Chapter 4: A New Face

After Dipp and Oliver enter the City of Zink a new story begins to unravel in a nearby village.

In a lush forest, birds chirped as the sun slowly pierced through the treeline. A black furred creature rolls about on a thatch bedding, as the light shines through the holes littering his shabby hut, slowly opening his eyes, finding himself wide awake he rolls to his feet, his large ears twitching in the cold morning breeze.Knowing their wasn’t anymore time to sleep he stood from his bed, atop his large white hind legs this black furred rat like creature stood ready to face the day.

As he walked outside several more rat like creatures made their way out of their homes, other ratfolk were already hard at work, rats with arms full of long lasting food made their way past him towards a large hole in the ground, along the wall of the hole was a densely packed thatch and stick walling to protect their food. As he looked at his fellow tribesmen he made his way towards a larger hutt, inside were several rats, each with a bow on their back and a dagger on their side. “Ryke you're finally here. Hurry and get ready so we can start the hunt” A black rat with grey hair said as he throw him a dagger.

“Yes Chief” He said dignifying as he quickly put on his leather armor and grabbed his bow, Following behind his fellow Ratfolk. “Remember, stick together and shoot to kill. Don’t let the prey have a chance to escape” The Black and grey Rat said as they slowly walked towards the thick forest.

Leaves littering the floor under their feet as they slowly crept through the forest looking for their prey. A large high pitched animalistic roar pierces their ears, frantically they form a tight square, bows drawn they search for the beast making the ear screeching sound. “Move!” Ryke yells as a red furred boar charges near them two of the ratfolk quickly divining creatures path, a slash wound in its hind leaving a trail of blood on the gentle forest floor.

With precision the rats simultaneously knock their bows and aim their bows at the out of control beast. In rapid concession the group releases their arrows, downing the large boar. Slowly they gathered there arrows from the beast as inspected its large body. A large cuts ran across the beast, unsure of what could have caused these wounds they looked at each other in confusion. “Any idea what did this chief?” Running his fingers through his long whiskers as he contemplates what could have done this.“Bring the body back to camp and have it drained quickly, you lot scatter and scout the area I’ll head back and look into this” Shaking his head as he spoke.

After finishing brining the boar back to town Rykle he began to make his way back to the forest, A female Ratfolk holding a basket grabbing Rykes shoulder, “Ryke! you guys brought back a large haul huh, it must’ve been hard” Giving a gentle smile as she spoke.“Haha not really, it was already injured we were just lucky, anyway I’ll see you later I have to go scout for a while” He said quickly as he ran towards the forest with a large grin on his face.

As he entered the thick forrest his mind stiffened as he silently crept through the dense forest. “Are you what passes for a Rat around here?” These words hang around Ryke as he silent walk through the forest, his hair standing on ends as he draws his bow frantically looking around where it came from.

“Little good that’ll do for ya” The voice echoes again, his bow string finding it self severed in two, quickly turning to see the enemy, Ryke has his arm bent behind his back and his leg kicked out from under him unable to compete with the attackers strength at all. “What do you want?!” Ryke said loudly.

“Well you see, we’ve lost our home recently so we’re in need of one. If you wouldn’t mind taking us to your chieftain for a small chat. Ryke didn’t understand, Ratfolk were detested, considered ill omen and feared unjustly, why would someone want to settle in there village?.

His hands restrained and dagger stolen he’s lifted and raised, standing before him is an oversized ratfolk,the largest he’d ever seen, wearing extravagantly designed red armor, wielding a large longsword to his side accompanied by several other lightly armed ratfolk. “Now you understand why we wish to visit your tribe now stand and lead us there” The large Rat says as he raises the blade towards Ryke. Feeling the cold press of the blade touch his neck he slightly nods in agreement, with a smile from the large rat his sheaths his blade happily “Now lead the way”.Nodding again Ryke turns and begins to slowly walk through the forest, not wanting to die he began to walk towards the village hoping they would do no harm. “Aye skulk, I smell some meat that way! We’re nearly their” One of the henchman says giddily. As they push through the remaining branches the Ratfolk tribe enters their vision, “We’ve made it boys” Ratfolk tribe members seeing the large rat holding their friend hostage quickly grab whatever they can as weapons pointing them towards the unknown Rats.

“Now don’t go and do a stupid thing like that. Just bring out your chief and let us talk or your buddy here's gonna have a nasty time” Unceratin they look towards each other with complex expressions, they’d rarely fought people before. They were not violent and would normally run away, but what do they do if they can’t run?.

“Don’t worry, I'm already here, I assumed someone was running rampant nearby but for fellow ratfolk to do this” The chief spoke as he walked toward the commotion. “Are you really what passes for a chief here?, your puny, frail, old and weak how can you lead any body”.

‘Violence will lead to our destruction, If we seclude ourselves and act carefully we’ll prosper silently” The chief said as he stood tall holding his dagger tightly. “Your at the mercy at others if you simply lie down and hide, your a disgrace stand up and fight if your a rat!” He yelled while swinging his  blade into the air.

“Put away your blade and join us, we have room and food” he says as he slowly walks towards the large rat, dropping his dagger to the floor he raises the open palm. “You know we aren't here for peace, now how do you want this to unfold?”.

“Just please don’t hurt them” The chief says as he grovels to the grassy floor, seeing the chief display himself in such a weak way fills the large rat with a surge of anger, for a leader to be so willing to kneel before an enemy and wait for death, unable to handle such actions hsi face coiled in disgusted as he raises his blade high above his head.

As the blade came down, a loud dink sound echoed as an arrow pounds into the armor of the large rat, a smile appearing as the arrow splitters failing to pierce the armor. “Better luck next-” Stopping mid sentence as a whistle flies by followed by a crumble of many leaves, turning around frantically he finds his allies collapses to the floor. An arrow stick in his thigh, “Argh s**t”.

Anger overflowing from him he frantically spins his blade around, lacking grace and technique. Cutting down the chief instantly. “Your idiots. Now I’ll let you think this through again, stop resisting and accept your new stronger chief, under my reign I can lead this poor tribe to greatness”

“No!, you’ll draw humans and eyes to us. We’re hated already why both poking them needlessly?!” Yelled towards the large rat. Looking for where the voice came from Skulk looked around before grinning and slowly walking past the crowd towards the voice. Trembling in fear she freezes still as Skulk grabs her by the neck. “You want bow and run from those humans?!, those pink skinned weeds that call us evil?” as The Skulk argued his case loudly, the crowd began to go silent as they saw reason in his ways, they weren't evil or a pest so why should they hide?, as they thought more and more about it they quickly began to agree with this new way of life.

Ryke tied and bound looked down at his deceased chief, the chief he’d hunted with, ate with, bonded with… could he really let him die needlessly?, his mind swirled in confusion, a vortex of emotions filling his mind and heart like a concoction of uncertainty until he remember the chiefs last moments. He’d given himself up for their sake, he knew as long as he lived they’d never back down, as he  tried to make sense of the situation he glanced over the crowd of ratfolk he’d known for so long, his friends and family… if it meant they were safe and happy he could would follow even the devil to hell for eternity.

“He’s right, under him we can be safe and can maybe even something greater” Ryke spoke loudly to the crowd as he saw the uncertainty swelling within them as well. “Yeah, it’s time for a change. We’ve hide and scavenged for our whole life!” The crowd began to yell as they quickly came to terms with their new life, they weren't sure how’d things would go or exactly what they’d be doing but they were ready for change and excited to see where they would end up.

“So you're starting to see it our way. If i’m to lead you lot we’ll have to buckle this place down start on a sturdy wall to protect us all from outside!” He yelled as the crowd began to rally towards his side. Grabbing the chiefs dagger from the floor Skulk cuts the restraints from Ryke, Rubbing his freed wrists he looks towards his new leader. “Before I help with anything I’m going to bury the old chief, he deserves that at least” Ryke says to Skulk as bends down to lift the old rat’s body, Skulks back turned.uninterested in him entirely he begins his walk towards the old chiefs house, “Do as you wish but don’t be slow about it”, momentarily stopping his walk as he answers Ryke before continuing along.

Skulk walking through the small village walks towards his new home, a large manor made from mud, thatch and sticks. He wasn’t sure how long it would take but this was his beginning to becoming something great.