Chapter 91 – All Good Things Come to an End(4)

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 asif 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 were sitting 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 felt safer near the two girls.
'I think I'll try to sleep. I'm really tired," Elizabeth told Fahria.
'Yes, it is 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 had been 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 was looking for something in particular. It was obvious that 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 Prince of the Marshes," 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 hppen. 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 traveled a great deal of the journey was now thin blue tricle. 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 had 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 has ever heard of except Fahria.
'I swear on Sacred Trees. It's a Lycanthrope!"
'A what?!"
Elizabeth could not finish her sentence because her Hawk came while as 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 bcause 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 is this creature? What does it look like?" Elizabeth asked, with the wand ready and the hawk on her shoulder.
'I never saw one. I have only heard such beasts screaming. Only adult elves could kill them. I heaard they are so fast that you can't see what they look like. But I read about it. It is 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 the curse. Such curse hadn't been put on anybody for hundreds of years. They are 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 color 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!"
'Only have the guts to come!"
The creature's response was to throw something at those waiting for him.
It was a body almost as big as an adult man, but green and looking like a ... fat frog. The body of the unhappy being was full of serious wounds and bites, breathless.
"The prince ..." Jiao Long said, frightened.
Just then the snow leopard jumped to the bush where the monster's heavy breath was heard. They heard a grieving howl of the feline, sign he had no chance in front of that creature.
'San Pei! No!" shouted Jiao Long.
Hikkaido's contestant wanted to run to rescue his Guardian, but fear stopped him. Even better, because the strong feline flew from that bush, thrown like a kitten, more than fifty cubits from the bush. Jiao Long's only comfort was when the cat meowed like a kitten hitting the ground, sign that he was still alive. Though, poor guardian was very close to death. For he seemed more dead than alive. Still his meow showed the boy that his Guardian didn't die.
He wiped away his tears and shouted:
'Just you have the guts to get closer!"
The lycanthrope no longer waited for another invitation and jumped at unbelievable speed from the bush directly to them. All you could notice if you looked at the three wizards' spot was a huge fur ball that couldn't be seen very clearly because of his speed, wobbling for a couple of moments.
After those moments, Fahria lay on the ground, thrown like a leaf blown in the wind. She was banged against a tree and lost consciousness. Jiao Long followed, just as easily slammed to the ground after he covered, in the air, a distance of about twenty cubits. A loud noise was heard when he hit the ground, followed by his grieving scream. He also lay on the ground, motionless.
The big and powerful unicorn disappeared among the large and thick bushes. His golden horn was now between the beast's jaws. The ease, with which the beast managed to snatch that unicorn, as if it were a dog playing with a ball, clearly proved the unusual strength of that creature. Only this dog, as you could see, didn't play at all.
This was what Elizabeth could see within the few moments of the attack.
Even if the creature left with the unicorn in his mouth, he would surely come back soon after her, she thought. Therefore, she didn't breathe in relief when the monster left, but was even more scared. Especially since she was alone now ... even her Guardian left her.
'Professor Knudlac! Miss Harmony!" the girl shouted as loud as she could.
Soon the girl realized it wasn't the best idea to cry for help.
The Lycanthrope was there in the blink of an eye staring at Elizabeth the way a wolf looked at his prey. The beast approached slowly, slowly, like a lion that didn't want to scare his prey. Elizabeth could see his mouth with huge fangs, with blood trickling down, surely not his blood but of his victims.
Fahria's unicorn came too, limping, with wounds at the muzzle, probably scratches caused by the monster. His horn was whole, sign that the Lycanthrope wasn't used to meet another creature to withstand his destructive power so he gave up attacking the Guardian. At least for now ...
The girl was glad to see the unicorn was alive, as much as a human can enjoy the others' chance when she faces death. And "death" was getting closer, so Elizabeth managed to see him better.
His front paws were larger than his back legs, covered by a large bear's muscles. Its shape was wolfish, but he walked like a gorilla.
She stopped studying the monster, for the creature was close to Elizabeth, and his only thought was to smash the girl.
The girl took as many steps back as she could holding a thick branch in her hand to protect herself from that huge, bloody wolf. But she tripped over a tree root and fell on her back.
The creature finally came near the girl. She was more frightened than a man could be in the most terrible nightmare. Standing over her, approaching his huge jaws with enormous teeth to the girl's face, the creature looked like smiling, foretelling that something brutal would happen that seemed to highlight his pleasure to kill.
The girl struck hard at the creature's jaws, but he grabbed that thick branch and tore it apart as if it were just a stick, leaving only half of that weapon in the girl's hand.
Miss Edwards was lost. Even she believed that, but not her Guardian. The little hawk descended from where he was in the air with speed and clung to the bloody creature's mouth. He began to snatch with his beak pieces of fur and flesh from the mouth of the Lycanthrope.
He screamed again, but not as before. This time it was a cry of pain. He tried to catch the hawk with his claws, but failed, sign that something was going on. Smoke began to come out from the creature's mouth, his limbs failed to obey him and suddenly something seemed to poison his whole body. Howls and screams of a wolf about to die were now heard from the Lycanthrope.
Elizabeth saw the wolf-creature shrinking.
The hawk stopped attacking and landed on his master's shoulder watching calmly the huge Lycanthrope shrinking more and more until he became an old, skinny wolf.
Scared and confused, physically destroyed and suffering from the curse put on him, the old wolf collapsed exhausted to the ground, barely breathing.
The Divine Parchment fell off the wolf's ear. It belonged to the Swamp Prince. The parchment was now there, falling to the ground off the monster's ear when he began shrinking.
The girl took the parchment in her hand and read:
'Antimagic ..."
Then the Parchment disappeared, turned to dust.
The girl felt at once on her neck, under her ear, a tattoo taking shape. Unlike the other tattoos, it was a hollow circle. That's all the girl could see being drawn on her body.
Unaware, she headed for Fahria in a hurry, looking at that wolf. She was much peaceful now, because that Lycanthrope had been killed forever.
Hardly had she taken three steps towards the elf girl, when rumbles were heard everywhere. The area got populated with people wearing capes.
Elizabeth was scared thinking they were the guys who cursed the wolf, as Fahria said. Yet, when she saw Miss Harmony's smiling happy face when she found Elizabeth alive, and then Professor Knudlac ... the girl sighed in relief as tears kept streaming down her cheeks.
She ran to Miss Harmony.
"My dear, it's over," said Miss Harmony, relieved as well when she saw that wolf breathless. 'I thought that…"
Professor Knudlac also approached the girl.
"A powerful magic we've never seen before, an invisible wall that only Princess Eowyn managed to destroy after many, many attempts, kept us apart," said Professor Knudlac, trying to apologize for the delay. 'I just hope that ..."
He was visibly worried thinking it might be too late for some of them, but he was relieved when he heard a stone elf saying:
'Both the elf and the boy are all right. The boy's Guardian too, even if he's seriously injured, he'll get well. The hawk is all right. Who'd have imagined that?"
"My hawk killed the Lycanthrope," Elizabeth exclaimed. 'He's a friend and a reliable help."
'Lycanthrope?" Miss Harmony asked, scared when she heard the name of the creature the three children had to face. 'What creature is that?"
Elizabeth showed her that wolf, which was dead, but Miss Harmony could understand nothing.
"Perhaps your hawk is endowed with claws and beak of pure silver," Knudlac said studying the bird. Yes, that's it. That's why he killed him."
Knudlac approached the wolf.
'Only a dying wolf, with little spark of life left, can be so cursed so badly. Poor thing..."
While Professor Knudlac was investigating the animal and Miss Harmony was hugging the girl, the wizards began to disappear one by one carrying with them the two injured children and their Guardians. They took with them the frog prince's body too.
Knudlac, Harmony, Elizabeth and four more wizards were still there.
'Let's go," Knudlac told them.
Even when one of the wizards took a step, he had to stop because of a kind of shield. The hawk popped up at once.
'Be careful!" Knudlac called out to the wizards.
The other wizards' Guardians came quickly, including the second Knudlac.
A badger came, as big as a veal, a giant gorilla, a huge black bear and an enormous baboon, as well as Miss Harmony's Guardian ... a cheetah with tiger stripes, a very beautiful creature. Nor could there be a softer and more elegant animal to match Miss Harmony's elegance.
Soon the others came too. Those who set up a trap to the rest of them, keeping them stuck in that place with that magic shield created.
'I thought it was you," one of the Knudlac guys sighed when he saw Vlad with an army of evil wizards, as Miss Harmony used to call them.
The evil wizards were accompanied by some creatures ... let's say the opposite of the Guardians. But very few, even if there were more than twenty evil wizards.
There was a crocodile so affected by various diseases and wounds that it was a miracle he was still alive. There was also a creature that looked like a human lizard. He could walk like a man, except he was a ... reptile. Then there was a creature, who once, long ago, may have been a beautiful and gentle being, a splendid tiger, but now his teeth very affected by cavities and they were intensely yellow, visible through the portion of cheek missing. As for the fur, in many places it lacked the specific striped tiger hair.
And of course ... the creature that was with Vlad all the time. A creature that unlike the other Anti-Guardians was beautiful, with the skin untouched by the time, but without a bit of colour, as white as lime. The hair, black olive colour was straight, in a ponytail, and his imposing stature denoted power and wisdom.
"They're monstrous," said Elizabeth, to whom that Lycanthrope now seemed nice beside the creatures she was meant to see.
'Yes ... they are slowly dying because their masters chose black magic. Black magic destroys the Guardians since the first moment the masters decide to use black magic. And eventually they die in terrible torment. Their masters, who are also on the path to perdition, are ultimately left without Guardians. And as I can see, these guardians are dying too…, " Miss Harmony explained to Elizabeth.
'What about Vlad Dragoesti's Guardian ...?"
'He's dead for a long time. He's a vampire who feeds on innocent beings' blood. I hoped it was just a rumour, but now I can see it's true ..."
Elizabeth looked at that being that used to destroy innocent souls. The creature looked like feeling the girl's gaze, because he smiled and winked at her, without watching her for he was busy with the wizards' Guardians.
'I still wonder where you get so much power to do such magic. I didn't even expect you to be so strong," Knudlac told Vlad.
'I have to admit it's not my credit. It's someone's who's stronger than me ... at least for now. And who decided to be on our side, those who truly understand what magic means and what it can be used for. The power to lead the world. Not only the world of magic ... but also that of sceptics. And why not, in time, other worlds too ..."
'To use magic against ordinary people, to subjugate them is a crime ... it doesn't mean you know how to use magic."
'Since the beginning of the world, the powerful subjugated the weak, Eadan. Wizards or sceptics. People subjugated people ... and now it's our turn, wizards, to subjugate people. But let's leave that, because we have no time," Vlad said, looking at a wizard who turned head to see what happened to the others and used his wand to destroy the magic barrier that surrounded them.
But it was in vain.
As he saw he could do nothing, he disappeared, to look for help, perhaps.
'As I can see we'll be more in a short time. And as I set out to stay fewer, I don't delay the introduction ... I introduce to you the new Prince of Dark Magic, Lord Tbylisium, whom you had the honour to know for sure."
As soon as the elf Lord appeared, he cast a curse on one of the wizards who were with Knudlac.
'Pel'Nai Vejyje!"
And that wizard disappeared turning into ash. His guardian, a wolf, also disappeared, to Knudlac and his group's disappointment, but also of Vlad vampire's.
'What a pity ... I even felt hot blood boiling in him, calling me to drink it."
'I didn't have such a great idea for an entry like this! Magnificent!" exclaimed Vlad laughing. 'Worthy of a true Prince of the Night ...!"
Only he and the other evil wizards smiled. Everyone in Knudlac's group was sad…for they lost a friend.
'Julien! You will pay for that!" Knudlac shouted. Poena Inquisitionis!
'Ignis!"
'Fortioris!"
'Ostium!"
All the wizards at Elmbridge School of Magic began to attack Lord Tbylisium. The Elf Lord, the newly named Prince of Dark Magic, countered them without much trouble.
It seemed that years of experience ... in fact, thousands of years of experience in the practice of magic take their toll. With the elegance of an experienced swordsman who faces a beginner, the elf Prince avoided the magic blows that attacked him.
'I think there's no need for us here anymore. What are you saying, Eaden?" Vlad laughed again, seeing how Knudlac struggled to counter two spells from the elf's wand, everything seemed a game, but only for the elf, not for the others. And because Miss Harmony tried to hit him, the new Prince of Dark Magic attacked her with magic. Miss Harmony managed to counter the first two, but the third threw her away, banging her against a magic field that formed a barrier, like a rock.
Miss Harmony stood up her whole body aching. For her this wasn't the worst thing that could happen. She saw one of the witches approaching Elizabeth, the latter being alone and vulnerable as all the others tried to defend themselves against the elf Prince and Vlad's disciples.
The one who approached Elizabeth was none other than old Blackwood, who was now beautiful and young. Only two aspects remained the same ... wickedness and hatred for Elizabeth.
'You'll die now, little bitch! I've waited for years this moment! So many years forcefully living with those kids and Harp ... because of you! I won't fail anymore as I did when you escaped not eaten by the carticor. I won't fail as Lord Tbylisium did when he had to drown you in the Purple Oasis. I'll choke you with my hand!"