Forest Elf Guards!

Dick felt a chill seep into his bones as he looked up to see the sky darkened, not by the encroaching night, but by a dense flock of griffins. Their massive silhouettes eclipsed the sun's dying embers, casting ominous shadows over the forest.

Heart hammering against his ribcage, Dick frantically followed the river's murmuring guidance, the sound a faint promise of safety in the encroaching dread.

The griffins, with eyes glinting mischievously, seemed to mock his desperation. They swooped down, their wings beating a sinister rhythm against the wind. "Damn it!" Dick cursed under his breath, the ground blurring beneath his sprinting feet.

He summoned the last remnants of his magical energy, conjuring thorns and vines in a desperate bid to forestall the relentless predators. But the griffins, in their sheer number, shredded his makeshift barricade in moments, their mocking laughter filling the air.