They continued running, going deeper into the forest.
"Run faster" Nerissa urged Astrid.
As they kept on running, she whispered some words to herself and soon snakes came out and rushed towards the onslaught of soldiers.
She had created a little distraction but she knew it wouldn't hold for long and so they kept on running. After a while, some soldiers still chase after them and she stopped.
"Aunt Nerissa, what are you doing? We've got to run" she panicked seeing her aunt stopping. Was she already tired of living or what?
But what she saw next completely stunned her. Nerissa stood there and waited for the soldiers to come closer, then she said some words...
"Brick tii vwre kwon tii hair leve enk gharnshh viorkwior... " she kept on saying those words, repeating them and soon as small smoke started rising from the ground, a few feet away from where she stood.
"Briek tii vwre kwon tii hair leve enk gharnshh viorkwior... Briek tii vwre kwon tii hair leve enk gharnshh viorkwior... Briek tii vwre kwon tii hair leve enk gharnshh viorkwior... ".
Before you knew it, the trees surrounding them was enshrouded in a thick mist, the soldiers that ran near and into it started coughing and you could hear loud thuds here and there.
The smoke was poisonous, once inhaled, the person would begin to cough and choke to death.
As Nerissa saw that it yielded the desired effect, she ran and pulled the stunned Astrid with her.
**********
In the palace of the human king, King Bayard was still blabbering on about how lucky, magnificent and clever he was.
"Any news yet Gerald?" The human king asked his trusted advisor.
"Not yet your grace, but I believe we would hear some good news soon enough. The troops have been dispatched already and are marching straight for the forest.
They should arrive there any moment now" he said to the king beaming with a smile.
"Yes, yes, yes Gerald. I can almost taste victory and the power that comes with it. She would be mine. Loyal only to me, I would torture her till she submits to me if I have to. Then no one in the magical realm would be able to stand up to me.
If it isn't fate or luck shining upon me, then what is it? Am I lucky or what Gerald?" he questioned with a wicked laugh.
Then his merry time was cut short with a smooth, enchanting voice.
"That's not her".
The owner of the voice gently, calmly and slowly walked out from where she stood in the dark.
Wearing a black long gown, with an alter neck and black long hair, stood a very beautiful lady in her early forties. Age didn't seem to have its effect on her flawless face. No form of wrinkles, she still looked like a lady in her twenties.
"Lady Lorelei!"
"Grand advisor Gerald," she said with a slight nod to him as a form of greeting.
"What did you say earlier on Lorelei?" the king asked her.
"My King, I'm afraid that's not her".
"What do you mean by that's not her?" he asked feeling angry.
"King Bayard, have you forgotten the feel of her magic?".
"That was a powerful surge of magic," Gerald said.
"Yes it was, but it could not compare to the half breed fairy queen's".
"But there has been no trace of sorcerers or fairies for the past eighteen years, they completely vanished. Other than you Sorceress Lorelei, no other fairy or sorcerer. So who could...?"
"The hybrid child."
Silence fell in the throne room.
"You said what?" The king asked not sure if he heard her quite well.
"The hybrid, no one knows where the Fairy queen's child is. We don't know if the child vanished with the kingdom, but one thing is for sure. Fairy Queen Isadora wouldn't be so stupid as to give herself away after all these years and in the human kingdom at that, letting such magic explode."
"Meaning only one thing," the grand advisor chipped in.
"Yes, the hybrid child is alive." She concluded.
"Well, my luck never ends. This was the child the magical realm fought for years back, but now in my kingdom. Double the troop, I want that child found at all cost."
"Yes, your majesty," they both said with a bow and left.
************
In the sea, the Mer queen, her daughter, maid and some royal guard all rush to a secluded building.
"It's not damaged," the Mer princess said.
"No, she's still in there," the Mer queen said.
"Let's pray she is and is just trying to burst her way out," the captain of the guards said.
"Let's hurry, I have a bad feeling about that magic".
They rush closer to the building and stopped. The Mer queen used her magic to destroy the magical barrier surrounding that building and they swam in.
Then they disabled the electric field in the building and headed straight for the only prison in that building, which stood proud and tall at the centre to keep the dangerous being in.