Chapter 82
Leaning against the wall, Michelle heard the footsteps right behind a corner. With the group already so close, even Ivona could hear them. The sound of the small claws hitting the ground drew an enigmatic smile on Michelle’s lips.
Just as she smiled, she heard something squeak beneath her, but she didn’t open her eyes.
Ivona stared at one of the rats, the size of her foot, and frowned a bit. It did seem harmless, but after Michelle told her they were tricksters, she noticed some traits which peaceful creatures wouldn’t have. Though looking cute and harmless, the rats had sharp claws, clearly for tearing, and the little teeth peeking out of their mouths were clearly fangs.
At first, the rats acted scared and quickly scattered around the cave, but when it seemed like Michelle was asleep and Ivona was unguarded, they bared their fangs. Since Ivona seemed more of a threat since she was awake, they attacked her first, but before they could reach her, she let a small ball of her spirit energy explode in front of her, making Michelle frown. Though the explosion didn’t graze her, possessing the dark element, she was naturally aversive towards Ivona’s light element.
The rats were blown away, but as Ivona restrained her power, they only sustained light bruises and scratches, which just enraged them. They wanted to attack again when they felt something threatening surround them, but they couldn’t see it. Only the instinctive feeling of danger surrounded them.
Michelle opened her eyes; a cloud of black mist rolled around her hand, controlling the very thin layer of black mist around the rats. "These are just the scouts. Their leader and the strongest bastards should be blocking the entrance." She explained as she clenched her fist, and the black mist around the rats closed in on them as it got denser, swallowing them up.
"..." Ivona was quite surprised by how quickly Michelle killed the rats. "You killed them quite... quickly..." she remarked.
Michelle smiled slightly and retracted the black mist, revealing the rats. They were alive, but just barely.
"Why didn’t you kill them?" Ivona felt even more confused.