C19: That One Cat

The blinking lights shone the name [Sewer Juice] in green.

"Sigh… good place for a quest with Rats!" Jamie told himself, walking into the old pub. A few Animagi were walking around, and that frog whore dancing around the pole just disgusted him!

However, the knight who was staring at the Frog woman with quite an interest disgusted him even more. 'Jesus man… why frogs?'

There were a couple of knights sitting down at the counter of the pub too, and all of them had black capes and the symbol of a large tree in the middle. It was the exact same symbol as the post in TheWoodenBoard and surely, these guys were the 'Downwood Guard.'

Jamie walked up to the guy who was standing there, gazing at the long-legged Pole Dancer.

"Ahem… why the F – Animagi." Close call, almost became a racist once again. Frog Lady was probably racial slang here.

The knight who was wearing a silver-plated helmet gazed at Jamie. "Didn't you see that man?" The knight directed his gaze to the sign that was hanging on the wall.

["Only for furries…"]

Jamie was speechless. They should've put that in the front of the damn bar.

"Plus, look at those legs. And have you had one…? the slippery —"

"Okay man… let's stick to business here." Jamie stopped the knight before he put some weird-ass ideas in his head. He was halfway imagining that shit!

The knight pondered for a second. "Oh! You're here for the Rat case, aren't you?"

"Yes… I'm here for that."

"Hendrick! Pattermont! Goldick! One of the guys who wants to accept the quest is here!"

The three knights sitting on the bar turned around. "Who?"

"This guy…" The knight pointed at Jamie. Jamie waved at the knights.

"Him? Only a level 2 guy? Were you cursed mate?" Goldick asked from Jamie, and surprisingly, 'Goldick' was a woman.

Jamie smiled at her. "I've handled other things on my own! Dealing with this won't be a problem… and yes, I was just cursed. I mean… who won't level up after living for more than 20 years, HAHAHA!" Jamie laughed, patting the Frog Thusiast on the back.

"Haha, this guy is funny," the knight replied.

The other knights laughed along as Jamie prayed for them to not find out about his 'true story.'

However, Jamie did not see any partner around the pub. The mission was for two people, as the post said. "Hm… where is the other guy?"

"The other? He's on his way. Unlike you, he called for the shot before he arrived," Pattermont replied.

"Oh."

"Anyways… kid, sit down. We explained it to your partner but you don't know the full details yet, do you?"

Jamie shook his head.

****

"So, where to start," Pattermont poured some greenish wine into a mug as he proceeded.

"If you're from around here, you might know a gang called The Woodland Rats. It's an alliance who were acting against the king because the King once killed some High-class cunt of an Animagi while he was celebrating his daughter's birthday. This cunt, went to the king's palace on that very day and yelled out that the princess's papa was fucking his beautiful *mice* daughters while enjoying the company of her mother. You see, one of his daughters got murdered because she was pregnant with the King's child, and if he kept her alive, the humiliation of having a half-mice child would disgrace the Royalty! So, you know… he murdered the mother."

Jamie sighed upon hearing this story.

"And do you know the best part! The 12-year-old princess told him, 'But you're a rat!' HAHAHA!" Hendrick laughed out loud.

'Jesus… like father, like daughter.'

"And then?"

"And then… the Rat bastard was headed on the spot after sparring with two of the Downwood Guard. That's when this Woodland Rats began. His only son and his followers began the alliance and they are looking forward to overthrowing the King ever since."

"But…" Jamie was confused about how it led to a sewer rat case. "The post said that we were dealing with Mutated Giant sewer rats! Not an alliance!"

"Yes, mate. We are… fighting sewer rats. You see, these bastards have mutated themselves with a witch's potions just a week ago and this witch must be one hell of a thing! The rats are enormous and so fucking tough!"

Jamie slowly turned his head to Hendrick.

'Oh fuck…'

Rewinding an hour, he remembered his friendly Witch saying:

"So much work these days… I just finished doing some mutation potions for some rich people!"

"Shit!"

"Huh?"

"No, just… is that Witch in trouble?"

"Probably not. Most of the witches in Downwood are licensed and they could brew any potion for anyone who wants it! And these rats must have had some buyer on their side… though that buyer will hang –'

"Ha…" Jamie sighed in relief.

"What?"

Jamie looked at the knight. "No, no. Just… Can I go take a quick breather?"

"Sure."

////

Jamie quickly stepped outside and breathed in the morning breeze.

He looked at the sky to see if any rain was closing in on them since the sewers will definitely flood if it did. He didn't wanna go home, covered in all kinds of shit in the town. Vampire shit, Animagi shit, and –

"What the –" a silhouette formed among the clouds. Jamie hesitated.

"Is that a dragon? Wait... or – Melloni? Or…" He kept gazing at it and saw something like a bicycle.

"Is it ET's fucking Moon-Cycle?"

It was a flying bicycle!

"Bloody hell?"

The bicycle flew across the sky as what seemed to be a cat came riding the bicycle.

The cat landed his cycle right in front of Jamie and parked it.

A black cat wearing pants and a long-sleeved shirt with a bowtie, kinda looking British. And for some reason, the cat was wearing goggles!

The knights hurried out of the pub and came to see the other guy. "Ahhh! You made it!"

Jamie was staring at the cat, grimacing. Pattermont was standing beside him and he turned to her.

"Ahem… who is that?"

"A cat… apparently," Pattermont replied.

"What is a cat doing on our mission? And why is he wearing goggles…"

"Probably to hide his noob levels. Most do that!"

"Good luck to you two," Hendrick joined in. "Newbies…"

////

Pattermont kicked the lid that was separating them from the sewer. "Here it is… the Sewage line which our knights managed to reclaim. The rats have been reported throughout the sewer systems from Downwood's village to the city near the castle. The rats are trying to destroy the metal pipes with their wild bites and scratches and more than 5 pubs in the city were out of business for this reason. It is your job to clear out all the damn rats below! Which I highly doubt…"

"Did you say something good sir?" the cat asked, twitching his whiskers.

"Nothing puss… just go on."

They opened the lid to the Sewer Juice's sewer system which was linking to Downwood's main sewage line.

Jamie and the cat jumped into the sewer, splashing some water filled with shit and piss probably. "Here… take these torches! These rats are disgusted by light!" The men threw the torches down.

Then, they closed the lid back again.

Jamie and the cat were alone now. However, Jamie had a question to ask now.

"Cat, why did you choose a 5-star mission? And what are you hiding under those goggles of yours."

"Don't ask why someone is hiding something when you yourself are clearly hiding something too…"

Jamie gulped. 'The cat knows his shit...'

"Well… my rat arc begins!"

***

The knights listened closely to see if the two bastard newbies already got ambushed, but nothing was happening down there.

"So… I'm calling off the post in the Wooden Board, right?" Goldick asked from her seniors.

"Fuck no. keep it, Goldick! These newbies clearly will perish soon. Just let them pave a path at least!"