SWNOVELS Chapter 73 - A Creature Much More Frightening..
“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!”
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 see if you looked at the three wizards’ spot was a huge fur ball that could not be seen very well 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, did not play at all.
This was what Elizabeth could 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 had left, but was even more scared. Especially since she was alone now ... even her Guardian had 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 did not want to scare his prey. Elizabeth could see his mouth with huge fangs, with blood tricling down, surely not his blood but of its 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, foreteling 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.
Elizabeth Edwards was lost…