Josie and the Unicorn

by Mandy Martin

  “Where will we find this work table?” Lumpy’s horn shook and Josie realised she wasn’t the only one who was frightened.

  “In the game it’s just there, when you click on the inventory. Here? Who knows?”

  Suddenly Amber Evergreen’s voice echoed in her mind. Maths and Magic. Well, the game must be the maths bit, although she still didn’t see it. But what about the magic?

  “Lumpy? Can you do any magic?” It was a sore topic and she saw his head droop out the corner of her eye.

  “None.”

  “Have you tried?”

  Lumpy shrugged. “What’s the point? The other unicorns all told me I had no magic, when my father left me with the herd.”

  “That’s just them being horrible!” Josie said indignantly. “I’m sure you can if you try.”

  Ahead of them the dragon roared again, sounding angrier than ever. Was now the time for a pep talk? But she needed the unicorn’s magic if her idea was going to work.

  “Can you try? Please? I need a work table. If this is really the game, if I close my eyes that should be like going into the inventory. Can you, I don’t know, chuck some magic at me?”

  “Chuck magic? It isn’t a fallen conker, child.”

  Josie shook her head impatiently. “Don’t be so annoying. Just try, will you?” Now she was starting to sound like Mum, when she or Dylan said they couldn’t do something.

  Lumpy pawed at the ground with one hoof and whinnied. “Oh, all right then.” He closed his eyes and his horn began to sparkle. A warm golden glow spread from around the horn, as if the summer sun were rising in the cavern. Josie felt it wash over her. Her skin tingled and calmness chased away some of the fear.

  Closing her eyes, she pictured the inventory, with all its little squares. Hazy at first, the image solidified in her mind, until she could see it clearly.

  “It’s working! Lumpy, keep going.”

  “Can’t. Much. Longer.” The unicorn’s voice came in puffs of pain.

  Swiftly, Josie tabbed through the images in her mind until she had the work table. Amazingly there were things in it. Wood and charcoal and stone. Even iron. She didn’t dare question how, in case it went away. Quickly selecting a stick and some iron, she crafted a new sword. Arrows would be harder. She needed flint and feathers for that. But almost as soon as she thought it, the supplies appeared, as if by magic. Josie laughed. Magic!

  When she had a dozen arrows, a torch, and a second sword, she opened her eyes and grinned at Lumpy. “You were awesome!”

  Lumpy tossed his mane triumphantly. “I did! I did magic!” He danced a tight pirouette, his hooves ringing out against the stone.

  “Hush!” Josie laughed. “We’re not done yet.”

  Tossing the torch ahead of her to light the way, Josie then notched another arrow and peeked round the corner. The dragon sat in a huddle, chewing at its leg. Was it trying to remove the arrow? Josie didn’t really want to hurt the beast. It was beautiful. Red scales reflected the torchlight, making it look as if the creature were made of fire. Huge wings rose high above its back. This part of the cavern was far too small for it to fly.

  “Poor thing. You don’t want to be here, really, do you? Did that nasty Goblin King make you? Or catch you?”

  At the sound of her voice the dragon’s head rose and its glowing orange eyes met hers. Almost as if the beast understood, it stared without moving.

  Josie glanced around at the walls. How could she free the dragon? If it flew away, she wouldn’t have to hurt it any more.

  “Lumpy? Can you fly?”

  The unicorn snorted, but Josie heard scuffling behind her. She didn’t dare take her eyes off the dragon to look. Suddenly the unicorn whooped. “I can!”

  “Calm down! Come here. Please,” she added hastily. She felt him land next to her, and scrambled aboard. “Stay here,” she murmured to the dragon. “I’m going to get you out.”

  Josie directed Lumpy towards the roof of the cavern. Then she closed her eyes briefly and made a steel axe. It was like being in creative: when she thought of the supplies she needed, they were there.

  It didn’t take long to bash a hole in the roof. Thankfully they weren’t too deep underground, despite the endless stairs they’d come down. Josie didn’t have time to figure out the landscape above them. She was just relieved to hit dirt after a dozen or so blocks of stone. In no time they had a hole large enough for the dragon to fly through.

  “Let’s just hope it’s more interested in freedom than lunch,” Lumpy said as he took them back to the dragon. Josie hoped so too.

  “There!” She looked at the dragon then pointed at the hole in the ceiling. Stars sparkled overhead. Josie hadn’t noticed it was night time - she’d been too busy making the opening. At least it had stopped raining.

  The dragon tilted its head. Then with a huge beat of its wings, knocking Josie over with the downdraft, it rose in the air. A drawn-out shriek of gratitude echoed around the cavern as the dragon soared up towards the stars.

  Chapter Eleven

  Once the tail of the dragon had disappeared from view, Josie gave a huge sigh. “Dylan will never believe me. Our version of the game doesn’t have dragons.” She watched for a moment longer, and then sighed again. “I guess we’d better get going.”

  “Chin up, Josie-child. You’ve definitely proved that you’re a fearsome warrior. I believe you can defeat this Goblin King.”

  “It’s good one of us does.” Josie plodded wearily along the tunnel, following the scorch marks left by the dragon’s fire. “What else is the Goblin going to throw at us?”

  In her head she chanted, Don’t let it be skeletons, don’t let it be skeletons. But she knew it would be. Or an Overman. She shivered. Nothing worked against them except crawling in a hole and waiting for morning. That didn’t feel like an option here.

  Josie rested her hand on Lumpy’s back, drawing strength from his warmth as she used to when Ginger slept on her bed. They walked side by side down long tunnels and through complex caves. There was only ever one way to go, and more and more Josie felt as if she were walking into a trap.

  “This doesn’t feel right,” she said at last, as another twisting tunnel led to yet another cavern. “We could be anywhere. And how are we going to get out again?”

  “Can’t you bash through the top like you did before?”

  “Tunnel out from down here? I’d need a hundred axes! It would take forever. We must be almost at the bedrock. Although I haven’t seen any metals or lava or diamonds or anything. It’s wrong!” She kicked the wall in frustration. What was all this for? Was it a trap, or were they going the wrong way. If only she could ask Amber Evergreen, but they hadn’t seen so much as a trickle of water. That was weird too. As if the Goblin knew the water sprite could only harm him if there were water nearby.

  “A puddle would do!” she said out loud.

  “Are you thirsty?” Lumpy asked. “Shall I try and magic you a drink?” He raised his head proudly, although that only put it the same height as Josie’s. Magic hadn’t made him any taller.

  “Of course!” Josie exclaimed. “I can make a bucket of water and we can talk to Amber!” She closed her eyes and concentrated, as Lumpy’s magic trickled over her making her skin tingle. Did she need to make steel and a furnace, or could she just pluck a bucket out of nothing? It was worth a go.

  Suddenly a clink of metal rang out, followed by the unmistakable slosh of liquid. Josie crouched next to the bucket and stared into the water. “Come on, Amber, please. We need you!” She poured all her focus into the water but it remained still. Josie slumped back, defeated.

  “Josie-child!” Lumpy called.

  “Leave me alone.” Josie dropped her head onto her hands. She was so tired!

  “Josie!” he said again. “The bucket.”

  Slowly, Josie crawled back to the water and peered in. When she saw Amber’s face rippling across the surface she nearly wept with relief.

  “You have come far,”
Amber said. “I cannot tell exactly where you are, but the Goblin King is close now.”

  “We’re going the right way?” Josie’s voice squeaked with relief.

  “Indeed. Do you have a plan for when you arrive?”

  A plan? Josie hadn’t imagined they would get this far. How would she defeat the Goblin? How did she trick Dylan when they were playing together? Her mind filled with gravel traps and explosives and burning arrows, but how could she make any of those here, stuck in this endless maze? She would just have to make it up as she went. But there were things she could get first: a flint for fire, more arrows, a diamond sword.

  “Right, Lumpy, let’s work on this maths meets magic malarkey.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Josie-child, but you’re the boss.”

  By the time he’d helped produce the diamond sword, Lumpy looked like one of the donkeys on the beach, dejected and in need of a long holiday. Josie’s head pounded an annoying jungle rhythm. Diamond was a pain to delve for and apparently just as hard to make with magic. At last she’d had the idea of producing coal first, and turning it into diamond. Amazingly it had worked. She felt better clutching the sparkling sword, although it wouldn’t help against an Overman.

  “Must I be a pack pony?” Lumpy moaned, shrugging his shoulders uncomfortably. Josie had loaded him with arrows, a flint and steel, an empty bucket, wool, wood, and two spare swords. She didn’t want to have to stop mid fight and try to create anything.

  “’Fraid so,” she said to the grumpy unicorn. “In the game world, I can carry all the stuff in my inventory, but here… well… We have to make it up as we go.” A weird feeling buzzed through her body: fear mingled with something else. Excitement, or anticipation. It felt like a fizzy drink bubbling in her nose and frothing in her tummy. She knew this world. She could do this.

  “Okay, Mr Goblin King,” she said, brandishing her sword. “Bring it on!”

  Chapter Twelve

  All Josie’s elation faded as they turned the next corner and saw a row of skeletons, all pointing arrows at her. She ducked quickly back behind the rocky turning.

  “Gibbering jeepers!”

  Lumpy shook his head in agitation. “What can we do child? There are so many!”

  Josie flapped her hand at him to hush. She was thinking, staring blankly at Lumpy’s laden back. After a moment she reached decisively for the flint and steel, a bundle of arrows, and a block of wool. She hesitated, then closed her eyes and concentrated on the empty bucket. One hand stroked Lumpy’s mane and she felt his magic heat her skin.

  Water.

  She opened her eyes at the sound of sloshing. A flicker of green eyes waved across the water’s surface, but she ignored it. Amber Evergreen couldn’t help her here and she would need to focus if she was going to take out the skeletons. One wrong move… No, she couldn’t think about that. The armour was arrow-proof and, if all else failed, she could leg-it.

  Even so, her heart hammered painfully against her chest as she gathered up the arrows. “I’m going to make fire, Lumpy. Stay back. If it gets out of control, kick over the water. Please,” she added with a quick smile. The unicorn nodded, but his eyes were wild.

  Josie grasped the flint and pushed the wool forwards with her feet. When she reached the corner she kicked the block forwards and threw the flint and steel at it, praying that would be enough to start a fire.

  It was.

  The orange glow hurt her eyes as black shapes flickered up the wall. The skeletons stared but didn’t move. That was odd. They should be attacking by now. There wasn’t time to think about that. Josie hooked an arrow into her bow and shot it through the fire. The flaming arrow hit the first skeleton in the chest and it collapsed before it could release a shot. The arrows flew after that. Josie’s flaming brightly, the skeleton arrows bouncing occasionally off the wall or Josie’s armour.

  In a surprisingly short time, there were only two skeletons left. Josie reached for an arrow and her stomach dropped to her toes. She’d run out. As she hesitated one of the remaining skeletons raised its bow and fired. Josie winced as the arrow nicked her ear. She put up a hand and felt the sticky warmth of blood. Her legs gave way and she sank to the floor.

  If I die here, I won’t rebirth. Mum won’t ever know what happened.

  “Get up, child! Your sword! Defend yourself.”

  A sword? That was no good against skeletons, she’d be dead before she got near enough to strike. Unless…

  “Lumpy, blow that fire!”

  “What?” The unicorn sounded puzzled.

  “Blow it towards the skeletons – distract them!” She scooped up the flint and steel as she heard Lumpy take a deep breath. Before he could blow, she slipped into the shadows and skirted round the skeletons to attack them from behind.

  As she saw the flash of fire from the corner of her eye, she raised her diamond sword and swung it at the skeletons. Her arm ached with the effort – it wasn’t like swinging a baseball bat. Those guys were tough. Were being the important word, she realised, as she watched the last two bodies disappear into dust.

  “You won!” Lumpy cheered. Josie opened her mouth to agree, but the words died in her throat. Because ten paces away, staring at her with its blank eyes, was an Overman.

  Josie looked frantically for a place to hide. It needed to be deep and only two blocks high, so the Overman couldn’t get in. But there wasn’t anywhere and she couldn’t delve fast enough with a sword. Her axes were on Lumpy’s back. She had the flint and steel, but there was nothing here to burn. Only the sword. Would the sword catch alight, like the arrows, if she threw it through the fire? It wouldn’t hit the Overman – it’d port away before it got hit – but it would buy her some time.

  What other choice did she have? Josie chucked the flint and steel down on the stone in front of her. The flame it made was tiny, but it had to be enough. She swung her sword through it, willing it to catch fire. Amazingly it did. With an overarm toss Dylan would have been proud of, Josie threw the sword at the Overman’s head. As she knew it would, the Overman ported away. What she hadn’t expected was that it would still catch fire. When she twisted around to find where it had reappeared, she saw a flaming torch that looked sort of Overman-shaped.

  “Lumpy,” she screamed as she grabbed the sword and flint from the ground, “Time to run!”

  Without checking to see if the burning Overman was following them, Josie led them away down the corridor. They had only travelled a short distance when the Overman ported directly in front of them. It had put the flames out and Josie thought it looked angry, although the flat eyes were impossible to read.

  “Don’t look it in the eye!” she yelled at Lumpy. She launched herself at the unicorn and grabbed another handful of arrows and some wool. In a heartbeat she was shooting arrow after arrow at the Overman. It tried to port away but couldn’t move fast enough. Josie felt dizzy watching its bizarre dance around the cavern. At last it made a mistake and ported two paces in front of her last burning arrow. With a quick prayer of hope, Josie released the string and watched the arrow bury itself in the Overman. It vanished in a shower of dust. She’d done it! She’d defeated an Overman. Wait until she told Dylan!

  It was then she heard Lumpy. His breath came in wheezes and his head drooped to the floor.

  “Lumpy, are you okay?” Josie rushed over and saw a flash of silver on Lumpy’s flank. One of her arrows must have deflected off a wall and hit the unicorn.

  “Oh my, you’re hurt. I’m so sorry! What can I do?” Josie felt tears prick at her eyes and brushed them angrily away.

  “Cry, child. Your tears will heal me.”

  “Really?” Josie had never known tears to be good for anything before. “If you’re sure?” The unicorn looked as if it could no longer speak. Josie ran a finger under her eye and brushed the tears across Lumpy’s wound. His skin hissed as if it was burning, but the flow of silver blood grew sluggish. She brushed tears from her other eye and rubbed them in
like a salve. The wound closed and in a moment it was as if it had never been.

  “Might you fill that useful bucket with water?” Lumpy whispered. Josie nodded and went to fetch the bucket. Before Lumpy could drink, however, a face appeared in the ripples.

  “Amber!” Josie knelt by the bucket.

  “Well done, maiden. You are near now. Be cautious. I know not what enchantments the Goblin King may throw at you.”

  Gee thanks, Josie thought but kept the words to herself. Amber wasn’t scaring her on purpose.

  “I don’t wish to be rude, sprite Evergreen, but may I drink?” Lumpy sounded exhausted.

  “Of course, proud steed. Your work today will not be forgotten.”

  Before either of them could reply, Amber’s face disappeared and Lumpy and Josie were free to quench their thirst.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Can you walk?” Josie asked Lumpy, when they’d rested a short while.

  “You bet,” the unicorn declared, climbing to his feet. “If you can go on then so can I.” But he looked pooped. Josie felt awful. She didn’t want to go on alone, but he needed to rest.

  “Stay here,” she ordered. When Lumpy began to protest she said gruffly, “We might need you to fly us out yet. Rest. Please,” she added gently.

  “As you wish.”

  Josie ran forwards and hugged Lumpy around the neck. “It’s not that I don’t want you to come, you know that, don’t you?”

  Lumpy remained stiff for a moment and then he nuzzled Josie’s hair. “Stay safe, child. I will follow when I feel stronger.”

  Josie nodded, swallowing down the lump in her throat. Then she gathered the remaining weapons and strode away before she could change her mind.

  She had only walked for a few minutes when she heard a strange crackling sound, almost as if someone had captured lightening and stored it in a jar. It made the hairs prickle along her skin. Up ahead an eerie light brightened the gloomy tunnel. It was the colour of thunderclouds or a two-day bruise. It made Josie think of charm tables and spells. Things she had no defence against.

  Her steps slowed and she crept forward with heavy legs. Suddenly the tunnel rang with the sound of footsteps. Lots and lots of footsteps, all marching together. Josie pressed herself into a tiny crack in the cave wall and closed her eyes so they wouldn’t give her away.