When our travelers left the valley they met the yang to it's lush ying. The earth became hard a a dark, dark brown. Cracks ran through it, thirsty for what little water a thick, pea soup fog could bring. What little plant life there was was dead. The trees were shamefully barren, and tumbleweeds blew by our seven friends.
Lest led the band, as always. Each step brought a little puff of dust around his hoof, the earth crying silently for sweet moisture. The sweet sun was blotted out, and the fog deafened all sound, so that to speak was like a sin. All of them looked nervous, but Celesty was a ship-wreck. The spooky atmosphere frightened her. She almost spoke aloud how she wished she could go home.
The only one who looked at ease in the wasteland was Kort. After a few minutes he spoke. "We are very close to the castle now. We should cross a a river we call Mud Creek and a gathering of trees called Dead Point. I will lead you. I'll show you the back entrance to the grounds so guards won't spot you. But first, we need to make a pit stop at Tar Scar."
Indeed, Tar Scar was rightfully named. It looked at if black blood was bleeding from the earth. The tar was warm, too hot for an average horse, but not hot enough for a unicorn to step in.
"Don't worry, we don't need to jump in it or anything" Kort assured the others. "But Celesty needs to roll in it. You coat must be black or else we'll have to leave you behind. The tar is quick drying, as it's on magically evil ground, and looks just like you have a black coat and horn. It doesn't come off easy unless you wash yourself in the Celestial magic waters."
Celesty looked horrified at having to get dirty. But her sense of duty came before her sense of hygiene. With a encouraging nod from Leelo, and a smile from Fern, she lowered herself and rolled in the pit. Then she dipped he horn in. Examining her, Kort smiled. "Good. Even your mane looks the part, although it's a bit greasy. Don't worry, they'll think you just haven't bathed in awhile."
The last part did nothing to help Celestys mood. "We'll already about 6 miles from there. At two mile off, I'll scout ahead for scouts. On the way, let me explain the system and how to infiltrate them." Kort smiled at them all.
"Kort" Geogin suddenly spoke. "Why are you helping us? We've never questioned your ways but it's odd. Tell us why before the plan."
Kort looked surprised at such a question out of the blue. He shrugged and then began his tale. It is short, as his plans for taking down the killer of the idol Karlo, who died right in the Endless Plains they had just surpassed.
"I was born when Yolise turned 1 year old. He had declared himself king, even though an average unicorn can't even be half-way mature at one year. He began his sort of boot camp by personally training the new batch of black colts and filly's in the way of hating. He told them of Karlos killing of Carhi, his father who wrought terror and death on many unicorns. It didn't matter what type, as you know. Normal, Celestial or Dark. We were trained to fight, to kill, to hate. Love was a rarity among us, while hate is a rarity in Celestial. The sun blocked out vision of the dark unicorns by sending eternal fog. When I turned a year old and Yolise 2, we discovered venom.
Someone was bitten had killed by a rattlesnake. Yolise killed one and discovered a purple running along with the blood. He soon began using human bowls to kill this in so the poison could be stored and kept. Yolise was very fond of me because...well...I'm his half brother."
A gasp went up among them all. Celestys eye bulged and Ferns jaw dropped.
Kort quickly started up his story again.
"So he promoted me to Sargent when I was a year and a half and had me in charge of finding a bringing in rattlers to prove myself. I think he helped me though, as he probably secretly wanted me to be his second-hand unicorn. I easily caught many snakes and never once was bitten. When I became 2 and a half, officially a stallion, I was able to be proclaimed Beta in the clan (I'll explain about that later), and second to claim the throne if Yolise foals were all dead with him. Of course, at this point, Yolise had taken a mate, Morince. She gave birth to a filly, who would be first to claim the throne. Shortly afterward I was sent on a mission to scout past the endless plains and desert and was caught by humans. And here I am."
Everyone stared at Kort after the tale. Shaking his head he sighed.
The band continued on their path towards the danger. Kort rested his vocals on the way. They ate the bark on bushes when hungry, although it wasn't tasty it filled their stomachs. The end of the journey was near and the tension of a war was high.