The Lost Shell of Mahon

by Casey Phelps

  “I understand,” said the king “the cost of your endeavor ever increases, I am truly sorry for your loss and the inability to grieve as is warranted in this time.”

  Re’em spoke up then “This is perchance not the best of timing, but on the news of this could it not also be a return of our court’s senses that these two be on their way, they have done what we asked of them, the princess has received what training I can offer. They have received the next place for the journey; I think we must allow them the chance to move forward.”

  “I think you speak wisely though I do not wish to send them away, I have become accustomed to the presence of the Princess in my court the people respond well to her ministrations. She will be a great asset to you young Prince… well I should say King.” The King agreed.

  Artileon’s head swiveled at the kings words, “Not King yet.” He murmured.

  The king had the news taken to the outlying villages and sent words to ready the Lion, and L’eonis for travel.

  It was with great pomp and circumstance that we left the court the next morning, the unicorns came out to fare their princess a safe journey.

  As they neared the gates, Re’em and his father bowed their thanks. Re’em stepped forward “I have been thinking on the words from the Jada, and the binding, as I spoke to you yesterday I found that I must indeed be bound to you princess and therefore I will journey with you, if you will allow.”

  I was stunned, and searched the King and Artileon’s faces; neither seemed surprised though Artileon’s face was shadowed.

  “I do not see why not, it will most likely be a long journey and one that we might not return from. You may come at your own request, it will not be said that I lured you on a fool’s errand and bring the tentative friendship we earned here to an end.” I spoke clearly.

  The king nodded, and to my surprise Re’em smiled and waved triumphantly to his people and they broke out into thunderous applause.

  Quite puzzled, I must remember to question him about this later. (See I am learning to keep my wondering to myself, or at least until better timing!) We set out to the cheering of the crowd, and set a brisk pace toward the Fire Hills.

  ****

  Chapter 17

  Fire Hills as described by Artileon.

  The Fire Hills are the ancient battlegrounds of the brothers in the history of the Anshan. This is where one brother fought, and lost his life and the animal replaced the soul of the people. They are called red not only for their bloody history however, but the sandy loam is stained red as though the very ground cried for the blood of the slain sibling.

  He forgot to mention that when the heat of the sun roasts the valleys created by the hills, the haze rises up distorting your view and the vision of fire dances in the hills. Then Re’em informed me of the less historical value of the bloody hills was the creatures that claimed the land and its victims. Spitting cactus, and wasting lizards. These alone might kill you but the worst is the red tailed Morx with horns like a ram, a snout like panther, and a whip like tail that pierces as though it was a dagger. It has a terrible temper and is territorial. I found myself disliking this place almost immediately.

  We camped in a wide open space on the crest of a hill, overlooking a barren valley. As we ate, I remembered the unicorn’s farewell to their Prince and had to ask Re’em why they had responded as such.

  “Re’em I must ask…” I started.

  He started laughing, “I’d wondered when you’d get around to asking,” He said.

  “It is the testing of our people, that a Prince cannot be named until he has completed a charge worthy of his people. I had yet to find a reason to leave much less a need to pursue, so I had not earned the respect or title that is my due. My people were very pleased not only to find I was finally mature enough to go, but that I chose you to endeavor with.”

  I was astonished. I almost blurted out well glad to have you on board, but I realized the consequence of his words. Why would they be happy it was me he was helping, and what did that mean from him. It was as if Artileon could guess my thinking or maybe he’d already come to the same conclusion. He glanced my way and then I had to think why would he care, it wasn’t as if he or I had chosen this. I’d shown up in his prison and thrown his whole world off kilter.

  I had too many ideas running in my head and I lay down for the night. I had to at least rest my body, if not my mind for the travel ahead of us in the morning.

  Almost immediately I was asleep and taken into a dream vision.

  Aodh, fire, the place of fire. Here the meaning for your trials will converge. Come find me, little princess, but know you might have to choose, only two may succeed thus said the tellings of the Jada. Choose wisely, for the wrong choice will determine the fate of this entire world. I was shown to an island, and oasis in the sea of red sandy hills. The island had the feel of sweltering oppression and dragged at my being. I was shown the marking to follow a well-worn and cut out path, to a circle of stones. Here.

  I was shaking violently, and rough hands were grabbing me, I started awake and started to scream, fighting my unknown attacker.

  “Ooompf,” my assailant landed on his rump in the sand as the Prince tore him away from me.

  “What is the meaning of this?” He demanded angrily.

  I peered at my attacker and recognized it as Re’em, who looked as shocked as I was.

  “She was in danger, the thread it pulled at my soul, I felt the oppression of her soul in her dream, and she was in an ensorcelled place.” He pleaded.

  I was dream walking, not actually in danger, wasn’t it? No one had explained entirely the ability I had, so it was possible my soul was visiting these places as I dreamed, maybe that was why I always woke up groggy and drained.

  Artileon explained what I had just come to realize. I sat in dread that Re’em was right he truly was bound to my soul and experienced the effect of the dreams, and who knows what else. I imagined this came as quite a shock to him, as having the twain abilities made me that much more of an abnormality.

  Though he did not see this as a bad thing, if anything he seemed to admire the uniqueness of His Princess. Oh, boy this guy. I told them of my dream; I might’ve left out the choice part. At least we had a destination in the fire hills, I am sure they are lovely but I’d like to get out of here as soon as we can.

  To turn the subject of conversation away from me, and his adoration I asked him about the lore of his people. He told me while we started our sandy trek.

  “Well, I am not sure what the Beastly King has told you,” he started.

  I cringed at the obvious demeaning tone he used for Artileon, and I had to bite my tongue not to come to his defense. As if he needed me to defend him, he never even blinked when someone spoke about him or his people that way as if he was too much a beast, to have human emotions. When I zoned back in Re’em was still regaling the might of his people, when I realized he told the same story in essence as Artileon. I looked at him in surprise, “you mean you can change to human form too?!”

  Artileon and Re’em stared at me as if to say what took you so long…

  I then grilled them about why the unicorns stayed in their alternate form and do all the different types of animals form their own groups, and is that why no one eats meat… Until Artileon gave me the ‘you’re rambling’ look.

  I smiled and started thinking about all that I had learned that day.

  Humans were the only creatures that did not change from their original form, keeping their soul. The animal natures that came forth after the curse started creating groups unto themselves. They were unruly, and wild as their natures appealed unto them. Until the Lion, who by natural selection was named the King of the Beasts. He was by far the most cunning and the most ruthless. His kingship was passed down upon his line; the only animals that did not subject themselves to the King and his rule were the Unicorns, the Mare and the Humans.

  The unicorns did truly stay in their animal form as a matter of pr
incipal, why hide the nature given to them, and they only chose to change for the required needs. The sifting of an animal’s nature did not need to be complete, so some even chose to partially sift and would keep the best of what they felt their nature had afforded them. As you would not want to cross a Sifted Animal and eat him for lunch, they do not hunt their subjects. They will prepare true animals for an annual hunt. This also coincided with the holiday to celebrate the Lady of the Moon, and her sceadu dances. All will change under her darkness that night.

  “The sceadu, that’s pretty close sounding to shadow…” I spoke to myself, but Artileon nodded in acknowledgement of what I’d said.

  That night the admiration of Re’em was at its worst. I noticed a wry smile on the Prince’s face at my displeasure at the added attention. The unicorn, made quite a spectacle of showing me his human face. He was quite handsome, he had the same shimmering quality that Artileon had, and he sifted into clothing much the same style as Artileon’s garb. He was tall; gargantuan really, I looked up squinting at his height. I guess to be such a tall unicorn the man would be too, and he was not fat in any way but extremely muscular much like a body builder, he was huge. If someone was going to ask if I had ever met a giant, this is exactly what I would picture. He looked extremely uncomfortable as a human, but set about doing humanly seeming things. It was quite a sight. His efforts must’ve paid off though, since Artileon was sullen at this show for my benefit. He stalked off to go look after the horses, and left me with the prancing pony.

  When he returned, I used my mind speak on him. I wanted to see if I could project to him only or if I would project to everyone in ‘hearing’. It worked, as Re’em testified to not hearing our silent conversation, though he was sad not to be included he said he understood the significance of my inquiry.

  I thought ‘prancing pony’ indeed, and Artileon chuckled.

  I hadn’t meant that stray thought to get away, but Re’em did not get offended so I assumed I was in the clear.

  As we began our morning routine of packing up our belongings and setting out I once again practiced allowing my thoughts to one or the other, and then both. As we rode I sent a picture to each of them of the island we were trying to find.

  I only got a picture of a giant ox-like creature, and a feeling of intense fear as a response.

  The warning I had gotten was too late to be of any benefit, I had no idea where it had come from either. As I looked to my left, I saw the beast rear up and attack the Prince. As I screamed, he told us to flee. Re’em took my reigns and forced us away from the fray. I looked over my shoulder to watch as the great horned creature gored the stunned horse, and the prince falling into the danger of the hooves that stamped about. I couldn’t see any further as the red sand billowed and cast a fiery glow to the scene.

  ****

  Chapter 18

  ‘Come find me, little princess, but know you might have to choose, only two may succeed thus said the tellings of the Jada. Choose wisely, for the wrong choice will determine the fate of this entire world.’ The words echoed ominously in my head.

  “We have to go back!” I shouted wrestling my reigns back from Re’em. “You can’t go back, you saw what that creature did, and this is what the Prince would have wanted.” He said unapologetically.

  “I have to go back; the beast may have gone away… maybe we can save him.” I said earnestly.

  “That beast will never leave its prey. The Prince is gone, and he did what he could to ensure that we were able to get away. Even still, if we were to find the Prince and the beast had left, it is too late. The beast secrets a foul poison on his tusks, there is not medicine to cure this ailment, he will perish.” He said adamantly refusing to allow me to turn back.

  As we broke camp, I devised a plan to break away from Re’em. I must see it for myself or I would never forgive myself for allowing him to suffer that way. As soon as I saw the rise and fall of the unicorn’s breath and the faint rumbling of his snoring, I ran for my horse and mounted, shooting off as I heard his shouting for me to come back.

  I didn’t turn around or hesitate instead I went at a full gallop in the direction we had left Artileon, praying that when I did reach him that it wouldn’t be too late.

  I searched the sandy area for the signs of the struggle and was about the lose hope when I spotted the broken cactus, and crushed bushes that surely witnessed the brutal attack of the creature with the tusks. The Morx as Re’em had called it. I went more cautiously now, and dismounted nearly toppling over as I caught sight of the Prince’s body, the horse had thrown him away from the fight and in the Monster’s haste to take his prey he hadn’t noticed the battered Prince. I ran to his side, and looked at him, his face slightly bloated and red from the sun’s heat, and his lips parched and broken from lack of moisture. His hands covering a tangle of torn and bloodied fabric and as I lifted it I gasped in dismay. He had been stabbed by the Morx’s horn, and necrosis had set to its dismal job corroding the wound. I felt his pulse and saw that he was still alive; I couldn’t just leave him. As I sat in anguish, Re’em caught up to me and stood silently watching me. Then he sifted and reached down to lift up Artileon and placed him on the back of the horse. He grabbed the horse’s reigns, and then sifted, telling me to get on his back and we would head back to camp. I could tell he was angry and thought I was foolish, but he understood my lack of belief in the fatality.

  At camp Re’em wouldn’t speak to me, he was fuming at my disregard to my safety and my inability to face the facts.

  I settled in for the night for real this time…

  ‘Came…back…’

  “What?” I asked.

  Re’em looked at me and told me he hadn’t said anything.

  ‘For…me…why?’

  I looked at Artileon, in shock. I opened my mind to him and his mind replayed the awful sight of what had happened that day. I shook in fear of the scenes, and answered his question.

  ‘I will always come back.’

  He was talking to me in my mind, I couldn’t believe it, and I asked him if he had sent me the warning, ‘yes’ was all he could reply.

  The next morning, I washed and bandaged Artileon’s injuries to Re’em’s dismay and continual grumbling. I gave him lots of water and shaded him as best I could, then we had to come up with a plan for how we would continue. Re’em said obviously I was mad and we should leave the Prince to die, I was merely prolonging the agony of the poison. At that point I walked away to the crest of the next hill still in sight of the camp but far enough away that I was alone. As I stared out across the crimson dunes I couldn’t believe what I saw.

  I sent the picture of the island back to Re’em and Artileon, and said ‘we found it.’ Re’em came running and shouted in triumph that we had made it.

  ‘Go’ I heard through the link with Artileon. I hesitated then set off down to the edge of the water that surrounded the tiny island. Truly an oasis, it was a cool retreat from the sandy ridges and glaring sun. I could barely restrain myself from jumping in to the inviting water. “Wait,” commanded Re’em.

  I turned to see what the matter was, and found the Morx had beaten us to the lake. His shriveled carcass had made its final resting place in the watery stillness. It was as if the waters sucked the life from the giant creature. I then noticed there were no sounds, no animals, and no birds. There would surely be a multitude of animals in an area that housed water in an arid climate such as this. I pulled back from the shore like it was on fire.

  We walked back to camp and helped the prince to a new camp on the outskirts of the lake. In the heat, it was wonderful to just sit in the coolness that blew up from the water.

  As the sun set, the water reflected the rays as if flames were coming from its depths. Re’em and I sat in awed silence…

  “Come”

  That was the voice from the dream I recognized it at once.

  “Alone”

  I also recognized its finality.

  Well it’s s
how time…

  I walked closer to the shore as a small raft floated my way; a pole was attached to the craft.

  “No, you are not getting on that, and it is too small to carry both of us.” Re’em said indignantly.

  “Re’em, it is calling me. This is more than you, and I, and Artileon, it is our world and it’s what must be done. Princes and Princesses, Kings and Queens must all make sacrifices for the greater good.” I said quietly.

  “I must go alone, and face my trial, remember yours was to get me here safely and you completed that journey.” I said with more poise that I felt at the moment.

  He didn’t seem to notice, and nodded. He was not happy with it but he could not argue.

  I stepped cautiously onto the raft, and set the pole into the water and cast off from the bank. From there I hadn’t need of the pole as an unseen force dragged me along to the silent shore of the island. As I neared it, the oppressive air collided with my lungs. I forced a breath and could imagine the tugging on my soul as Re’em had described it. Would he too in reality feel this, and if it took my soul would it also take his, would that be my choice?

  The island had lush vegetation, and was eerie in its silence. She could imagine getting lost in the maze of palm fronds, and curly ferns. She swept away vines, and steered her way along the barely visible trail, not much more than a dirt path littered with dropped and decaying leaves, and rimmed with strange flowers and mushrooms.

  The air was sultry and hung in the air as if it was tangible, and irritably she wished she could swipe it away as easily as the low hanging leaves and branches barring her forward progress. She wondered about food, she hadn’t thought that far ahead when she ventured into the interior of the island, thinking it wasn’t that large of a space, but as she dove forward into the heart of the mirage she was sure it had grown as she lost sight of the shore. The path wound through the moss covered trees, seemingly without end; she was getting hungry and tired.

  She could imagine it would swallow her in a cocoon of compressed air that would smother her if she allowed herself to rest. The very island seemed to live from the energy leeched from the air. She noticed the light waning, and wondered just how long, this trek had taken her.