Unicorns' Opal (10 page)

“Do you think he would be any safer in here with us?” asked Fredrik. “Niki’s shields are almost depleted. When they are, we will be helpless to save her. After a while, Jenneva’s shields will fail, too. I will supplement them, of course, but these Yaki don’t plan to leave.”

The Yaki had stopped bouncing off the shield and were standing on their hind legs, quietly.

“They are listening!” exclaimed Tedi. “Look at them! The Yaki are listening to what we are saying.”

“A verrry good obserrrvation, youngling,” growled one of the Yaki, presumably the leader of the pack. “Now that you know you arrre defeated, why don’t you lowerrr yourrr shield?”

Jenneva hid her horror as she saw Niki’s shield wink out. The young girl looked as depleted as her magical powers and she just stayed there kneeling in the clearing.

“Why do you attack us?” demanded Tanya. “We have done nothing to you.”

“Oh,” snarled the Yaki leader. “You have done nothing? Werrre those not arrrows that flew into my pack? Besides, we arrre hungrrry.”

“We only fired because you were...” Tanya retorted before Jenneva stopped her with a hand on Tanya’s arm.

Tanya looked past the Yaki and saw Niki starting to float upwards into the trees. Her mouth fell open as Alex rode into the clearing from the other side on the back of Kaz. Yorra walked alongside Kaz and they both stopped as Alex dismounted. What suddenly caught all of the Rangers’ attention were the sharp, spiraled horns on the heads of Kaz and Yorra. The leader of the Yaki pack turned to see what had caught the attention of the humans and howled.

Alex stood holding his sinuous sword between Kaz and Yorra who had their heads lowered and their sharp horns pointing at the Yaki.

“You show some degree of intelligence,” yelled Alex. “You will understand, then, that you either leave peacefully now, or you shall die here.”

Jenneva winked her shield out of existence as the Yaki leader turned and charged Alex. “Shoot straight!” yelled Jenneva. “There is no shield.”

The Rangers did not hesitate. Arik, Tanya, Tedi, and Fredrik all fired arrows into the backs of the Yaki who were charging Alex. Alex met the leader of the pack with an upswing of his sword as the Yaki leaped for Alex’s throat. The Yaki leader flew over Alex’s head with his underside cut open like a gutted fish. Kaz and Yorra both lowered their horns and sliced outward as the next two Yaki neared, tossing the fox-like creatures aside with their necks sliced open.

The Rangers fired another round of arrows while Alex dropped to his knee and thrust upward at another charging Yaki. Kaz reared and brought his sturdy hooves down on a Yaki while Yorra gored one with her horn and tossed it away. A Fire Ball from Jenneva ignited the last Yaki as its fur burst into flame. Alex stepped forward and mercifully ended its misery. The Yaki’s fur continued to crackle as the Rangers quickly spread out and checked for any live Yaki.

Alex cleared the Yaki bodies away from where Niki had been kneeling and nodded up into the towering tree. Slowly, Niki descended, still in a kneeling position. Alex guided her the last bit as Prince Midge hovered overhead.

“You skills come in handy, Prince Midge,” smiled Alex.

“I would be a fool to say differently about yours,” chirped Prince Midge, “not to mention your unicorn friends. How do they manage to hide their horns?”

“That is a long story, my fearless companion,” Alex returned. “I will share it with you some night.”

Alex turned and looked at Kaz and Yorra. With a sputtering snort, the two unicorns turned and trotted off into the forest. Tanya ran over and threw her arms around Alex.

“Don’t you ever do that again without letting us know what is going on,” berated Tanya in a tearful voice. “You could have been killed.”

“My life is not important,” Alex replied. “It is the lives of the Children that matter. Besides, I thought you would be glad to get rid of my meddling influence.”

Tanya pulled away and thrust her fist powerfully into Alex’s stomach causing him to grunt from the blow. “Damn you, Alexander Tork,” sobbed Tanya. “Damn your cavalier attitude and your cocky ego.”

Tanya turned and stormed off and Alex's eyes followed her with a puzzled look. Tedi tried to follow her, but Tanya rebuffed him with an icy glare and he turned back to help retrieve spent arrows. Alex shook his head and turned to Jenneva and Fredrik who were tending to Niki. As soon as they managed to restore some of Niki’s strength, she tried to push them away.

“I don’t understand them, either,” Arik stated from behind Alex, causing him to start. “It’s as if they change their minds every five seconds. Why didn’t you tell us about the unicorns? Do you still not trust us?”

“I’m not sure,” admitted Alex. “I don’t mean about the trust, Arik. I mean I’m not sure why I haven’t mentioned it. I guess after seventeen years of keeping secrets, it becomes a hard habit to break. I have learned not to mention anything which doesn’t need to be mentioned.”

“I understand,” smiled Arik as Tedi joined the conversation. “That was an excellent strategy, though. Did Jenneva know ahead of time?”

“I didn’t tell her,” conceded Alex, “but after many encounters, she has learned what to expect from me and knows how to react appropriately. I am glad you are good shots, though. One more wave of those Yaki and I might not be here.”

“That is what bothers Tanya,” interjected Tedi. “She thinks you are intent on throwing your life away. You have spent your life trying to find the Children and now that you have found us, you are no longer needed.”

Alex stood scratching the back of his neck and frowning. “There is a certain amount of anticlimax since we have found you,” agreed Alex, “but I am in no hurry to die. I would like to see Sarac finished so that I can search for my own child, but I must see you through this first. I have learned to take risks that would doom a lot of other men, but they are not foolish risks. Each strategy is calculated to produce the proper outcome. I may plan incorrectly one day and I will die for my mistake, but I cannot live a passive life. If there is a task that needs to be accomplished, one must grab the best plan and use it. That is what I do. There is something we must discuss, though.”

“If you are referring to our little rebellion earlier,” interrupted Arik, “there is little to be said. You are our leader, no one else. We may argue with you over many things because you have taught us to question everything but, particularly when it comes to battle, you shall lead us. When we fight we cannot afford to question your orders. Everyone, except Niki who was not with us on the ride here, has agreed to this.”

“Are you sure this is what you want?” asked Alex. “You will have to stand without me at some point, anyway.”

“We’re sure,” answered Tedi. “You have taught us much and we are grateful, but we still have much to learn. One of our first lessons was not to underestimate the enemy nor overestimate ourselves. We want your leadership as long as you are willing to give it.”

“That does not mean we won’t question your decisions,” chuckled Arik, “just that we will question them after we have followed them.”

“Can Kaz and Yorra help us with the unicorns?” asked Tedi.

“Not very much,” sighed Alex. “The Opal is like a religious symbol to the unicorns. They will not want to part with it. To steal it may very well bring an end to our quest. You saw how capable the unicorns are at fighting.”

“I do not wish to fight such creatures,” agreed Arik. “Do you communicate with them like we did in the vision?”

“Yes,” answered Alex. “They employ mind speech. All unicorns do not have the power to hide their horns. Kaz and Yorra are special and have been with us since before the Collapse. I would be lost without Kaz. He is a constant companion and yet never intrudes. If the rest of the unicorns are like him, we should be able to reason with them.”

“We are close to the unicorns now,” offered Arik. “The Sword of Heavens is powerful, just like before we reached the fairies.”

“Yes, Kaz recognizes the terrain,” smiled Alex. “The Yaki are from the same Universe as the unicorns. They are bitter enemies. I never knew the Yaki could talk before today, though. The Yaki that attacked me when I was a lad were more like animals and not intelligent beings. Their intelligence can make them an even greater opponent now. I hope the sword leads us away from here on a different path when the next bead is dropped.”

“Niki is able to ride,” interrupted Fredrik. “I am not opposed to leaving this place quickly. I do not wish to see another Yaki, but if I must, today is definitely too soon. Let’s get out of here.”

Alex laughed as he signaled the Rangers to mount up and continue their journey.

As Arik led the Rangers towards the location of the Unicorns’ Opal, Fredrik tried to console Niki and find out what made her run away.

“How can you think we don’t care for you?” protested Fredrik. “Everyone just risked their lives to save you from the Yaki. Does that sound like we don’t care?”

“Oh,” spat Niki, “you couldn’t let Sarac’s daughter get away from you, could you? Would everyone be so concerned if they knew I wasn’t Sarac’s daughter?”

“Of course, we would,” insisted Fredrik. “We are all in this together. We have sworn to stay with each other until this thing is finished.”

“The Children swore,” snarled Niki, “but Alex and Jenneva didn’t. They didn’t even tell us their real names.”

“Now, that is foolish,” declared Fredrik. “They have devoted their lives to finding the Children and keeping them safe. Why would you demand that they further prove their intentions, after knowing what they have gone through?”

“Sure, they’ve devoted their lives to finding us,” ridiculed Niki. “So what? Sarac has thousands of people who are dedicated to finding us, as well. Besides, I would not believe Alex’s and Jenneva’s pledge if they did give it. They killed my mother, not Sarac.”

“What?” Fredrik asked as he shook his head. “I can’t believe you said that. How can you believe that they killed Aurora?”

“It’s plain to see for anyone who cares to look,” scowled Niki as she gazed around to see if anyone was listening. “Ask them to tell their stories of the days before the Collapse and see if I am wrong. They tried to kill Aurora on several occasions. They almost succeeded in Tor when they attacked the Black Devils. They tried in Tagaret when Mordac pretended to be King and they will admit to being in Trekkum to find Aurora. Oh, I know they will say it was to protect Aurora’s child, but that is nonsense.”

“Aurora was a Black Devil,” insisted Fredrik while mulling over the possibility that Niki was correct. “The Targa Rangers were supposed to wipe out the Black Devils, but we must believe them when they said Aurora’s child was more important. Why would they lie?”

“To control the world themselves,” Niki smiled smugly. “They will use us to topple Sarac and then take his place. Jenneva knows she cannot beat Sarac alone. She needs our help and she will gladly sacrifice us to get what she wants. You mark my word.”

Fredrik shook his head sharply as he tried to push Niki’s nonsense out of his head, but such devious dealings were so commonplace in the world that he could not eject the suspicious thoughts from his mind. Perhaps Tanya was right. Maybe the Children should take charge of their own affairs and not depend on Alex and Jenneva. If there was any truth to Niki’s ramblings, Fredrik had to find out about it.

“You should not make these comments to any of the others,” warned Fredrik. “They don’t know you as well as I do and they may decide to tell Alex and Jenneva. If you are right, which I doubt, you would be revealing too much to a couple of people who might kill you.”

“I am not a fool,” Niki smiled as she realized that Fredrik believed her. “We should make plans to get away from them as soon as we can.”

Further back in the procession, Tedi was trying to get Tanya to talk with him. “Why won’t you talk about why you hit Alex?” Tedi inquired.

“I just don’t want to discuss it,” scowled Tanya. “Why don’t you leave me alone?”

“I just want to help,” insisted Tedi. “I know something is bothering you and it doesn’t have anything to do with who is leading the Rangers.”

“Have you become a great mystic when I wasn’t looking?” frowned Tanya. “Nothing is bothering me except you. I think I’ll check on Niki and see how she’s doing.”

Tanya moved up the line until she was alongside Niki. Fredrik dropped back behind the two girls to avoid being forced into low hanging branches.

“How are you feeling, Niki?” questioned Tanya. “You must be tired.”

“As if you would understand,” retorted Niki. “Magic takes a lot out of a magician. It’s not like just standing there swinging a sword. It is draining. Why did you have to come after me?”

“You’re welcome,” responded Tanya. “I don’t suppose those Yaki concerned you at all? Nope. They wouldn’t have bothered me, either. Better dinner with the Yaki than another night forced to bear the company of Alex and Jenneva. That’s what I always say.”

“So you do understand!” exclaimed Niki. “I can’t stand being around them any longer. Maybe you can help me get away.”

Tanya stared at Niki as if she was a two-headed Yaki. She gazed into Niki’s eyes expecting to see some sign of laughter or a joking spirit, but she saw that Niki was serious.

“That might be possible,” Tanya offered. “Uh, why are we trying to get away? And where to?”

“So they can’t use us,” answered Niki. “Don’t you see? The longer we stay with them, the greater the hold they have on us. We need to get away quickly. I can probably get help in Kantor if we can make it back that far.”

“Kantor is a long way from here,” replied Tanya. “Are you sure you can get help there?”

“Positive,” smiled Niki. “My father lives there. He will keep us safe.”

“Your father?” queried Tanya. “I thought Sarac was your father.”

“That’s just a lie Alex and Jenneva are spreading,” insisted Niki. “They weren’t in Trekkum to help the baby. They were there to kill Aurora.”

“Then why do they want you around?” quizzed Tanya. “If you are not Sarac’s daughter, they shouldn’t care if you leave.”

A puzzled expression fell over Niki’s face. “I don’t know,” Niki conceded. “It doesn’t make sense.”