So the poison effect really does work.
He hurled the fireball forward, watching as the explosion flung the last giant rat back into the wooden shelf, knocking potions and vials in all directions. The rat slumped to the ground in the pile of broken glass and flickering magical liquid. Vexx breathed out slowly and felt for his shoulder. A few fires still burned on the fur of the fallen giant rats.
Vexx stepped forward, kicking the last giant rat square in the stomach. It made no move. “You rat bastard. I can’t believe you bit me.” Vexx pulled his robe back, squinting at the bite mark and grimaced as he saw a faint trickle of blood.
He scanned the shelf for the few remaining potions, noticing a half-full jug of moonshine. Vexx popped the cork and gave it a few tentative sniffs before pouring it liberally on his wounded shoulder. He gritted his teeth at the burning sensation and took a long drink for good measure.
Vexx set it back with a long sigh. A couple other red and blue-hued vials remained and Vexx quickly pocketed them.
The old man hadn’t mentioned they were giant rats, after all. I’m entitled to a bit of a bonus. And speaking of bonuses…
Vexx scanned the cellar for whatever the old man might consider to be great treasure. There was little of value besides the dusty mirror, a slumped-over bookshelf that was partly charred from a stray fireball, and a half-collapsed desk. He approached the desk and slid open the drawers. At the bottom, he caught the gleam of a lockbox and smiled as he hefted it atop the desk. Vexx sparked a new light as the smoldering giant rat carcasses faded into blackness.
He rattled the lockbox, noting that it was still locked. There was a place for a key and Vexx knew a skilled lockpicker might make the attempt. It might be worth learning how to do that in the future, Vexx thought, grabbing the lockbox and making his way back up the stairs. But for now, I’ll just have the old man open it.
Vexx staggered up the stairs and rounded the corner into the main room. He stopped and took in the scene. Kaylin was perched on a ladder, humming happily to herself as she dusted a bookcase, and behind her, the old man grinned as he stared up at her skirt.
“Hey, dirty old man!” Vexx snapped, and the old man looked over guiltily. “I took care of your rats, you creep. Or should I say, your giant rats. You didn’t mention they got into your potions.”
“Eh? Well that’s why I offered the job. If they were little rats, I’d just squish ‘em with my staff.”
“I’ll take my reward now,” Vexx snapped, glancing up at Kaylin dusting away. “Kaylin, get down from there. We’re dungeoneers, not maids.”
“But I’m just about done!” she called out.
The old man was looking back up at her. “Yeah, sonny, she’s just about done.”
Vexx sighed, brushing cobwebs and dirt out of his hair, and slumped into a nearby wooden chair. He felt exhausted again after all that magic use. A moment later, Kaylin hopped down.
“I just fin—”
She was interrupted by the clattering sound of the books falling to the ground. Silence fell in the room for a moment.
“Oops.”
17
Great Treasure
The old man sighed. “Set those back up, missy, would you? I’ll get that treasure,” he said, walking over and muttering something about missing the view. The old man paused by Vexx and sniffed. “You smell like soot and liquor.”
“You smell even worse,” Vexx muttered, though the old man apparently didn’t hear, instead shuffling away towards the cellar. Vexx sighed as Kaylin began stacking the books on the shelf. “I’ve seen corpses with more life than this guy,” he said. “We’ve had better conversations, too.”
“He seems nice enough,” Kaylin replied. “He said I could come back whenever I wanted to do a job.”
“I bet he wants you to polish his staff,” Vexx remarked in a low voice.
“Well, I’m very good with my hands,” Kaylin said nonchalantly as she set the last book in place. “There!” she said, stepping down from the ladder and dusting her hands. “Easy!”
“Easy? You didn’t have to do anything,” Vexx scoffed. “I had to fight a bunch of giant rats!” Vexx tapped his finger on the lockbox beside him. He’d heard some rattles from within, and he knew there was definitely something inside. Still, the old man said his treasure was something else.
“What’s that?” Kaylin asked as Vexx surreptitiously slid the lockbox into his pack.
“This? Oh, nothing. You don’t happen to know how to pick locks, do you?”
Kaylin shrugged and shook her head.
I’ll have to see if someone at the tavern is interested. I didn’t fight all those giant rats just for a few lousy coins and a couple old potions. For a moment, Vexx briefly considered taking a swig of one of them. A healing elixir would help with his wound, though it really wasn’t so bad, and the blue vial would help him recover his stamina after all that magic use.
No, best to just get over it. I’m feeling a bit better already, Vexx thought to himself, hauling himself out of the chair as the old man emerged from his basement. He fixed a cranky stare at Vexx.
“You ruined everything down there!”
Vexx snorted. “Did you see all those rats I killed?”
“Killed with fire magic,” the old man snarled. “If I knew you’d burn half the cellar down I wouldn’t have bothered. Back in my day, a young man would go down there with a hammer and a smile, and come back whistling a jaunty tune! You, well, look at you! You look like some sort of witch. This generation, I tell you…”
“You mentioned treasure?” Vexx prompted after a moment. The sooner we get out of here the better.
The old man’s eyes snapped up and he held out a book, the cover partly burnt on one end. “Great treasure, I said, and more than the likes of you deserve. The rest of the payment is with the barkeep.”
Vexx just stared out. “How about some gold? We’ll take gold.”
The old man snorted. “This is worth more than gold, if you have the wits to read it. Now get out of my house!”
“Oh, don’t be like that!” Kaylin said as she approached. “We did our best!”
The old man’s tone immediately softened, his eyes crinkling as he formed a half-smile. “Well. You were a delight. And any time you’d like an adventure, feel free to visit me! Heheh!”
Vexx hid his disgust as he took the offered book. “This isn’t treasure,” he muttered, briefly flipping through it, but the old man ignored him. At least I kept his lockbox. There’s bound to be a few things in there. Perhaps even some gold if we’re lucky.
“Come on, Kaylin,” Vexx said as he grabbed Kaylin’s arm, interrupting the old man in the middle of another lecherous remark. “Let’s turn this one in.”
18
Expert Lockpicker
Business in Cloudbury’s tavern had died down. Vexx impatiently brushed bits of soot off his face as the barkeep returned with their meager payment. It seems that killing rats isn’t a profitable venture. Who knew?