Unicorn Lost

Presents

T	hat was amazing!" Pence said as he ran up to Kamida, who was looking weary and rubbing her arm. "What made him just quit like that?"

"I have no idea," Kamida said.

"Well, let's not go congratulating ourselves just yet," warned Florence. "Something really weird just happened, and until we find out what; that dragon may be coming back for seconds."

Jeanette said nothing. She was breathing hard and her sword bobbed slowly in her grasp, but her emotions were too strong to permit speech. "Cheated," she thought. "I've been cheated of my vengeance!"

"We have other pressing matters anyway," Florence continued. "We have to figure out how to get Kathy off the pinnacle..."

"But Kathy jumped off the pinnacle!" Jeanette suddenly recalled, turning large and amazed eyes up at Florence. "It was awesome--like she was just walking on air!"

Florence's lips parted in a grim smile. "Ah, yes...the leaping of unicorns. It's a legendary skill. Some say that unicorns can hurl themselves from great heights, and land unharmed, due to the strength of their horns."

"If she's down, then we'd better find her," interrupted Kamida, "because unless I'm mistaken, that dragon's headed back toward Jeanette's family and Queen Olivia!" She stretched her arm out to point, in order to back up her words, and Florence suddenly seized the sorceress by the arm. There was a look of pure alarm in the wolf-woman's face; and Kamida herself was a bit startled by the gesture. "What?" Kamida cried. "What's wrong? You're hurting my arm!"

"Your bracelet," Florence breathed. "It's gone!"

Slowly Kamida withdrew her arm from Florence's grasp, and touched the flattened spot in her fur where once the silver band had been fastened. She rubbed her skin, for it still tingled and burned fiercely.

"Mistress," murmured Pence, his eyes like lamps. "What can this mean?"

"I'll tell you what it means," Jeanette said fiercely. "It means we've got a full-strength wizardess; and the dragon is getting away!"

~~~~~~~~~~~{ Meanwhile }~~~~~~~~~~~

QuickSilver shook his head as he sat up, his hindlegs splayed awkwardly out to either side of his forefeet. His head was buzzing like an angry hive of bees and there was a nasty taste of sulphur in his mouth that no amount of lip-smacking could dispell. He looked around. Beside him sprawled the inert form of a unicorn. "Hurummph," he said, fluttering his nostrils.

A shower of small stones rained down from above, and Blackfoot arrived, slithering more on his bottom than any other manner. "Boss," the ferret panted. "We've gotta get out of here! The kid with the sword and her outworld friends are coming! If she sees you, she'll recognize you and then there's gonna be all sorts of awkward questions!" He paused and stared at the unicorn. Jerking a thumb, he asked, "What's with her? Dead?"

"No, fool," sniffed QuickSilver, rising and shaking the dust from his rough pelt. "Unicorns can't die. She fainted."

Blackfoot narrowed his eyes. "Watch who you're calling fool," he muttered. Then he dug in his pouch and produced a handful of what looked like broken green glass. Holding it out to QuickSilver, he stated, "I gathered up as much of it as I could find, but I don't think any amount of glue is gonna be able to restore this."

QuickSilver swung his head around and swivelled his ears. He studied the pawsful of the shattered bracelet, which still glowed softly with lambent magic. "Don't be so sure," he said. Jerking his chin, he ordered, "Touch it to the unicorn's horn."

Blackfoot hesitated.

"Do it, or I'll kick you off this ledge!" QuickSilver brayed, and the ferret scurried forward to touch the glass to Kathy's horn.

For an instant, he felt like he'd just put his tongue to a frozen flagpole, for his paws were drawn to the horn, and stuck fast, as little serpents of energy swirled around his arms. It hurt in the most peculiar way, and Blackfoot was utterly transfixed. Then, with a silent flash of light, he fell backwards holding the restored bracelet in his paws.

"Excellent!" QuickSilver said. "Now put it d..." Before he could finish his thought, Kathy groaned and raised her head.

"I need an asprin," she grumbled, dazedly focusing her eyes on the horrified jester and his henchman. "Who are you?" she asked. "What are you doing here?"

Thinking as fast as his name implied, QuickSilver replied in his voice of honey, "I am an emissary of King Errol of Mustillidae. We are searching for the kidnapped Queen Olivia. We came upon you, good Unicorn," and he bowed for effect, "lying insensate. Would you happen to have seen our beloved, lost Queen?"

Not thinking too clearly yet, Kathy winced as she drew her feet under herself. "Yeah... she's about a half-mile up the canyon. She's not kidnapped. Not technically. Things got hairy and we just sort of brought her along for the ride. She's got some chipmunks with her. Can you guys make sure they get to safety?"

QuickSilver smiled with all his big, square teeth. "Why, certainly, good Unicorn! Consider them rescued!"

"Good," Kathy said, painfully clambering to her feet. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a dragon to catch."

QuickSilver and Blackfoot watched as the Unicorn turned and squatted back on her haunches, and disappeared down the scree slope in a great cloud of dust and screams.

"That is one strange Unicorn," observed Blackfoot.

"Never mind her. We've got to find Queen Olivia," QuickSilver said sharply, and added with a chuckle, "or should I say, our hostages!"

Blackfoot looked in horror at the donkey. "Please tell me you're joking?!"

QuickSilver's large eyes became evil with glee. "There's no bells on these ears now, are there? Come on, up on my back; there's not a moment to waste!"

Blackfoot hesitated. QuickSilver leaned close and hissed, "In for a penny, in for a pound, boy! They can only hang you once. And if I succeed, you won't hang at all!"

Reluctantly, the ferret scrambled up onto the donkey's back, and QuickSilver, sliping once more into the bracelet, uttered an arcane phrase, and cleared the top of the cliff in a single magical bound.

~~~~~~~~~~~{ While Down in the Canyon }~~~~~~~~~~~

Stan suddenly drew his head down into his paws, and uttered a great, agonized roar. The stone on his brow radiated shimmering rays of light. He looked angrily around. "Now wait just a minute!" he snarled.
"WHO STOLE MY UNICORN?!!"

-page oo49-
written by Nightstar.

Copyright and Credit:
  · Florence from "Freefall" © Mark Stanley.
  · Magic Gardener © Hortmage.
  · Jeanette © Jeanette Isabelle.
  · Kathy from "Carry On" © Kathy Garrison.
  · Kamida © Guest #1.
  · ToraKiyoshi - Writer.
  · Tiger_T. - Writer.
  · White Pony from "Cross Time Cafe" © S.Kidwell.
Return to Top of Page