A few hours passed while Lucy rested, deservedly. After she woke up, she looked around, looking for her companions until she saw Ryker and Cana talking in the corner of the room. She stretched and got out of bed, going towards the duo.
"Did you rest well? Because we have a lot to do," Ryker said as soon as the celestial mage reached them.
"What's the plan?" she asked.
"Cana and I were discussing this. She and I will distract the creature while you prepare to shoot it with the golden arrow. We need to find, or create, a clearing in the forest so you can have a clear view and a clear shot. It will be dark anyway so you will have to be accurate. Can you do it?" Ryker explained, looking at her seriously, looking for any sign of hesitation or insecurity. If she showed any of those signs he would cancel the plan. It would be too dangerous to continue without having the certainty and trust of one of the team members. However, what he saw was determination and confidence coming from the blonde.
Lucy looked at him and blinked a few times before nodding confidently. "I can do it," she said determinedly. Ryker smiled at the corner of his mouth and nodded.
"Well then, we're decided. You still need to make the potion, don't you?" Cana said.
"That will be quick, I have everything I need," Lucy replied and immediately went to get the ingredients and prepare everything they would need.
"If we resolve everything today, tomorrow we can leave here and continue with our work," Ryker commented hopefully to Cana, next to him.
Cana looked at him and closed her eyes. "Don't be so hasty! If we kill that creature, it won't be bad to celebrate this victory a little. One more day won't be missed."
"I don't like to waste time unnecessarily. We weren't even supposed to be here," he retorted. "But if that's what you want… I can't do anything about it," he resigned himself with a shrug. Since he knew his friend and most of the wizards in the guild well, he knew he would be outvoted, and he gave up fighting against them and their way of doing things.
Cana smiled and bumped him with her elbow, giving him a wink. "Slow down a bit, soldier," she joked with a laugh.
Ryker can do nothing but resign himself and accept their modus operandi.
After a while, Lucy finished making the potion, putting it into three vials and handing them out to each person in the group. "You have to spread this around like a perfume," she explained.
The brunette took the bottle from her and opened it, putting her nose to the opening of the bottle. "It smells good and so relaxing," Cana said as she smelled it. She poured some into her hand and began to spread it around her neck, chest and arms.
Ryker on the other hand was apprehensive. "I've never worn perfume before and this smell is starting to bother my nose," he said as his nose began to itch.
"Stop complaining and just go ahead!" Cana exclaimed.
"I'm sorry Ryker, but I can't do anything. It's the only way we won't be caught up in the fear imposed by the Griffin," Lucy said.
"I know…" Ryker sighed and began to rub the liquid on his neck. He had to apply a large amount so that the smell would overpower any other odor. It wasn't long before he started to sneeze.
Cana glared at him. "If you don't control yourself, we won't be able to catch that thing off guard. You'll alert the entire forest."
"As if he wouldn't smell that… that… Atchim!… Atchim!… ATCHIMM! That damn smell," he said, snorting and wheezing, the tip of his nose red, his eyes starting to water. Ryker sniffed repeatedly as his nose ran.
"The smell is natural, he won't be able to distinguish it from anything else in the middle of the forest or in a field," Lucy explained.
" Atchim!... This... this will pass. I'll control it. Now let's go, we can't waste any more time... ATCHIM!"
"Will this work with this scandalous guy?" Cana asked, pointing at Ryker. He looked at her indignantly, shocked that his friend didn't care about his fragile health.
"We have no choice," Lucy replied. "Ryker, control yourself."
"I will... I will do what I can... I can do... A... Achoo !" he said between sneezes.
Cana shook her head in disapproval and shrugged, helpless. "Okay, okay. Where should we start?" she asked.
"We could try going to the same spot you saw him last time," Lucy suggested to Ryker.
He thought for a moment before speaking. "I… I'm not sure. We disturbed him, he might have… changed location. He was heading south. We can take a look at that area."
"South?" Lucy thought. "There are farms in that area. He's close to hunting again, it makes sense he must be near people who can hunt," she concluded.
"Very well! What are we waiting for?" Cana said excitedly and walked out the bedroom door. Lucy and Ryker looked at each other and followed her, leaving and closing the door behind them.
"ATCHIMMM!"
"Be quiet, Ryker!" Cana yelled.
Leaving the hotel, they headed straight south, leaving that small town. The sun had already set and darkness had taken over, only in the distance, on the horizon, there was a faint orange-red glow tinting the clouds.
It wasn't long before they reached the countryside, far from the city. Looking into the distance, they noticed the outline of trees in the darkness. Heading towards them, they were soon walking along the edge of the forest. In the distance, farms could be seen as small dots of light coming from the houses. There were many people who could fall victim to this creature and a sense of urgency came over them.
They carefully looked for any sign of the path the creature might have taken recently, but the darkness hindered them, making it difficult to notice any changes that had occurred in the forest.
The search was taking longer and being more dangerous than Ryker would have liked. He was looking for any sign that would indicate the presence of the monster in that area. For a long time they had been searching for anything that would indicate the presence of a monster, but so far they had found nothing. The forest seemed untouched and the only tracks were of humans and animals, nothing big enough for a being with a Griffin.
"We've been at this for hours! Can't he be somewhere else?" Cana asked, tired and irritated and frustrated.
Ryker glanced at her sideways and stopped to listen to his surroundings for a bit. There was nothing, at that time there should be insects singing everywhere, the forest would be teeming with life at night, but it was as quiet as if it were dead.
"It's too quiet. He's here. We just need to figure out where," Ryker said seriously, his eyes searching the brush for any movement.
The trio stopped apprehensively, listening and trying to look in the darkness in all directions for the creature.
"I'm going to go into the forest, lure him and scare him away to this side. Be prepared," Ryker said and immediately entered the dense forest without Cana or Lucy being able to say anything.
"What the hell, Ryker!" Cana huffed, irritated and worried by his rash attitude.
Lucy sighed and pulled out her Sagittarius key, dressing herself in her Sagittarius outfit. Sagittarius came over as well and handed her the golden arrow. She placed it on her bow, getting into shooting position, aiming at the forest.
Cana drew her cards, staying alert and ready for when any creature came out of the forest in front of her. She kept an eye on Lucy, having to protect her and distract the Griffin so that the blonde could hit it.
"Can you see anything, Cana?" Lucy asked.
"Nothing. And you?"
"No, and I don't hear anything either."
"That idiot! He shouldn't have gone into the forest alone," Cana said angrily, but the truth was that she was worried about him facing that creature alone.
"He knows what he's doing, Cana. Don't worry. We have to be prepared for anything now," Lucy said firmly. Cana nodded, resigned.
Minutes passed without anyone hearing anything and anxiety was taking over them. During that time they didn't see or hear anything, which only made them even more nervous about the situation.
When they were no longer expecting anything, a loud bang hit them. It sounded like branches breaking as if something large was running through the forest, explosions and flashes could be seen inside the forest, which was shaking more and more. A terrible howl hit Cana and Lucy, freezing their bones. They just didn't stay still and terrified with fear due to the effect of the potion that Lucy made.
"So that's… that's the sound of a Griffin!?" Lucy said, scared and shaking. Even with the scent of the potion calming her and blocking the effects of the creature's scream, she could feel the fear spreading through her body.
Cana was shaking and sweating coldly, watching the interior of the forest shaking between one bang and another, between one flash and another. Branches and trees broke in what seemed to be a battle.
"He... he's coming here!" she said, frightened, her eyes fixed on the forest.
Sagittarius pointed his bow at the forest and nocked an arrow. "It's getting closer. Get ready! Moshi ! Moshi !"
Lucy was alert and ready to shoot. Cana, in the same way, had cards in her hands. In seconds, a sequence of explosions erupted inside the forest to the right and left of where they were, with something huge coming out of the middle of the trees, right on top of the girls. They didn't have enough reflexes to hit the Griffin that passed through them like a derailed locomotive, knocking them down and heading towards the farms.
"What the hell! Was that the Griffin!?" Cana shouted, turning around on the ground and watching the creature's shape in the night moving away from them.
"It has to be. Judging by its size," Lucy replied, standing up. "Where's Ryker?" she worried.
Soon after, Ryker appeared, staggering through branches and leaves. He was holding his left arm, which looked injured, and he was out of breath and breathing heavily.
"Are you okay?" Cana ran towards him upon seeing him.
"I am. Where did that go?" he said.
"That way, moshi , moshi ," Sagittarius pointed.
Ryker looked at him, he would never get used to some of Lucy's celestial spirits. He saw the direction he pointed and became worried. "That way is John's farm," he said. Cana's eyes widened and her stomach felt butterflies in its stomach.
"He must have marked the boy when he found him in the forest. Or it could just be a coincidence," Lucy said.
"I don't believe in coincidences, in that case," Ryker sighed wearily.
"We have to go now," Cana said and ran ahead of them.
"Cana! CANA!", Ryker yelled, trying to stop her from being reckless, but she didn't listen to him and kept running. "Shit!" he yelled. Ryker tried to run, but fell to his knees on the ground. Lucy ran to his side and helped him up, supporting him.
"What's wrong, Ryker?" she said worriedly.
He looked at her seriously and huffed in anger. "The bastard got me, but I can do it. I just need a minute." Lucy noticed a deep cut that went from his left arm to his chest. She could feel the blood running down the wound.
"You're really hurt, you need medical attention. We have to abort, Ryker. There's no way you can fight like this," she was quite worried and noticed that the injury was serious.
"Let me worry about that," he said gruffly. "Besides, that crazy woman went after that monster all by herself. It's too much trouble to turn back."
Lucy thought for a moment looking in the direction Cana went, she sighed and internally cursed herself, but she agreed with Ryker at that moment. If they gave up, Cana could die and other civilians too. Cana couldn't face the Griffin alone and only she could kill it.
"I'm going after Cana. You rest and don't make me force you to stay here," she stood up, looking at him seriously.
Ryker looked at her the same way and nodded. "Go! Make sure nothing happens to that idiot." Lucy smiled and nodded. She and Sagittarius started running in the same direction Cana and the Griffin went.
The Griffin crept quietly around Mark and John's farm, sniffing the air, searching, hunting. It made almost no noise as it circled the land, getting closer and closer to John's house. Carefully choosing each step, the creature was like a ghost in that environment, focused on only one thing, preying and feeding, with its target already chosen, just waiting for the best moment to strike.
Inside the residence, John had finished preparing a hot meal for himself and his father, who was still recovering from an illness that had struck him in recent days. They didn't have much, but they had enough to survive and live as comfortably as possible.
John helped his father sit up in bed and gave him the bowl for dinner. Mark thanked his son for the meal and ate it all with a spoon while his son waited for him to finish eating. As soon as he finished, John took the bowl and placed it on the headboard of the bed, and helped his father lie down again, covering him with a blanket. Mark thanked his son again, who responded only with a sincere smile.
He picked up the bowl and left the room, turning off the light and closing the door behind him. Sitting down at the kitchen table, he served himself, ready for dinner. As he enjoyed the meal, his mind wandered to what would be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his short life. He didn't stop, not even for a minute, from revisiting the memories from earlier. The dark brown hair, olive skin, lilac eyes and that perfect angelic face.
"Ah, Cana!" he sighed dreamily. "I'll be waiting for you, my goddess," he smiled and continued eating.
After he finished dinner, John tidied and cleaned the entire kitchen and prepared something for tomorrow morning. He would have to go out early to pick more mushrooms and he couldn't waste time, already having everything ready for when he woke up.
"Dad, I'm going to take the trash to the pigs," he warned.
"It's dark, my son, take it tomorrow," his father said in a tired voice.
"I won't have time tomorrow. I have to get up early and go to the forest right away. The best mushrooms are just after sunrise. Have you forgotten?" John said.
Mark sighed tiredly and nodded. "Okay, but be careful," he asked worriedly.
"Yes, don't worry. Get some rest and recover. Good night," John said.
His father was all he had, his mother passed away when he was very young and since then it was just the two of them, living and working together. Since his father got sick he has been doing everything alone.
John was taking the garbage out for the pigs to enjoy. It was dark and he could barely see anything, but a shiver ran down his spine, as if someone or something was watching him. He looked around trying to see if there was anything, but he saw nothing. When he got to the pigsty, the pigs were agitated, as if they were afraid of something. John thought it was strange and fear hit him too. In a cold sweat, he dropped the bucket on the floor and ran back to the house.
Halfway there, however, yellow eyes stared at him, they looked straight into his eyes, paralyzing him. John stood still, he couldn't run, no matter how much he wanted to. His breathing quickened, sweat ran down his face and he felt cold and hot at the same time. With each second those scary eyes got closer and closer. He tried to scream, but no sound came out of his throat.
The Griffin was on top of him, tears began to run down John's face, who could do nothing against such a creature.
Drool dripped from the monster's beak onto the young man, who trembled at his impending fate. All John could think about was his father, praying that it wouldn't happen to him and that he would be fine without him. The Griffin opened its beak to attack and kill him once and for all. John wasn't even able to close his eyes so as not to see death up close; he would be forced to see his own end.
He could feel the monster's hot, stinking breath on his face. There was no escape. Just when all hope had left him, a small explosion hit the creature's side, disorienting it. It didn't hurt it, but it was enough to take its focus off the boy, who was able to move again and scream in fear, falling to the ground, his legs weak.
Other explosions hit the monster, causing it to retreat.
"Are you okay?" Cana asked, stepping between him and the Griffin. She had arrived in time to save him.
With tears in his eyes and not really understanding what was happening, he looked up to see his savior.
"Ca... Cana!" he said, feeling relieved and at the same time amazed.
She looked at him and smiled sweetly. "I see that. Stay behind me, boy," she said, focusing her attention on the creature who, having recovered from the attack, turned his attention back to them. The Griffin was not hurt, but he was irritated.
The Griffin screamed, Cana was unaffected, but John knelt in fear, paralyzed. The card mage threw three cards towards the creature that exploded upon hitting it, further enraging the monster.
"Damn it! I could use Fairy Glitter, but at this distance it would cause more trouble, and his father must be in the house that would be hit," she thought. "After this is over I'm going to drink a whole bar!" she said with a huff.
Shaking his head, the Griffin turned towards them again. Cana continued to attack him with everything she had, trying to get away from the creature, but the monster never lost sight of them for an instant.
"Please, Cana, don't let him take me," John begged through tears of fear.
Cana looked at him and smiled determinedly, a smile that immediately calmed John's heart. "I won't let anything happen to you, Dear. Don't worry."
John looked at her and, to him, it seemed as if a light radiated from her, more beautiful than any other he had ever seen. No matter how terrible the situation was, for him, being by her side, it was as if everything was okay, he trusted and believed that she would save him, by her side, he felt calm.
"You are... you are... I... you are so amazing, My Goddess! Truly wonderful," John said looking at her with bright, admiring eyes.
Cana smiled. "Now is not the time for that, Darling," she said, paying attention to the monster. She didn't know what to do, she wasn't able to kill that being, she would have to hold it until Lucy and Ryker arrived to help.
The Griffin jumped on top of Cana and John. The brunette tried to pull some cards, but there was no time. Before they were caught by the monster, a torrent of earth hit it, throwing it away, disorienting it. Then a rain of arrows fell on the creature, causing huge explosions.
"Cana! Is everything okay?" Lucy, in her Sagittarius dress, and Sagittarius , came running towards them.
"I'm glad you're here, Lucy," Cana said in relief. "What about Ryker?" she asked worriedly.
"I left him to rest, he is very injured," the celestial mage explained.
"Idiot! That's what you get for running around without help," she huffed.
"Didn't you do the same thing?" Lucy said, looking at her provocatively.
"That, that's beside the point. We have this animal to worry about now," she said, looking at the Griffin rising from the rubble.
"We have to find a way to make him expose his chest so I can hit him with the golden arrow," Lucy said, focusing on the enemy.
"Easier said than done," Cana grumbled and got ready, she had to fight and at the same time protect John. He, on the other hand, watched them, admiring their courage. "He's very resilient. It won't be easy to make him let his guard down," Cana commented.
"We have to try," Lucy said. She looked at the boy behind Cana, almost clinging to her, and smiled. "John, right?" He nodded. "Can you find a safe place? Cana and I will need to work hard to bring down this Gryphon, and it could be dangerous for you."
John looked at her and then looked at Cana apprehensively, not wanting to leave her side. "It's okay, Sweetie. You'll be safe. Remember, I won't let anything happen to you," Cana smiled.
"But, but what about you?", John said worried about his beloved.
"I'll be fine. My friend and I will take care of him, don't worry," Cana ran her hand lovingly over John's face. He blushed, but his eyes shone with love for her. He nodded and ran away, away from the battlefield, looking for a safe place.
"Be careful, My Goddess!" he shouted as he walked away.
Lucy looked at her friend with disapproval. "Ryker's right. You should go easier on that boy."
"Not you either, Lucy. Besides, we have more important things to do right now," she said, and the two mages positioned themselves to attack the creature, who was glaring at them fiercely.
Lucy, Cana and Sagittarius attacked with everything they had, but they barely managed to hurt the creature, which had extremely resistant skin. The three of them surrounded the monster and attacked it at the same time, from all sides, looking for an opening that Lucy could use to reach its heart. In desperation, the Griffin flailed, moving erratically, trying to hit anyone within its reach. In an instant, it swiped Cana's tail, throwing her away. Lucy ran to her side, while Sagittarius was hit by the creature, falling far to the ground.
"He's really strong," Lucy commented. "Are you okay?" Cana held her right arm, which seemed out of place.
"After a drink I'll stay," she replied. The Griffin turned towards them, and John, seeing everything, felt apprehensive, feeling a tightness in his chest. "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know!" Lucy replied, as she desperately shot arrows at the monster, which didn't have much effect on it.
The Griffin stood up after Lucy's last attack, and glared at them with hatred. He screamed, a scream louder and more terrifying than all the others, echoing throughout the region. He took a few steps towards them.
When he was a few steps away from them, a light and a magic circle appeared in the sky, shining blue, right above the creature. A shower of luminous spheres fell from the magic circle, hitting the monster and exploding on impact, causing a shockwave.
"Ryker," Cana noted.
In the middle of the smoke he appeared, standing next to the creature disoriented by the explosions.
"Cana, hit his chin. Lucy, get ready," he shouted. Ryker made a sphere of light in his right hand and hit the Griffin's chin with it, causing a strong explosion that lifted him up a bit. Ryker jumped to the side as Cana threw some cards at the same spot, causing another explosion, lifting the monster even higher, allowing his chest to be exposed for a few seconds.
Lucy pulled the golden arrow and placed it on her bow. Taking a deep breath and concentrating, she saw the opportunity. Without thinking twice, she fired the arrow, which flew in milliseconds, piercing the Griffin's chest, which roared in pain. It was the last scream that creature had given in life, falling dead.