Once upon a time, a unicorn stepped out from the enchanted forest she called home and found herself out on a grassy hill. Grazing out on the hill, seemingly alone, was a dusty brown donkey. More curious than anything, the unicorn sauntered over to him.
He ignored her, kept on eating his grass.
The unicorn experienced irritation for the first time in her life. All the other creatures in the forest revered her, practically kissing the ground she stepped on. Even most humans gaped in awe at her beauty. Perhaps the donkey simply hadn’t gotten a good enough look at her. It was a little past noon, with the sun shining down overhead. She used a little magic to make her body glow under said sunlight. And then she waited.
The donkey just kept on eating his grass. Actually, he’d nibbled most of the original patch of grass he’d started on, so he turned away to start on a fresh section.
And so it went. This little dance continued for days until Dad finally gave in and gave Mom the “attention” she wanted.
Content, she went on her way.
Indifferent, he went back to eating his grass.
And near a year later, I popped out.
I’m a runt. My body shape took after Dad more than Mom, though I was ash-white instead of brown like he’d been. I did have a horn, like Mom, but unlike hers which is long and straight, mine’s stubby and curves slightly to the left. I’m ugly. The creatures who didn’t try to eat me, would make fun of me for it. They would bow their heads towards Mother and then snicker at me as soon as she turned her back. Bunch of jerks.
The day showed no signs of the terror that would eventually unfold. Like all the others, I spent most of the morning following Mother through the forest. She slowed her pace for my sake, though I could tell that her body was eager to gallop through the trees. Mom is power. Goodness incarnate.
“Mom,” I said once we stopped at a shallow stream to drink. I decided to ask a question that’d been on my mind since…well, since I realized I was a freak. “Where are the others?”
“Others?” she asked, brushing my snout with hers. A pulse of magic rippled through my body, banishing any fatigue.
“Others like you.”
“Ah. On.”
“On?”
“On,” she repeated, drinking from the stream. Confused and mildly annoyed, I did the same, watching her out of the corner of my eye. Mother loved me, but I don’t think she liked me very much. Not really. More than once she pretended not to hear the other animals snickering at me. She only stepped in if a predator, usually a member of the Pack, intended to do me harm. I think part of her disappointment stemmed from my apparent lack of magic. Sure, I had a horn, but that was it. I couldn’t heal myself or create barriers of holy magic to ward off attackers, like she could. I fully relied on her for survival. Her tone was always gentle and patient, but I didn’t kid myself. She was starving for the day I became full grown, and we parted ways. If I died then, it was on me.
We continued onward. It was late morning. Thin streams of sunlight trickled in through the thick treetops up until we reached our destination. We entered into a clearing. This time the shade was granted by a single tree. One that towered above all others, its wood the darkest brown, near black. One of the Guardians of the forest. There were four in total, this one located the farthest east. Mother bowed her head in reverence. I did the same, feeling uncomfortable. I could feel the Guardian in my head. Its lethargic curiosity. Other animals lazed about at the edging of the clearing, seeking refuge in the great tree’s presence. A truce existed here, between predators and prey. No blood shed, no death. More than once, Mother left me here, or at one of the other three clearings, to keep me safe. She always came back for me. Eventually.
She raised her head and turned towards me, likely to tell me to stay, only to suddenly whirl around back towards the Guardian.
“Mom?” I said, stepping towards her.
“Run,” she snapped.
“What-?”
She reared onto her hind legs and neighed, not just to me, but at every animal in the clearing, “RUN!”
Heart racing, I chose a random direction and started running, but by then the first wave of animals had burst from the forest. Rabbits, squirrels, vermin scurried through my feet, nearly tripping me. Large, more powerful shapes soon followed. Wolves. Members of the Pack, all led by the great Direwolf. Fur as black as starless night, Direwolf and Mother regarded each other, and then it was his turn to howl, “HUMANS!”
Mother had taken me to cliffside overlooking their plantation outside the forest, to the west. There were hundreds of them. They didn’t look dangerous, but Mother warned me that one human could bring great ruin to the forest. Especially one with magic. So it was that the Pack and other Predators of the Night attacked any human who ventured into the forest, sparing only the tiniest, most ignorant babe who wandered in by accident. Eventually, our human neighbors made peace with the forest. They used the trees on the outskirts to create their homes and fished from the river that cut through the forest and into the plantation, but none dared enter the forest proper.
Until today. Mother and the Pack formed together, with her and Direwolf sharing the lead. The giant wolf bared his teeth, saliva trickling from his maw. Mother’s coat glistened as she prepared her magic. It flowed up into her horn, making its tip end in a tiny, ivory flame. In hindsight, they should have been looking up.
Despite the clear sky beyond the Guardian’s branches, it started raining. Fire. A wave of agony entered my mind, making me bow my head in shock and fear. It was the Guardian. The tree screamed as balls of fire collided with its branches and truck and flames spread outward, replacing green leaves with hungry, devouring light. Those same balls of fire struck the clearing, sending animals flying. Some whole, some blown apart. I was lucky enough that one of those blasts only sent me rolling sideways.
Mother reared back and a dome of light formed around her and the Pack. It formed into a dome that shielded them against the rain of fire.
“Mom!” I cried, limping towards her.
I didn’t get far. Shadows fell from the sky. Humanoid shadows. Laughing shadows. Some of them carried balls of fire in their hands. One of them, easily as big as Great Bear, landed behind me with a thundering crash, casting me in his shadow. “Hello there, little…” He cocked his hooded head. “Pony?”
In answer, I pooped myself.
The Giant Shadow drew a metal rod from across his back. It was longer than my body and its head began to glow with heat. “Doesn’t matter,” he chuckled. “There’s bound to be a buyer out there for whatever you are-”
“Shod-Soon, stop playing with your food!” laughed another, flying shadow. Three members of the Pack had bolted forward and started swinging and chomping at him. This shadow flew in the air, easily ducking and dodging their attacks. He didn’t fly like a bird, but more like a bee. Hovering in the air, moving up, down, and to the sides at a moment’s notice.
“Hah!’ Shod-Soon spat. “Look who’s talking-HEY! Where do you think you’re going?!”
I had bolted through his legs. I rushed to the clearing edge, even though the trees were ablaze, creating a curtain of fire all around us. Part of me didn’t care. I just wanted to get away. The flames would only kill me. These human shadows…
The flame curtain suddenly parted, blown apart by a fierce gust of wind. I tried to stop, only to trip on a root and fall forward, onto my side. Pain shot up my front left leg, making me he-haw. Through watering eyes, I saw more humans enter the clearing. Near two dozen of them, riding atop-
More moms?
These creatures had no horns, but they had the same basic shape. They came in black and various shades of browns. Each one carried a rider as they galloped towards the swarm of shadows. While the shadows wore hooded, leathery black skins, these new humanoids wore amor in varying shades of blue. The head rider was squat, with green hair peeking out from under his helm, and he carried a long, silver lance. “RIDERS OF THE WING,” he bellowed, “CHARGE!”
The burning clearing then transformed into a storm of blue and black. Each rider and his steed took on two or three shadows each. Painfully, I pushed myself back up and limped in a circle, trying to find Mother. There! She and Direwolf were back-to-back, surrounded by over a dozen magic-using shadows. Flying Shadow hovered overhead, watching the fight. Behind him, three corpses crackled and burned. He raised a flaming finger and aimed it at Direwolf’s snarling face.
Only to then dodge to the side, avoiding a silver lance to the face. No longer smiling, he turned to regard the lances owner, the Head Rider. “Riders of the Wing?” he scoffed. He narrowed his eyes, studying the rider’s armor, and then sneered, “Aah, a child of Desna. Goddess of wayward travelers.”
He threw his arms open, gesturing to the blazing field around them.
“What right does she have to claim this field from us, hafling?”
In answer, Head Rider held out his pudgy, gauntlet-covered hand.
His lance shot back towards him, threw the air. It flipped through the air and rammed the pointy end through Flying Shadow’s lower back, through his belly. Flying Shadow screamed as the weapon forced him downward, towards the ground. Head Rider kicked his steed. The animal shuffled to the side, allowing Flying Shadow to be stabbed into the ground. Without missing a beat, Head Rider leaned over and yanked his lance out of his enemy’s body. “We fight for no claim,” he told the corpse. “Only for what is right-”
“Dad! Dad! Are you watching?! Hold still! DAD!”
Head Rider and I turned in the direction of the overexcited voice.
It was another rider. A much younger, green haired hafling. Unlike the other riders, who wore mostly blue, his only blue piece was on his right shoulder. He was also struggling to keep his steed in check while also keeping his lance faced forward. I couldn’t blame the creature. The boy was having them charge at the nearest shadow.
Shod-Soon.
“Dad! Look! I’ma stab him full of justice-Oof!”
Easily seeing (and definitely hearing) him coming, Shod-Soon lazily stabbed his rod sideways. It caught the boy in face, knocking off his helmet and sending him flying off his steed. He hit the ground and rolled on and on until finally coming a stop. Right in front of me.
“Nakoda!” his father cried, kicking his own steed forward.
Shod-Soon grinned wide, revealing jagged, curved teeth. He grabbed Nakoda’s steed by one of its hind legs, swung it around, and lobbed it at Head Rider. Cursing, Head Rider had no choice but to jump off. There was a meaty, bone-breaking clap when the two creatures collided with each other. I could only hope they’d both died on impact.
Head Rider landed, rolled back onto his feet, and threw his lance at Shod-Soon.
Instead of knocking it away, the hulking shadow drove his rod straight down. It crashed into the lance and pinned it to the ground. That would keep it from flying back to the hafling’s hand. As he laughed, even more shadows fell from the sky, outnumbering the Riders of the Wing five to one. By this point, the Guardian’s screams were now a fading moan.
And then it appeared.
The air towards the clearing’s center grew fuzzy and was then pulled apart, as if by invisible claws. This allowed the Monstrosity to lumber through. Though only half of its fat, slick body exited the gate. It was as white as bone. It had no face except for long, curling tentacles that dragged across the ground as it walked. Because of this, instead of using sound to speak, it used thought. Its slow, booming voice raped its way into my mind, chuckling, YOUR NEW GOD HAS ARRIVED. DESNA, IF YOU DISAGREE, BY ALL MEANS, STRIKE ME DOWN.
The Monstrosity paused.
VERY WELL. RIDERS OF THE WING, it said the name like a slur, YOU ARE MINE.
“Damn you!” It was Head Rider. Despite his lack of lance, and his riders being taken down all around him, he stood his ground, glowering at the Monstrosity. He drew a short sword from the sheath on his waist. “Damn you to oblivion, slave maker! These creatures, my men, will forever be free!”
OH YES. PRECIOUS FREEDOM.
I felt the Monstrosity grinning in my head.
DO NOT FRET, LITTLE PUPPET. YOU’LL GET YOUR FREEDOM. ALL MY TOYS BREAK. EVENTUALLY.
My vison was suddenly obscured by darkness. I flinched back, thinking it was another shadow. It was Direwolf. He got his head under me, used it to tossed me onto his back. He hesitated but then hooked his front teeth through the straps that crisscrossed over Nakoda’s back, picking the boy up off the ground. And then he ran.
Away.
“No!” I screamed. I searched wildly. My eyes widened in horror. “MOM!”
The shadows had finally taken her down, wrapping her in rope and chains. They were now dragging her towards the Monstrosity’s portal. She tried to fight, only for another shadow to press his burning hand into her side, making her howl in pain.
Her being dragged away, and Head Rider charging at the Monstrosity, were the last things I saw before Direwolf carried Nakoda and I out of this nightmare.
#
The sheer amount of smoke made me lose consciousness, but I was eventually woken up by a drop of coldness. I blinked repeatedly, feeling cold rock beneath me. I started to rise and look around. A tense growl made me freeze. My eyes adjusted to the dim light. I was in a cave. Its mouth was hidden behind a waterfall. This had the effect of casting everything in a blue tinged light. At the far end of the cave, Direwolf lay on his stomach, staring at me unblinkingly.
His eyes suddenly twinged with pain. I studied the rest of him. His fur was stained with slash wounds and burns. And yet, despite those injuries, he’d gone out of his way to save me…
“Why save me?” I asked.
He sniffed disdainfully. “She saved me,” he finally answered. “I save you.”
He closed his eyes, resting his head across his front paws.
“Even.”
Before I could try and push for answers, another voice groaned, “Augh…My head…Who filled it with hammers?”
I turned and spotted Nakoda lying on the cave floor, between me and Direwolf. Still groaning, he sat up. Shod-Soon’s rod had left a mark across the boy’s forehead. Even now, the burn still visibly smoked. Even so, Nakoda blinked big, dark eyes and looked around. He saw me, and then turned, saw Direwolf. “Uh, hello,” he called out to the giant wolf. “…Thank you for not eating me.”
Direwolf ignored him.
Nakoda shrugged, winced, and got to his feet. His knees wobbled but he managed to stay upright. “Where are we?” he asked “Uh, any chance you’re one of those magic, talking animals?”
Again, Direwolf ignored him.
He turned to me, hopeful. I just stared back, tired.
“Okay, er, um, ooh! One snort or neigh means ‘yes’. Two means ‘no’. Do you understand?”
I hesitated, but then snorted.
“YES!” Nakoda rushed over, tripped (“I’m okay!”), and then plopped down in front of me.
“Hi! I’m Nakoda Drake. Squire of the Riders of the Wing. Do you know where we are now?”
I snorted twice.
“Shame.” He touched his chin thoughtfully. Up close, his forehead looked even worse. If he was in excruciating pain, he didn’t show it. “…I need to find out what happened after I got knocked out by that big guy,” he mused to himself. He took a deep breath and asked me, “Is my dad-looks like me, a halfling, green hair and goatee-dead?”
That was a tricky question. I technically hadn’t seen the shadows, or the Monstrosity kill his father. So I snorted twice.
Nakoda visibly relaxed. “Of course not. Nothing’ll ever kill Dad…except maybe Auntie Oli’s cooking.” He then asked me, “Can you find your way back to the place where we were attacked?”
Mom had always led the way through the forest. I didn’t actually know my way around. I snorted twice. But I then looked over to Direwolf. Nakoda followed my gaze.
He then waddled over to the great wolf. Direwolf’s fur bristled, but he didn’t open his eyes.
So Nakoda started poking his belly.
“Hey.” Poke. “Hey.” Poke. “Wake up.” Poke. “Take me back.” Poke-
Direwolf’s head lurched to the side, chomping his teeth together, nearly biting off the boy’s nose. Nakoda took a step back, eyes wide. Very slowly, he reached into one of the pouches hanging around his waist, took out a tube-shaped object. “Here,” he told Direwolf. “You’re hurt. This will help, at least a little. Now c’mon and pull those teeth back so I can pour it into your mouth.”
Direwolf’s growling filled the cave like a thunderstorm.
Nakoda shook the tube insistently. “You saved me, I think,” he said. “Let me save you. Only fair.”
After a moment where I was absolutely sure that Nakoda was about to become dinner, Direwolf slowly parted his teeth. The halfling poured the tube’s contents into the predator’s mouth. Direwolf’s burns and wounds began to heal over, but not all of them. Not even close. Seemingly no longer in agonizing pain though, Direwolf laid back down and closed his eyes. Soon the cave was filled with a different kind of thunder: snoring.
Looking smug, Nakoda waddled back over to me. “I peed myself a little, but it’s okay,” he admitted. He sat down, resting his chin on his knees. It was only then that I really noticed the white insignia on his blue pauldron. A butterfly.
“…Actually, everything isn’t okay, friend. I think I messed up again.” He buried his face behind his knees to hide that he was crying. His voice was muffled as he asked miserably, “Do you ever feel like…I don’t know…like you screw up by just existing.”
One snort.
He looked up, tears falling from his big eyes. They glanced up, at my horn.
“Oh!” He wiped at his face. “You’re a baby unicorn!” He glanced towards the waterfall, towards the outside world. “Then w-was that your Mom back there?”
I hung my head and snorted once. I tried not to close my eyes. If I did the memory of her being dragged away would replay across the back of my eyelids. Or I’d see the Monstrosity. Somehow that was actually worse.
Much to my surprise, Nakoda reached up and pressed a hand against my nose.
“Hey, look at me,” he said. Hesitantly, I did. “We’ll find her. And we’ll find Dad. I promise.” He then asked, smiling cautiously, “Do you want to be my friend?”
One snort.
#
Direwolf dropped us off near the plantation. By then the entire forest was an ash-covered wasteland. All four Guardians were dead. Somehow I could feel it. Without so much as a goodbye, Direwolf disappeared back into our dead home, a shadow amongst smoke. Nakoda and I looked at one another and then went on our way. To save time, I let him ride on my back. Despite his armor, he was surprisingly light.
“First thing’s first,” Nakoda said, “I’ve gotta replace my lance. Should have enough money to buy one, and a cheap saddle for you. And probably some…You like eating apples?”
I snorted once, though I didn’t actually know what apples were. The only thing I did know was that my stomach was growling near nonstop. Also there were humans everywhere. I kept my head bowed, trying to make myself small. Nakoda had wrapped a cloth around my head, obscuring my horn. He’d also wrapped one around his forehead to hide his burn. Despite the odd pair we made, no one gave us a second look. Most of the humans were discussing the great fire that destroyed the forest. Nakoda did ask about other Riders of the Wing, but no others had been spotted. I wished I could tell him about the Monstrosity. This language barrier was something we’d eventually have to overcome if we were to make progress on our search.
Nakoda managed to track down the local blacksmith. He replaced his lance and got me a saddle. The blacksmith even threw in a new helm. Nakoda then bought me apples.
THEY.
ARE.
DELICIOUS.
“So now what?” he asked as we left the plantation behind, mouth full of apple. “We Riders don’t have a homebase. Like the butterfly, we go where the wind leads us.” He leaned forward to look at me. “You have any ideas…Oh, yeah! Do you have a name?”
No, not really. So I snorted twice.
“Can I give you one?”
Cautiously, I snorted once.
“How about…Dooger Drake?”
Two, very vehement snorts.
“Okay, okay! Hmmm…How’s Donkiote Drake sound?”
I considered it. Donkiote…
I, Donkiote Drake, snorted once.
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