Bones the Ratman!?

Testing Bones' New Form

Morning sunlight filtered through the trees as Arlan and his undead made their way back toward Veyleigh. The salty sea breeze did little to mask the lingering scent of blood and rot clinging to their clothes.

Arlan glanced down at Bones, who now walked beside him rather than riding on his shoulder. It still felt weird seeing him with flesh. No more clattering bones, no more empty ribcage—just a rat the size of a small child, walking on two legs with surprising grace.

"Alright," Arlan said, stretching his arms. "Let's see what you can do now that you've got… well, skin."

Bones' glowing green eyes narrowed. "Stronger. Faster. Better."

Shade flickered beside them, whispering in his usual eerie tone, "Still… rat."

Bones bared his sharp teeth. "Stronger than shadow."

Shade's hollow eyes gleamed. "Prove it."

Before Arlan could react, the two undead lunged at each other.

Bones vanished in a blur of motion, his newfound speed carrying him across the clearing like a wraith. Shade responded in kind, dissolving into a shifting mass of black mist, dodging and weaving around Bones' attacks.

Arlan barely had time to step back before both of them crashed into him.

"GAH!" Arlan hit the ground with a loud thud, both undead landing on top of him.

A moment of silence.

Then Bones clicked his teeth. "Master weak."

Shade hissed. "Pathetic."

Arlan groaned, rubbing his temples. "I swear to every god listening, I will throw both of you into the ocean."

Bones twitched his whiskers smugly.

Arlan exhaled. "Alright, we need to deal with a small problem." He gestured at Bones. "You're too big now. No one's gonna believe you're my summon unless we figure something out."

Bones tilted his head. "Ratman."

Arlan blinked. "Huh?"

Bones grinned. "Rat… man. Beastfolk."

Arlan stared at him, then realization hit. Beastfolk were common in Veyleigh—catfolk, wolfkin, even the occasional lizardman. A ratman wouldn't be too strange.

"That… actually works," Arlan admitted.

Bones nodded proudly. "Need clothes."

Arlan sighed. "Yeah. I can't exactly have you walking around naked. And now that I think about it…" He hesitated, a pang of emotion hitting him. "Maybe it's time we gave you a new name."

Bones blinked.

"You're not just a pile of bones anymore, y'know," Arlan continued. "Tomas would've come up with a great name for you."

Bones was silent for a long moment.

Then, softly, he said, "Master choose."

Arlan frowned. "I dunno… maybe something cool? Like… uh… Fang? No, too edgy. Claw? No, sounds like a bad bandit name. Uh… Ratatoskr?"

Bones squinted. "That… stupid."

Arlan grinned. "Yeah, I guess that's dumb. Alright, we'll think of something after we get you some clothes."

With that, they continued toward town, already drawing up the next hunt.

Back at the Guild – A New Dungeon

The Veyleigh Adventurer's Guild was as lively as ever. Arlan stepped inside, making his way toward the counter to get paid for the viper hunt. The scarred clerk barely glanced up as he counted out Arlan's earnings.

"Decent haul," the man grunted, handing over 8 silver. "What's next?"

Arlan was about to check the job board when he heard some hushed voices.

"—another settlement overrun? That's the third one this month."

Arlan's ears perked up. He subtly shifted closer to the nearby adventurers who were chatting over their drinks.

"Yeah, it's gettin' bad," one of them said. "Whole villages wiped out overnight. No survivors. Just corpses, some of 'em… moving."

A younger adventurer paled. "You mean undead?"

"Aye. And not just mindless shamblers—organized ones."

Arlan's stomach twisted. Necromancers.

Arlan clenched his fists, inhaling sharply. He turned away before his emotions betrayed him.

He needed to stay focused.

He needed a new job.

The Dungeon Choice – A Perfect Opportunity

Arlan scanned the board, looking for something challenging. He needed a real test—something he wouldn't have to hide his magic for.

Then, he saw it.

Job: Clear the Ruined Crypt"A long-abandoned crypt near Veyleigh has become infested with undead. Clear out the monsters and investigate the cause."

Arlan grinned.

"Finally. A place where I don't have to hide my magic."

He grabbed the quest notice, heading toward the counter.

As he turned, he locked eyes with Lucian Quill.

The arrogant adventurer was standing nearby with his party, idly flipping through quest postings. His gaze flickered toward the paper in Arlan's hand.

Lucian quirked an eyebrow. "An undead-infested crypt? That's a big step up from crabs and snakes, rookie."

Arlan smirked. "Figured it was time for a real challenge."

Lucian hummed, clearly unimpressed. "Hope you don't bite off more than you can chew."

Arlan rolled his eyes. "I'll manage."

Lucian gave a small, almost amused nod before turning back to his party.

Arlan ignored him and moved toward the clerk.

"Sign me up for the crypt job."

The clerk scribbled down the details. "Done. You heading out alone?"

Arlan hesitated for half a second before nodding. "Yeah."

The clerk snorted. "Either you're good, or you're stupid. Probably both."

Arlan grinned. "Wouldn't be the first time someone said that."

The clerk chuckled, shaking his head. "Good luck, Rook. Try not to die."

Arlan grabbed the quest paper and headed toward the door.

Time to see just how strong he had really gotten.

But first things first, New clothes for Bones..