The first dozen cages opened. Setting the rat ogres on the loose. They roar and stomping around before looking around. Seeing that there are no enemies in sight, some began to fight with each other and a few even tried to climb the fortification back. Though the latter quickly corrected with an oversized cattle prod crackling with green electricity. After a while, one of the bigger cages are opened, letting out a fucking storm fiend. Bigger than the rest of the rat ogres and its arms are modified into some kind of hooked spears and the other with a warpfire thrower.

One stormfiend is already not good but what’s more is that the stormfiend is much calmer than the rest. Only slightly jittery and occasionally bash its own head. The stormfiend bashed the other rat ogres. Pushing them into the tunnel where my shadow divers are waiting. Then as it charged along with the rest of the rat ogres, I noticed that it is not a skaven grafted into its spine but instead a human teenager. Managing to glimpse how his limbs are either atrophied or cut off, leaving only his head jutting out from the stormfiend’s spine which are only covered with some kind of metal plating. Googlᴇ search n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net

I know stormfiend has an additional skaven grafted into its back to give it some modicum of intelligence to use weapons but this one used a human instead. Must be another one of clan Moulder’s experiments. I don’t think the boy grafted to the stormfiend can in any way be saved in that situation. So killing him along with the stormfiend is the best we can do. Now then, all that is left is to see how our preparation goes and how well the shadow divers follow instructions.

—

Timmy closes his eyes. So that he can be sure what he is seeing is from the giant rat’s eyes as it rumbles towards the tunnels. The giant rat’s shoulder grazed the shoulder of another and he used the giant rat’s arms to bash its own head to suppress another murderous rage. He doesn't want to repeat what happens if he loses control of the rat. He tried to refocus and remember what Mr. Esqretch told him. The task is easy enough this time. Just clear the tunnels and catch at least one of whatever is inside. Just before entering the tunnels, he can already feel the stench of all dead rats, excrements, and all other kinds of musks blending together within the tunnels. He did not like how he got used to this stench.

Then the giant rats finally reached the point of slaughter. Many dead rats are piling and decomposing. Few of the giant rats are already digging in on the dead. Timmy guides his giant rat to bash the eating one before realizing his own giant rat is already chewing at some. The uncomfortably delicious taste fills his mouth before he guides his giant rat to bash his own head again. Refocusing on his senses, the dark tunnels are clearly visible to the giant rat’s eyes. But there are no signs of whatever is inside. Making him anxious. His heart starts beating harder which also enrages his giant rat. He cannot fail now. Mr. Esqretch has promised that the other children will not be grafted if he performs his task well. Then he immediately pukes remembering the grafting. Though he is not sure if it is him or the giant rat or both are the ones puking. Still having difficulties differentiating who does what if he didn’t properly focus.

Then finally the dozen giant rats found the end of the tunnels. Timmy and his giant rat restlessly look around as both start hyperventilating. There’s nothing here. Did Mr. Esqretch lie again? His control over his giant rat starts to muddle and the rest of the giant rats detect his musk of fear, anxiety, and anger. Making the rest lose control and go feral.

Then a long spear appeared from the wall and speared one of the giant rats.

—

The first strike struck one of the rat ogres in the eyes. But still it trashes and starts fighting with whatever is nearest. Not enough thrusting power. The second long spear stabs the arm of the rat ogre on the opposite end. Then another and another. Making them go berserk and fight whatever is nearest. Now all we had to do is to wait for the rat ogres to fight and kill each other before finishing off the tired ones. The stormfiend with the human boy having difficulties to control the rest and also start fighting with the rest.

Alright, the first phase of our plan is working well. For a hasty preparation, the five meter long spears coldforged during planning performs as intended. One shadow diver stays near the wall of the combat tunnel to aim the longspear while there are a couple of other shadow divers holding the other end of the longspear from the nearest tunnels to do the thrusting. This way, there are fewer shadow divers within the walls holding their breaths while many are waiting their turn to thrust or aim the longspear without needing to hold their breaths.

One of the rat ogres died being pummeled by the rest and another got speared at the neck, bleeding generously as it fell. Then one of the long spears was broken by the stormfiend as it immediately fires a roped harpoon from one of its gauntleted hands. The harpoon bounces off the tunnel walls as the longspear shaft returns to the shadows quick enough. My eyes balked.

“Stop attacking.”

I immediately commanded through the artifact to the shadow divers. Fuck! The skavens are trying to catch my shadow divers. The skaven is bad enough on its own and they will be an even more menace should they get their hands on the shadow divers. Who knows what the clan Moulder can do if they get their hands on them. Then I looked at the surprised Lak from my command.

“Change of plans. Prepare the gunpowders. We will collapse the tunnels.”

I immediately went with our backup plan instead. This might force the skaven to fight on the surface, but that is a more preferable risk than getting their hands on the shadow divers. This might devolve into an arms race at worst but better than handing them one of the materials to make better assassins. A paranoid decision maybe. But I cannot risk more if clan Moulder is in the picture.