16 Catacombs

The Catacombs of Istalfax were built centuries ago when the Orc Wars raged across the continent. The dread sorcerer Kiltaris Dahrk sought world-domination and commanded his armies of Orcs to conquer all the nations of the land. As the citizens of the Western Kingdom huddled for safety underground, the hero Arcturus Orcslayer commanded the city's defenses and drove off Dahrk's horde. It is said that Arcturus slew half the invading force himself, and thatt he alone stood at the city gates and prevented even a single Orc from stepping within Istalfax's walls.

I have no idea how much of Arcturus' legend really happened and how much was exaggerated. I just know that after the end of the Orc Wars, he withdrew from public life and lived privately until his death years later. He just wanted to be left alone, and everyone respected his wishes in that regard. The lucky bastard.

Most of the entrances to the Catacombs had been sealed off in the years since they were last needed, but it turned out Nirir knew of a long-forgotten entrance hidden beneath the King Tristan Bridge that stretched over the Istalfax river that cut the city in half. He led Nel and me down below the bridge and into a narrow opening in the stone. We had to go in one at a time, squeezing through the old walls, and then the passage quickly opened up into a hall three shoulder-lengths wide.

I blinked in the shadows, then reached into my pouch and pulled out a light crystal. After striking it against the wall, I held up the now shining piece of white stone and looked out across the softly illuminated halls of the Istalfax Catacombs.

They were… more or less what I had expected. Dark stone tunnels with lots of cobwebs and the occasional puddle of stagnant water. The bricks were weathered and wherever there wasn't a leak from the river, there was a thick layer of dust. Honestly, about the only detail that caught me off guard was the musty smell that came with years and years of neglect.

"Why do you have a light crystal?" Nel asked me.

"I keep it on me in case I gotta make deliveries after dark," I told her. "Just kind of got used to having one with me at all times, I guess."

"Oh. Well, lucky for us then."

I nodded absentmindedly, my eyes still staring into the darkness beyond the little sphere of light created by the crystal. I had the distinct impression of multiple tiny eyes watching us from that blackness, just out of view.

As if sensing what was going through my mind, Nirir said: "the rats are already aware of our presence. Follow me closely and do not stray. They are watching our every move."

"They are?" Nel asked, looking around uncomfortably. "Are they near us right now? Watching?"

"They're rats," Nirir told her. "They are always nearby, no matter where in the city you are."

"That's comforting."

"The rats know all our secrets," I whispered to Nel.

She rolled her eyes and glared at me. "Not funny."

"Oh no, he's right," Nirir said. "The rats probably do know all your secrets."

I blinked and looked out into the darkness. "Even that one?" I asked out loud.

From somewhere in the darkness, a small squeaking voice replied "yes." This was followed by another squeaky voice shushing the first one. I grinned.

"Don't encourage them," Nirir muttered.

"Sorry."

I hoped I got to meet whichever rat had decided to humor me. They seemed pretty cool.

"So, like… the rats and cats both have their own kingdom in the city, right?" Nel asked, glancing around at the shadows. "You guys just share territory or something?"

"Essentially, yes," Nirir replied. "There are certain areas that are claimed exclusively by one kingdom or another, but otherwise we occupy the same space."

"And are your kingdoms just in this city, or is it like a universal thing?"

"Our kingdoms are limited to Istalfax and its surrounding area," Nirir told her. "Though all cat monarchs across the world swear kinship with the god Rira."

"Kinship?" I asked. "Not fealty or subservience or a… vow of worship or something?"

"We're cats," Nirir reminded me.

"Oh yeah. Good point."

I thought I heard some skittering noises in the darkness around us. How many rats were watching us right now, I wondered?

"So what can we expect from the Rat Kingdom?" I asked Nirir. "Will it be anything like King Mraw's, um, Court?"

"No," Nirir replied. "The rats stand less on ceremony, though that doesn't mean there aren't rules. Shows of respect to Queen Giratina are not required; in fact, overt displays would be seen as a sign of weakness. However, insulting the queen would result in immediate censure."

"So, respectful, but in a casual way?" I asked.

"Essentially, yes."

Nel laughed. "Who would have guessed that rats would be less into big fealty displays than cats?"

I once again scanned the darkness around us, and wondered what the various rodents listening in on our conversation thought of it.

Judging by the soft snickering I heard, I could hazard a guess.