Chapter 32: A Race Through the Trees

“Watch out, Sid,” yelled Miguel, from where he was now running up the lake shore alongside Aluna. He followed this up with:

Equip crossbow

Sid slowed, half turned... but it was too late. Three arrows shot out in the big man’s direction, as Chloe and her team made their way up the beach among the debris of the jetty, shooting as they went. Sid turned, equipping his axe, and began to charge back down towards them. But they let out a second round of shots, and all but one arrow had hit home successfully. Eyes bulging, Sid dropped to his knees.

Miguel then aimed and shot at the nearest of the men that were alongside Chloe. He knew that the time would have to come where he would have to fight his former ally, but there was no reason to target her first... The shot was a hit, and the man stumbled, the bolt having slammed into his knee.

Miguel and Aluna were still moving up the beach towards Sid, and after firing off a second shot that missed the other group of players, Miguel spared a glace towards Rex. The vast creature was still standing in the water, feasting on its red-scaled kin. And as well as healing, it was once again getting larger – taller, bulkier, the claws on its forelegs getting longer, and dozens of spikes now emerging from the scales on its back.

It was truly in its ultimate form now.

The king of the lizards.

And with its feast concluded, it turned around in the lake, and began to wade towards the shore.

Miguel shot twice more at Chloe’s team in their black-and-gray outfits, then closed the distance towards Sid. As he approached, however, it was clear that it was too late for his teammate. Sid had moved only a foot or two on his knees before taking two further hits. He now slumped face-first into the sand.

Miguel paused, on the verge of helping Sid and then realizing that it was futile. Aluna had only paused at the scene to tug at Miguel’s sleeve, before continuing up the beach. She was now running full speed towards the trees.

And as he hesitated, Miguel felt an arrow thump into his shoulder, and he yelped in pain.

You have lost 7 hit points You have 7 hit points remaining

“Damn you, Chloe,” he murmured as he sped away, running after Aluna. “You might be pretty, but there’s a limit to what I’ll forgive.”

As he moved, Miguel tried to shoot one more crossbow bolt at their rivals, but the bow clicked without releasing a bolt. He needed to reload. But it was more important to get the heck out of here.

Unequip crossbow

They enemy team were also now on the move – or at least, two of them were. Chloe, bow still in hand, and a man holding a sword. Their other teammate, one that Miguel had managed to hit twice with his crossbow, was struggling across the sand on his hands and knees, and as Miguel looked back, Rex reached the shore, stooped, and seized the struggling man in its jaws, gulping him down whole.

Miguel was by this stage already running at top speed, and if any extra motivation was needed, it was provided by the sound of Rex’s huge thumping footsteps as the monster crossed the lower area of the shore and began to close in on them, the ground seeming to shake as it moved. Miguel put his head down and hit his stride, catching up with Aluna and then sprinting ahead as they reached the first trees.

Miguel was fairly certain that the trees would prove little obstacle for the gigantic razor-lizard that was on their heels, however, but the hatch...

He now tugged at Aluna’s sleeve as they pushed through branches and bushes together, and pointed ahead. “Look for a torch,” he said. “It’s a place to hide that I found. A safe place.”

In silence, the pair zig-zagged through the undergrowth. As they moved, Miguel remained very aware of two threats. One was the crashing of branches caused by Razor-lizard Rex behind them – the beast had already reached the edge of the trees, it was clear. The other was that Chloe and her partner were somewhere on the other side of the stream, armed and dangerous, and very capable of finishing him off with further bow fire. The brown-clad pair might be lying in wait, too.

The rocky edge of the stream was at least helpful for Miguel to orient himself, as he tried to find the hiding place that he had located earlier. He thought he was in roughly the right place, but so far, hadn’t seen any sign of the flickering light of the torch.

But then he saw a familiar-looking bush, and looking towards the earth, a square hatch in the ground, just around ten yards. “There!” he said to Aluna in an urgent voice, pointing ahead.

At the same time, it was alarmingly clear that someone else had been here before him. He hadn’t left the hatch open. It must have been opened by other players. Enemies.

“Wait,” he said, holding up one hand to Aluna, and coming to a halt.

Miguel and Aluna paused at the hatch, looking around in all directions.

Equip crossbow

Miguel fished the orange pack of crossbow bolts from his backpack, and pressed it to the weapon, and heard the ammunition being accepted with a satisfying ‘click’.

Worryingly, however, the thumping footsteps of Razor-lizard Rex were getting louder. Miguel know that he had a decision to make, and quickly. However, there could be enemy players below, ready to ambush them... and it wouldn’t take very many hits to finish him off at this point.

On the other hand, if Rex was going after Chloe’s team rather than their own, they might have a bit longer...

He looked directly behind him....

No such luck.

A rattling roar behind made it clear to Miguel that Rex was only a few yards away – and they now had no choice but to move.

“Down onto the ladder,” he said urgently to Aluna, “but not all the way. There could be another team in there.”

“Got it,” she replied. “Equip dagger.” And as she swung herself down into the hatch and began to climb down the ladder, a dagger sprung into one of her hands.

Miguel was only a fraction of a second behind. He seated himself on the edge of the hatch, leaning forward and putting one hand on the cold iron ladder within, and putting the heavy weapon away.

Unequip crossbow

At that exact moment, Rex smashed past one of the nearest large trees, and staggered into the vicinity of the hatch. The enormous beast was only a few yards away. Feeling his heart leaping inside his chest, Miguel stared at the creature. It sniffed, staring back at him, and then opened its enormous jaws.