The Black Unicorn

The Ruins of Ikaro

The rip in reality had no more power against Dracal as he flung through the air faster than anything I could ever have thought possible. I thought I was going to get ripped out of his arms.

I clung on for my life, for my life very well could depend on it. He roared all the way over the mountains. It was not until we had gotten over the peak and the Lonely castle was far out of sight, that Dracal started to slow down.

Even so, the wind still hit me hard. It honestly felt as if I were getting attacked, or drowned under a large wave. The hellfire was eating up all of the air around us. When I tried to breathe, my lungs would not fill.

I squirmed in his hold as I started to slowly suffocate. It did nothing though for his grip remained as strong as ever. Not that I wanted him to let me go anyway. For if he were to let me go, I would plummet to my death.

He was not even flapping his wings after that last thrust. The fire shooting out from his wings alone propelled us through the air like an arrow. As the fires died, we slowly lost momentum. The ground was getting closer, I could slowly breathe again.

We had flown completely over the peak and were now nearing the base on the other side now. Leodai's castle was miles and miles away by now. With Korim's help and his magic, he might be able to catch up to us quickly. If they were to chase after us on horseback though it could take a full day for them to reach this side.

I could now see the trees more clearly as they sped by below us. They were no longer just small, green blur's that I saw for only a split second.

Since Dracal and I were pressed stomach to stomach, I had to crane my neck around in some uncomfortable angles to be able to see where we were going. What was waiting for us made my eyes widen.

There was a small field of broken cobblestone pillars and walls. Grey with age and covered in long, winding green ivy. The stone looked like it could once have been white and shined like polished marble under the sun. What was this place?

It was a relevant question considering that with the way we were drifting down, we were going to land right in the center of it. The ground lazily moved underneath us as Dracal stretched out his back talons to land.

His wings flapped twice to steady himself so that he did not topple over from imbalance. When his feet were on the ground the fire around his wings, head, and underneath his scales were snuffed out. Only swirling smoke remained.

I gasped in shock as I saw that his wing membranes were actually completely gone. Nothing was left of his wings but the burnt rods

They folded in, the scales crinkling and cracking like charcoal. For that's what they seem to have become. In fact, his entire body was different now.

He set me down and I quickly turned around as he collapsed to the dirt. All of his rustic scales were now singed and blackened. Where his veins had been lit by the fire had burst, and were now open wounds sizzling in the air. The tip of his tail had cracked off. There was no glow to his eyes anymore, they were sunken in and black as if someone had plucked them out of his skull.

It would seem that even demons who were forged in the fires of Hell were not entirely immune to the very flames that created them. My friend whimpered in pain and I dropped to my knees.

I wanted to take his head and cradle it in my lap to try and give him comfort though. I knew moving him in any way shape or form would only cause him more pain than my touch could bring. It was best to just leave him as he was.

He did this to himself so that we could get away. He hurt himself this badly to save me...

The smell of his burning scales was very similar to the horrid stench of burning hair. I ignored it as my hands hovered over his smoking, still body. He was barely breathing, for each breath caused more charred scales to crumble off of him.