บท 113: Cries For Help
Beatrice, Ember, Olivia, and Tabitha proceeded quickly through the Shadow Woods. Ember was leading the way, followed by the succubus, then Olivia, and Tabitha was last, covering their flank. The forest seemed to be purposefully preventing them from staying near the giant city wall that should have been an obvious and easy guiding marker. The rocky terrain and went up and down, often with nearly straight falls or climbs, treacherous pitfalls were obstructed from view by trees both standing and fallen. It was a hazard that no one would go through willingly. And as they maneuvered around these hazards, they got further and further away from the city wall, until it was completely obstructed from sight.
"That path is a nightmare, and not even the shortest way out of here," Ember explained without worry as they seemingly lost their giant position marker. "A portion of the forest continues along the wall all the way to the East Gates. Those that can navigate this place don't waste their time there."
Under Ember's guidance, they moved exceptionally quickly through the winding paths of the maze-like forest and managed to cover more ground in just three hours than anyone unfamiliar with this place could hope for in a day. And as they moved out of the deepest parts of the Shadow Woods, more and more light passed through from the bright noon sun.
Beatrice kept an eye on the sulking ninja girl whose mood remained unchanged. After some time had passed, she tried to break through to her partner for the second time and said, "If you're mad at Ember… Or at me—"
"I'm mad at myself!" Olivia snapped, cutting off Beatrice mid-sentence. "I'm no better than Tabitha! No, I'm far worse!"
Getting such a reaction, Beatrice realized that it was still too early to have a rational dialogue with Olivia. And she would not have gotten a chance anyway.
"Help! Help!" cries of a young girl sounded through the forest. Louder and louder with each one.
"Can't you hear that?" Beatrice ran up to Ember, who continued to lead the way as if nothing had happened.
"Of course, I can," Ember said as she continued walking.
"And?" Beatrice asked a leading question.
"I'm your bodyguard, remember? Leading you toward guaranteed trouble is the opposite of my job description."
"I won't be much of a 'Savior' if I ignore calls for help," Beatrice said.
"Even if it's a trap?" Ember asked and stopped, turning toward Beatrice.
"Especially if it's a trap! If there are scum here who'd use cries for help as a way to lure and punish any remaining good-hearted people, they must be dealt with first."
Ember smiled and pointed away from where she was leading up till now, "It's coming from that direction."
"Hurry up!" Beatrice shouted to the others and ran first toward the desperate pleas for help.
After several minutes, as they got closer to the source of the screams, Beatrice also heard other voices.
"How is that brat so fast?"
"How did she still not collapse?"
"She ain't no ordinary brat! Or did you forget!?"
Beatrice finally close enough to see figures approaching from up ahead. And the closest figure was also the smallest. A young girl in a dark dress with long, flowing brown hair, fluffy ears, big breasts, and a giant fluffy tail desperately tried to keep the distance between herself and half a dozen armed men that followed her. And despite tripping and falling at least two times, she somehow still managed to run fast enough to not get caught.
"Help! Please help!" the beastkin fox girl pleaded for help when she saw the barely clothed succubus and ran toward her "Killers! Murderers! Monsters!"
"You're the monster, you fucking slut!" one of the men chasing the girl screamed. He wore heavy armor, had a round shield and a sword on his back.
Though they had different weapons (spears, bows, swords), all six men had the same uniform armor and purple capes flowing behind them.
Beatrice was impressed that they could run at all in that getup through this terrain. And she couldn't even hazard a guess how long this chase had taken place. If nothing else, their physical condition was outstanding, even if they had failed to catch up to a child. And considering the many magical and physical abilities that inhabitants of this fantasy world possessed, Beatrice wondered whether the men were indeed slow due to their armor that they should not have brought if it would have slowed them down, or it was the case that the young, but wide-hipped and big-breasted fox girl was actually much faster than anyone would have expected.
"What the hell?" Olivia ran up to Beatrice and looked at the commotion. Her eyes went wide, and she froze in place when she saw purple capes blowing behind the armed men.
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