Chereads / The Shepards Inn / Chapter 42 - Ambush in the Forest

Chapter 42 - Ambush in the Forest

Lucy accidentally stumbles over a hidden trapdoor while looking for the artefact. To everyone's surprise, she discovers the last artefact, a Golden Amulet, hidden beneath the rubble. Wendy and Ethan inspected Lucy to make sure she was okay. They almost engaged in another kissing and groping session, but time was running out with the previous artefact in hand. Ethan sits on his sword, and Wendy and Lucy sprint back to the finishing point, adrenaline pumping. They can hear the cheers and shouts of the other teams, adding to the urgency.

"Alas, let us stop here. Lucy surveys the forest ahead, and Wendy looks for anything out of place. Lilly scans the area for students hiding."

Lucy silently crawls forward with Wendy. They peer into the forest for two minutes.

"Squee, students are coming up from over there and jogging at a relaxed pace."

"Hail, the underbrush has been disturbed, and they have set traps for us."

"Alas, Ethan, nine students are hiding ahead."

Ethan stands with Lucy's help. He inspects a tree to his left and breaks off a branch as thick as Lucy's forearm. Taking one of his knives, he cuts it to the size of a sword, cleaning the small branches off. It was crude but should be adequate. Ethan hands the crude wooden sword to Lucy. Wendy blocks his path as he prepares to walk forward.

"Hail, I will take the artefacts. My speed and agility should help, and my small frame allows me to weave through the brush."

Ethan hands Wendy the artefacts. She places them in her blouse tucked into her skirt, making a makeshift bag. Glancing at each other, they reach a silent understanding. Wendy bolts out of their hiding place as a stench catches them unawares from their left.

Smelly hand and five students come running past, aware of the traps and students hiding ahead. The student with the purple wand runs ahead and guides the group. Wendy catches up to the group in thirteen seconds and bypasses them in a flash as she runs at full speed towards the village. Lucy was on her heels a few feet behind her. She was falling behind as Wendy ran ahead, her speed enhanced by her skill.

A student reaches out, trying to catch Lucy's arm. She hits him with her stick across the face, and he stumbles and falls. Two students turn as Ethan comes floating a few feet behind Lucy. None notices that his feet are not touching the terrain or that he isn't running. Index fingers lash out like spears. Ethan's skill is known as Dian Xue or Kyusho Jitsu. Two students fall to the forest floor, unable to move.

"Alas, Wendy, there is something wrong with the terrain ahead."

Lilly warns as she floats behind Wendy, scanning the area and guiding her from the path of the students lying in wait. Wendy encounters a hidden pitfall trap as she dashes through the forest. The terrain gives way as she slips. She grabs onto a root from a tree, her feet dangling in the air as the hole is exposed. Wendy pulls herself up with the help of Lilly, pushing her against her bum. Lucy offers her a hand and pulls her up, looking at the gaping hole.

Ethan arrives. Students are coming out of the brush—evil grins on their faces and eerie laughter from them all. Ethan slaps Wendy and Lucy on their asses, and they spring into action, running for the village. Lucy hits a hand that grabs Wendy. Wendy increases her speed. Lucy runs fast on her heels. Time was of the essence, and the other students were in the lead again.

Ethan floats in a circle. The surprised looks on their faces are short-lived as his fingers tap their bodies, and they fall to the forest floor, incapacitated. Ethan floats forward, wanting to catch up to Wendy and Lucy; the trees had many branches blocking his path, and he could not duck and weave between them like Wendy or Lucy.

As he moved forward, he sounded like a wild beast rampaging without regard for his safety. Ethan wondered if they would make it in time and what penalties or difficulties Professor Lara would face if they lost. Ethan catches up to Lucy. Wendy, who is almost out of sight. She had quite the lead on them, her speed and agility astonishing.

"Alas, I am behind you, Lucy,"

Lilly warns Wendy.

"Alas, Wendy, archers in the trees to your right."

Wendy veers right towards the trees, and a volley of arrows is released at her. She uses her speed to dodge the arrows and finds a way to turn the trap against her ambushers. Ethan saw plants wither and die as the arrows hit them. The focus was on Wendy, and Lucy ran behind her a few feet, no arrows aimed at her. They had realised enemy students use poisoned arrows.

Wendy reached a point where the angle of the archers made it impossible for them to target her. Ethan realised he and Lucy would be targeted next. A part of a fallen tree lay in front of Ethan, the size of a small chariot. Moss grew over it, and mushrooms flourished around it.

Ethan punched his fingers into the timber using his martial arts technique, Makiwara training. He lifted the log and flung it towards the trees. Students wailed as the log hit the tree, bursting into thousands of splinters. Students fell out of the trees like bird droppings. Ethan floats past while the students are confused and find Wendy and Lucy have stopped ahead.

The voice of Purple Wand can be heard. What did a labyrinth do out here? Ethan touched the maze. It was an illusion. Running mindlessly ahead was not an option.

"Alas, Lilly, fly up and scan the labyrinth, then lead Wendy. We will follow. Ting-Ting, give Lucy and me a ride through. Zelda, stick with Wendy and kill any monster that approaches her."

What was the professor thinking? The magical creatures would use the labyrinth as a hunting terrain. A scream rang out ahead, and the clash of steel could be heard. Purple Wand and his crew must have run into a trap. The black ball returned, floating ahead of Wendy, its patterns flashing purple. Four knives circled her like shields. The black ball moved forward, and Wendy followed at a leisurely pace.

The twists and turns in the labyrinth made it impossible to run at speed, and running through the labyrinth wall disoriented people to such a degree that they needed a minute to adjust their senses. Ethan could feel that something was stalking them as Ting-Ting floated behind Wendy as she ran ahead.

A shadow moved in the shadows behind them. Ethan's plan was working. They could smell the blood and Lucy's sent. That made them easy targets. A female that was wounded made for good hunting. Ting-Ting slowed on Ethan's command in his mind.

"Alas, Lucy, they will attack, be on guard."

"Squee, I am ready for them."