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"I've heard enough." The Wyvern thumped a large claw into the pond's edge sending ripples across the water. The pond was eerily quiet, the birds, trees and insects made no sound. It was mid-afternoon; the forest would normally be alive with a chorus of sounds. "I agree with you, young leaders. The forest is teeming with an evil presence; it surrounds us, I can feel it. This is your fight now, and I hope for all our souls, that you win it. I will have to leave you. I have to discuss our plight with my two sisters. They’re both wise in very different ways. My Sisters live a long way from here. They live in different oceans. Rest assured, the three of us will know what to do."
The Wyvern edged its heavy cumbersome frame into the lapping water of the pond. As the Wyvern’s scales became wet they shone a brilliant rich blue color. "Once I leave you, returning to this pond will not be easy. It'll take me three Moons before I can return."
Ranger leapt forward, "Wait! How will we know when three Moons have passed?" It was a silly question and he knew he was stalling; he'd come all this way to convince the Dragon to leave. Now he didn't want him to go. He didn't want to disappoint the Wyvern, but he wasn’t keen on going to the Castle to talk with the Baron.
The Wyvern addressed the leaders, "Giselle will count the Moons. She’ll let you know when it’s time for my return. You’ll need to formally request my presence back to this world. To open a path for my return, you'll need to follow a strict ritual. Wyverns need to be invited to join the physical world, we’re not physical beings. Giselle will organize the ritual, she'll instruct you, the brave leaders of this forest will know when it’s time. I must leave now; the daylight is beginning to fade. A Wyvern can hide in the shallowest of ponds. Water has no depth for us. I must have daylight to pass through water to the spiritual realm. I’ll return in Moonlight; so it is written. Good luck my friends, work together and seek help from the pure hearted Human; seek out the Stibmit. I’ll return as fast as I can, armed with knowledge to win this fight."
The cumbersome Wyvern waddled into the pond. Ranger marveled at how awkward and vulnerable the Wyvern looked. This was the oldest and wisest of the mystical animals? He deserved immense respect and yet Ranger had seen wounded Badgers move more gracefully. A few more strained efforts and the welcoming water began to surround the great beast. With one effortless flick of his powerful tail, the Wyvern was submerged. He flowed gracefully through the water at high speed; the water passed effortlessly across his polished scales. He created no drag or wake. It was obvious to the watching leaders that the Wyvern's body had been created to perfection for this type of environment. The Water Dragon was the supreme beast of the submerged world. The Wyvern spiraled quickly, his motion taking him deeper and closer to the center of the pond.
For a brief moment he paused; supported by his powerful neck, he raised his head above the water’s surface. Small rivulets of water trickled down the powerful beast’s snout. His eyes focused upon the odd collection of leaders, still assembled on the pond's edge. For a moment it appeared as if he were going to leave them with one last important detail. The Wyvern's head submerged quickly, the calm surface of the pond seemed hardly disturbed, and he was gone.
The leaders looked at each other in stunned silence. Without the protection of the Wyvern, could they trust Giselle? She could kill them instantly. All four stood frozen, waiting for any noise to break the silence. The silence was killing Belver, and yet again his fighting nature pushed him forward. "We have to fight the evil forces for the next three Moons. I'll organize our forces."
Giselle flew to a higher branch. "Good luck leaders, you’ll need it. Our ultimate fate rests with a Fairy, a Badger and a Wood Sprite. Ranger Oakmoss; the forest will be lost if you don't enlist the Baron's help. The Wyvern is wise; he selected you for this important task. He chose you because he thought you could do it; don’t fail him." Giselle flew from her perch; she flapped her long wings before disappearing into the deep distant woods.
Belver's ears instructed his snout to turn to his right. “We’re not alone. I suggest we leave now, back to the safety of Tamworthia and the familiarity of the tunnels. I’m not sure what’s out there, but I don’t want to find out.” Belver hardly managed to form the words when a black, hairy Snaggle, rushed from the forest. Intent on wounding the hapless Badger, he posed a fierce threat. A small noise had distracted Belver; just enough to turn his head. A Snaggle is an underworld creature, about the size of a large pig, but as fast as a lightning bolt. The Snaggle lunged forward, teeth bared and nostrils flared. Ranger had been fooled and was taken by surprise. Fairies often look feeble and small, but Acron was different. He’d seen the movement in the bushes. The Snaggles had kept their distance, cowering and frightened in Giselle’s presence. As soon as Giselle had left, they decided to attack. The course black hair stood erect on the Snaggle’s back; he went in for the kill. Just before he could clamp his powerful jaws into the distracted Badger’s neck, he fell to the ground instantly, howling in pain. The noise of his pain was deafening. It was followed by body spasms and then silence. It happened so quickly that Belver was caught by surprise. The fight minded Badger felt embarrassed and defeated, for he knew he owed someone a life-saving debt. As the Snaggle lay motionless, his cowardly accomplice could be heard running away, deep into the woods. Underworld creatures usually come at night, but this smaller variety of Snaggle, could adapt to the daylight.
Belver and Ranger stared at each other with a look of confusion. They both approached the dead Snaggle with caution. Belver prodded the Snaggle with his claw and they both recoiled from the putrid stench of the creature. They inspected his face, snout, teeth and eyes. It wasn’t an everyday occurrence to come this close to a Snaggle. The beast’s eyes were still open; they were a bright yellow, except for a pin-sized hole that oozed red blood. Ranger turned to look over his shoulder, taking Belver’s gaze with him. Hovering high above them was Acron, his strong bow made from the finest Yew, still drawn for action. He was smiling with his wings fluttering in an excited manner. He kicked forward his little legs in what looked like a celebratory dance. Acron’s arrow had flown straight and true. It had pierced the Snaggle’s eye, deeply penetrating the brain.
Acron descended towards the leaders, “I don’t like Snaggles, never did; they stink.”
The leaders laughed, but it was the strained laugh of gratitude. The Fairy had gained some respect. The three leaders began their journey back to Tamworthia and their familiar section of the forest. The journey back seemed longer. It was tinged with the realization of the hardship they must now face. The Snaggle had made them feel vulnerable but more of these dark underworld creatures would roam the woods. Humans would soon swarm the forest looking for wood and hunting animals. Acron fluttered through the air keeping watch from on high. Occasionally he would stop on a branch to rest his tiny wings. Ranger would move from tree to tree, using the limbs to cross from one to another. When he couldn’t make a connection he would have to walk along the forest floor. This is when he felt most vulnerable and Belver would try to escort him to give him some additional comfort. Belver would shuffle his way along the forest floor, forcing his way through the undergrowth and leaping over moss covered boulders.
The forest remained unusually quiet. It did not escape the leader’s attention. They were extra careful to avoid being spotted or ambushed. The forest cooperated making their journey back simple and fast. It only took them a day as the forest cleared the natural obstacles.
The three leaders progressed in silence but as they entered familiar territory Belver became braver. “Ranger, are you going to the Castle?”
“I don’t know how, but that’s what the Wyvern wants.”
Acron swooped in, hearing the conversation. “We’ll need a plan.”
“We?” said Ranger, “Are you both going to help me?”
Belver stopped in his tracks, “Of course we are; we’re your friends.”
Acron nodded as his eyes met Ranger’s upwards glance. “
I’m nervous about this, but your support makes me feel better. I don’t know how we’re going to talk with the Stibmit, but you’re right, we need a plan.”
Acron fluttered silently, “Shhhhh,” he pointed to a large creature slumped lazily across a fallen tree trunk. It was too late; the creature wiggled his snout allowing the sweet smell of Badger to enter his nostrils. He raised his body slowly then spread his paws wide. He turned his head and fixed Belver within his hungry stare. For a moment Belver knew he would have a fight on his hands. He could run and find a tunnel, but that would only lead the creature to a tunnel entrance, and introduce more danger. Belver knew this would have to be a fight. The creature was about three times the size of Belver, armed with razor like claws. He would be lucky to win this one.
Belver raised his head and snarled defiantly. He stood his ground and protected his friends. At first, the creature moved forward, snarling and ready to fight. The creature faced him and then backed away; slowly pushing his considerable bulk in the opposite direction. Belver was surprised at his reluctance to fight. The odds were not in his favor, but this cowardly creature continued to bow his head, and loped away from the fray. Once the creature slipped into the undergrowth, Belver turned to proudly face his friends. Belver stood in silence as the sight before him started to register. He looked upwards towards the stone ridge, rising majestically behind him. Nine large Badgers had lined the ridge, providing support for their leader. Belver was unaware of the support; he'd faced the beast with dignity, pride and honor. The Badgers had witnessed selfless act and respectfully lowered their snouts, in a gesture of admiration for their leader.
The leaders had reached Tamworthia they were home and safe. It was time to plan, for it wouldn’t be easy to reach the Stibmit. How would they convince him to come to the pond? The leaders followed their Badger escort back to the hollow, where more Badgers, Fairies and Wood Sprites greeted them. Everyone was anxious to hear the news. Conversations flowed late into the night, where opinions were exchanged on how the plan would unfold. Some ideas were based in ridiculous bravado, which would certainly result in death. Some were thoughtful, cunning and worthy of consideration. It was an uneasy time; the perimeter guards had skirmishes with the underworld beasts all night. The blistering Sunrise sent them scurrying back to their underground burrows. The beasts had made progress; they were closing in on the hollow. Two Badgers were seriously wounded and the families were starting to get scared.
There was major reluctance, but the animals had no choice, they needed the help of the Stibmit. The Human was required to protect them and help them get through the next three Moons. Opinions had been strongly voiced. Nobody wanted to involve the Humans but it now seemed they had little choice. They trusted the Wyvern’s guidance but it scared them. A Badger screamed as a Fairy tried desperately to suture his deep wound. It ran the length of the Badger’s neck, inflicted by a razor sharp claw. How long could they last?
As day light streamed into the hollow, the mystical creatures gathered to agree upon their plan. They needed to protect the hollow. They needed to gather their forces and fight as one unit, leveraging each of their strengths. The three leaders would leave for the Castle to inform the Stibmit. Leaving their families and the hollow, to the encroaching beasts, would be difficult. They all needed the help of the Stibmit.
Venturing from the safety of the hollow would pose extreme danger for the leaders. They would have to cross through the new forest, heavily populated with underworld beasts, to get to the Castle. The closer they got to the Castle new dangers would emerge. They would start to see Humans on a regular basis and would need to take care. Acron would be invisible, Ranger could hide but Belver would be very exposed. It was agreed that Belver would take them to the edge of the forest. He would then have to turn back; he didn’t like it and argued constantly with the suggestion. It will be very dangerous for him to travel alone back to the hollow. It would be more dangerous for him to try to enter the Castle.
As the day wore on, the leaders said their emotional goodbyes. It was time to go and Belver’s wife sobbed uncontrollably, as she turned to flee down a tunnel that Belver had made. The three leaders exchanged glances, knowing their best plan was still risky. A commotion drew their attention to the edge of the clearing. A Red Fox streaked into the hollow and fell to the ground, panting and clearly exhausted. A large Badger approached the Fox and snarled his disapproval for the rude interruption. Belver lunged towards the Fox to protect him from imminent attack, “Back Argon, let the Fox speak.” Argon retreated but would have loved to fight the Fox.
The Red Fox panted loudly, trying hard to steady his breathing. “I bring news, terrible news. The forest is, the forest is …”
The Fox could not complete his sentence. He'd pushed the limits of his endurance, running at high speed. Belver stood over the winded Fox in a protective manner, “Calm down and breathe. You’re safe here, just breathe, and tell us what you’ve seen.”
The Fox regained his composure, his pounding heart settled. That afternoon the Fox would tell horrific tales of the evil seeping into the forest. Each night, more beasts would appear killing animals and even Humans, across the entire forest. Scared animals would talk of woman, a dark cloaked Human, who would be seen walking inside the forest. She was a powerful Witch. She summoned the beasts that brought misfortune. She'd been observed gathering things across the woods. Sometimes it was flowers, then herbs and mushrooms. Other times she'd catch animals, frogs and toads.
Everyone feared this dark cloaked woman, even the night beasts. During the night they would charge at her, only to cower and screech in pain, when she raised her palm to them. Occasionally she'd be seen with the Black Fox.
Belver sprung to his feet. “Wait, you’ve seen the Black Fox?”
The Red Fox cowered before stammering a reply, “Yes.”
Belver moved his snout to within licking distance of the Red Fox, “In our forest?”
“Yes,” affirmed the Fox.
“He’s lying,” shouted one of the Fairies. “It’s a cunning trick.”
Belver advanced, making the Fox uncomfortable. Belver’s nose touched the Fox’s nose. He stared down his snout deep into the Fox’s eyes. “Are you telling the truth? Think carefully about your response.”
The Fox stood his ground defiantly. “The Black Fox is here, in this forest.”
Hundreds of years ago, Black Foxes roamed the forests, and lived in harmony with the other creatures. Red and Black Foxes were not mystical animals and could been seen by Humans. Once a Black Fox became lame, it was in danger of being prey to a larger animal. One night, the sounds of predators were starting to move closer and an injured animal was scared. The legend tells of the Black Fox having a chance meeting with a hideous, horned creature. The creature seduced the Fox with promises of health, power and protection. The frantic Fox accepted the creature’s proposal.
The Black Fox became evil, rejoicing in its newly found health and powers. This Fox was immortal, with powers that grew daily. It preyed on the souls of animals and served the underworld. The Black Fox was so evil; it would cast spells that would eventually eliminate creatures from the forest. It is said, that he's the only Black Fox left in this land. Red Foxes run in fear from the Black Fox. The Black Fox embraced evil, and today it seemed that no Fox is openly welcomed in the forest. The Black Fox unlocked the underworld passage to the creatures of the night. This allowed the great beasts to roam the forest and tilt the eternal fight in the favor of evil.
For this reason, many would never trust a Fox again, irrespective of its color. What the Fox told them that afternoon, scared the inhabitants of Tamworthia.
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