5. Chapter Five

Ibriefly watch as Nero and the girl disappear down the forest pass before I return to the fight.

"Gather up!" I yell at my guards, yanking on Percy's reins. Slashing out, I catch one of the attackers with my blade, the metal singing through the air as I parry and counterattack. Sweat beads along my brow, plastering my hair to my scalp as I focus on trying to find the archer. The guard to my left grunts as an arrow pierces his shoulder. I follow the line of trajectory until I see a small glint of metal high up in the trees.

"Got you," I whisper as the corners of my lips curl up. Gathering my powers, I yell, "everyone down!" before blasting a wave of air outward all around me. Two satisfying thuds precede groaning as the two archers fall from their perch. Hopping down from Percy's back, I hold my sword before me as I make my way into the undergrowth.

"Prince Aramis, wait!" Edmund's voice rings out as he quickly catches up to me. He had only been on my guard for a few months before this mission and was as green as a sapling. The closer he stays to my side, the better I can keep an eye on him.

Meeting his eager green eyes, I nod in agreement. I press a finger to my lips, gesturing to my companion to follow me. The thick mist that hangs low around us muffles our footsteps, but the rustling of leaves underfoot echoes in the silence. As we pass the first few trees, dark, shadowy smoke curls around our feet, obscuring our view. I brace myself against a trunk, the rough bark scratching against my palm. My eyes dart around, taking in the depression in the earth where they fell. The archers' bodies should be here, but there are no footprints or other signs of their escape.

Who are these beings? Why did they attack us?

I scan the forest ahead and above me when I hear a guttural scream. Turning swiftly, I spot Edmund trembling with a knife to his neck, another to his groin where the attacker has sliced clear through his skin. Blood runs from the wound, soaking his breeches. My chest constricts as I assess the situation. My eyes slide from the pallor of Edmund's young face to the figure holding him and to the others barely visible behind them. Dressed in shades of black, brown, and green, they blend seamlessly into the surrounding forest. Even their faces coordinate with a similar color palette. The hood that once covered their head has fallen behind, revealing dark black hair plaited down their scalp and delicately pointed ears. One could almost call them beautiful, if it wasn't for the ferocious scowl plastered on their face.

"Who are you?" I call out, advancing towards them. The smell of warm urine rents the air and I watch Edmund's eyes roll into his head as he faints. My fists clench at the possibility of losing one of my men.

"Where did you send the Unicorn?" They reply in unison, tightening their grip on my guard, seemingly unbothered by his dead weight.

"What do you want with her?" I demand. The sound of my pounding pulse fills my ears, but I refuse to back down.

"Not one more step, Prince Aramis." Their voice comes out as one, soft as silk and ancient. Their lips pull up into a feline smile, sharp canines barely visible in the dim forest.

"Let the boy go." As I take a step towards them, they raise their knife and wave it menacingly beneath his chin. "He's done nothing to you."

"Don't make me repeat myself," they purr, eyes flashing. Was this just a game to them?

"She is gone. Let my guard go and be on your way," I growl under my breath, contemplating how many steps it will take me to reach this creature. I never should have let him come on this mission. He's too young, too untrained. If he gets hurt–or worse…

"What do you want with her?" They ask, a note of curiosity lacing their voice as they cock their head to the side, examining me.

My eyes narrow as I meet their gaze, my thumb absently caressing the smooth leather wrapped around my sword's handle.

"The King and Queen of Shadowvale have requested her presence," I declare formally. As a representative of Shadowvale, I have the authority to state this with pride. I force myself to sound like it matters even though It doesn't…not to me, at least. This entire mission has been a waste of my time.

"I didn't ask what they want with her." Their voice drips with disgust, mimicking the grimace on their face. "I asked what you want with her."

"I want nothing to do with her. My purpose is solely to transport her to the castle." I reach out, slowly gathering the wind around me. If I manage to encircle them, it would be feasible to immobilize them.

"Liar." The uniform voice purrs. Their eyes transition from black to gold, the pupil a dark vertical slit. The surrounding air seems to come alive with a shimmering light. "You're such a pretty little liar."

The forest is quiet around us. Not even the echoing of the insects can be heard. Where are my other guards? They should have surrounded these beings already.

"What do you want from me?" I ask, taking matters in my own hands as I blast my powers out. They're too fast, though. I watch as their bodies dissipate into smoke, unaffected by my wind blowing through them. Edmund drops to the ground with a thud, groaning loudly, and I send a prayer to the Goddess that he will still be alive by the time I get rid of these criminals.

"I want to know the measure of your worth," the voice whispers in my ear from behind me, thin tendrils of black smoke caressing my cheek. I whip around, but nothing is there.

"Come out and fight, you coward!" I yell, brandishing my sword. Anger roils in my gut. How can I fight a creature that can dissipate into thin air?

"How do you judge a man's worth?" The voice echoes through the surrounding forest. I spin around, but all I see is floating wisps of gold and black.

"Stop your riddles. What do you want with the unicorn?" I demand, angrily slicing out with my sword. It cuts clean through the air and mist.

"War is coming, young princeling. I see far and wide, but you—" It pauses and gooseflesh ripples along my skin, my hair standing on edge as its cool, magical touch caresses my arm. "You are an anomaly. You are the tipping point upon which the course of fate may be changed." Its eyes bore into my soul, but I sense its presence lessening.

"You speak nonsense," I retort, my defenses rising. My body quivers with barely controlled rage. I can sense Edmund behind me, his breaths becoming shallower by the second.

"We shall see, Aramis Adrastos." A heavy weight appears in my right pocket. I quickly pull it out and examine the small rose quartz on a delicate silver chain.

"A gift from Alpheaia." The voice is barely audible as it whispers.

Alpheaia? My mind reels as I examine the charm. It seems to glow, pulsing with an unnatural light. I've half a mind to throw it onto the ground to be buried with the mulch, but superstition stills my hand. The sounds of the forest and my men shouting return full force.

"We're over here! Quick, Edmund is injured. We need to stop the bleeding!" I shout, shoving the necklace back into my pocket. I rip the bottom edge off my shirt and tie it in a crude tourniquet around his leg. His eyelid briefly flutters in pain as I tighten the knot and, with the help of another guard, hoist him to his feet.

"Thank you!" I look directly at Alec, my lieutenant. "Is everyone accounted for?"

"Your Highness." He shifts uncomfortably on his feet. "The horses…"

"What about the bloody horses?" I grunt as I move back towards the path. Every moment wasted puts the boy further in danger.

"Half of them took off in the melee." Alec wrings his hands together, casting his eyes at the ground. I turn on my heel with a sigh and clap him on the shoulder. He was newly appointed to the position of lieutenant. I chide myself, a reminder that this is his first real mission outside castle guard duty.

"Don't worry. They are highly trained and will return when they hear the signal." They were trained military horses. There was no reason they should have been spooked by a few forest spirits. Hopefully, they'd return swiftly when they heard the signal before they ran into something far worse.

I pull a cord from around my neck and toss him one of the two whistles before looking at the faces before me, accounting for each person. No one was missing except Nero and Sybil. "Were there any other casualties?"

"No, sir. A few scrapes and bruises. Jack twisted his ankle, but otherwise we're all intact and hearty." He stands at attention as he wraps his fingers around the whistle.

"Good." I let go a sigh of relief I didn't realize I was holding. "The most important thing is that we're all alive, and together. We need to get Edmund to the clearing so we can get him cleaned up and treated."

He looks down at Edmund's supported body. "He's in no fit state to travel that far, let alone ride astride."

"Then we will have to carry him. Create a stretcher from some of these branches and cloth strips, then bring him to the clearing–just stick to the path and stick together. Blow the signal every five minutes as you travel. The horses will hear it and they will come." I turn and make my way to my stallion's side, running my hand across his soft, velvety snout before rummaging through the saddlebag. Finding an old worn shirt, I toss it to the guard.

"But what about you?" The guard asks hesitantly.

"I'm going after our prisoner," I say as I swing myself up into the saddle, setting my eyes in the direction I had sent my best friend and Sybil. "If you–"

As the guard beside me stops and throws out his arm, I notice a tall stag before us. It's deep in its prime, tail twitching as its nostrils flare, but we are downwind. I reach for my bow from my saddlebag. Taking aim, I let the arrow fly, and it lands with a thud in the creature's side.

I say a silent prayer, nodding my head respectfully towards the creature. Thank the Goddess for small blessings.

"Now you can bring back Edmund, and dinner." I grin at them before turning Percy around and heading down the trail. We were lucky tonight, but Edmund isn't out of the woods yet. My fist clenches the reins tighter and I click my heels, urging Percy onward. If we didn't have to travel half the continent to get one rebel unicorn to Shadowvale, we wouldn't be in this mess. Edmund wouldn't be injured and I wouldn't have had some cryptic conversation with some forest spirit.

Alpheaia.

The tipping point.

What does it all mean?