As they set out on their journey, they were greeted by the lush greenery and the gentle breeze that rustled through the trees. The trail was steep and rocky, but they were determined to conquer it.
They hiked for hours, stopping only to catch their breaths and admire the breathtaking views.
As they climbed higher, the landscape changed, and soon they found themselves surrounded by rugged cliffs and cascading waterfalls.
The air was crisp, and the mist from the waterfalls created a mystical atmosphere that made them feel like they were in a different world.
They continued on, and soon they reached the summit, where they were rewarded with a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. The sun was setting, and the sky was painted with shades of orange and pink, creating a stunning backdrop to their adventure.
"You really made your way to help some locals of this place, huh?" Austin commented, Atlas and Meredith nodding as they still remember the happiness on Celine's face when she saw her husband wake up from many years of comma.
They hoped to see the whole family rejoicing, too! What would Fiona know when her son-in-law is now reunited with his family after waking up from a curse brought upon to him by the leprechaun?
And of course, little Erin, too! It will be the first time she will see her father and will be quite some time that she will understand what could have happened to him.
When the time comes that she knows that the creature she loves were the ones who cursed him, would her love towards the leprechauns and their tales still be the same?
"Helping them was worth it," Austin commented, Meredith snapping from her thoughts. "Besides… their family doesn't deserve it. Well, a lot of people don't deserve that treatment."
"I agree," Meredith chimed in, remembering how wonderful and hard-working their family is. "What they did may be wrong--stealing from leprechauns… but they didn't have a choice, they were struggling," she added, Austin sighing as they continue looking at the sunset over the horizon.
"Well, yes… but remember, both of you…" Austin spoke, reminding them about the nature of the leprechauns. "It is in their very nature and personality to be selfish and greedy about their possessions and their pot of gold. They have magic, too."
"Is that why they were given the responsibility to keep whereabouts of the book? To protect them?" Atlas asked, Austin nodding to answer his question.
"Yes. It is that very reason why," he said, Meredith cocking her head to the side as she wondered aloud and her thoughts were heard by Atlas and Austin as she put it into words.
"How powerful are leprechauns, anyway? To be able to put a curse like that to Celine's husband and was in a comma state for years and only life support could help. Without it, he'd die. What was put on that man?" she asked, Austin opening his bottled of water and then drinking before answering.
"Well… leprechauns are considered solitary fairies. Unlike most fairies, however, they are widely known to be overprotective when it comes to their possessions. That's why the leprechaun who cursed the man got angry when they stole their pot of gold. It's their only possession."
"I see..." Atlas' eyebrows creased together. "The the curse they put on him… what is it?"
"Oh, it's just one of the powerful curses fairies can inflict upon someone if they want it. And another powerful, like me, a fae, per se… can conjure something against it. There's always a reverse. It just so happened this leprechaun did that because they're humans," Austin answered, Meredith frowning.
"And it just so happened that those humans don't have a clue as to what they are talking about so they took advantage of it and let him be cursed for a long time as punishment."
"True," Austin agreed, letting out a sigh as he shook his head. "That's why never provoke a leprechaun especially when it come to their pot of gold. I actually don't get why they love it so much, but let's just leave it at that," he added, Atlas asking him a question.
"So what is the potion? The one you gave him? The one brewed under the moonlight? It's a good thing you have the potion in one of your stocks before you went here on earth."
"Ah, Lunar's Oil or another name would be Moon's Tears. Despite the name, it's quite easy to brew once you have the ingredients. You see, the man was in a deep sleep but the oil could wake him up as moon's tears have healing properties related to life-threatening sleep," Austin answered.
The two of them let out a sigh. They carried their bags as they continued onward to look for the leprechaun deeper in the mountains, only seen at night.
They were able to escape from the hiking tour undetected. With them being led by Austin as he grasped where the leprechauns are based on the story Atlas and Meredith told him, they wondered how they are going to get the clue from him.
"How exactly are we going to get clues on the book if they're that overprotective? What if they jump into conclusions, thinking that we steal their stupid pot of gold?" Meredith asked, being hushed immediately by Austin.
"Don't say that," he warned. "Don't insult their possessions." Meredith rolled her eyes. "We give them a four-leaf clover."
The two stopped walking as they found it ridiculous.
"A four-leaf clover!?" they exclaimed, making Austin let out a laugh.
"Well, yes. Four-leaf clover is rare. You can only find one in every 10,000. An independent study carried out by Swiss researchers looked at 5.7 million clovers and found that the likelihood of finding one four-leaf clover was one in 5,076 three-leafed ones. Much better odds!"
Atlas and Meredith looked at each other in disbelief. As Austin was now walking further away from them, the two had no other choice but to follow and wonder why leprechauns would want a four-leaf clover as opposed to another pot of gold.
This, they have to ask from Austin.