Legend Warrior

by Liara Woo

  "You…you killed Nashgor," Katie murmured, trembling from fear and astonishment. "How? How are you even alive? Are you a star?" She had realized that he was glowing every bit as much as Relenthus and Joran, but in life he had hardly glowed at all, so it only made sense that he was a star.

  "I…I am not…a star," Halthren said in a shaking voice. "B-before the unicorn king t-took my Light… I went to the Dream Kingdom. F-from then I h-had three hours there to save Joran."

  "Halthren, I'm so sorry—Rune enchanted me, I couldn't think! I'm so sorry!"

  He looked at her then with such a strong emotion displayed in his eyes that she found herself short of breath for several moments. "Don't blame yourself. This was meant to happen; this was part of the stars' design all along, I think. Please don't let this trouble you."

  Katie felt tears sting her eyes as overwhelming relief washed over her, warming her heart and lifting her soul. She shook her head in amazement. "But how are you still alive?"

  "Do you remember what I told all of you about meeting the star of Kylaras? She told me that I could escape to the Dream Kingdom if someone tried to take the rest of my Light…so I did. Wh-while I was in there, I…I took Joran back. Kylaras had also told me that if I managed to save Joran, my Light would be returned to me. So… I'm alive."

  "Good," Katie responded, taking one of his hands and helping him to his feet. She was shocked by how frozen his flesh was. "And you killed Nashgor." Her eyes widened as she realized what that meant. "You killed him! The war's over!"

  "Not quite," Halthren corrected her unhappily. "There was one other thing that Kylaras told me before she left. I'd wanted to tell you earlier, but there never seemed to be any time. She told me that Nashgor is the Shadow Lord, made of pure Darkness. More purely evil than the demons. It created out of the Darkness left over from crafting the demons two mannequins, like extensions of Itself. It controls their every move, their every word. They have no minds of their own; It uses them to make Itself more difficult to kill. For It cannot be dead while at least one of Its puppets lives."

  "What are the two puppets, if he… It's… the Shadow Lord?" Katie asked. She held his hands in hers, trying to warm them and relishing the feel of his pulse on the undersides of his wrists. Alive.

  "There is the Demon King, thrice the height of an elf and twice as broad. He is the simplest to defeat only because any blade can destroy him. The other is the Shape-Shifter, and he is more difficult because there are only two swords in existence that can bring about his demise. One is the Sword of Light, and the other, which I hold, is the Sword of the Great Elves." He sheathed his weapon and began walking towards Relenthus and Joran, glancing curiously at the frozen unicorns.

  "So you just defeated the Shape-Shifter?" Katie asked before he had a chance to ask about them. Halthren nodded. Almost instantly she had another question. "What's the Sword of Light?"

  "It is the only weapon that can cast down the Shadow Lord, and only someone from Earth may wield it without being struck down."

  Katie's eyes widened, and a shiver of fear passed through her. "What does that mean?" she asked, although she could guess.

  Halthren looked into her eyes and took her hands into his own. "It means that either some pompous unicorn is going to save us, or you are. Personally I think you're better suited for that role."

  Katie would have smiled shyly, but instead she felt a wave of pressure wash over her. Her shoulders suddenly ached as if she had to carry a heavy bag of books on her back. Well, that really cuts to the chase, doesn't it? "Let me guess," she said slowly. "The Sword of Light is hidden somewhere really dangerous, isn't it?"

  Halthren shrugged. "To be honest, I really don't know. Only the Book of Legends, kept by the griffins, holds any mention of its location. And I had never heard of such a book until Kylaras told me."

  Katie nodded. "So perhaps we should fly to wherever the griffins live and ask them if we can read this Book of Legends."

  Halthren bit his lip. "Actually, I think it would be best if we returned to Kylaras first. The Shape-Shifter said that…that the elves there are in trouble."

  Katie gulped. She remembered what the Shape-Shifter had told her. Soon they will all be dead or imprisoned, with the survivors to be tortured for my enjoyment.

  The Secret of the Unicorns

  The Secret of the Unicorns

  The dreadful words gnawed at her heart. "I agree; we have to go back and help them if we can. Can you still…uh, teleport?" His gift would certainly be useful, especially if the unicorn land was farther away from Kylaras than she dared to hope. It could take weeks to get back!

  Halthren closed his eyes, concentrating. After several moments he opened them again and shook his head apologetically. "Apparently not."

  Katie sighed. "Then…let's just get everyone out of here before the unicorns thaw."

  Halthren looked anxious again. "Good idea," he approved, walking over to Joran and kneeling beside him. He placed his palm on the unconscious prince's forehead, closed his silver-blue eyes, and murmured a few words that Katie didn't hear. His hand shone white for an instant, and Joran gasped, his eyes fluttering open.

  "Halthren!" he exclaimed when he saw his rescuer. "I knew you weren't dead! I knew it!" He sat up, a hand over his heart, the joy abruptly fading from his face. "That's the second time Nashgor attacked me with Darkness. I'm sorry, Katie. I wasn't much help to you. Where's Loriina? When did you get here, Halthren?"

  "Just now," he answered. "Loriina's in the corner…oh, that's bad." Katie followed his gaze; Loriina was lying on her side near the wall, and the heat from her scales was slowly melting the ice encasing the unicorns.

  "Not good at all," she agreed.

  "I'll wake her up," Joran volunteered. "Halthren, would you help Relenthus?"

  "Of course," he responded, and as Joran ran over to the sleeping dragon, Halthren gently put his hand over Relenthus's bruised forehead, whispering a few barely audible words and sending Light through his hand and into the other elf's mind. Relenthus gasped, his eyes wide and full of terror. "V-Nashgor!" he exclaimed, trembling.

  "It's alright," Halthren said quietly. "The Shape-Shifter is gone."

  Relenthus blinked, his eyes coming into focus. "F-F-Halthren," he stammered. "You have…a lot to explain. I thought you were dead."

  "I'll tell you everything later," Halthren promised. "Can you stand?"

  "I…I don't know," Relenthus answered. Loriina and Joran walked over to them.

  "That unicorn king is thawing pretty fast," the dragon girl warned, pointing. Katie looked; Rune was standing in a large puddle of water, and only a thin layer of ice remained to keep him in place. She turned back to the others and saw Relenthus leaning heavily on Halthren's shoulder, his face white.

  "Let's go, quickly," Joran said, walking toward the tunnel leading out of the stadium. Suddenly Katie felt an urge to stay.

  "Wait," she said, indecisive. "Rune said that unicorns have a way of keeping track on what's happening on Earth. I wanted to ask if he could send me home, but I never got the chance. You guys go on; I'll meet you in a moment."

  "Be careful," Joran warned by way of assent.

  "Hold on," Halthren said as the others turned to go. "There's something that's been bothering me and we should discuss it now. How did Nashgor know where we were headed? I thought that Aspeniel, Bloodthorne, and the four of us were the only ones who knew about our destination."

  They exchanged uncomfortable looks. "Someone's a traitor," Joran said. "We have to get back to Kylaras as fast as we can. I'm sorry, Katie, but elves are most likely dying as we speak."

  Loriina shuddered. "But Nashgor was here. It could have an army of demons lying in wait for us outside. Before I even have a chance to turn into a dragon we could all be killed."

  "I'll go outside and see if there's anything out there," Joran volunteered.

  Relenthus shook his head. "You are the future king of the elves. If you die, how are the seven lords going to agree on
who is to rule? The whole country would fall into chaos, and Nashgor would be able to swoop in and take everything. If anyone goes, it will be me."

  "You can barely stand," Halthren said gently. "I'll go."

  "No," Katie protested. "If you die out there…" She didn't finish her sentence, and instead she suggested, "What if we can break through the ceiling of this stadium-thingy? It's really light in here, even without the torches. I think the roof is thin enough that we can break through it."

  "Whatever we do, we need to hurry!" Loriina exclaimed. "Look!"

  Katie followed her gaze. Rune had fallen to the ground, his cheeks pink from the cold, and even as she watched he stood, soaked to the skin and shivering. When he saw the elves, his black eyes widened. "You're dead!" he exclaimed, pointing at Halthren.

  "Actually…" Halthren began, but he shook his head. "Never mind. Loriina, turn into a dragon. Quickly!"

  "How will that help?!" she roared, and Katie was surprised that what appeared to be such a small girl could make such a ferocious sound.

  "I killed you!" Rune bellowed, face red with fury, charging them with his huge sword drawn.

  "Do something!" Halthren exclaimed, raising his own weapon and running to meet the unicorn. The two blades met with such force that they sent out a shower of sparks. Katie winced; Halthren's sword was a tiny dagger compared to Rune's massive weapon. The unicorn king slashed horizontally and Halthren jumped backwards, but the tip of Rune's sword caught his neck, making a small scratch.

  Katie turned back to the others. "We have to help him!"

  "He's the only one with a weapon," Relenthus pointed out, kneeling on the floor and too weak to stand.

  "Loriina, turn into a dragon!" Halthren repeated while dodging Rune's frenzied attacks. "Use something to break through the ceiling! You're the only one strong enough to do it!" He was speaking very fast and narrowly escaped being skewered by the unicorn king, whose face was contorted with hatred. Rune kicked the elf to the ground and plunged his blade downwards, aiming for the chest, but Halthren rolled to the side and escaped instant death with a deep gash in his upper arm.

  Quickly Loriina transformed into a dragon and searched the cavern, knocking aside the frozen unicorns until she found what she was looking for. Katie hadn't even noticed it until then; a larger-than-life statue of a unicorn in horse form. With a roar Loriina lifted it in her paws and took flight, slamming the statue into the crystalline ceiling. It left a huge dent, and cracks spread across the surface.

  "Wait," Joran said. "Perhaps this isn't the best idea…"

  Katie blanched. He was right; when the ceiling was punctured, dagger-sharp pieces of crystal would shower down on them. She met Joran's eyes and knew that the two of them had come to the same conclusion. "We have to take cover," she said, as Loriina hit the ceiling again. Several crystal shards rained down on them, too small to do harm. Katie looked over at the frozen unicorns all around her; to her shock they were starting to get to their feet.

  Rune also noticed his men waking up, so he yelled, "Over here! Kill this elf! The others are worthless; this one must die!"

  Halthren paled as a hundred unicorns came towards him, their swords drawn, spears raised, and arrows nocked. He knew instantly that there was no conceivable way he could win against so many foes. But as the first blows and began raining down on him, he used his Light to be able to see everything in slow motion. With time to register each of the incoming attacks, his elven reflexes took control. He twisted back and swung his sword wildly, deflecting most of the blows. But the dull end of a spear dug into his stomach, knocking him backward and driving the breath out of his lungs.

  He didn't allow himself to falter; he ducked under several swords and leaped gracefully over others, landing on the shoulders of one unicorn. The force of his impact sent his opponent to the ground; Halthren elbowed him in the head to knock him unconscious and stole his sword, lifting it in his left hand in time to deflect another round of attacks while simultaneously defending his right side with his other sword. Then he struggled to his feet, but he put too much of his weight on his right ankle, twisting it painfully to one side. Fire flared in the joint; Halthren gasped and stumbled.

  Staggering, he tried to fend off the swords, spears, arrows and axes attacking him. He saw a blur of unicorn faces; in the distance he saw the tunnel leading away from the arena. There was no doubt that if he was to survive to fight for Light another day, he had to flee. He fought valiantly, but each move he performed was defensive. Even as he defended himself, there were always blows that he was unable to deflect; blood gushed from his wounds and panic began to set in.

  Katie felt a shudder of fear pass through her as she saw him disappear under the mass of unicorns. "Someone has to help him," she said desperately, looking around frantically for a weapon. Joran was busy helping Relenthus towards the side of the stadium; Relenthus was pale and sweaty, but it appeared that his strength was steadily returning. Both of them wouldn't be of assistance to Halthren any time soon.

  "Someone has to help him," she repeated, as another, smaller group of unicorns began to stir. Each was armed with long blades. If I can get one, I can help Halthren. "Celed Vorello!" she shouted, knocking them to the ground. Most were dead before they realized what had happened, and she cringed, feeling hollow. She'd only wanted to render them unconscious, not… not kill them. What if they had families? Friends? Parents? Trying to ignore the guilt eating at her insides, focusing on Halthren, she raced over and grabbed one of their huge swords. She had already turned away, desperate to escape the scene, when a faint whimper caught her attention. One of the unicorns was still alive, trying to say something.

  "Please…kill me," he croaked, his black eyes wide. Suddenly Katie recognized him. He was the one who didn't have a beard, the one with a sad, frightened look in his eyes and a battered chain. Katie remembered feeling pity for him. "Free me from the king's bonds…"

  Katie stared into his eyes. Unlike the other unicorns, she could see life in their depths. "What do you mean?" she asked.

  Weakly he put a hand on the battered chain around his sweaty neck. "Because of this chain…I am forever bound to do the king's will…no matter how much…I despise his orders…I can't take the chain off…nor can I break it…not without…terrible…terrible… pain…please kill me…set me free…"

  Katie felt heart-wrenching pity again fill her heart. I'm not under the king's spell. I can break his chain. She nodded decisively. "Alright; I'll set you free." She placed the tip of the blade between his neck and the dark iron links. Then she wrenched the sword backwards, severing the chain. The unicorn gasped as one would after a long time underwater. He panted shakily for several moments, eyes closed, and then his breaths slowed to sighs of relief.

  "I am indebted to you," he breathed, his eyelids fluttering and then lying still.

  "Are you alright?" she asked concernedly. His eyes opened again, focusing on hers.

  "Yes. Yes, I am!" He laughed out loud. "I haven't felt so…so free…since I was born! Despite being struck by lightning, I feel surprisingly…strong."

  Katie grimaced, a pang of guilt searing her heart. "Sorry about the lightning. Can you stand? The ceiling's going to collapse…" Even as she spoke, Loriina hit the ceiling again, and the crystalline surface was pulverized. Shards began to fall, deadly glittering daggers piercing downwards.

  "Take cover!" Katie heard Rune demand, just as she caught a glimpse of Loriina dropping down and shielding Joran and Relenthus.

  "Get down!" the unicorn beside her exclaimed, pulling her to the ground. Something heavy and thick was thrown over her. Then she felt several small objects pelting her back and legs but not piercing her skin. When everything was silent once more, Katie opened her eyes and sat up, her heart pounding. She crawled out from underneath the huge blue banner covering her, looking around at the shards and bodies littering the ground.

  Katie bit her lip at the sight. Some of the unicorns hadn't been lucky enough to escape. Their li
mp forms were scattered around the cavern, bloody and broken. In the center was Loriina, sitting like a cat, her hind legs bent and her forelegs straight, her tail curved around her paws. Her wings were wrapped like a tent around herself; the razor-sharp shards hadn't been strong enough to pierce her scales.

  "That dragon is powerful," the unicorn behind her said with admiration. Katie turned and saw him shakily stand up, leaning heavily on his spear. He was barely taller than her; she estimated his age at about sixteen or seventeen.

  She nodded in agreement to his words and took his arm, helping him walk towards Loriina. The dragon drew back her wings, and much to her relief Katie saw Joran and Relenthus huddled between her forepaws. But her relief vanished as quickly as it came. "Not again," she groaned. "Where's Halthren?"

  They looked at each other, each coming to the same conclusion. None of them had seen Halthren since he'd vanished under a horde of well-armed unicorns. But just as the ache of despair was settling in her heart for a third time, she saw him limping out of the tunnel leading into the stadium, favoring his right ankle. Katie winced at his appearance; his tunic was torn to the point where it was barely staying on his body; his left arm hung motionless at his side, twisted awkwardly to one side. There were nasty gashes on his left leg, forehead, and side, and he had a black eye. A deep cut on his upper right arm bled profusely as he gasped for breath.