Shadow of the Unicorn

Chapter 6

Jace returned to their room, wondering if his roommate would try and evict him upon his return, but he did not return until late that night, said he upon his arrival, "we need to settle this. Now."

Jace rose silently and followed his companion once more to the practice yard, where a full moon hung heavy and low, as if waiting for something to happen. There was light enough by which to see and the shadows were a perfect accompaniment to Griff's mood. They chose swords, this time the real thing, and faced off. Said Jace quietly, "we need not do this!"

Griff said gruffly, "perhaps you needn't but I certainly do, if only to prove myself the superior. We'll just cross blades for a bit, work off some steam, that sort of thing, nothing dangerous about that is there? At least not to those as skilled as we." Then he lunged. Jace saw the blade coming, but when he tried to react, he felt as if he were moving through thick mud; his blade came up to block, but so slowly that his companion had pierced him through and withdrawn the weapon in horror before Jace was even halfway to parrying the stroke. Jace collapsed with a groan, the sword clattered to the ground, and Griff fled in horror and fear at what he had done. The moment Griff vanished from sight, Jace was on his feet, again in guise as himself, and giving chase. An astonished shadow ghosted silently after.

Jace found the lad standing perilously on the very log from which he had plummeted nigh on a century ago. Griff flinched, nearly falling in his surprise, to see that someone had pursued him; he perched there precariously, seemingly ready either to defend himself or jump to his death. Jace held up his hands and called aloud, "easy lad, the boy lives."

Griff stared, "it was an accident, but I know I killed him!"

Jace took a step forward and the boy stepped back a pace, said Jace, "easy, this place is dangerous!"

Griff snarled, "I know the tale."

Jace said wryly, "I lived the tale."

Griff gaped, "but you vanished!"

Jace grinned, "and recently returned, now come down and we'll talk."

"No," said the impudent boy, "you come to me."

Jace shrugged and climbed up onto the log, said he as he approached, "it was an accident, the lad should recover, and you have nothing to fear."

Griff shivered, "I have everything to fear, I am being pursued!"

Jace stood a pace from the boy and said, "are you so sure you want to run?"

Griff frowned, "how can I not?"

Jace said ruefully, "I once thought that way as well."

Griff scowled, "and then you had a nightmare, big deal!"

Shaking his head, Jace replied, "nay lad, it was more real than waking life, even my sister thought as you."

"The current Lady of Astoria!" said Griff in wonder.

Jace grinned, "the same, come lad, you are not the only one who has felt that particular Hound hard upon his heels. But the only place to avoid Him utterly is Nowhere you'd want to be." He shuddered, "I spent a moment there and it seemed an eternity."

"No!" cried the boy in dismay as he rushed at Jace, knocking him off balance and plunging him into the depths below. Griff barely registered what had happened before fleeing into the night. He did not hear the gasp of horror from a hidden throat as the man vanished into the chasm.

Scamp stood in the night dark clearing, a dying man at his feet; he knelt beside the mangled Brother and asked, "what happened?"

The man gasped out, "not quite sure...a shadowy villain crept into the camp as we slept, my unicorn made to intercede and was killed outright, which seemed to please the villain no end. Next thing I know there's a great shriek, more eagle than lion, and then there's a griffin in the camp! You can see what he did to me and I think he took my apprentice." Scamp gaped but could say nothing in his horror before the man continued, "the thing talks! Save the lad...if you can..." He exhaled with a groan and said no more.