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I forgot to mention this before, but like Destiny's Traveler, I wrote it when I was twelve. Since it's so short I might rewrite it someday.
“Wow…” she breathed.
The unicorns were tall, graceful beings that shone with some inner light. Their crystal horns spiraled smoothly up at least a foot above their heads, also illuminated with the magical glow. Amanda noticed that their manes and tails were a bit longer than horses’ tended to be.
The lead unicorn — the one with the ring on its horn — gave her what must have been a unicorn rendition of a smile. “Good morning, Amanda! I trust you are feeling well?”
“Yes, thank you,” stammered Amanda.
“Good. Follow me,” he said, and started back up the mountain.
Amanda followed behind, panting and running to keep up. At last they reached a ridge about halfway up. She stood next to the unicorn, looking out over the vast forest. The sun was rising behind them, bathing the landscape with early morning sunlight.
“I am called Molokothainoa. However, all but my parents fail to pronounce my name correctly, so to most… for a reason that shall be revealed in time… I am Firemane. I am the leader of the unicorns in Sunadre.
“Is Sunadre not beautiful, Amanda? We help to heal the wounds of the other Living in the forest and on the mountain. The dwarves conserve the beauty of the caverns beneath the mountain, and the dragons hold off the Kremlings. The Quinkies guide the bees. The elves defend the forest, and the Nenskies protect the rivers and all in them. We all have our place in Sunadre, Amanda. Your place will become clear in time.”
“But will I be able to go back?” Amanda broke in.
Firemane sighed, looking out across the endless sea of trees to the glimmer of the ocean far away.
“With magic, Amanda, with magic you can. If the hunters kill off the magic, you can never go home.”
Amanda looked up, half dreading to see giant black shapes heading their way. “And… what about the Kremlings, would they be able to?”
“The Kremlings…” Firemane sighed again. “Yes, the Kremlings have magic; dark magic. They could send you home… but a Kremling would never do anything for you except hate you.”
Amanda didn’t like the way this conversation was going. She looked around, seeking a change of subject.
“Look out!” she yelled suddenly.
Firemane was already in the air, slashing at the gigantic black bird-shape with her horn. The Kremling gave a scream and fell to the trees many meters below.
Amanda stared down after it, amazed at how it had flown silently around the peak to reach them. Firemane looked angry at her mistake.
“They get more dangerous every day, those things. Before now I would have heard it coming! Come, Amanda. I must tell the others.”
Without another word they set off back down the mountain.
How... wait a minute. Now Amanda remembered what had gone on after she and Firemane had gone down from the ledge on the mountain. Firemane had sent a runner to Jammather the instant they returned, along with a message Amanda could not understand. There had been many words spoken among the unicorns, and finally it had been decided that she would stay with the elves. Amanda relaxed a little with the realization that there were probably unseen sentinels all around the glade.
She could remember a bit of the nighttime journey, as well. She had been helped onto a unicorn’s back by someone, and they had started moving off through the trees. Whispering voices and soft hoof-falls could be heard. Amanda had soon fallen asleep, lulled by the steady rhythm of the unicorn’s hooves.
Amanda was suddenly jarred from her memories by the earsplitting cry of a Kremling. She looked fearfully up through the branches and saw it swooping in the sky above her, searching. Its gaze was drawing nearer… but Amanda stood rooted to the spot. The Kremling’s yellow-green eyes fixed upon her own. It cried out again and dove toward her.
About thirty arrows struck the Kremling’s chest. It gave a final piercing scream and plummeted into the trees with a crash.
Amanda sat stock still, breathing fast. Thank goodness that she was being watched over by the best archers in any world!
A voice spoke softly behind her.
“That was very close,”
Amanda scrambled up and whirled around to find herself staring into a pair of sea-green eyes. Amanda simply stared into the eyes for a moment. They were so beautiful… but they looked troubled. Amanda could not wrench her gaze away from those eyes…
“I am Firefoot. Jamma has brought us bad news,” said the voice again.
As though a spell had been broken, Amanda was suddenly able to survey the person in front of her.
It was an elf, the one with the butterfly in her long, black hair. She was just as beautiful as her eyes were…
Amanda shook herself mentally. She did not want to think about those sea-green eyes.
“What is it?” she asked, deciding to focus on a point over Firefoot’s left shoulder.
“Another magic-hunter has come across the bridge, a woman. She has joined the others, and even now they are searching for you,” said the elf softly. “Follow me.”
Without another word she turned and slipped away among the trees. Amanda followed her, marveling at the lush green of the trees, half obscured by mist. They must be in the center of the forest, that Amanda had not been able to see on her arrival.
Amanda and Firefoot stopped in a clearing so misty and green that Amanda’s head whirled.
“Amanda, sit down.”
Amanda and the elf sat, cross-legged, on the ground.
“All creatures, in Sunadre and out of it, were born with something. Dwarves, for example, were born with the earth. Dragons were born with fire. Quinkies were born with the stars, and Nenskies were born with water. The unicorns were born with pure magic, and we elves were born with the mist.”
Firefoot paused for a moment as a breeze blew through the trees. Amanda couldn’t help glancing up at her face. Thank goodness the elf’s eyes were closed.
“Humans were born with the sea, and Kremlings… Kremlings were born with darkness.
“Some people, Amanda, were born with more than one thing. Like me, Jammather, Firemane, and others. You were, also. We were all born with the wind. Those born with the wind all have Fire on their name, hence Firemane.
“But you are a special person, Amanda. You were not only born with two things, you were born with everything. This makes you more powerful than you could even imagine. You simply need to learn how to use that power, but I cannot teach you. Neither can Jammather, or any of the others. You must learn for yourself.”
Firefoot sighed softly. Suddenly she sprang up, an arrow notched to her bow. She scanned the trees all around them with her sea-green eyes. A Kremling suddenly dove from the sky with eye-blurring speed and snatched Amanda off the ground.
Amanda opened her mouth to cry out, but an arrow zipped by her head and buried itself in the Kremling’s chest. It screamed out its final message of terror and fell to the ground.
The elf hauled Amanda to her feet.
“That was much to close,” she cried. “Vellonim!”
Another elf rushed out of the trees and hurried to her side. Firefoot spoke swiftly to him in their own tongue, and he sped off. Firefoot and Amanda hurried back to the clearing with the willow tree.
Even at the seriousness of the moment, Amanda had to stifle peals of laughter when she notice where many of the male’s eyes traveled as they approached. Firefoot spoke sharply to them, but Amanda could tell that she was trying to hide a grin.
A flying horse, accompanied by Jammy and Jamie, landed smoothly in the clearing. Jamie hefted Amanda onto the horse, and they rose off of the ground. As they flew away, Amanda waved to the elves back on the ground.
As the trio flew high, high above the forest, Jamma joined them.
“We’ve decided that it’s time to destroy the magic-hunters once and for all. We are going to march against them at Lujul Pass, where they were last seen,” he explained. “That new one was the last straw for us.”
They flew down into a wide, tall canyon and landed in a dry riverbed. Amanda could hardly believe her eyes when she saw that every magical creature in Sunadre had already gathered, including the elves she had just left!
Jammather greeted her hurriedly.
“We haven’t got much time. Firefoot’s scouts report that the magic-hunters, with the Kremlings, are headed this way.”
Amanda was among the front row of magical people marching against the magic-hunters. With her were Jammather, Firemane, Firefoot, Firefinger, the leader of the Dwarves; Fireeyes, the Nenskies’ leader; the Quinkies’ leader(Firefly), and several assorted others. After much begging and pleading, Jammil was also allowed to march… though in the hindmost row.
A scout came running back, crying, “They’re coming! They’re coming, just around that rock!”
Sure enough, right behind him came a flock of Kremlings and the three magic-hunters. Two were men, the men Amanda had run from over the Bridge. The other was a woman with long red hair. Her head was bowed, and Amanda couldn’t see her eyes.
At the sight of the army, one of the men lifted a flute to his mouth and began to play an eerie, haunting melody. Amanda looked around, confused. The flying dragons and horses were slowly sinking to the ground! The Quinkies were falling like rain, and the eyes of those on the ground began to lose focus! Amanda looked back at the magic hunters, with only one thought in her mind: Stop the music!
Amanda had barely taken two steps forward when the woman raised her head. Her gaze caught Amanda’s, and Amanda stared into her eyes.
She had felt like this before, looking into Firefoot’s sea-green eyes. This woman’s eyes were red, a deep crimson that Amanda had never seen before. They looked so deep and powerful… Amanda stared at the eyes, barely registering the Kremlings and the other magic hunters. She hardly noticed when her wrist was grabbed by the woman’s bony hand.
Suddenly, out of the red, Amanda saw a flash of sea-green. A new song began, drowning out the flute’s haunting melody. Startled, both she and the woman looked up. The spell was broken. A silvery bird was flying in the air above them, singing the new song. Amanda stared at it, and suddenly a thought occurred to her: This was the ghost of Ineo!
Slowly, as though roused from a deep sleep, the magical creatures stirred. Then they realized where they were… but not quickly enough.
Even as they had awoken, one of the magic hunters had pulled Amanda away from the woman. Now, as they fully awoke, he pressed his dagger to her neck.
Amanda thought wildly. What to do, what to do?
As though someone were speaking in her ear, she heard Firefoot’s words again.
“This makes you more powerful than you can ever imagine. You simply have to learn to use it…”
Amanda kicked out as hard as she could at the magic hunter holding her. He screamed and let go of her. Aghast, she stared at him. He had started to melt!
She looked for the other man and struck out at him, too. He, too, began to melt, twisting and flailing. Now only the woman was left.
Amanda turned and found herself looking directly into the woman’s eyes. Amazed, she found that they no longer drew her in! With a laugh, Amanda lashed out at her.
Soon only three puddles of ooze remained on the canyon floor. The smoking, arrow-filled, or bite-marked Kremlings lay scattered all around, and all the people were celebrating… except two.
Amanda stood with Firemane, gazing out at the forest. Finally she voiced the question that she had been pondering for the last two days.
“Firemane, will I be able to go home, now that the magic hunters and the Kremlings are gone?”
Firemane smiled. “Whenever you are ready, Amanda, you can leave.”
“Good,” Amanda said, not really sure if she meant it or not.
With a rushing of scaly wings, Jamma landed next to her.
“We are eternally in your debt,” he said, bowing deeply. “If there is anything at all that we can do for you, we shall do it gladly.”
Amanda thought for a moment. Then a grin spread slowly across her face.
“Actually, there is one thing...”
She sighed deeply.
Amanda smiled. She had already planned this. “Mrs. Benton, when you said write about two cultures, you didn’t say whether they had to be real or not,”
She crossed her fingers behind her back.
Mrs. Benton suddenly smiled. “Oh, all right. Very good, Amanda. This will have to do.”
Amanda left the classroom grinning. The moment she was outside, she collapsed on a bench and read again the message that Jammather had given her.
Be outside at midnight on Mondays and you’re in for a treat.
She couldn’t wait until tonight.
“Hello, Amanda,” said a soft voice behind her.
Amanda whirled around to find herself staring into a pair of sea-green eyes. Amanda simply stared into the eyes for a moment. They were so beautiful… Amanda could not wrench her gaze away from those eyes…
