I would like to tell you a story.
It had began, my mother’s journey, with the hunter’s proclamation that she was the last of her kind, the last unicorn. Not believing at first, she had stayed in the safety of her forest, although her mind had been troubled, was she really all alone in the world? Then she had met a butterfly, a most unusual one at that for it spoke in songs and riddles and it told her, after at first avoiding her persistent questing, that the rest of her kind had been taken far away by a creature known as the Red Bull. Fearing for the other unicorns, Amalthea, the name she was to be given later, decided to leave the comfort and safety of her forest and seek to discover what has happened to the others, and somehow, if they lived, save them.
My mother was taken captive by a traveling carnival led by a evil witch called Mommy Fortuna, who used magical spells to create the illusion that regular animals were in fact creatures of myth and legend. Amalthea found herself the only true legendary creature among the group, save for the harpy, Celaeno. Mother was in deep despair until she was rescued by was Schmendrick, a magician traveling with the carnival, who saw her for what she was, and he freed her in the midst of the night. Celaeno, freed along with the other animals, killed Mommy Fortuna and Rukh, her malicious hunchbacked assistant.
The long journey continued, thought not without its dangers. Schmendrick was taken prisoner by bandits, but this was to lead them to another ally, a woman known as Molly Grue. Together, the unlikely trio journeyed to Hagsgate, a town under the rule of a king called King Haggard, at whose castle the Red Bull was said to reside. In Hagsgate they met a man called Drinn, who told my mother and the others of a curse which, if it were fulfilled, would destroy Haggard's castle. A short time after this was when the name of Amalthea was given to my mother as a means for her saftly and well being.
Molly, Schmendrick and mother left Hagsgate and continued on toward Haggard's castle, but on their way they were attacked by the Red Bull. The Unicorn fled, but was unable to escape the bull. In an effort to aid her, Schmendrick unwittingly changed my mother into a human female. Confused by the change, the Red Bull gave up the pursuit and vanished.. The three continue on to Haggard's castle, where Schmendrick introduced my mother as "Lady Amalthea" to throw off Haggard's suspicions. They manage to convince Haggard to allow them to serve him in his court, with the hopes of gathering some clues as to the location of the other unicorns. During their stay, Amalthea was romanced by Prince Lír Haggard's adopted son. Haggard eventually revealed to my mother that the unicorns were trapped in the sea for his amusement, because they were the only things that made him happy.
Following clues given to them by a cat, Molly, Schmendrick, and my mother found the entrance to the Red Bull's lair. There was followed a vicious struggle, with the deranged king Haggard and his men-at-arms before entrance was gained to the evil Red Bull’s lair. The Red Bull attacked and during the battle, Schmendrick returned my mother to her true form… Sadly, Prince Lir sacrificed his life for mother’s sake as the Red Bull charged at her. Fueled by grief and anger, my mother drove the Red Bull into the sea and freed the rest of our kind. There was more good news, Prince Lir was revived, thanks to unicorn magic and took over the kingdom of Hagsgate, while my mother returned to her forest.
But now; now after many years of peace and calm, something is wrong. It is said that one known only as The Dark Unicorn’ has risen and is seeking to free the Red Bull from his prison. Is this true, would one unicorn hate the rest so much her would desire their death? This is where the journey begins. Can this new, terrible evil be stopped before its to late?
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass the world is too full to talk about.” ~ Rumi
Reply With Quote
