Chapter 89 – All Good Things Come to an End(2)

It's been evening for more than a few hours. The sky with a great deal of stars looked wonderful through the tree branches in the Ancient Forest. Everything was so brilliant and magic as if they were in fairies' forest.
But ... even that magic sky trembled at a creepy scream of who knows what creature in this time immemorial forest.
Elizabeth and Fahria sat by a small fire blowing up hot fireflies. The little stars meeting real fireflies in the air went off like long-lost stars.
Jiao Long was near them too. He could be much further than them, but that's what he wanted, to be close to the girls. Maybe he felt safer near the two girls.
'I think I'll try to sleep. I'm really tired," Elizabeth told Fahria.
'Yes, it's better to have a rest," said the elf girl.
'What about you…?"
"We sleep less than you, humans do," said the girl, smiling.
Elizabeth, who wasn't used to exerting herself as she did today, fell fast asleep.
Fahria smiled at Jiao Long good night. When he was seen looking at them, he hid like a puppy who made a mistake in front of his master and realized that.
The elf girl continued to admire the stars and the fireflies around her. Both those coming out of the flames and those who flew everywhere, illuminating that forest, like stars that decided to descend from the sky to have a rest near the Earth.
…
A terrible scream suddenly woke Elizabeth from her deep sleep. The girl jumped to her feet as if she were a soldier awakened by the sergeant for instruction, a few hours before the alarm.
'What was that?" asked the girl, scared.
"I don't know," said Fahria, slightly frightened too. I don't know all the creatures that live on these lands. I also heard some more terrible screams tonight, which scared me too."
"I didn't hear anything ... I was probably too tired," Miss Edwards said, wiping her eyes.
'We have a keen sense of hearing ... and sight too. We can hear and see things even two, three days apart."
Jiao Long slowly approached the girls. He gave the clear impression that he looked for something in particular. It was obvious he was scared too and he thought it would be better to have companions on their way to their final destination.
'I think it would be better for us to continue our journey together, at least until we reach that Swamp Prince," Fahria suggested.
Jiao Long agreed with a brief nod and a smile. As for Elizabeth ... she wanted that from the beginning.
The three started their journey, looking left and right hoping to see one or two wizards appointed to take care of them.
This would probably reassure the children, but it didn't happen. They couldn't see any guardian.
…
"Finally," said Elizabeth, looking behind her, wondering how small the things behind them were. I think in a few hours the sun will set and I don't want to spend the evening on this mountain.
The tallest trees seemed smaller now than just fresh-cut grass. The paths were nowhere to be seen. The long river along which they travelled a great deal of the journey was now a thin blue trickle. The immense meadow they crossed in a few hours yesterday could now be covered reaching out and a hand near it.
'How small everything is."
'Where's that Prince? I can't see him anywhere ..."
Jiao Long began to search for the Swamp Prince.
'Prince! Prin ... ce!"
No response from any frog prince. Only a scarier scream than anything a human ever heard, a howl as only a creature from the depths of hell could give out. In fact ... A scream that none of the children ever heard of except Fahria.
'I swear on Sacred Trees. It's a Lycanthrope!"
'A what?!"
Elizabeth couldn't finish her sentence because her Hawk came while a shadow was running through the thickets, behind the cliffs...
"A kind of werewolf," Jiao Long said.
'Compared to the Lycanthrope, the werewolf is like a lamb near the wolf. The lycanthrope is much stronger and faster."
The hawk was very nervous, especially since his wing hurt because he was bitten not long ago.
That Lycanthrope, or rather his shadow, because no matter what that beast was, it seems you couldn't see him, so fast he was, screamed and roared, getting closer and closer to the little wizards.
'What's this creature? What does it look like?" Elizabeth asked, with the wand ready and the hawk on her shoulder.
'I never saw one. I've only heard such beasts screaming. Only adult elves could kill them. I heard they're so fast that you can't see what they look like. But I read about it. It's a wolf cursed to be cruel and blood-thirsty. Damned to kill any living thing. But…"
'But what?" Jiao Long asked.
'Only the oldest elf wizards know this curse. Such curse hadn't been put on anybody for hundreds of years. They're forbidden."
Again that blood-curdling howl able to freeze even hell flames…now even closer.
When they heard again the scream, a unicorn came. He was pitch-black, except the horn, the mane and the tail that had the colour of just polished gold. The mane and the tail were so beautiful, that one could say he borrowed the hair from fairies, so long and thick it was.
"He's my Guardian," Fahria told Elizabeth. Lynvith ..."
A snow leopard came too. He was definitely Jiao Long's protector. But when he heard the loud and grieving howl of that lycanthrope, the feline's ears got so flabby as if he were a frightened cat forced to face the bloodiest dog.
But even so frightened, the snow leopard sat in front of Jiao Long, ready to give his life for his master and friend at the same time, as this is what a guardian would do.
Fahria's unicorn was a real work of magic... art. As he rose to his feet and shook his golden mane, due to the light arrows of the sun that reached the top of the horn, it almost blinded Jiao Long and Elizabeth from so much glitter.
Even in the midst of the real danger, the two smiled slightly when they saw that imposing creature, which not only amazed them, but also gave them courage.
But ... they gazed enough. They had no time left, because at one point a strange creature stopped near a very thick bush, not far from the three young wizards and their Guardians.
The guardians, though fearful, showed they were prepared for any danger. The snow leopard showed his fangs like sharp daggers, pinched like a saw. He was ready to tear up whatever attacked his master.
The unicorn rose on its hind legs, and when he finally touched the ground, it trembled and everyone felt the ground shuddering beneath their feet, so loud he hoofed. Besides, he waved his sharp horn to the place where the odious creature was supposed to be, showing the monster that he would suffer greatly with that ivory dagger stuck in his flesh.
Even the little hawk flew in small circles around Elizabeth, arching his body from time to time showing his claws as if he wanted to catch a prey. He let Elizabeth know he would use his sharp weapons ready to die for his master.
The three young wizards were also ready with their wands, holding them like fencing swords.
'Come on, creature!"
'Just you have the guts to come!"