The Last Unicorn: The Bull's Vengeance

Chapter 6

     As they entered the kingdom, the main trio hurried to the castle. It was within a few strides now, and they needed the newly crowned king immediately. In their hustle to the castle doors, the entire group including the hunters were greeted by the friendly townspeople who lived in Arran. They were all glad to have visitors, but allowed them space to run as they could see they were in a hurry.

Upon reaching the doors to the castle, a young man emerged from the front door. He was tall, with short blonde hair and dreamy blue eyes. The man was none other than King Lir himself. After looking the seemingly strangers up and down, he recognized Molly and Schmendrick almost immediately. Shocked to see them, Lir exclaimed "What are you all coming to my kingdom for? I thought I would never see you all again!" Hurriedly, Schmendrick replied and told Lir all that was happening. "Your lost love, The Lady Amalthea, has been captured. The Red Bull freed himself from the sea and came hunting for her, and only her as she imprisoned him. She was captured in the town of Saida just south of your realm, and we think he is driving her to the Twidilic Sea on the edge of Arran. We came initially seeking refuge for her, but now seeking your help," Schmendrick paused to let Lir process this information, then continued. "Ronin, the mayor of Saida, gathered his finest men to hunt down the Bull and liberate the unicorn. He must be slain, and we need your help. We also brought along this young maiden, Celeste, to help us find Amalthea. For she is pure at heart, and can bring any unicorn to her." Schmendrick then pointed at Celeste, so Lir would know who the young lady was.

Pondering for a minute, and in pure shock, Lir finally came up with a solution. "I will send an army of men to fight the Bull. For he has killed me once, so I dare not go back unless duty calls. We will save her, for I still have a deep love for her. Please, if you will, stay as long as you would like in my kingdom as well, we will protect you and The Lady Amalthea." Molly and Schmendrick felt instant relief knowing their old friend was willing to help them, and that they now had a safe place to call home, for now at least. Lir called upon his men to set out in the early morning the next day to find the Bull, and slay the great demon no matter what means it took. They gathered their best weapons and armor, and assembled the bravest horses to ride upon.

"The Bull will be no easy target, but this is what must be done. He will go down, never to be seen again, and justice for The Lady Amalthea and all other unicorns will finally be served." Molly said triumphantly, hoping her optimism would spark some fighting spirit in the men who were being sent out in the morning.

As night fell, Molly and Celeste prepared dinner for the men of Saida that had come along, as well as for the soldiers of Arran who were all seated in the castle. Everyone shared good food and wine, socializing to forget about the dangers that lie ahead of them in the morning. Schmendrick, after a few too many drinks, performed drunken magic tricks, for an even drunker crowd. In their stupor, the crowd was impressed, adding to the good time they were already having. At the conclusion of dinner, everyone either went to their homes, or the sleeping quarters provided if they were out of town, and rested up for the journey tomorrow.

The next morning, at about four o'clock, everyone awoke. To keep her safe, Celeste was left in the town with one of the older women who would provide for the young woman while her friends were away. Celeste argued that she would be safe at first, then gave into Molly and Schmendrick's demands after being told of the true dangers of the journey. After the young maiden was settled in her temporary home, all of Arran's soldiers, and the brave men from Saida, headed by Ronin, quietly assembled their weapons and slipped on their armor. After everything was assembled, they saddled their horses and headed out to search for the Bull, and save the unicorn. The men at arms took the lead, while Molly and Schmendrick followed behind, riding on horses given to them by King Lir. Hopefully now, it would not be long until the unicorn was found and brought to safety.

The group headed north towards the Twidilic Sea. As they approached the outskirts of the beach, Schmendrick noticed a red glow coming from it, and rode up to Ronin, who was leading the charge in the frontlines, to notify him. With this knowledge, he (Ronin) ordered the entire group to stop. He turned his horse to face the soldiers, and quietly said to them "Look just to your North at that eerie glow. That is the Bull, so we must approach stealthily. We need to fan our horses out, and flank him from all sides, but be extremely cautious as he is blind and may not notice you. Some of you may get killed, so I want to thank you all for helping Molly and the magician before you ride out to battle the great red beast that lies before us. You are brave men, and your duty to help the unicorns, especially this brave one who has faced the Bull many times now, will not be forgotten for years to come."

After Ronin's speech, the men sat trembling in fear upon their steeds. Despite this, they were still ready to face the Bull, and readied their weapons. Slowly but surely, the group of soldiers descended onto the beach, with Molly and Schmendrick closing in slowly behind the others. Once on the beach, the group saw the hopeless unicorn on the shoreline. Just behind her was the Bull, guarding her from running away.

Once the right moment hit, Ronin would send the soldiers charging towards the great beast who was tormenting the beautiful white unicorn. He waited for a moment, then made the signal to go. In the blink of an eye, all of the soldiers were on the beach, facing the Bull. He charged the soldiers, and gave a bellow that sent some men into fear. Drawing their weapons, the soldiers began to charge towards the Bull, and the quest to save the unicorn began.