38You probably all hate me for not updating sooner (sorry!)but there's been so much against this chapter being posted. To give a brief explanation I had computer troubles until now, I also had motivation problems and more computer problems. But here is the next chapter. You get to meet the last main character (I think)in this chapter. I'm not sure what to think about this chapter but it's you who's reading it. So here is the next chapter.
p.s. if anyone wants me to state who's point of view the chapters are in at the begining of the chapters please tell me so and I will sort it out.
The next morning I awoke early. Unable to fall back into the land of sleep I got up, dressed and headed downstairs. I headed towards the lounge where I decided I could find a book to read. Upon entering the room it was dark. Then I noticed the strange man sitting in the large armchair by the fire. He was slender and pale, his black-blue hair falling into his eyes where it was falling out of the black band at the nape of his neck. As I looked closer I noticed the scowl his firm mouth held and the way his hazel eyes seemed to be trying to burn holes into the book he was holding. As he turned the yellowed page of the book he looked up at me, and then looked me up and down. His eyes returned back to the book as though I were not there.
"Good morning Miss Amice." He said curtly, his tone harsh yet underlying with an emotion unknown to me. I stared at him longer before remembering my manners.
"Good morning, Mr…" I trailed off inquiring his name. He didn't reply but continued reading. Again he looked up as he turned the page.
"Forgive me. I am Luben Young, unicorn breeder." His hazel eyes felt as though they were penetrating my very thoughts.
"Excuse me but did you say unicorn?" I dared to ask.
"Yes, as in the horse-like creature. Like the one you own. I believe his mother was one of mine. Of course I sent her to you. Your father, he was quite unsure of my reasons but thanked me anyways. I am sorry to hear of his death, he was a good man."
"So everyone keeps telling me, but he still sold me out to the king. Wait, did you say that I own a unicorn?"
"Yes, the young, white stallion in the stables. He is yours isn't he?"
"Yes…"
"You don't know do you?"
"No…"
"Don't worry about it. Maybe we can sort things out later after breakfast."
"Wait, you're saying that Dillon's a unicorn?" He nodded curtly.
"Of course unicorns have magic veils so that they appear like horses to people. Perhaps I shall help you see past this veil, after breakfast maybe?"
"Really?"
"Of course."
"Wow… Dillon… a unicorn." I murmured as I looked through the books. I eventually decided on a red bound book with the title 'Magic: yesterday, today and tomorrow'. I really did want to learn more about magic and so I took the book and, with a quick 'I'll see you at breakfast' to the strange gentleman I retreated to the garden. It was still early enough that the sun hadn't properly risen and so the sky was wonderful shades of colour. I sat and stared at the sight before opening my book and beginning to read. It was a fascinating book and I submerged myself into its pages. Without even noticing the presence of another person in the garden I felt a pair of hands cover my eyes.
"Guess who." A familiar voice commanded. Obviously I didn't need to guess, how could I mistake Phoenix's voice?
"I wonder…" I pondered playfully. "Could it be a handsome prince come to whisk me away?"
"Well… let us see…" He started as he removed his hands from my eyes and laid them upon my shoulders. "I am a Prince, I am going to whisk you away to breakfast, so I would say your guess was fairly accurate." I placed the book on the table beside me.
"Is breakfast ready?" I asked surprised. Was it really breakfast time?
"Yes. Everyone is up and ready."
"I must have lost track of time." I commented as he took my hand and led me inside to the dinning room."
"More like lost in that book." I smiled at him.
"Good morning!" Virtue called to us from his place at the table as we entered. "Come, have a seat, enjoy." He had a large smile upon his face, one that I had not seen before, which seemed to lighten the whole atmosphere. Phoenix led me to two free seat and pulled my chair out for me to sit. Once seated we began to eat. The atmosphere seemed to be cheery and happy. Everyone ate and chatted and smiled. While Phoenix was conversing with Pegasus I took the opportunity to look for Mr Young. He wasn't present at the table. I turned to Virtue who was, at that moment, wiping some jam off Innocent's chin almost lovingly. I could have sworn that I saw the same thing in his eyes that I saw in Phoenix's when he looked at me. Pushing these thoughts out of my mind I decided to ask Virtue where the strange man was. To which he replied. "Luben decided against breakfasting with us today, said if anyone needed him he'd be in the stables. You've met him then?"
"Yes, in the lounge. He's a little bit intimidating."
"Yes I agree there." He turned to Innocent who was now sitting staring at his half full plate. "Come, Keiko, eat more." He told the younger male.
"But I'm not hungry." Innocent whined. I sat in amusement as they argued over the blonde's eating habits.
Once I finished my breakfast I excused myself and headed towards the stables before anyone could stop me. Crossing the yard I noticed the figure sitting in the window of the hayloft. I entered the stables and greeted Dillon.
"I see you came." Luben's cold voice reached my ears from where he stood on the ladder.
"You did say after breakfast."
"Yes I did. Now… Dillon lift your veil. Of course even with the veil lifted you won't be able to see his true form yet. The trick is don't look at him, see him."
"See him." I repeated. "Is that it?"
"Yes, but I must warn you it is hard to master. It's the same technique used to view people's auras."
"So I just have to see?"
"Yes." I turned to look at Dillon. I concentrated my thoughts on him.
"I'm looking but not seeing."
"Exactly what I told you not to do. Concentrate on seeing not looking." I again concentrated but again saw no change. "Open your mind. Let the true image enter your minds eye." I wasn't entirely sure what he meant but I again concentrated. And then I saw it, a glimmer of the real Dillon. But as soon as it appeared it disappeared.
"I saw it!" I exclaimed."
"But you lost your concentration right?"
"Yeah."
"Try again." Again I concentrated and the image appeared again, easier this time, more solid. I focused more on what I was seeing and there in front of me was the unicorn Dillon, beautiful and stunning in its own way. His body seemed all the more a brilliant white, almost glowing and his hooves now looked as though they were made from black onyx. The more obvious differences though were the horn and the wings. The horn seemed to be made from the same substance as the hooves, like a black diamond even. And the wings contrasted the body by being made from smooth, silky, ebony, raven-like feathers. The mane too was ebony coloured and shimmering even in the dull light. This was no longer my Dillon; this was a new creature all together.
"Wow." I said breathlessly.
"I must admit he is one of the finest unicorns I have seen. Now if you'll excuse me." He replied curtly before retreating back up to the hayloft. I remained with Dillon, eventually gaining the courage to reach out and touch him I stoked the silky softness. It was amazing. After some time with him I realised that he really was the same Dillon I had known.
Out of curiosity I climbed up the ladder to the hayloft to see what exactly Luben was doing up there. Once there I discovered the strange man sitting back by the window, a book and pen in his hand. The book seemed to be bound in something like silver, the pen quite obviously inlaid with intricate silver patterns. He was writing in the book, a look of concentration on his face.
"How do you find your unicorn?" He asked me with out looking up or relenting in his writing.
"It's wonderful, amazing."
"Yes they are magnificent creatures. Now why are you up here?"
"I was wondering why you didn't come to breakfast?"
"Too many people. I'm quite the loner if you haven't noticed."
"Then why are you here?"
"I waiting for the ship to Voabis, I have no where else to go."
"Why here though?"
"Quite the inquisitive one. I don't fit in with normal people."
"You're not going to tell me why you're different are you?"
"How do you know I'm different?"
"I'm not sure, I can sense it." He smiled at this.
"The world's a dark place Faith. The bad far outweighs the good on Thrae. Just remember to have faith, Faith. Phoenix is coming; maybe you would like to show him the true Dillon?"
"I'll see you later then." I replied and left him with his pen and book. Just as I reached Dillon's stall Phoenix walked in.
"Faith, there you are. There's been news of the passage to Voabis. The Blue Rose, the regular ship's gone down. We're going to have to wait for Virtue's friend. The sinking of that ship was bad news all around. Not only do we have to wait longer but Virtue and Innocent lost a friend on it too."
"Is that what was wrong last night?"
"Yes. Virtue's just informed about it. I thought you might like to know."
"Everything's depending on getting to Voabis isn't it?"
"You don't need to ask to know the answer to that Faith." I closed my eyes to feel his arms wrap around me. I opened my eyes to see Dillon over Phoenix's shoulder. The magnificent creature looked sombre, like he understood everything.
We returned to the house where Phoenix, Pegasus and I decided that now would be as good a time as any to organize everything. We would, after all, have to sort out supplies and what not. We would also need to figure out a plan for what we were doing. Even once we got to Voabis we had no idea to find the knife. There was only one person who knew how to get to it and we had no idea where they were or who they were. The more I thought about it the more farfetched and stupid this idea seemed. There were so many factors against us. And even if by some miracle we did find the knife we had no idea how to kill the king with it. To be truthful, for us to achieve what we wanted to do it would have to be some cheesy fantasy novel where the most unbelievable things happen. You know the type where the heroes go on some impossible adventure only to find a happy ending? The only thing being that life isn't a fairy tale. That left us to be either stupid, desperate or left with absolutely no other option. In what kind of world does the king strike a deal with the devil anyways? The irrationality of our actions struck home and I realised that there was no way we were going to achieve a happy ending, more like a pointless tragic one. Well at least we wouldn't have to live with the king in rule if we died.
Arms wrapping themselves around me brought me from the world of thought.
"You're thinking bad things." Phoenix stated childishly into my hair. I turned to face him and looked at him questioningly. "You were frowning in your thoughts." He stated simply.
"I was?" I asked in surprise. Well truthfully I didn't like where my thoughts were going. Suddenly my thoughts switched to Dillon. I hadn't shown Nix earlier because it hadn't been an appropriate time, but now was as good as ever. "I've just remembered, I have something to show you. Luben told me about it." I told the prince I had grown so dearly attached to.
"Oh? Well what is it then?" He asked me in honest curiosity, I also detected a little something else in the underlying tones of his voice. Was that a little jealousy?
"Come on then." I told him standing up and leading him out to the stables. Upon sighting Dillon I was assured that I hadn't dreamt it up before. Phoenix looked at me sceptically when I told him about it. It took a very long time, many reassurances that I wasn't just imagining it and many attempts on his behalf before he finally saw the true Dillon and eventually believed me.
"Amazing." Was the first word to escape his mouth. I knew I was grinning stupidly at him but I couldn't help it. I also showed Essie and Pegasus later. They were even more sceptical than Phoenix but between us we managed to convince them. Late Innocent appeared in the stables making me jump at the sudden appearance.
"What are you all doing in here?" He asked quietly.
"We're admiring Faith's unicorn." Phoenix told him.
"Yes he is magnificent isn't he?"
"You knew he was a unicorn?"
"Yes. It's a trait of magic, one magic being can see another no matter how normal they appear to normal people."
"Interesting. Why are you here anyways?"
"Looking for you. Dinner's ready, thought you might like to eat."
"Thanks. We'll be in for dinner in a minute."
"Okay." He disappeared, presumably going to dinner.
"You know he told me he didn't flaunt his powers." Phoenix told us.
"Maybe he changed his mind?" Phoenix suggested, taking one more look at my Dillon before taking Essie's hand and heading for the door. We all followed. Dinner was uneventful, followed by an uneventful evening. I didn't see Luben since I had left him in the hayloft that morning. He wasn't lying when he said he wasn't a people person. Late that evening Phoenix and I were sitting in my room talking about nonsense really when there was a taping at the window. I looked to the window and there stood Nasim. I hadn't seen her in a while. Nix opened the window and let her in before going downstairs to find her some food.
"Hey Nasim." I greeted her, gently stroking her slightly damp feathers. I looked outside to see that it was raining slightly now. Why is it weather always seems to reflect the mood of a story? This weather was no different. It was slow and drizzly and grey, just like our life at that moment.
"I remember when you first met. You were both dubious of each other, but look at you now." Nix commented as he walked back into the room. He fed her and made sure she was okay, pampering her before sending her away with a note to see if she could finder the keeper of the knife. We knew it was a long shot but it was worth a try. She had apparently never failed him before. Phoenix and I continued to talk into the early morning and even then only went to sleep because I yawned and Nix insisted that we sleep. He really does care about me so much and so deeply and he doesn't hide it whatsoever. I admired him for that, but then it made me question myself. How could I not know how I feel, or whether I cared, or… if I loved him? I annoyed myself so much; I bet not many people could say that. I guessed I'd figure it out in time. But until then I saw nothing wrong with accepting his love that he gave so freely because at least I cared enough not to hurt him. So much to think about, my mind was just exploding with thought and so when sleep overcame me and happily welcomed the time in which I could escape the questions with no answers.