Breaking the window: Expedition to Hyperborea

Chapter 24: A Monster is revealed...

"Nightmares. Nightmares are a curious thing. A representation of your greatest fear or your worst memory. Sometimes both. While my past certainly has no shortage of nightmare fuel, any sleepless nights are mostly themed around a combination of both. What if Rodolphus Lestrange had succeeded in absconding with me and I had never been found? What if I had indeed been murdered and buried in the woods as most people had thought me to be? What if I had never met my Hermione who guided me away from the clutches of a charlatan with a circus tent? Thinking what could have been keeps me up at night sometimes. But it pales in comparison with the fact that a monster had been underneath my feet for weeks without any of us even having an inkling."

- Bellatrix Black, Expedition to Hyperborea, published 2006

Goneril screamed when the glass suddenly exploded outward, cutting into her skin while a foul-smelling and even fouler-tasting liquid washed over her like a wave before it spread all over the deck. Something big and heavy slammed onto the wood right next to her and when she looked up at this huge lump in the darkness, she screamed again.

In front of her was a massive beast, with a scar-covered skin as black as coal. Tubes formerly attached to whatever machinery held it now hung loosely from its side. The creature struggled to get to its feet, looking rather wobbly as it buckled through its knees more than once. For the first time, Goneril got a good look at it. It was a horse. Only bigger. A lot bigger. It had claws for hooves and its head… oh, Merlin, its head had a jawline stretching much further back than any creature should have, filled with rows of sharp interlocking teeth. Its eyes were clustered in three pairs on either side of its head and sprouting from its head was a massive jagged horn.

It was only then that Goneril had the sense to put out her lantern and crawl behind some crates. She pushed herself in between a heavy crate and the hull as far as her body would fold in and covered her mouth to silence her own frightful whimpers.

From her perch she could not see the gigantic beast or what it was doing. Both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she wouldn't have to look at that monstrosity, a curse because she could still hear it. Every heave, every snort, every monstrous slam of its feet on the wooden deck as the creature tried to get its bearings.

And then every angry whinny when it decided it really didn't like the place it had found itself in. Goneril cringed and almost cried out when the first crate was roughly kicked against the hull with such force that it shattered against the hull. She whimpered in fear as more and more crates were being kicked around and the creature sounded angrier and angrier. If she stayed here any longer, she risked being crushed by the very crate she was relying on for safety. But if she left her perch… Merlin, those teeth.

She cringed and whimpered as the creature became ever more violent, tossing crates around and kicking against the hull again and again and again, every impact more angry and violent than the next. That is until one of the secured crates hit the hull close to her and donated with a magical force which tossed her and everything else in the loading shaft across the deck. She crashed into a beam and rolled down unto the deck, groaning as her ears were ringing from the explosion. Ice cold air washed over her as she fought to remain conscious. That thing was still there and she needed to find a new hiding place.

Misery loved company.

Or perhaps camaraderie. Gathered in the crew lounge was almost the entire crew of the now grounded ship, along with several invited guests. Hermione and Bellatrix being part of that list. The occasion was a glum, but yet oddly joyous celebration of life at the start of this months-long sentence all of them had been condemned to. And, even though already rationed, Haema was serving the sparse food and drink the captain had permitted while the crew chattered mingled. And, Hermione had to admit that the talented house-elf chef was making incredibly tasty things from very little ingredients to work with.

Bellatrix was there too, looking a lot better than she had been earlier and already eagerly recording the going-ons at this impromptu party. Kirk was sat at the window, glancing outside. Beyond the windows only lay snow and fog, as the snow-fall was unrelenting outside. Still, for now, it was warm and nice and the ship's wasps were flying around from table to table to beg for scraps of food. So far, the wasps were eating more than most of the guests were. Tahki seemed to be rather out of place: she was more the type to frequent rowdy nightclub with loud music and seemed to feel far less at home in the friendly cozy pub atmosphere the crew was trying to achieve. At least she was with friends.

The three Neo-Vikings, all tall and dour women, kept to themselves mostly, stood separate from the rest at a table where they talked quietly. Sunniva often shot Tahki some looks, trying to non-verbally invite her to join them. Tahki was yet to pick up the hint.

Conspicuously absent was Nymphadora. This was exactly the sort of gathering she would have loved, but perhaps she was simply too tired after going over supply counts with the captain all day. Also absent were Eleanor and Chandra, though that wasn't really a surprise. Hermione doubted the two of them would be welcome.

It felt good, really, to be a part of this. Even moreso when a cupboard was opened and musical instruments were drawn forth amid a cheer. With Irrena and Daelia on the fiddles, Eliam on the timpani and Copperhead on the bagpipes. It took them a moment to set up while Beodul and Engrim stepped forward to take to singing. A cheer went through the gathered crowed when the music started, and the due of goblin and old codger started to wail a tune. Hermione braced herself for whatever bawdy sea shanty would come.

"It's lonesome away from your kindred and all

By the camp fire at night

Where the wild dingos call

But there's nothin' so lonesome

So dull or so drear

Than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer!"

Hermione almost chuckled. Not a bawdy song at all, but one wildly appropriate for the evening. She glanced down at her cup of water, any form of alcohol already put on ration.

"Now the publican's anxious for the quota to come

And there's a faraway look on the face of the bum

The maids got all cranky and

And the cook's acting queer

What a terrible place, is a pub with no beer!"

Hermione had to admit she was getting into the swing of things, especially when the rest of the crew started to sway with the music or started to sing along. Almost against her will, her mouth started to move along with the lyrics and, before she knew it, she was starting to sing along too.

"Then the stockman rides up with his dry dusty throat

He presses up to the bar, pulls a wad from his coat

But the smile on his face quickly turns to a sneer

When the barman says sadly

"The pub's got no beer"."

Much to her delight, Hermione saw that Bellatrix was actually starting to sing along now too. Though singing was a big word. Bellatrix didn't know the lyrics, so she simply hummed along with the tune until it was time to yell 'pub with no beer!', which she did loudly and enthusiastically.

"There's a dog on the veranda, for his master he waits

But the boss is inside drinkin' wine with his mates

He hurries for cover and he cringes in fear

It's no place for a dog

Round a pub with no beer."

Hermione found herself laughing at the silly song and really getting into the spirit of things. Yes, despite the disaster which struck them, this celebration was something everyone needed.

"Old Billie the Blacksmith, the first time in his life

Has gone home cold sober to his darling wife

He walks in the kitchen, she says "you're early Bill, dear"

Then he breaks down and he tells her

That the pub's got no beer.

Oh, it's lonesome away from your kindred and all

By the camp fire at night,

Where the wild dingos call.

But there's nothin' so lonesome

So dull or so drear,

than to stand in the bar of a pub with no beer."

A sheer went to the crowd as the song finished, with everyone raising their glasses. Hermione followed suit just as one of the Neo-Vikings stood up and raised her own glass. "Skål!" she proclaimed loudly, putting the glass to her lips and drinking her water along with all the others stood around in this pub with no beer. The irony was fitting, though everybody was having a good time.

Someone in the group yelled 'Wild Rover' next, and the musicians started to get ready to fulfil that request. Hermione and Bellatrix shared a smile and then she came to an important realisation. All her life she had striven to be the best, to walk with greatest of witches and wizards in history and to conquer a place for herself among them. The best, the most powerful, the brightest, the richest, the elite of wizardkind. Hermione had been an outsider all her life; in school she was disliked because she was smart… well, a smart-arse to be fair… and then after getting her Hogwarts letter, she had be introduced to a whole new world which had never been truly her own and in a way never really accepted her. She'd had to fight for every step set in the wizarding world and while there were those who accepted her for who she was, these were far and few between, even now.

The song started, filling room with a far more melancholic tone than the first one. Again, Beodul and Engrim would sing together.

"I've been a wild rover for many's the year

and I've spent all me money on whiskey and beer.

But now I'm returning with gold in great store

and I never will play the wild rover no more."

Hermione had a good look over the gathered crew and came to a wonderful realisation. These weren't great wizards or witches, not any of them. They weren't rich or powerful, never had gone anywhere near a wizarding school and honestly couldn't be further away from the elite circles of wizardkin even if they tried. Hell, these were those the elite often looked down upon without question. And yet they were great people. The salt of the Earth who carried the world on their backs and smiled while doing it. Hermione's smarts, her past, her blood status, her connections, her accomplishments or her failures… none of it mattered to them and yet they had welcomed her with open arms.

A ship's crew was a family, Kirk had once told her. And she and Bellatrix had both been invited to join no questioned asked. Hermione never had to fight for this: this place among them had been given freely.

Hermione felt beyond humbled. And maybe the melancholy of the song was to blame, but she felt her eyes growing moist when thinking upon just how much she would miss each and every one of them when the expedition would be over.

She knew the song from her grandmother, whom had often sung folk songs with her friends at the local pubs in her home-town of Banchory. So Hermione eagerly joined the chorus with the rest of the crew.

"And it's no, nay, never,

no, nay, never, no more

will I play the wild rover

no, never, no more!"

Today was a good day. Outside, the eternal day was looking particularly grim with snowy fog allowing for nothing other than an endless white void to be seen. But inside it was warm and cozy. She took another drink as the song continued.

"I went into an ale-house I used to frequent

and I told the landlady my…"

"QUIET!" was yelled through the song. Instrument stopped and all heads turned to Tahki. But all words of annoyance died on their lips when they saw the confusion and terror on the Native-American Black's face. Her chest heaving and her eyes wide, she squatted down and pressed her hand on the floor. "… below us… one deck… what… WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!"

Deadly silence fell over the crew lounge as confusion started to take old. Just as the first murmurs started, loud crashes and bangs reverberated through-out the ship. The wasps, Zipper included, were getting increasingly agitated.

"That's on the orlop deck!" Kirk exclaimed, grabbing his coat as he rushed forward towards the door. Hermione shared a look with Bellatrix and both were quick to follow, with other crew members in tow. More bangs and crashes could be heard underneath their feet just as they ran into the mess hall and headed to the stairs leading down. It was there where they met up with Nymphadora, in a state of half-dress, coming up the ladder from the cargo deck. "What the bloody fuck's happening?" she shouted, just as the entire ship rocked from a massive explosion. Hermione found herself flung against the banister and briefly getting the wind knocked out of her. Many others found themselves on the ground, Bellatrix among them.

Hermione was part of the first group whom had picked themselves up as they ran towards the loading shaft, all the lights darkened. When she and the others arrived and Kirk gave the command for all the lights to turn on, Hermione was given the fright of a lifetime. The loading shaft itself, the orlop deck part of it at least, had been completely destroyed. Shattered crates and supplies had been strewn everywhere, wood had been charred, beams had snapped and the hull had a hole in its side big enough for a lorry to drive through. Icy cold and snow was pouring into the ship. But that was not her immediate concern.

In front of her stood a creature from her worst nightmares. A creature she had thought contained.

Unicornis Rex, massive and wild, stood amid the rubble, rearing and angry. It turned its six baleful eyes at those who dared approach it, its bulky dark skinned muscled and scarred body looking even more huge among these wooden confines. How? How was this thing even here?! On the Kingfisher of all places?! It was supposed to be contained by the Ministry!

"Hermie!" whispered Bellatrix, her hand grasping hers tightly. By the sound of her voice, Trix was as scared as she was.

"What the bloody hell…" Kirk muttered, his wand out and motioning the rest of the crew to stand back.

It was a stand-off, pure and simple. The black unicorn stared them down, daring them all to make a move. Hermione knew what this thing was capable off and how, given the chance, it would kill each and every one of them without effort. In contrast, Hermione wondered if it was even possible to kill Unicornis Rex at all. It continued to stare down the length of its own jagged horn it had pointed at them. Until Nymphadora arrived.

"Rilly!" she shouted just as Kirk stopped her from running in to the room. "RILLY!"

Rilly?

Hermione was gobsmacked to see Goneril, one of the maids from Catterborough Woodhouse, huddled against a crate wearing nothing but a black robe. What on Earth was she doing here?

The moment Goneril saw Nymphadora, she made the biggest mistake she would ever make in her life. Hermione desperately motioned for her to stay still and hidden, but it was to no avail.

"DORI!" screamed Goneril right before leaving her hiding space and racing cross the loading shaft. Unfortunately for her, she didn't get very far. Hermione could only look on in horror as Unicornis Rex whirled around, wrapped his massive maw around her waist with dazzling speed and ripped her from the ground. Screams of terror and pain echoed through the ship when the unicorn ripped his head sideways, teeth ripping through Goneril's skin. The poor girl was still screaming when the unicorn turned again, this time to run through the lorry-sized hole and out into the all-encompassing white void outside.

"RILLY!" Nymphadora rushed to the hole only to be grabbed by Irrena and Copperhead and wrestled to the ground. "LET ME GO! I HAVE TO GO AFTER HER!"

"Don't be stupid!" said Irrena. "You're not wearing a parka!"

"You run out in that fog now, you'll never find your way back to the ship again!" Copperhead shouted. "Think, Nymph! Think!"

Bellatrix and Hermione shared a look as the impossible cold from the hull breach sent shivers down their spine. 'She's already dead,' were the unspoken words between them. Words Nymphadora wouldn't want to hear.

It was Tahki who begged to differ, as she stepped to the hull breach and braved the cold. She removed a glove and held out her bare hand into the cold air while closing her eyes. "It's hard to…. Too much magic in the air," she muttered in frustration, squeezed her eyelids. "Wait… Yes. There it is. I sense it. I sense Goneril. She's close to it…. No. No. No, it stopped… doing something, not sure what. It's… Goneril… the thing's moving away from her. But… She's alive! Goneril is still alive! Hard to guess exactly, but she's close to the ship. I think about a hundred yards away in… that direction!" she pointed.

"We have to get her!" Nymphadora exclaimed. "I HAVE TO GET HER!"

Kirk stepped to block her. "First of all, everybody needs to don a parka. Second, look at the fog outside. Copperhead is right, we won't be able to see ten yards ahead, let alone a hundred! If you get lost out there, you're as good as dead. And you won't be helping that poor girl by getting yourself killed."

Nymphadora, tears in her eyes, nodded briefly.

"Girl looked barely dressed. She should be hitting cold shock already!" said Big-Mouth. "We'll need to go get her, and fast! I'll go prep sickbay for treatment!"

Kirk reached over and grabbed a magical rope from a plank. After checking for damage, he tied to the rope to a post. "We'll use this rope and from a life-line. Tahki will use her ability to lead us to the girl. Every 10 yards, another person walks out with the rope attached to their belt until we have reached her. That way we will always have a life-line to lead us back to the ship."

"Cap'n?" said Beodul. "Have you seen the teeth on that thing? And it's out there in the snow!"

Sunniva, Gudrun and Svari all stepped forward, looking grim, dapper and brave as they held their weapons tightly and stood ready to step into the cold. "Our axes are yours," said Sunniva. "We will defend against the creature. We are also familiar with your rescue technique. Tahki, there is no way I will let you take the lead. I will be first in line, you must guide me. If the beast shows up, I will give him a nasty surprise."

Tahki nodded grimly.

"Here's hoping that that creature will see as poorly in the fog as we do," said Kirk. Hermione wasn't convinced of that, not by a long shot. She had seen it manoeuvre through the fog effortlessly in the Fae Realm. They were all going to risk their lives.

And so Hermione found herself stepping out into the cool after donning a parka and hooking the rope to a harness tied around her waist. The rope itself was a magical rope which could stretch out much longer than it looked. The cold was staggering as the air was filled with snow, and the fact that there was no wind was a small mercy. The snow crunched underneath her feet and she cringed at the noise it made. She tried to look around her, but saw only a void of white. The air was laden with snow and felt heavy to to breathe. Ahead of her was Tahki, and right behind her Bellatrix, though she could barely see a grey outline of either of them in the fog. The rope between them was taut and felt oddly comforting. Barely ten yards out and she saw literally nothing other than the rope and the snow underneath her feet.

And the cold, oh god, the cold. It would be so much worse for Goneril, barely clothed as she had been. They had to find her quickly and get her on the stretcher with the magical blanket.

"HERMIONE!" sounded the panicked voice of Tahki. She had stopped in her tracks and the rope in front of her went more slack. Before she even had a chance to ask what was going on, she was roughly yanked backwards around the waist, dragging her two predecessors along with her as they tumbled into the snow. The ground still shook and then no more. When Hermione jumped to her feet, she whipped her head around to check if she could see the unicorn, but all she saw was snow and white void.

It was then that she had noticed that the rope behind her had gone completely slack. I didn't take long to figure out that the unicorn has separated them from the group by cutting the lifeline.

"Hermie!" sounded from the void. "Talk to me!"

"TRIX!" Hermione shouted back. "We're fine!"

Hermione certainly didn't feel that way.

Sunniva and Tahki made their way back to Hermione, who still had the stretcher. The three of them exchanged a look. "Looks like plans have changed," said Tahki grimly while Sunniva's hands had tightened around her axe. The Neo-Viking looked to be ready for battle, even eager for the unicorn to show up. How the hell Sunniva was even managing this cold with bare arms and even barer midriff, she would never know. The tall blonde warrior was admittedly impressive, but Hermione wasn't sure that the unicorn would agree.

"Goneril is on the clock," said Hermione. "If we go back to the ship now to fetch a new rope, she won't make it."

Tahki closed her eyes and held out her hand. "I can… I… yes, I can find the ship. We can go get her and then I can find our way back to the Kingfisher."

"Are you sure?" asked Hermione. "Because if you can't…"

She left the implication hanging in the air, but Tahki nodded eagerly. "I can do it!" she assured, suppressing a shiver.

"TRIX!" shouted Hermione into the white void. "We're going after Goneril! Go back to the ship! Tahki will bring us home!"

"No pressure," Hermione heard Tahki mutter under her breath.

"BE CAREFUL!"

And so, the three of them continued, the rope still tying them together and with Sunniva still being in the lead. The snow crunched under their feet as the 100 yard distance from the ship seemed to drag on forever. It was ridiculous; this was about the distance from her home to church when her mum dragged her and her father to there every Sunday regardless of the weather. Of course, it was never this cold, foggy or snowy either. The further they went, the more nervous and paranoid Hermione became. That damn unicorn had yet to show up again, but she just bet it wasn't all that far away.

"Look!" pointed Tahki.

Blood. On the snow.

A lot of blood.

This wasn't good.

The three of them picked up the pace. Though Tahki knew that Goneril was alive, this amount of blood loss implied major injury or loss of limb, something the unicorn was definitely capable of inflicting.

Fortunately for Goneril, the source of the blood turned out not to be hers. The trio soon came upon the corpses of two polar bears. The two creatures had been roughly torn to shreds, their corpses left to bleed out on the snow. The unicorn must have stumbled upon them on his run from the ship, dropped Goneril and engaged them. Poor things never stood a chance.

It was in between the corpses that they found Goneril, wounded and delirious. She lay shivering in the snow, having curled herself into a ball in a desperate attempt for warmth. Her lips were blue, as were her fingers. Sunniva knelt by her side and motioned for Tahki and Hermione to bring the stretcher. While Tahki folded out the stretcher, Hermione examined the wounds on her stomach and back. Goneril had deep lacerations on her stomach and back. In a startling bit of fortune, being out in the freezing cold had actually been helping her to prevent her from bleeding to death, as the blood had already started to freeze. Hermione provided some first aid and quickly covered her with the blanket. Now, to get her back to the ship.

Tahki was already probing for it, stood with her hand raised and her eyes closed. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. "LOOK OUT!" she yelled just as something big and heavy jumped out of the white void, moving impossibly fast. Just like that, it was gone again, withdrawn into the endless white.

Sunniva raised her axe, her chest heaving and her warrior's instinct clearly active and primed. Hermione, honestly, was glad to have her with her right now. This Neo-Viking warrior woman should know a thing or two about combat in this terrain and under these conditions. Though she herself was almost blinded by the near-complete whiteout of snowfall and mist, not to mention her own heaving breath condensing in the cold, Sunniva was far more capable of sensing incoming danger. Seemingly out of the blue, Sunniva let out a yell from the depths of her lungs and lunged to one side, axe at the ready. Mere seconds later, Unicornis Rex came charging at her out of the snow, missing her by a hair's breadth. Sunniva was ready, though, already swinging her magically enhanced axe. The axe-head carved into the charging creature's side, leaving a deep laceration from neck to hip as Sunniva let the creature's own momentum do the work for her. Unicornis Rex let out a angry pained whinny and charged off into the white again, moving with impressive silence.

"It'll heal faster than you can wound it!" Hermione yelled. "We need to get out of here! We need to get Goneril to safety!"

"And ourselves too!" Tahki added hurriedly.

"I will protect you both!" Sunniva promised.

With the ropes still fastened around each other's waists, they at least couldn't get separated. Now, where the hell was the bloody ship?

Goneril groaned from the stretcher, still bleeding profusely. They were running out of time.

Sunniva raised her axe again, letting out a cry just as the unicorn came rushing out of the white fog again. Sunniva was quicker, but just not quick enough. Though her axe bit into one of the creature's legs, the unicorn bucked to one side during the run and swiftly knocked her off her feet. The Viking cursed and rolled through the snow to one side, jumping up with axe in hand and ready to strike again. Near Hermione, Tahki held out her hand as snow blasted around her. With her eyes closed, she slowly rotated around her axis until she opened her eyes and exclaimed: "THERE! I found the ship! It's in that direction!"

Too late did she realize that yelling out had been a mistake. Hermione tried to cry out a warning as she saw Unicornis Rex looming out of the white, charging at Tahki this time. But then the creature stopped suddenly. Hermione gasped when she saw why.

Tahki looked down at her own body in disbelief when she saw a massive jagged horn sticking out of her abdomen. Time seemed to freeze as she reached a hand to it, to feel if it was real. To feel if she was dreaming. Before she had the chance to even touch it, she was hoisted up into the air thrown clear of the horn and sent flying. Unfortunately, being attached to each other had its downsides, especially when both Hermione and Sunniva were thrown into the air along with her. The three women landed on the snow in a heap. And the unicorn was gone again.

"Tahki!" shouted Hermione when rushing towards her. "TAHKI!"

She found the Native-American Black lying on her back, shivering violently as the snow she lay upon turned crimson fast. Blood welled from the wound in her stomach as well as her mouth as she tried to breathe. "It… hurts…" she spoke through laboured gurgles.

Both Hermione and Sunniva were upon her, it instantly becoming clear to them just how bad this wound was. Hermione waved her wand and applied some basic healing spells, but the wound was simply too severe for her to handle. "We need to get her back to the ship," said Hermione. "We need Big-Mouth to perform surgery."

"This is mortal…" Sunniva swallowed heavily. She put down her axe and gently lay it on Tahki. "Here," she spoke softly, with a smile. "Hold it. Hold it in both hands with all your might. Focus on the axe and only the axe. Think of something else. Anything else."

Tahki laboured to nod, clutching the axe. Sunniva gently clamped around the hand clutching the handle and squeezed.

"I'm scared…" whispered Tahki.

"Don't be…" said Sunniva. "You walk with the very gods themselves."

Hermione was less convinced of that, glancing into the white around her. Thankfully they didn't land too far from Goneril's stretcher. With some effort the stretcher could fit two.

Sunniva got ready for more fighting. By raising her fists. To which Hermione could only raise an eyebrow. "A fistfight with Unicornis Rex?" she said, to which Sunniva's grim expression was the only answer.

They were well and truly doomed, it seemed. And now with their only guide back to the ship well and truly downed, what hope was there left? And it was only then that it hit her: the unicorn had targeted Tahki, the only means they had of finding their way back to the ship, so it had taken her out of the equation. Unicornis Rex knew exactly what it was doing. It was hunting them like the apex predator it was, using its surroundings to its advantage.

The unicorn charged again, at Sunniva this time. The tall blonde Neo-Viking, her hair now drenched with white snow, looked wild-eyed and ready, determined not fight until the bitter end with this creature. To protect Tahki, the girl she obviously loved very much. The unicorn smashed into her, her fists about as useless as taking a whiffle bat to this creature's head. Sunniva was tossed to one side and Hermione felt herself behind yanked to the ground because of the rope still attached to her waist.

Sunniva was on her feet before Hermione was, just in time to actually made a grab for the unicorn when it charged again. And, impossibly, she had it in her grip. Muscles bulged as she grit her teeth, with one arm locked around its snout and another one around its horn. The unicorn seemed more annoyed than anything while Sunniva clamped around it with all her might. "Gleidr svinhqfdi!" she shouted in her mother tongue. "Gamla vis Hruga uskit'r sugandi toti tik madr! You won't get her! I WON'T LET YOU GET TO HER!"

This was the distraction Hermione needed. With a cry from the depths of her lungs, she raised her wand. "INCENDIO MAXIMA!"

A continuous stream of fire emerged from her wand to hit the unicorn against the side. The smell of charred flesh filled her nostrils. The unicorn let out an angry whinny and threw the Neo-Viking woman off it, but not before raking her abdomen with its claws. The unicorn once again disappeared into the white void. And, while still standing, blood was running down Sunniva's stomach from three very deep looking ugly cuts.

This was getting them nowhere fast. It was a war of attrition and they were on the losing side. They had to start moving back to the ship. With wand in hand, she stared into the whiteness. It was eerily quiet. Dammit, how could a creature that size move so silently?! Hermione took another look at Sunniva, but when Sunniva returned her look with wide, stricken eyes, she knew it was time to stop moving.

"It's behind me, isn't it?" Hermione sighed, speaking with an almost fatalistic tone. Her question was answered by a low-growling whinny, sounding far too close for comfort. Hermione closed her eyes and, going against her better judgment, slowly turned around. She would face her killer, her pride demanded it. Unicornis Rex loomed over her, six baleful eyes boring into her very soul. It simply stood there, staring at her, with its blood-covered horn pointing right at her throat. Hermione's breath caught in her throat, abject terror threatening to overtake her as she saw the rows of sharp teeth… teeth that would mean the end of any future she had imagined for herself.

Curious, really. She would like to say she fearless in the face of death. Hell, she'd faced it many times before, but this? This moment? She was completely and utterly terrified.

The last time she had been close to the creature was when… her gaze almost instinctively lowered to her silver hand. Curiously enough, the creature followed this motion, the tip of the horn lowering along with its gaze. The unicorn seemed to study her silver hand and Hermione briefly wondered if the unicorn indeed recognized her. Almost instantly, the horn raised again, its tip pressing into the flesh of her throat as the unicorn snarled lowly. She felt the pain soar through her being and, honestly, when she felt warm liquid run down her legs, she wasn't too proud to admit it was because of the sheer terror she felt in that moment. A whimper followed when the tip of the horn cut through her flesh, warm blood running down now exposed skin when the horn tore through her parka too.

And then, with a surprising amount of finesse, the unicorn very subtly flicked its head to the side, the tip of the horn catching her necklace. And, with a slight pull of its horn, pulled the gemstone free from her parka. The gem socketed in the necklace was bright purple, pulsating energetically. It was mesmerising to a degree and it seemed the unicorn agreed. Six eyes seemed to grow wider, its blue catching light of purple as it simply stared at the necklace. And then, the impossible happened.

The unicorn withdrew.

Unicornis Rex never broke eye contact with her as it slowly and deliberately walked backwards until it disappeared into the sea of white fog and snow. Hermione didn't even dare to draw breath until her lungs were bursting, the cold slapping her in the face as the air hit her lungs. Realizing that her legs and trousers were starting to freeze shook her awake enough to rush into action. They were still in danger: the weather was turning against them and they still had no idea where the ship was. Hermione made her way to Sunniva's side, the Neo-Viking as perplexed about the unicorn's actions as she was. The two of them made their way back to the two injured people. Tahki, still bleeding profusely and looking to be in bad shape, was lifted onto the stretcher next to Goneril. It was a tight fit, but the warm blanket was just enough.

"I can't feel my legs…" Tahki muttered softly. "Why can't I feel my legs?"

Sunniva sat with her for a moment. "Hold my axe, sæta. Whatever you do, never lose your grip. We're taking you back to the ship, Hermione and I."

The tall Neo-Viking woman gently ran a hand through Tahki's hair before pulling the blanket over her. Sunniva tied ropes around the stretcher and between the two of them, they would pull it forward.

Forward to where, was the question of the hour. With Tahki out of commission they had no way to know where the ship actually was. Hermione raised her wand again and fired a bright red orb into the sky where it lit up their location. Hoping against hope she would get a response, the white snowy fog remained frustratingly undisturbed. So, the odds were not in her favour. 360 degrees meant roughly 36 directions to walk towards. A chance of 1 in 35, and even that was generous. Add in the fact that it was likely they would start walking in circles. The best course of action would be to stay put, but not only the biting cold would prohibit that, it was also questionable if Goneril and Tahki would survive much longer.

God, this was frustrating.

"Hermione, over there!" sounded Sunniva as she peered into the distance. Better used to this weather than Hermione was, she had to squint and put her hand to her forehead to look closer. Her heart skipped a beat from elation and relief when she saw a bright red light close to the ground in the distance. Was it the ship? No. No, the light was moving towards her. A few moments later, a parka-clad Zipper fought against the snow and cold as he flew towards them, a lantern attached to his parka along with a thin long rope he dragged towards them. The moment Zipper saw her, he buzzed loudly and sped towards her, landing in her arms. Hermione took a moment to snuggle the wasp before unzipping her parka. The wasp was cold. Damn cold, in fact, but he had earned some warmth. She zipped the parka close as far as she could, with Zipper's head poking out right underneath her neckline. Zipper started nipping at her necklace, now pulsating purple.

"That's how you found us, didn't you?" chuckled Hermione. Sunniva and Hermione first tied the rope to their belt and then to the stretcher and gave it a few tugs. Immediately, the roped started to be pulled in. And not a moment too soon: they'd been in this cold far too long and it was hard to suppress the shivers and clattering to teeth. Though Sunniva was doing lot better than she was in that regard.

When the ship loomed in sight among the stark whiteness, a sigh of relief came over her. It was only a short walk to the hull and the hole in the side where they were met with the rest of the crew. Everyone had made it back safe and sound. Relatively speaking, considering the state Tahki and Goneril were in.

What happened next all went relatively quickly. Everyone made for the upper decks and sealed off the damaged parts of the orlop deck to preserve warmth. Hermione and Bellatrix reunited and went in search for a change of trousers after a long and tight embrace. Goneril was given cursory treatment for acute hypothermia while Tahki was quickly prepped for surgery and blood infusion, her having become the more immediate concern. The doctor confirmed that the unicorn's attack had severed Tahki's spinal column, though he assured them all that this wasn't something he couldn't fix.

One question remained: how the hell did that thing even get on board? Hermione was certain she would find the answer with Eleanor and Chandra. She would have a stern talk with Kirk,

Regardless, Unicornis Rex now stalked the frozen white wastes surrounding them. With the ship damaged and that thing prowling around, they wouldn't last for three days let alone three months.

Their situation couldn't be more grim than it was right now.