In a crawling state, the three men moved ever so slowly, their figures hidden by the destroyed logs of trees. They knew the Ewwga were sensitive to noises, so they had to remain quiet. Still, this didn't stop them from talking, though in hushed whispers.
"Where are the other knights that came here?" Luke asked, his voice barely audible.
"The others are heavily injured. Your gong noise, thankfully, drew the Ewwgas' attention. You potentially saved them from total death," Gareth looked at Luke with a grim face.
Luke glanced at the gong and stick he still carried. Using it again now would be too risky and idiotic, especially with the Ewwgas circling them.
Sir Carrick decided to explain the situation to Luke.
"You deserve to know what's happening since you're now part of this," he began in a whisper. "The report mentioned a single Ewwga, so I took about five knights to suppress the monster. We even had our gong noise maker. Spotting the lone Ewwga, we thought the task would be straightforward."
He paused, his eyes scanning their surroundings for any sign of movement.
"But remembering how the first group of knights was defeated, something else must have been in play. Nothing obvious, though, so we resumed the original plan. The gong hitter made noise, and we prepared to strike."
Gareth picked up the story, his voice just as quiet.
"The moment the noise was created, two more Ewwgas jumped into the scene. They immediately thrashed the gong hitter, and everything went south from there."
Sir Carrick nodded, continuing.
"I shouted, baiting myself to draw their attention as one by one the knights were attacked. Just as I was about to be overwhelmed by the three monsters, Gareth came to the rescue. He pulled me onto Tora, and we tried to escape."
"But even the swift tiger was no match for three Ewwgas," Gareth added. "Tora slipped, forcing us down. Not wanting Tora to be attacked, I ordered the tiger to run away."
The three men paused, listening for any sign of the Ewwgas. The forest was eerily silent, except for the occasional rustle of leaves.
"As we were about to fight for our lives, your gong noise caught the monsters' attention. We ran after you to save you, and now here we are, in this shit situation," Sir Carrick continued.
Luke's mind raced as he processed the story. He glanced around, his eyes catching the faint, shadowy figures of the Ewwgas prowling in the distance. They were monstrous, grotesque parodies of monkeys, with hairy bodies, gnarly teeth, and eyes that glowed with malevolence. Their elongated arms and sharp claws added to their nightmarish appearance.
"What do we do now?" Luke whispered, his voice trembling slightly.
"We need to find a way to outsmart them," Sir Carrick replied. "These creatures are intelligent. They won't fall for the same trick twice."
"We need a new plan. Something to give us an advantage," Gareth nodded.
Luke thought for a moment, then spoke up. "What if we use the gong again, but in a different way? Maybe create a distraction that leads them away from us?"
Sir Carrick considered this, then nodded. "It might work. But we'll need to be careful. One wrong move, and we're done for."
As they whispered their plan, the Ewwgas continued to circle, their movements methodical and predatory. The tension was palpable, every rustle and snap of a twig sending a jolt of fear through the men.
Finally, with the plan set, Luke prepared himself. He knew he wasn't a knight or a fighter, but he couldn't just sit still while his friends faced such danger. He took a deep breath, steadying his nerves.
"Eamon asked me to follow him earlier," Luke whispered. "He said I could be a helpful leverage. I'm not experienced, but I won't let something bad happen by sitting still."
Gareth and Sir Carrick exchanged a glance, a mixture of surprise and respect in their eyes.
"We need a new plan. Something to give us an advantage," Gareth nodded.
"What if we use the gong again, but in a different way? Maybe create a distraction that leads them away from us?" Luke thought for a moment, then spoke up.
"It's too risky. There are three monsters, and there are three of us. One wrong move, and we all die," Sir Carrick considered this, then shook his head.
Just then, the hand of one of the Ewwgas clamped onto the log that was hiding the three men. They didn't need to look at one another or signal to understand that they must now freeze and mimic rocks. The sound of a growl, just feet away, sent a wave of terror through them. They were shocked and scared, but also, especially Gareth and Sir Carrick, had hearts as strong and hard as steel. They felt an unwavering need to survive, to get back to the city and get their injured comrades treated.
Luke, on the other hand, was not as hardened as the other two men. He was a nobody, arriving in this world in a twist of fate, now crawling in the line of life and death. He had nothing to help him. No fighting skill, no power like in the fantasies. All he had was his phone. Wait? Phone! Talking about phones, Luke, swiftly without any sound, pulled out his phone. He then keyed in the web, searching for ways to scare and confuse a monkey. This was it. Luke's trump card, his lifeline—the smartphone.
The Ewwga that was close by had now walked away, leaving the men. While Gareth and Sir Carrick released breaths of relief, Luke was busy searching for a monkey's weakness. Browsing, he read that monkeys in the wild were afraid of snakes. Of course, Luke understood that Ewwgas were monsters, so there was no way they had a bigger predator before them, right? But then, this was the answer he had found. And so, Luke gambled. He walked closer to Gareth and Sir Carrick and whispered that he was going to bait himself.
Both knights immediately argued, their whispers fierce.
"That's a suicide call!" Gareth hissed. "There are three monsters, and only one can easily kill us. One wrong move, and not just you, but even we can say goodbye to our lives."
Gareth and Sir Carrick were both ready to shoot down Luke's idea entirely when Luke whispered to Gareth that Ewwga had one more weakness.
"Look," he whispered. "In my world, monkeys are afraid of snakes. It might be a long shot, but it's the only plan we have."
Gareth saw Luke's face, determined, the same look he had when he saved Gareth from the Plyburg attack. Gareth understand, Luke is about to muster his wonder about what Gareth like to call, Luke's magic. Reluctantly, he nodded.
"Sir Carrick, we have to trust him. He's going to get us out of this mess."
"If we all die, I'm going to beat you in heaven or hell, Luke. Do what you must," Sir Carrick, on the brink of frustration, sighed.
With the reluctant approval, Luke prepared himself for the most daring move of his life.
Luke took off his sandals and clutched them close to his body, along with the gong and stick. Peeking out from behind the log, he saw the three Ewwgas prowling, their attention momentarily elsewhere. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come.
With one last glance at Gareth and Sir Carrick, who both watched him with worry etched on their faces, Luke began to run. The slightest and lowest noise from his movement immediately caught the Ewwgas' attention. Their heads snapped in his direction, and with a guttural growl, they began to pursue him.
Luke ran, his heart pounding in his chest. He dropped his sandals mid-way, hoping the distraction would slow them down even if just for a moment. Barefoot and vulnerable, he kept running, the forest floor rough and unforgiving beneath his feet.
From their hiding spot, Gareth and Sir Carrick watched with bated breath. The Ewwgas leapt over the log that had concealed the two knights, their monstrous forms now fully focused on Luke. The knights' worry intensified, but they knew they had to trust in Luke's plan.
Luke ran until he couldn't hear the Ewwgas' footsteps behind him. He stopped abruptly, twisting his body to face the dawning threat of the approaching monsters. The Ewwgas were close now, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
Raising the gong, Luke struck it as hard as he could. The sound echoed through the trees, loud and piercing, irritating the Ewwgas. The monsters recoiled slightly, disoriented by the noise. Luke struck the gong again, his arms trembling with the effort.
The Ewwgas were almost upon him. Luke's heart pounded in his chest as he hit the gong once more, the sound reverberating through the forest. He watched the creatures' snarling faces, knowing that their next move could be the end of him.