The factioned party remained quiet for many exhaustive minutes and a few stared at Pomeer as if the success of this mission resulted in how he performed.

6 PM: The banging on the door started to increase. " They definitely sense us in here." said Erelis flatly " We are in for a battle before this day is through."

Nervous fingers ran through the mage's hair until he finally set his book down. There was a vacant look in his eyes " Rats...why....demonic rats."

Gailwind leapt to the magician's side " Aramil!" he shook his shoulders.
" Are you okay?!"

With dazed eyes, the wizard glanced slowly upward " I will never be okay. I will never be rid of them. They will hunt me until I am dead and my bones are dust." Seeming to now see the lorist, Aramil pulled his left shirtsleeve back. A vicious, red scar traced along his mid-forearm. The ugly wound, made up of a series of overlapping gnawed bites, pulsated in rhythm to the scratches and dull bangs on the door.

" Wizard!" the cleric astonished " What in Moradin's name happened to you?" Reluctantly, the dwarf set his crossbow down in order to better examine the spellcaster's arm.

Aramil shivered and extended his appendage for viewing " Rats, " he forced the hated word through his teeth, "...very large rats." Taking a deep breath, he focused on the cleric's face to calm himself. " As the youngest student of my master, BelAram, I had the job of cleaning up messes both mundane and magical. My master was a researcher and was always looking to discover a new spell, magic, or alternate ways to use existing spells. I do not know what he was working on, but his lab blew up and took a fair portion of his work space with it. However, one thing survived." The wizard choked on his words as if remembering something horrible " The rats lived. At first, it was just one or two, but within days, there were dozens. Within a week nearly a hundred. One by one, day after day, I began catching and disposing of them. Only they came back; bigger, smarter, and....more evil. They began to hunt me and there was no end of them." Aramil watched his companions monitor the door with renewed tension. With ragged breath, he continued " Everyone thought I was crazy, No one saw or heard the rats but me." Tears rolled to the corners of his eyes and he began to sob.

Oktavianus's eyes bore through the wizard as he traced his calloused finger over the old scars. " Don't worry, we'll get you out of here. Very strange looking wounds. Normally, rats would only go after babies, and even then, they would chew on the soft parts like fingers, toes, ears, lips. There is more here than meets the eye. How long ago did this happen?"

Calming somewhat, Aramil answered " About fifty years ago. I vaguely remember being carried to the healers temple and my mother forbidding them to take my arm. There was some talk of brain fever and whether I would be mad when all was said and done." Settling back, Aramil breathed deeper " My master never told me if all the rats had been destroyed and sometimes I wonder if the whole thing will begin all over again."

Teflar flashed his eyes at the door " It has! " He shook his head with accepted afterthought. " They aren't going away. They smell us."