Unicorn Sacrifices
Page 15
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The cave’s blackness wore on as time went past painstakingly slowly and every now and again there came the distant echoing voices of the humans who were now not too far behind them. Shane thought, ‘There must be humans who were surely in the caves by now but, hopefully, they would be getting lost in the maze of passages. But it will only be a matter of time before they find their way through. Unfortunately, the human’s are extremely clever.’
Shane wished that Flack’s hooves did not quite make so much noise, but they did and there was nothing that they could do though he knew that the unicorn was trying to place his feet as gently as possible upon the rock floor. And so on he walked, slowly, carefully, determinedly until when, quite unexpectedly, a cool breeze buffeted his body and a circle of light appeared in the darkness ahead of him.
Seeing the blue circle of light, Shane thought about how it reminded him of how he had entered this new land by going into a circle of blue light that stood before a giant tree. This sight now brought much gladness to Shane as he believed that he was about to find his way into another new land; a land called Essilon. ‘Here is the new land of hope and peace that has been promised to the beasts.’
Seeing the circle of blue light, Flack found that it seemed to stir something unpleasant hidden deep inside him. He tried to think what it was that it reminded him of but no answer came to him and as light began seeping along the passage walls he felt relieved to know that he was getting out of the darkness at last.
Following Shane’s lead, Flack increased his speed as the new light showed them the rocks and obstructions that would have been in their paths, increasing his speed as the brightness increased in the passage, Flack kept his eyes focused on the circle of blue light ahead. ‘I know that it is only the blue of the sky seen through another entrance to this passage but, nonetheless, it holds the promise of some much beauty.’
With a suddenly increase in the brightness, Shane was lost to his eyes amidst a flashing expanse of brilliant whiteness that hit his eyes and then, suddenly, Flack was pulling himself to a halt as he realised that he too had now crossed the threshold from dark passage into daylight.
Closing his eyes immediately, Flack knew that Shane would be doing the same and his mind frantically said to him, ‘But what if there are humans here seeing you arrive?’
Trying to force his eyes open, Flack found he could only tolerate opening them a little and allowing the brightness to pierce his mind at a slightly diminished level. His eyes immediately closed because they could not tolerate the pain of keeping them evenly slightly open in the fresh, burning, beautiful light of day. But they were out; they were through and now Essilon was well within reach and so elation swept through his body even though he could not see the land. Opening his eyes once more and then, finding that he could now withstand the onslaught of daylight, he felt his relief was great indeed and the ecstasy of leaving behind the dark passageways only added to his happiness of the fact that he was almost at his journeys end.
Looking down at Shane, who was staring up at him with his face beaming with happiness and pride, Flack could see the same thoughts echoing through the mind of his travelling companion. ‘We are through the mountain and we are so close to Essilon!’
Turning to gaze into the cave entrance, he saw that the whole of the mountainside was in deep shade and it was difficult to see any sign of the entrance to the passage that he had last been walking through. ‘I wonder if the humans will find this way through the mountain. I hope not and I would wish them to be lost in the passages and that they would remain there until they fell through lack of food and water.’
Flack turned again to stand beside Shane, allowing his eyes to become more accustomed to the bright intensity of the daylight. In front of them there were many worn paths leading down from the passage exit and across a small level piece of mountain land and up again to lead to a way between two of the three giant mountain peaks that now loomed ahead of them.
Before either had spoken directly toward the other, Flack turned his head and came face to face with the largest eagle he had ever seen in his life.
It sat on a rock not far from him, looking at him with large, deep, unblinking eyes. It continued to stare and Flack could not think of anything to say to such a gigantic and stern looking bird. The bird’s huge feathers ruffled gently in the breeze as slowly and gently it began to clean a few feathers upon its great chest. Flack believed that he must now be looking at the ‘Great One.’ ‘The one foretold of in legend by Chart and Brand.’
Both Flack and Shane stood staring quietly at the great bird before them while, from somewhere deep and dark behind them in the passages, they heard the muffled shout’s and curses of the human’s trying to find their way through the mysterious caves and tunnels. The sounds were distant and dim, but they were there.
‘Perhaps the humans would soon be through,’ thought Flack.
The great bird spoke suddenly spoke, saying, “You had best hurry to reach the plane of Essilon before the great battle begins.” All this was spoken in a matter of fact voice.
“A-Are you the great one?” asked Flack, embarrassed by his own question as he was so convinced that this must be the great one.
The answer was quick and sharp.
“No!” The great bird stared hard at Flack, leaving him momentarily lost for what to say, though he was saved from further embarrassment by the great bird continuing with, “You must hurry and make your way to the plane of Essilon where all beasts are gathering for the battle that is to come.”
Flack looked at Shane who was, at this moment, casting his gaze toward the three peaks. Flack began walking forward, with Shane immediately following, as they set off down the raggedy path that would down the slope to move onto the small rocky plane and then across it and up towards the peaks of Essilon.
There was a crash of great wings from behind him as the great eagle suddenly took to the air. For a moment, Flack watched the eagle circling high overhead and then followed it as it suddenly flew ahead of them, dramatically dropping toward the ground further across the rocky expanse, indicating the route that would be best for him and Shane to take.
Racing down the slope and across the rocks towards the eagle, Flack was aware of Shane running along to his left and slightly behind him. Something in the great eagle’s actions seemed to indicate that they should hurry. Nearing the eagle, Flack saw it suddenly launch itself into the air, landing once again a little way from them. It was evident that the bird was showing them a particular path that they should use to cross the rocky ground. Always the great bird flew ahead and always Flack followed a twisting path that would lead them to the other side of the ground that they were crossing.
Neither Flack nor Shane spoke as they ran through the small clouds of dust that would be suddenly be whipped up by a swirling, gusty wind. The sun remained high and hot and, occasionally, Flack’s mind would turn to thoughts of water. With his eyes focused on the next place in which the eagle was settling, he thought, ‘I wonder what the coming days would bring. Who would live? And who would die?’
Eventually reaching the great bird, Flack saw that it did not leap into the air to seek out another location to guide them this time, instead the great bird waited for the him and Shane to approach close to him. Flack knew that they were a little way up the nearest of the three peaks.
“Follow this path and it will lead you to Essilon. Ask for Watcher,” said the eagle, before flapping its great wings while racing across the uneven ground and then throwing itself into the sky; powering itself sharply into the air.
Watching the eagle, Flack followed its black silhouette against the clear blue sky as the great eagle flew back above the mountain peak that held the caves and tunnels where, upon some rock atop the peak, it perched itself and sat there and Flack knew that it would be looking down at the mass of humans clambering up the far side of the mountain.