2.8 The Unicorn

        The threat of being taken to see Doctor Nulu the next day was real. Although the Dogons assured Zara that Doctor Nulu wasn't someone to be afraid of, and even though there had been no attempts to hurt her, or eat her, Zara was terrified of her mandated sentence to Anur. 

        And the journey to Anur was beautiful, too. Once again Zara found herself speechless as she rode behind Vikkar beneath the autumn canopy of leaves, the likes of which she had never seen before. She took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet air, spiced with the delicate scents of the earth and studied the mountainside, looming above them through the trees. She was feeling watched. Was it Aquilla? Vikkar seemed unafraid of the beast's threatening presence, was his sword really powerful enough to keep the enormous, incinerating, fire-exhaling reptile at bay? Fear began to cripple her thoughts again. Where was he taking her? Could she really trust him?

         A distant howl echoed across the valley assuring her these fears were justified. Aquilla was real, she was an expert witness, she had seen him for herself, she had travelled his well worn path all the way here.

         Scared of the howling, she gripped Vikkar's waist, but doing so only made her question her own common sense, troubling memories of the Culloom Disaster returned to torture her, the images still so fresh they made her feel rotten to the core. Were these dogons relatives?

         Once again she found herself struggling with belief, it couldn't be true! Atalon would never lie about the Dogons like that. It was impossible! The only possible explanation was that there had to be some kind of terrible mistake... Perhaps he simply didn't know about the other Dogon tribes? But how could the king himself not know? And what about the capital D?

         The notion that she was walking into a trap, or that she was taking part in some elaborate kind of test was beginning to seem like a real possibility. Was Medel testing her faith? Was this some Giant Judgement Test because she skipped out of the TLS Program? Who were the savage beasts on Gorias if they weren't the Dogons? She swallowed hard, wondering what Vikkar had to say about the evils her civilization accused them of, the way everyone in Atlan called them Savages!

         The trail opened up into a misty clearing, a shimmering lake crept into view, a magical sight to behold, sparkling through the mist.

         "Welcome to Crystal Lake" Vikkar announced, removing his head dress.

         Zara gazed out into the shimmering lake and almost lost her breath. There, right before her eyes standing out in the middle of the lake was a brilliant white Unicorn! The Unicorn tossed her mane and snorted, then began walking towards them.

         Zara turned away, trying to fight the urge to stare at the mythical beast, reminding herself of the lessons she had learned in school. This was very real Serpent Sorcery. The Unicorns looked beautiful for a reason! They were dangerous! Illusory! They belonged to the God of Death!

         Vikkar noted her reaction, she was just like all the others. "It's not going to hurt you."

         Zara wanted to believe him but the text books were always right, it was so hard not to look it had to be magic. Yet Vikkar's tone made her feel foolish, too, as if she was questioning his ability to protect her... Perhaps this was one of Medel's tests? A test of courage? Had she simply exchanged one set of lessons for another?

         Unable to resist the lure, she peeked through her fingers at the beast. The Unicorn was walking towards them now, her long, cascading mane almost reached the water, she was even more beautiful than the text books had rendered the Unicorns to be, it was impossible to look away. She had done her homework, aced her exams; Unicorns were the most evil of Sin's creatures, they were illusions of temptation and desire. Why would Vikkar respect such a beast if he wasn't such a sinner himself? Didn't he know the truth?
         The Unicorn stood still for a few moments, watching the riders standing along the trail. She snorted and tossed her mane again, splashing her hoof in the crystal water.

         Zara let out a soft gasp, the Unicorn was by far the most beautiful creature she had ever laid eyes upon, her coat such a brilliant white almost illuminated the mist around her, and on her brow, nestled between the silvery strands of her forelock, the most amazing, twisting horn of shimmering light reached up toward the sky. She couldn't look away no matter how hard she tried, the textbooks were right; Unicorns cast magical spells of engagement, one glance and she couldn’t take her eyes away...