The Unicorn Valley

This is to grant King Ryden's heart desire. As I had previously
promised him in my first tale in this Set, Storyteller (I hope you took
time to read it first) , the secret of Unicorn Valley will be revealed
at last ...

It all started with a BANG! Actually, it was not just a single BANG;
there were hundereds of BANGS in the air when the unicorns were
hunted.

Yes, as usual by our kind! Ryden was not yet king at that time, Malekh
was.

" King Malekh, we can't just watch these humans slaughter our wives and
our children. Order us to retaliate now! " A raspy voice roared in
mid-air. Its owner was unusually huge for a unicorn. Its freckled,
filthy white horn was even larger than the king's; its gargantuan wings
strode mightily against the wind which howled at the tallest trees
beneath.

" NO, MEPHISTO! " A crowned-horn unicorn loudly admonished his highest
ranking general. "HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE HUMAN'S CURSE! "

" TO HELL WITH THAT CURSE! WHY, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT CURSE
REALLY IS! "

" The king's right, General. I believe the curse is true. " Our young
hero finally spoke. He was as big as King Malekh, himself. His sturdy
wings were like an angel's as it flapped elegantly alongside the
king's. "Remember how the old ones used to tell stories from our
distant past about wild minotaurs which suddenly appeared right after
an army of unicorns avenged the deaths of their young ones? And what
happened to those army? Not a single one came back to defend our
ancestors from the onslaughts of the evil minotaurs! I say, these
humans can somehow control those dark creatures. "

" THAT WAS A LONG TIME AGO, COLONEL! BESIDES, I DON'T THINK THERE'S
EVEN A SINGLE MINOTAUR LEFT, TO THIS DAY , FOR ANY HUMAN TO CONTROL!
"

" THAT'S ENOUGH GENERAL! I ALREADY SAID NO! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

" Then, " Mephisto's eyed thinned as he spoke, " you leave me no
choice. Half our army is willing to face that curse with or without
your permission. "

" MEPHISTO, NO! "

The king roared as the herculean general, the real life hero of every
unicorn , led half of the king's troops down to where the unicorn
hunters were assembled.

It was a horrible sight! Too horrible that I decline to write down its
gory details in favor of my young readers and to those who eat while
reading. Mmmm, yum, yum ...

Anyway, back to the gory details, er ... let's just say that General
Mephisto and his army prevailed in the end. Alas, the hunters became
the hunted!

"SEARH EVERYWHERE! I DON'T WANT ANY FILTHY HUMAN TO SURVIVE! "
Mephisto's voice thundered as human blood dripped from his unusually
long horn. Oops! I hope that's not too much for you, kids. I have to,
you know ... otherwise, you would'nt know how he looked like after the
fight.

" THAT'S ENOUGH! YOU'VE PROVEN YOUR POINT! "

" See, King Malekh! Where are their minotaurs? There's no curse, after
all! " Mephisto declared as a hundred winged unicorns deafeningly
agreed triumphantly.

Colonel Ryden and the rest of the army who remained with the king,
including the king's son, Jethro, remained silent. Was the age-old
curse, indeed , just ONE BIG LIE? Had their forefathers been utterly
mistaken about the minotaurs? How could they be so stupid to have
feared these pitiful humans all their lives?

* * * * * * *

It was already getting dark when the celebration was at its peak. Every
hoof pounded merrily on Unicorn Valley as General Mephisto led the
crowd in jubilant songs and dances.

FEAR, WE NO LONGER ... FREEDOM, NONE IS SWEETER ... NOW'S TIME TO
CONQUER ... HUMANS WILL SURRENDER ...

Everyone, including Ryden and the king himself , couldn't resist
repeating Mephisto's lyrics over and over again. They were pretty sure
that, all this time, the General was right. He had freed them from the
chains of the past, from the stupid follies of their ancestors. Yet,
none of them matter anymore. Their hero had put an end to all those
rubbish!

HAIL MEPHISTO! OUR HERO! WE ARE NOW FREE! FREE AT LAST!

They all shouted and jumped in the open air outside the grandiose
unicorn dome which stood silent in the background. Its ancient walls,
made of mile-long unicorn horns which arched and met at the center
where a humungous, seven-meter thick crowned horn proudly stood, seemed
indifferent to the festivities. Who could blame the age-old edifice
when the wisdom of its olden architects had been maligned and
ignored?

Still, the frenzy and excitement outside did not ebb, a bit. The
myriads of stars in the night sky were blinded by the explosive
fireworks which shot out from every horn of the exhilirated crowd.
There was no stopping them this time, they thought. Everything was in
their hands now ... Everyth ---

Something stopped them; something they did not expect ; something evil;
something more heinous than the crimes of the human hunters; something
which could make what were once shouts of joy and laughter into shouts
of fear and disgust!

AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

(To be concluded)