Either because of the dense nature of the forest, or something more sinister, the noise of the pursuing mercenaries faded instantly as soon as Quinn entered the forest. She did not stop, however, but kept running, sprinting through the trees until she could go no further. There, she stopped, leaning against a tree. A stitch that felt like a sword slash ripped at her side. As she stood, panting, against the tree, a new emotion gripped her- panic. If the rumours were true, she had done possibly the most dangerous and foolhardy thing possible. Barely had she reached this conclusion, then she heard voices, and suddenly, the click of several blasters.

A dozen mercenaries blundered through the trees behind her. As they each in turn saw her, they all raised her blasters. Quinn backed as hard against the tree as she could. A survivor as she was, she couldn't see any way she was getting out of this one, and braced herself to die. But a solution did present itself.

As Quinn closed her eyes, ready to die, one of the men, on the far left, gave a small yell. He stared wildly down into the thick bushes at his feet.

"Something just touched my leg. I think… AIEEEE!"

For he suddenly gave a horrible yell, and did an almost-comical backflip, before crashing to the ground, hidden by the bushes but unmistakably dead.

One by one, the mercenaries dropped their gaze from Quinn, desperately trying to see whatever was attacking them.

"Oh my god. Guys, it's over here! ITS GOT M-EEEEEEE!"

A man on the left of the group, who had bent down to check his companion, was suddenly launched off his feet, and catapulted through the air, disappearing through the trees.

From then on, complete chaos reigned. The men sprinted around, or firing madly into the bushes. And everywhere Quinn looked, men were flipped off their feet, or blasted into the trees by that unknown enemy. Quinn watched in horror as the last man dropped his blaster, was flipped off his feet, and dragged into the bushes. He let out a scream of terror, trying to grasp anything that would save him. The bushes rustled one last time, and then he was gone.

Quinn stood, panting against the tree, when she heard the bushes. Whatever had attacked those troops, was also coming for her!

Before she knew quite what she was doing, before she remembered that she had a stitch and that she was in unknown territory, she was sprinting deeper into the forest. All thoughts of fear forgotten as she sprinted in what she hoped was the general direction towards the outside of the forest.

As she ran, she heard the bushes rustling behind her, and knew the creature was pursuing her. Every time she tried to veer left, she heard it on her left. And when she veered right, she heard it on her right. It was like the creature was trying to steer her somewhere. As soon as she reached this conclusion, a she saw something up ahead.

There was the ominous THUD of flesh hitting something solid. Gawarays scattered and flew away, as Quinn stumbled. Her vision obscured by trickles of blood. Her blood, running from her forehead and face as she stumbled, muttered,

"Ohthatsatree." Stupidly, before her legs buckled and she fell face down onto the ground.

Her vision went black.