erupted in delighted squeals as Rattonius continued, addressing the most well-known mischiefs of the Kingdom.

"The story that gathered us here rings true! I have bested the enemy in mortal combat and have returned alive and unharmed! It was a one-sided affair, and after delivering a fearsome strike, the fiend dropped its guard and was about to meet its demise at my sharp teeth."

Revealing his overgrown, yellowed incisors, the rats huddled closer to get a better view of the deadly weapon.

"Alas, beckoned by its master's call, the beast barely escaped with its head, a trophy that awaits our next encounter! To prove my claims, I have instead brought the fur of our oppressor for all to witness!"

The crowd rejoiced once more as indeed they were presented with the white tuft of undeniable proof.

"Too long have we made do with what was given to us. Too long have we been forced into hiding. Follow me, my blood, and I promise to usher in a future where we are the strong who do what they can, and the felines are the weak who suffer what they must!"

A roar echoed throughout the sewers as even the most timid rat was swayed by Rattonius' vision, quieting down only when the otherwise elusive Black Rats finally made their appearance. Their elder stepping up to the podium, scrutinizing the champion.

Silence took hold as the crowd waited breathlessly for the elder's judgment. Swiveling around Rattonius, fur brushing against fur, he finally halted behind him and, standing on his hind legs, threw his tiny paws into the air.

"Dear people, it is true. Long have we Black Rats waited for a new heir to the throne. But our wait is over. The prophesied one stands before us today! Revel and make merry, for the gods have blessed us with a new king!"

Jubilation broke out. So loud were the cheers that they drowned out the train passing far above their heads.

The elder's attendants rushed in, and Rattonius was clad in garments more befitting of his position. An ivory-white robe with two letters hand sewn into the delicate fabric. Held upon his shoulders by masterfully bent bottle-cap epaulettes. His scepter, a newly acquired cocktail stick, broke the light passing through it into a radiant jade. A stainless sewing needle served as his new weapon, Rattonius' claws now too important to be sullied by blood. And finally...

The royal crown.

Guarded by the Black Rats themselves, no rat had seen it since the age of the old kings. The whole sewer fell into reverent silence as the keychain crown, a relic of a glorious past, came to rest comfortably upon their new king's pate.

Every rat watched Rattonius descend from his platform. In awe of his inspiring presence, many paws were extended in his direction. Yet none dared taint his divinity.

None but a pup, who clumsily stumbled into the path the crowd had provided. Ever merciful, Rattonius simply placed a paw upon the child's head before resuming his march.

"Child! Blessed child!" the nearby rats cried, welcoming it back into their ranks. They touched it all over, hoping to inherit even a fragment of its newfound blessing.

Rattonius eventually came to a halt in the middle of the crowd and, in a compassionate voice, spoke once more.

"The foe is mighty and intimidating. Look around, for once we return, many of the faces you see here will be lost to us forever. However, return we will not, because those who fight with me will live forevermore in the lands of plenty above. We shall all be kings in paradise, and paradise is ours, for I am Rattonius the Brave and Mighty! Rattonius the Divine Conqueror! Rattonius the King of Kings! Follow me, for I am victory!"