Atlantis 3: Opening the Door

Chapter 16

Maximus went up to the front of the house. He got to the door and listened to any noise that he might hear inside. When he didn't hear anything he reached down to try the door knob. The knob turned freely and smooth. He gently eased the door open and peeked inside. There was no one in the entry room so he went in.
Diablo watched from the carriage. "Be careful" she whispered to herself. She was scared of what he might encounter. "Maybe I should've went with him." Diablo said to the mare in her head. "He will do better with you here Princess. You would only distract him." The mare replied. Diablo nodded her head in agreement. "Your probably right. I've never actually been in a fight. I would not know the first thing to do if I truly were to be approached violently." Said Diablo. "You would do what you must to survive. That is the way of humans." The mare replied. "Not all humans I think are that way." Diablo said. "All living things human and animal alike have a desire to live. When it come down to life or death at the hands of another it is life that will be chosen more times than not. It is the will to survive that makes all life flourish." Said the mare. Diablo sat back and thought about what the mare had said. She knew the mare was right. She then wondered to herself how old the mare was because she spoke like she had seen many years pass by to be so wise. "Um, I um, I..." Diablo was stammering. "Valeria." The mare interrupted her. "What?" Diablo said confused. "My human recognition of a name. It's Valeria." The mare said. "That's a beautiful name." Diablo said. "It is unknown to me what the sound of it is like from a human tongue. I only know it's communicated mental structure. Therefore I no not it's sound." Said Valeria. "Has no one ever said your name aloud?" Diablo asked. "It is not that no one has thought to. Just no one has known my name before now." Valeria replied. "Why not?" Diablo asked. "I guess I just haven't found anyone worth giving it to." Said Valeria. "But what about Tural & Aunt Lorna? Surely they would be worth it?" Diablo asked. The look on her face was

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confused. Valeria shook her head a bit to shew away a fly that was buzzing around her ear. "That wizard is so stuck in his awe of us he only refers to me as the Mare-ess like I'm some royal queen or something. With Lady Stormbringer the subject just never came up I suppose." Valeria replied. "Well that makes sense I suppose." Diablo replied. "So I hear you just had a little one." Diablo remarked. "I did indeed." Valeria replied. "I'm afraid to go through the birthing process. I hear it's quite painful and hard." Said Diablo. "Well you've heard correctly. Had it not been for your Maximus and his wonderful mother I don't think me nor my son would be walking around." Said Valeria. "Really?" Diablo asked. "Yes. I had labored for quite some time and he was stuck. Anna was able to help me to get him out because I was just to exhausted to do it on my own. She saved us both." Said Valeria. "Wow. I didn't know it was like that nor that mother Banderman had the skill like that." Diablo said astonished. "Well if you think about it it only stands to reason that with her husband being a horse master she would have some degree of knowledge in our kind as well." Valeria said. Diablo shook her head in agreement. She was looking up to the house. "Maximus sure has been in there a long time." Diablo said. The look of worry etched into her delicate features. "I'm sure he will be fine. He is a skilled fighter if the need arises." Valeria responded.
  Maximus looked around the house. Slipping through the shadows. He didn't hear anyone's movements which made him feel uneasy. Whom ever it was would be hiding. He reached one of the bedrooms where the door was open and peered inside to find the room empty. Nothing looked to be out of place nor did the house appear looted. He continued on to the next bedroom. The door was slightly open and it was dark inside so he couldn't see well in there. He gently and quietly eased the door open letting the light in to the room. There was a small frame of someone under the blankets on the bed. Maximus snuck silently up to the bed to see a child sleeping. "Couldn't be more than five or six. What's she doing out here alone and in here." He

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thought to himself. Maximus decided the child couldn't be alone and was about to turn when he felt a very shard knife go to his throat. "State your business." He heard a woman say from behind him. "Easy now. I mean no harm. My name is Maximus. My wife is in the carriage outside. She is the princess of Atlantis. We came here because this is her aunt Lorna Stormbringer's house and we are on our honeymoon. Can you remove your knife from my throat now? I'm no threat to you or your child." Maximus explained. "Is that why the unicorns have come? To escort her? Not take my daughter?" The woman asked. "Yes. They mean you no harm either." Maximus said. The woman slowly removed the knife from his throat and released her grip on him. She backed away from watching him closely. Maximus turned to face her. She was small with delicate features. Her hair was disheveled and her cloths were dirty and torn. She looked scared and the worry lines had already began taking root in her face. "What's your name? Maximus asked. "Tunie is what I've always been called and thats Amilia." She said pointing to the sleeping child. "Are you two alone out here?" Maximus asked. "Yes. We have always been alone." Said Tunie. "Why are you here?" Maximus asked. "The workhouse men came to collect me and my sister. A long time ago. We fought them and they took her after raping us both and beating us really bad. They must have thought me dead because they left me on the floor. They set fire to our home and left. I barely got out alive. I found out that I had become pregnant a few weeks later with Amilia as a result of their attack. So we have hidden ever since. No one ever comes here so sometimes we sleep here but we never take anything. We just use a bed and leave." Tunie replied. "You know the workhouse master is dead and his men were put to death for their crimes right?" Maximus asked. "He was? They were?" Tunie said astonished. "Well actually his men were. He never made it to trial before a brave young woman who he had wrongfully enslaved took vengeance upon him for his cruelty and stabbed him to death." Maximus explained. "Good for her. I hope he suffered a lot. Did she get into trouble?" Tunie

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asked. "No not at all. She actually is one of Princess Diablo's best friends." Maximus replied. "Oh. I guess it helps to have a friend in the royal family" Tunie said sarcastically. "I have no such luck like that." Tunie said. "Well if you've done nothing wrong then you don't need it." Maximus replied.
Tunie looked out the window and saw the carriage with Diablo sitting inside and then she saw the unicorn standing beside the carriage. "Oh my. Is that a a..." Tunie was stuck in speech and could not finish as she stared out the window. "Yes it's a unicorn. The lead mare of them actually." Maximus said. "You speak as if you know her." Tunie said. "I do know her. I helped with delivering her son not even a full 6 days ago." Maximus said proudly. "A new one has been born?" Tunie asked. There was a hint of worry in her voice. "Yes." Maximus replied. "Has his magical counter been found?" Tunie asked. "His what? I don't know what you mean. I'm not a member of the magical community so I don't know what that means." Maximus replied. "Every magical beast such as a unicorn has a counterpart who is of non-beast form that is magical aswell. When a new magical being of beast form is born their magical counterpart must be found before a full moon cycle completes or both will lose their magic and the beast will surely die. If the beast dies so will their counterpart." Tunie explained. "I had no idea. How do you know so much about magic." Maximus asked. "Well I'm not magic if that's what your wondering. When you've been on your own as long as I have you learn to keep your ears open to the passing conversations and your memory sharp otherwise you won't last a day out here." Tunie replied. "Yeah I suppose you would. I can't imagine the hardships you've been forced to endure for so long." Said Maximus.

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(End of chapter 16)