When outnumbered in a fight, I need either superior fighting skill or a technological advantage. Right then, I had neither. My equipment was basic, just like a starting player, with only a punch and kick ability. My outfit was still the new character creation set. What little mana I had, which was two points of it, was not enough to summon a firelight like the spell caster in front of me. The rough texture of my shield against my back was a comfort as I raced toward the wall, preparing for a defensive stand the moment I turned around. I got my shield out preparing for the fire blast and noticed the creatures didn’t chase me.

  The three hooded foes glanced at each other. The wizard with the flame waved it back and forth as he prepared for another spell.

  “Hello then,” said the one with fire between his claws. I named him Fireclaw. Its voice hissed lowly. “If you’re willing to listen, we’ll show you our plans.”

  One hooded creature pulled out a round pottery from a bag to show the intricate carving design that Mrs. Crockery put on all her pots. They opened the lid up and I braced for more magic to come firing out at me. They could have snakes ready to leap out, flying rats–which are just bats with odd tails, or even a poisonous gas.

  The third took off his hood, bearing a toothless smile, a tongue popping out of the mouth, blinking vertically, with eyes that had an eerie honey yellow color. His skin was a greenish-yellow with pink scratched scars across his face.

  >>><<<

  [Level 7 Creature: Lizard-folk (uncommon)

  Description: Creatures of the sun and all things heat, these Lizard-folk are common to see around sandy area and bathing. Northern one, like this one before you, must create their own heat, and protect their homes from constant threats like rats and people.]

  >>><<<

  There was no information on a weak point. I only knew one useless fact about lizards, something Elaine shared. In danger, a lizard will lose its tail to survive and grow it back another day. It would be pointless to smash my shield down on that part of their bodies. I psyched myself up to defeat the growing nerves and told myself that to do any actual damage, all attacks had to be focused on the rest of the body.

  If I could even hurt three level seven creatures. Their markers were still white, meaning they wouldn’t hurt me yet.

  “You see, human,” hissed the lizard holding the pot, tilting the opening toward me. They struggled to make the t sound of words without teeth. “We’re trying to create a device to defend our home from invasions. A way we can do without risking more of our people and still cause harm.”

  Fireclaw, with his non-flaming claw, dipped it into the pot and clapped his hands together. The lizard-folk next to him jumped at the sound. Both clawed hands were on fire. No health bar was above his head.

  “Careful!” shouted the third lizard, in a higher pitch. She pulled out a small vial filled with a white powder, ready to toss it at Fireclaw.

  Fireclaw now had all his claws on fire. His claws danced in and out of the blue flame. “It doesn’t hurt us. Our attackers scream in pain, but continue attacking. It doesn’t stop them. It’s only slightly better than a magical illusion.”

  “It’s worse.” The lizard-woman complained. She took her hood off, revealing a deeper green skin, and lacking any injuries on her face. She pointed a claw at the pot. I mentally named her Vial and the one holding the pot Potholder.

  Vial continued her rant. “This costs money to make. We need to wrap up this folly and declare it a loss.”

  “Great,” I said, halting Potholder from speaking. “Use illusion magic and stop breaking and stealing from Mrs. Crockery.”

  I had to get to Naiad and Triangle. We never should’ve separated.

  Potholder, Fireclaw, and the third one I named Vial, huddled up and whispered. It was my chance to go. I lowered my shield and jogged back to the south to go around the lizard-folk and the burned forest.

  “But you could help us!” Fireclaw called to me. “You can explain to the shopkeeper what we’re after. We need a defense.”

  My jaw clenched, and I gritted my teeth, a habit the dentist had warned me about. “I’ll come back to this. I need to destroy a rat's nest.”

  With a goodbye wave to the lizard-folk, I ran off faster to find the kids. I carefully marked my location on the map, determined to return to this spot later. I left their white NPC markers behind.

  [Guild Chat]

  [Triangle: Help!]

  [Naiad: Uhhh, we’re heading back to the wall looking for the guards.]

  [Boulder: I’m coming. Make a lot of noise so I can find you.]

  A few seconds later, an explosion went off in the woods east of me. I knew where Triangle was.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  [Boulder: Stop using bombs!]

  [Triangle: :P]

  As I turned to go further into the woods, away from the burned zone, the Potholder ran out in front of me and I sidestepped around their long tail. His hind legs swung about, making them faster than me. The liquid splashed on the ground. The smell was burning my eyes.

  Alcohol. They were playing with a high grade, too. Everything burned easily.

  “Woah.” I backed up to put some space between me and the pot, but it only gave a chance for a flammable Fireclaw to catch up. “Hold it. I’ll talk to Mrs. Crockery for you, but you need to move. Now.”

  “You mentioned rats' nests?” Potholder slowed down to keep pace with me. “We’re trying to stop these vile creatures!”

  The alcohol splashed on my shield from his flaying.

  “Yes! Let’s join you.” Chanted Vial. She shook the powder vial on the alcohol in the woods. The smell of incense followed her.

  ** “We can show you the power of the pot!” screeched Fireclaw.

  “Do you have some sort of lid for it?” I sidestepped away. Fireclaw's claws still blazed, and I wanted more room to avoid getting burned or my wooden shield going up in flames.

  Fireclaw didn’t care and stepped closer. “Tell us human, where these fur-covered monsters are hiding.”

  I hated how I had no clue where the threat to my kids was. In the city, there were markers or buildings the Shrimp Guild referenced whenever we got separated. Here there was a tree, another tree, an evergreen with pinecones, and a smoking tree.

  Smoke creeped up behind me. The dry undergrowth floated up in the hot air and transformed into ash. As the lizard-folk sloshed through the woods, they left a blazing path in their wake and causing worry to creep over me. The kids were in this blazing forest.

  [Guild Chat]

  [Triangle: I didn’t start this fire!]

  [Naiad: We’re changing course. There’s a fire.]

  [Boulder: Run to it, it’s me.]

  “Why don’t you have a lid!?” I shouted back at the lizard-folk. "Your alcohol is spilling everywhere and you're tossing fire about like it's hot." The saying sounded better in my head.

  Fireclaw went to reach for the pot, but Potholder stopped just in time. “We broke it.”

  “You’re burning the forest down. Do you have a way out?” It was obvious we were screwed.

  “Excellent, we can get rid of all the rats then.” Potholder replied.

  Vial cackled and her tongue swished about. She was no longer pouring her powder. No one answered my question on how to get out.

  Jeez. The list of problems of the day grew. I had no clue if destroying the rats’ nest counted to finishing my quest. The original quest was to stop the hooligans. It felt like I was enabling the lizard-folk by bringing them with me to destroy the rats. This would only prove their idea of the pottery fire worked. They would continue stealing from Mrs. Crockery unless I thought of something.

  “Why did it have to be pottery for carrying your alcohol?” I questioned.

  “Dad!” shouted Triangle, interrupting my question.

  He sat on top of Naiad’s shoulders. Her bow was out as she shot at the rats that nipped at her cloak. Blue hazy smoke dissipated behind them.

  Triangle waved. “I listened. Can I throw another bomb now?”

  "Not yet!" I snapped in response. His bomb would be the death of us.

  The lizards yelled out, their tongues shaking out to create a vibrating sound as they ran at the rats. Fireclaw and Potholder chased after them. Vial put her powder away to replace it with a dagger and charged at the four-foot-tall rats. This was more than a typical nest. There had to be fifteen of the buggers. They were all the same large size, too. In the city, these would have been the boss of the rat’s nest.

  “Did you get the boss?” I asked as they got close.

  Glancing at their stats, their health was lower but still above yellow and rising fast. They used health potions to get out of a dangerous situation. They shouldn’t have ever left their tank. I drew my shield and stood between them and the oncoming swarm.

  “Never saw it. At first, only a few level one and twos showed up, then it was all these level three rats and ran,” Naiad replied.

  Birds squawked and flew into the sky. Small critters ran past them and the rats ignored them. The vermin had bigger prey to eat, us and the lizard-folk.

  Potholder pulled out a ladle and began tossing the alcohol on the rats. It looked like someone preparing to clean the street, not a forest of rats. Fireclaw waved his flame around and instantly the fur on the rats went up in flames.

  Along with more forest undergrowth.

  The flames were small, but it would not take long for the flames to travel up the trees soon. Trapping us in the forest.

  That wasn’t illusionary fire magic, it was very real.

  My kids and I needed to get out. We'll come back later with better equipment, and together as a guild.

  Naiad stood next to me and shot arrows at the rats. Each rat took at least two hits. Her quiver had twelve arrows left.

  “Don’t waste your arrows. Use your dagger, but stay behind me. Triangle, save your bombs,” I ordered.

  “That’s the same as saying do nothing.” Naiad complained. “My daggers aren’t long enough.” She shot another arrow at the rat that bit Vial’s arm.

  She saved an ally, but openly ignored my command. It was hard to distinguish which child was the worst at listening to me, their father.

  The lizard was shaking the powder in a circle around the lizard-folk and my family. For now, the lizard-folks' icons were still white. One hit from the Shrimp Guild and they could turn into enemies. We had to be careful.

  A chittering sound echoed above the rat swarm and they parted as a larger rat approached. Annoying trumpet music started.

  >>><<<

  [Level 7 Boss: Rat King! Type: Rat (common)

  Description: The nuttiest of all rats and determined to bust your skull with one bite.]

  >>><<<

  "Oh, this was out of our level," I whispered, not wanting to scare the kids.

  They were not ready for this. My hands got sweaty from the heat of the fire, and I adjusted my grip on the shield. I wish I had a better weapon to fight with. In the past, I favored a double axe fighting style. Shields didn’t fight, they smashed and held the line.

  Holding a wood shield against rats worked fine. It failed against an encroaching fire.

  “Stay in this circle and you will be safe from the fire!” Vial explained. “Today we slay the Rat King!”

  Fireclaw and Potholder screamed. “For Lavaia!!!”

  I grunted a thanks as I kicked a rat back into the fire. The circle was no bigger than ten feet wide, the tails of the lizard whacked into my legs. Naiad stumbled, threatening to fall out of the circle, but I caught her and Triangle on her back. I pushed both of them to be more behind me.

  “Stay back!” I shouted, grabbing a hairless rat tail and swinging it into another batch.

  The attack was effective as they crashed and stumbled into the fire. But still not enough to kill them. Slowly, the fire ticked away the rodents’ health.

  On the Rat King, it was dropping too slow.

  In between the screaming of the lizard-folk, the hissing of the rats, and panics of nature as a forest fire broke out, one horrifying sound stood out the most.

  Jingle bells.

  Three small silver bells flew in the air past my shoulder to the Rat King.

  “Jingle Bell Bombs!” Giggled Triangle.

  Triangle was the worst at listening to his parents.