Lacuna

Chapter 9

The morning fared far better for Kahli than the day before. She drank more slowly than she did before, not ending up nearly as drunk as she had, which made the morning far more bearable. So much so that she decided to make her way to the commerce guild to see what work she could pick up to occupy her time.

In the plaza, however, she was stopped by Mayor Gale.

"Just the person I was looking for," he said.

"I get that a lot."

Gale laughed. "Listen. I want to further develop Amber Island. That cave there used to lead to a ruin, but due to an accident, the entrance was closed. This was some forty years ago, now. Since then, there's been various rumors of it being haunted, which is obvious nonsense. But! I think it's about time we used it in our favor. The Haunted Cave of Portia; got a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Kahli shrugged. "I guess. I don't really do haunted things."

Gale laughed. "Nevertheless," he continued. "There used to be a power generator in there somewhere. I was hoping I could commission you to fix it up and give it some juice. Arlo tells me we'll need to install a battery. Do you think you can do that? Then I'll get one of the Hulu brothers to get that place runnin'. This will make a fine tourist attraction! Just what we need to bring in some extra income."

Well, she got her next commission, and it sounded easy enough. How hard could it possibly be to put a battery into a generator? And fortunately, she had a couple spare batteries lying around that she came across in the ruins. This would be her easiest job yet.

After stopping at the workshop to retrieve the battery, she made her way to Amber Island at a leisurely pace, enjoying the warmth of the approaching summer in the air. When she arrived at the bridge, she paused to examine it. It was still standing at least. She stepped carefully, first with one foot, then followed with the other. It held under her weight, and she bounced slightly. It seemed she did a decent enough job after all. She strolled confidently over the bridge and made her way to the cave. Just outside of the entrance, she found Liuwa.

"Hey, Liuwa," Kahli said in greeting. "Mayor Gale send ya down here?"

Liuwa crossed his arms. "Yup. Surveying this place. Gonna set up a haunted cave here. Going in?"

Kahli nodded. "I'm fixing the generator."

"Well, be careful," he warned. "It's still dangerous inside. Gotta get the Corps down here to clear it out. Some rats have made this place home over the last few years."

"I think I can handle some rats," Kahli said smugly, and she stepped into the cave.

It was damp, dark, and musty, but with a flashlight in hand, she navigated the winding path inside. It didn't take long, however, before she encountered the first few rats inside the cave.

They were no mere rats. They were large; nearly as tall as she was, with red fur. They were far more humanoid than standard rats, and to her surprise, they wielded various swords and blades.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Kahli muttered. Her voice echoed off the cavern walls, catching the attention of a group of bandirats, and they immediately lunged to attack her.

She jumped out of their way, but quickly found herself closed in by the five bandirats. With nothing more than her flashlight, she had no choice but try to make a desperate escape. There was no gap as they closed in around her, however, so instead, when they raised their weapons, she charged toward them, catching them off guard. She plowed her way through them, knocking them backwards, then turning quickly on her heels and letting her fist fly into the faces of the nearest rats as they sprang back to their feet.