Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 121 - Farce of an Exam

Previously:

Upon entering the world of her exam, Elaru is faced with a peacekeeper who introduces the goal of the exam – finding and apprehending several bandits. Orie Tonrai, her exam partner, gives Elaru a map of the area which allows her to narrow down the potential whereabouts of the bandits. Elaru decides to quickly fly over the area and detect the bandits through her mana sense. Since her flying speed was faster than Ories, she ends up pulling her along. The speed of their flight causes Orie to feel motion sickness and she empties her stomach in the bushes near the bandits. Meanwhile, one of the bandits ends up dripping hot juices on Mr. Whiskers, who gives him a too tight of a hug.

Episode 121 – Farce of an Exam

At first, the bald bandit looked as if he didn't see anything, continuing to watch the surroundings, the sinister looking man let out a low chuckle and continued smirking, and the third bandit with the golden earring was too busy laughing his head off to do anything else.

But as the fourth bandit's face started changing colors, they finally realized that this wasn't a laughing matter. While the other two were staring with their eyes wide, the third bandit, who was the nearest to the fourth bandit, jumped up to help his suffocating comrade. He grabbed the fluffy tail and tried pulling Mr. Whiskers off, but he only managed to pull the fourth bandit to his feet.

The rough tugging of the two bandits surely wasn't a pleasant sensation for the shéfur, for the creature kept cramping up, squeezing even tighter.

The bald bandit stood rooted to the spot, staring dumbly not knowing what to do, his previous imposing manner nowhere to be seen. The long-limbed sinister man was quicker in his thinking, and he grabbed one of the branches fueling the fire.

"Move!" He hissed and started waving the burning branch towards the purple-faced bandit.

Feeling the burning sensation, Mr. Whiskers twitched away from the flames, making the fourth bandit stumble back uncontrollably, right in the direction of one of the traps.

"Aya! Careful!" The third bandit squealed, quickly grabbing towards the suffocating bandit to stop his stumble.

He missed.

The fourth man stumbled straight towards the taut string of the trap.

In a moment of desperation, the third bandit accelerated towards his purple-faced comrade, and luckily managed to grab the closest appendage he could reach (Mr. Whisker's tail), stopping the fourth man's fall.

Taking long strides with his long limbs, the sinister man swiftly approached, the torch burning brightly in his hand.

Sensing the increasing heat coming his way, Mr. Whiskers started twitching his tail frantically, resembling movements of a flag flapping in the fierce winds, trying to make his assailant let go of him.

The fur of shéfurs was naturally slick and shiny, so it only took a second for Mr. Whiskers' tail to slide right out of the man's hand.

Losing his support, the fourth bandit's suspended fall resumed, and he fell straight on top of the taut string.

The wide, horrified eyes of the bandits stared unblinkingly at the falling form of their comrade. A gruff, panicked scream of "Noooo!" tore through the silent clearing startling the nearby birds.

Several seconds of terrified silence passed in which only the sounds of ragged breathing could be heard.

Only when the fourth bandit's eyes rolled back into his skull, his face as purple as an eggplant, did the remaining three come back to their senses.