Riley found Mesquard only a short distance from the tunnel entrance. A few flakes of blood had dried around his muzzle and fur, already flaking off in places.

  Are you well, ser? That was a mighty blow.

  “No, no I am not alright,” Riley replied, grimacing. He took some pleasure in it being an instantaneous death. It meant he didn’t have to relive the phantom sensation of his body being smashed to pulp.

  Mesquard nodded. We may need a change of tactic.

  They pressed on together, side by side. “What do you suggest?” he asked, stepping over a few severed chunks of miner meat.

  The rat considered this, his whiskers repeatedly twitching. Mayhaps you could trick the sorcerer into attacking his allies?

  “He’s possessed, but not totally stupid. Probably smart enough to hold his fire until he can get a clear shot on me,” Riley said. He took a moment to contemplate the prospect in more detail. Maybe if he could blind the guy as he was starting to shoot?

  Then again, the range of his Blinding Mist was rather limited, and that cavern was pretty big. And if he got too close again, the miner was likely to explode the ground at his feet again.

  He could take some punishment, but that explosion was basically an instant kill for him.

  And then there was the giant miner. Incredibly strong and durable, his flesh so thick that his shotel would struggle to make a killing blow on him. But he had seemed a touch dumber than the others, singleminded in his drive to crush Riley.

  Maybe he could work with that?

  “Mesquard, you may want to keep back a bit.”

  I am a fighter, ser.

  “Yeah. But you can’t come back from the dead like I can.”

  A minor weakness, I assure you. He trailed off, letting out a small titter. Or, perhaps a ‘miner’ weakness in this context. Eh? Eh? I can jape as well as any man.

  Riley rolled his eyes. “I like you Mesquard, but you could get seriously-”

  A small furrow formed in the ground ahead of him, joined by two others. Riley jumped back and raised his blade as the furrows split open, revealing a trio of fist-sized holes. A creature emerged from each. Long, serpentine reptiles who skittered about on three sets of legs, their eyes letting out a golden glow than shone in the darkness.

  Riley stared at the creatures. They stared at him in turn.

  So, it is true, the creature at the head of the pack said, her voice low and feminine. A prophet of the Plague Mother has come to grace us. To save us from the vile filth beyond the cosmos.

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  “Who... what are you?” Riley asked.

  “Mine lizards,” Arubis said, peering over his shoulder. “Underground vermin, in the eyes of most miners. They dwell underground and chew on ore. Naturally, this leaves them unpopular to the people who rely on minerals for a living.”

  “No doubt,” Riley said. They were each larger than Mesquard, who was already big by rat standards. The biggest of the pack had a body longer than his forearm, and about as thick.

  Under normal circumstances I would be wary about siding with such creatures. But we are allied in common cause, as children of Aqar’Ghul, Mesquard said.

  Agreed. My kin have no love for humans, but beasts of Chaos are worse by a massive margin, the reptile said.

  Riley nodded. On some fundamental level, it seemed everything living had a disdain for the creatures of Chaos. “Call me Riley,” he said, crouching to get closer to the trio.

  I am Zic. These two are my hatchlings, Ozo and Tez, the head reptile replied. Her forked tongue darted briefly out of her mouth. We heard the chaos of your approach and made our way over. Alone we are not strong enough to defeat the spores of evil. But, with your aid, we stand a chance.

  Riley frowned behind his mask. “Have you three ever fought before? Or killed?”

  One of the mine lizards, who Riley believed was Ozo, stepped forward. I have eaten human eyes before.

  The third mine lizard nodded. And I tore the throat from a man. We may me small, noble prophet, but we are mighty. Our talons and fangs rend flesh as well as any blade.

  “Mm. Good enough for me,” Riley said. It wasn’t like he was in a position to e too picky.

  Speak, and we shall act, Zic said, offering him some semblance of a bow.

  Riley took a moment to explain the situation to the group, the cavern that waited ahead of them. He may have killed a few of the miners, but the biggest threats were still in there. And one stray move could get them all killed.

  “And that’s about the short of it. My plan is a simple one. I’ll rush in and draw their attention. All of them. Ideally I can kill the big guy on my own. But, while they’re all on me, I want you four to sneak around and make for the rear of the cavern. Attack the wizard and keep him off balance, and I can get in close and kill him.”

  A risky plan, Zic said.

  An audacious attack. As to be expected from a brave warrior, Mesquard added.

  “It’s a major risk, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it, but it’s the kind of risk we need to take.” Riley moved to stand, adjusting his grip on his shotel and staff. “Well, that I need to take at least. But you’re very welcome to help me clear the path ahead.”

  Zic conferred with her two hatchlings, speaking in soft, hushes toned that he could scarcely pick up on. Eventually the trio returned their attention to him, watching quietly with their slitted serpentine eyes. Our aid is yours, Zic eventually said.

  Yes. Better to risk death in a noble battle, than to perish slowly as our kin have until this point. This is our only chance for victory, Tez said.

  “Then we’re all in agreement. Stick close to me, and we’ll get through this.” And he had to hope he could get them through the other side alive. His life as a medical student was long gone, but there was a tiny part of him that still wanted to preserve life. At least, to preserve the life of those who weren’t actively out to kill him.

  He took his first steps forward, and the three lizards quickly fell in step behind him. Mesquard perched himself on Riley’s shoulder again, his whiskers twitching.

  “You’ve certainly drawn a modest crowd of allies,” Arubis said, smiling fondly.

  “Guess this passive skill is pretty good,” he mused. In the back of his mind, Riley was briefly worried with the mental image of being swarmed by crowds of angry, infectious rodents, unable to mollify them with any passive ability. People may have hated plague wizards, and the goddess who gave them their power, but at least they weren’t trying to tear him limb from limb.

  Yet.

  “So... it’s anything that’s classed as vermin?” he asked.

  Arubis nodded. “Aqar’Ghul is the patron of the wretched, the disenfranchised, and the spurned. But, certainly, things that are considered ‘plague carriers’ are those closest to the order of the plague wizards. Rats, locusts, vermin, carrion birds. Things of that nature.”

  “Dirty company.” Not that he was in a position to be too judgemental, when he was a walking sick ward. But it was important to remind himself over how bizarre his life had gotten.

  Dirtiness is next to godliness, said Mesquard, seeming to grin as best a rat could.

  “Yes. Quite right,” Riley flatly said.

  To bring disease and woe is to honour the great matron of filth, Ozo proudly said. Today we are all priests in her service. Thus let us spread her good word.