The Hatching Potion (0)

Intruders

 The empty cask was held in front of me as the king demanded my attention. He wishes to have me witness the murder of people that are most likely just lost. His words of hatred pierce through my every being, fueling my anger. My parents weren't evil.. Not all humans were evil.. They never were. Why blame an entire group of people because of something a small portion did..? I would scream.. but nothing would come out. My throat burn. From anger or the poison, it didn't matter. It just burns..

My skin begins to heat up. Keep it together.. My parents always said that even when good and bad people exist, bad people can turn good. Antiheros are always redeemed in comic books; maybe it's the same here, but I can't have him fight now. Maybe if I could spare some time, they could escape. My head began to hurt. The potion's effects were still present, dragging all of my senses down. I only heard the impatient loud echoes of "Get in!" in the lair.

I quickly glance at the floor for something to latch on. Bones, glass, weird unidentifiable objects. Books! I grabbed a book from the messy floor. It was wet with an innate stickiness to it.. Surprisingly warm.. Let's not think about that, I just need a distraction for them. Time for those poor people to get out. I quickly show Twitch the book I found. He quickly peek at the cover. Twitch grew impatient.

"Oh! This!?" Twitch shouted, waving the book in the air. "This is just another one of my great stories! Twitch has many great stories! Stories that he tells to his subjects all the time! But now's not the time for Twitch's stories!" Twitch kicked the book on the floor, landing into its rightful place on a puddle of sludge. "Now's the time to make them! Hehe.. I wonder what the humans steal this time don't you think!? The more we stay.. the more our intruders run! We can't have that in my kingdom can we?" Twitch place the cask down and grabs ZAC's arms. "Come on! I need you to learn how to protect and kill! Protect Twitch and his sewers! I'll read a story if you come.." Twitch squeaks, trying to shove his arm into the cask to no avail. The rat huffed "Grrr... Fine!" Twitch picked up his crossbow and take aimed at his "creation". "GET IN! No more defying my orders! Do it again and I'll skewer!"

The arrow's gleam on the crossbow was enough to force me to go in. In this state, my substance seemed like it would melt, and any blow associated with my antenna could kill him. He wasn't exactly the most stable right now. I quickly put in my green legs into the compact place. Then my chest and my arms, and finally my head. My skin felt uncomfortable with the texture on the glass as it is pressed down on to the surface. Any more subtle movements and I would've cracked the cask right open. If anything, the groaning of the glass began to start.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The rat's voice and footsteps towards the water was nothing more than an echo in the distance now. Suddenly the scenery turned black as we navigate in the dark water. The light sources that should be embedded in the pipes were cracked and mangled in this area. Only when we get out of the pipe do we see a dim light source at the very surface of the sludge. A very dim light from the surface of the lower sumps of Zaun a million feet away. What loud sounds of violence and society of the lower sump was hidden away by the sound of rushing waste from all levels of Zaun. They were at the deep center of the sewers. Who could be down here..?

Suddenly, the water splashes, and the rushing grew more imminent. Twitch hops out of the water and throws my cask on the ground. The glass shattering my ears as it cracks violently. On one hand, I was happy to finally stretch my limbs, but now my ears rang like crazy. I slowly got up and watched as Twitch peers into a crack in the wall, mumbling to himself as he speaks with another roach.

"Oooh.. 2 of them.. and They're getting deeper and deeper you say.. Closer and closer? Wow they're asking to die aren't they.. Hehe.. Well.. they'll know who owns these sewers? Now we know where they are!" Twitch looks at me and tugs my arm yet again to the direction of the pair. I let him take over, just because I could potentially find a way to protect them. Besides, I don't know how to navigate in this labyrinth, and I might as well have the "king" of the labyrinth help me.

Eventually a voice begins to echo in the distance. A male and a female. "ZAC!?" the woman called out frantically.

"Quiet down!" the male voice grumble. "We don't want to attract anyone down here."

"But there isn't anything! I should've known.. I should've known he would do this!"

Wait.. Mom? Dad? I quickly glance at Twitch as he smiles maniacally at an open shot at 2 shadows in the distance with their flashlights shining about.

"Hehe.. Look at them Goopy One.. Humans never learn.. They're trying to follow me! Exterminate me! But.. they're easy pickings..." Twitch quickly give his second crossbow that he showed to me and throws it upon my chest. "Quickly! Kill them now! Before they run.. You don't have eyes on the side of your head so that means aiming is probably easier for you! Heh.."

I look at the crossbow again and gaze at the shadows in question. I can't do this.

Twitch's head jerked backwards as I place the crossbow on the ground. The weapon was more frail than it looks, its crack echoing in the hollow tunnels. "What are you doing!?" Twitch shouts, trying to fix it desperately.

"You hear that!?" Dad asked.

"I think its him!" Mom replied.

The footsteps come closer and closer as Twitch tried to put the parts together. "They're coming.." Twitch hissed hysterically. "THEY'RE COMMING! Look what you did!?" Twitch growls as he slung his own crossbow off of his back. "Fine! You'll learn my crossbow later.. Twitch can end this!"

The rat looks at the shadows coming closer and closer to him, ready to fall to their face and be looted and thrown into the water with the rest of them. He begins to mutter his mantra. "Aim then shoot. Aim then shoot. Aim then shoot..."

The footsteps grow closer. I hear the string pull. The trigger was about to be pushed. The sounds echoed in his mind as everything slowed down. I can't let anyone die. No one should die. Sorry about this buddy.. I quickly jumped on him as the crossbow fires into the water. The being hit his head as he laid on the concrete unconsciously. Did.. did I kill him? I bent down and slowly reached for his heart and neck. His heart was beating..

I look up slowly to my mom and dad with their flashlights and rifles to see faces of horror and confusion as they looked at the both of us. They knew who the Plague Rat was. Everyone did.. and they see that he still breathes.

My dad quickly grabs his rifle and points at the body as I quickly covered for the rat. The trigger was never pulled.