“Steady, stay sharp,” Adriane commanded, wielding her sword of wolf fire.
“Look out!” Ozzie screamed.
Sand erupted as an enormous beast attacked. Its huge body surged from the desert, long teeth gnashing.
Adriane sliced the beast in half, raining sand everywhere. Dreamer tried to block another sand shark, but he accidentally barreled into Adriane’s legs, almost knocking her over.
“Dreamer, stay behind me!” the warrior ordered.
The second beast lunged. Silvery moonlight reflected off crystal teeth as the creature’s gaping maw stretched wide. Adriane fired a bolt of fire down its throat, exploding the thing into a cloud of sand.
Several more creatures came at the group from all sides.
“There’s too many!” Ozzie smacked his ferret stone, trying to make it do something.
A shadow swirled across the ground as a dark shape swooped from the sky.
“Incoming!” Ozzie cried.
With a fierce roar, the flying creature dove right into the attacking monsters, razor claws flashing. The beasts were ripped to bits of sand and rocks in a matter of seconds.
“Lyra!” Emily cried.
“Hurry, run!” the flying cat called.
“Go, go, go!” Adriane yelled. She leaped and spun, lashing a stream of blazing wolf fire at another beast.
Dreamer leaped and barked.
Another whirlwind materialized, this one much smaller. Adriane landed in a fighting stance, ready to unleash her fire.
“Adriane, wait!” Emily yelled.
Veering crazily, the tiny whirlwind wobbled to a stop, revealing a small, twiggy figure.
“Tweek!” Emily cried.
“The magic’s gone wild!” the E.F. squeaked, quartz eyes spinning in his head. “Took me forever to get ba—” he found himself eye to quartz with another sand shark “—aaaaaaack!”
The shark swallowed Tweek whole.
Adriane whipped her golden light into a fiery lasso and wrapped it around the thrashing beast, ripping it in half.
The little twig figure fell to the ground in a cloud of sand. “Fascinating. This elemental magic is like nothing I’ve seen before.”
The desert rumbled ominously.
“Everyone into the cave!” Adriane ordered, herding the group across the remaining distance.
Stumbling over the undulating sands, Ozzie grabbed the E.F. “You’ve got some ’splaining to do!”
They entered the dark cave. The mages’ jewels wove gold and blue light across the interior, illuminating an immense chamber.
Lyra landed inside, and Emily ran to hug the big cat.
“I am so happy to see you!” she cried.
Lyra nuzzled her sleek head against Emily’s face, her bright green cat’s eyes dancing. “I couldn’t let you go on an adventure without me.”
Adriane scratched behind Lyra’s ears. “Would never be the same. How did you find us?”
“I just looked for magical mayhem,” Lyra purred playfully. “Of course, I was expecting to find the blazing star.”
Staring into the black depths of the cavern, Tweek, still in Ozzie’s grip, spoke quietly. “Adventure? Is this a normal day for you mages?”
“You have no idea,” Ozzie mumbled.
“Tweek, this is Adriane, Dreamer, and Lyra,” Emily introduced her friends.
“Pleased to meet you, I am an Experimen—geek!”
“Yeah, we know,” Ozzie said, shaking a few loose branches from the E.F. “Why do you always show up just when something bad is happening?”
“Ozzie!” Emily scolded. “Put him down.”
“It’s not my fault,” Tweek said, straightening stray twigs and scrub. “Someone is using fairy magic to twist elements of nature.”
“Who?” Ozzie said, arms crossed over his chest.
“I don’t know.”
“What do you know?” Ozzie demanded.
“The square root of absolute shrub is four times the leaf.”
“What’s that?”
“Twigonometry.”
“So someone is after the lost magic,” Emily guessed.
“Yes, yes!” Tweek waved his twiggy arms.
“Hoooob.”
“Teeeeooo.”
“Squoooook.”
Everyone heard the mournful sounds echoing from the depths of the dank cave.
“What was that?” Tweek asked.
Emily stood still as a statue. The noises pulsed in a rhythm strangely familiar to her. “I think that’s your missing magic—unicorns.”
“Unicorns?” Tweek gasped. “Sounds awful!”
Adriane spread her golden light across the back walls, revealing a series of tunnels running in several directions. Shadows shifted across the rocky ceiling in reaction to the intrusive light.
“What is that?” Ozzie pointed.
“Bats,” Emily answered. “They live in the outer caves.”
“Gah! There must be thousands of them!”
Adriane knelt by Dreamer, gently stroking his neck. “Which tunnel leads us to the magic?”
More strange, out-of-tune noises echoed through the cave.
Dreamer barked excitedly, pointing his nose to the tunnel on the far right.
“Okay, lead the way,” Adriane told her packmate.
The tunnel snaked through honeycombed caverns, the mages’ magic gems illuminating eerie limestone fingers on either side. It was if they had wandered into some bizarre subterranean universe. They passed extraordinary natural sculptures that looked like frozen waterfalls and melted castles. Along the ground, weird lacy rocks twisted crazily and disappeared into the dark. Emily could sense they were going deep underground.
“Toot.”
“BLaaARP!”
“Lalala.”
“That way.” Emily pointed as the tunnel ended in several other offshoots. She edged in front of Dreamer, moving quickly. The noises were getting more agitated.
“It’s getting stronger,” Emily said.
Dreamer agreed, growling low in his throat.
“Be careful.” Ozzie walked in front of Emily protectively, his stone emitting a faint golden glow.
They passed a grand chamber. Enormous stalactites hung like icicles from the ceiling. Trails of iridescent water dripped onto spiky, yellowish stalagmite spires surging from the cavern floor.
“It’s got to be right around here,” Emily said, continuing down the tunnel, her stone now pulsing bright blue.
“I don’t see anythi—!”
Twonk!
Ozzie bounced off… nothing!
“Ozzie, are you all right?”
“Perfect.” The ferret leaped to his feet, whiskers springing back in place.
Reaching over the ferret, Emily’s fingers bumped up against an invisible barrier. “There’s something here,” she said, running her blue and lavender jewel light over the area. Wherever the light hit, a shimmering silver shield was revealed.
“A protection shield!” Tweek cried excitedly. “Ooo, Gwigg was right, you are good!”
“They’re in there,” Emily whispered. Placing both hands against the shield, she leaned in close. “Can you hear me?”
“Go away!”
“Leave us alone, you snarkmoose!”
“There’s no one in here!”
“Shhhhh!”
“We’re not going to hurt you,” Emily said, trying to send calming vibes through the barrier. She looked to Adriane and nodded.
The black-haired mage summoned a thread of golden magic from her fingertip and directed it carefully at the shield. It bounced off, ricocheting over Tweek’s head.
“Now what?” the warrior asked.
“HORARFF!” Tweek exclaimed.
“Bless you.” Ozzie patted the E.F. on the back
“No, no, the HORARFF: Handbook of Rules And Regulations For Fairimentals!” Tweek held the little turquoise gemstone at his neck. “This might tell us how to get past the shield.”
Tweek’s
quartz eyes sparkled in concentration, and a glowing orb blossomed from the gem. Strange symbols and images flashed rapidly through the little sphere, casting shifting shadows upon the rocky walls of the cavern.
“It’s like a fairy map,” Adriane observed.
“Something like that,” Tweek said, studying the symbols. “The HORARFF is tuned to me, so I’m the only one who can operate it,” Tweek explained. “Ah, here we go. This barrier is a unicorn shield. The only way to get through it is to use unicorn magic. I don’t suppose anyone has some laying around?”
“We don’t, but—” Emily started.
“We know someone who does,” Adriane finished.
“You better call her, Lyra,” Emily said to the cat.
Lyra nodded.
“Who, who?” Tweek asked excitedly. “Another mage?”
“The pink one,” Adriane answered dryly.
“Who, who?”
“Calm down,” Ozzie said. “You sound like Ariel.”
“Tell her to get the dragonflies to open a portal,” Emily continued. “It’s the only way to get her here. We took her golf cart.”
The cat closed her green eyes to send the message telepathically to Kara. Lyra’s face scrunched, and her brow furrowed as if she was arguing.
“Wait!” Tweek exclaimed, jumping excitedly. “The blazing star, right?”
“Blingo,” Adriane muttered.
Lyra opened her eyes and grimaced. “She’s not happy, but she’s coming.”
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
Suddenly, bubbles of bright light like starbursts popped into the cave, each bearing a brilliantly colored flying mini dragon.
“Dee Dee! Emeee!”
Purple Barney, red Fiona, blue Fred, orange Blaze, and yellow Goldie flew about the mages excitedly.
“Ozooo!” Barney flopped onto Ozzie’s head.
“Gah! Get off me you pest!”
“Hi guys,” Emily said, scratching Fiona under her little chin.
The dragonflies immediately brushed against the shield, cooing and oohing.
“Yes, we need to get in there, but we need Kara.”
“Oooo!”
The five minis hooked wingtips together and formed a circle, spinning and whirring, creating a swirling mass of color. They were forming a portal. The glowing circle expanded and began flashing erratically.
The tunnel walls suddenly rumbled and shook as if a train had passed underneath.
“I don’t like the feel of that,” Adriane said, glancing at her wolf stone.
“You think whatever attacked us outside has followed us in?” Emily asked worriedly.
Tweek’s quartz eyes started spinning. “Something awful is coming!”
“KaaRaa!” Goldie squeaked.
In a burst of diamond light, a figure stepped from the portal’s center and into the cave.
“AHHH!” Tweek screamed, barreling into Ozzie as he tried to flee, twigs and sticks flying.
Kara scowled, cracking the thick brown mud mask plastered to her face. Her plush white terrycloth robe and matching towel turban only made the brown mask and cucumber eye patch stand out more.
“Try not to let her beauty blind you,” Adriane cracked to Tweek.
“This better be good!” the blazing star fumed.
“We found the source of magic, but it’s behind a shield,” Emily explained, pressing her hand against the barrier. “Tweek says we need your unicorn jewel to get past it.”
“I can’t!” Kara said adamantly.
“What do you mean you can’t?” Adriane asked. “Your jewel is the only thing that can open it.”
“Kara, what’s wrong?” Emily asked, sensing the dread in Kara’s words.
“I… well… you know…” Kara twirled the belt of her robe with trembling fingers and looked away.
The mages stared at her.
“My magic is all flooie!” she burst out.
“Flooie…” Tweek quickly began looking up ‘flooie’ in his brightly glowing jewel.
“Would you turn that off? It’s blinding me!” Ozzie yelled at the E.F.
“Kara, we know you’ve had some problems with your jewel,” Emily said gently.
“I’ll say! I turned the mudbath into Jell-O!”
“We’ll help you, okay?” Emily said soothingly. “Trust us.”
“Hold on to me.” Lyra brushed by her bonded’s side.
“Lyra.” Kara hugged her friend. “I’m glad you’re here.”
Kara looked at the faces of her friends. “Fine,” she said, holding up her unicorn jewel. “But if I change you into a flobbin, I’ll blame you.”
Adriane and Emily stood on either side of Kara and raised their jewels.
Kara stretched her arms wide. “Do you mind?” she asked the pile of twigs at her feet.
The E.F. moved away to give her some room.
Kara gingerly raised her unicorn jewel. “Okay, let’s do this, my mud is caking.”
Emily and Adriane touched Kara’s hands. Shaking, Kara pointed her jewel at the shield.
Sparkling magic spilled from the gem, completely surrounding her. Only it didn’t have the desired effect. With a brilliant burst, her robe sprouted into a hairy red pelt.
“Does it come in black?” Adriane asked.
Kara’s face flushed.
“Try again,” Emily encouraged.
Unsteadily, Kara released another blast.
“Your face!” Adriane clapped her hand over her mouth.
This time, a rainbow of feathers had sprouted from Kara’s mud mask.
“Twigtastic!” Tweek exclaimed.
Adriane and Emily touched her hands, sending gold and blue light spiraling up and around the blazing star. Scowling with frustration, Kara tried one last time.
Crystalline light beamed forth, melting into the invisible barrier. The shield glowed, then shrunk into a small, flat silver object that plopped into Kara’s hand.
“Hey, cool, a protection amulet—I was reading about these,” she said.
But no one was paying attention to Kara. The blond girl turned around to see what everyone was staring at.
Thirty pairs of wide eyes looked back in silent terror.
“OOOOOO, PONIES!” KARA squealed.
A herd of beige and white creatures with lanky legs and flowing manes trembled against the cave wall.
Tweek hopped up and down, loose twigs flying. “Those aren’t ponies, those are unicorns!”
“Help, it’s a fuzzy muckle!”
“EeoooPP!”
“No, it’s a werebird!”
“FhoooB!”
“WWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”
The terrified unicorns burst into tears, pushing and stumbling over one another to get as far away from Kara as possible.
Wild unicorn magic erupted uncontrolled, exploding across the ceiling in a hail of fireworks. Rocks shattered, sending jagged shards flying.
“KaaRaaaahhh!!!”
The frightened dragonflies dodged falling rocks and disappeared in bursts of brilliant bubbles. The unicorns wailed louder.
“Help!!!”
“HOOOaaaaHHHHH!”
Diamond light streamed from Kara’s unicorn jewel, forcing her backward. The magic swung over the unicorns’ heads, slamming into the walls. “I can’t control my jewel!” she screamed.
Lyra roared, leaping to Kara’s side to keep her from falling. Ozzie frantically waved his paws.
Rainbow arcs of unfocused power sparked and flashed. A huge stalactite plummeted and crashed to the floor.
“Howwlooo!” Dreamer raced about in circles as the wild magic pummeled his senses.
Emily had never felt such strong magic. The panic and pain of these creatures crashed into her senses, wild and raw. Falling to her knees, she fought to keep from fainting as the cave spun around her.
“Help me, Ozzie,” she gasped.
“Emily!” Ozzie cried, his ferret stone exploding in bright amber light. “Stop it!” he yelled at the unicorns.
Amplified by his jewel, his voice thundered over the chaos. “You’re hurting her!”
The unicorns looked up, startled into silence. Their magic faded.
“Thank you,” Emily said, catching her breath.
Adriane ran to Emily’s side, helping her up.
“Easy,” the warrior said.
Fighting past the unicorns’ fear, Emily reached into the calm, bright center of her healing powers.
“It’s okay,” she said, sending a shimmering wave of blue-green magic over the terrified creatures. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
The unicorns looked wonderingly at the red-haired girl.
“What about the fuzzy muckle?” a unicorn sniffled.
“I am not a fuzzy muckle!” Kara scraped at her plumed mud mask and took the towel turban off her head. Her blond hair sprang up in long spikes.
The unicorns looked at each other, squeaking like out-of-tune bagpipes.
“I’m Emily,” the healer said softly. “I heard you calling to me.”
Tweek walked among the lanky legs, counting. “…twenty-eight... nine… thirty… It’s the entire freshman class of unicorns!”
“But where are their horns?” Kara asked.
“Their horns haven’t grown yet, thank goodness,” Tweek explained. “They’re babies.”
“Am not! I’m almost one!”
“How’d you get here?” Emily asked the little unicorns.
“SQEeeOOnK!! TOot! …couldn’t find the portal and… boOP! SQUooooK!… we fell over the bridge… pHloop… I bumped my head!”
All the unicorns brayed at once in a combination of screeching sounds and jumbled thoughts. The chaos unleashed bursts of wild magic again.
Emily gasped.
“Gah!” Ozzie yelled, stone pulsing. “One at a time!”
The unicorns turned their heads into a protective huddle. A hoof rose up as one unlucky unicorn was booted from the group. He landed on his rump in front of the mages. He had very large ears, a bulbous nose, and a forelock that stuck straight up. Realizing it was up to him, he took a deep breath and blurted his story.
“My name’s Pollo, and we were on our way to Dalriada, but the monsters found us and we must have fallen through a portal and landed here. Then we ran into this cave and used the amulet shield to hide us.”
“Honk!”
Another unicorn, taller than the others, with a beautiful flowing mane and tail, peeked out. Realizing Pollo wasn’t going to get eaten, she pushed him out of the way and took over. “How’d you get past the shield?”
Song of the Unicorns (Avalon: Web of Magic #7) Page 5