The master spy or Puss in the boot adventures

The way of the ninja 22, Part 114

Our heroes frantically rub their eyes, unable to believe the sight before them. The princess stands before them, her hand gripping tightly onto the black stone - The Eye of the Night. 

Our hero's eyes widened in disbelief as he gazed upon the beautiful princess standing before him, clutching the black stone in her delicate hand.

"The Eye of the Night!" exclaimed Shadow-cat, his voice trembling with fear and awe. "It can control and corrupt even the most powerful creatures of the night."

The once defeated sorceress had transformed into a fairy-like beauty, her ethereal presence captivating Ragnar's heart from first sight. He fell to his knees before her, unable to contain his overwhelming emotions.

"Who are you, celestial being?" he begged, tears welling up in his eyes. "Please...allow me to love you or take my heart as your own..."

The princess let out a mocking laugh and playfully slapped his shoulder. "Foolish mortal," she chided. "How could I take the heart of the one who saved me?"

Gnash interrupted their tender moment, reminding them of their true purpose. "Enough lollygagging," he scolded. "Have you forgotten what we're here for?"

The fairy princess recounted the tragic tale of the dragon-horse who had been cursed by the wicked witch, transforming into a lowly frog.

"Will you be able to break the curse and return him to his true form?" asked Gnash, the witch eager to test her powers.

"I can," agreed the princes  with a sly smile. "But only if it's not a pimply frog...ugh, I hate those."

Despite the seriousness of their mission, our heroes couldn't help but chuckle at the witch's aversion to pimply frogs. But they knew time was running short, for they didn't know what fate had befallen  the warrior centaur and fire spirit .

A guttural growl filled the air, sending shivers down their spines. A vile voice pierced through the silence, proclaiming its owner's intentions to claim what rightfully belonged to its master.

In a flash of dark light, a monstrous creature appeared before them - a twisted combination of shadow and flesh, with glowing red eyes and sharp, pointed teeth. It snarled menacingly as it reached out towards the princess, who recoiled in fear.

With a malicious grin, the creature seized the stone from her trembling hands and disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived.

Ragnar's jaw clenched in fury as he cursed under his breath. What kind of abomination was this? Its very presence seemed to warp reality around them.

"It's from the World of Shadows," the princess said with a tremor in her voice. "And its master...could be a Demon Lord or a Grand Necromancer...who knows what evil lurks behind such a powerful servant."

Fear and uncertainty hung heavy in the air as they realized they were up against a force beyond their understanding.

With determination in her eyes, the princess prepared to use her powers to restore the dragon-horse's true image. The witch grabbed hold of her and slammed her wooden toy into the ground, causing a powerful whirlwind to engulf them.

In an instant, they were back where they had left their comrades, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them.

As the whirlwind dissipated, Ragnar staggered back to his feet, the familiar scent of smoke and grass enveloping him. He blinked against the brightness of the scene before him, and his heart began to race. They had returned just in time; the centaurs stood poised, arrows drawn, while fire spirits crackled with energy around the now-frightened frog-dragon.