findthewhereaboutsofheroldfriend．Savagebattlecriescouldbeheardfromthebackofthemountains，increasingherayandapprehension．Shewaswringingherhandstryingtothinkofwhatshecoulddoinsuchacrisis,whenthefppingofpowerfulwingsannouhearrivalofherfriendwhodesdedtotheverandainherhumanform．WhiteFairyrantowardshersaying，

    "Wherehaveyoubeen?Iwaslookingeverywhereforyou!YouknowaboutIleen?"

    "Yes.Thatslytraitor!Iftheycamebytheke．Icouldswoopdownfromaboveandkillthemier，eventhoughtheyortallywouhthemagicsword．Buttheychosethemountainroute．Iotseeanythingfromabovebecauseofthefog，andifIflylower，thetreeswouldhampermyflightandevenbreakmywingsifIamnotcareful.”

    "Oh,whatshallwedo?Whatshallwedo?Mybowandarrowarealsouselessinthefoggyforest.”

    Medusapattedherfragilefriendontheshoulderandtriedtofortherbysaying，

    12

    "Don’tpanic．Iwasafraidofsomethinglikethis，soIhavetraihenativestroopsjustforsuemergency．Theyarenowpositionedinstrategicspotsinthemountains．Iorderedthemnottoattack,fortheyarenomatchforthemightyCyclopsandhismagicsword.Todosowouldonlybesacrifigtheirlivesinvain.Itoldthemonlytousetheguerriltacticsofdistragandhamperingtheeoslowdowntheirprogressasmuchaspossible．I’mhopingforthefogtodispersesoonandetoashoiththemwhentheydashfromthemountainstothepace．Thereisasmalldistaweewopoints,whichwillgivemespaovearoundin．Ihopetodestroythematthatcrucialspotatwhatevercost.”

    "Whatdowedointhemeahen?Weotjustwaitherefordevelopments.”

    "No．Yougotothefront,scoutfornewsabae．Iwillgotothepadfortthebeautieswhomustbescaredtodeath，notknowingwhat’sgoingon.Idonotwaorunoutinapanidscattereverywhere．Thatwouldbedisastrous!"

    "Right．I’llmeetyouhereter.”Thusthetwofriendsparted,eachtoherowntask．

    Shadowsofswiftlyorstealthilymovingbodiesappearedanddisappearedinthedensefog．TheskiesresouhheroicshoutsofthebravewarriorsastheysurroundedCyclopsandfoughthimwiththeirprimitiveons，attemptingtoblockhisprogress．Thenon-humanshoutsthatcamefromthemohroatwerelikeroarsofanarousedlionashefoughthiswaythroughtheforest,besetbythenatives’trapsandons．Alreadythegroundavedwithbleedingcorpses，buttheystilttackedwithrenewedforce，watgwithunbeliefastheirswordsahrustintoCyclops’bodyandmadebiggapingwounds,onlytoseethebleedingstopandthewoundcloseinamatterofseds．ButCyclops,oherhand,couldcutthroughshieldsandarmorsasiftheyweremadeofpaper．Suddenly,onebravemancameforwardandmadeamightythrustatCyclops．HisspearsankafewioCyclops’chest．Withanangryyelp，themohrewawaythespearandcutofftheman’sheadinoneswipeofhissword．Hisrade-in-armsrushedtosavehim．Afewsshesofthemagicswordandheadscouldbeseenrollingallround．Bloodspurtedasheadandbodyseparated．IleenhidbehindCyclops，direghimwheretogo，howtofight，whattrapstoskirtandpointingoutwheretheymightbeambushed．

    Oive,whoseleftarmandshoulderhadbeencutoffbyCyclops,hadfaintedandymotionlessamongthedead．Now,ingtoandseeingIleen’straitorousbehavior,hestoodup,raisedhisswordwiththerighthandandwasabouttoluher,whenCyclops’backeyecaughtsightoftheattack．Turningaround,hegaveamightyshoutandchargedst

findthewhereaboutsofheroldfriend．Savagebattlecriescouldbeheardfromthebackofthemountains，increasingherayandapprehension．Shewaswringingherhandstryingtothinkofwhatshecoulddoinsuchacrisis,whenthefppingofpowerfulwingsannouhearrivalofherfriendwhodesdedtotheverandainherhumanform．WhiteFairyrantowardshersaying，

    "Wherehaveyoubeen?Iwaslookingeverywhereforyou!YouknowaboutIleen?"

    "Yes.Thatslytraitor!Iftheycamebytheke．Icouldswoopdownfromaboveandkillthemier，eventhoughtheyortallywouhthemagicsword．Buttheychosethemountainroute．Iotseeanythingfromabovebecauseofthefog，andifIflylower，thetreeswouldhampermyflightandevenbreakmywingsifIamnotcareful.”

    "Oh,whatshallwedo?Whatshallwedo?Mybowandarrowarealsouselessinthefoggyforest.”

    Medusapattedherfragilefriendontheshoulderandtriedtofortherbysaying，

    12

    "Don’tpanic．Iwasafraidofsomethinglikethis，soIhavetraihenativestroopsjustforsuemergency．Theyarenowpositionedinstrategicspotsinthemountains．Iorderedthemnottoattack,fortheyarenomatchforthemightyCyclopsandhismagicsword.Todosowouldonlybesacrifigtheirlivesinvain.Itoldthemonlytousetheguerriltacticsofdistragandhamperingtheeoslowdowntheirprogressasmuchaspossible．I’mhopingforthefogtodispersesoonandetoashoiththemwhentheydashfromthemountainstothepace．Thereisasmalldistaweewopoints,whichwillgivemespaovearoundin．Ihopetodestroythematthatcrucialspotatwhatevercost.”

    "Whatdowedointhemeahen?Weotjustwaitherefordevelopments.”

    "No．Yougotothefront,scoutfornewsabae．Iwillgotothepadfortthebeautieswhomustbescaredtodeath，notknowingwhat’sgoingon.Idonotwaorunoutinapanidscattereverywhere．Thatwouldbedisastrous!"

    "Right．I’llmeetyouhereter.”Thusthetwofriendsparted,eachtoherowntask．

    Shadowsofswiftlyorstealthilymovingbodiesappearedanddisappearedinthedensefog．TheskiesresouhheroicshoutsofthebravewarriorsastheysurroundedCyclopsandfoughthimwiththeirprimitiveons，attemptingtoblockhisprogress．Thenon-humanshoutsthatcamefromthemohroatwerelikeroarsofanarousedlionashefoughthiswaythroughtheforest,besetbythenatives’trapsandons．Alreadythegroundavedwithbleedingcorpses，buttheystilttackedwithrenewedforce，watgwithunbeliefastheirswordsahrustintoCyclops’bodyandmadebiggapingwounds,onlytoseethebleedingstopandthewoundcloseinamatterofseds．ButCyclops,oherhand,couldcutthroughshieldsandarmorsasiftheyweremadeofpaper．Suddenly,onebravemancameforwardandmadeamightythrustatCyclops．HisspearsankafewioCyclops’chest．Withanangryyelp，themohrewawaythespearandcutofftheman’sheadinoneswipeofhissword．Hisrade-in-armsrushedtosavehim．Afewsshesofthemagicswordandheadscouldbeseenrollingallround．Bloodspurtedasheadandbodyseparated．IleenhidbehindCyclops，direghimwheretogo，howtofight，whattrapstoskirtandpointingoutwheretheymightbeambushed．

    Oive,whoseleftarmandshoulderhadbeencutoffbyCyclops,hadfaintedandymotionlessamongthedead．Now,ingtoandseeingIleen’straitorousbehavior,hestoodup,raisedhisswordwiththerighthandandwasabouttoluher,whenCyclops’backeyecaughtsightoftheattack．Turningaround,hegaveamightyshoutandchargedst