The Secret Of The Unicorn Queen -The Dark Gods (16 page)

    For an instant the warriors couldn't do anything but sprawl on the wall's wide, flat top, gasping. That was no place to linger, though, for now human guards were rushing them from both sides! Illyria flattened one with a quick fist, but there were just too many! 

    "Jump!" she shouted, and did. 

    It was a long way down. But before she could let herself worry about it, Sheila lowered herself over the edge. She hung by her hands for a brief, fearful moment, then squeezed her eyes shut and let go. 

    Oof! She had landed in a pile of sand; even so, the force of impact knocked the wind out of her. But there wasn't time to do more than gasp in a few hurried breaths before a whole platoon of rock-men were pouring through the hastily reopened gates. 

    Here we go again! Sheila thought wearily. 

    The warriors fled as fast as they could. But they were only human, and had to rest. The rock-men weren't, and didn't. And suddenly Sheila came to the terrible realization that she and the other warriors were being herded into a narrow sandstone canyon, out of which there was no escape. 

    Sheila spun around, hunting, but saw only sheer, steep, unbroken cliff walls on three sides. And through the fourth side, the only opening, came the rock-men. They moved closer, closer, looming over the women. 

    "Halt!" a harsh voice ordered. 

    And Kumuru made his deliberate way through the guards, flame-red cloak swirling out behind him, steel sword swinging at his side. Ignoring the others completely, he marched up to Sheila and held out his hand. 

    "I believe you have something of mine," he said. "A certain amulet. The lack of it has already proved a nuisance. You see, had my stony friends here not taken care of him, a certain sorcerous bat would have been quite difficult to remove. 

    "They killed Mardock?" Sheila asked. 

    "Oh, no, my dear. I merely chased him far from here." 

    Kumuru shrugged. "There's no saying where he is now. And, might I add, I neither know nor care." His urbane voice hardened. "Enough banter. I want the Amulet of Power, and I want it now!" 

    Sheila shook her head. "Not unless you let my friends here go free." 

    "No, little sorceress. No deals. Give me back the Amulet of Power—or I shall be forced to take it from you.” 

    "Oh, no, you won't! If you come one step closer, I swear I'll smash it to bits!'' 

    Kumuru's eyes narrowed in anger. Then, casually, he shrugged and moved away. "Poor fool. We'll see who does the smashing here." He raised an arm commandingly. "Come forward, my guards. Crush them!" 

    The women warriors quickly drew their swords. But what good would even the finest blades be against solid rock?  Sheila rummaged frantically through her backpack for a weapon. But what good would flashlights or tape decks be against creatures that weren't really alive? 

    The rock-men began to close in, and Sheila wondered wildly if being crushed was going to hurt very much. Probably, she thought, as a stony hand reached out for her. 

    But all at once there came a fierce trumpet-sound, full of rage. The furious trumpeting rang out again. The rock-man that had been about to grab Sheila froze. She stared in wild-eyed disbelief as cracks appeared all over its body. And in the next moment the rock-man crumbled away into a little mound of dust! 

    "The unicorns!" Illyria exclaimed joyfully. "The unicorns have come!" 

    Through the gap where the rock-man had been, Sheila could see her own dear Morning Star, ears back in battle-rage. By her side was Swiftfoot, Dian's missing unicorn. And there were all the other unicorns and the other unicorn warriors. Rearing and plunging, their long manes tossing like shining flame, the band of unicorns advanced against the rock-men. And wherever a gleaming horn touched lifeless stone, the construct collapsed! 

    Wide-eyed with wonder, Sheila watched the unicorns' goodness "short-circuit" the evil spell that animated the rock-men. One after another she saw the stony guards crumble into harmless dust. And all at once there were none left at all. 

    Illyria smiled coldly at the stunned Kumuru. "I'm glad to see you wear a sword," she said. "For now this is our fight!" 

The King of Samarna quickly recovered. Sword in hand, he saluted Illyria in mock respect. "So be it, woman! Let the duel begin." 

    And, oh, it was a spectacular duel! Swordsman and swordswoman slashed and parried, leaping and lunging like two well-matched dancers; Illyria's shining, silvery hair and Kumuru's flaming red cloak whirling dramatically out behind them. 

    As Sheila held her breath, Illyria tried one daring thrust, her sword and her whole body outstretched at such a low angle that only her free hand braced against the ground kept her from falling. 

    Ha, she's got him! Sheila thought. 

    But Kumuru spun desperately out of her reach and missed getting spitted by so narrow a margin that a strip red as blood was slashed from his cloak. Recovering quickly, he brought his own blade whistling down, and Sheila winced. Illyria was never going to be able to regain her balance in time! 

    She didn't even try. Instead, the Unicorn Queen rolled lithely to one side, then sprang to her feet like a cat. 

    And the duel went on. But now Sheila realized in dawning horror something she hadn't even considered: Now that he was so close to the Amulet of Power, Kumuru could draw upon the Dark Gods' strength once more. That meant Illyria couldn't possibly win this duel, not while the amulet kept Kumuru from tiring! For Illyria was getting very tired, indeed. She tried one last lunge, and slipped, going down on one knee. Laughing savagely, Kumuru raised his sword over his head, all set for the fatal blow. 

    "Stop!" Sheila screamed, holding the Amulet of Power over her head. "Or else I'll break this!" 

    "You'll die first!" His handsome face contorted with rage, Kumuru turned on Sheila, outthrust sword pointed straight at her heart! 

    "Oh, no, you don't," muttered Dian, and quickly stuck out a leg. 

    With a wordless cry of rage, Kumuru tripped over it and went sprawling. 

    But even as he fell, the flat of Kumuru's blade slapped stingingly against Sheila's hand. With a yelp of startled pain, she felt her fingers go numb—and the Amulet of Power go flying! Kumuru made one desperate leap to save it. But his grasping hand closed on empty air. Before Kumuru's horrified gaze, the Amulet of Power struck the rocky ground and shattered! 

    "No-o-o!" wailed Kumuru. 

    But it was too late. Up from the shards of the ruby-red stone came a strange shimmering of rosy light, mingling with a spiral of smoke. There was the faintest of musical sounds, almost like the singing of distant wind chimes. 

Sheila and the others tensed in helpless alarm. What could be forming out of the shattered amulet but the Dark Gods themselves? Running or hiding couldn't possibly do any good against those! Sheila remembered the cold, dry touch on her mind, and the hideous murals in Kumuru's audience hall, and shuddered. 

    But the beings that were forming amid the shimmering weren't ugly or frightening at all! Confused, Sheila blinked in an effort to see them more clearly. But no matter how intently she stared, they remained vague and unclear, as though they weren't truly in that realm. 

    Amid the wavering haze and smoke, the Dark Gods looked something like living red flames—if flames could take on the form of extremely tall, extremely thin humanoid beings. Long crimson strands of hair or cloth whipped and swirled confusingly about them, further disguising their outlines. 

    I-I don't know what they really are, thought Sheila, but they—well, they just don't look evil! 

    The unicorns didn't seem to think so, either. Quiet Storm gave a soft, delighted little whinny, and the others echoed him. Then, to the warriors' utter astonishment, the unicorns all faced forward to frisk happily about the alien beings, cavorting like so many delighted little foals. 

    Illyria suddenly straightened, hand going to her head. "Oh . . .'' It was a gasp of pure amazement. "The beings are trying to communicate with me." She paused. "They say I am most closely attuned to their magic since I am the Unicorn Queen." 

    She fell silent for what seemed like a long, long time, while Sheila and everyone else waited in suspense. Then Illyria sighed softly. 

    "I'm going to let them speak through my mouth. It will be simpler and quicker than having me relate each word. Don't be alarmed; they will not harm me." 

    She paused again. And then a strange story issued from her lips, though it was never her own voice speaking it: 

    "We whom Kumuru called the Dark Gods are neither gods nor creatures of Darkness. We are ancient beings, yes, beings not of flesh and blood like yourselves, but of pure magic, chance survivors from the days when this world was born." 

    They stopped. Hesitantly Sheila asked, "But how did you get trapped in the amulet?" 

    "Purely through mischance, human child, and misplaced trust. Since we knew nothing of evil, we failed to see it in others. Kumuru s ancestors, knowing nothing of our true nature, saw only our Power. They ensnared us, bound us into that which they named the Amulet of Power, and then forced us to use that Power only for harm. Ahh, how that grieved us down through the long, slow years! Yet we could not escape until this day. Now you, human child, and your friends, have freed us at last!" 

    "Now what are you going to do?" 

    "Have no fear, human child. We are leaving this too-solid realm forever. We shall not return to endanger mortal lives again." 

    There was a moment of silence, and Sheila somehow sensed the beings eying Kumuru skeptically. 

    "And," Illyria's lips began to move again, "we intend to take this would-be sorcerer with us. Who knows? Someday he may actually learn wisdom from us!" 

    With that the alarmed Kumuru sprang to his feet, trying wildly to escape. But the shimmer effortlessly encircled him. As the warriors watched in astonishment, the strange beings, with Kumuru in their midst, grew more and more transparent, the reddish smoke swirling thinner and even thinner. 

    Then, just as they vanished from the world with a sudden sharp flash of ruby light, Sheila could have sworn she saw one of the beings smile gently at her (the one who was forced to invade her mind—she just knew it!) and raise a long, thin arm in salute. 

    And then the softest pink mist descended, and Sheila couldn't see anything at all…

    "I don't believe it!" Myno gasped. 

    "We're home!" Pelu exclaimed. "Back in Campora, unicorns and all!" 

    "How did we get here?" Sheila cried. 

    But Illyria didn't say a word. She was too busy rushing into Laric's arms.

    That night Prince Laric gave a great feast of celebration. The royal hall of Campora fairly rang with laughter and song. The prince and Illyria, he in robes of gold, she in gleaming silver, sat beneath the royal canopy and gazed deeply into each other's eyes. Sheila sighed happily at the romance of it all. She couldn't help wondering if anyone would ever look at her that way.