Donner and Thalia: The Lair of the Rat God (Episode 1)

Chapter 2

2.

Donner approached Miss Gall's house on the far end of town. He looked over his shoulder to Thalia and smiled before stepping up, standing tall with his shoulders straightened and chest out before he gave three quick raps to the wooden door.

As the door opened, he took a deep breath and put on a smile. A scrawny, older woman with graying hair answered the door. "Young Donner, what brings you here?"

"Hello Miss Gall, I heard that you require a Knights aid," he held the contract up, "I have come to take care of your rat problem so you may sleep peacefully knowing your grain and food are safe from notorious vermin."

She smiled, "Oh, Donner, finally, I've had that contract up for a week and no response. Thank the Gods you've come. I haven't been able to even go in my basement without that blasted rat harassing me. Please, take care of it for me," she said.

Donner pulled his sword out, "Won't be a problem ma'am,"

"The basement entrance is around the house. Try to not make a mess while you're down there," she said.

"I'll be quiet as a cat, and as effective, you have my word as a Knight. To victory!" he said as he turned around to charge to the back of the house.

Miss Gall turned to Thalia, "Such an excitable young man, I can see why you like him so much," she smiled.

Thalia's cheeks roused with a blush. "What are you talking about?"

"You two always dance together every harvest festival, don't you? I thought you were together."

"Only at the Dance of the Manse, the dance where everyone has to dance, we're usually just talking when it starts anyway. It doesn't mean anything," Thalia said, a rosy blush filling her pale cheeks.

"Whatever you say, little lady," Miss Gall smiled.

"Ugh, never mind it," she huffed, tensing up as she turned to follow Donner to the basement entrance.

At the cellar door, Donner held his hand up to Thalia, "You stay here, might be dangerous," he said as he undid the latch and pulled the door open and drew out his sword.

"Don't fall on your sword," Thalia said, "If it's one person who could hurt himself doing this, it would be you," she smirked, "Wait, hold out your hand,"

"Like this?" Donner said, extending his free hand out and opening his fingers. Thalia put her hands over his and moved her fingers a bit closing her eyes as she summoned a tiny bright ball of light in his palm, "It's from the Illusion school of magic, I was never one for fireballs and ice blasts like Lenny," she said, "Be careful!" she stressed again.

Donner took a deep breath, and looked to the dark passageway into the basement, "Here we go," he said as he took the first step into his life as an adventurer.

Off his light, Donner could see cobwebs covering every tiny corner of Miss Gall's basement. The musty scent of the cellar filled his breath, and he could smell the slight tint of filth from the beast that had made its home here. He moved his palm around, sword ready to strike, "Where are you rat," he said as he looked around. All over sacks of flour and grain, he could see holes ripped from bite marks. The bites looked unusually large for a simple rat problem. Either this rat had a big appetite, a big mouth, or both. He turned and looked at his sword. The scent of filth got stronger as he made his way deeper into the basement.

His head bolted up as he heard a pot hanging from a rafter fall to the ground. He held up his light and could see the shadow of a giant rat scurrying along. Just a trick of the light, he thought. That shadow looked as big as a dog, no way a rat could be that size. Donner held his sword up, "Come on, you creature, show yourself!" he said.

It happened in an instant, too fast for Donner to raise his sword in defense. The Rat pounced on him, slamming into his chest and toppling Donner to the ground. It was huge. It had the strength and body the size of a dog. When he hit the ground, Donner's sword dropped from his hand. He quickly took his arm and defended his face from the gnashing teeth of the monster. He kicked and struggled to get out from under him, bunching his other hand into a fist and striking the creature as hard as he could. With a solid buck, he pushed the rat off him and sent the giant rodent rolling across the basement floor. He grabbed his sword and threw the light in his palm up into the face of the rat to blind it with his light.

He swung his sword down, and the rat caught it in its mouth, "What kind of rat are you!?" Donner cried out as he threw his sword back and forth, trying to free it from the clutches of the monster's jaw.

Outside, Thalia bit her lip as she heard the ruckus and struggle from the basement. She reached for the door handle, but then pulled away, "He's probably fine," she thought. Besides, he would hate the idea that he needed help with his first job.

Donner gripped his sword with both hands and slammed the monster against the wall. It's body was stunned, causing it to release its grip on his weapon. He swung his leg out and kicked the rat just under the stomach as it tried to steady itself from the blow against the wall. With a triumphant swing of his sword, Donner slashed at the creature, and his client's rat problem was no more.

Thalia heard the bashing and grunting of Donner's fight come to an end. She spoke into the door, "Donner, are you okay? Do you need me to get your Dad?"

The door swung open, and Donner climbed out of the basement, he smiled at Thalia as he wiped his brow and slid his sword back into its sheath. "I am victorious! All in a day's work," he grinned. "Now, for my reward," he said as he led Thalia around the house and back to the front door.

He gave the door three knocks and adjusted his clothing that had become unkempt in the fray with the ferocious creature, Miss Gall opened it up, "That was fast," she said.

"Yes ma'am, your rodent problem has been solved," Donner said before reaching into his pocket to present the contract to her, "If I could just get your signature," he smiled as Miss Gall took the paper.

"Of course, of course," she said as she fetched a quill from her kitchen, a little bit of ink and a signature at the bottom of the contract, and with that, the paper was now good as gold as she handed it back to the young Knight.

"By the way," Donner said as he took the paper and put it back in his pocket, "You didn't think you should have mentioned that it was a Dire Rat? That thing was huge,"

"I figured with a payment of twenty-five gold; a seasoned adventurer like you could tell this wasn't exactly the kind of job that can be done with by a simple house cat?"

Donner turned toThalia and shrugged his shoulders, "That is a good point," he turned back to Miss Galland gave her a bow, "With my work done, I will be on my way, have a great day,a pleasure to be of service to you," raising his head.

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