Unicorn Sacrifices

  ***

  Kolay’sha thought about this statement for a moment and then, turning her gaze back across the river, her mind began trying to interpret his words and meaning, wanting to ask him more about what he had said but when she turned to face the unicorn armed with a question, she saw that he was gone, leaving a number of branches waving wildly in the bushes as he had retraced his steps back toward his wife and the squirrels.

  “Kolay’sha!” Shavat’s voice called out from somewhere far within the tree line.

  Turning her body, she began moving back into the tree line and almost immediately she was amongst the dim light of the canopy within the smell of thick and burning smoke. She felt her eyes burn a little as she moved forward, turning her path so that she walked toward the distinct shape of Shavat’etun. Halting before him, she brought down her second set of lens coverings that helped protect her vision when she was flying in pouring rain. This action brought immediate relief from the stinging smoke and she dwelt on the release of that small discomfort. ‘I wish it would be so easy to remove the discomfort that I carry when I think about carrying the female unicorn and her unborn child.’

  “The humans are gathering on the other side of the firewall, they are waiting for the moment that the barrier fails and then they will rush through. We need to be going soon,” Shavat said.

  Kolay’sha nodded, scanning along the firewall and seeing that it looked to be strong for a while longer and then, realising this, she thought ‘I am glad that the humans do not have a source of water with which to try to douse the flames.’

  “Do you feel all right?” Shavat asked, trying not to sound too concerned.

  Kolay’sha felt as though he knew that she had been sick and was unsure of what to reply and the only words that came from her mouth were, “All this killing; it makes me feel sick!”

  “You would not be a true dragon if you did not feel that way,” Shavat’etun replied; his gaze firmly fixed upon the firewall ahead of him.

  Nodding, thinking of this, her eyes continued peering through the smoke with her eyes beginning to sting once more from the effects of the smoke, watering and blurring her vision. ‘I wish I could have kept my rain lens covering in place but it distorts images a little and I cannot risk not being able to see everything around us while we are fighting the humans in the area. I hope that Shavat believes my eyes are this way because of the smoke,’ she thought to herself; fearful that she could be displaying a sign of weakness at a time when weakness would be a useless commodity.

  A violent explosion erupted from the far side of the fire barrier, obviously from within that the humans would be planning and readying themselves for another attack when the firewall showed signs of weakness. Screams echoed through the burning trees and smoke and it was clear that a number of humans had been very close to the source of the explosion. Trying to envision what kind of weapon the humans were trying to use that was obviously difficult for them to aim and then she thought, ‘Perhaps the weapon is meant to be used in open terrain and the smoke and trees are what is causing them problems when they try to aim their device.’

  “What is this weapon that they use upon themselves?” whispered Kolay’sha; completely mystified by the damage that the humans appeared to be doing to themselves. She thought of the human that she had encountered with the strange metallic device in his hand and of the way that his body twisted and contorted, seeming to change shape, as it went through its death throes.

  “I do not believe that it is a weapon of the humans,” stated Shavat’etun, “And soon we will have our proof!”

  Kolay’sha looked at Shavat, puzzled by his statement, asking, “What do you mean?”

  “Wait, watch ahead; follow where I gaze,” Shavat replied.

  Kolay’sha was about to ask another question and then thought better of it. Looking at Shavat and, following his gaze, she too stared in the same direction trying to see what was of such interest to Shavat but all she could see were swirling wisps of smoke, some not even trying to reach high into the canopy it seemed and, within the smoke, she could see the glowing of fires that burned, holding the humans at bay. ‘What am I looking for?’

  There was an eerie silence around the smoky forest with even the humans appearing to be silent, awaiting their moment to attack once again. Staring into the smoke, allowing the serenity to swim over her, she was letting herself escape a little from the deadly pallor of the battle that had been and would surely come again. She wished that the sun would just break from the clouds, allowing them to flee this area, leaving the humans and battle behind.

  FLASH! BANG!

  Another explosion occurred, directly ahead of her, momentarily blinding her as she turned her head while the sound of the detonation echoed around the forest.

  “I knew it!” said Shavat, “It is not a human weapon that is attacking the humans; it is a dragon weapon!”

  “What?” Kolay’sha replied, her eyes searching the forest and looking for signs of the other dragons that Shavat appeared to be referring to. ‘Where are these other dragons that Shavat believes are there? Why do they not make themselves known to us?’

  “It is you, Kolay’sha,” Shavat shouted, elation in his voice, “It is you!”

  “What do you mean?” Kolay’sha asked, completely puzzled by the words of Shavat, fearing that the strain of this battle had not only left a mark upon her!

  “Do you not see?” Shavat asked, “The explosions all occur where you had previously shot a fireball! It took me a while to make the connection but now I have my proof!” There was obvious excitement in Shavat’s voice and, although it was contagious, she could not share his apparent joy completely for she did not know what the cause of his excitement was.

  “I have been giving it some thought,” began Shavat, “when I first noticed that the weapon proved to only be attacking the humans and, while I was waiting for proof, I began to try to work out how it could be…”

  “Another hypothesis?” Kolay’sha laughed, trying to bring humour into the strange conversation.

  “Yes, yes, another hypothesis,” said Shavat, pausing for a moment before saying, “But with this hypothesis I am sure that I am right! The black sphere has affected you in ways that we do not know and, somehow, the effects have all been beneficial as far as I can determine. There is a change in your chemistry that makes your fireballs different!”

  “What do you mean?” Kolay’sha asked, feeling nervous by the excitement in Shavat’s voice and his linking another strange phenomenon to her being. With her mind returning to the strange, abandoned alien city within the Bay of Atleenia, she began thinking about the strange black sphere that was there and how she had spent so much time close to the sphere, seeming to be drawn to it because it seemed to be the only part of the city that was still, somehow, intact and still seemed, somehow, alive with energy. ‘Could the sphere have affected me? Was I risking putting myself in that much danger because of the number of times I visited that dead, alien construction?’

  “The fireballs you hurl are very powerful,” began Shavat, interrupting her thoughts, “But I only noticed this when the humans first attacked. I have also noticed that they burn for far longer, only slowly diminishing in power and, eventually, something happens that causes the fireball to explode.

  This is the part I cannot work out correctly but I imagine that, for whatever reason, the core of your fireball contains another element and this element reacts to exposure to the air. When you fire your fireball the core is held trapped within the fireball itself but as the fireball burns, eventually the core is exposed, reacting with the air, and BANG!” There was excitement written all over Shavat’s face.

  “Bang?” Kolay’sha repeated.

  “Yes, bang!” Shavat repeated, “I know there are chemicals that react upon exposure to air and I believe that, somehow, your body is producing these chemicals and probably has to ensure that this chemical is kept away from exposure to air while within you. When you fire the fireba
ll, some of this element is encased by the fireball, to allow it safe passage into the air, otherwise…”

  “Otherwise… What?” Kolay’sha asked, noting that Shavat did not complete his sentence.

  “Otherwise,” said Shavat, slowly, “It would explode while within you!”

  Kolay’sha was stunned into silence. ‘I have listened to many of Shavat’s theories in the past but this one seems absurd, even by Shavat’s standards, even though I have no doubt that he believes it to be true.’

  The noise of the humans grew louder on the far side of the fire barrier and Kolay’sha looked along the smoking line, noting the places where fires burnt stronger, looking to see if any place appeared to be weakening, but she saw none.

  “Notice how the fires burn, Kolay’sha,” stated Shavat’etun, “The fires do not spread easily to the trees themselves. In fact, the burning flames all appear to emanate from where your fireballs have landed, or splashed against.”

  “There are areas where flames have taken over the trees and the trees now burn!” Kolay’sha replied.

  “Yes, I have seen them, and,” Shavat paused, his head peering through the smoke, trying to locate such an example, “I am of the opinion that these are my fireballs. They have ignited the wood of the trees, but the flames do not climb so easily into the higher extremities of the upper branches because the rain water is keeping those areas wet!”

  Remaining silent, she stared into the smoke, noting that her eyes had grown accustomed and no longer stung through its irritation. ‘This is becoming too much. First I have to carry the female unicorn that is with child and now Shavat wants me to believe that my fireballs are different from those of all other dragons… and this is all happening while we are in a battle with the humans!’

  “Kolay’sha?” asked Shavat’etun, “I have a plan, and I think it is something that has to be done!”

  Turning to face Shavat, noting the distant boom of another explosion out amongst the humans, followed by a series of cries and curses, and she saw his gaze held steadily on hers, the deformities on the side of his face seeming somehow subdued and less raised due to the strange semi-darkness that existed around them.

  “There are two problems that we have to cope with at this time, excluding the issue with carrying the unicorn’s across the river. We have an army of humans that is too big for us to be able to deal with and we also have the worry that humans will know that dragons exist in this area and they may begin to search the area until, perhaps, they discover Heart!” Shavat’etun paused.

  Thinking of Heart, the last great hidden sanctuary of the dragons, she was immediately fearful for the dragons being discovered because the humans might carry out such a search and locate the entrances to Heart on the cliff faces of the Bay of Atleenia. ‘If Heart is discovered then it will be mine and Shavat’s fault for alerting the humans to the presence of dragons in this area…’

  Concentrating on Shavat’s face and waiting for what he would say next, she could see his mind was turning over thoughts, looking at the problems that they were facing. Kolay’sha could clearly see Shavat working his way through a scenario within his head, and so she remained quiet, allowing Shavat to continue concentrating on his mental chores.

  After a few moments, Shavat’etun spoke, “The wind and rain is still quite strong but is it enough to prevent us flying without having to carry the unicorns?”

  “No,” replied Kolay’sha, “but we have sworn to assist the unicorns. We cannot simply leave them behind!”

  “I do not intend to leave them behind. I am thinking of a flight on our own first,” Shavat said, looking directly into Kolay’sha’s eyes.

  “I presume it is connected to the plan that you have been working on,” Kolay’sha said, her eyes leaving Shavat’s eyes and peering into the smoke filled forest of angry humans to her left.

 

  03 - Judges III - Circle of Flame

  “I believe that the humans are all congregating on the far side of the fire barrier, awaiting the chance to break through. As time has gone past, I have noted more and more human voices as they gather themselves together, preparing to pour through the first part of the fire barrier that fails.

  I propose that we fly out, go beyond the humans and then land, whereupon we will start another fire behind them, encircling them. If fortune should favour us, we should be able to remove the human threat and ensure that no humans come searching for dragons in this area.

  For a change, it will be the humans that are caught in a trap!” Shavat’etun finished speaking, waiting patiently for Kolay’sha to reply.

  Thinking about what Shavat had said Kolay’sha was feeling that it would appear to be a waste of energies, and that, ‘It would be better to wait for the lull in the weather and then move the unicorns across the river.’

  A sound caught Kolay’sha’s attention and she turned her head, looking into the trees, but the smoke that hung in the air made it difficult to see anything. The sound came again, and she definitely believed it to be the sound of something striking wood.

  Kolay’sha now noted that Shavat was also peering into the trees and smoke, trying to determine the source of the noise. After a few moments, the sound came again and, looking in the direction of a nearby tree, they were able to make out the shape of an arrow embedded within the tree trunk.

  “It appears that our human friends are getting a little impatient,” Shavat’etun said with a mixture of sarcasm and humour in his voice.

  “They must be just blindly firing into the trees, hoping that some get through and cause us injury,” Kolay’sha replied, adding, “And I have no doubt that some may make it this far.”

  “I agree, let us move further back, away from any danger,” Shavat’etun replied as he turned and began to move in the direction of the river. “If the weather is calm enough, we will take that flight!” he said, matter-of-factly.

  Kolay’sha followed, noting the sound of another arrow embedding itself into a tree trunk not too far away. The arrows would not do a great deal of damage to her armoured skin but an unlucky shot could certainly take out an eye and, with that thought, Kolay’sha increased her speed.

  Catching up with Shavat, she said, “How can you be sure that we will have enough fireballs to create another firewall behind the humans?”

  “I cannot be sure, but we have rested a little and neither of us came near to using up all of our available resources earlier,” Shavat replied, and then turning to move to the right, he added, “I will tell the unicorns of what we are to do.”

  Kolay’sha nodded, continuing forward until she reached the clearing beside the river. There was only a light rain in the air and, surveying the clouds overhead, she noted that the clouds were not dark and that the winds were blowing them rapidly across the sky. ‘I believe that the storm is all but over,’ she thought to herself.

  She stood listening to the river, breathing in the clean air, awaiting Shavat’s return. ‘I wonder if the humans have worked out that the reason that we are still here and have not flown to safety is because there is something here that is important to us and which has to be protected?’

  The turbulent river continued streaming past her, carrying fallen branches that dipped and rose within the water. She listened hard and, from within the woods, she could hear the murmurs of many human voices. She searched for the sounds of arrows striking wood but none came, though she was sure that the humans would still be firing their weapons and hoping to inflict some damage upon them.

  Seeing Shavat emerging from the tree line, she studied his face as he began to move toward her.

  “The storm is all but over,” he said, “We should have no problems flying to the rear of the humans and, as long as we find a clearing, we should be able to land and create the fire barrier behind them.”

  “We had best be quick in case the firewall here weakens and the humans get through to the unicorns,” Kolay’sha said.

  Without replying, Shavat’etun began to run
across the clearing, beside the river, extending his wings.

  Kolay’sha turned, also beginning to run, following a little way behind him. Extending her wings, she began beating the air and then, just after Shavat had done so, she too leapt into the air, pulling away from the ground and rising upwards. She banked heavily to the left, once they were both above the treetops, and began flying across the forest. They beat their wings slowly so that no sound would betray them and tell the humans of where they were. Gliding as much as she could, Kolay’sha swept from side to side as she began searching for any indication of a clearing in the distance. ‘There is a chance that we may land amidst a group of humans and, if we do, it will be no easy task to try and get airborne while the humans attack us.’

  On her right side, she could see Shavat doing the same manoeuvre as herself. The flight seemed to be going on too long and if they could not land soon, Kolay’sha thought that there would be no point in landing, ‘As it would take us quite a time to walk back through the forest and start our second firewall behind the humans and, by that time, they may have breached our firewall and have slain the unicorns.’ Not feeling that what they were attempting was the right thing to be doing at this time, she was about to suggest to Shavat that they return to the unicorns and maintain their existing firewall, when Shavat suddenly called out to her.

  “Kolay’sha!” Shavat shouted, banking to his right and sweeping around in a slow arc.

  Following Shavat and seeing him heading toward a small opening in the forest canopy, she lined herself up to glide in for a landing. She followed along behind Shavat, flying just above the treetops, and was startled when Shavat suddenly dipped downwards, and was suddenly gone from sight. She grew panicky and fearful as the tops of the trees were almost close enough to touch her underside as she soared above them. Suddenly, the opening in the canopy was upon her and then in reaction and with a flurry of wings beating forwards, she slowed her flight to almost a standstill before falling down through the small opening in the treetops. She saw a flash of green and then brown, as she plummeted toward the floor, landing with a jolt amongst a large group of bushes.

  “Ssshhhh!” Shavat said.

  Kolay’sha held herself still, feeling the bushes that she had crushed beneath her. She strained her ears to listen but, other than the complaining flattened bushes around her, she heard nothing.

  “What is it?” Kolay’sha whispered, turning her head to face Shavat, who was side on to her.

  “We have to be certain that no humans have detected our landing here, as it is going to be difficult to get back out of here,” Shavat replied.

  Lifting her head, she could now see how small the opening was that the two of them had dropped through. It would be very difficult to get back up through the gap; not impossible, but very difficult. She remained quiet and unmoving, listening for any sounds of the humans but she could hear none and, eventually, Shavat turned to her and said, “I think we are safe here, we will need to remember this place so that we can find it quickly and get out of here again.”

  Kolay’sha nodded and moving slowly forward, she moved out from the bushes until she was standing amongst the trees of the forest.

  “We will work together using a mixture of our fireballs and, if all goes well, then the humans will be trapped within a circle of fire that they will not be able to escape,” Shavat said, moving to stand close to Kolay’sha.

  Kolay’sha stared at Shavat for a moment, noticing that the dim light of the forest hid his scars quite well. Suddenly, feeling as though she were staring, she looked away. “Where shall we start?” she asked.

  “We will start here,” Shavat said, his throat already agitating the molten heat that he carried within his body.

  As Kolay’sha looked ahead, trying to see the best place to aim a fireball, she saw a fireball hurtle from Shavat and go racing through the trees. The fireball struck a tree, splashing its deadly cargo across the tree and the ground nearby, immediately beginning to burn into the wood. Kolay’sha prepared her first fireball and hurled it in the same general direction of Shavat’s, noting that Shavat had already fired another fireball and was beginning to walk slowly to his left, his head turned to the right, staring in the direction that he wished to fire fireballs.

  Kolay’sha did the same, walking slowly and shooting fireballs. Soon, the air around them was full with the sound of ‘crackling’ as flames began to take hold of trees and upper branches.

  “The ground is much drier here,” Shavat said, “and this will help us greatly.”

  Shooting fireball after fireball, she did as Shavat had requested and soon the two had increased their pace and were making fast progress in their task. After a long walk and having exerted the energies needed to fire so many fireballs, Shavat eventually said, “I think we have come far enough in this direction, let us follow the fire line back and extend our barrier beyond the clearing in which we landed.”

  Taking the lead as the two began heading back, Kolay’sha was tracing their way along the fire barrier that they had created, noting that the trees were burning a lot easier than the ones they had used to create their first fire barrier.

  There was a sudden huge explosion, which erupted and startled Kolay’sha and, as its boom faded away, she heard Shavat say, “That will be one of yours and I have no doubt that the humans will have heard it clearly. We must make haste!”

  Kolay’sha began to run, noticing the thick smoke beginning to billow on her left and, with Shavat racing along behind her, she began agitating her throat, getting ready to begin hurling more flames and fire into the next section of trees. As soon as the smoke on the left of her began to decease, Kolay’sha began to hurl fireballs into the trees and, hearing him moving along behind her, she knew that Shavat was doing the same. The trees were thicker in this part of the forest and Kolay’sha had to weave a path amongst them, always trying to maintain a steady direction across this part of the forest. Explosions were echoing and booming within the forests behind them and, eventually, she stood still, believing that she had gone as far as she thought they needed to. Kolay’sha glanced around the trees and then turned to face Shavat, breathless.

  “Do we need to go further?” Kolay’sha asked.

  Shavat looked at the forest to their left and then back along the smoking path that they had created, then back at Kolay’sha. He shook his head.

  Shavat began to turn, awkward in the densely growing trees and, seeing him do this, Kolay’sha began to try to turn around herself. It proved to be a difficult chore and Kolay’sha had to manoeuvre her bulk backwards on a number of occasions to ensure that she could turn her body a little within the confined spaces available to her. When she had finished and looked up, she saw Shavat’s back and his neck turned to the side, his eyes upon her.

  “Are we ready?” Shavat asked, smiling broadly.

  Nodding, Kolay’sha smiled and, as Shavat began to move forward, increasing his speed as best as he could amidst the closely packed trees, Kolay’sha followed behind, keeping to the same path that he chose to weave amongst the tree trunks.

  The forest was fast becoming thick with smoke and it was easy to see brighter areas where fires burnt deeper in the forest and, for the first time, Kolay’sha could feel the heat that blew as a hot breeze, stifling the air and making it difficult to breathe. At times, Shavat’s shape would vanish into a haze of smoke and Kolay’sha had no choice but to plunge into the darkness of the smoke, running quicker, dodging trees, trying to get a glimpse of Shavat. On one occasion, Shavat had halted completely to allow Kolay’sha to catch up and, as she had plunged into another whirling haze of smoke, she had almost crashed into him. Shavat had laughed at this and when he did Kolay’sha felt some of the fears leave her. Only when they had begun to race back along their firewall had she realised what they were doing, how dangerous it was and the fact that if things went terribly wrong then she may never see her mother or Pearl again!

  This small laughter broke this hold of dread
and, as Shavat began to move forward again, Kolay’sha kept close behind him, only ever losing sight of him for the merest of moments.

  Eventually, Shavat began to move to his left, away from the firewall, and she knew that he was searching for the opening that would get them out of this part of the forest. Beginning to panic because they had walked around for a little while without finding the clearing from which they had descended into the forest, Kolay’sha began growing fearful for the safety of the unicorns. With their eyes still seeking out a patch of forest that showed light to be streaming in through the missing canopy overhead they would have missed it completely had they not felt rain falling upon them. The clearing did not contain streaming light as they had expected but instead, the smoke that was building up within the forest was using the clearing as a funnel to sweep out of the trees and climb into the air.

  “This is going to be difficult!” Shavat shouted, “The smoke makes it difficult to see the trees. We can only hope to fly up straight through the smoke. Use your wingtips to gauge how close you get to any of the branches but, whatever you do, take your time. If you adjust your flight too quickly you may strike a tree and come crashing down and, if a wing is damaged, there may be no way out of here for I fear that this fire we have started is taking hold and will not stop for anything!”

  With her heart pounding, Kolay’sha nodded and, as she did so, she saw Shavat begin to back away from her; his shape being swallowed up by the smoke racing in around him. She could hear the crackling of wood and timber from various areas around her, she could feel the heat of the fire, and she could see its eerie glow within the thickness of the billowing and writhing smoke. Kolay’sha realised that Shavat, by backing away, was indicating to her that she was to fly first. There was no time to waste and, rather than argue, she moved around, trying to locate the clump of bushes that she had originally landed upon when she had first come down through the canopy.

  Satisfied that she had located the same clump, Kolay’sha raised herself on her hind legs and began to beat her wings. The smoke swirled and danced around her as her wings drove the smoke in paths it would not itself have chosen. She beat her wings for a few moments, sweeping them harder and harder, feeling for the slightest hint of trees hidden within the smoke and, when she was sure that she was not too near the trees, Kolay’sha changed the angle of her wings and began to force the smoke and wind back below her as her wings pushed downwards hard.

  She knew that she was rising, but she had no visual indication to prove that to herself. All she could be sure of was that her feet had left the leaves and soil of the forest below. She beat her wings in a grey darkness for what seemed like an eternity and, at a point when she felt that she wanted to give up and, feeling that she would never escape this grey swirling prison, there came lightness around her. She felt the presence of a strong breeze that, because it tried to force her in one direction, made her instinctively fight back against it.

  Kolay’sha flew forward, just above the tree line and was finally free of the grey cloak that had kept her unknowing of her surroundings during her climb back into the sky. She pushed her wings harder and angled so that she rose only a little higher into the air and, moving rapidly forward, she welcomed the green of the treetops as they raced along beneath her, and she welcomed the clean air that raced into her lungs.

  Flying in an arc, she turned until she could see the plume of smoke rising thickly from the clearing, billowing up into the sky, whilst the winds ripped and tore it to shreds as it moved higher into the atmosphere. Her eyes searched for Shavat, but she could see no indication of his ascent up through the smoke. She flew in nearer, her eyes peering into the smoky plume, looking for any indication that Shavat was rising to meet her but, of Shavat, there was no sign and Kolay’sha flew in closer to the smoky plume, but careful not to enter in case she did collide with Shavat rising up through the smoky plume. Banking away, turning her head to the left, she was watching the smoke and seeing only the smoke. Kolay’sha became fearful for Shavat and, banking around to the left, she flew a tight circle, bringing her back in line with the plume of grey, dancing smoke.

  “Shavat!” Kolay’sha called out, wishing upon wish that he would reply, but there was no reply.

  Back-flapping her wings as she neared the plume, she tried to maintain a steady position in the air; anchoring herself just above the tree tops and peering down into the grey, dancing finger that pointed up out of the forest. The wind that she channelled through the air whilst she beat her wings took hold of the smoke and pushed it faster into dispersal, but still she could still see no sign of Shavat.

  Kolay’sha was fearful. ‘What if the humans had come and caught him upon the ground?’ Her mind raced, ‘Should I try to land back in the clearing, should I remain where I am, should I go to the aid of the unicorns?’

  She knew that, if she tried to land in the small clearing, there was every chance that she may collide with Shavat as he was ascending from the forest floor. And then, even as she wrestled with these questions, she saw a darker shape within the grey, she saw it move independently of the smoke and yet within the smoke. Relief swept over her as she recognised the figure of Shavat, rising up from the ashes of the fire-ridden forest below.

  Kolay’sha banked to the right, moving out of the way of the rising figure of Shavat and as she came around in a circle once again she clearly saw Shavat begin to move forward and out of the smoke, and then quickly out over the green canopy of the forest, which now held a film of smoke leaking out from the tops of all the nearby trees. She knew that their firewall had taken firm hold and that they would soon see the fire to be raging even amongst the top branches of the treetops.

  “It took me two attempts to get out of there,” shouted Shavat’etun as he rose a little higher, trying to get a bearing on the direction that they needed to take to head back to the unicorns.

  Kolay’sha came along beside him, saying, “I think the fire has taken hold very strongly here.”

  Shavat’etun looked down at the canopy, only now seeing the dark smoke beginning to leak and belch from amongst the leaves and branches of the canopy.

  “It is terrible what we do,” Shavat’etun began, “but we do not have any choice in the matter. To stand and fight the humans would surely result in us being overrun and the possibility that the humans may begin to search for more dragons in the area and, if they found Heart, they would surely destroy all the dragons there!”

  Kolay’sha did not reply; she thought about the strange human that she had saw, the one whose very appearance began to change in front of her eyes. She knew that she must have seen one of the aliens from the ruined city and, once they were with Koreejus, she would tell them what she had seen and let the others decide for themselves. ‘Perhaps,’ Kolay’sha thought to herself, ‘none of the ones within the trees below were real humans; perhaps they were all aliens!’

  Shavat, calling to her, interrupted her thoughts. “Move apart; we will shoot fireballs into the forest as we fly back and, hopefully, some will get through and cause more chaos for the evil ones!”

  Kolay’sha began to bank away from Shavat and, after a few moments, she returned to her previous heading, noting that Shavat had done the same. Shavat began to hurl fireballs towards the canopy and Kolay’sha prepared her throat to do the same. Hurling a fireball downwards, watching it strike the green canopy and then appear to melt through the treetop as it fell downwards into the forest interior. As she fired again, she could hear the shouts of the humans below and she could picture them running around in terror, trying to escape the raging fire. Then, her mind went out to the creatures that lived in the forest as she noted a flock of birds ascending into the skies ahead and to her left. She hoped that the small creatures of the land would be able to make an escape, if they had not already done so.

  Kolay’sha continued to hurl fireballs until she saw the end of the treetops showing the cut in the great forest where the river ran through it. She did not want to cause a
ny harm to the unicorns that were somewhere below her and, turning her head, she noted that Shavat had done the same. Kolay’sha ceased firing any more fireballs, feeling that, inside, she did not have much sulphur readily available; she knew that she had used most of her supply and would have to have some time to revitalise herself.

  Beginning to angle her flight a little back toward Shavat, she was ensuring that when they came in to land they would be close together just in case there were any humans that had managed to get through the firewall that they had left burning in this part of the forest. A thick smoke rolled out from the tree line, partly obscuring the clearing that lay between the trees and river, making her fearful for the unicorns; ‘Had the fire travelled too quickly in this direction?’ Looking toward Shavat, he saw her glancing back at her and then she nodded to an area of clearing that was to her left, and which was partially free from smoke and looked to be a safe place for them to land; Shavat nodded his agreement.

  Swinging to the left and seeing the tree line vanish from below her, Kolay’sha began back-flapping her wings, reducing her wind speed and preparing herself for a landing. The ground rushed up to greet her, throwing a shower of smoke around her just before her tail touched earth and she allowed herself to drop the last small distance to the ground. No sooner had she touched the ground, and even before she could turn to check on Shavat’etun’s approach and landing, and she was confronted by a human who came running out of a wall of smoke, heading directly toward her. Kolay’sha froze; for this was a sight that she had not expected to see here and, as the human saw and registered the beast before him, Kolay’sha realised that the humans had gone beyond their firewall and into the river so that they could get around the heat barrier that stood in their path. Kolay’sha immediately lowered her head, stretching her neck, and blasted a fireball at the amazed human. The was nothing remaining of the human as the fireball struck him, picking him up, and then continued charging with its human cargo into the smoke that the human had emerged from.

  “Humans!” Kolay’sha shouted, hearing the heavy bulk of Shavat behind her as he landed.

  She was about to stand her ground, waiting for another human to come running from the smoke, when she heard the voice of Shavat’etun.

  “The unicorns,” shouted Shavat, his huge feet clawing up soil, rocks, and anything else that lay upon the clearing floor as he turned and began heading back along the tree line; toward the place where the unicorns were in hiding.

  Kolay’sha, realising that Shavat was concerned that other humans had already come this way, turned her own body around and made off after the shape of Shavat as his shadowy figure moved ahead of her, occasionally swallowed up by a bilge of smoke that bellowed from the tree line. Looking past where Shavat was running, she recognised a group of rocks close to the river and she was sure that it was the place where she had spoken with the male unicorn earlier. She was about to call out to Shavat, but noticed that he had already turned and was moving into the tree line. Kolay’sha turned to follow, immediately seeing the thick smoke swallow him up and aware of the crackling of wood burning within scattered fires as she, herself, plunged into the tree line. The smoke made her eyes sting and caused them to water profusely. She was aware of shouting from somewhere ahead and to her left; they were human voices but she could not tell the number. Kolay’sha moved cautiously in that direction, trying to get a glimpse of Shavat’s figure within the smoke. A human scream came from a little way ahead of her and Kolay’sha increased her pace, almost running into the back of Shavat.

  “There are humans in this area!” shouted Shavat, as Kolay’sha moved alongside him.

  “Kolay’sha, Shavat! We are this way,” came the voice of one of the unicorns but, in the murmuring of the fires and the callings of scattered humans, it was hard for Kolay’sha to tell whether it was the male or female unicorn who had called out to them.

  Simultaneously, she and Shavat moved forward, wary for any sudden attack by humans within the smoke, though knowing it would be difficult for the humans to see them within the swirling, blanketing smoke that lay all around. Kolay’sha and Shavat had to move into the bushes where they had last seen the unicorns, and then through to the other side.

  “Laranki, where are you?” Kolay’sha called out to her murky surroundings.

  As she awaited a reply, she noted Shavat turn his head to the side and expel a fireball and, though she never heard a scream or shout, she knew that there was one human less. There would also be the start of another fire and this could also prove to be dangerous to the unicorns themselves. She moved forward, moving a little toward the left as she heard a reply from the male unicorn.

  “We are over here!” Laranki’s voice called out.

  Kolay’sha and Shavat came upon another cluster of bushes and, moving slowly, they moved into them.

  “We can see you!” Soreecilor, the female unicorn, called out.

  Kolay’sha and Shavat halted, for fear of stumbling upon the unicorns whilst moving through the smoke.

  “Are there any humans nearby?” Kolay’sha called.

  “There was one, but he is no longer a concern to us,” the voice of the male unicorn, Laranki, replied.

  The smoke in front of Kolay’sha swirled in a breeze, revealing the figures of the two unicorns standing facing them. A movement to her right caused Kolay’sha to glance toward it and she saw a human lying upon the floor, his hands clutching his stomach. His eyes stared upwards in blind fear at the two dragons that stood before him.

  “Leave him be,” said Laranki, “he has nowhere to run that will get him out of this inferno that you have created!”

  Smoke blew across the eyes of Kolay’sha, obscuring the unicorns for a moment, and then Shavat’s voice came from beside her. “We shall head back to the clearing beside the river. We can take care of any humans that come our way.”

 

  04 - Judges IV - Friends Lost and Friends Saved

  Kolay’sha felt Shavat begin to move forward, turning to his left, and she did the same. They moved slowly, knowing that the unicorns were close by. They were all walking in the same direction and Kolay’sha did not wish to cause any accidental injury to the beasts. Moving into the clearing, the majority of the thick smoke that hung around her began to peel away, as the clean breeze that rushed along beside the river ravaged it into wisps and spirited it away into the sky.

  Turning to her right, Kolay’sha saw the figures of the two unicorns clearly. The male had a dark patch upon his face centred just below his horn and she knew how the human had come to be lying upon the ground clutching his stomach. The two unicorns did not look so white anymore; dirt and smoke had coloured their beautiful white coats that had been so evident at their first meeting. From around the rear of the female unicorn the two squirrels appeared, both coughing and obviously suffering the effects of the smoke more so than the others.

  “It is best you get us across the river as soon as possible. We do not need to remain here to destroy the last of that vile enemy; the fire will do that job for us,” Laranki stated, turning his head to look across the fast flowing river. “This river is very deep and running fast. The humans will have no chance of crossing it or surviving within it.”

  Kolay’sha looked toward the river, noting a number of pieces of branches rising and falling within the flow as they were carried away to be deposited in some new place where they could continue to decay.

  Turning, as Shavat blew out a long blast of air from his throat, Kolay’sha was about to speak but the air was suddenly awash with the sounds of human shouts. Turning around to face the direction of the voices, Kolay’sha saw a number of humans in the clearing, their red cloth adornments looking so much more evil in the light of day. Some of the humans were running toward the tree line, using the smoke as cover whilst other crouched down upon the ground, placing arrows into bows, getting ready to begin their attack.

  From beside her, Shavat fired a fireball which crashed amongst a group of the hu
mans just after they leapt aside. Shavat shouted, “Quickly, take one of the unicorns and get across the river. I will hold them back, but be quick, Kolay’sha, for I do not know how many more may come this way!”

  Kolay’sha’s heart leapt into her throat, for this was the moment that she had been dreading since first encountering the unicorns. Arrows began to strike at her and at the ground where they did no damage, but she knew that should the arrows strike the unicorns or the squirrels then the likelihood was that the damage would be fatal; if not immediately, then at a later time.

  Turning back to face the unicorns, an arrow struck her neck and glanced off but not before it had ripped a tear in her skin. Kolay’sha grimaced in pain, knowing that the damage could have been far more serious if it had landed a little further up her neck, where her scales were softer. As she raised her neck, turning her head to try and see where the arrow had come from, because the arrows force suggested that the human who fired it was close by, Kolay’sha became aware that Laranki suddenly bolted, running toward the tree line a little way behind her. He flashed across her path and was swallowed up by smoke as the female unicorn’s voice called out after him. Kolay’sha spun her whole body in the direction of the place where the unicorn had vanished into the smoke ridden tree line.

  Suddenly, Laranki came back into view, his walking a little unsteady; he was shaking his head, obviously trying to remove another noxious mass of human blood from his face. The female unicorn raced up to him, and began rubbing her neck against the side of his face.

  “Get the unicorn across the river,” shouted Shavat and, lifting her head, Kolay’sha saw Shavat shoot forth another fireball, this time firing it toward the tree line itself.

  “I cannot leave you,” shouted Kolay’sha, as she moved toward him, “We both must leave together!” And, before Shavat could reply, Kolay’sha shot a fireball down the clearing, agitating her throat and firing another toward the tree line. “Make a small barrier here so that we have time to escape,” Kolay’sha shouted.

  Shavat called out, “Unicorns, get ready by the riverside, we will set up a defence against the humans and then we will run and take hold of you. Be ready for when we turn toward you!”

  Kolay’sha fired another flame-ball, watching it crash to the ground ahead of her, erupting in bright light and scattering flaming debris around, which continued to burn violently. From beside her, Shavat began to shoot fireballs and soon the clearing in the direction that they faced was a complete wall of burning flame.

  The two turned and began to fire more into the tree line, as arrows were still being shot from amongst the hidden trees, and in their direction. Occasionally, they had heard the stifled choking of humans as they tried to hide the sound of their coughs so as not to give away their position. Kolay’sha and Shavat continued to slam fireballs into the trees, aware of a vast wave of heat that was beginning to creep upon them. The smoke was growing thicker and it was hard to tell if there were more humans further along the clearing, hidden behind their firewall.

  “Get ready, unicorns,” shouted Shavat, as he began to turn his huge bulk. Kolay’sha did the same, shocked to see the amount of smoke that billowed out from the tree line and, glancing overhead, she could see a huge, black plume of smoke, almost as wide as the horizon itself.

  Shavat raced forward, stopped, and reared up on his hind legs, the male unicorn began quickly moving toward him, instinctively turning sideways on to Shavat. Shavat leaned a little forward, his clawed forelegs stretching down and tucking themselves beneath the middle of the unicorn. He began to beat his wings, driving the smoke away from around him, preparing to carry the beast skyward.

  Something shot across Kolay’sha’s vision and, instinctively, she knew that still at least one human was hidden close by within the tree line, and still firing his arrows. Sweeping her head around to the right, she fired a flame-ball into the tree line, watching in satisfaction as molten rock and sulphur scattered through the air, before plunging into the dense smoke. She heard a petrified scream and knew that at least some of her flame-ball had struck a human target. The area of smoke that she watched suddenly erupted, giving birth to the tattered and struggling figure of a human as he fell forward onto the clearing floor. He lay still and face down; small flames licking the air from the cloth he wore upon right shoulder. She stared a moment, waiting to see if he should try to stand and fire a weapon of some type toward herself or the others. The human’s outstretched arm twitched for a moment and then was still; a sudden draught caused smoke to billow out from the tree line, obscuring his evil form.

  Sounds came to Kolay’sha, as she realised that she had been watching the human as if in a trance. The crackling, burning wood was louder and there were faint cries from within the trees. From further down the clearing there came an explosion as one of her fireballs detonated, scattering its deadly cargo around the area.

  “Kolay’sha! Kolay’sha, get Soreecilor!” Shavat’s voice was urgent and insistent, bringing Kolay’sha completely out of her slow moving daydream.

  She turned back to face the female unicorn, trying to pretend that her fears, for what she was about to do, did not exist. Shavat was rising into the air, carrying Laranki, and Soreecilor now stood before her, her body facing toward the river, her head turned and looking toward Kolay’sha. Kolay’sha’s eyes moved to the sight of the two squirrels upon the back of the female unicorn; each holding tightly onto the unicorn’s mane.

  The heat from the forest that poured over her right side told her that she did not have any time for delay and so she moved toward the female unicorn, wondering, ‘What if I would fail the beast and its unborn child, which the female unicorn had already named Flack?’

  Raising herself up onto her hind legs, she gazed down at the small delicate looking unicorn, noticing that even though her coat was dirty and grimy with the smoke, the brilliant white still managed to shine through, suggesting that there was always hope. Extending her wings, she leant forward, placing her clawed forelegs round the delicate body of the unicorn, hoping that what she did would not cause harm to the child that the beast carried within her. Kolay’sha became aware of tears in her eyes as her heart went out to the small creature that had confidence in her; she did not want to let the unicorn down. Feeling her forelegs securely around the unicorn and wondering how the squirrels had positioned themselves for the journey, Kolay’sha began to beat her wings, increasing the power she fed into her muscles, holding her breath and trying to build up the courage to leave the ground.

  A fireball went hurtling past her, breaking her from her fears as she realised that there must still be other humans who had gotten around the firewall. She hoped that the fireball hurled by Shavat had destroyed the humans or, at least, left them running for cover, giving her time to get into the air. Increasing her wing beats, she was fanning wide wedges of smoke around her and, closing her eyes, she pushed as hard as she could with her wings, whilst trying to keep her forearms wrapped as gently as possible around the unicorn. Her body lost contact with the ground and she continued to rise, moving slowly into the air.

  She could feel the winds around her and, even though they were not strong, she felt as though she were in the middle of a storm for, in trying to be as gentle as possible with the unicorn, the weather made it feel as though every breeze was trying to topple her sideward, trying to force her to lose her grip upon the creature that she carried beneath her. Clearing the ground and rising up to the height of the tree tops, she leant to her left, turning her body slowly as she prepared to cross the fast moving river. Facing toward the fast-flowing river, preparing to push harder with her wings, she felt something hard collide with one of her hind legs, even as Shavat’s voice shouted out her name. She lurched, turning instinctively back toward the riverbank that she had just lifted up from and saw a group of three humans standing just out of the smoke barrage that edged the tree line. They held weapons and she was their intended target. She stretched her neck, shooting the largest fireb
all that she could, watching it hurl through the air trailing smoke and, for a moment, and blocking her view of the humans as the fireball expanded in its flight. The fireball touched earth, showering dirt and stones around, leaving a hole where one of the humans had stood. The two remaining humans, with their clothes aflame and burning fiercely, turned and fled back into the tree line.

  “Chart, Chart!” Kolay’sha heard a voice call out.

  “What is wrong?” Kolay’sha shouted, fearful that the human’s weapons had struck one of the little creatures.

  “Chart fell when you turned; she lost her grip,” shouted a voice, which obviously belonged to Brand, displaying his panic and fear. “Move along the river, I must find her,” he all but screamed into the air.

  Turning, her eyes were scanning the waters below, searching for any sign of the female squirrel amongst the swell of the river.

  “Further ahead,” shouted Brand from beneath her, “I see her, she is clinging to a branch near the centre of the river. Hurry, fly toward her!”

  Kolay’sha obeyed the little squirrel and, as she saw the figure of the squirrel in the water, seeing it desperately clinging to the branch, she wondered how she would be able to rescue the creature. The squirrel passed from view as Kolay’sha flew over her, noting the huge plume of smoke that rose from the forest to her left.

  “Kolay’sha?” called the voice of the male squirrel, Brand.

  “What is it?” Kolay’sha replied, expecting the squirrel to offer some guidance on what she must do to rescue the female squirrel.

  “Remember, all the dragons must fly to the alien city. Use your best flyers at the front. Chart and I will catch up with the unicorns if we can,” his voice was loud and urgent, and then was silent.

  Kolay’sha realised that the squirrel had leapt from whatever hold he had had upon the female unicorn and had plunged into the river to be with his loved one; to rescue her, to make sure that he was never without her. Slowing her speed, she saw the branch with the female squirrel clinging to it bobbing wildly in the water, and, in the water, just behind the branch, she saw the shape of the male squirrel battling with the waters, trying to reach his loved one.

  “Kolay’sha?” Shavat’etun called, his voice breaking her eye’s hold on the torrent of water that raged below her. “Kolay’sha, come, we must be away from here. We must find a safe place to land with the unicorns.”

  Feeling helpless and angry with herself, because there was nothing that she could for the two squirrels, she began to turn to her right and, with tears in her eyes, she located the figure of Shavat and began flying begrudgingly toward him.

  The flight that she had feared for so long, that of carrying another creature safely, had already ended in disaster. Kolay’sha cursed the humans, ‘I wish each and every single one of them dead!’

  Rising higher into the air, careful of sudden movements in case she should harm the female unicorn that she held below her, she beat her wings in long slow sweeps, trying to ensure that the up and down movement of her wings did not cause unnecessary discomfort to the unicorn. Looking ahead, she the figure of Laranki held beneath Shavat who, flying ahead of her, was moving out across the forest; leaving the humans, the fire, and the squirrels behind. Kolay’sha raised her flight to an altitude that matched Shavat’s height and then slowly increased her speed until, eventually, she was flying beside him.

  “The fire rages!” Shavat shouted across to her and, turning her head, she looked behind her and saw that the forest was a bright orange mushroom topped with a dark menacing cloud of smoke, which seemed to gorge itself upon the sky above it. The sight was frightful to her, and the fires devastation was not yet complete but, when it was, she knew that the final destruction would be horrendous. Her mind briefly flashed back to the time she had carried Pearl to safety, almost killing her in the process, and of how she had attacked the humans, firing her fireballs at them in anger for what they done to her friend. Subconsciously, she acknowledged that, ‘The fire that had completely destroyed the body of Pearl’s companion and the human bodies were most probably the result of my fireballs.’ She accepted this now, wondering, ‘What affect will my fireballs have on the alien city in the mountains?’

  “I have spoken with Laranki, and we agree that it would not be safe to leave them within the forest on this side of the river; the fire would be bound to cross the river at some point and could possibly catch up with the unicorns before they had reached the desert lands. We will carry them to the forest edge beside the desert lands,” Shavat shouted loud knowing that, not only would Kolay’sha hear, but so would the female unicorn.

  Shavat began to move a little higher and Kolay’sha began to rise with him while, in her mind’s fears, she realised that this would be a far longer journey than she had expected to be carrying the unicorn upon. She hoped that she would have the strength to keep her forelegs carefully held around the creature until they reached the desert lands.

  Shavat increased his speed, his head turned, watching Kolay’sha, looking for any indication that Kolay’sha did not approve. Kolay’sha nodded and increased her own speed, matching the pace of Shavat whilst the sullen green forest rolled by beneath herself and the female unicorn.

 

 

  05 - Judges V - Flying with a Precious Cargo

  The flight carrying the unicorn was a long and, towards the end, painful flight for her as her forelegs were suffering from severe cramp. Through maintaining a delicate grasp upon the unicorn below her, she had become fearful that any movement of her limbs could damage to the small creature. She had held her grasp rigid and unmoving, never placing any additional pressure upon the unicorn, nor allowing her limbs to relax in case the unicorn should fall. She held her limbs firmly and unmoving, and the pain, during the flight, became more and intense.

  It was with great relief that she saw Shavat begin to descend slowly and she knew that soon they would be preparing to land.

  Gazing forward and into the distance, Kolay’sha could see that the forests abruptly stopped and the thin sandy line that moved up to meet the sky on the horizon must surely be the start of the desert lands.

  Beginning her own descent, coming down in a long gliding slope, turning slightly eastward and heading toward a fairly large clearing that broke the otherwise uninterrupted canopy of the forest, she would not allow her tensed limbs to relax. ‘I am so close… so close… just a little while longer.’

  It would have been easy to miss the clearing had Shavat not seen the large boulders that rested within the clearing, devoid of plant growth and of all shades of green.

  Kolay’sha’s relief that the journey would soon be over was gone in an instant as she realised that she would now have to prepare for a landing That was something that she had not thought of when she had first accepted that she would be carrying the unicorn into the air. She could hear her heart beating heavily within her chest, thumping a rhythm that echoed panic throughout her nerves. She closed her eyes, telling herself that it would all be over soon and yet, in front of her, she saw a path that seemed to stretch into infinity. Keeping her eyes fixed upon Shavat, she ensured that she maintained a steady flight behind him. At first, the clearing did not seem to be getting any nearer; stretching her agony out longer and then, suddenly, there was a gaping hole in front of her, which Shavat had suddenly plummeted down into. Soaring above the tree tops, she saw the trees ahead of her abruptly stopping and the clearing appearing, and she immediately began to back-flap her wings, reducing her speed, her eyes briefly upon Shavat, watching him almost touching the ground.

  Turning a little to the right, she was ensuring that she would land a little distance away from him and yet not too near to any of the boulders that were strewn around the area. With the ground looming up toward her, she realised that she had been holding her breath and shouted out, “Soreecilor, we will land any moment,” knowing that the unicorn was in a position to already clearly see that fact.

  Her tail touched grou
nd and she beat her wings hard, forcing her torso backwards and vertical; trying to ensure that it would be her hind legs that would touch the earth first, leaving her in a position in which she could gently place the unicorn upon the clearing floor. Her hind legs touched with her claws trying to dig deep into the soil, trying to anchor her to the ground. She stopping beating her wings, holding them wide and, just as in the stories her mother had told her, she extended her wings as far as she could, using the tips to touch the earth and give her balance. Relief poured through her now that she was upon the firm earth and, for a minute instant, she pictured her mother as being the one who had her wing tips upon the ground and she, herself, was the delicate cargo that her mother would deposit upon the ground.

  “Kolay’sha,” Shavat’s voice boomed into her thoughts, “Quickly, with the unicorn. I fear that there is something wrong!”

  Abruptly disturbed by Shavat‘s voice, Kolay’sha’s mind returned her to the present and she felt the weight of the unicorn with her forelegs, noticing that the beast did not seem to move. She leant her bulk forward, tilting herself until the joints of her forelimbs touched the earth, yet holding her forelimbs rigid so that they provided a support which would prevent her going any closer to the ground. Still, she could feel no movement from the beast and keeping her joints held rigid she extended and unrolled her claws, feeling the weight of the beast transfer to her claws.

  “Soreecilor!” she called, but there was no reply.

  Then, raising one elbow joint away from the ground and transferring her weight to her other forelimb, she began slowly pulling her claws from beneath the prone figure that lay silently beneath her.

  She pushed hard into the ground with her wing tips, unsure that her wings would take the weight of her own bulk at that angle and quickly withdrew her other forelimb. Throwing her weight backward and pushing against her extended wingtips, she lurched backwards and upwards, steadying herself in an upright position. Her eyes glanced to the floor and she saw the unmoving figure of the female unicorn, lying still and looking lifeless, with her eyes closed and without a sign of breathing. Turning her head, she saw that Shavat was beside the male unicorn, which was also lying upon the ground, and she noted that Shavat’s mouth was moving directly towards the unicorns head, preparing his self to administer DragonBreath.

  ‘What has happened to the unicorns?’ she asked herself. ‘Why would Shavat need to administer DragonBreath, the special powers of the dragons used to rejuvenate injured and dying dragons, upon the unicorns?’

  Using her wing tips to assist her balance, Kolay’sha moved backwards a number of steps so that she could allow herself to fall safely onto all fours upon the ground without landing too near to the still and silent unicorn. She immediately began to agitate her throat, knowing that she was preparing a chamber inside herself for the release of DragonBreath. She could feel the chamber begin to swell, low inside her on her right hand side and, as the chamber swelled, she moved a little forward, extending her neck toward the face of the female unicorn. Opening her mouth and turning her head slightly so that her jaws surrounded the head of the female unicorn and then, using a muscle in her neck, she pushed a breath from her insides. She felt the warmth of the DragonBreath race up along her neck and then felt its cool release into her throat, as she exhaled the DragonBreath slowly, yet in a controlled and concentrated rush into the breathing holes of the prone unicorn.

  She felt a little dizzy and light headed as she summoned another pulse of DragonBreath and, as it raced along her neck, up through her throat, she caught the breath and channelled it forward, directly toward the unicorn. She felt a sensation of pure pleasure as the breath raced from her and, as the breath expended, she summoned another, using her stomach muscles to push the DragonBreath along its journey toward the unicorn.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw one of the unicorn’s hind legs twitch a little and she summoned another DragonBreath and sent it on its way; enjoying the feelings of pleasure that accompanied the movement of DragonBreath up and through her body. Kolay’sha felt the pulse of breath dwindle and once again manoeuvred muscles to start the journey of another breath. She felt relaxed, and dreamy, and everything felt wonderful. She had not a care in the world as the DragonBreath coursed through her body, seeming to light her mind with wonderful pictures and beautiful memories.

  “Kolay’sha? Kolay’sha, can you hear me?” came a voice, intruding upon her relaxed and swimming mind.

  “Kolay’sha, come back to me, listen to me…”

  The voice was intruding upon her blissful state and, slowly, she began to realise that the voice was talking to her, trying to get her attention. The name ‘Shavat’etun’ came into her mind and her eyes began to focus clearly, showing her the figure of a white creature lying upon the floor in front of her and of the face of a dragon trying to manoeuvre its way into her line of sight.

  “Shavat,” she exclaimed, her mind returning to her as if she were awakening from a dream.

  “Relax,” said Shavat, “breathe normally, deep breaths, slow… deep… breaths…” Kolay’sha breathed deep and, raising her neck began shaking her head a little, trying to scatter cobwebs that seemed to have taken a hold on her thoughts.

  “Is this your first time with DragonBreath?” Shavat asked, looking directly into Kolay’sha’s eyes.

  Kolay’sha nodded in reply.

  “I had thought as much,” said Shavat, “It can take a bit of getting used to.”

  Kolay’sha felt a little embarrassed she had not thought about the fact that it was her first time using DragonBreath; she had simply done it because it was what was required.

  “I believe that the unicorns will be fine,” Shavat said, turning his head to gaze in the direction of Laranki, “I think perhaps we flew too high for them, or perhaps the cold in the upper air was too much, but I have seen their bodies respond and so I believe that they will be fine. We will have to wait a little while until they revive.”

  Kolay’sha nodded, her eyes glancing toward the female unicorn and hoping that everything with her would be all right especially for her unborn child whom she had already named Flack.

  “Perhaps you can now understand why so many young dragons were lost when they went out upon their pairing flights. It is too easy for young and inexperienced dragons to be consumed with the feelings that you get from using DragonBreath and to lose all awareness of any dangers that may be in the area until it is too late.

  If you ever go on a pairing flight, you should listen to your elders and ensure that you seek out places that are high and inaccessible to most; particularly humans.” Shavat paused, glanced again toward Laranki and then began to lie down upon the clearing floor. “We had best wait until the two beasts recover completely, they will need protection from any dangers that may lurk within this forest.”

  Kolay’sha’s mind was upon the thought of young dragons being so involved using DragonBreath upon each other and not seeing any dangers until it was too late. She pictured scenes of dragons being so oblivious to their surroundings that they were struck down and killed before they had time to gather their senses.

  “Do not worry,” Shavat said, sensing her concern over using DragonBreath, “the more that you use DragonBreath then the more you are able to remain aware of your surroundings and have the control to stop when you need to.

  I have heard tales were the young dragons, using DragonBreath for the first time upon each other, had eventually lost consciousness and had simply lain there until they awakened. One particular dragon I know was very fortunate indeed. It could have been the end of their young life had they not been high in the mountains.”

  Kolay’sha knew that Shavat was referring to himself and, for a moment, her mind began to wonder about his past. ‘Had he ever been paired with a female dragon? If he had, what had happened to her?’ She was curious, but she would not ask Shavat. If there were anything that he wanted to share with her, then he would do so when the time was right for him.
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  Kolay’sha lay down herself, resting her head upon the floor with her gaze vigilant upon the sleeping unicorn. Feelings of guilt surged up inside her as she thought about the squirrels, Chart and Brand, and how she had left them to the fate of the river. She began to hate herself, despise herself, and she clenched her eyes, trying to blot out all that she could see and what was in her mind. Her pains were taken away by the sudden sound of a weak voice.

  “Laranki, Laranki, where is Flack, is he all right?”

  Kolay’sha opened her eyes, seeing the female unicorn lying before her with her eyes closed and her mouth whispering quiet thoughts. A movement, on her left, caused her to lift her head and glance in that direction. The male unicorn was standing, and had begun to walk toward the female unicorn. She noted that he seemed a little unsteady as moved across the clearing.

  Kolay’sha glanced toward Shavat who looked back her and shook his head gently, telling her to remain quiet and let the unicorns be alone for the moment. As Laranki approached Soreecilor, Kolay’sha watched him stretch his neck toward her and begin to lick her face. Kolay’sha slowly raised her bulk, trying not to disturb the unicorn, and slowly moved across the clearing toward Shavat, whereupon she lay down facing him. The two lay quietly, leaving the unicorns alone in privacy for a while, until they two unicorns began to approach them.

  “Thank you,” Laranki said, as he stopped close to the dragons, “I am unsure what happened to us, but it appears that we both felt extremely cold and the air was difficult to breath.”

  “We carried you too high,” Shavat replied, “I am sorry, I should have realised that would be a danger for you. But why did you not call out to us?”

  Soreecilor moved a little forward, saying, “We were told to put our trust in you!”

  There was silence for a few moments and then Laranki said, “We put our trust in you and we have not been disappointed; we are safe, we are away from the humans and we are both in good health.”

  “What will you do now?” Shavat asked.

  “We will rest here for a day, eat well, and then we will begin our journey across the desert lands,” Laranki replied.

  “The light is fading,” said Kolay’sha, “We will spend the night here with you before we set out for the mountains.”

  “Why do you go to this Noah?” questioned Shavat.

  “He will provide a sanctuary for the beasts,” replied Laranki, “for there is a storm coming that will change the ways of life upon this world.”

  “What kind of a storm?” Kolay’sha asked.

  “It will be a terrible storm, a storm that will remove the humans from the face of this world and allow a new era to begin,” Soreecilor replied as she settled to the floor, lying down.

  “It seems that all beasts are aware of this and yet the dragons are not,” Shavat stated, his eyes glancing toward Kolay’sha as he spoke.

  “It is most unfortunate,” Laranki replied, as he settled to the ground beside Soreecilor, “but dragons are not of this world. The sanctuary is for the beasts of the Earth.”

  “What should the dragons do if this great storm does arrive?” Kolay’sha asked, beginning to believe that, if what the unicorns were saying were true, then really there was no hope for the dragons. ‘And what of all the other creatures that do not go to the Noah sanctuary? What would become of them?’

  “To survive, the dragons must attack the alien city but that is all that I know. We were told to tell you this and we were told to tell you to, ‘ensure that all of the dragons are there and that you are to use your greatest fliers to engage the aliens. You are to fly high and remain within the circle.’ That is all that we can tell you and I am truly sorry that we cannot tell you more!” Laranki sounded regretful and Kolay’sha sensed that he really did wish that he could tell the dragons more, but he simply had no more to tell them.

  Shavat remained silent for a while and the silence was only interrupted when Soreecilor said, “I think it would be wise to sleep now for we all have great journeys ahead of us soon.”

  There was peaceful feeling within the clearing, with the occasional birdsong playing against the backdrop of that serenity. Kolay’sha felt safe in the clearing, as it felt as though there were no humans anywhere nearby and because they were so near to the desert sands, a place were few humans ventured, she truly felt comfortable enough to sleep.

  “Myself, and Soreecilor, will listen out in the night for any sounds that may indicate danger. I feel that the two of you will need your sleep as the journey you have tomorrow will be a long journey, because you have already had to fly back upon your route in order to assist us,” Laranki said, his face looking first at Shavat and then at Kolay’sha as he spoke.

  Darkness began to fall heavily upon the land, and the shadows of the boulders around them were quickly swallowed up by intruding night.

  Kolay’sha yawned, noting that Shavat was in the middle of his own yawn and then, even as she laid her head upon the ground in front of her, a wave of sleep washed over her, taking her into a deep and peaceful slumber, which remained unbroken until the morning sun began to rise into a red and orange hued sky.

  It was a strange awakening for Kolay’sha, as she and Shavat opened their eyes to see the two unicorns standing close to them. She heard Laranki speaking to her, asking if she had slept well, thanking her and Shavat for their assistance and wishing them well on their journey and in their struggle against the evil aliens.

  She heard Laranki saying, “You have slept for two days, but these have been good days and your bodies are well rested.

  Remember; all dragons must go to the alien city, only attack with you fastest flier, fly high, and keep within the circle.

  We must leave now, but our prayers go out for you and the rest of the dragons. You must have faith that you may find a destiny for the dragons. Take good care of yourselves, my friends.” Laranki stared down at Kolay'sha for a few moments and then he turned and walked to stand beside Soreecilor. The two unicorns stared at the dragons for a few moments longer and then turned and began to walk away together.

  Kolay’sha remained lying there, watching the two unicorns walking away across the clearing whereupon, as they reached the tree line, the two turned and looked back at her and Shavat.

  Kolay’sha heard herself saying “Goodbye” to Laranki and Soreecilor, and telling them that, “She hoped that all would be well at the birthing of Flack.”

  All of these events occurred in a dreamlike state as Kolay’sha continued to lie there for a little while after the unicorns had vanished amongst the trees of the forest.

  A scent came into her nostrils, awakening her as she recognised the scent of strong fungi nearby. She stretched muscles, yawning, and proceeded to stand and, as she did so, she glanced over toward Shavat, noting that he too was slowly getting to his feet.

  “Can you smell fungi?” Kolay’sha asked Shavat.

  “I can,” Shavat replied, “and it is very strong!”

  The two looked around the clearing and then, close to the tree line and near to where the two unicorns had walked off into the trees, the two saw the fungi.

  Kolay’sha made toward it slowly, noting that Shavat was close to her, moving in the same direction.

  Kolay’sha remained quiet as she chewed at the food, enjoying the aromatic scents and tasting the strong sulphur contained with the plants.

  “Last night was strange,” Shavat stated, whist he stopped eating for a moment, “Everything seems to have been like a dream and yet I never dreamt, I just slept, long and deep.”

  “It was the same for me,” replied Kolay’sha, continuing to chew slowly upon the food. “I feel extremely well rested,” Kolay’sha began, and then continued with, “And ready to tackle the flight to Koreejus’s chamber.”

  “I too feel well rested and eager to taste the skies between here and Koreejus,” Shavat replied.

  Kolay’sha continued to eat slowly for a little while but then a hunger gripped her strong as, in an almo
st wild frenzy, she began to devour the remaining mushrooms, noting that Shavat did exactly the same.

  Sated, Kolay’sha raised her head, glancing around the clearing to see if she could see any sign of the unicorns, but there was none, they were gone.

  EXODUS

  06 - Exodus I – The Missing Passengers

  Laranki stood staring at the raggedy clothed human ahead of him, thinking, ‘I can see in his eyes his desire to slay me and his need to take my horn as a trophy.’ Stamping his forelegs, he showed that he was agitated and annoyed that the human was blocking his passage through the small gully. He knew that he could go back and try to go around, but that would take time and time was not on his side. He had need to get to the Ark and then return as fast as possible to the place in which he had hidden his wife away from the prying eyes of any of the evil humans.

  Suddenly, bolting forward two body lengths and coming to a complete halt amidst a cloud of rising dust, he watched the human’s reactions. The human remained impassive and did not flinch. Inwardly, Laranki sighed, ‘the human will not be swayed from his intended course of action.’

  With the sun glinting on the weapon that the human held in his hand, Laranki knew that the inevitable was to occur, ‘I will have to fight. Kill or be killed, there is no other way.’

  Crouching low, the human began moving menacingly forward, his eyes staring from above the cloth that was wrapped around the lower section of his face; trying to hide the evil behind and failing because of the look of hatred and desire that was in his eyes.

  ‘He believes that I have no choice but to try to get through this gully because he believes I seek the water hole on the other side He is wrong, what I seek lies beyond the water hole and nothing must stop me getting to it. If the human believes he has found a timid creature then he is surely mistaken. I have changed much since leaving my forest home and I have dealt with his kind before…’

  Laranki once more stamped his forelegs, rising up, showing the human that he would not be taken easily, ‘But he does not value my threat, he is waiting for me to race forward and then, as I try to pass him, he will try to deliver a blow with his weapon. His greed will make him do all he can to secure my horn.’

  Yelling, the human ran forward, trying to scare Laranki into making a sudden, impulsive move that would give the human the upper hand. Lowering his head toward the ground, Laranki charged, but with no indication of going around the human. His path and aim was true, his horn tore into the flesh of the human and then, swinging his head as he slowed his pace, he sent the human crashing to the sand, without the human being able to pierce his own flesh with his weapon. Without a backward glance, Laranki bolted for the gap that would take him through to the other side of this rocky area.

  ‘Run, run!’ he began shouting in his mind. ‘There may be other humans waiting to try to ambush me. Speed will be my only saviour…’

  With his hooves echoing dully upon the sand, Laranki thundered through the passageway, grateful that none of the blood of the evil human had managed to spill upon his face, and into his eyes, before he had cast the human aside.

  ‘It is such a pity that we cannot have the dragons here with us in this land,’ thought Laranki, ‘For they would be good protection for myself and my wife and could easily deal with the ragged clothed humans who prowl this land. It will be of no benefit to me to think this way. The dragons cannot be with us because they have their own destiny to shape and I wish them good fortune in their endeavours, wherever their journey talks Kolay’sha and Shavat and all of the remaining dragons. The only protection that I and my wife have in this wild land is the protection that only I can offer myself.’