Blood Moon Knight

IV

The duo entered through the open gates. The road led over a bridge that doubled as an aqueduct, then across a wide bailey up to a huge, marble, staircase. Off to the side, in what looked to Marco like a medieval parking lot, were many fancy carriages parked on the grass of the bailey. The unicorn thundered up to the foot of the stairs, then, to Marco's surprise, climbed them at as fast a pace as it could manage given the precarious footing.

Again to Marco's surprise, rather than stopping at the ornate doors at the top of the stairs, the unicorn reared up, slamming its hooves into the doors which burst open with a thunderous crack. Entering, the crowd inside scattered to either side as the unicorn and its rider galloped down a wide, red, carpet, inlaid with yellow diamonds, toward a raised platform at the end. The chamber was adorned with flags, colorful drapes, and bunting, all festooned with various butterfly motifs.

On the dais were two people: a tall woman, made taller by long, silvery, hair piled atop her head, flanked by a dwarf in a matching blue suit of militaristic cut, sporting a thick, blonde, beard hanging just past his chest. Both wore bejeweled crowns, and grasped staffs with headpieces of large, blue, crescent-moon-shaped crystals circumscribing smaller, yellow, star-shaped gems. Marco's attention was soon drawn to the woman's face, adorned with pink, diamond-shaped, tattoos on each cheek.

The unicorn thundered up the platform's stairs, and as it neared the top, the dreambody launched itself into the air from the animal's back. Simultaneously, the animal leapt over the platform and the ducking woman, crashing through the giant stained-glass window at the back, to what Marco presumed was its death as it fell from the mountain.

Landing on the dais in front of the woman, the dreambody looked up to see the woman glaring at it in venomous anger. A quick glance at the man revealed a face glowing with amusement and pride.

The woman began speaking, in a tone of regality and formality, but Marco could not make out the words. Practically vibrating with giddy anticipation, the dreambody almost couldn't contain itself, opening and closing its fists as if they ached to grasp something. Finally, the woman set a crown on its head, then handed it a staff of its own, the staff's headpiece a large, yellow, star-shaped crystal, with a small, blue, crescent-moon-shaped gem inset slightly off center; Marco felt a surge of happiness race through the dreambody, as if it was receiving a coveted prize. It turned back toward the chamber; as the crowd bowed, it walked down the stairs, the feeling of joy replaced by feeling like a putz, then strode across the carpet toward the doors.

Marco felt the dreambody start experiencing a clear sense of disappointment. As it walked, it desperately looked through the crowd on each side, as if seeking a beloved face. Before reaching the exit, motion caught its eye on one of the balconies, the rest of which were empty.

The dreambody stopped, turning toward the half of the crowd on one side of the carpet, gazing intently at the balcony. Feeling a rush of recognition and joy from the dreambody, Marco saw a girl sporting a thin smile as she looked down on the chamber. Marco wondered why there seemed to be cool acceptance on the girl's face and a stiff demeanor, when the dreambody clearly expected the girl to be experiencing the same joy.

The dreambody resumed its march, then stopped before the damaged main doors, turning back to face the throng. It waved the staff above its head from left to right, creating a rainbow ... which promptly caught on fire. The crowd clapped in delight, not realizing the fire was unintended, or so Marco presumed from the intense embarrassment he detected. The dreambody turned to its left; as attendants beat out the flames, it strode to a regular-sized door set into the side wall of the chamber, under a grand arch, stepping through it into a large room. Behind the dreambody filed a subset of the people that had filled the main hall. Marco's best guess was that the smaller gathering was a reception, for people to personally congratulate the dreambody on its accomplishment or award, whichever it was. He was no more able to understand what the guests were saying than he had been able to understand what the crowned woman on the platform said. The only thing he was certain of was the feelings from the dreambody of boredom, disgust and, strangely, inescapable confinement, as if whatever was happening was some sort of trap.