Oskar rose early the following morning with a pep in his step. After getting dressed and washing his face, he retrieved the horn from the trunk under his bed and hurried on his way.

The palace peaceful, save for the guards patrolling the hallway. They bowed in greeting, waiting until Oskar passed before resuming their stroll. And upon arriving in the library, he was surprised to find General Corrin seated at the table. He was reading from The Bestiary of Sacred Beasts.

"Good morning, General," Oskar said, placing the horn at the center of the table.

The general quickly rose to his feet and bowed.

"My prince," he replied, waiting for Oskar to sit before returning to his chair. "Seems you have found many reputable references regarding the elusive beasts."

Oskar nodded, maintaining his composure thought he inwardly frowned at the general's tone. Beasts? General Corrin called the Unicorns beasts instead of creatures. The texts called them creatures. It was a term of respect to Oskar's understanding.

"The information is limited," the prince explained, turning his gaze to one of the open journals. "But each text confirms another. Unicorns are a symbol in Unaran history—respected, peaceful."

"And they possess great power," the general added; Oskar glanced up and saw how the way General Corrin looked at the horn on the table.

"And because of their power, Unaran leaders, dating back to the first king, have deemed the Unicorn sacred. Hunting the creatures is considered a crime, punishable with imprisonment... in most cases, death by sword."

The general's gaze shot up—he gawked at Oskar. The prince nodded and turned his gaze back to the journal before him.

Why emphasize the punishment to the general?

"Begging your pardon, Your Highness."

Oskar looked up and smiled as Clara approached the table from the right.

"Good morning, Clara," he said, nodding his head in greeting.

"Good morning," she replied, clearing her throat. "I found those connecting texts for you. Would you prefer to read them now, or do you have pressing appointments this morning?"

Oskar observed Clara's hesitant movements and her short glances in General Corrin's direction. She fiddled with her spectacles and chewed on her thumb-nail.

"Hold on to those texts for now," he said, rising from his chair. "I may want to bring them back to my quarters and read them later."

"As you wish, Your Highness," Clara replied, dipping her head as she curtsied and then hurried back to the front desk.

"I do have appointments today," Oskar went on after she was out of hearing. "General, have your men found any clues yet?"

General Corrin rose from his seat as well. He stood a head taller than the prince, which would have been intimidating if Oskar hadn't known the man his entire life.

"Have your men discovered any clues, General?" he asked, folding his hands behind his back.

"Not as of yet, my prince," was the general's reply. "But you needn't worry. I will oversee this investigation with thorough precision. And if you desire, I can assign someone else to continue the research in your stead."

Assign someone else to research in his place? Oskar shook his head.

"No thank you, General. I am quite enjoying it. As the one who found the horn and brought the matter to the king in the first place, I do not wish for someone else to take over the research. I am perfectly capable of continuing the task I volunteered for."

General Corrin's mouth fell open, but no sound came out. Oskar gave a half bow, picked up the horn and turned to leave.

* * *

Thiago greeted Oskar with an shove against the stable door, grunting excitedly. The prince chuckled as he picked up his riding gear from the post in front of Thiago's stall. Black all over, apart from the white star-like marking on his forehead—Thiago was a creature to behold.

"I know what you are seeking," Oskar chuckled, balancing his gear on one shoulder as he dug into his pocket. "Don't tell Cook, but I have also brought you some fruit."

He held out his palm—Thiago's lips brushed against his skin, nipping up the sugar cube.

"What do you say to a short ride?" he added, unbolting the stall door and stepping inside. "We are going to look for Unicorn clues."

While he knew General Corrin's men were searching the forests, Oskar wanted to see for himself. He a strange feeling the general wouldn't share his findings as freely as Oskar had shared the research findings.

"Even if I never see one," he muttered as he lifted the saddle onto Tiago's back. "I am just glad to know they are real."

After cinching the saddle tight, Oskar swung onto Thiago's back and guided him out of the stall. The stallion's hooves clacked against the stone as they made their way to the side pasture, where a wooden fence marked the boundary. Gripping the reins, Oskar leaned forward, his voice firm yet encouraging.

"Come on, Thiago," he urged, giving the horse a light squeeze with his legs. "Let's see what you can do."

The stallion's ears flicked forward, nostrils flaring as he assessed the obstacle. With a powerful push, Thiago surged forward, muscles coiling before he leapt, clearing the fence in one smooth motion. Oskar laughed in triumph; he had been working closely with Thiago to make the jump. This was first time he actually made it over.

He pressed his knees into Thiago's sides as they hurried down the path that led into the forest. Oskar ducked his head to avoid being struck by the lower tree branches. There was something different today. It was in the air. Unlike the other day, the forest was full of light.

Until it wasn't.

The light disappeared. The trees trembled and the birds cawed from the branches. Then Oskar heard the familiar shriek—the terrifying cry of an animal in distress. Thiago whinnied and pranced nervously, but stopped moving forward.

"Easy, old boy," Oskar said, patting Thiago's neck as he glanced. "Easy... nothing to worry about."

Of course there was reason to worry. He looked all around but like his previous visit, nothing was amiss.

Then he saw it. A blinding light coming from deep within the forest—shimmering white. This was a new occurrence.

"Ha!" Oskar kicked his heels into Thiago's side, urging him into a gallop. He ducked low as Thiago dodged trees and large stones in the path. The light dwindled, dulling to nothing when they arrived at the area of origin.

Thiago came to a natural halt, unwilling to step any further. Oskar stared, stunned by the sight.

"No," he whispered, throwing his leg over and dismounting Thiago so fast, he briefly lost his footing when landing on the ground.

At the center of the clearing was another horn. But this one was not ivory—it appeared to be obsidian with white accents, stained red. Oskar couldn't believe his eyes.

"It was just here," he said, stepping forward with caution, as if the ground might give way and swallow him whole. "How does it happen so fast?"

He knelt down and reached out to touch the horn. His fingers barely brushed the smooth object when electricity passed through his skin, rattled his bones.

"Ouch!" he shouted, retracting his arm with great haste. "What was that?"

Oskar brought his finger to his mouth and licked the area that still burned. Then he rose to his feet and went back to Thiago, reaching into his saddle bag and pulling a piece of cloth. And without a moment's hesitation, Oskar wrapped it around the base of the horn, covering it enough to pick up without it biting him again.

"General Corrin says they haven't found anything," he muttered to himself as he approached Thiago and placed the horn into the bag. "And yet, I have found something. Again."