The Balinor Chronicles II: Souls of Fire
Chapter Six: The Tale of Caliman and Barr

This chapter is dedicated to Dark Unicorn Lurking – first reviewer of the second Chronicles.

-/o

Time creates tales. Such is its way – it cannot keep from creating them anymore than you may stop from breathing. Time creates tales: it always has, and always will.

And one of its most famous tales is that of Caliman and Barr. Of the Light and the Dark. Of the Sun and the Shadow. Of the Hunter and the Hunted. Of Caliman and Barr.

Caliman was the Bonded Unicorn of Queen Ventoka. They lived many happy years together. They did a good job of not doing bad works, but couldn't really do too many great works, so they lived their reign just doing good works and being general good rulers. But Ventoka grew old; and Caliman was all but immortal. And so, many of his adventures – his greatest in fact – were done without the ailing Ventoka.

Barr, as is fitting to tales such as these, was a Shadow Unicorn. But Barr was an interesting case indeed. In this time, several distinctions were being made. There were plain Shadow Unicorns – and then there was the Demon Herd – those born of pure Celestial descent, and therefore more powerful – an elite strain of Shadow, you might say. Barr's sire was Kreenan, who could trace his descent back to Moloth and Karma, and then beyond them, to Mulciber himself. But Barr's dam; she was Antrik, who was born of a mortal unicorn, lured into the Valley of Fear by Shadowian power. And that left Barr in a very awkward situation indeed. Unable to gain the power he saw as birthright through his lineage, he was forced to attain it through great deeds. And what would be a greater deed than killing a Celestial?

And where is a better place to find a Celestial then at Balinor Palace?

It was a dark and stormy night when Barr arrived in the town surrounding the Palace. Actually, the night itself wasn't too bad – half moon, slightly overcast and chilly – but by all rights it should have storming, so that is how it is remembered.

Most of the storm lived inside Barr's heart. He had been raised in a Herd which valued dishonor before death and treason before defeat. He had been raised in a Herd where there were no innocents – for all of the black coat and ruby eyes were condemned from birth. So when he arrived at the heart of Balinor, a cloud was shining down upon his heart and lightning endlessly smote his conscience. For what better way to hurt a Celestial than kill that which he loves?

Blood was spilt that night, yet no storm of mortal worlds can wash such stains away.

Caliman came to Barr. He had to. He was sworn to act as Lord of the Animals, and, by extension, humans. To be Lord was to Protect, so Caliman came to stop the blood shed. Not that he thought he would die – it was only one Shadow, after all, not a Herd of them.

But he did not reckon on said Shadow being Barr – he with no reason to return home except in victory. Barr, who had spent all his life attaining his power and influence through victory in battle. Barr, who needed the continued support of his Lord Protector to maintain his position as a general. From such beings come desperate deeds.

From such desperate deeds are legends born.

Caliman faced Barr. The two engaged chivalrously, for such was the style of fighting in that day. And as they struck and parried, it occurred to each unicorn at the same time exactly that neither would win this fight. Barr could weave and duck and bob all he like, but he just couldn't compete with the sheer brute strength of the Celestial Unicorn. And Caliman could hammer and pound on Barr till his heart's content, but if Barr was never where the killing stroke fell, Caliman couldn't kill him.

And Caliman had another problem. They were in the capital city, after all. And if you recall, there was a half-moon and many clouds (but no storm, unicorns only fight in storms if they can't avoid it.). It gets really dark when the Traveler and Kamil duck behind the clouds for a quick lover's embrace. Really dark. And, there being a murderous Shadow hanging around, there was lots of panic. Really dark and lots of panic are not a good combination.

And Caliman, if you recall again, was Sun. Ergo, he was the only bright object in the capital – and a familiar one, at that. Barr just sort of blended into the background, and took a stab (usually quite accurate) whenever anyone got too close.

So Caliman, who was trying to defend his people, had to keep them out of Barr's reach, and keep Barr from overpowering his own defenses. Not fun. Not fun at all.

Caliman eventually tried to lure Barr out of the city. But whenever he turned, wherever he circled, the shadow was always one step ahead of him. Always.

-/o

They still fight to this day – Caliman and Barr, evenly matched, evenly fighting; evenly living, evenly cursed. Caliman is still running, trying to keep Barr from his precious mortals. And as he runs, his horn points North – always and only. The very tip of his horn never wavers – and because it hangs just above the pole, it is Polaris – the pole star. It is a beacon for the humans and the animals – a sign they can follow even when Traveler fades. And still circling around him, around and around, is Barr – keeping him from safety, from victory… from home.

So the world is left sort a star… and a shadow. Yet Shadows are more common in this world… and a new Celestial soon became Lord.

So which one won, and which one lost? For in no game were there ever two winners.