Measha sauntered up the street of Candes St. Martin, a picturesque little village deep in the Loire Valley. Once home to the St. Martin's Collegiate Church, it was now home to some wealthy French families, a few vintners, a fisherman or two, a torpored Toreador Princess orignally from Russia, Measha, and of all things an injured Nosferatu ghoul rat named Ratjan who was a former enemy. Their fight with the werebadgers had not gone at all well and the two were forced to flee Paris over a year ago. They'd been living in relative peace here in Measha's slumbering Mistress' ancient domains until the werebadgers had surfaced in Touraine. Since then, things had pretty much sucked out loud.

Measha was bringing Ratjan a bit of fish that she'd snatched from a fisherman's catch along the ancient quay. He'd fought off ten of them before Measha could get to him. All told, they'd had to face about 20. Luckily the werebadgers seemed rather mindless and they two were able to send most of them packing. Those that weren't sent packing were killed outright. Their bodies returning from their large lycanthropic state to the cut little fuzzy things that badgers usually were.

MEASHA!! My favorite Norwegian Forest cat of all time!! Welcome back. And Ratjan, too! Old home week was never so good. :shock:

For a cat, Measha was ok. One of the best in fact. The only member of the entire feline race for whom Ratjan had any respect at all. He was glad to have her as a friend.

This was just as well, because the local rat population were by and large pitifully underfed things, skittish and without the qualities Ratjan would have wanted to recruit for the cause. The lack of a convenient Nosferatu in the local sewers would also prevent him creating another army of super rats.

His wounds were healing and now he could stretch out to his full length, the bony plates along his back rasping as they rubbed together. The only way to get any peace, he reasoned, would be to find out precisely how a field mouse could suddenly change into a badger. It wasn't natural.

Fortunately field mice were on the whole fairly stupid creatures, with neither the cunning of a cat, nor the guile of a rat and turning into a badger didn't seem to do anything for their smarts. Perhaps it might be possible to find out where they came from.

He resolved to mention the idea to Measha.

Crickets chirruped their song into the warm night air, still and humid. A full moon shone down upon the animals lurking in the undergrowth.

[i:1d6957ebde]"There!"[/i:1d6957ebde] Said the enormous rat, pointing with his nose and twitching his whiskers meaningfully. [i:1d6957ebde]"That is where they are coming from."[/i:1d6957ebde]

Measha widened her eyes and peered into the darkness. A squat square building surrounded by wire fences and barbed wire. Had she cared about such things, she may also have noticed the surveillance cameras and alarm systems.

Ratjan Stan was particularly pleased with himself. Finally he had managed to organize some of the local rodentia. No super powered rat army, but even a mundane one can go scouting and report back to it's master. Without a doubt, this strange building was the source of the musteline menace. Field mice, who in the blink of an eye were able to turn into overpowered badger creatures. A plague which seemed to follow Ratjan and Measha no matter where they tried to hide.

Measha mewled nervously. This place reminded her of another similar building where two leggers in white coats had done some rather unpleasant things to her and other cats, until she had escaped. Stupid two leggers.

[i:1d6957ebde]"What now?"[/i:1d6957ebde] Asked the cat, peering down her elegant prussian nose at her unlikely ratty comrade.

[i:1d6957ebde]"We need to go inside."[/i:1d6957ebde] Answered Ratjan.

Ye Gods! A blast from the past! :shock: WONDERFUL!!! :D

OH Meeeeaaaasssshhhaaaa! Here, kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty!!!!

Measha sniffed around the foundation of the building, her bottle brush tail swishing from side to side. Something caught her eye and she settled down with her tail twitching furiously now. Ratjan looked over to where she was looking but, even with his heightened senses, could see nothing out of the ordinary. Measha started to chatter a bit making little clicking sounds like "ik ik ik ik." Then she pounced with a rush of long fur, teeth, and claws. Ratjan readied himself for action but stood down almost instantly. Measha was merely munching on a cricket.

"Did you have to get me all excited for that?" he asked.

Measha did the feline equivalent of a shrug and padded down to a musty opening in the foundation. It reminded her of a dirty basement full of mold and other unpleasant things.

"Pew," she said. "I don't like this place."

"Root cellar," said the knowledgable rat. "Spent many days climbing around in places like this searching for food."

Measha merely grunted. Ratjan looked at her motionless body as she sat down on her haunches waiting for something exciting to happen. Nothing did.

"Well, you need to go in," Ratjan said with some annoyance.

"In there?" she asked, clearly not wanting to go.

Ratjan sighed and ambled into the opening and down into the darkness. A few moments later Measha also sighed and then followed him down.

A dripping noise emanated from within the darkness of the cellar, dark and damp. Not ideal conditions for warm and fuzzy animals... not even ideal for Ratjan, who would have much preferred a warm and dry ratnest. The ground was soft underfoot, both animals leaving pawprints in the muddy floor. Ahead, the ground dipped down towards a crumbling set of steps, surrounded like a moat, with a large and deep looking puddle of liquid. Strange smells came from all directions, but mostly from those stairs, where there was a faint and familiar antiseptic aroma.

Ratjan loped forward, followed more gingerly by his rather more decadent feline companion, whiskers twitching to investigate the building.

[i:b4774548b1]"I wouldn't go that way if I were you... There's something in the water. Something.. alive... something hungry."[/i:b4774548b1] Squeaked a pair of pinpricks of light against the darkness. It was one of Ratjan's scouts, appearing through the gloom and looking much the worse for wear. His fur was matted, his tail ragged and he twitched nervously, as though it was only Ratjan's hold over him which kept the scout from bolting for his life.

[i:b4774548b1]"Alive?"[/i:b4774548b1] Asked Ratjan.

For answer, the rattish scout simply began to squeak, at first piteously, then louder, into a hysterical squeal before breaking Ratjan's control and streaking out of the cellar as fast as his legs could carry him.

Ratjan looked at Measha nervously. [i:b4774548b1]"Well..."[/i:b4774548b1] Was all he could say.

((i love hot rat action!