Varheiman Myths: The Dragon And Her Fire

The Untainted.

The absolute silence had filled the distance between the magnificent creature and Rhineas, Alistair stared at them in horror, trying to contemplate the scene. The unpredictable situation had started to bloom, as firm as Alistair was on killing the Unicorn was as rational as Rhineas's imbecility to approach it unarmed, trying to make a truce as if it could be reliable.

‘Boy, do not approach.’ Alistair yelled rising up on his feet.

‘We just need your help. We have no intentions to kill you.’ Rhineas took dilatory pace towards the Unicorn. ‘I deeply seek forgiveness for the troubles and agony we'd put you through.’

The odd silvery white whirlwind swirled around the Unicorn looking like a sparkly dust, spiralling up from it’s forelegs. The inclined and long neck of the Unicorn raised straight up, above it’s forelegs. A human body silhouetted in the brilliant, blinding white light from above the forelegs. Alistair and Rhineas stared at the Unicorn's transformation dreadfully. Alistair, wondering about the threat they were about to face, stunned, he drew his sword and yelled, ‘If you can't. I'll do it before this goes any further.’

Rhineas jumped in front of Alistair extending his hand to block his way.

‘I won’t hesitate to cut your hand now, boy.’ Alistair warn dishonestly.

Rhineas gawked at him his eye brows raised and face blank, slightly tilting his head.

The Unicorn had transformed into a woman’s body above it's forelegs, which were merged with the woman’s torso. Her skin was scarcely grey coloured, but appeared as white. Her hair milky white hair replaced the mane of the Unicorn, curly and dense like the cotton balls fell down either side of her shoulders covering her breasts vaguely. Her waist bare and graceful, her arms slender and delicate, a feathery soft white fur elaborated around her wrists the strands falling down till her knuckles, they looked like an ornament adorned by the princesses around the wrists in the kingdoms. Her eyes the same blue as of the Unicorn, under her long lashes. Her gracefully curled lips, stretched wide in a smile. The horn raised slightly from her head, not as long as when she was in the Unicorn’s form, a shade of faint pink on either side of her greyish white cheeks, her ears long as of a horse.

‘How could I have not recognised you, my lord.’ She mused in her beautiful voice, glancing pleasantly at Rhineas. ‘Please grant me pardon for my silliness, my lord.’

Rhineas looked around at Alistair, incredulously.

‘She’s talking to you boy. I’m certain.’ Alistair said.

Rhineas rummaged through his mind for words to phrase a sentence as he was fumbled at what she had said.

‘Uh... There is nothing to forgive my lady... Unicorn?’ Rhineas wondered how to address her.

‘I am Sagittarius, my lord.’ She laughed softly at Rhineas’s juvenility. ‘I am the keeper of the Maiden's souls, and the Queen of the Untainted Gardens.’

‘Lady Sagittarius – ’

She laughed melodically. ‘Just Sagittarius, my lord. I am not a lady.’

‘Oh God, save the boy.’ Alistair mumbled.

‘Uh, Sagittarius. Please do not address me as a lord , I am no lord.’ Rhineas said modestly.

‘You are the lord. How can I be so blind to not see the flame of divinity flashing in your eyes.’ She said.

Alistair knew what she was saying, he looked admirably at the modesty and incredulity of Rhineas. Rhineas had no acknowledgement of what Sagittarius was saying his head was now spinning with all the bewilderment.

‘I am...’ Rhineas stopped. He was out of words.

‘How can I help you Rhineas?’ Sagittarius asked.

Rhineas surprised. ‘How did you know my name?’

‘Its known.’

‘Then you might be aware of what brings us here in the womb of the Stegardian forest.’

‘Indeed. You may have to come to the Untainted gardens.’

Rhineas looked at Alistair, silent as ever shooting cold glances at Sagittarius.

‘We’ve come so far, trapped a Unicorn.’ Alistair gazed at her thoroughly. ‘I wouldn’t mind to go further.’

‘Sagittarius, will you take us there?’ Rhineas asked.

‘Certainly my lord. You have a pure heart. I've heard your thoughts and they were as pure as your father's fire – ’

‘He is our King Edgard.’ Rhineas completed.

‘You shall know.’ She said cryptically. ‘You are the grace of Emone.’

‘Every breath we draw is his grace.’ Rhineas said.

Sagittarius smiled at the modesty of Rhineas. She'd now known that Rhineas is completely unaware of who he is. She chose to keep this secret, if he doesn’t know it yet then it means that the time hasn’t arrived yet, but she knows why he is sent here and she has to fulfil the purpose of the bright Emone.

‘With your modesty and purity which replenishes every slight of your soul, makes you the Untainted. My lord, let me do the honours.’ She said.

‘I am touched by the respect you have for me.’ Rhineas said with a heart smile. ‘I’ll accept your honours, dear Sagittarius. Go ahead.’

Sagittarius trotted close to Rhineas, her hand gleamed with silver light as she placed her hand on Rhineas’s head and said, ‘With the power vested upon by the Lord of the sun kingdom and the God of fire, Emone, I shall name you as the Untainted Rhineas, may you be guided by the flames of the almighty.’

A dark and clear orange fire crinkled in Rhineas’s eyes now. Alistair had always known, but had never seen this fire so bright and visible till this moment. Rhineas saw the fire in his eyes reflecting in Alistair’s.

Sagittarius bowed low to Rhineas kneeling down on two her forelegs, Alistair bowed as well, the whole dark forest was luminously lit by some mysterious light emitting out of Rhineas. Rhineas felt like he was some other person for a brief moment, he'd no conscience of this situation.

‘You may rise, my friends.’ Rhineas said in a daze.

It took a few moments for Rhineas to process everything. He'd remembered his mother saying that he is meant to do great things, he'd heard Alistair tell him that he is the first born of Edgard the, like his father foreseen to be the king of Halem and ward of Emone. But Rhineas held no keen in the throne, he wanted a liberty to travel wherever he willed.

‘Let me lead the way, my lord.’ Sagittarius said, they had left to the Untainted gardens to get what they wanted.

Sagittarius had told them how they store Unicorn's blood to cure other beings from the garden when they are injured or accidentally poisoned by coming in contact with the venomous herbs. She'd told them about how Medralians had created the Unicorns solely for the purpose of healing the wounds from the dark magic or the creatures they made from it, from confining the Maiden's souls into the Unicorns. The Maiden’s soul was the cleanest and most unpolluted of all, they were sent to our world by the gods of sun kingdom to nourish the nature and purify it from all the contamination that mortals had left out from their tainted hearts. The Maidens were the first Untainted ones who made the garden where they first resided. So their souls in unicorns makes Unicorns the most virtuous beings ever existed in our realm.

Sagittarius prompted the tales and glories of the great Maidens, everything she was saying was just a mumble to Alistair, his mind was somewhere else. He was remembered about the time when Edgard had told him a similar incident which had happened with Edgard. His memory took him back to the time when Edgard was telling him, how he would wander in the depths of the forests to kill the beasts and impress his father with the tales. Alistair remembered that Edgard’s life has changed since the day he was named as the untainted and he was, until he betrayed his warden Emone. Now Edgard stays hidden in his palace, learning the wisdom of the dark forces.

They climbed a highest steep and stopped by a cliff. Sagittarius looked at the mountain across the forest, sea sweeping by it. She looked thoughtfully and said, ‘See that mountain?’

Rhineas peered following her gaze, he saw the mountain standing tall, as if holding the violet and orange twilit sky on its peak, belching out absolute white clouds into the sky. The mountain was illuminous in yellow light, Rhineas felt an oddly satisfying wave swirling around him with the light breeze.

‘That is the abode of Emone.’ Sagittarius said.

Alistair vaulted off his horse and walked at the edge of the cliff.

‘The golden light.’ Alistair sighed.

‘Indeed, you can see the light pouring out before the dawn, when the God wakes up.’ She said.

Rhineas was amazed, his scarlet eyes had flashed golden as they reflected Emone’s abode. There was a strange wind which calmed them and soothed their souls, Alistair had never felt such peace in his life before, and he was not used to it. He knew if he gets used to it, he'll never be able to get used to this absurdity.

‘How far are we from the garden, horn lady.’ Alistair said grimly.

Rhineas glared ridiculously at him for addressing Sagittarius inappropriately. ‘That’s rude.’

‘I take no offense. We are almost there, just across the cliff.’ Sagittarius pointed at the direction.

A bright green light splattered out across the cliff when they crossed. Rhineas looked behind, the cliff looked like a wall making the garden invisible.

At the entrance were two trees, thick and tall interwoven their branches together overhead to cast a roof extending away and far into the gardens. Two guards stood there who were like Sagittarius, but with sturdy muscles and their lower bodies were rough like the horses.

‘Are they Centaurs?’ Alistair murmured.

‘Yes, they are our guards. There are more of them inside the gardens.’ Sagittarius said.

‘If Centaurs are here then without an uncertainty I’ll get some ale.’ Alistair chirped happily, all the way through he was silent and brooding over something.

Sagittarius laughed and said, ‘Your hospitality would be our greatest priority, sir.’

As we reached the gates the guards bowed, ‘My queen.’ They said in unison with a stern face, like they didn’t know how to smile. The garden was green, yellow and pink. The fragrance was pleasing like spring. Everyone bowed as their queen passed by them. Rhineas was astonished to see Pegasus and Unicorns here.

‘We’re called Stegards.’ She paused, ‘The Stegardian forest is named after our resident.’

The beings which belonged from the fire kingdom needed a safe place to survive from the dark beings lurking in this forests. The ones who can’t protect themselves like the Unicorns were hunted very often for their blood and tears resided here under the protection of Sagittarius and her Centaurs, she'd said. The Centaurs were awfully mighty. Rhineas saw a group of magnificent girls, their hair grew long and green as grass, their bodies were brown like a trunk of tree with greenish shade on them.

‘What are those?’ Rhineas asked.

‘The Forest spirits.’ Sagittarius replied. ‘They are the creation of the Maidens, they help the trees grow, stronger and thicker.’

Rhineas now knew why were the trees in this forest so strong and gigantic. He liked the gardens, amidst was the fountain in which the swans swam and around them was a flock of Faerys, Sagittarius told him that they were the water spirits.

They reached at a meadow looking like a courtroom, the plank of woods arranged in an array along side the green walls formed by thickets of unfamiliar bushes. Sagittarius had asked them to take a seat while she climbed up on the raised platform and knelt on her all four knees, comfortably placing herself on the back of her Unicorn body, she looked very much relaxed and comfortable. Her fluff of hair dangled behind, her back covered in it.

‘I believe you would like some ale, sir Alistair.’ She said.

‘A plentiful would be enough.’ He replied, ‘And I am no sir.’

‘Would you like some wine of the roses, my lord.’ She gazed at Rhineas.

‘Um. I have never drunk wine before, Sagittarius.’ He said flushed.

‘Aye don’t hesitate boy, you are not going to be a boy now for long.’ Alistair said.

Sagittarius chimed a laughter, ‘You would love the wine here.’

A Centaur came in with a tray of a wooden bowls bringing the drinks, Alistair grabbed one hastily while Rhineas brooded over.