Lotus had just returned from her visit and nap when she noticed a bird flying in her direction. She raised a brow and allowed the bird to perch onto her hand, "Chili? I thought you had sent some messages to father just now?"
She took the paper tied around Chili's leg and read it quietly under the light of the moon. As she read, her eyes widened in surprise, "Eh? The old man of Flower City wants me to visit him? A festival? At this time of the year?! That old man never really liked so much festivities before..."
In fact, the two of them didn't quite get along before, but it won't be correct to say that he was a person rotten to the core. She remembered seeing the guy as someone strict to the rules and a delight to talk about politics with, but not so much when it came to religious beliefs as Lotus was not someone who was fond of gods since over a million years ago. Comparing between a person who reveres the gods and someone who was used by the gods, it was certainly a very controversial point of view. Yet, she really didn't want to urge him otherwise as even the gods of Old Olympus have been more than willing to help her with her endeavors. Yet, it would be preferable if the guy did not try to shove his ideas upon her… again.
"You believe in what you want and share your ideas if you wish. Talking about it and debating about it would always lead to controversial topics." Lotus sighed as Chili chirped worringly, "I'm don't hate the guy, Chili. Rather, it is interesting and admirable that his beliefs would lead him to become such a talented leader for Flower City, despite only being the headmaster of the school there. However, the guy is too stern with his ideas nor is he very forgiving. For someone who acts like a push over, he's rather well-rounded too. Yet, he never goes out of his way to specifically invite others over. I wonder what is the reason for this, this time? I'd rather not have to play political theatre with him again if possible."
Yet, knowing her father, he probably wanted her to go because he was the one who received the invitation. Not her.
Can he not?
There was a sudden rustle in the air as Lotus noticed a large figure hurrying to her at full speed to which she stealthly dodged in time and shouted in disbelief, "Professor?!"
"Hey, Xue!" Vargas looked up to her through his mask with his signature wide smile, "You're bored, I bet? Do you want to help me with something?"
"Hm?"
.....
"...Uh, Silver hasn't come back yet, has he?" Ruggie spoke up finally as he tended to the fire once again, "And Jamil's group has been gone for more than five minutes."
"That is strange. I can't hear them either." Sebek responded with a raised brow.
"Oh no..." Ruggie jumped to his feet with wide eyes of disbelief, "Did that dark shadow get all of them?!"
Just as he said this, there was numerous sounds of rustling coming from their surroundings. Alarmed, everyone got to their feet as even Sebek prepared himself for a fight.
"Okay, guys! Get your backs to the fire and keep your eyes peeled!" Ruggie cried out armed with one of the dried logs in his hands, "The shadow that attacked Coach Vargas could be right around the corner!"
Suddenly, there was a low, muffled yet loud noise from afar as Jack sprang to guard the campfire and the other students with a scowl, "What's that sound?!"
"Ack! Something's flying straight at us! Get out of the way!" Ruggie cried out tackling Yuu and Grim to the ground!
A loud crash heard from where they were standing to which Ruggie gasped in horror, "A boulder...? Oh, crud! It put out our campfire! Everybody, stay down! You don't wanna get pancaked by a rock like that!"
Despite the appearance of the boulder, screams began to cry out from around them as the darkness blinded everyone from seeing the situation properly.
"What's with all the screams?!" Ruggie cried out in disbelief, "Is it hunting us down in the dark?!
"I-I can't do this! We're finished!" Someone from the basketball club's direction cried out in horror as he resigned to his fate.
"We're like sitting ducks here! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" The other from the Equestrian club cried out causing more chaos as he ran to the nearby bushes.
"COME ON, guys! We've already determined running's a bad idea!" Ruggie shouted at the top of his lungs hoping to quell the situation which he felt was a very futile effort at this rate. Not only that, but he and everyone else was crashing and ramming into one another in the darkness!
"Rgh... Control yourselves, pathetic humans!" Sebek hollered at the top of his lung having gotten fed up with it all, "You're getting in my way! They keep bumping into me! How am I supposed to fight back like this?!"
It was only when he said this that Riddle noticed a dark shadow brushed past him and towards Sebek to which he cried out hurriedly, "SEBEK! WATCH OUT!"
"What?!" The guy turned around. However, he was a second too late!
"AAAGH!"
It was Riddle's voice! Hearing his cry, Ruggie quickly scanned around in the darkness hurriedly hoping to find the guy or the dark shadow as he called out, "Riddle? RIDDLE!"
As the cries continued and everything began to seem hopeless, Floyd sighed in disappointment as he grumbled in annoyance, "Pfft. You guys got no sense at all."
Suddenly, one of the nearby campfires was lit up after Floyd struck it with fire magic.
"We've got light again!" Ruggie breathed a sigh of relief, "Whew... Looks like the attacks have stopped too. Thanks for lighting the fire, Floyd. I'm impressed you managed to hit the wood with your fire magic in all that chaos. Wait, did you generate any blot? Are you okay?!" Ruggie rushed to him hurriedly.
"I just lit a fire. That'll hardly get me any blot." Floyd responded nonchalantly, "Besides, this ain't the time to be frettin' about our reserves. Look around. Most everyone's gone."
The group looked around in shock as Ruggie quickly made count of the remaining people which was rather easy. All on one hand, in fact.
"It caught us completely off guard..." Sebek grumbled in frustration as he also didn't need to count the remainder of people left either."
"I was so preoccupied with dodging the attacks, I couldn't think straight." Jack grumbled as he ruffled his hair with slight irritation.
Ruggie sighed in disappointment, "So we're the only ones left. The four of us. That's it."
"... Looks like it." Floyd concurred, "I wanted to see what we were dealin' with, but it took off so fast I couldn't make anything out."
"It was probably that shadow..." Jack shouted, "Blast it all! Everything happened so fast, I barely had time to react!"
"We won't be able to pick up the shadow's tracks or its smell with the campsite such a mess." Ruggie shook his head with a grimace.
"Even Goldfishie's gone. That shadow's gotta be mighty strong." Floyd noted in deep thoughts seemingly only interested in taking down something mightier.
"Riddle... He covered me..." Sebek muttered in disbelief before shouting in rage, "I NEVER ASKED HIM TO DO ANY SUCH THING!"
"Is that how you talk about someone who saved your bacon?!" Jack looked to him in disbelief and disapproval.
"Silence! His assistance was unneeded and unwanted!" Sebek snapped before crumbling onto a nearby log they had been sitting on and mumbling in a tone seemingly akin to a whimper, "I... I should have been able to easily protect one or two weak humans…"
"Sebek..." Jack held back with a guilty and sympathetic look as he realized Sebek's reasoning.
"Ugh... Look, we can beat ourselves up about this later!" Ruggie responded as he spoke up, "Right now, we need to figure out how to make it through the night! I think our best play is to split up and run in different directions."
"You're proposing we FLEE?!" Sebek jumped out of his seat with a harsh glare.
"The smartest thing we can do is make sure one of us lasts long enough to tell the headmaster!" Ruggie reasoned firmly.
"But I can't just abandon the other campers!" Jack rebuked angrily.
"AGREED. If I were to leave Riddle to his fate..." Sebek shook his head midway and stated firmly, "No, if I were to turn my back on ANY enemy and flee, I would be the most pathetic excuse for a guardsman that ever lived! Silver would undoubtedly say the same! I cannot bring shame upon Malleus's name!"
"Then how do you suggest we deal with that shadow if we're staying here?" Ruggie brought up with a sigh of exasperation, "Do we just sit around the fire and chill as it picks us off one by one?"
"Well..." The two who rejected him was left speechless as they fumbled with their words wth great confusion.
"Oh, that's easy. We just take it down." Floyd laughed with a bright and excited smile.
Hearing this, the two looked to him with faces covered in disbelief and shock.
From afar, Lotus smirked with a wide smile as she hummed thoughtfully to herself aloud in a hum, "Now, how did the rhyme go again? Ah, yes. Two Tigers, Two Tigers, run fast, run fast. One with no eyes, one with no tail. Very strange, very strange... Say Riddle, do you think the remaining four tigers will be able to make it out of the forest by themselves?"