The Queen stepped in front of the cave, its bulky muscles rippling beneath its pristine white coat as it let out a couple ragged growls. There were multiple crude pink scars along its torso, and from what Káel could make out, its horn was covered in scratches and sticky brown stains, especially near the tip. His heart flipped with a sickening spike as the Queen twitched in motion to look at the cave, instinctively driving him back into the shadows for safety. He paced his breathing, taking in the murderous air that hugged him through the chilling shade of the cave. 

          Never in his life had he imagined a unicorn like that. After all, they were commonly associated with harmless rainbows where he came from.

          The Queen gave the furry white creature another bellowing growl of a snort, and dragged its horn back and forth across the dirt, carving a line of death in front it that the small ball of fluff didn't dare to cross. The three baby unicorns came up behind it again, continuing their cruel play as they stomped on its drooping tail.

          Káel poked his head around to watch the scene again, his eyes resting on the two folded limbs attached to its back. It had wings. "Why doesn't it just fly away?" he whispered extra quietly.

          The girl looked through the vines grimly. "I don't think it can, the poor thing looks spent. It must have accidentally stumbled upon the herd. They're not gonna let it go."

          "They're gonna kill it? Why?!" Káel watched the small creature as it whimpered and yelped with every hit, a disgusted feeling growing in his chest.

          The girl sighed, her expression washed over with pain as she couldn't take the sight either. "For sport most likely, we'll wait here until they leave."

          "That's stupid." Káel growled, watching the tiny white creature turn brown as the baby unicorns rubbed it in the dirt, its pitiful cries were as sharp as a blade driving through his heart and straining his eardrums. 

          He couldn't take it anymore. 

          Unicorns were horses.

          Really big horses.

          Káel smiled at the comparison that slightly lessened his fear, crawling to the back of the cave and carefully scooping another flower out of the ground. He gave the girl a pinched smile, his hands shaking from the raw nerves assaulting them as he handed the one the girl had picked to her.

          He ripped a long strand of his undershirt off and tied it around his nose, constantly darting his gaze to the girl. 

          She was staring at him blankly, holding the flower with pure confusion on her face. 

          Meanwhile, Káel was just hoping this would work, because otherwise, he was screwed, and being impaled by a unicorn on this planet was not how he wanted to go.

          He turned to the girl, his shaking smile hiding under the dark scrap of cloth. "Hold your breath." She was catching on and grabbed his wrist as he was about to leap from the cave, looking at him with speechless terror and shook her head. "Run when you see the opportunity."

          Káel tore from her grasp and ran right past the Queen, straight for the baby unicorns. He tackled the side of one of them, knocking it over with a squeal, as he tore the black flower in half, releasing a hissing cloud of orange mist. They switched their attention from the creature and viciously stabbed at him, one of them managing to slash his arm and kick his shin.

          Their movements became sluggish as they dropped to the ground limply, allowing Káel to kick their stabbing heads away before the Queen had time to react. He picked up the small white creature, grunting at the pile of weight as it drooped limply in his arms. But it was still breathing.

          A bloodthirsty howl that could have been mistaken for a roar came from behind him, and he didn't even need to look behind him to know it was time to book it. With the sluggish breaths and rough growls he felt like it was a bear chasing him, not a dainty pure unicorn. 

          That, he'd never get over.

          As he ran screaming down the path, his leaping sprint slowed with the realisation catching up to him faster than the bloodthirsty unicorn. He was running the Queen straight to where all his classmates were, and if he did that he'd look like a murderous lunatic. Weighing his options, he came to a solid decision created from sheer adrenaline, and took a sharp leaping turn off the path.

          The unicorn stopped to take a few breaths, before sluggishly pursuing him again. Káel took cover behind an old thick tree, squeezing his eyes shut and praying it wouldn't find him. He could hear it heaving for air as it strolled around, the snapping twigs getting louder and louder.

          The Queen let loose another bellowing roar as it plunged its horn into the tree Káel was hiding behind, its horn grazing his ear as it sliced right through the trunk. He let out a sharp gasp, hugging the creature like a protective stuffy as his legs went stiff with fear. It tugged at the tree after realising it missed, showering the ground with dead leaves and prickly twigs as the wooden giant shook from the Queen's rage. 

          Now was the time to run.

          The words were there in Káel's head, but his body was an eternity behind in reacting. He tried to get up only after another thunderous roar cracked through the forest, but the roots of the tree were looping around and grabbing at his feet, ensnaring him to the ground as the snaking vines rusted their buddy leaves in sadistic laughter at his misery. He grabbed the sharp horn beside him with one arm, hoping to hold the unicorn for a couple seconds as he used his opponent for leverage in escaping the tree's hold. He was almost free when the Queen tore its horn loose, dropping Káel to the ground in surprise as his hold, and hopes in escaping the beast, slipped away. 

          Time stood still as its head peeked around the corner, the savage black eyes locking onto Káel, as foamy saliva dripped off its bared teeth in rabid blobs. Fear seized him and he went to his last resort.

          Sticking out his hand he yelled Rastasnatch, and a meteor of a fireball shot out, impacting the unicorn's face and sending it tumbling backwards.

          He was too freaked out to celebrate his success, and the unicorn wasn't done with its demonic rampage. Káel tore himself from the trees hold and ran like the wind, hoping he would lose the monster by zigzagging through the shrubs and trees.

          Small plants tried to catch his feet, while trees bent their branches to smack him in the face. One of them successfully ripped his makeshift gas mask off, and another one covered him from head to toe in a blanket of green leaves.

          The small creature hadn't moved the whole time he was carrying it, and he worried that his whole feat was for nothing. He could hear the charging footsteps of the Queen again, and they were catching up, while he was slowing down.

          Suddenly, a thick root shot from the ground and grabbed his leg, sending him tumbling down a shrub covered hill. He fell to the bottom with a sharp groan as the drumming pain coated his body, hugging the creature protectively. Its soft cloudlike fur making it feel like Jeremiah had crawled into his arms for a final farewell, providing enough nostalgic warmth to place a sad smile on his face.

          The unicorn came roaring down the hill while Káel lay there helplessly, curling into a ball to hide the creature, a final shred of hope that the Queen would only go for him if it didn't see the innocent creature in his arms. 

          He was done for, but at least he gave the unicorn a run for its money.

          The unmistakably dry and heaving breaths were almost upon him, prompting him to squeeze his eyes shut so he didn't have to look death in the face. But as a rush of wind touched his cheeks and a snapping step dug itself in the dirt beside his head, he couldn't help but crack his eyes open, freezing without a single breath as he stared at the blackened claws digging into the dirt, attached to a nimble leg coated in brilliant emerald scales. Káel could hear the unicorn come to a sudden halt, his curled fetal position relaxing as the mysterious beast's shadow overtook him, another foot stomping down behind him to keep him safe under its belly as it replied to the unicorn with a deep growl.

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5/4/2018