Fairy tale

*Somewhere in the Arandor Forest* A tired elf made his way through the dense forest, driven by fear and duty. Only the moonlight illuminated his path, leading through the pitch darkness. It was this darkness that he feared the most, for it concealed his pursuers. "I must make it, I must warn them," he repeated to himself. Again, a growl was heard, this time from the left. The elf tried to speed up, but his strength was failing, and they were catching up. Suddenly, a beast leaped out of the darkness, but the hunter remained alert. He quickly turned towards the attacker and threw a spear, hitting its mark. The beast collapsed to the ground, and the elf moved on. Ben knew he had no chance, but he never gave up and always went all the way. Meanwhile, behind him, noise was heard again, but now from both sides. The hunter looked back and saw silhouettes flickering among the trees. He counted about six creatures. It is unknown how long the chase would have continued, but a slope that lay on the path interrupted it at the moment when the beasts almost caught up with their target. The elf tumbled, scratching almost all parts of his body, but these were minor things. He got up and saw that he was in a small clearing, surrounded by werewolves. There was no way to retreat. Ben drew his swords and prepared himself. Suddenly, one of the creatures darted forward, but the elf managed to dodge. Then, the second beast attacked, but only a swing of the sword stopped it, separating the head from the body. Then the third and fourth, but all in vain. Only the fifth managed to slightly graze the hunter, but he was still holding on, and the creatures were closing in. "You will never defeat me," the elf growled through his teeth. "Never!" The next day, the celebration continued, but with less enthusiasm. It was felt that the guests were a little tired, so no physically active events were organized. However, in the evening of the same day, it was decided to hold a meeting to discuss the underground passages found beneath the castle. "They need to be explored, and as soon as possible," the king insisted. "But why the rush?" asked Anver. "It's... hard to explain." "Let me guess," said Ayren, "intuition?" Radonar looked at the girl gloomily. "If it needs to be done, then it needs to be done," concluded Penzel. "I agree," said Ser'Flevius. "If there are indeed skeletons wandering around, it may be somehow related to what is happening in the southern lands. That's why I returned; I wanted to report on the revival in the realm of the dead." Sh'Ako giggled, and the southerner smiled and added: "It does sound ironic, but unfortunately, it's true, and I couldn't figure out the cause of these changes." "Never mind, we'll find out soon," the king said confidently. "In that case, we need to prepare everything necessary for the expedition, including gathering a squad," Nemt added. "Yes, but we must not forget that these passages are narrow, and a crowd of people will only get in each other's way, and besides, there are branches." "Do you suggest we listen to Lecon and send several small squads?" "Exactly," replied the court knight. "I think this is the best option." "And I will lead one of the groups." The king's statement surprised those present and even caused some confusion. "That's not necessary," the wizard wanted to object, but Radonar interrupted him. "I've already decided. The Council of Seven will take over the management for now, so the kingdom remains in safe hands. I will take a few people from the royal guard with me, and you decide for yourselves." "I think an extra sword and a reliable shoulder will never hurt, so I'm with you," Penzel volunteered first. "As well as wise words," Nemt supported him. "It will be an honor to accompany you," said Matveg. "Moreover, I am more familiar with the underground than anyone else and know about all the possible dangers that lurk in the depths." "I cannot stand aside while there is even a faint hope of a connection with what is happening in the south," said Ser'Flevius. "I want to go too!" the princess blurted out, unexpectedly for herself, and even more for the others. "What?!" A'Mok was surprised and immediately began to object. "No, never, what if something happens to you, and then I'll have to answer for it, and besides..." "You can go too," Sh'Ako interrupted him. "I? But..." the prince hesitated. "You'll figure it out later," Anver intervened. "If that's the case, then perhaps danger threatens all states, and therefore this issue concerns everyone, and it is better to solve this problem together. I'm in." "Damn it!" Ayren jumped up and slammed her fist on the table. "I think it will be fun!" she said happily.