by Natalie Erin
“Kaliska...” Jade whispered, barely conscious on the table.
“They’ve gotten too cocky,” Kaliska said, kicking Oddvar’s body aside with a disgusted face. “It’s as if they don’t think our poison works on them anymore.”
Kaliska jumped up onto the table and released Jade’s bonds, pulling her off the table.
“Kaliska, why did you do that?” Jade said, gasping as her paws hit the stone floor. “Why were you so brave, when you knew he could’ve hurt you?”
“Because a wise wolf once told me that’s what friends do,” Kaliska responded. “I realized she was my friend, even if I didn’t want her to be.”
“Thank you, Kaliska.” Jade weaved on the spot. Kaliska helped her to stand but Jade toppled over again, her knees buckling beneath her. Jade leaned her entire weight into Kaliska, who could barely walk herself.
“We’ll get out of here together,” Kaliska said. “Don’t worry.”
Jade winced with each movement. “How bad does it look?”
“It’s...a rainbow of color,” Kaliska answered, not knowing what else to say.
“I’ll be the most colorful wolf alive.” Jade scowled.
“You already are the most colorful wolf alive,” Kaliska said, giving a small, desperate laugh. “Now maybe I can figure out these locks.”
When Kaliska fiddled with the door, it became obvious that Aravon had forgotten to lock it.
“He’s not very good at what he does when he makes two mistakes in one day,” Jade said, giving a laugh that only resulted in a gasp of pain.
“No, he’s not. Mistake one, leaving two wolves with one Ortusan. Mistake two, forgetting to lock the blasted door.” Kaliska wagged her tail triumphantly. “He’s not as clever as he thinks.”
“I think we came from the right,” Jade said, hobbling forward. “So let’s go that way.”
“Sounds good to me.” Kaliska walked slowly, ears perked as they walked down the hallway. “I suppose we’re not lucky enough for a distraction. That would be simply ridiculous.”
“If they catch us, they catch us. Whatever will be, will be,” Jade responded simply. The two wolves managed to drag themselves up the two flights of stairs. When they re-entered the palace, they could hardly believe their luck, for they hadn’t yet met a single Ortusan.
“What is going on here? They’re all gone,” Jade said, completely confused. “We should’ve run into them by now.”
“Look!” Kaliska said, and she rushed to one of the palace doors as fast as she could, pushing it open to a balcony that displayed Sanctus Cruor and the land surrounding the city below. Jade cried in triumph as she saw her two brothers, Snapfoot and Shadowin, leading an army of wolves and unicorns towards the gates. Within their ranks, she saw with surprise, were several Bloodlusters. The monsters climbed the city walls, dispatching the guards easily and opening the gates to let the animals swarm into the city streets. Ortusans screamed at the sight, dropping their things and running for cover. Wolves bit as many Ortusans as they could, dropping them instantly, while unicorns speared the creatures through the heart and the Bloodlusters ripped open their enemies, screaming in victory.
“Jade, who is that?” Kaliska said, nudging her and looking to the end of the charge.
Jade gasped as she saw her sister, Midnightstar, charging into the fray with a white dragon at her back.
Chapter Seventeen
The True Power of a Skygazer
“Head for the palace!” Valdus called out to the group. “If we can take their leaders, they will disband!”
“Don’t let any survive!” Snapfoot cried. “We must kill them for what they’ve done to this land!”
The Ortusans ran in all directions as the animals came at them. Shadowin and Snapfoot ran together towards the palace, moving in near unison and taking out each Ortusan that dared to step in their path. As the army moved inward, into the palace and the temple, more animals emerged, victims of Sanctus Cruor. These tortured beasts began fighting with a frenzy not even the Bloodlusters were capable of, desperate for a chance to get back at the monsters who turned them into slaves. Fairies joined the fight, using the small tools they’d been given by their captors to fight back. Most fell against the ranks of the Ortusans, but were finally free from the hell that had entrapped them for so long.
The city became a bloodbath as thousands upon thousands of Ortusans sank to their deaths. The army of creatures was winning, despite sustaining losses, but the time for grief was not now. The sight of their fallen companions only enraged the group more, and caused them to fight harder, more fiercely. When a Bloodluster was slaughtered by five Ortusans, the only one of Valdus’ group to fall, the leader gave an angry cry and dug his claws into the bodies of each of the monsters, ripping them limb from limb with a relentless carnage.
Xiuh sank his fangs into two Ortusans at once, throwing them into the air and lighting the monsters on fire before catching them again and slamming both Ortusans to the ground, using his long talons to rip out their hearts. He left the Ortusans to smolder as he landed next to Midnightstar.
“Very few are left,” he said. “The unicorns are taking care of the last ones now.”
Midnightstar looked from left to right, trying to locate the leaders of the city, but they were nowhere to be found. “Xiuh, I need you to fly up and find Saint Aravoni and Saint Carmilya,” she said. “They’ll be the only Bloodlusters trying to escape. We can’t let them get away, otherwise, this’ll just happen all over again.”
“Right away.” Xiuhcoatl took to the sky, and Midnightstar let herself sink into his eyes as he scanned Sanctus Cruor, searching for any sign of the rulers. Finally, his sharp gaze settled on two lone figures clothed in fine garments, making their way over the wall and towards the woods.
“There they are! Aravoni and Carmilya!” Midnightstar gasped.
“It’s not Aravoni and Carmilya. It’s Carmilla and Aravon,” a familiar voice groaned, and Midnightstar leapt back as she saw her sister Jade approaching, leaning on a strange gray wolf, flanked by Snapfoot and Shadowin. “They’re working with Wyntier. He’s trying to use the Strength, but he doesn’t have anyone left he can force to fight.”
“Jade! Are you alright?” Midnightstar asked, rushing towards her sister.
“I’ll be okay,” Jade protested. “Kaliska is taking care of me.”
Snapfoot was looking at the gray she-wolf in a very peculiar way. “We need to follow them. Will she be alright here with you?”
The wolf called Kaliska nodded. “I’ll watch over her, Snapfoot. You don’t have to worry.”
“Xiuh’s tailing them now,” Midnightstar said, her eyes still swarming with the dragon’s sight. “I know where they are. If we hurry, we can catch up.”
“You will go nowhere without me.” Valdus had appeared, and he was growling. “Carmilya and Aravoni will die at my hands.”
“Let’s go.” Midnightstar took off, leading the way as her brothers and Valdus followed. She couldn’t see where she was going, as she was still looking through Xiuh’s eyes, but that didn’t seem to matter as her feet guided her around objects and buildings, past the wall of Sanctus Cruor and into the trees. Midnightstar was jolted back into her eyesight when Xiuh hurtled towards Aravon, letting out a jet of flame as the dragon knocked the Bloodluster to the ground.
“Xiuh’s attacked! We have to get to him!” Midnightstar screamed. Midnightstar rushed into a dark and barren clearing, rank with the smell of decay, clustered with dead trees just as the sun set and stars illuminated the night sky above. Xiuh was in the middle of the clearing, but he wasn’t attacking…the dragon was pinned to the spot, unable to move as Aravon harshly glared at him. Carmilla was leaning against a tree, panting as she stared at the wolves and Valdus, who entered the scene.
“You fools should know better than to come after me,” Aravon said. “I am a god with limitless power.”
Aravon turned his gaze on them, and the wolves were held in place by Aravon’s magi
c. Not even Valdus could move. He was just as bound as they were. Only Midnightstar found she could still move about freely as Aravon laughed, glancing at Xiuh once more.
“I’ll use him to take out all of you, one by one,” he said. Carmilla began to laugh as Xiuh stomped towards Midnightstar, trapped under a cruel enchantment.
“Xiuh…you don’t want to do this,” Midnightstar said, backing up slowly as the dragon approached. “You don’t want to hurt me. You’re my portal.”
Xiuh shook his head, replying, “I’m sorry, Midnightstar. I can’t…I can’t stop myself.”
Xiuh lunged for her, snapping his jaws closely by her head. Midnightstar rolled out of the way as Xiuh swiped at her with his claws, raking them across her fur. Any closer, and he would’ve gutted her.
“And you two! You’ll fight each other,” Aravon said, pointing at Shadowin and Snapfoot. Unfrozen, the two wolves started circling each other, growling lowly and crouching down. Despite the snarls etched onto their faces, their eyes were terrified.
“I won’t kill my brother,” Snapfoot growled, trying to fight Aravon’s power.
“Neither will I,” Shadowin said. “We just need to stay alive long enough to get out of this.”
The two brothers sprung at each other, snarling as they began to fight viciously. The two alphas went to deliver killing blows, while at the same time attempting to resist the Strength. Carmilla maneuvered around the fighting brothers, twirling to Valdus’ side and running her long fingers over his skin.
“You’re quite ugly,” she laughed. “I’m going to enjoy making you even more hideous.”
Carmilla took his arm and bit into it, ripping out chunks of skin and licking up the dark, seeping blood that followed. She began biting his neck, his legs, taking her claws and making tattered shreds of his stomach and chest, devouring the bits of flesh that peeled off his body. Valdus’ face contorted in pain, but he was unable to do anything
“Dust!” Midnightstar cried out as Xiuh snaked after her, but the unicorn was nowhere to be found. She ducked as Xiuh sent a whirling stream of fire over her head, bounding off a tree at the last second so he’d run into it headfirst. The dragon collided with the tree, moaning as he weaved from side to side.
“I’m sorry,” Midnightstar said, looking from left to right. Carmilla was devouring Valdus alive, and Shadowin had managed to pin Snapfoot on the ground, his paw tightly pressed to his brother’s neck. All the wolf had to do was lean down and rip out Snapfoot’s throat. They only had seconds before he did so. There was no one who could help, and no way out. Aravon had them trapped.
“Hurry up and kill her,” Aravon commanded, pointing at Midnightstar. “I don’t have all day.”
Immediately, Xiuh snaked around Midnightstar, twirling his body around hers until she was trapped in a tight embrace. Slowly, the dragon began tightening his hold on her, crushing her insides.
“You don’t want to hurt me, Xiuh,” Midnightstar pleaded, discarding her feeble attempts to fight back and resorting to begging instead. “I don’t think you can. You never could.”
“I can hurt you, Midnightstar,” the dragon gasped. “He’s controlling me. I have no choice.”
“No, Xiuh. You have a choice,” Midnightstar said, tears seeping from her eyes as the dragon squeezed her tightly, vanquishing the air from her lungs. “Please don’t do this to me.”
Midnightstar touched her forehead to his as the last breath of air whooshed from between her lips. Just then, something extraordinary happened.
The stars themselves trickled down from the sky, maneuvering between the leaves of the trees and landing gently on Xiuh’s back. They did not come crashing down to form monsters of constellations, as they had before, but rather floated down like snow, kissing Xiuh’s scales and causing them to shine with a bright light. Midnightstar’s eyes were glowing, and her tears became crystals as they fell to the ground, her face still pressed to Xiuh’s as he held her. The dragon loosened his hold on her slowly, putting her gently down on the ground as the starlight encompassed them both, creating an otherworldly halo that was all the love they had for each other in the world.
“What’s going on?” Aravon hissed. “Why isn’t she dead yet?”
The starlight trickled onto Shadowin and Snapfoot, and the brothers released each other, Aravon’s magic broken. “Not even the power of the Strength can defeat a skygazer,” Snapfoot breathed harshly in triumph. Aghast, Aravon stared at Midnightstar, his expression changed into one of fear.
The stars landed on Valdus. As they did so, the monster was released from his captivity. He sprung upon Carmilla, who had been foolishly watching the scene at his side. Carmilla screamed a great cry of horror, but it did her no good. Valdus picked her up, smashing her skull against a tree. Her head cracked in two, and Valdus pried her skull open, scooping out the brain and devouring it whole. Aravon wailed in sorrow and terror as Valdus dropped Carmilla’s body to the forest floor, where it lay immobile.
All Xiuh had to do was turn and growl. Aravon tried to run, but Midnightstar got to him first. She jumped on Aravon’s cloak. It caught him by the neck, pinning him down. Xiuh grabbed onto his arm, Shadowin and Snapfoot each took a leg, and Valdus grabbed his head, all four of them pulling in different directions.
All at once, Aravon’s limbs were torn from his torso. Valdus reached up into Aravon’s dismembered head and pulled out his brain, swallowing the organ. The creatures tossed Aravon’s parts to the forest floor, and just like that, it was all over.
Valdus interrupted the silence. “We should burn them,” he said. “Just for good measure. You can only kill a Bloodluster by eating its brain, but I always prefer to be on the safe side.”
“I take it you’ve done this before?” Snapfoot said dryly.
“Only twice, when two of my own became too risky to keep around,” Valdus replied. “Come. The battle is over.”
They stacked Carmilla’s corpse on top of Aravon’s dismembered husk, and Xiuh set flame to the corpses. When the remains were little more than ash, Midnightstar lead the group back to Sanctus Cruor. They stopped at the torn ruins of the pagan temple. The fallen idols of Aravoni and Carmilya were shattered into pieces around its doors. The unicorns were gathered around this area, turning over the debris with their horns and looking for survivors. They found Tatl, Rabika and Adelaide there, sitting atop the broken statues and observing the wreckage. Sometime during their journey back, Valdus had slipped away.
“I’m glad you’re well,” Dust said cheerfully as Midnightstar drew near. “The battle is over, and you have fulfilled your destiny, skygazer.”
“You knew all of that was going to happen,” Midnightstar said. “Didn’t you, Dust?”
“Knew? I never knew.” Dust shook her head, tossing her mane from left to right. “I only knew there was greatness within you, and so, I had to nourish it until you became what you were meant to be.”
“Thank you for never giving up on me, Dust. Even when I gave up on myself,” Midnightstar said. She leaned against the unicorn, and the mare wrapped her neck around the wolf in the form of a hug.
“The Bloodlusters are gone,” Snapfoot said. “Valdus left with all the rest. We won’t be hearing from them again.”
“Should have killed them too,” Rabika said, lashing her tail and snarling.
“We needed their help to win. Don’t be so horrible,” Tatl bit back. His words were cut off as Kaliska and Jade joined them. Jade wavered, but she never fell, supported by her new friend.
“Oh Jade,” Midnightstar said, rushing to her sister. She observed the injuries on her back, saying, “I’m sorry I left without telling you. I’m so very, very sorry. Are you going to be alright?”
“Don’t worry about leaving,” Jade said quietly. “You’re back, Mids, that’s all that matters. The fur will grow back. Eventually.”
“What do we do with the city now, Midnightstar?” Adelaide asked. All of the animals, including Dust, turned to the she-wolf for further in
struction. Midnightstar sighed. Since the events of the past few nights, everyone looked to her to lead them.
But she supposed she was the skygazer…it was her duty to lead them, now.
“We rebuild it,” Midnightstar said. “And give it to the fairies here. Once they’re strong enough, they can rightfully take over. All of us animals can watch over them, and soon, it’ll be a great city.”
“The unicorns will gladly provide protection for the fairies,” Dust added, coming forward. “But I must say that before they do so, they will need a leader to guide the herd.”
“Is there any other choice?” Midnightstar smiled. “I nominate you, Dust, to be the leader of this herd. Creator knows you’ll be a greater leader than Crying Ice ever was, if the herd agrees.”
“The herd agrees wholeheartedly!” a buttery unicorn cheered, and the entire herd whinnied in approval.
Dust’s swirling eyes glimmered. “I am honored. I have never had a herd to call my own, since I was a foal. I have always been alone.”
“If you are nothing else, you are my friend,” Midnightstar said. “And you will be a blessing to unicorns everywhere now. You have found your purpose. Lead them well.”
Dust came close to Midnightstar, bowing her head and touching her nose to the wolf’s. “Thank you, skygazer. You have given me purpose when I had none.”
“I never could’ve done it without you, Dust,” Midnightstar added. “You know that. This is the least I could do.”
Dust pulled away and walked towards the palace, where the fairies that were still alive were gathered. The herd went with her. Midnightstar knew that Dust wanted to say more, but nothing more needed to be said…they both had an understanding of each other. They were different creatures, ones that would never truly fit in, but that were meant to lead besides. She and Dust were the same. After all she’d come to know, Midnightstar realized this truth was greater than the rest.
