“A dark and sinister magic? The kind I felt on Callia?” Arion asked.
“Far worse I’m afraid,” the King said. “Famine and plagues crippled our lands. This was many years after the fall of the evil sorcerer by the name of Ryze who split Amaria into the six kingdoms we know today and vowed to return to exact his revenge. Many thought it was his return and the attacks against people of magic, the druids, began. As the people’s fear rose, the king at the time was forced to act. He drove the druids out of Gavalon holding them personally responsible for that dark period in our history. As the plagues ran their course and the drought ended, they cheered the King for his victory against evil. Decades later, one of my predecessors discovered evidence in the ancient scrolls that the druids were one of our last lines of defense in the battle against Ryze, but by then they had been eradicated from Gavalon.”
“That’s how the unicorns came to be,” Valaria added. “I love that story so much. Unbeknownst to the king, before the druids were forced out of Gavalon, they transferred their powers to the stable horses. It was too much for the beasts to contain and so the magic concentrated into a magical horn. It’s said that the unicorns will band together to protect our kingdom when Ryze comes again.”
Arion snorted. “That sounds like a silly story told to silly little girls at bedtime.”
Valaria’s temper immediately rose as she stood to square off with Arion, but her father interceded.
“Settle down, princess,” he warned her. “Arion, all bedtime stories and tales are riddled with at least some truth.”
“According to the ancient texts, that’s an accurate portrayal of what happened. It’s why the unicorns are so prevalent here in Gavalon and allowed to roam freely. They are our first defense against evil sorcery,” Zallon added.
“That’s why the first attack would logically be against the unicorns. So that means dark magic has returned to Gavalon,” Arion pointed out. “Could that be why Callia is so sick?”
“It’s as good a hypothesis as any right now. I took a vial of her blood to test in the lab,” he confessed.
“I will reach out to the other kingdoms of Amaria and warn them to be on the lookout for anything strange in their lands,” the King said. “Come along, daughter. We must leave them to run their tests. It’s only one beast, so very likely we are just jumping to conclusions, but I don’t want to take any chances.”
Arion stayed by Zallon’s side as he worked late into the night running tests against the unicorn’s blood. Potion after potion told them nothing.
“What’s going to happen to her?” Arion finally asked the question he most feared the answer of.
“I’m afraid I do not know,” the old man admitted. “Now tell me what happened to you?” he asked nodding towards the dried blood on Arion’s ripped pants.
“It’s nothing just a scratch.”
“Scratches lead to infections. You know better than that. Let me see it,” he said. Shaking his head, he reached for some bottles and quickly concocted a liquid serum that he rubbed on the cut.
Arion hissed in pain but didn’t complain.
“You’ll be good as new by morning. Now back to work.”
Shortly before sunrise they both headed off to bed for a few hours sleep, only to be awakened far too soon.
Arion rose to answer the banging at the main door. Garron was there there looking frantic. “Four more unicorns collapsed in the fields,” he said the second Arion opened the door.
Together they ran to wake Zallon and tell him.
“This is bad, this is very bad,” the old wizard kept saying.
“What do the legends say? I mean, how did we defeat Ryze the last time?” Arion asked.
“Arion, Ryze is little more than a mythical creature,” he said.
It wasn’t long before the King arrived with Garron and two guards that were told to stay outside. Valaria was not far behind him despite her father’s frustration.
“What do you think we’re dealing with Zallon?” the King asked his old friend.
“I do not know. There is nothing in the scrolls describing an attack on the unicorns such as this, he said.”
“Maybe it is Ryze coming back,” Garron said.
“I don’t understand anything you’ve really said about Ryze. Can someone explain this legend?” Arion asked feeling a little embarrassed by being in the dark when everyone else seemed to understand what they were talking about.
“The legend of Ryze basically goes like this,” Valaria said. “Ryze was once a great sorcerer who ruled over all Amaria. At one time he was just, but as his power grew, so did his greed for more. Dark magic corrupted him and he used it to obtain ultimate power for himself.”
“All magic comes at a price, as you have learned, Arion,” Zallon said. “But none more than dark sorcery. He thought he was powerful enough to overcome the consequences, but he was wrong. The spell he cast caused him to lose his entire family and marked him by the darkness.”
“Some say that no matter what shape or form he takes, he can never hide the scar across his right eyebrow,” Valaria added.
“That’s ridiculous. He’s a sorcerer, not a shapeshifter,” Garron pointed out.
“Hush. I’m the one telling the story and I say he’s powerful enough to appear as anything or anyone he wants,” said Valaria stubbornly.
“My daughter is right,” the King told Garron. “Or so the legend goes.” He winked at the boy.
“How come I’ve never heard of these legends?” Arion asked.
Valaria gave him a sad look. “They’re just old stories parents tell their kids at bedtime.”
Arion nodded with understanding. He hadn’t had parents to pass the fairytales down to him.
“So, what happened to Ryze then?” he asked.
“Oh, well the people of Amaria could only take so much before they rose up to rebel against him. It’s said the six most powerful families grew armies to formulate an attack and reclaim Amaria, but fearful of his own demise, he used magic to preserve himself in six stones vowing to return to fight another day.”
“They say those six families formed the six kingdoms of Amaria that we know today and that’s why we’ve been mostly at peace for a thousand years,” Garron said. “Hey, does that make you one of the six families then?” he asked his King.
“Yes, Garron. My ancestors are said to have led one of the armies in the defeat of Ryze,” he confirmed.
“Do you believe this is true, Zallon?” Arion asked. He had a thousand questions running through his head.
“I am sure parts of it are certainly true. There are several scrolls written about Ryze, Arion. If you are that interested in his story, you are welcome to read through what we have on him,” Zallon surprised him by saying. Then he added, “After we find a way to cure the unicorns of whatever is ailing them.”
Arion’s curiosity had been piqued, but the reminder of Callia in such pain just lying on the ground was enough to push that interest aside and focus on what was most important.
“We will say our adieu and let the two of you get back to work then,” the King announced taking Valaria and Garron with him.