Rhees whispers, "At this point, I don't think that any residents who remain aren't aware of our presence, and probably a little concerned. However, if they set the door as protection against rats and...stirges, is that what you called them Augustus?"
Augustus nods. "Yes, If memory serves...old Brother Stephano, who taught me everything I know about healing animals...he found one sucking the blood from one of the goats, he was able to smash it with a shovel before it got away, so I never got to see a live one before this. I know now, that I don't want to see one again."
Rhees continues, "And whatever else already scratched at it, they may not be particularly aggressive, perhaps we should try being polite and knocking. We'd feel foolish knocking down the door of a potential ally, wouldn't we?"
"I believe I just knocked," says Ullar, while rubbing his shoulder. "However, they haven't answered yet. I could use Urak-Gor's handaxe to open this door, but it would take some time. Anyone with better suggestions?"
"I miei amici fanno attenzione (my friends be careful), if I put a big iron door like that in a dump like this, it would be to keep a nasty big monster in, not a few rats out!" Tag holds the light high, from within the tunnel, so the light is good for those working on the lock. "I could knock and pretend to be a hawker, si?" He changes his voice to a falsetto. "It is just me, little Taglietta, come to bring you some mele (apples) hehehee. No?"
Tag laboriously moves to the front and attempts his ploy, but there is no answer, nor any activity at all the group can hear. Deciding there is no other alternative, the group bashes away at the door. It takes nearly an hour to break away enough of it to remove the door from it's iron lock-plate, and surely by now if you were not underground you would have alerted all creatures within miles, as Ullar is an enthusiastic chopper.
Every time Dakath composes himself, he chances a glance toward Ullar and he can't help but begin laughing again, he finds a spot in the tunnel to lean against the wall and takes the time to relax and be serious again.
Ullar just glances over to Dakath once, with some sort of boyish 'guilt' look in his eyes, knowing that he is not to blame, but feeling rather, well ehm. stupid regarding the whole situation. He pretends nothing has happened and continues hacking at the door.
As the door falls open, the group sees several dog-sized creatures waiting near the door. They do not appear to actually be dogs or anything related to that, but look more like great rodents of some kind. Whatever they are, they appear hungry, and lunge immediately at Ullar!
Rhune utters a startled gasp. She had expected something to be on the other side of the door but what these things were she did not know. She wished she could move. Either getting around Ullar or off to the side so that some one could help the big man. As it is she has no option but to stay where she is for the moment. Her sword at the ready, she waits for the opportunity to strike at one of creatures.
Dakath unsheathes his long sword and prepares to enter the room as soon as Ullar provides him entrance.
Ullar moves back, bouncing against Rhune and Dakath, who are still behind him, closing the door by putting his hand through the gap he just hacked into it.
Rhune grimaces as the big warrior nearly flattens her even further against the wall.
"OK," the warrior calls out. "We have a problem.. There are plenty of doggy look-a-like rodents in there, and it seems they are hungry. Anyone with bright ideas what to do with them?"
Dakath turns to look at Rhune in amazement as Ullar shuts the door. He recovers quickly enough to begin try pushing him back through the door "Here's a crazy idea, get in there and kill them!!! Where we come from we exterminated Rodents!!"
"I agree, Ullar. Let's kill them, please. And please, I can't breath," she whispers trying to move the big man enough so she can breath easier.
Ullar sighs. "Were we come from we fight rodents with fire or other means, like poison. None of you happen to have a torch or something to scare them away, so that we can enter the room WITHOUT all of them having me for breakfast?"
"Or perhaps Xania can do her color-thingy once more, helped us before!"
"I can do that once more today. I will do it now, if you like," adds Xania.
Dakath says, "Can we debate this later, get in there!!!"
"SHUT UP!" Ullar calls out to Dakath. "And quit telling me what to do! Or go in there yourself!" Ullar says, while making room for Dakath.
As Ullar slams the door back closed, the creatures come hurtling into it. Unfortunately, the only way to hold the door closed from this attack is for Ullar to grip the side of the hole he made, which makes his fingers a rather tempting target to small very sharp teeth while another appears to be stuffing it's nose into the hole to pull open the door. Not only hungry, but fairly intelligent little beasts! Ullar snaps his hand back as one of the creatures rakes his fingers with it's teeth. Quickly replacing it with his other hand, he realizes that he won't be able to hang on long.
Rhees shakes his head as Ullar and Dakath debate tactics during a confrontation. He calls down the tunnel to them, "No! Ullar has the lead on this, he is right. If they were waiting by the door they've had a chance to prepare a proper defense! If they wish to fight, let them do it out here!"
"Finally someone who can understand a hostile situation as well!" Ullar calls back anxiously.
"I forgot all about you Rhees. Come and join us here at the front."
"Anyone with torches?"
"Coming through! Coming through! Warrior in armor with spear! Coming through! 'Cuse me. Pardon me. Sorry, ma'am. Coming through!" Forte shouts, as he pushes his way toward the door. Unfortunately, it's very slow going, as he is quite large, and getting by even one party member takes some time. He manages to get by Brother Augustus and Asif. "So how many rats are there, anyway?" he shouts to Ullar.
"Dunno exactly Forte, but more than I like..." replies Ullar.
"Counting not being his strong suit," murmurs Xania, "then again, he has other ... more pleasing attributes..."
"What if the people who can handle their weapons well go first?" Ullar says, with a sarcastic glance towards Dakath.
"Well, that leaves me out," Forte mumbles to himself.
"Forte, Asif, Tag and me as the first group.. the rest will follow ASAP?" Ullar continues.
"Oh, uh, sure," Forte says, his face brightening as he realizes that Ullar is talking about him. He mentally prepares himself for battle...
Rhune, already squished between Ullar, wall and Dakath, rolls her eyes as Forte begins approaching. "Ahumm.....guys.....I...can't breath....here...someone move please," she manages to get out.
Rhees pales a little at the thought of fighting in a glorified rabbit hole, "Uhm . . .I meant out here were we can fight side by side. But if you insist . . ," Rhees prepares to follow behind Forte.
"I agree with the Celt," Tag says trying to keep his footing and his balance as Forte rushes past him uncomfortably close. He maintains the light and moves forward behind the fighters trying to get a chance to make rat kebabs. "Perhaps we should work out combat tactics before these sort of situations, mio amico, Si?"
Xania tries not to giggle, unsuccessfully.
Rhune tries to slip back to let the fighters in front but is not sure if she can do it, given the size of the warriors and the tunnel.
A look of confusion sweeps over Asif's face at the confined situation. As used as he is to the wide open expanses of home, fighting in such a confined space is totally alien to him. He searches his limited experience to try and work out how he is going to wield his scimitars in this limited space. Would the walls of this tunnel allow the sweep of his two flashing blades?.
"Efendi is it wise to fight our battle here. Better we withdraw so that my blades may be used without cutting down a friend."
To emphasis his point Asif touches the hilts of his blades and then the walls of the corridor. Having seen his fighting style before you realize that here, he is nearly defenseless. Unable to use his swords here, Asif draws an exotic looking curved Jambiya from a sheath upon the sash at his waist.
"If it is Aten's will I shall die here so that you can escape."
Rhune sees Asif's dagger and prepares to protect him if she can as she is wearing chain mail and has a long sword. She is not sure what she can do but will do anything.
Tag being jostled by waves of people to and fro, like a rubber light house in a storm, holds his lantern high and keeps the point of his rapier down to avoid skewering anyone. "Even back in the previous passage, we could at least attack on two fronts, lets fall back." He wonders how much light is left after that prolonged hacking at the door session.
Augustus hunches down and attempts to get over to one side. Once there, he readies his staff to attack the rat-things. "I am ready," he says...a detectable quaver in his voice.
Xania notes Auggie's nervousness and grins impishly at him. "Don't worry, Augustus, being a pincushion is much easier than it looks."
Augustus looks sidelong at Xania, "Why does that not comfort me in the least, Mistress?" The young priest can't help but grin as Xania's manner relaxes him, despite all attempts to remain grim and serious.
"It only hurts until you go unconscious," Xania adds. "Luckily for me that's pretty quick. Folks like Dakath tend to remain conscious pincushions much longer. Ick."
"F*CK!" exclaims Ullar, when those pesky little bastards bite him in his hand again. He can tell that there is no way to hold the door closed with his hand axe without fear of letting the beasts within loose. "They are quick and clever! Xania, can you do your color thingy? Will I be affected if I close my eyes? Make a decision fast, for my hand is not going to like this!"
Xania, well back from the door, stands ready to assist, should her help be needed.
In the meantime, while Xania is considering, Ullar is checking if he can use his hand-axe to hold the door instead of his hand.
"Close your eyes and open the damned door, Jean Luc--I mean, Ullar," Xania casts her last burst of color as the door is opened.
Rhune tries her best to let one of the other warriors up front but after a few seconds of being flattened against the wall rather uncomfortably she shakes her head as Forte tries to make his way forward, "Nope, sorry. No more room up here," she gasps trying to breath.
"Jean-who..," the rest of Ullar's words are gone as he kicks the door open again, and closes his eyes.
After about 15 seconds, the warrior having no idea about casting times, plans to reopen his eyes and storm in with his hand-axe ready, making room for the rest to join in the fight. However, some base curiosity in him made him crack open an eyelid while Xania was fanning out the spell, and he now lies on the ground near the tunnel entrance along with the three great rat-mole creatures who were right at the door. Unfortunately, there are three more of the beasts also present within. They come charging in right beyond their fellows with astonishing speed. One stops to rend at Ullar, tearing into him like a steak, inflicting horrible wounds, while the other two attack through the tunnel.
"There's no time for changing positions now! Let's get in there while Xania's spell has knocked 'em back a bit." Spear and shield readied, Rhees heads in behind whoever he's following. If the fighters form a perimeter, he fights from the second rank, focusing on rat-things that have slipped by the fighters' defenses. If it's a chaotic melee, he organizes a melee circle - himself and other less heroic figures protecting the spell casters - Auggie and Xania.
As soon as the door is opened and Ullar is out of the way, Rhune tries to move forward. When she can't she flattens against the wall as much as she can to make room for the fighters.
Augustus strains to see the commotion from his position, but is unsuccessful. He hears Ullar shout something about being bitten. "Blast it, but I can't see a thing...what is going on up there!" he says to no-one in particular.
Xania manages to squish back behind those at the front. Unfortunately, Forte was never able to maneuver his bulk past the men at the rear and still hangs about behind the slight sorceress, Rhees immediately behind him. Augustus and Asif see they cannot get closer and wait until an opportunity presents itself. Tag, immediately along with Xania, prepares his rapier to assist if Dakath or Rhune might fall to the savage needle-pointed teeth (rows and rows of them) of the great rodents.
Dakath manages to stab the one attacking him, but it moves past the bloody wound and keeps on attacking fatalistically. Rhune, being very cramped by the tight conditions, is unable to do much more than poke her sword forward, with no results. However, the cramped conditions impede the speedy creatures as well as they snap at the two rogues ferociously.
"Get back....I hate rats," Rhune mutters as she tries to stab at one...
The next go-round does not go so well, though, as Dakath's opponent dodges his skewer neatly and bites a healthy chunk out of his right calf. The pain is almost unbearable, and Dakath is unable to mount any type of attack in return.
Rhune's target is similarly accurate, and manages to bite her not once, but twice, inflicting only minor wounds on her leg and stomach. She is unable also to return with any force.
"Agghhhmmmm. Ouch," she utters wincing slightly...and trying to strike the creature to no affect.
Meanwhile, Ullar appears to be in quite a bit of trouble, as the third beast has ripped open his stomach and appears to be nearly ready to begin consuming his interior organs.
Fortunately, Rhune manages a lucky stab at her opponent and downs him, remarkably. Dakath has no such luck, but is able to ward his opponent off any further damage. The creature poised to feast on Ullar momentarily stops his eating, seeing that Rhune has downed his fellow, and pounces on her instead.
"Yes!" she exclaims as she pulls her sword out just in time to see the other one pounce.
While Ullar lies bleeding badly, Dakath and Rhune exchange feeble blows at their opponents, whose speed is almost blinding. Dakath feels his wounded leg aching and knows that he cannot fight much longer. He also cannot flee, however, as there are half a dozen people in the tunnel behind him.
Forte has managed to push himself past Xania and Tag to attempt to thrust through with his spear, but sees that Dakath and Rhune, both small, are barely able to defend themselves, and another intruder upon the battle might only serve to make things worse.
Once again the two non-warriors fight without achieving any hits, while the sharp-toothed beasts appear to be homing in. One pounces onto Dakath bodily, but his leathers manage to barely keep the creature from drawing blood. Rhune's magical chain has managed to defend her fairly well so far, and continues to do so. However, Ullar's blood is now pooling about him, and one of those downed by Xania's spell is starting to move about, twitching.
Rhune once again manages to down her opponent by thrusting her sword into it's sloping skull, while Dakath still feebly attempts to defend himself. However, it appears his luck has run out. This time the creature latches itself onto his right leg. As that was pretty much all that supported him, he falls to the ground hard.
Acting fast now, Rhune dodges into the room and thrust her sword into the rat-creature that was stirring. However, both of the other two are stirring as well now, and she knows that she will only be able to fell one of them before the other wakes.
As the creature hanging on Dakath's leg looks up, he is greeted by Tag's rapier in his eye, and he dies quickly. Forte meanwhile rushes into the room to assist Rhune or Ullar. He and Rhune manage to dispatch the two remaining rat-creatures before they can regain their senses, though only barely.