The Balinor Chronicles: The Celestial Herd
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Thing
This Chapter is dedicated to dorcha-solas.
Solaris, Mulciber had to admit, was a good leader, not the best, but then again, no one is perfect. Mulciber shook his head and sparks flew from his mane, briefly charring the grasses nearby. But no one is perfect. As Mulciber grazed, he reflected on the recent happenings of the herd.
As a result of mixing colors in the herd, much like a painter mixes paints, black, of course, had to be created. And so the Twilights, the unicorns that were dark colored and almost black were created. None were actually black, but they were very close. Solaris, the fool, had insisted that black was not a real color and refused to allow the Twilights to enter the Rainbow.
And the Rainbow! Mulciber snorted; the breath out of his nostrils hot enough to burn flesh. That stupid Rainbow. Every morning, the entire herd had to get up and sing that stupid song. Everyday we greet the sun… Solaris had gotten cocky, being the king of the Herd. One would think that the mixing of colors had been his idea! Mulciber grinned inwardly as he remembered how greatly Solaris had fought against the one Herd.
Yet the Herd was still divided. It was not the one Herd that all spoke of. Rather it was the Rainbow, The Storms, the Bonfires, the Comets, and they all gathered separately. Now they were joined by the Twilights. Their leader, Moloth, was different from the other sects' leaders. He enjoyed the division. Enjoyed the hate Solaris allowed him to create. Enjoyed the power. Moloth, Mulciber thought, was bound to be a problem.
Mulciber perked his ears at the sound of approaching hooves behind him. It was probably just one of his brothers, but still, respect was due. As Mulciber turned around, his breath seemed to be stuck in his throat as he stared at the… the… thing, that was the only word for it, as he stared at the thing in front of him.
The creature was jet-black, blacker then any of the Twilights. It had the basic shape of a unicorn, but it was wrong. Mulciber couldn't say why he felt so apprehensive, but he could almost feel the, the, the wrongness radiating from it He could also see its power. It wasn't a bad power; it was similar, but not the same, as the power the Mare concealed. Still, it wasn't right. How could something like this just suddenly appear in the Valley? Mulciber tensed his muscles and lowered his horn as a precaution.
"Whoa, Mulciber," the Thing hissed, "There is no need for that. I merely wish to talk to the Mare." It spoke with the voice of snake, hissing words and saying names as if the Thing was spitting poison. "I mean you no harm." Mulciber hesitated. As much as the Thing repelled him, not even Mulciber could justify senseless killing. It would be like stooping to a level that the Elemental didn't want to reach. But The Thing wished to see the Mare….Surely no harm would come? After all, wasn't the Mare the most powerful in the Valley? After another moment, Mulciber turned and started to walk away. The Thing followed him.
AN: Reveiw and you might get a chapter dedication. Oh, and still no one has found my Lord of the Rings reference in the Five Friends, Part I. The first who finds it gets a Chapter dedication.