Wilderness

The squeaking rodents did not look cute. Their fur was messy and threatening. With a single gaze, one would be able to tell the rats were feral to the core.

"What are they?" I gripped my machete and asked the grilling Kaiser.

"Ravagers. The majority are only at the same level as a first or second grade altered." Kaiser told us while still tending to the meat. He heeded the aggressive squeaking no mind whatsoever.

A shrill scream then followed as a giant ravager entered the clearing. Its fur seemed as sharp as needles and its face showed complete animosity. I could almost see it having rabies.

The many ravagers made way for it and it started to charge towards the group. There were as many as 10 followers behind it but given that we were only eight and the enemies were at a similar level, the prospects were not looking good.

"Ho-How are we supposed to face this?!" One of the younger members yelled. If I remembered correctly, his name was Colt.

"Boss! This is too sudden" Jimmy yelled as if admonishing Kaiser's decision.

"Are you all fools, shoot them!" A middle-aged man with a rugged countenance said as he aimed his gun. He aimed a silenced pistol towards the large feral rat who would imminently fall upon us. His words certainly seemed to carry wisdom.

"The military is nearby, put that thing down" Kaiser got up and said as he pulled out a fierce-looking military dagger. He brandished it with fluid movements.

Come to think of it, where did Kaiser come from? How did he get to his current position? It was a curious matter but now was perhaps not the time.

The large rat upfront came and jumped at us after weaving past the tents. Its minions behind each picked one of us as their target.

Kaiser was the first to swing his weapon. He had quickly lunged at the rat and with a swift strike sliced it in half. Its corpse split into two and fell lifelessly in front.

The others stabbed their knives, daggers, machetes, whatever it may be! They each struck the feral rat-like ravagers. I did the same. With a swift and sloppy horizontal swing of my machete, a rat that was walking past me was taken care of.

I had dug horizontally halfway into its body with the machete but ultimately my strength and technique fell short.

The others, as they had a lower level, took a couple of stabs or swings to eliminate the large rodents. Of course, not everyone did...

"Damn!" yelled one of the fellows next to me. Large fangs pierced his arm. I could almost see how the ravager would mangle his arm and force it off its socket when...

Bang

A shot rang out.

I looked sideways and saw Kaiser with a silenced handgun. He was the first to break his own rule it seemed.

A dying screech followed after as one of the members pummeled one of the feral rats to its death. The messy kill had resulted in his clothes turning bloody.

"Boss… did we bring enough water?" He asked wryly.

The boss revealed a helpless smile that seemed to imply he should have been more careful. That was when everyone noticed an abnormality and their expressions turned to worry.

Kaiser hurriedly walked over to Colt who's facial expression had turned pale and held a large grimace. He held his arm with an aghast expression. It was bleeding profusely with the ravager still attached to it. The jaws were clenching his arm without any plan to give it up.

Everybody else gathered around with pity or concern.

"Colt…" Kaiser spoke with evident concern trying to catch his attention. Colt's eyes darted over to his boss with a hint of madness.

Swoosh!

Kaiser's knife cut through the air cutting off the ravager's head cleanly.

"I- He...Help" Colt muttered with reddened eyes after glancing towards his arm again. The rat was still holding onto his bleeding arm even after its body had been sliced apart.

"Colt…" Kaiser got his attention again.

Swoosh

"A- Aaaargh!" Colt loudly yelled after feeling the sudden jerking motion. The beast's skull was too thick to be cleanly sliced apart. It meant that the force had still been transferred over to Colt and his injury.

What Kaiser had cut was the area around the mandible. The jaw was finally unlocked, the method was rather crude but Colt's arm was kept in its place.

Colt's eyes however rolled back as he fainted. Seamus quickly caught him from behind. He winced after getting a clear look at the mangled forearm. Bits of flesh and profuse bleeding, the bite was anything but clean.

Had Kaiser not instantly shot it was very possible that not a second later Colt's arm would have been excavated from its rightful location.

"Kaiser!" It was Jimmy, his expression was seething with boundless anger. His face reddened and contorted from sheer wrath.

Kaiser glanced at him with indifference.

"That was too risky! He… He could have died!" Jimmy exclaimed.

Kaiser walked over towards Jimmy, the strong and scary-looking gatekeeper of the organization. His knife found a way to Jimmy's throat.

"Do you think we came here for a picnic?" Kaiser asked roughly with a glare.

The question was rhetorical of course, Jimmy didn't answer.

"Are the mutants here going to ask if you are ready? Are they going to wait for you to make merry? To enjoy the brilliant sun, the starry night skies?" Kaiser verbally abused the man with questions. ...but he was right.

"I don't want any of you to feel a sense of security" Kaiser stated and glanced at each member's faces under the hot afternoon sun. He retrieved his dagger.

"Lytton, take good care of him" Kaiser shifted his focus away from Jimmy and addressed one of the few members with medical skills.

"...yes" Lytton replied. He then glanced at Seamus who was holding up Colt and asked him with a slight frown to help move him over to the tent. Seamus nodded and they entered a tent.

It was quite the show. But that was reality. And it became obvious judging by the dark expressions of all the members that they understood the message and learned their lesson. They really weren't there to sightsee, this was the wilderness.