Realizing his warning came too late, Bog pushes his wings to fly faster and he slams his royal scepter hard against Black Shuck's snout just before it reaches the frozen female fairy. He pays no attention as the large dog stumbles but quickly pulls Marianne against him before flying away.
"Are you okay, Marianne?" Bog questions worriedly.
"Better now that you're here," Marianne murmurs, laying her head against his chest. "I was beginning to get a little worried."
A swiping white paw keeps Bog from being able to respond and he veers sharply to the left to avoid the large white muzzle following. He clutches Marianne tighter as he dodges another Cwn Annwn's attack before dropping to fly barely above the ground to avoid Black Shuck's retaliation.
"Above you!" Sunny warns.
Bog barrel rolls to avoid the grasping hand but the swishing black horse's tail disorientates him enough for the human hands to cover around him, encasing them in a dark prison.
"Caught you!" the pooka cackles before crying in pain as a whip snaps against his wrists. "Don't you know that's not nice!"
Sunny ignores the complaint and urges his dragonfly to approach the human-like creature again. He smirks as glowing golden eyes widen before filling with tears while the source of the pooka's pain escapes from the opening between his bleeding hands.
"And that's why trying to restrain Marianne is dangerous for your health," Sunny quips as Bog and Marianne catch up to him.
"What's more dangerous to one's health is giving the launderer formal clothes that have bloodstains on them but at least with this dress you can't really tell the difference," Marianne remarks, slashing her royal sword in a quick motion to remove the blood. "That would have been a lot cleaner if you had just used the Sacred Spring's water, Bog."
"I don't have any," Bog admits. "Black Shuck, it had...the castle, it's gone, Marianne."
"What?" Marianne whispers in disbelief.
"The castle has been destroyed," Bog murmurs, grabbing her against him again as she falters in the air and he lets his own tears fall as her tears soak through his vest.
"You mean that...that the goblins are...oh, dung beetles!" Sunny moans at Bog's nod.
"We arrived just as that devil dog...," Bog tries to explain.
Dawn's warning scream pierces through the air and only quick maneuvering saves them from being crushed as Am Fear Liath Mor is made to stumble again. This time, the giant figure traps all four monstrous dogs beneath his gigantic form, letting the Light Field fliers rest as they regroup on the ground a distance away.
"Neat trick, huh? Got the idea from what you did, Princess Marianne," Hadrian chuckles. "That should buy us several minutes."
"Boggy, you're here!" Dawn squeals as she pulls the last arrow from her quiver. "What's the plan of attack?"
"There is no plan," Bog mutters. "The Dark Forest castle has been destroyed. Black Shuck attacked it with lightning and there's nothing left except a smoldering pile of rubble."
"And your people?" a male sprite guard asks hesitantly.
"The castle is the safest place in the event of an attack and if they saw the danger approaching, everyone would have fled there," Bog explains.
Despite the horror of the situation, Bog takes comfort from the expressions of sorrow and dismay lining the faces before him. Just last Lughnasa they were enemies that would have rejoiced at this kind of destruction on the Dark Forest and now they mourned for those lost as they would mourn for the loss of their own. Only the muffled complaints from the pooka as he tries to untangle his companions keep everyone from falling into full despair.
"How much more time do we have left, Cecil?" Sepphira questions the sprite guard.
"Just a few minutes more, I'm afraid," Cecil murmurs, his antennas flickering toward the fog-hidden group of mountain fae. "Maybe less. They'll be free very soon."
"Have the rest of the Light Field denizens made it to the palace yet?" Bog asks.
"We don't know," Captain Henna answers, soothing her agitated dragonfly. "Either the signal flares can't be seen through this fog or they haven't been lit. King Dagda hasn't sent a message either and I'm beginning to think that this fog is also blocking our magic."
"It's your decision, Your Highnesses," Captain Miles comments. "What do we do?"
"The only thing we can do. Retreat," Bog states, hugging Marianne tighter and closing his eyes. "I left my guards behind to search for any survivors and to get water from the Sacred Spring but there's no telling how long it'll take them to arrive. I'll keep these monsters distracted while you get to safety."
"You can't!" Marianne yells as she pulls out of Bog's arms, echoing a dozen protests.
"It's the only way!" Bog argues. "You're all tired and you know it. If any of you stay behind, you won't last long."
"Neither will you against all six of them. It's suicide," Marianne growls.
"I know," Bog admits softly, opening watery blue eyes to stare into angry ambers. "Marianne, please. Our young need you."