First Wilderness Venture

As the rats laid eyes on the zombie rat, a chorus of terrified squeals echoed through the air. They quickly scampered away, casting wary glances back at the zombified member of their kind.

The undead rat emerged, its body matted with dried blood, illuminated by the late afternoon sun filtering in the cave passage from outside. Its eyes, clouded with milky cataracts, glowed with an insatiable hunger as it trailed behind Eamon's undead cohort. Drawn by the sound of the rats, its gaze followed their movements with predatory intent.

Eamon observed the rats' reaction and noted that there were four of them in total. Deciding on a strategy, Eamon commanded Malakai, Fred, and Cassandra to advance into the verdant plain first. "Grab a stone in each hand," he instructed them firmly. The undead complied, their decaying fingers clutching the rough stones tightly.

"Malakai, Fred, Cassandra, move out. Take position to the right of the rat group," Eamon commanded. Fred and Cassandra naturally positioned themselves around Malakai before stepping out of the protection of the cave into the open.

They emerged from the cave, the twilight sunlight bathing the landscape in a warm glow. The lush greenery of the plain stretched out before them, with a meandering stream glistening in the fading light.

Slowly, they made their way across the plain, heading towards the right side of the group of rats.

Eamon turned his attention to the zombie rat close to him. With a sweeping gesture of his hand towards the group of rats, Eamon issued the command, "Go to the center." After a moment's hesitation, the zombie rat seemed to comprehend and obediently carried out the instruction.

The zombie rat wasted no time as it swiftly closed the gap between itself and the rat group.

As it reached the center of the group, the other rats recoiled in fear, their bodies trembling. Their beady eyes darted nervously between the looming figure of the zombie rat and the safety of the forest beyond the plain.

On each side of the zombie rat stood two rats, positioned to its right and left.

Eamon's gaze fixed on Malakai, the most intelligent undead under his command, capable of grasping his orders and communicating them effectively to the others. "Malakai," he commanded, pointing at the zombie rat, "tell it to attack the rats on its left. We'll trap them once they scatter. Aim your stones at the fastest rat."

Eamon added, "And make sure that zombie rat knows its target's the slowest rat of the two!"

After receiving Eamon's command, Malakai's fiery red gaze locked onto the zombie rat. Without hesitation, the zombie rat suddenly snapped its teeth and lunged at the two rats to its left.

Startled by the sudden attack, the rats panicked and sprinted towards the group of zombies led by Malakai. Meanwhile, the two remaining rats to the right fled the plain, seeking refuge towards the edge of the forest.

As the rats closed in, Malakai and the two zombies launched their stones with precision, targeting the fastest-approaching rat. Despite the rat's agile movements, the stones struck it with precision, eliciting a sharp cry of pain as it stumbled under the impact.

Fred and Cassandra swiftly pounced on it, each grabbing one of its front legs, while Malakai grabbed its head with his hands, applying pressure to its neck and twisting its head in an unnatural direction.

With a long, piercing shriek of agony, the rat thrashed its hind legs, desperate to escape the grasp of the undead. Despite the intensity of the attack, the rat's neck proved resilient, resisting Malakai's initial attempts to break it.

Malakai changed tactics, sinking his teeth into the rat's exposed neck. As he clamped down with savage force, blood gushed from the wound, mingling with the dirt and grass of the plain floor. The rat convulsed in pain, its struggles growing weaker with each passing moment as Malakai's relentless assault continued. With a final, ferocious bite, Malakai severed the rat's trachea, ending its struggle, leaving it to die slowly from asphyxiation and hemorrhage.

At the same moment, the zombie rat lunged at the other rat with savage ferocity. Its fangs sank into the neck of the animal, tearing through flesh and piercing vital arteries.

Blood sprayed violently as the rat weakened, ensnared in the deadly grip of the zombie rat. It struggled futilely to break free, its claws slashing through the air, but each movement only worsened its own agony.

The arteries in its neck pulsed, spilling forth an unrelenting torrent of blood onto its fur and the body of its aggressor. The rat's vision blurred as it lost breath and senses.

Finally, the rat faltered, its muscles slackened, and it collapsed onto the blood-stained earth.

The triumphant zombie rodent turned its blood-drenched head towards Eamon.

"Very well," thought Eamon, smiling.

The other two rats had vanished into the forest, yet Eamon preferred to remain cautious.

He commanded, "Retrieve the corpses and bring them back to the cave."

The zombies Fred and Cassandra each grasped one foreleg of the giant rat they had killed, their hands clasping tightly around the flesh as they pulled with strength.

Malakai, however, hung back for a few moments, his gaze fixed on the distant forest beyond the plain, before heading towards the cave as well.

As the undead procession moved forward, the zombie rat sank its sharp teeth into the tail of the other dead rat, gripping it tightly before dragging the limp body behind it. With each step, the lifeless form of the rat bounced and scraped along the ground.

The undead cohort made their way back to the cave.

Eamon admired the efficiency of his troop, realizing they had completed their task without him having to step out of the cave's protection.

They presented the two rat corpses at Eamon's feet.

He was slightly hesitant between absorbing both rats directly or zombifying one of them.

He pondered aloud, "Can you zombify one of these rats, Malakai?"

Malakai simply shook his head, his voice ominous as he replied, "No, master."

"And what if you release your hold on one of the human zombies? Could you then summon another rat?" Eamon questioned further.

Malakai responded, " Rats are more powerful. I would have to part with both human zombies to summon another rat."

"Forget it," Eamon dismissed. "Either way, the human zombies are useful. Their dexterous hands allow them to throw stones and wield basic weapons."

Eamon nodded thoughtfully and approached one of the rats.

Placing his hand on its lifeless body, he activated the absorption power.