Chapter 2: Unico meets Ahmed
Through the skies the Earth, the West Wind soared. Occasionally, she would gaze at the slumbering unicorn in her arms. She cared for Unico. She felt sorry for the little unicorn that he had to spend his life wandering the world making friends and then having to leave them forever.
"Oh Unico. Why must your gift of making others happy cause you to be so unhappy? Wherever I take you, I have to eventually take you away. I wish that there was some place that you'll be safe forever from the gods and the Night Wind. But it seems that there is no such place," said the West Wind, her voice filled with pity.
Suddenly the West Wind stopped. She looked toward the east. In her arms, Unico woke up. "Where are we now, West Wind? Why have we stopped?" he asked. "Something's coming. I can't tell what it is. It can't be the Night Wind for night has not fallen," said the West Wind.
Unico looked ahead. Far away, he saw something that looked like a winged boat with a man holding a staff aboard it. The West Wind's face turned to a look of fear as she saw what was heading right toward them. "Oh no. Unico, we must flee," she said as she flew off toward the west.
"What's happening, West Wind?" asked Unico. "The gods appear to have sent a new pursuer after you, Unico," said the West Wind. Unico looked behind them and he saw Ahmed and Star Runner chasing after them.
"Who are they?" asked Unico. "It is Ahmed, the keeper of all the world's knowledge and his magical boat Star Runner. Ahmed is a powerful wizard who works for the gods. A long time ago, the gods gave him immortality in exchange for becoming the recorder of the world's history. Now it appears he has now joined in the gods' pursuit of you. We must escape him or he'll send you to the Hill of Oblivion," said the West Wind as she continued to flee.
But she didn't fly very far as Ahmed and Star Runner appeared right in front of her in a flash of light. The West Wind immediately changed direction and flew off. "Wait! I just want to talk!" yelled Ahmed. But the West Wind was out of earshot. Star Runner flew after her.
"It seems your reputation has preceded you, Ahmed. The West Wind knows that you work for the gods. That's why she's fleeing," said the boat. "We could pursue them forever and forever's what we don't have. I didn't want to have to do this. But it seems that there is no other way. Magical entrapment!" yelled the wizard as he pointed his staff toward the West Wind. A burst of yellow light emitted from the staff and formed into a net of energy. The net flew toward the fleeing wind spirit.
The West Wind turned around and saw Ahmed's magical creation behind her. "Oh no," she said as the net wrapped around her and Unico and held them in mid-air. The West Wind struggled against the net. But she could not get free. Finally, she gave up. She sadly gazed toward Unico. "I'm sorry Unico. It appears I have failed you," said the wind spirit. "It's okay, West Wind. You tried your best. That's all you can do," said Unico.
The West Wind looked and saw Star Runner pulling up next to them. Ahmed looked at the two captives he had in his net. "Well, what have we here? Seems the catch of the day is a defiant wind spirit and a little unicorn," he said with a chuckle. "Please, Ahmed. I beg you. Don't take Unico to the Hill of Oblivion. Have mercy," pleaded the West Wind. Ahmed said nothing but pointed his staff at them. The West Wind clutched Unico even tighter as the tips of the staff began to glow. Suddenly, the net dissipated. The West Wind looked confused. "I am not here to take Unico to the Hill of Oblivion. Come down to the ground and I'll explain myself," said Ahmed as Star Runner started to lower down toward a forest on the ground.
The West Wind was unsure of what to do. "What do you think, Unico? Should we listen to him?" she asked. "I think we should hear what he has to say. I think he might be telling the truth. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have let us go from the net," said Unico. "Okay. If you wish," said the West Wind as she began to descend toward the area where Ahmed and Star Runner were.
In a shady glen of trees, the West Wind faced Ahmed. Although the wizard had left his boat, Unico remained safely within the clutches of the West Wind. "What is it you want, Ahmed?" asked the West Wind. "You may find this hard to believe, West Wind. But the gods now seek Unico for a different reason," said Ahmed. "What do you mean?" asked the West Wind. "They need him. They believe he's the only one who can help them," replied Ahmed. "Help them? How?" asked Unico. "An evil force known as the Cloak of Darkness is poisoning every land with evil and enslaving anyone who is unfortunate to fall in its path. It affects everything even the gods themselves. And from what they've told me, the Night Wind has sided with the Cloak. West Wind, you must turn Unico over to me. Trust me. The gods won't send him the Hill of Oblivion. He could very well be the only hope that this world has," stated Ahmed.
The West Wind looked hesitant. "I'm not sure about this, Ahmed. How can I believe that you'll take care of Unico? The gods are your masters," she said. "They may be my masters. But they have no real power over me due to their oath of noninterference," said Ahmed.
"Still, what could Unico do? He only has the power to make people happy," said the West Wind. "This could very well be the reason why Unico has these powers. There may also be more to his powers that not even the gods could see. It could be that he was predicted to fight this evil. I don't promise anything, West Wind. But if Unico succeeds, the gods may leave him alone. Either way, you have my vow as a wizard that Unico will be safe from the gods with me," said Ahmed who was sounding more and more insistent.
Still, the West Wind looked troubled. She wanted to keep Unico safe. But could she trust Ahmed? She looked at Unico. "Unico, what do you think? Would you be willing to go with Ahmed to do whatever he hopes you will do?" asked the West Wind. Unico looked at her and then looked at the wizard. Ahmed looked desperate and looked like he was about fall down on his knees and beg. A lingering silence passed until Unico looked up at the West Wind with a smile on his face.
"Yes. I'll go with him. I can see in his eyes that he has good intentions. Besides, if he really was an enemy, he would have taken me by force," said Unico. "All right. If that is what you wish," said the West Wind as she set Unico down on the ground. Unico walked toward the wizard who now had a big smile on his face.
Ahmed knelt down and stroked the little unicorn on his mane. "Thank you, Unico. You have no idea how much this means to me. You may be the one who can save this world," he said. "I don't know what you want me to do. But I'll try my best," said Unico.
"Well, come on! We've got many things to do. Come aboard Star Runner!" exclaimed Ahmed as he rose up and boarded his enchanted boat. Unico leapt up onto the boat. "So you're Unico. Welcome aboard," said Star Runner turning his head to face Unico. Unico gasped. "It talks!" he exclaimed. "Well, what kind of a boat would you expect a wizard to have? One that doesn't talk?" asked Ahmed. "No, I guess not," said Unico.
"So where do we go from here, Ahmed?" asked Star Runner. "We go to this location," said Ahmed pointing his staff again at the figurehead. Once again, information was magically transferred from Ahmed to the boat. "Okay. Onward!" yelled Star Runner as he lifted off from the ground and flew through the trees. "Goodbye West Wind!" called Unico looking back to the wind spirit they left behind. "And don't worry! He's in good hands!" called Ahmed.
"Good luck Unico," said the West Wind as Star Runner vanished out of sight. "I hope I'm doing the right thing," she said with a sigh as she lowered her gaze to the ground.
All of a sudden, the West Wind noticed something. A large shadow had fallen over her and it had gotten darker. 'It shouldn't be nightfall yet and there can't be a storm coming,' she thought. She looked up and gasped.
Up above her was a gigantic black cloud. Then she heard evil laughter. It seemed to echo through all directions. The West Wind knew that laughter. It was a laugh she knew well. "The Night Wind," she whispered to herself.
Then the West Wind felt herself being tossed around on gusts that came from all directions. After she had been tossed around for many times, dark tendrils emerged from the cloud and wrapped around her. The West Wind struggled with all her might to escape. But it was no use.
In front of her, a being materialized. It was a wind spirit like her. But unlike herself, this spirit was as dark as the night itself. Her face stood out being a lavender color. She had red lips, blue eyes and long eyelashes. Streams of darkness draped from her long arms so it resembled the wings of a bat. It was the Night Wind.
She cackled as she gazed at the captive West Wind. "So at long last, I have captured the treacherous West Wind. Look above yourself. You see the force that will soon dominate the entire world," said the Night Wind.
The West Wind gasped. "The Cloak of Darkness?" she asked. "So you are aware of what the gods have named it. But do you know the true nature of the Cloak of Darkness?" asked the Night Wind. "What do you mean?" asked the West Wind. "Whoever falls under it is given a choice. I made my choice and my choice was to serve it. I now help it capture anyone who falls in its path," replied the Night Wind.
"What is it? What is the Cloak of Darkness actually?" asked the West Wind. "I have a question for you, West Wind. Where is the creature called Unico? The Cloak desires to find it. Where is it?" asked the Night Wind. "I won't tell you where he is. I would rather die than turn Unico over to you or the Cloak," said the West Wind defiantly.
"We expected you to act this way. Anyway, it doesn't matter. We'll find it soon enough. But right now, it is time to make your choice. Serve it or lose yourself forever to the Cloak of Darkness," said the Night Wind. "Never! I refuse," said the West Wind. "So be it," said the Night Wind grimly.
At the end of the Night Wind's words, black bolts traveled down the tendrils. The West Wind cried out in pain. The Night Wind smiled evilly. "You wouldn't serve the Cloak willingly. So you'll now serve it unwillingly," she said.
Then the bolts stopped and the tendrils no longer held the West Wind in their clutches. In her place was a gray wooden-like humanoid slab with a square head, a blank expression, and rectangular arms and legs without hands and feet. "You will now serve the Cloak as a living puppet!" exclaimed the Night Wind who cackled madly.
The tendrils set the living puppet that had been the West Wind on its feet on the ground and then retreated back into the Cloak of Darkness. The living puppet walked away into the forest. "She will now find more living beings to serve you. And her soul is now a part of you, my lord," said the Night Wind looking up to the Cloak. "Pity she now can't tell us where the unicorn is. But we'll find it eventually and it'll become a part of you as well. Come, my lord. There is still more lands for you to taint with your evil and more souls for you to steal," she said.
The Cloak of Darkness began to move toward the east with the Night Wind following it. Luckily, they were not headed in the same direction Unico, Ahmed and Star Runner had gone. But anyone who fell into the clutches of the Cloak and the Night Wind would meet the same fate as the West Wind.
Through the skies the Earth, the West Wind soared. Occasionally, she would gaze at the slumbering unicorn in her arms. She cared for Unico. She felt sorry for the little unicorn that he had to spend his life wandering the world making friends and then having to leave them forever.
"Oh Unico. Why must your gift of making others happy cause you to be so unhappy? Wherever I take you, I have to eventually take you away. I wish that there was some place that you'll be safe forever from the gods and the Night Wind. But it seems that there is no such place," said the West Wind, her voice filled with pity.
Suddenly the West Wind stopped. She looked toward the east. In her arms, Unico woke up. "Where are we now, West Wind? Why have we stopped?" he asked. "Something's coming. I can't tell what it is. It can't be the Night Wind for night has not fallen," said the West Wind.
Unico looked ahead. Far away, he saw something that looked like a winged boat with a man holding a staff aboard it. The West Wind's face turned to a look of fear as she saw what was heading right toward them. "Oh no. Unico, we must flee," she said as she flew off toward the west.
"What's happening, West Wind?" asked Unico. "The gods appear to have sent a new pursuer after you, Unico," said the West Wind. Unico looked behind them and he saw Ahmed and Star Runner chasing after them.
"Who are they?" asked Unico. "It is Ahmed, the keeper of all the world's knowledge and his magical boat Star Runner. Ahmed is a powerful wizard who works for the gods. A long time ago, the gods gave him immortality in exchange for becoming the recorder of the world's history. Now it appears he has now joined in the gods' pursuit of you. We must escape him or he'll send you to the Hill of Oblivion," said the West Wind as she continued to flee.
But she didn't fly very far as Ahmed and Star Runner appeared right in front of her in a flash of light. The West Wind immediately changed direction and flew off. "Wait! I just want to talk!" yelled Ahmed. But the West Wind was out of earshot. Star Runner flew after her.
"It seems your reputation has preceded you, Ahmed. The West Wind knows that you work for the gods. That's why she's fleeing," said the boat. "We could pursue them forever and forever's what we don't have. I didn't want to have to do this. But it seems that there is no other way. Magical entrapment!" yelled the wizard as he pointed his staff toward the West Wind. A burst of yellow light emitted from the staff and formed into a net of energy. The net flew toward the fleeing wind spirit.
The West Wind turned around and saw Ahmed's magical creation behind her. "Oh no," she said as the net wrapped around her and Unico and held them in mid-air. The West Wind struggled against the net. But she could not get free. Finally, she gave up. She sadly gazed toward Unico. "I'm sorry Unico. It appears I have failed you," said the wind spirit. "It's okay, West Wind. You tried your best. That's all you can do," said Unico.
The West Wind looked and saw Star Runner pulling up next to them. Ahmed looked at the two captives he had in his net. "Well, what have we here? Seems the catch of the day is a defiant wind spirit and a little unicorn," he said with a chuckle. "Please, Ahmed. I beg you. Don't take Unico to the Hill of Oblivion. Have mercy," pleaded the West Wind. Ahmed said nothing but pointed his staff at them. The West Wind clutched Unico even tighter as the tips of the staff began to glow. Suddenly, the net dissipated. The West Wind looked confused. "I am not here to take Unico to the Hill of Oblivion. Come down to the ground and I'll explain myself," said Ahmed as Star Runner started to lower down toward a forest on the ground.
The West Wind was unsure of what to do. "What do you think, Unico? Should we listen to him?" she asked. "I think we should hear what he has to say. I think he might be telling the truth. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have let us go from the net," said Unico. "Okay. If you wish," said the West Wind as she began to descend toward the area where Ahmed and Star Runner were.
In a shady glen of trees, the West Wind faced Ahmed. Although the wizard had left his boat, Unico remained safely within the clutches of the West Wind. "What is it you want, Ahmed?" asked the West Wind. "You may find this hard to believe, West Wind. But the gods now seek Unico for a different reason," said Ahmed. "What do you mean?" asked the West Wind. "They need him. They believe he's the only one who can help them," replied Ahmed. "Help them? How?" asked Unico. "An evil force known as the Cloak of Darkness is poisoning every land with evil and enslaving anyone who is unfortunate to fall in its path. It affects everything even the gods themselves. And from what they've told me, the Night Wind has sided with the Cloak. West Wind, you must turn Unico over to me. Trust me. The gods won't send him the Hill of Oblivion. He could very well be the only hope that this world has," stated Ahmed.
The West Wind looked hesitant. "I'm not sure about this, Ahmed. How can I believe that you'll take care of Unico? The gods are your masters," she said. "They may be my masters. But they have no real power over me due to their oath of noninterference," said Ahmed.
"Still, what could Unico do? He only has the power to make people happy," said the West Wind. "This could very well be the reason why Unico has these powers. There may also be more to his powers that not even the gods could see. It could be that he was predicted to fight this evil. I don't promise anything, West Wind. But if Unico succeeds, the gods may leave him alone. Either way, you have my vow as a wizard that Unico will be safe from the gods with me," said Ahmed who was sounding more and more insistent.
Still, the West Wind looked troubled. She wanted to keep Unico safe. But could she trust Ahmed? She looked at Unico. "Unico, what do you think? Would you be willing to go with Ahmed to do whatever he hopes you will do?" asked the West Wind. Unico looked at her and then looked at the wizard. Ahmed looked desperate and looked like he was about fall down on his knees and beg. A lingering silence passed until Unico looked up at the West Wind with a smile on his face.
"Yes. I'll go with him. I can see in his eyes that he has good intentions. Besides, if he really was an enemy, he would have taken me by force," said Unico. "All right. If that is what you wish," said the West Wind as she set Unico down on the ground. Unico walked toward the wizard who now had a big smile on his face.
Ahmed knelt down and stroked the little unicorn on his mane. "Thank you, Unico. You have no idea how much this means to me. You may be the one who can save this world," he said. "I don't know what you want me to do. But I'll try my best," said Unico.
"Well, come on! We've got many things to do. Come aboard Star Runner!" exclaimed Ahmed as he rose up and boarded his enchanted boat. Unico leapt up onto the boat. "So you're Unico. Welcome aboard," said Star Runner turning his head to face Unico. Unico gasped. "It talks!" he exclaimed. "Well, what kind of a boat would you expect a wizard to have? One that doesn't talk?" asked Ahmed. "No, I guess not," said Unico.
"So where do we go from here, Ahmed?" asked Star Runner. "We go to this location," said Ahmed pointing his staff again at the figurehead. Once again, information was magically transferred from Ahmed to the boat. "Okay. Onward!" yelled Star Runner as he lifted off from the ground and flew through the trees. "Goodbye West Wind!" called Unico looking back to the wind spirit they left behind. "And don't worry! He's in good hands!" called Ahmed.
"Good luck Unico," said the West Wind as Star Runner vanished out of sight. "I hope I'm doing the right thing," she said with a sigh as she lowered her gaze to the ground.
All of a sudden, the West Wind noticed something. A large shadow had fallen over her and it had gotten darker. 'It shouldn't be nightfall yet and there can't be a storm coming,' she thought. She looked up and gasped.
Up above her was a gigantic black cloud. Then she heard evil laughter. It seemed to echo through all directions. The West Wind knew that laughter. It was a laugh she knew well. "The Night Wind," she whispered to herself.
Then the West Wind felt herself being tossed around on gusts that came from all directions. After she had been tossed around for many times, dark tendrils emerged from the cloud and wrapped around her. The West Wind struggled with all her might to escape. But it was no use.
In front of her, a being materialized. It was a wind spirit like her. But unlike herself, this spirit was as dark as the night itself. Her face stood out being a lavender color. She had red lips, blue eyes and long eyelashes. Streams of darkness draped from her long arms so it resembled the wings of a bat. It was the Night Wind.
She cackled as she gazed at the captive West Wind. "So at long last, I have captured the treacherous West Wind. Look above yourself. You see the force that will soon dominate the entire world," said the Night Wind.
The West Wind gasped. "The Cloak of Darkness?" she asked. "So you are aware of what the gods have named it. But do you know the true nature of the Cloak of Darkness?" asked the Night Wind. "What do you mean?" asked the West Wind. "Whoever falls under it is given a choice. I made my choice and my choice was to serve it. I now help it capture anyone who falls in its path," replied the Night Wind.
"What is it? What is the Cloak of Darkness actually?" asked the West Wind. "I have a question for you, West Wind. Where is the creature called Unico? The Cloak desires to find it. Where is it?" asked the Night Wind. "I won't tell you where he is. I would rather die than turn Unico over to you or the Cloak," said the West Wind defiantly.
"We expected you to act this way. Anyway, it doesn't matter. We'll find it soon enough. But right now, it is time to make your choice. Serve it or lose yourself forever to the Cloak of Darkness," said the Night Wind. "Never! I refuse," said the West Wind. "So be it," said the Night Wind grimly.
At the end of the Night Wind's words, black bolts traveled down the tendrils. The West Wind cried out in pain. The Night Wind smiled evilly. "You wouldn't serve the Cloak willingly. So you'll now serve it unwillingly," she said.
Then the bolts stopped and the tendrils no longer held the West Wind in their clutches. In her place was a gray wooden-like humanoid slab with a square head, a blank expression, and rectangular arms and legs without hands and feet. "You will now serve the Cloak as a living puppet!" exclaimed the Night Wind who cackled madly.
The tendrils set the living puppet that had been the West Wind on its feet on the ground and then retreated back into the Cloak of Darkness. The living puppet walked away into the forest. "She will now find more living beings to serve you. And her soul is now a part of you, my lord," said the Night Wind looking up to the Cloak. "Pity she now can't tell us where the unicorn is. But we'll find it eventually and it'll become a part of you as well. Come, my lord. There is still more lands for you to taint with your evil and more souls for you to steal," she said.
The Cloak of Darkness began to move toward the east with the Night Wind following it. Luckily, they were not headed in the same direction Unico, Ahmed and Star Runner had gone. But anyone who fell into the clutches of the Cloak and the Night Wind would meet the same fate as the West Wind.