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PART I: THE BEGINNING
Things were coming along smoothly. Well, as smoothly as starting off on a tiny little island without much more than some water, lava, and saplings went. Droid, Jojo, and Free honestly had no fucking idea how they'd ended up here. Mike had promised them riches, not a patch of dirt that was barely enough to fit three fully grown men on! The worst part? They were stuck there. For a whole week. With other teams out there intent on tearing things down and sowing discord (and then bitching when it backfired, but hey - that's neither here nor there). From what the three of them could tell, no one else was nearby. Supposedly, there was other islands over yonder, but it wasn't like anyone was in a rush to head out and explore. There could have been anything lurking out there, from skeletons to creepers to other people who wanted nothing more than to kill and loot their bodies for all they were worth. So yeah. Exploring definitely wasn't a priority right now.
The land they found themselves on was completely barren, just a minuscule patch of dirt that would surely send them tumbling into the abyss below if they dug too far down or misjudged a jump. The cool wind of early September brushed along the grass beneath their feet, offering a small solace from the heat still lingering in the tail-end of summertime. A chest was placed neatly in one corner, which may as well have been empty with how seemingly useless its contents were. Still, it wasn't like the trio could complain - they were alive, and they did have the stuff to start from the ground up, even if it would take them days upon days to build anything worthwhile.
And so, without so much as a pot to piss in, the unlikely trio decided to make do with what they had and get to work. The first port of call had been the cobblestone generator, which was confirmed no less than twenty times to make sure it was actually a cobblestone generator and not a block of complete and utter failure (read: obsidian). Even that first step had Droid terrified, especially considering that not only did they need it to, y'know, mine and craft - but for some reason smooth stone was a very valuable currency in this bizarre world. Yeah, I know. It had to be smooth. I don't really get it either, but them's the rules. A furnace was also a priority, then, as well as converting the small amount of wood they got into some charcoal.
By the end of the first day, things were alright. Not bad, but not impressive either. Droid had taken to farming (as is custom for those who swing a different way), while Jojo and Free joint forces to create something that somewhat resembled shelter. Maybe that's not giving them enough credit, actually. The base was nice! A mishmash of dirt, wood, and cobblestone - but nice nonetheless! Crisp September air was turning into the kind of chill that was felt deep in the bones, with the sun setting in the horizon and painting the sky in reds and oranges, when the trio decided it was about time to turn in for the night.
"Droid, you coming?" Free called over his shoulder from the doorway, head turned to his compatriot who was still working tirelessly at the fields of potato and wheat. "It's getting dark, you don't want the zombies to come out and bite your toes."
"Yeah, I will soo-," Droid paused, brows furrowed in confusion as he turned to look at Free, "My toes? What're you talking about, you fucking freak? You're the only one thinking about toes. Go to bed." And so, Free did without argument. Joining Jojo in the safety of their cobbled together home (and with their beds a totally respectable, not-gay distance away from each other, thank you very much), two thirds of the team were now winding down for the night.
Droid didn't have the time to unpack all of that right now. There was still land to be tilled, seeds to be sown, saplings and freshly sprouted roots to be watered. Working tirelessly into the night, with dirt beneath his nails and a dull ache in his shoulders from a hard day's work, Droid had successfully planted enough to feed the thousands. Maybe if there was other people stuck on these islands in the sky, Droid could form some kind of transactional, business-type relationship with them! Something like 'Will give food as long as you don't kill me and my friends'. Yeah, that sounded good!
It wasn't until the half-filled moon was glimmering betwixt the stars that Droid decided it was time to put his hoe to rest and hit the hay. Just as the wooden lid of the chest creaked shut, a sound caught the farmer's attention, and he almost gave himself whiplash with how quickly he had turned around to investigate. Eyes darted from one end of the island to the next, even just the thought of something - or someone - being there enough to boot up his sympathetic nervous system and flood his veins with enough adrenaline to kill a small child. An uncomfortable stillness filled the air, and Droid held his breath. Was he just hearing things? It was way too early into whatever the hell this was to be hallucinating. No, that sound was very real - so why wasn't it happening again? It hadn't sounded like something falling from the trees (though an apple or two wouldn't hurt), nor did it sound like something had fallen in the house. It had been quick and high-pitched, almost like… a squeak?
"Jesus Christ, this place is already driving me crazy," Droid mumbled to himself, rubbing furiously at his eyes as though that would be enough to soothe the exhaustion eating away at him. With one final glance around their castle in the sky, the man decided it was about time to introduce himself to his bed. Maybe he could mention the noise to Jojo and Free? Ah, but neither of them had been around to hear it, and Droid wasn't too keen on the idea of being called a schizo. Whatever, Droid thought to himself as he wandered into the cumulative effort of three men with nothing more than hopes and dreams, As long as it doesn't kill me, I don't care.
PART II: DISCOVERIES
Droid was the last to rise the following morning. Tension was sewn into sinew, muscles aching with the reminder of his hard work from the hours before. There was something oddly satisfying about the way his body protested any and all movement, accompanied by the knowledge that Droid had been productive enough to feel the gentle discomfort. Tearing himself away from the so-called comfort of a flimsy bed frame and a sheet as thin as paper, Droid ventured outside to see what his friends were doing.
Free was nowhere to be found. When Jojo was asked of his whereabouts, he simply shrugged and pointed at a path that had started branching out from the side of their island. Out exploring, then. That was fine, as long as he didn't somehow manage to make some enemies along the way and put a target on all their backs (not that Droid or Jojo were worried about that. The most Free was likely to do was say some dumb shit and leave without a second thought). Still, it would be great if their friend returned home in one piece.
Jojo was atop the building. Cobblestone in hand, the man was hard at work turning their house into a home. Before Droid had awoken, their island had been expanded some, which he was eternally grateful for. Not only did that mean the three of them wouldn't have to sneak around the edge out of fear of falling, but that meant there was more land to farm on! Plus, they could increase the size of their house, and maybe even add some traps along the way - just in case someone decided to get cocky and try to steal from them.
"Jojo, did you hear that noise last night?" Droid called up after retrieving his hoe from the chest. It looked a little worn out already; maybe they could find some iron soon so he didn't have to keep making flimsy tools. "I dunno what it was but it freaked me out. It was like some kind of squeak or tweet or something."
The other man paused in his work, tilting his head to the side as he thought. After a few moments, Jojo shook his head. "Nope, I didn't hear anything. Maybe it was just the wind getting caught in something," he replied, not giving the question any more thought before resuming the job he'd given himself.
Jojo's denial made Droid frown. Had he really been the only one to hear something? Well, maybe Free did, but that dude could have been anywhere right now! With a sigh, Droid supposed he was just going to accept the fact that maybe he really had hallucinated the noise. Jojo wouldn't lie to him - if he said he didn't hear anything, Droid had no reason to doubt that. Still, the unease that settled low in his gut still hadn't faded. If anything, the thought of the unknown just unsettled him further. There was already so much about this place that Droid didn't know, and random noises in the dead of night certainly didn't do anything to soothe his nerves.
So, Droid decided that his best option was just to get back to work. Some of the tubers he'd planted had already grown into a bountiful harvest, and some of the wheat was already tall enough to cut down and mill into flour. What else could he do? If the farmer kept insisting that the noise was real - not just some auditory lapse brought on from exhaustion (which honestly seemed like the most reasonable explanation) - then Jojo and Free were just going to assume that Droid was tumbling off the edge of insanity. Damn it, if only it had happened during the day, then maybe-
Squeak.
Droid paused, his hoe hovering a few inches from the ground as every muscle in his body attuned to the noise. Eyes darted one way, then the other, then back again until they spotted something moving amidst the grass. "I fucking knew it! I knew I heard something!" he yelled before running off to follow the rapidly moving shadow, completely unaware of the strange look at Jojo was giving him from the half-filled roof of the house. Feet moved faster than mind, carrying Droid across the island and back inside of the house. His heart was hammering away in his chest, beating so furiously against his ribcage that Droid was convinced he'd soon look down to see it beat against the floor. What was that? It sounded like a mouse, but whatever it was had been running along on two feet, which - last time Droid checked - mice certainly didn't do.
Almost as quickly as he'd found it, the mysterious creature had scampered through the disjointed halls of the house and became lost in the walls. Oh, just perfect! Droid finally finds the fucker, and it runs off! Sure, the poor little thing was probably just scared, but Droid was the kind to lose a fight against a sheet of paper.
Squeak. Squeak squeak.
The speed at which Droid turned toward the noise almost threw him to the ground with how much force he'd put into the spin. His hoe was raised above his head, ready to throw it down at a moment's notice the second he saw the perpetrator. Metal came swinging down, digging itself into the wooden floorboards beneath him. Damn, he missed. Just as the man was attempting to drag his improvised weapon from its prison, another noise met his ears.
PART III: MEETINGS
"Aw, c'mon! You'd really try and do that to me? I'm just a lil guy!"
Okay, seriously, what the actual fuck was going on? Did- did that thing just speak? Like, actually speak? Full blown English? No, there was no way-
"You good, champ? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Looks like he'd seen a-? Only then did Droid's eyes meet the creator of the sound, wide blown pupils crossed with pinpoint counterparts. Oh, what in fresh Hell was this?! Droid wasn't entirely sure what he was looking at. While the creature was certainly the same size as a rat, every other thing about it was so distinctly human that it was uncanny. The thing was even wearing clothes! A deep blue overcoat, grey trousers, and boots that traveled up to just below the knee. Long, brown hair pushed just out of the way of one eye and a stupidly infuriating faux innocence written across its features.
The hands that had been tugging the hoe free from the wood had paused, every inch of Droid's body gone stiff as he tried to come to terms with what the hell he was looking at. A rat sized man? Like, a fully grown, this-dude's-frontal-lobe-is-developed man? It kind of reminded him of something, actually.
"You remind me of Stuart Little," Droid had said without thinking, blinking dumbly down at the rat? Human? Was it racist to call a rat sized man a rat? Was it racist to call it a human? The last thing Droid needed was a call-out thread posted about him on Twitter. "Er- wait, no. Better question: what the hell are you doing in my house?!"
The self-proclaimed "lil guy" exchanged his coy look for a bright grin, tiny hands on tiny hips as he craned his neck impossibly high to look up at Droid. "Whaddaya mean? This is our house too! The people of Ratland were here first! You guys were just the first ones to start building and shit. I'm Finnly, by the way. Nice to meet you, Droid!"
Okay, well Droid just had more questions than he did thirty seconds ago. How did this thing - Finnly, apparently - know his name? Also, what the hell did he mean by "our house"? Finnly wasn't the only one? Just how many of these rat bastards were living it up in the house that he, Jojo, and Free had built?!
Before any other words left his mouth, Droid brought a hand up - unceremoniously slapping himself in the face as hard as he possibly could. He blinked. Took off his glasses. Rubbed his eyes. Put his glasses back on. Blinked again. Looked down. Finnly was still there, amused smirk on his lips like he was desperatly trying to hold back a howl of laughter. This was real. Droid was currently stood in his house, conversing with a tiny human that had made him jump out of his skin not twelve hours ago.
"How do you know my name?"
"I heard the other guys calling you it. Unless I got the wrong dude? But you're holding a hoe, and they kept saying that Droid was farming."
"You said "our". How many more of you are there?"
"Uh, let's see. There's me, Jegan, Bearded, and Harld - but those guys prefer to be called Ratted and Ratld respectively."
"What… are you?"
That question wasn't answered as quickly as the other rapid fires, giving Droid a moment to sit with the fact that not only did Finnly apparently know not just him, but also his friends, but also the fact that there was four of them co-inhabiting this island with them. While, on one hand, Droid was pleased to know that he hadn't been hallucinating anything, it wasn't exactly comforting to know that conversations were being listened to, actions were being watched, and food was being stolen.
Finnly began his response with a shrug of his shoulders, an easygoing smile on his face like this was all one big game. "I'm a rat, obviously. I know I walk and talk like a human, but you don't need to worry about that," he explained with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Obviously", he says! Oh yeah, of course he was a rat. Silly Droid for having thought any different. No, really, forgive him for assuming that he was some kind of magical creature, or some regular ass human that had been shrunk. Rat should have been his first choice - he was practically identical to one. Also, Droid was totally worrying about that! How was he not meant to worry about that?! A rat with a human name, a human voice, a human appearance? It really was like some kind of Stuart Little knock-off.
Droid didn't say anything for a moment. What the hell was he supposed to say? 'Oh, sorry for disturbing you Finnly! It's totally cool that we've got four rats living with us that he had no idea about. You seem like a chill guy, so I'll let it slide'?! 'You're lucky I don't kill you and feed you to a zombie'?! There was literally nothing that Droid could say right now. So, he took a deep breath and screamed at the top of his lungs.
"JOJO! GET YOUR ASS INSIDE. RIGHT NOW, PLEASE!"
Much to Droid's surprise, Finnly didn't run. He didn't freak out or try to hide. Instead he just waited patiently alongside Droid for Jojo to come into the house. Clearly, he wasn't afraid. Droid didn't know whether Finnly was brave or stupid, but based on his limited interaction up until this point, he was willing to bet it was a mixture of the both. When the other man arrived, Free was a few quick steps behind him. Oh, good - that saved Droid the hassle of having to explain it twice. The conversation regarding what Free had gotten up to and/or found while he was out could wait - there was a much bigger (technically, smaller) issue at hand. Jojo had opened his mouth to ask what the hell the problem was - a panicked look on his face thanks to the sheer volume Droid had called for him - but quickly shut it when his gaze wandered upon Finnly. Free just stood there, eyes darting between Finnly and Droid for a second.
"Oh, are we doing introductions? Guess I'd better get the guys," Finnly chirped before scurrying off. Only when he was gone did Droid feel like he could take a breath.
"Was that-," Jojo began.
"A rat that looks like a human, yeah."
"The guys? So there's-," Free started.
"More than one? Yeah. Apparently there's four of them. That one was Finnly."
The three men stood in silence together, the air between then filled with confusion and unspoken questions. When Finnly returned with three more rats behind him, he wasted no time in filling the emptiness with the sound of his voice. "Alright! Round two! My name's Finnly - you guys must be Jojo and Free. Great to finally meet you."
Finnly's tiny hand raised to point at one of the other rats - much taller than the rest and wearing some kind of metal helmet that obscured his face. "That big guy over there's Harld, but he prefers Ratld."
Next came the rat that seemed to have taken an interest in Free, his gaze not leaving the man for even a second. "That's Jegan. We also call him VRG Rat. Don't ask me what VRG stands for."
Finally, Finnly came to point at the last rat. This one seemed like he'd much rather be elsewhere, but there was an air of royalty around him that no one could deny. "Finally, here's Bearded, but Ratted's better. He's the Rat King."
"Let's all try to get along, okay?"
PART IV: TOURS
Once the introductions had been made (and all questions about why a bunch of rats needed a king were promptly dismissed), Finnly had offered the humans a tour of the affectionately named Ratland. Not the most creative title, but hey! It was straight to the point: a land in which rats lived.
"How exactly are we gonna fit into Ratland?" Jojo had asked, "We're way too big to fit into rat tunnels." A valid point. The rats each barely came up to the three men's ankles, so the tunnels were doing to be absolutely tiny! They'd be lucky if they could fit their arm in there.
"Don't underestimate us," Harld responded before disappearing behind a trapdoor - with a sign above it that read 'RAT BASE. TOUCH AT OWN PERIL'. Wait, how the hell had none of them noticed that? Sure, it wasn't in an area of the house that they frequented, but between the three of them they definitely should have noticed a random trapdoor and a sign with big, bold letters strewn across it! That complete and utter lack of awareness of their surroundings would get them all killed if they weren't careful.
Droid, Jojo, and Free all looked at each other, hesitant to follow the gang of rats into the unknown. No one wanted to go first. What if Finnly had lied to them and there was actually hundreds of rats in there, all just waiting for the perfect opportunity to jump them and steal all their stuff? Sure they were three fully grown men, but Droid was fairly certain that having to fight against that many rats wouldn't be a clear-cut win. What if they got trapped inside? What if the tunnels collapsed and buried them all alive, where no one could hear their screams as oxygen ran low? Droid was on the verge of a panic attack, and Jojo was just about ready to turn around and call it off before Free just shrugged.
"What's the worst that could happen?" the man said before also disappearing behind the trapdoor. A few agonizing seconds ticked by, and when Free didn't come back out, Droid and Jojo decided they should probably follow behind. Not that either of them were particularly fond of the idea, but they would never forgive themselves if something happened to Free and they weren't there to help him out. So, the two men followed behind with fear and trepidation settled deep in their bones.
It was dark. Not to the point where it was impossible to see, but enough that each of them had to spend a moment or so letting their eyes adjust to the low light levels. It was safe to assume that the rats hadn't exactly planned on having visitors based on the fact that the light hadn't been adapted to the limited vision of humans. Still, there was just enough to get by.
"This is so fucking weird, dude," Droid mumbled to himself, pushing his body up onto its feet before a realisation hit him. This place was huge. Considering it was only the rats that lived down here (as far as they all knew, anyway), the amount of space was more than comfortable enough to fit the three of them. It felt like being inside of Mary Poppins' bag - way bigger on the inside - and the change in visual perception just made the men even more confused. Why was it that everything just left them with more questions than answers?
"C'mon, slowpokes! I promise we're not gonna hurt you!" Finnly called out over his shoulder once he realised that the trio hadn't moved further than the entrance.
"That's exactly what someone who would hurt us would say," Jojo pointed out with a frown that only deepened when Finnly just laughed and ushered them to follow behind.
And so - with equal parts curiousness and caution - Droid, Jojo, and Free forced their legs to work and drag them further into Ratland.
It was honestly impressive, the way that the four rats had managed to make such complex and convoluted tunnels in the limited space beneath the floorboards. Each main tunnel had what felt like one hundred coming off of it, each one winding and branching off into even smaller tunnels.
The first room that they'd passed by was a small but simple bedroom, plainly decorated with a flowerpot. Four beds sat in each corner, with a chest beside the head of each of them. To Droid it honestly looked like something from r/malelivingspace, but he didn't voice that thought. Last thing he wanted was to offend the rats in some way and manage to make enemies with the creatures that lived beneath his home.
Back in the main corridor, Droid noticed another trapdoor, with a sign that read 'got stuck sorry stepbro'. Just when the farmer was getting ready to pour some metaphorical bleach over his brain in an attempt to rid that from his memory, Free spoke up - because of course he did.
"Damn, y'all a bunch of freaks," the explorer snickered, like he hadn't been talking about Droid's toes the night before.
"Nuh uh, that's just Jegan. The rest of us are normal. Besides, you can't talk, hypocrite," Finnly pointed out, the look on his face giving the three men the impression that he knew far more than he was letting on. Whatever, they could worry about what the rats did or didn't know later. You know, late at night, laid in bed staring at nothing but the pitch black emptiness of the ceiling above their eyes. The classic time and place for all kinds of deep in introspective thoughts (especially those from your earlier years that you were so sure you'd forgotten about). Admittedly, Finnly's words had made Droid snicker, though he did his best to stifle the sound against the palm of his hand.
As the group continued on, Finnly continued to point out places of interest along the way. This was their little storage room, that was a room currently being turned into a throne room (which Bearded told them they were now expected to visit and offer donations to the rats as a thank you for their kindness. Not that any of them could actually name an act that fell under the category other than, y'know, not killing them). The tour continued on for what felt like hours, and the trio of humans had to admit, they were actually really impressed. The rats had a good sense of interior design, even if the floor plan left much to be desired. Droid felt like he was going dizzy with all the corners turned, and Jojo and Free were pretty certain that their rat guides had gotten them lost.
That was, until the atmosphere around them changed. The air became sombre upon their arrival to Ratland's cathedral. Gorgeous stone was laid before them, already succumbing to the moss that was growing up from the dirt beneath their feet and along the cracked cobble exterior. While the building only came up to the human's waists, it was immediately clear that an insane amount of care and dedication was put into constructing the religious building. Did the rats believe in a god? They must, if they had a cathedral. Gorgeous stained glass filled in carved out holes in the walls, lit from behind by lanterns and painting the dirt walls of the rat tunnels with watercolour. It was captivating in a way found only in museums, and that was just the building.
Where there would typically be a courtyard, metal fencing carved out an eerily graveyard. Patches of dirt had been dug up and replaced, each with their own headstone decorated with writing far too small for any of the humans to read. Lanterns were placed throughout the grassy paths, bathing everything in bewitching light that made it hard to tear their gazes away from. There was always something about cemeteries that was so morbidly beautiful - a gentle reminder that time on Earth was finite. The thought made Droid a little sad. Just how many rats had been here before? How many had died before the population of Ratland was whittled down to just Finnly, Harld, Bearded, and Jegan?
"Here's the cathedral and cemetery," Finnly explained, as if it was even needed. His voice held an air of regret. "Let's take a moment of silence." The rats all folded their hands in front of them, bowing their heads and closing their eyes as they offered silent prayers to the fallen. Droid, Jojo, and Free quickly followed, mimicking the posture and letting their eyes fall closed. Everyone stood together in joint solidarity, nothing but silence between them.
That was, until squeaky laughter interrupted them. "Nah, I'm just fucking with you. We just built it 'cause it looks pretty - all the graves are empty," Finnly snickered, very much enjoying the fact he'd successfully managed to play a trick on the humans. The trio opened their eyes and turned their gazes toward the rats, completely unimpressed that - out of every kind of joke they could make - it had been that. Droid's ears were burning with embarrassment, though he figured he would have been far more embarrassed (and also felt like a bit of a dick) if he hadn't stopped to give his best wishes to the burial site.
"Alright, well, that's pretty much it!" Finnly declared, a grin stretched across his lips and eyes shining with the kind of pride that only came from devoting oneself to their craft. "So, what do you guys think? Ratland's pretty cool, right? Now, I know what you're thinkin', but I promise you, nothing's gonna happen with us around. You look after us, and we'll look after you. Deal?"
Droid, Jojo, and Free exchanged glances. "Just give us a moment," Free hummed before spinning the group around and throwing his arms around Droid and Jojo's shoulders - pulling the three of them in close so they could discuss the situation. "What're we thinking? I mean- they seem alright."
"I don't know," Jojo responded, voice filled with uncertainty, "I'm not opposed, but surely it'd be better for us to form an alliance with other humans? What are rats actually going to do if we end up needing to fight or something?" A great point, Free had to admit. Though he quickly explained that - while he had been out adventuring earlier - the explorer hadn't come across a single other human. Other islands, sure, but humans? No luck so far, but that meant the chances of having to fight were extremely small.
"I'm willing to hear them out," Droid chimed in, even though his first interaction with the rats had been getting the absolute shit scared out of him. "They all seemed pretty chill, and if they were willing to exchange favours, then what was the worst that could happen? Plus, Finnly just confirmed that it really is only the four of them - if stuff went sideways, we could overpower them. As much as I really wouldn't want to."
The group discussed the pros and cons of trusting the rats before turning back around. It was clear that they were still slightly hesitant of the new inter-species alliance, but then Free knelt down and nodded resolutely.
"Alright, you've got a deal. One wrong move and you're getting turned into taxidermy, though," Free finally responded, holding his hand out for a shake.
Finnly's grin only widened, though this time there was nothing hidden behind it. No maliciousness, no secrecy, no smugness. Just a plain old grin as his own tiny palm came to rest against Free's. "Wouldn't dream of it, champ. It's gonna be a pleasure doing business with you guys."