They spent the next day inside the inn, to Argia’s disappointment. Searching for the will-o'-the-wisp during the day was a waste of time. She knew that, but each minute the bogeyman was closer, and the thought of it was raising her anxiety.

Uhaiz used his time to prepare for the night. He had prepared suitable clothes for the cold, tools and equipment Argia never considered they’d need.. Meanwhile, she kept her aunt company, who shared beautiful stories from the past. Amane talked about her sister, but the person in her memories was nothing like the woman Argia remembered.

As the sunset approached, more and more Argia thought about the will-o'-the-wisp. In none of the books she searched for ways to kill the bogeyman, she found no creature that granted wishes. She was holding on to one last hope: Arun was special and everything could be possible in those mountains.

The night before, she was determined to use it against but it didn’t take long for her to realize how selfish her idea was. When the dawn arrived and Uhaiz told her to get ready, she couldn’t even look at him straight. Her egotism gnawed away from her mind.

She said good night to Amane and took a backpack prepared for her. From her things, she only brought the magic lantern.

“I have lights, you don’t...”

“I need this one,” she said sharply. Uhaiz shrugged but didn’t insist.

By the time they left the house, Argia had decided that any wish the will-o’-the-wisp grant them, if there was any, would be for her cousin. Still, he would not waste an opportunity like that. If Uhaiz recovered her wife, being a magic spirit herself, she surely could help her get rid of the boogeyman.

“I’m chased by an evil spirit. That’s why I came to Arun. To find some help,” she suddenly said to him, who didn’t seem bothered by the revelation.

His passivity shocked her. She tried to explained herself better, but Uhaiz talked first. “I was once hunted by one. In my dreams. I believe you. Does it have to do with what happened with Ohaine?”

“It does,” she answered, surprised.

“Does that lamp you hold so tight have something to do with it? “

Argia stopped and looked at her light. It was off. “Uhaiz,” she whispered. “We should go back, I shouldn’t put you in this-”

“No!” cut him. “Do not say those words. Anything that we may face tonight. If I have a little chance of getting my Aine back, I face it without regrets. No matter what. understand?”

She nodded shyly and followed him up the hills. From the top, Endara felt even smaller that it was. The lights of each house were already on and the night, even though it was a crescent moon, was clear. Argia looked to the east but no lights from where she used to live as a child.

“There’s only old iaia Sancho living there now,” Uhaiz said, as if he read her mind.

She felt strangely sad about that. It had been plenty of years since she left and although that was the only place she ever considered a home, she never felt a hint of melancholy towards the place.

Trying to get any thought about her old home out of her head, Argia explain to Uhaiz all details about the curse. It took her a good time to do it and without realizing, they were in front of the woods.

The Freba’s forest was close to the village, but Argia, a city woman, was not used to physical exercise and she was already puffing steam from her mouth. The night was freezing and patches of snowfall from previous days did not even melt. Uhaiz, of course, was more used to the treks, but her leg was a challenge and Argia could see him struggling at each step.

With a gentle movement of his arm, he commanded a stop. They were in the same place he saw the o’wisp for the first time, and if it worked like then, they only had to wait.

And they did. In silence and for a long time, but no spook light came. Instead, the worst Argia could expect happened. The lamp ignited, and with its light, panic took over her heart. Argia looked around. No signs of the Papu yet, but that didn’t comfort her. He was there; she was sure of it. Uhaiz put a hand over her shoulder. “Is your monster around? I cannot see it.”

“I told you, no one can. Only me. But the light is never wrong,” answered Argia with a trembling voice. “There!”

The little silhouette of the Papu was passing the last of the treck farms. He was still far, his shape not bigger than a grape, but it would not stop: The Papu never got tired.

Argia gripped the lantern tightly. “Let’s go!”

Uhaiz took a turn and limped downhill, right to where the bogeyman was coming.. “With the light we are safe, aren’t we?”

“Yes, but we are not going back!. Not without your wish.”

The night darkened. A cloud covered the moon and Argia held her breath. The human corpse of the Papu was gone, and instead two glowing white eyes were rushing towards them at an unnatural speed. Argia had only the time to pull Uhaiz’s sleeve when the monster’s shadow was already over them. Stopped by the glow of her lantern. Several feet away, Papu stood. For the first time, she could see his true form clearly: More than a shadow, the Papu looked like a coal-black flame, with a shape that kept twisting in all directions. Only two white flames that he used as eyes and an enormous mouth full of hundreds of needle-like teeth seemed to hold the position, floating in the middle of that undulating body.

“Is it here?” whispered Uhaiz.

Argia raised the lantern, and its light grew stronger. “There.” The flame of darkness backed away with a groan. When the moonlight reappeared, the shadow gave way to the human body and Argia started running towards the forest. “Let’s go Uhaiz!”

“We should go back, maybe ...”

“No! This is our chance, let’s go!” She cut him off. Fear and adrenaline gave her wings, and in a sigh, Argia was inside the forest. Uhaiz followed her with difficulty and Papu, dragging his feet, was almost in the same place where she had left him.

The path into the forest was narrow and dark. As soon as they entered, Argia realized that inside there, the Papu had enough darkness to hunt them down from anywhere. The fear and frustration of having put herself in that situation did not make her lose heart. She still had the flashlight. They were protected.

“Will this slow it down?” said Uhaiz, looking up. The moonlight trickled through the branches in small columns of light. “I’m not sure,” she answered, panting. “We have my light shield, do not worry!”

Deep inside the forest, surrounded by the sounds of night critters, they hold hands. It was a scary place, but nothing compared to what was chasing them. It didn’t take long to hear the sounds of the evil closing by. Cracks of dry leaves and branches announced the terror. Argia looked back and saw the shadow, zigzagging through the moonbeams, fast, but hesitating on each movement, as it was scared to be touched by the light.

“We have to go faster, Uhaiz,”

“We don’t know where we are going! Not even if the will-o’-the-wisp is here, Argia!” He exclaimed, visibly exhausted.

“Oh, it is here,” said a voice from inside the woods. “But it will not appear while the light of my lamp is on,”

“Where are you, traitor?” screamed Uhaiz. Argia pulled her cousin, who had stopped, facing the darkness of the forest.

“Uhaiz, we need to keep going!”

“That was the minairo, I know that voice.”

Out of the undergrowth, a small black figure appeared. a pixie with green hair and black skin. The little creature jumped up and clapped his hands with a giggle. “It was you, wasn’t it? You told old Pitu about my wife?” shouted Uhaiz, tears of anger filling his eyes. The little folk answered with more giggles.

Argia couldn’t stop scanning her surroundings, scared that Papu wouldn’t show up at one point or another. “What do you want?” she snapped. Her patience was finished.

“I want the tear of Sugahar. You follow the trek and ask Erulet for it. You do that, yes? Or I will let The Papu eat you both.”

Argia raised her light instinctively.

“Ha! Stupid humans,” the small folk snapped its fingers and banished, taking the light of the lantern with it. Argia gasped. “You get me the tear, I give you back the light,” said the pixie from somewhere inside the forest.

Argia ran but Uhaiz remained behind. “You go Argia, I’ll buy you some time!”

She took his cousin by the arm and pulled. “Don’t be stupid! Come, come!”

Uhaiz, exhausted and with a bad leg, was a drag. Argia had to wait for him. Luckily, the monster, whenever he could not sneak into the shadows, walked slower than them. But it was a matter of time before he would catch them.

They reached a small clearing completely bathed in moonlight. The Papu reached soon after not giving them timento catch their breath for long. The dark shadow shifted once again, this time close enough that Argia heard a faint moan as his body changed. “I hope it hurts,” she whispered. Argia put her body in front of Uhaiz with her arms open. “We are not afraid of you!’’

Papu stood in front of her and crouched down, his face right in front of hers. So close that she could see his veins under the skin. It was the flesh of a corpse. A corpse that smell of nothing.

“We are trapped,” said Uhaiz.

Argia tried to contain a sob but didn’t succeed. Terror took over, and the monster noticed. Its broad smile was filled with putrid teeth. He snorted slowly and smiled, licking his lips as if he was enjoying the taste of her fear.

“They are not afraid of you! But I am, yes, I am! Oh it’s a bogey, so scary!” said the pixie’s voice from the woods. His little body, not bigger than a rabbit, was jumping on a log. Papu sniffed again. His nose grew big, and at every sniff it grew larger and larger until its face was a gigantic nose. The Papu took a few steps towards the pixie’s and the small folk shouted again.

“Go! Go! I’ll keep him busy! Go. ask Erulet for the tear of Sugaar!”

They ran into the dark path without looking back for what seemed an eternity, not knowing if they were followed or where they were going. “We cannot trust that thing!” Uhaiz kept repeating.

“We don’t have any other option, we need to keep going!” was her only answer. The air was freezing, and it was hurting her lungs. She could barely feel the fingers under her gloves. She stopped for a moment, her breath smoking out of her mouth. Uhaiz, who had fallen behind a few steps, was breathing with difficulty. When she turned to encourage her cousin to keep going, what she saw paralyzed her. She tried to scream, but only a gasp came out. The dark flame of Papu was right behind him.

He didn’t need to see the monster to understand. Argia’s face was enough. He didn’t see the misty fist coming.The hit made him fly past Argia and hit an enormous tree. When Uhaiz’s body hit the snow, the shadow was already next to her. She fell to her knees, defeated. Papu’s flaming eyes widened and his big mouth opened, with a serpent-like tongue twisting towards her.

He was going to shallow her entirely when the light of the moon hit him straight. Papu stepped back with a cry. His man’s face frowned in discontent. It looked up and so did Argia. The branches and leaves were magically moving, letting in more moonlight. The little trek became all lighted and a distant whisper reached with a soft breeze of air.

“Go Argia, go!” said an ethereal voice. She stood and walked backwards, eyes fixed on Papu, who was glaring at her. She helped Uhaiz to stand with all the strength she could master and with his arm over her shoulder they moved away. Papu followed, keeping a close distance, searching for a dark corner around the trek, a darkness that was taken from him. Determined to catch her, the monster turned to the side and reaching the woods of road, shaped to darkness and disappeared.

Argia knew it was looking for other ways to catch her, but the night was bright as a full moon. Branches let pass curtains of protecting lights over them, creating a curtain of protection all over the trek.

It took them a long and desperate time to reach another clearing. This one was even bigger than the previous one. The sky, which could be seen clearly from there, was clear, and if they were lucky and no clouds darkened the night, it was the ideal place to protect themselves from the boogeyman.

“Come, come,” whispered the will-o’-the-wisp in her head. “Tell me what you want. I will grant you any wish,”

Spooked, Argia put her cousin gently against a tree and searched around. From inside the dark forest, a greenish flame was hovering towards them.

Uhaiz grabbed her arm. “I’m done. Use the wish for you.” He twisted his face with a flinch.

“Dont be stupid, your wife can heal you, she…”

“No!” The effort made him cough. His mouth filled with blood. “What was I thinking?” he whispered, almost unconscious. “I’m so stupid,”

“The wish is for the tear,” said the pixie, who was standing next to them. On the other side, Papu was silently waiting for another moment of darkness to jump over them again. “Ask for the tear or he will eat you,”

“He won’t! The light of the moon protects me. Go get the tear yourself!” Snapped Argia. The pixie looked at the sky and clicked its tongue.

The voice of the floating flame spoke again. “What do you want the most?”

Argia took a deep breath. “Can you hear it, Papu?” she said, staring at the bogeyman straight to the eye. “Erulet is not talking to me, is asking you: What do you want?”

Papu raised his eyebrows and stared at the flame. He limped towards it and growled. A cry of terror preceded. Next to the will-o’-the-wisp appeared another little folk. This one, unlike the other, had fair skin, white hair and was bigger, almost like a human toddler.

The creature screamed again and, flying with no wings; it bolted towards the trees. Papu grunted and followed it, disappearing into the depths of the forest.

The pixie that remained was clapping and laughing exulting from it had just seen.

“Don’t fall asleep, Uhaiz, don’t!” Uhaiz had his eyes closed and his skin was pale. The night was freezing and she could not feel her Hands and feet anymore.

“It’s fine, leave me here.” he whispered, his eyes closed. Argia took his hand and crawled to his side. She would not leave him to die alone in the woods.

“Take the light. It will warm you up. You can use it to go back,” said the minairo. Argia did not answer, and the pixie continued pressing, this time with a more impatient tone in the voice.

“He doesn’t deserve your kindness. Take the rose, it can warm you. At least you can return alive.”

In the black eyes of the little pixie, Argia saw the reflection of what the other folk had left behind. A flower surrounded by flames of white and green.

She taught for an instant to take it. And as soon as that thought crossed her mind, the flame banished, and the rose gently levitated to the ground, leaving a trail of floating embers dancing around a glowing red aura.

Its beauty was fascinating. Charming. Like a spell that pushed her desires to take it for herself. It tempted her, but she remained next to Uhaiz. “If you want that thing, take it yourself!”

The pixie huffed and kicked a pebble. “I cannot, no, I can’t.”

The cold of the winter night surrounded them. Uhaiz didn’t open his eyes anymore, no matter how hard Argia tried to wake him up. Sitting on the snowy floor and not moving for a while made her body went numb. She could barely feel her fingers or toes and all around her felt like a bad dream. She didn’t mind ending up frozen in the middle of the forest, but having been the culprit of such a cruel fate for her cousin, and also for her poor aunt, was breaking her heart.

Completely overwhelmed by sadness and guilt, she gave up.

She closed her eyes, ready to die, when a warm feeling started to fill her heart. First it was like a tiny stream and slowly growing powerful and fulfilling. Not only her felt warm. But the entire forest changed. The snow melted, and the night felt like if summer came months earlier.

The little folk snapped his teeth and hit the log with his fist. its eyes fixed to the depths of the forest were, surrounded by a glowing light, there was a little girl approaching. With small but determined steps, the little girl stood in front of Argia, the breeze blowing her fire-colored hair.Without saying a word, the little girl stared, with a pretty smile on her freckled face.

Over a log, minairo crossed its legs, and she looked at it askance. Her expression hardened. “Your mischief didn’t work, Pik.”

“I’ll try again,” replied the pixie.

The little girl raised an eyebrow. “Why would you do that?” She did not appear to be over five years old, but the way she spoke and behaved was as if she were an adult.

“Because it is better to disappear than end up as magic trinkets for the humans.”

“We won’t disappear. We can move far from them.”

“They will find us. They always do. Soon or later.”

“Then we will decide what to do next. It’s not your right to choose for all of us.”

Pik grouted. The darkness of the night started to fade, and the night became day. Another glowing spirit appeared next to them. The woman was glowing as well and next to her, a darker and bigger figure of an old man was following.

With her eyes blinded by the sudden light, Argia couldn’t see them properly, but she’d found the echoing voice of the spirit somehow familiar.

“Your doing doesn’t bring any good, Pik. Look at what you did to your friend. If he ever was your friend.” said the woman, putting her hand over the young girl’s head, who answered to her kind gesture with a warm smile.

“He was! He was! My only friend. Yes. that was not me. That was the Gizotso! I just did what I did after all that.” said Pik, looking at the old giant. “I’m sorry. I’d never want harm on you,”

“And what did you do to Uhaiz? And Agia?” said the old spirit. His voice, heavy and deep, was the complete opposite to the sweetness of the others. All but, were powerful in their own ways.

“These two are bad people!” Replied Pik. “They deserve it. A terrible brother to a poor kid. And a terrible sister to an innocent girl. They deserve it, yes!”

“Did I deserve it as well?” asked the woman.

“You put yourself in danger! The stupid mage was supposed to take the Pinecone.”

“And when she failed. Who asked me to take it for myself?”

“Uh… I don’t remember.”

“You cannot lie to me, Pik. you know that.”

“I liked you. You were perfect for him and they took you away. If it was not for me, you would have ended up hanged.”

“Do you realize you bring sadness with your doing?”

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll try again. I have a task to do and I always finish my tasks. Yes… I… do. Yes!” with a puff, Pik disappeared.

“Didn’t my master give you one you never finished?” asked the woman, knowing the pixie was still there.

“Oh, yes, I finished that one!”. Pik answered with pride. “It took me one year only.” The pixie appeared next to Argia with a broad smile that reached from side to side of his round head. “Do you want to know how many trees are in the world?” Asked him, proudly. “I know the number and you don’t. But I know.”

“And the sadness you brought to Amane?” asked the little girl, annoyed by Pik’s carefree attitude.

“Sadness? I got rid of that terrible man of hers! That was a favour, I…”

“No, Pik!” Cut the little girl, visibly upset. “You brought her sadness all her life. And she was the last person who deserved it.”

“No, I didn’t. No! No, no, no!” The pixie put his little hand over his head and pulled his green hair.

“Help him…” whispered Argia, finally brave enough to talk among such creatures. The little girl turned and smiled again. She leaned forward and kissed Uhaiz’s forehead. With the warmth of her lips, color came back to his face, and his eyes opened. He got up little by little and when he saw the little girl, he started to cry. The two merged into an embrace.

“I told you he would recognize her without a word,” said the old spirit with a smile showing through his beard.

“Lets go Father, Mother and iaia are waiting.” The little girl said, holding Uhaiz hand, who stood unharmed and infused with new vigor.

“Thank you Argia.” He said. Argia remained quiet, not knowing what to say or think. Everything that was happening around her was hard to understand.

“Mother is sorry for everything,” Uhaiz’s daughter said, her voice getting softer as they walked away. “Pik actions could not be seen until now,”

The old giant strode behind them, followed by a pack of wolves Argia didn’t notice until then. “You can come Pik, If you want..” said the old spirit.

“Don’t want!” spitted the little folk. He looked around, scratched his face and kicked a tree root.. “Maybe. Maybe I will come to visit. Maybe not.” The pixie dropped his weight on the floor. “Humans, I hate you all,”

The woman spirit kneeled next to Argia, took her hand and her glow faded, allowing Argia to look at her face. “What you did for your family today was brave,”

Argia raised her eyes and met Ohaine’s. She tried to talk, but her sister stopped her with hands over her chicks and a kiss on the forehead. “I forgave you long ago,” Ohaine whispered, knowing exactly what Argia was going to say.

“Family…” said Pik, with a mocking tone. “Fathers leaving sons to be eaten by wolves! That’s what human families do!”

“Same family as a mother that raised her kids, no matter how challenged, even when everyone else tells them not to do so?” Replied Oahine. “Same as the husband that does everything on his hand to find a daughter and a wife he has lost? Same as a woman who’d die to protect her cousin?”

Pik didn’t dare to answer. His eyes fixed on the ground.

“Humans are complicated, and it’s not in your hands to judge each one equally.”

Pik answered with a growl. His eyes, still looking down.

“Doesn’t matter. I finished my task. I won.”

“The primordials cannot be destroyed.”

Pik hissed.

“And all the humans you decided to punish will find peace and happiness, I have foreseen it.”

“You are annoying, yes. You are,” whispered the pixie.

“Pik,” said the old giant, “The wolves never ate little Nim. They would have told me.”

“I know.” replied Pik. He then looked at Argia and opened his mouth. But no words came out. He snorted slowly and with a snap of his fingers, disappeared.

The bearded giant nodded his head to Argia and followed Uhaiz and his daughter, who were already two small silhouettes shining between the trees.

Ohaine caressed Argias’ hair. “You will be fine. No cold or beast will harm you until the town.” The spirit of the forest stood, shining like a goddess. “We will meet again, sister, but not yet. Until then, take care of yourself.” Speechless, Argia just raised a hand to say goodbye to Ohaine, who disappeared, taking the daylight but leaving the warmth.

On the way back, she tried to process what just happened. It felt like a vivid dream. Shocked, she could look over her shoulder from time to time, still scared that Papu would be following.

When she entered the old inn, the words of Uhaiz’s daughter echoed in her head. As she feared, Amane’s room was empty and there was no trace of her aunt.

Of what happened that night, she only told old Titu. No one else but him would have believed it. She spent the rest of the winter sitting with him in the lake’s inn, sharing beers and talking about the mysteries and fables of the mountain. Spring passed, and with it, summer and fall. She never went back to the plains. Instead, she got a job in the local school and rented a little flat next to where old Amane’s inn used to be.

Years passed, and Arun changed. The giant’s seat became a tunnel, and many people from the city rode to the valley to enjoy its natural beauty. Endara grew. The village was now a town, filled with shops, restaurants and hotels to welcome all the visitors they received.

Every day, Argia would leave the school and walk the fields around the town. Every evening, she would share a beer with the old man and listen to the stories of magic he used to tell the tourists.

When Titu passed, at the oldest age you could ever imagine, she continued sitting in the same spot, every day, telling the travelers the same tales the old geezer used to exchange for free ales. Tales of a Valley that was no longer magical.

One night, when she was as old as Titu was once before, she had a dream. A dream she waited for a long time to come.

She was in the woods, surrounded by the most beautiful flowers. Ohaine was there, beautiful like the last time she saw her.

“Once you told me you forgave me,” said old Argia. “But I still need to say ’I am sorry’.”

Ohaine answered with a smile and took her hand. They both walk to a clearing, similar to the one she had the encounter with the spirits of the forest. This one, though, was filled with magical creatures, flying around in all shapes and colors. It was night, but the stars and fireflies around created a glowing aura that lighted the place.

At one side, Argia recognized Ipar, the shepherd. He was big . She realized he was that giant that followed Ohaine years ago. But he was no longer bearded and dressed with furs and drags. Around him, there was a pack of wolves, with one white as snow, licking his hand.

Amane was there as well, and Uhaiz, Aine and their daughter, now a young, beautiful woman. They all waved, inviting her to join.

“We were waiting for you. Come with us, cousin,” said Uhaiz. She walked towards them, realizing her old legs didn’t hurt anymore. Her hands had no wrinkles or skin stains.

Amane hugged her and then Uhaiz and the others. There, in the last place where magic existed, surrounded by family and friends, for the first time in her entire life; she felt at home.