CHAPTER 35: YOU SHOULD RUN

Everything was fine. We were free to return to Podros, free to get the small reward from this unnecessarily tedious Quest, free to take on a few more before the end of the day, and free to relax for the rest of the evening. Then, I heard something I’d only ever heard a precious few times in my over 600 years of life.

"You three should run," The Fairy said, her voice soft and measured. "The Forest Cleaner smells a feast. You are standing on its plate."

"It’s... ’plate’? Isobel asked? What do you mean? And what is the ’Forest Cleaner’?"

Silence. The Quest Fairy simply curtsied her departure and returned to the jar. Lyra and I, all too familiar with what a "Forest Cleaner" was, shared a look of abject horror before turning back to Isobel with a look of what I could only hope was veiled terror.

"What’s with you two? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing!"

"Nope!"

Isobel tilted her head at us. "I was honest with you two about my ineptitude. I would appreciate a little honesty in–"

The ground rumbled as a low, horrifying growl sounded from somewhere beneath the ground. I hurriedly grabbed Isobel’s wrist as Lyra turned and ran. I followed behind her with aura gathered and freehand on my sword, the other pulling Isobel behind me.

"W-what is happening?!" Isobel asked again, fear and anger mixing in her voice. "Lloyd, tell me right–"

The ground erupted behind us. I didn’t need to turn around to know what’d just launched itself into the air behind us from the ground: a Bulette–the living garbage disposal unit of Aspia. Most creatures and animals that fed on battlefields like vultures and, ironically enough, goblins, were ones who usually waited for the victors to vacate before fighting amongst each other for the scraps of what was left behind by the larger and stronger opportunistic feeders... like the Bulette. The smaller ones were twenty feet tall, and usually about ten feet long. Others could be as large as buildings! Judging by the shrill screeches of the Bulette behind us, this one was likely on the smaller side. Not like I was going to turn to–

"Lloyd!" Isobel shouted. "There’s a–"

"Shht!" Lyra blurted, snapping her head back to give Isobel a harsh look before turning back ahead of her. When she spoke again, she did so in a whisper. "They see through smell and sound. They’re blind!"

"Then why doesn’t it hunt us?" Isobel asked. Her hand was shaking now.

"Because it’s surrounded by easier meals." Lyra mused. "That’s probably why a Quest to kill just 30 goblins and maybe

two big goblins was rated where it was. The longer you stay, the more likely you are to be faced by a Bulette..."

"A-are we gonna die?" Isobel asked.

"No," I answered. We’d been running for a little while now, and the carriage was now in sight. It thankfully hadn’t left us, but the horses were visibly agitated, judging by their stationary trot and perpetual glance around as if looking for us. "Long as we’re quick, we won’t have to deal with–"

The ground shook once again, followed by another low groan from beneath us.

"Go, go, go!" I shouted as we approached the carriage.

The very second we got in, the ground erupted from beneath us, revealing the very Bulette we’d been running from. The creature looked like a mole with a body made of spiked scales... that was as large as a house. It didn’t chase us. It just... watched us enter the carriage. Only when I hazarded a more intense inspection did I notice that the Bulette had a goblin boss in its mouth. As if that wasn’t odd enough, a second Bulette showed up. And a third. Each with goblins in its mouth. A fourth Bulette appeared now, significantly larger than the other two. It didn’t have anything in its mouth, but it stood tall, staring down at us before, inexplicably, inclining its head.

"Is it... saying goodbye?" Isobel asked. "Is it thanking us...?"

"Don’t tell me those goblins tried to drive Bulettes out of their home..." Lyra sighed.

"Y-you’re welcome!" I shouted back in response. "You take it easy now...!"

The three of us shared a look. Equally perplexed, equally exasperated.

"Let’s... head back to the House, yeah?"