The Understudy of an Alchemist

38. Never, EVER, Upset Ancient Cursed Mummies

"I think we're lost." I shake my head adamantly at Petunia's sentiment. "We are not lost! The map said east!"

Petunia frowns, as she stands upon a tree stump, squinting. "Yeah, all I can see is the ocean up east, we're lost." I push her aside, as I clamber onto the stump, before rolling my eyes. "Pet, that's south." She shakes her head adamantly. "No! See it's, Never Eat Sprite Wings." She points in those four different directions as I roll my eyes. "It looks like that because you're facing backwards, Petunia."

She blushes, before correcting herself. "Oh." She rises to her tippy-toes once more, before nodding. "Yep, you're right, it's-" "OUT OF THE WAY!" I heard Rapunzel holler, causing me turn in surprise; only to see Rapunzel thundering towards us on a pair of roller skates, Feldspar clinging to her hair and being towed along.

I seize Petunia's arm and yank her of the path, just seconds before the two of us become unfortunate victims of death by roller skates. Yet just as the pair zoom past us, I realise that Rapunzel is clutching a piece of parchment tightly in her hands, which she holds in front of her face. It almost looks like a........My mouth drops open.

"Hey!" I cry to Petunia, as she turns to me, startled. "She's got a map! The two of them are cheating!" At my words, Petunia's eyes narrow with fury. "This means war." I blanche in surprise. "I thought that you didn't care about-" "Forget our moment of wholesomeness. We're done being nice."

She grabs my wrist and begins to pull me in the direction Rapunzel had gone in, "Come on." She hisses, "We're going to that crypt right now." Causing me to protest, "But being mean makes me feel bad!"

~*~

A stitch is forming on my left side, yet I certainly don't dare to inform Petunia, as she sprints ahead, still towing my arm, her face stern with purpose. If I wasn't in pain every time I inhaled air, I think that I'd find it funny; how arrow focused she was.

"Can you see them?" I call over to her once the stitch begins to lessen, yet this is met with a head shake. "Nope. Lucky for them, because I'd have ripped their throats out." My eyes widen in horror. "Maybe you're taking this whole cheating thing a little too seriously??" "I am the middle child with two cousins. Cheating is practically treason in my family." I cannot help but nod in agreement. "I guess that's understandable."

The noise of running footsteps suddenly becomes amplified, echoing through my ears. I turn my head, before my jaw drops. "Ah.....Petunia, I don't think that we're the only ones that are out for blood." She turns to me in surprise, "Huh?" Before her eyes widen in horror. "Oooooh no......"

Every single member of the Scavenger Hunt was thundering in the direction that Rapunzel and Feldspar had gone in; not too far away from us. These people were ticked. I nervously turn my head back forward, trying to banish the hissing cobra of anxiety squirming in my stomach.

Seemingly not exhausted in the slightest, Petunia quickens her pace, all while dragging me (who certainly was exhausted) along with her. Stones fly up as we run, as several older people overtake us. Petunia's fingernails are no longer digging into my wrist as I feel myself regaining my energy, my pace also quickening.

The forest clears out into a picturesque field full of small hills, the largest hill was in the centre of all of this, like the gravitational pull; marbled pillars outlying the carved out entrance. We'd made it.

Petunia's face is now a mask of pure rage, as we approach the entrance to the crypt, her pace slows from a sprint to angry stomping, as she pulls me along; prompting me to try and mimic Petunia's furious expression as a means to look as intimidating as her; but I probably just look like an angry cupcake.