//------------------------------// // Chapter 43 // Story: Star Wars Jedi Lyra: The Search // by currentlemon //------------------------------// Lyra huffed and puffed as she vigorously followed Master Kavar and the other Jedi through the mountain terrain. By the Force she was exhausted. It had only been a couple of minutes since she and Chessk left the Omega, and yet it felt as if her stamina was already spent. Perhaps this was because she was mountain climbing of all things.  The mare grimaced. She hated mountain climbing. It was bad enough that she had to traverse a mountain in Alderaan, but here in Equestria too? By the Order, it was too much! Still, the situation could’ve been worse. At least she didn’t have to deal with a snowstorm this time. And unlike Alderaan, she can actually see where she is going. Looking up to the sky, Lyra stared at the bright golden light that Princess Celestia had placed. According to Master Kavar, it is supposed to be a beacon of some sort. A way to alert both allies and enemies that the fighting is happening here. And nobody can leave the area either as long as the barrier is up. At first, Lyra questioned the Princess’s decision. Having a magic spell that screamed “all the fighting is down here” seemed like a bad idea. She voiced her concerns with Master Kavar and Chessk, but both agreed with the Princess’s decision. Should the spell work as intended, then the Mandalorians would be trapped. Encased in a dome of light with nowhere to run. The spell wasn’t permanent though. According to Master Kavar, Princess Celestia can maintain her spell for two hours at most, giving the allied forces a time limit. Lyra sighed. As if protecting Equestria from bloodthirsty alien conquerors wasn’t pressuring enough. Now they have to worry about finishing the fight in a matter of hours. It’s not like the task was impossible though. Two hours is plenty of time. The question was, how many Mandalorian troops have made landfall here? As the Jedi and the handful of Republic troops gathered in a circle, Lyra took the opportunity to do a quick count of the allied forces. There were forty in total. The Republic soldiers outnumbered the Jedi who were few in number, though the lavish robes they wore symbolized their positions as Knights. Way more than what Lyra had expected, but they will still need reinforcements. It was then that she saw Master Kavar standing amongst the crowd, looking as if he was going to speak. “Listen up, everyone!” he shouted out loud. “Somewhere in these mountains, our enemies prowl about. They may be wounded, but that doesn’t mean we should underestimate them. The Mandalorians are fearsome warriors who will do anything to achieve their goal.” Raising his lightsaber, the Jedi Master pointed the tip of his weapon directly at the dome above them. “The Princess of this nation has given us an opportunity. One that we cannot waste. This dome you see above us will entrap our enemies here, in these mountains. As long as that light holds, nobody can leave! We can finish off the Mandalorians without risking the lives of any civilians.”  Cheering erupted from the allied forces. In comradery, Republic soldiers hoisted their rifles in the air while the Jedi Knights all ignited their lightsabers at once. The only ones not participating were Lyra and Chessk. The latter was not impressed. “That… that was not a good speech,” said Chessk. He shook his head in disappointment. “For a Jedi Master, I figured he’d have a bit more… charisma.” “Don’t worry about it, Chessk. Master Kavar may not be the greatest motivational speaker, but his fighting capabilities will make up for it,” replied Lyra. “And besides, his speech wasn’t that bad. It did motivate everyone here.” “Perhaps. But I can name several people who can make a better speech than that,” Chessk said back as he and Lyra continued to listen to the Jedi Master’s talk.  Kavar explained his plan. Their forces would split into two groups. One led by him and another led by a Jedi Knight. Once the groups have been formed, they’d split off and search for any sign of the Mandalorians forces. Should any group come across the enemy, they’ll contact the other group via comm-link for reinforcements. “Um, Master Kavar? I have a couple of questions,” said Lyra. Her voice earned the attention of everyone in the group. “Are you sure splitting up is a good idea? This is a mountain range we’re exploring; you know. And a dangerous one at that.” “Your concerns are well placed, Padawan Heartstrings, but you need not to worry. I’ve personally asked the pilot of my ship to scout out the mounts for enemy troops. With our group splitting into two and our ally in the skies patrolling enemy units from above, I’m sure we can make do,” explained the Jedi Master. “I assume this pilot has a comm-link as well?” asked Chessk. “He does, yes. If he manages to spot our enemies, he’ll radio in on us. If we’re lucky, we might manage to ambush the Mandalorians and take them out swiftly.” “But what of the basilisk droids?” asked a random Jedi from the group. “According to reports, a handful of them have made landfall here on these mountains.” Kavar frowned. “Those droids are too dangerous to engage alone. Avoid them if you can, but if confrontation is unavoidable, try not to fight them directly. Dodge its blaster fire and cut the pilot down from its weak side. As for the non-Jedi present, the same rules apply. However, I recommend that you keep your distance. Find cover and support the Jedi as best you can.” “Sir, yes sir!” shouted all the Republic soldiers at once. “Good. I trust that you men will do your jobs well. Now, does anyone else have anything to say before we leave?” “Will we be receiving any reinforcements from the Navy soon?” asked Lyra. “I contacted the Republic Fleet before we made landfall. We should be expecting reinforcements in about fifteen or twenty minutes depending on the situation in orbit,” answered Master Kavar, much to Lyra’s relief. “Any other questions?” “I have one,” said Chessk as he made his presence known. “It’s about those beasts the Sun Princess warned us about earlier. The bugbears she called them.” “What of them?” “According to the Princess, those beasts have made this mountain range their home. If anything, the mere presence of our enemies and the illuminating light above us will surely alert them. I can only imagine that we’d run into them the further we trek into their territory.” “Ah, an excellent point you’ve made, young hunter. I can see why Padawan Heartstrings here speaks so highly of you. Tell us, what concerns you the most about these bugbears?”  “I truly believe that these creatures will see us as a threat. Although we mean them no harm, we are technically invading their territory just as the Mandalorians are. If anything, they will likely attack us on sight just as our enemies will.” “So it will be a three-way battle then. Hmm, I can actually see that happening.” “Why would that matter though?” asked a male human Jedi from the group. “We have lightsabers, blasters, and the Force on our side. I’m sure we can quickly take care of those things.” Chessk scowled at the Jedi who spoke up. “Underestimate your prey at your own peril, Jedi. The hunting grounds spare no one. Just one slip up can turn you into the hunted.” “Oh, yeah? And what do you know about these animals?” the Jedi rebuked, showing a hint of anger that made Master Kavar frown. “Enough to know that there are beasts in this galaxy that can tank a grenade explosion!” Chessk shouted back. The sheer amount of anger in his voice caused many Jedi to reel back. “May I remind you that we do not know anything about these animals! Sure our technological advantage may be enough to kill them, but that’s the problem. We don’t know that! Worst case scenario, their bodies could easily brush off blaster bolts or a cut from a lightsaber.” Everyone’s eyes were glued at Chessk. Their reactions were somewhat mixed. Some were conflicted, particularly the Jedi who were upset that he yelled at a Knight. However, the looks on their faces made Lyra guess that they were contemplating her friend’s words. So to relieve tensions, she spoke up. “Everyone, please. Listen to what he has to say,” Lyra said. “I know his people aren’t exactly trustworthy, but Chessk is a good person. And he knows what he’s talking about too. No way would an experienced hunter like him would be lying to you all.” “Padawan Heartstrings is correct. And so too is her companion,” advised Master Kavar. “When it comes to wild beasts, Chessk is the most experienced person here. It’s only right for him to voice his concerns. Especially when we are dealing with dangerous creatures.” “So what do we do, Master Jedi?” asked a Republic soldier. Kavar looked at Chessk directly in the eye, expecting him to answer in response. Seeing that his advice was needed, the hunter answered the soldier's question. “All we know is that these bugbears have the physicality of both a bear and an insect. There are a variety of insects in the galaxy, but the more dangerous ones use some form of toxin.” “Toxin? You think this bug bear creature is capable of using poison?” a Jedi asked. “Possible. Again, we don’t know until we actually run into them. But if the Princess pony says they are dangerous, they are dangerous. We must keep our wits about them.” Master Kavar smiled. “Well said, Chessk. Your knowledge about galactic beasts is most impressive. Given your experience, I’m sure even the Jedi Councilors would learn a thing or two from you.” “Master Jedi I don’t mean to be rude, but don’t you think we should get moving?” said one Republic soldier. “As much as Trandoshan's words have been helpful, I don’t think we should linger here any longer.” Kavar nodded in agreement before looking at Chessk again. “Young man. May I ask that you lead one of the squadron’s I proposed? It would be really good to have an experienced survivalist lead us into the fray.” Chessk’s eyes opened wide as he and the others stared at the Jedi Master in disbelief. “You really want me to lead a squadron, Master Jedi?” “I do, yes. And of course, Padawan Heartstrings will accompany you as well.” Chessk beamed. “Thank you, Master Jedi. I shall do my very best,” he said as he politely bowed before the old master. Following orders, Chessk and Lyra formed a squad of their own. A few Jedi Knights had joined them, as well as a handful of Republic soldiers. By the time they were finished, the squad had a total of eighteen people. “Good. That should be more than enough,” said Master Kavar as his squadron formed up behind him. “All we have to do now is wait until I get a word from my ship and then we’ll… hold on. I think I’m getting a transmission now.” Placing his right hand above his ear, the Jedi Master listened in on whoever was trying to call him. Overtime, his face slowly began to distort into a frown. “A swarm of bug bears have been evacuating the area you say. Hmm, it looks like our foe has been busy disturbing the wildlife. Can you give me a description on what they look like?” “Please don’t let it be a mix between bear and laigrek1,” said Lyra with a shutter. “So a hybrid between a bear and a hornet, and their size is akin to that of a horned Kath hound. And they’re evacuating from a location just north of where we are?” Kavar continued, earning a bunch of groans from all the Jedi present. “Ah, I see. Well then, I keep up the good work my Padawanl. Make sure you keep an eye out for any Mandalorians present. And stay clear of any of those bug bears. The last thing we need is for them to fly directly into the ship.” “Master Kavar didn’t say anything about his Padawan being here,” said Chessk. “Why is the apprentice not with us? Surely having another Jedi will bolster our numbers.”  “It’s because he ordered him to,” answered a Jedi Knight from the group. “The boy Master Kavar is training has an affinity toward Sense abilities, so he wanted him to stay put on the ship and aid the pilots on their scouting mission.” “So, he wants his Padawan to try to detect our enemies through the Force?” asked Lyra. The Jedi Knight nodded his head. “Oh. Do you happen to know his name? Maybe there’s a chance I’ve met him at the Enclave on Dantooine.” “I apologize, Padawan, but the name of the apprentice eludes me. If you want to ask, then it would be better if you ask Master Kavar himself.” “Oh, that’s alright. I’ll go and meet the guy when all of this fighting is over,” Lyra replied just as soon as Master Kavar had finished talking into his comm-link. “It appears our enemy is quick to begin their rampage. The local wildlife is starting to flee from a certain area. One that I assume is the Mandalorian’s landing spot,” said the Jedi Master with a sigh. “We need to move fast. Chessk, take your squad and head north. You should be able to find the Mandalorians there.” “Um, okay. But which direction is north, Master?” asked Lyra. “You can leave that to me,” Chessk replied as he pulled an item out of his utility belt. Curious, Lyra stared at the object in her friend’s hand. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a compass. Two to be exact. One of which he immediately gave to the Jedi Master. “This is sure to come in handy. Thank you, young hunter,” said Master Kavar. “Chessk, I thought you only carried grenades in that belt. What else do you have in there?” asked Lyra. “I always carry items that I deem useful for a hunt, little one. Whether it be a spare blaster pistol, grenades, or a compass, it never hurts to be prepared,” Chessk advised. “I suggest you heed my words should you ever go out on a mission of your own.” “I’ll take it into consideration,” Lyra replied as Master Kavar’s squadron left Lyra’s team behind. With them gone, Chessk looked at the compass in his hand and ordered his squad to follow him deeper into the mountains. Lyra sighed. Again, she would have to trek through this stupid mountain path with all the dirt and grime getting stuck in her hooves. What’s worse is that there was no mountain path. No clear pathway to indicate if they were going in the right direction. All there was were dirt, rocks, shrubs, and a whole lot of trees.  If it weren’t for Chessk and his compass, the squad would be lost. And after several minutes of doing nothing but walking, a few in Chessk’s team began to grow irate. “Do we have any idea where we are?” asked one Republic soldier. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask that Trandoshan over there? He’s the one with the compass,” replied another soldier. “Quit your bickering. I’m sure Padawan Heartstrings and her companion know where they are going,” said a Jedi Knight from within the group. He then turned toward the group leader. “Chessk, was it? Do you have any idea when we will meet any hostiles?” Chessk shook his head. “I do not know, Master Jedi. Although we are heading in the right direction, it is difficult to see where we are, despite the light illuminating above us.” “This mountain has been left untouched by civilization. And I can only assume it’s because of the dangerous animals that live here,” said Lyra. “If I had to guess, we are probably one of the first few in a while who have ever stepped hooves… err, foot these mountains.” “But shouldn’t we have run into those bugbear things by now?” asked one of the Republic soldiers from before. “Master Kavar said that the Mandalorians are driving them away from their nests. If that’s true, then, where are they?” “A good question,” replied a frowning Chessk. Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks, much to the confusion of his squadron. He surveyed the area in silence as if he were searching for something. “What’s wrong, Chessk?” asked Lyra. “Something is coming, little one. Something… big. Can you not feel it?” “No, I don’t. Hold on, give me a second.” Calling upon the Force, Lyra reached out to the life energies around her to get a feel of her surroundings. But her concentration was cut short when a massive spike of energy pulsed through her body, causing her to collapse onto the ground. This caught the attention of a Republic soldier, who immediately came to her aid. “Are you alright, ma’am?” asked the soldier. With his help, Lyra was able to stand upright again, but her head was still aching like crazy. The sheer amount of Force energy that pulsed through her left her dazed. Her fall was immediately noticed by the Jedi though, causing some to rush to her aid. “Is something wrong, Padawan Heartstrings?” asked a male Rodian Jedi with blue skin. Lyra did not answer him though. Rather, she stared at the skies above her as if she were expecting something to happen. Seeing this, the Rodian also looked up too but was puzzled when he saw nothing.  “Padawan, is something coming this way?” the Rodian asked again. This time, Lyra answered with a nod. Suddenly, a faint buzzing noise came out of seemingly nowhere, catching the attention of the entire squadron. Immediately, everyone drew their weapons out. The Republic soldiers readied their blaster rifles while the Jedi—including Lyra—ignited their lightsabers.  The only one who hadn’t reacted the same way was Chessk. Upon seeing everyone reading their weapons, the hunter frantically waved both of his arms. “Everyone, please settle down. Now is not the time to be drawing your weapons yet,” he cautioned as the buzzing noise grew louder every second. Then, out of nowhere, the light that illuminated Princess Celestia’s spell was suddenly blocked off. Looking up again, Lyra could not help but gasp at the sight of large beasts flying over their heads. It was difficult to see due to the trees blocking their view, but she could make out the features of the animals soaring through the skies. A body of a horned Kath Hound, wings akin to that of an insect, and a seemingly dangerous stinger. It was the first time that Lyra had ever seen a bugbear. She’d be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t intimidated by them. “By the living Force. Those things are bugbears?” said a female human Jedi. “They’re so huge!” “Should we shoot them?” asked a Republic soldier as he aimed his rifle toward the sky. However, his gun was immediately brought down by a Rodian Jedi. The same one who assisted Lyra seconds earlier. “No, don’t shoot! Doing so will only bring us unwanted attention,” cautioned the Rodian Jedi. “Then what the heck do we do?” argued the soldier. “We must be patient. If the bugbears are here, then that means the Mandalorians are also nearby as well. As intimidating as those creatures are, we must continue forward and find the enemy. Once we do, we can contact Master Kavar for reinforcements.” “But what if he’s already engaged with the enemy?” asked another Jedi. “I don’t think that’s the case. If it were, then we would’ve heard a transmission from him by now. So for the time being, we must push forward. At the very least, the bugbears do not see us. It seems that whatever the Mandalorians did, their primary focus was to evacuate their nests. And since these trees cover our advance, we can trek through the mountains without being seen.” “Agreed,” replied Chessk. “Let us not stir the pot any further. Leave the creatures be and continue our advance. The trees will provide us cover.” As he said this however, the sudden sound of quavering bushes caught the entire squadron off guard. Upon instinct, the Jedi quickly grabbed their lightsabers and ignited them. The soldiers readied their weapons too, including Chessk, as they tried to pinpoint the location of the noise. Suddenly, the shaking noise happened again. Unlike before, Chessk and a handful of Knights were able to discover the location of the sound. A large bush located just to the right of their location. At once, the Republic soldiers aimed at the area responsible for the sound but faltered when the Rodian Jedi from before stepped in front of the squadron. “Wait, don’t shoot!” he cautioned. “It’s not the Mandalorians.” “Huh?” Lyra asked. To her shock, a small animal suddenly popped out of the bushes and fell on its belly, taking the entire squad by surprise. Acting on instinct, the soldiers all pointed their rifles at the small beast; however, the Rodian Jedi again expressed caution. Realizing that it wasn’t a threat, Lyra deactivated her lightsaber and curiously examined the creature. By comparison, this animal was no bigger than her. If it stood upright, then perhaps the two could be similar in terms of height. What really took her off-guard, however, was when Chessk came to examine the creature. The little thing cried as it rolled over onto its back, revealing itself to be a bugbear. Or at least, a baby version of it. “By the Scorekeeper. This thing is only a cub,” said Chessk. He reached out with his hand to get a better feel of it, but the small bug bear saw this and flew backwards. Or at least it tried too. The moment the animal tried to take off, it flinched and fell face first onto the ground. “Be careful, it's injured,” warned the Rodian Jedi. “Look. You can see blaster burns all over its hide. And its wings are damaged too.” “You’re right. It’s a wonder that this thing managed to survive. If anything, it’ll probably collapse from exhaustion if it continues down the mountain path.” “Do you think these blaster burns are from Mandalorian weapons?” “Most definitely. With all those bug bears flying above us and this little one covered in blaster burns, I’m certain our enemies are close.” “What should we do?” asked Lyra. “We can’t just leave this thing all alone here. If we do it will die!” Chessk frowned. “While your kindness is appreciative, little one, I’m afraid we don’t have much of a choice. Our mission is to defeat the Mandalorians and prevent them from reaching your home. I’m afraid that the protection of this small animal isn’t part of our job.” “Are you serious? This thing is an innocent creature! We can’t just leave it to die alone,” argued a female Jedi Knight. “The Trandoshan is right,” replied a Republic soldier. “Let’s just leave the thing alone for now. If we finish the fight quickly, we can provide aid to it later. Besides, I don’t want to stay here any longer. If one of those bugbears sees us with an injured cub, they might think we’re responsible and attack us.” Lyra couldn’t believe what she was hearing. As dangerous as this animal may be, are they seriously planning on leaving this injured cub all by itself? The mere thought of it was preposterous. She wanted to object once more; but before she could say anything, she was interrupted by the Jedi Rodian who activated his lightsaber. “Someone comes,” he warned as he and all the Jedi Knights besides Lyra activated their lightsabers. Wanting to follow her brothers and sisters, Lyra ignited her weapon too. But in truth she didn’t really know what was happening. The injured bugbear cub was the only thing that preoccupied her mind. So much so that she failed to sense the incoming danger. Suddenly, the Rodian leapt in front of the injured bug bear cub and deflected a blaster bolt that had seemingly come out of nowhere. Seeing this made Lyra gasp. She quickly looked in the direction of where the bolt had come from and was caught off guard when more bolts appeared. All of which aimed directly at the Rodian Jedi. “The Mandalorians have found us!” shouted the Rodian as he deflected all incoming blaster bolts. He quickly shuffled into a defensive stance, protecting himself and the injured bug bear cub behind him. “Can anyone see them?” “I can!” Chessk yelled out. “They are using the trees as cover, but I can count over a dozen Mandalorians just north of us!” “What?” Lyra shouted. She immediately looked in the direction of where her friend had pointed to. However, due to the large trees and her small height, the only thing she could see was incoming blaster fire. “Ugh, I can’t see a thing.” “You must think, little one. Observe your surroundings and use your Force powers as you see fit! Don’t worry, I’ll cover your advance.” Lyra nodded her head as her friend ran to assist the other Jedi. In truth, she had no real idea what to do. It had only taken a split second for the entire area to become a battlefield. Blaster bolts had surrounded her position, while the sound of lightsabers whirled all around her. Just witnessing the spectacle around her made Lyra fear for her life. But she was a Jedi. And despite her fears, she did what she needed to do her job.  Then, she spotted it. A tree with a relatively large branch. One that she can easily leap onto. Using a Force empowered jump, Lyra leapt into the air. A risky maneuver due to the increasing number of blaster fire; but fortunately, the Force was kind enough to allow her to dodge the incoming bolts. After tumbling onto the tree branch, the Padawan took a glimpse of the enemy forces in front of them. Sure enough, there were Mandalorians marching in the distance..  “Chessk!” Lyra shouted from the tree branch. “More reinforcements are coming!” “Then we need to clear out the squadron in front of us! Get down here and help us clear out these enemies here!” shouted the Trandoshan as a blaster bolt soared above his head. Lyra complied as she ignited her lightsaber blade and leapt down from the tree branch with another Force imbued jump.  Though she really didn’t think hard about where she was going to land, Lyra did manage to catch one Mandalorian off-guard upon landfall. When the Neo-crusader finally caught sight of her, it was already too late. He was quickly cut down with two lightsaber swipes to the torso. One down and many more to go. As the neo-crusader fell to the ground, Lyra readied herself for another Force-imbued jump. However, she was taken off-guard when she heard the sound of several rifles clicking at once. She flinched. That did not sound good. Turning around, the Padawan gasped as five Mandalorian Neo-crusaders surrounded her position. Their rifles all pointed directly at her. “Oh, give me a break,” she muttered just as all five Neo-crusaders fired at once. Thankfully, she managed to jump out of the way before any of the bolts had hit her. But just when she thought she was safe, she soon found herself surrounded again as the same five crusaders from before caught up with her. One crusader fired his weapon, but Lyra managed to deflect the blaster bolt back. Although blaster fire wasn’t her specialty, the bolt she deflected had managed to hit one of the Neo-crusaders that was about to fire upon her. Talk about a stroke of luck. As their ally limped to the ground, the remaining Neo-crusaders shouted in anger as they pointed their rifles at Lyra again. The Padawan was about to make another leap, but she stopped when four blue blaster bolts soared through the air, hitting all four Neo-crusaders in the head. Lyra flinched as the bodies of her enemies slumped to the ground. She looked in the direction the bolts came from and Chessk carrying a rifle in his arms. “Are you alright, little one?” he asked as he quickly replaced the clip of his weapon. “Yeah, I’m fine. How about the others?” asked Lyra. “We have three casualties. Two are Republic soldiers while the other is a Jedi,” answered Chessk, which left Lyra in a state of shock. “They managed to kill one Jedi!” The pony shouted in disbelief. “I am sorry, little one. But it happened. The Mandalorians apparently caught a female Jedi off guard and shot her before she could defend herself.” “Unbelievable. What about the injured? Did anyone get seriously hurt in the fight?” “A few, yes. They are all being tended to by a Republic field medic and the blue Rodian from earlier. Although, the latter is still pleading to the rest of the squadron to tend the injured bugbear cub from earlier.” “H-he is?” Lyra asked. “Indeed, he is. However, his decision to give medical attention to the injured cub isn’t well received. A handful of your fellow Jedi have criticized him for this, including some Republic soldiers too.” “But it’s a Jedi’s duty to protect all life, isn’t it? Why are they mad?” “Because it is a waste of time, little one,” answered Chessk. His response earned an angry scowl from Lyra, but he rolled his eyes and ignored it. “Listen, if you want to help him out, then you are free to do so. You are proficient in healing others, correct? Then go ahead and help your brother out. I’m sure he’ll appreciate your assistance.” “What about you? What’re you going to do?” “Fight, little one. It’s as you said, Mandalorian reinforcements are on their way. The rest of the squadron will meet them head on, and Master Kavar’s squadron will reinforce us soon.” “Will you be okay out there on your own?” “Do not worry, little one. I will be alright. Now go and tend to the injured… look out!” “Huh?” Lyra did not understand why Chessk looked so worried all of a sudden nor did she have the time to react as the Trandoshan dove straight toward her. She winced as her head skidded onto the rocky mountain terrain, but she quickly brushed it off. Yes, it did hurt; however, the pain was nothing compared to a vibroblade piercing your skin.  Needing answers, she wanted to ask Chessk about his reckless behavior; but before she could ask anything, she quickly noticed his breathing pattern was rather unusual. What’s more, he seemed to be clenching his left abdomen as if he were in pain.  “Chessk, what’s wrong?” Lyra asked. Suddenly, she heard it. A roar so loud that it shook the very trees that surrounded her. Despite her ears throbbing, she scanned the area for any sign of where the noise came from. Then it happened again. The loud roar from before. It was scary, but Lyra did manage to pinpoint where the loud noise came from. Her face went pale immediately though as a large adult bugbear descended onto her position.