In Scotland

Overwrought (Part 4)

Matt frowned, realising his mistake. Grimly, he proclaimed, "I'll steer the raft to find Shenanigan."

Matt recited the magic words again, slightly different this time. Natty caught the word "Shenanigan" several times. The raft suddenly jerked to life again and started speeding off in a random direction, bagpipes sounding in the background.

Wait, bagpipes?

Natty asked Matt, "Why is there the sound of bagpipes?"

Matt just shrugged, "We're in Scotland. Why not just have some nice music in the background?"

Natty clutched tightly to the edge of the raft with one hand and her brush-sword with the other and hollered, "It is slightly creepy though!"

The raft zipped about above the forest at breakneck speed, leaving the two feeling very nauseous. When it started to slow its pace gradually, Natty espied Shenanigan and Zeb chasing the despicable being in the forest below.

"Shenanigan! Get your act together! We are not here to chase notorious carrot monster hunters!" Natty shouted desperately. "Come back!"

Shenanigan froze for a moment, slowly looking up as she recovered from her shock. This caused her to lose her footing and she stumbled over a pebble. "I'm so sorry! I... I was... Just trying to help!" Shenanigan flashed a sheepish grin to Zeb, who had also stopped a few paces in front of her.

Zeb rolled his eyes, muttering, "What a great help you have proven to be." He then turned around and stared at Shenanigan in the face. "Look, I appreciate your efforts, but stop "helping" me. I can manage," he said, making air quotes with his fingers.

Shenanigan spluttered, "But... I..."

"Yeah. Thanks. Farewell." Zeb said curtly, before running away again.

Natty, having seen the situation play out, shouted again, "Shenanigan! Remain where you are! Hang on!" Then, Natty turned to Matt and pleaded, "Matt, can you magick up some rope or something that will bring back Shenanigan to the raft?"

Matt shrugged, "I don't know how to do that spell yet."

Natty wanted to cringe so hard, but she just settled for yelling, "WHAT? WHYYYYYYYY!"

Matt then interrupted her little scream-fest, "Um, Natty, I know how to teleport people."

Natty immediately brightened up upon hearing that, "Yes! Why don't you do that?"

Matt then said awkwardly while scratching his head, "When I do that, the person being teleported will... end up in my arms..."

Shenanigan, having caught the words "bring back Shenanigan" and Natty's "WHAT? WHYYYYYYYY!" bellowed impatiently, "You know, someone just got stranded here by a certain carrot monster hunter! I can't exactly climb up the trees to get to the raft!"

Natty turned to Matt impatiently and sighed, "Just do it. You can explain to her later. I'll back you up."

Matt eyed Natty's firm look and Shenanigan's desperate one from the ground below back and forth, seeming to be in a dilemma. Finally, he sagged his shoulders and chanted a half-hearted spell.

Natty, having never seen it before, looked on in anticipation. Shenanigan's image flashed like a hologram on the ground before disappearing altogether." Thank the gods you-" Shenanigan paused mid-sentence, back to safety on the raft.