Putrefaction

Preparations didn’t take the small group too much time to finish up. Gareth finished tightening the final bag to the horse, turning to the others with a stern smile. He attempted to seem excited, happy even, but no smile would do well to cover the stress his eye belied.

“Well then, shall we be on our way?” he asked, stepping up into the saddle and swinging his other leg over to sit upon the horse.

“Is it really safe to go at night? What about wild animals? Or other dragons?” Frewin questioned as he gave one of the horses a gentle pat on its muzzle.

“The sooner we start out the better. Plus, the dragons would be asleep at night. Nothing to worry about.” Gareth did his best to assure Frewin.

Despite his best efforts, Frewin couldn’t shake the strange nerves the expedition was causing. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the long travel they were expecting or going against another dragon. Perhaps even a combination of both. Either way, he mounted the horse while wrapping the reigns tightly around his good hand. Ambrosine climbed up behind him on the horse to help steady him.

The trip out of the city was event-less, they managed to make it out of Oasis d’Étoile without difficulty. The sun had begun peeking up over the mountains by the time they started setting up a camp. The small campfire crackled as they all sat around it, a skewer being twisted every so often to cook the small rodent. None of them felt like talking. The nerves they all felt became more evident as they were all exhausted.

Rhyannon removed the rodents from the skewer and placed them on a plate to be passed around. It was rather dry and hard to chew, but none of them cared much.

“Would be better if slower cooked,” Ambrosine commented, placing the skewer and meatless bones back on the plate at her feet.

The others finished up soon after. Gareth had disposed of the bones as Ambrosine and Rhyannon had cleaned up the dishes.

“You all should get some rest, I’ll take the watch,” Gareth announced.

“You should get some rest yourself. You look about ready to fall over.” Rhyannon placed her hands on her hips.

Gareth gave a small laugh. He did feel exhausted himself, the skin under his eye seemingly darker than prior. His head felt foggy and he could feel the ground rocking under his feet as he stood. However, his nerves still felt far too active to allow for sleep.

“I’ll be fine. I know the lands better than the others do, they could benefit from my keeping watch.” he finished packing what little things he needed onto the horse and attempted to give his most convincing smile. Rhyannon finally relented with a sigh.

”Alright, but only for a few hours. After, you let one of us take over so you can rest for a while, and then we’ll be off again. Got it?” she advised him gently, knowing he more than likely was going to disregard what she said anyway.

He gave her a nod, setting himself down on one of the scattered trunks to keep watch. Rhyannon joined the others around the now extinguished campfire, finding it easier to fall asleep than she had expected. It was probably in part due to the fast pace the last few days had provided, but she would put it off to think about it at a different time. For now, she was tired, and the morning sun was warm, her back was sore from the horse, and she was tired. Extremely tired.

By the time she and the others had finally awakened, the sun had long descended leaving the sky a purplish bruised color. Gareth had remained at his post, a heavy book flipped open in his lap. He looked towards them once he heard the rustling. Ambrosine was the first to stand, stretching her arms above her head, her silver eyes reflecting the purple hues of the sky.

“How long did you let us sleep?” She asked, sleep still staining her tone.

“All day.” he couldn’t stand looking at her. Her voice was enough to twist his stomach.

“Awe, how kind of you. But why? Now we’ll have to wait on you before we can go kill your dragon.” she flopped an arm around his shoulders, her voice oozing a toxic sweetness.

It made him sick. Her voice, her eyes, her smell. He wanted to retch, he wanted to shove her away. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his hands around her small-

“I’ll be fine.” he shrugged her away, closing the book rather loudly and slipping it into the small saddle bag, “we should probably be off soon. From here until Penbel it’ll be difficult with the change in terrain and temperature.”

Ambrosine gave a small glare as he pushed her away. She glowered at his turned back, a small huff coming from her. Frewin took notice and gave her a small nudge.

“Something happen?”

She instantly snapped back, giving him a warm smile and wrapping her arms around his to pull him close.

“Of course not. Was just a little worried about our dear prince? It’d be simply awful should he come down with an illness or get hurt because he’s sleep-deprived. I do believe we should wait a little longer so he can rest.” Ambrosine gave Gareth a sympathetic look only to be met with silent detest.

“I agree, but if he feels fine enough to travel we should just trust him. Besides, I’d like to get this over with as soon as possible.” Frewin tried to wiggle his arm free of her, wincing as she tightened her hold. He looked down at her and caught his breath at her glare. Her pupils had shrunken to small slits with the silver color seemingly glowing, looking more like liquid mercury. Her nails were digging into his arm.

“Let’s get a move on.” Gareth broke her out of her mood causing her to instantly release her grip on Frewin.

“Of course, silly me. You’re a grown man who can handle himself should he fall from the horse and get trampled. Or something.” her slight laugh only helped to make the atmosphere even tenser.

The small camp was cleaned up quickly and soon they were all back on track with the sun dipping further down, leaving them in near darkness as a cold began seeping in. They had been traveling for a few miles in total silence save for the heavy breathing and quiet whinnies from the horses. Ambrosine held a heavy grip around Frewin’s waist, scowling every so often at Gareth’s back.

Nightfall soon fell completely over them. The horses stopped dead in their tracks, their muscles tensing under their skin as their ears flicked back.

“What’s the matter?” Gareth tried to get the horse to move again, kicking his heels into its sides. The horse reared up, whinnying loudly and nearly tossing Gareth and Rhyannon from its back.

A pair of bright, unblinking eyes stared at them from the darkness. The horses whinnied loudly, eager to turn tail and run. From the blackness came an even darker larger blackness. A creature of pure, inky darkness with bright yellow eyes approached them slowly. It stopped within a few feet of them, their horses becoming tenser. The creature appeared to be another horse, missing both mane and tail but a large horn jutting from its forehead. Its skin seemed to shimmer and shift about as if it were nothing more than a walking pool of water. Its nostrils flared but it seemed to stay where it stood.

Gareth attempted to calm his horse and redirect it past the strange creature but it refused to listen. The creature began to walk toward them now causing the two horses to neigh loudly in their attempts to get their riders to allow them to flee.

“C’mon girl it’s alright. It’s not going to do anything.” Gareth’s attempts to calm it down were fraught. The darker-colored horse lurched forward, its horn barely missing him as it collided with his horse, wedging it deep within the eye. The horse spazzed violently causing Gareth and Rhyannon to be flung from its back. Ambrosine and Frewin scrambled off their horse to rush and help the other two up as it slid its horn from the horse’s skull, the horse flopped to the ground still shaking.

The creature then turned back to face them, its bright yellow eyes focusing solely on Gareth. Gore slid down its horn and made a small pool at the base. Its lips curled back to reveal serrated teeth. From its throat came a loud bellow as its inky black body marched slowly towards the small party.

They scurried to their feet as fast as they could, fearing any moment now it would linger towards them once more. Gareth unsheathed the sword from his side, its pointed tip aiming at it. Rhyannon kept the others behind her.

“Whatever you are we mean you no harm. We just wish to pass through.” He attempted, more so to steady his own nerves than to placate the beast. His arm shook causing the blade to sway just slightly. The beast halted in its movements as he raised the blade toward it. It seemed to be thinking to itself, its long slimy tongue lolling out between its jagged teeth. Rhyannon gave the other two a small nudge to move them to the side of the beast. Its eyes never once left Gareth.

They managed to get behind it without an issue. They were nearly ready to make a run for it until the horse caught a twig under the hoof, the snapping noise causing the creature to whip its head around at a disgusting angle. It seemed to be panting as thick saliva oozed from its long face, its sides heaving as it wheezed. The fiend’s body soon turned towards them. Its eyes reflected the moonlight making them look as if a small fire was lit behind them, its body looked more reptilian, like it had scales across its body rather than the short hair of a normal horse. It looked wet and slimy. Its hooved feet made no noise as it advanced towards them.

Gareth took the chance as it turned its hind to him to charge toward it, stabbing the sword deep into the back of it. It reflexively kicked its legs back, catching him in the chest and sending him stumbling backward, his back hitting the ground with a loud thud. He went to stand back up but a sharp pain in his chest forced him back down gasping for breath. The beast kept its attention locked on the others, seemingly unfazed by the sword that still protruded from its backside. It again lunged towards them at an unbelievable speed, nearly catching them and sliding to a stop, its slimy tongue slipping from between its teeth once more. Its breathing only became heavier with its hunt.

“You two grab Gareth, I’ll keep this thing distracted,” Rhyannon instructed, snapping to garner the fiend’s attention, it barely wavering from its locked gaze on Frewin.

“You’re crazy if you think you can take it on by yourself.” Ambrosine’s tone kept its usual cheerfulness, her smile sinister as she retrieved the small hunting ax from the saddlebag. She thrust the ax into Frewin’s hand and gave him a nudge. “You should probably run.”

“Run? Are you mad?” Frewin’s voice hitched an octave as he took the ax instinctively.

With a rough shove, Ambrosine sent him running, following in step with Gareth slung over her shoulder as he hobbled against her.

“We can’t just leave Rhyannon to deal with it alone!” his protests fell deafly as the pair continued to walk in the opposite direction. “Are you listening to me? She might die!”

Ambrosine paused in her walking, earning a soft grunt from Gareth. The look she gave Frewin was one of indifference, however, her tone leaked with contempt.

“Then you go help her. She told us to flee and that’s what we’re doing. Gareth is in no position to deal with that cretin, and, frankly, neither are you. What do you honestly plan to do with one arm and shaking knees? Cheer her on? Watch her die? Really, I suggest you come with us.”

Her tone was harsher than he was used to, but she had a point. He really couldn’t help. He’s proven over and over all he can do is stand on the sidelines or worsen the situation. He couldn’t help his sister, his parents, he couldn’t even help himself. Now, he was going to end up causing several people to meet the same fate. He stood dumbfounded at how blunt her words were, even more so at how truthful they were. Without sparing care for him, she turned back around.

“It’s your choice what you do. You can stand here and die with her or move. Like you were told.”

His hand tightened around the ax. A pressure building in his chest. He was unsure if he was annoyed at his own uselessness or at her for pointing it out. Frewin knew he really had no reason to be angry, she was right. Frewin also knew she had no reason for her words. He was at more of a disadvantage than the others. He didn’t know magic nor how to fight. He never had a reason to. He was nothing more than a mere farmer.

A small cry broke him out of his flurry of thoughts. The beast had Rhyannon on the ground, blood staining the front of her blouse as it slowly withdrew its horn from her chest. Its wild eyes focused on him once more, its thin, skeletal legs hobbled the beast’s body towards him. His mind blanked as he saw the blood sliding down the horn, pooling at the base. His legs began moving on their own. First a few tentative steps then a sprint. The only thing he could think about was that horn. He wanted to break it, smash it into pieces. Impale it with it as it did to Rhyannon.

As he approached the creature he raised the ax above his head. He imagined bringing it down, splitting its grotesque skull in half like a clam. He wanted to make the beast scream, to writhe in the agony it caused Rhyannon and Gareth. The horse-like creature broke into a sprint, head down as it ran towards him, just barely grazing him. He reflexively swung the ax towards it. The metal dug into its throat. A gurgled cry came from the monster, blood pouring out to cover the ground and Frewin. It struggled to make noise as more blood wept from the wound. Its jaws gnashed wildly, the broken, gnarled teeth mashing together loudly as it struggled. Nostrils flaring, tongue flicking in and out. Still, the creature bucked around even more furiously as it threw its body in all directions out of pain and anger.

It raised itself to its hind legs to slam its hooves down on him, bucking its back legs, horn thrashing. Desperate to return the pain. Each time it grew closer and closer to him. With one final downward thrust, its head was lowered. Frewin took the chance to raise the ax high and brought it down right in the middle of its skull as he imagined. The bone split in a sickening, splattering crunch. Brain and bone and blood flew in every direction and the monster staggered. Its body shook as it tried to hold its weight up. With one final cry, it finally fell to the ground not moving.

He was panting heavily, heart racing miles a minute, as he turned to retrieve Rhyannon. He was covered in the creature's gore. Thick, smelly blood stained his clothing.

“Rhy-“

A wheezy, guttural shriek came from where the beast had been laying. Hooves dug into the mud as it tried to force itself back up. The halves of its skull sagged unnaturally, its jaw hung even lower. Viscera slid out of the crack in its head. It bound forward with a renewed burst of energy. The horn barely grazed his face before a blinding light surged forth, removing the head of the beast. Rhyannon stood on the other side gasping as she held the wound on her chest. She took a deep inhale before collapsing back to the ground. He took a step towards her, intent on checking on her, but a sharp pain in his head stopped him. The ax dropped to the ground as he grabbed his head, the pain becoming a stronger, pulsating pain that burned his temples. The pain grew in intensity until his knees buckled causing him to collapse. Frewin wanted to dig into his skull, crack it open to pluck out whatever irritant was causing him such agony. His eyes began watering, his vision vibrating. The tears that formed burned his eyes and each blink felt rough, course as if sand layered the underside of his eyelids. His vision grew fuzzy and dark around the edges, slowly closing in on himself until he could no longer see. Eventually, the pain in his head became so intense all he could do was scream- only no sounds came out. His throat felt as if it burned as if he was screaming, but he couldn’t hear any noise. He was blind, he was deaf. He was in agony.

Then…nothing. The pain dissipated as soon as it had begun. His vision and hearing were restored but everything was brighter, louder yet murky. Everything seemed outlined by a bright, blinding light. Sounds were intense yet seemed far away.

“Fre…in.” “Frew..in”

He strained to hear, to make out any sound. His eyes squinted as he tried to make out the intensely colored blob. He could barely make out shapes, and colors. It was as if looking at a color wheel through frosted glass. It was there yet it was not.

“…in”

The voices seemed to become as dull as they were previously loud. Everything seemed to fade back away quickly. The color and sounds faded out, feeling as though he was being pulled deeper under the water. His head began to feel heavy and full of gravel. The pain was gone, at least, but now he just felt exhausted. He felt as if he could sleep for days, maybe months.

“Wake up!”

The sudden yell was clear, not muffled and broken. It jolted him out of his state his body sitting upright.

“About time.”

That voice was Ambrosine’s. He could recognize it, at last, words he could clearly make out. He blinked several more times as his vision slowly returned. The grainy feeling was still present but the feeling wasn't nearly as painful. After a few more moments he managed to sit up with minimal pain. At most, he felt exhausted. He could make out Gareth and Rhyannon sitting off to the side. A familiar bruise could be seen on Gareth's chest as Rhyannon nursed what looked like a nose bleed. The odd creature wasn't anywhere he could see.

"About time you finally woke up." Ambrosine lightly scolded. "How many times are you going to pass out on me?"

"I...sorry." he replied, meekly, "where's the...thing?"
"The black unicorn," Gareth responded before Ambrosine could. His tone gave her no leeway.

"Yeah....that. What even...was that?"
"Black unicorns are monsters created when a dragon's insanity gets to be uncontrollable. As you know, no doubt, regular unicorns are pure creatures. Horns capable of purifying water, hair used to string holy bows, the like. When the madness of the highest degree infects the land...well." Gareth made a vague hand motion.

"Pure creatures become corrupted and bloodthirsty. How sad." Ambrosine tacted on with feigned sympathy.

"We burned the body. Rhyannon took care of everyone's wounds. You seemed to have been slightly affected by the tainted blood when you smashed its head open like that. Please, exercise more caution in the future. However, I shan't chastise you too badly. Had I listened and slept like told I would've been in a far better state...."

Gareth released a small sigh.

"As we're down a horse I believe Frewin and Rhyannon should take her as they're the most wounded and weak currently. We cannot afford to slow down so we can't allow any more rest time, unfortunately."

"I disagree. Rhyannon seems perfectly fine and able to walk. I'll continue to accompany Frewin." Ambrosine interjected, hand already clamped down on Frewin's arm.

"You were happy to just walk off on us both. I think Gareth was right. Rhyannon has done more for everyone every time. Allow her a chance to rest." Frewin shook her hand off and went to check on Rhyannon.

Ambrosine glared at him as he walked away, her hand pressed against her chest. After a couple of moments, she sighed.

"Alright. I suppose you have a point. I'll go check on our belongings and make sure the horse is fine so we can be ready to head off."

With Ambrosine out of earshot, Gareth audibly sighed, "She truly knows how to make the air tense."

"Do you believe she's one of them?" Rhyannon asked the question causing Frewin to cock his head to the side.

"One of who?"

"There's next to no doubt. That creature didn't even attempt to attack her, and those...eyes. She has to be related in some manner." Gareth watched her back as she inspected the saddlebags and dismissed damaged items.

"Who?"

Gareth opened his mouth to answer his question but quickly snapped it shut the moment she turned back around. Her cheerful expression instantly churned his stomach.

"I believe we should be good to go now. Not too much was damaged, nothing we can't replace once we hit a village, at least." She announced in a sing-song tone. Her eyes caught the reflection of the small campfire as she slowly made her way back to the group.

With a small grunt, Gareth stood himself up and extended a hand to help pull Rhyannon to her feet. Frewin chewed at his bottom lip feeling quite left out, but he decided to shake his head. There were more important things for them to deal with at the current moment.

The group happened upon a small village not long after. The sun had begun setting again, already, by the time the houses came into view.

"Look! We can take refuge here!" Ambrosine cheered, giving a small spin as she pointed towards, "oh, wait. We can. Frewin would have to stay out with the horse, correct? Because of his banishment by the dragon."

Her tone made him stiffen in the saddle. Her words sounded so innocent, but the small narrowing of her eyes gave him a different idea.

"As long as no one asks it would look nothing more than a farming incident. Plus, we can blame the creature we just ran into." Gareth suggested.

"Or, better idea, we can just bypass the village and end up at the mountain foot by morning. There's no point in staying the night somewhere with so many people. Especially..." Rhyannon allowed herself to trail off while Gareth nodded in return. They understood what one another was implying, Frewin noted.

"You have a point but what shall we do if we run into another black unicorn? Or, what about something worse? Cika has been steadily losing sanity for quite some time now, who knows how deeply the corruption would run." Ambrosine kept her back to them as she laced her hands behind her, her gaze fixated on the village before them.

Gareth and Rhyannon exchanged looks and tired sighs. Even in the diminishing sunlight, Frewin could see how white her knuckles went around the horse reigns.

"Fine," Rhyannon commented under her breath, "we'll stay the night and be out before dawn."

"Excellent!" Ambrosine chimed, "you'll be happy you listened to me. Some rest in a proper home would do us well. Promise."