Felix started to follow the girl.

"Ah, nothing," he stuttered. "I was just thinking of why you wouldn't want to go to a town a-and the only thing that came to mind was an assortment of unsavory professions." He cast a quick glance at his guide. "Of course, I'm sure your reason is perfectly normal; I mean, I'm not trying to infer anything about your character. Of course you just said you didn't feel like it so that doesn't really mean you wouldn't want to so there's a whole different set of rea-" He took a deep breath. "Sorry, I'm rambling. I really appreciate you helping me out here."

Felix exhaled deeply and looked up through the tree limbs. It was amazing how he was making a mess out of this. The sun softly filtered down through the leaves and felt nice on Felix's skin. Master Faliz had said that after a certain amount of time working with the arts it wasn't uncommon to begin to dislike the sunlight. Felix sure hoped that never happened to him.

Oh, but Master Faliz. Felix wasn't really sure what to do about that. He had been his teacher, sure, but he felt like he should feel a little more sorrow about his mentor's death. True, the man had prepared Felix for it over and over; in their line of work a painful death was just one unlucky accident away, but it had just been so easy to pack up and run that next morning. Only one sleepless and cold night had found him here.

What could have killed him? It wasn't any demon, that's for sure; not a normal one, in the least. The tower had been so well warded again those that nothing should have been able to slip through. His master hadn't even fought it; what could have been so powerful and so efficient that it could have taken the master warlock by complete surprise?

And now these companions. Felix shot another look at the dog. There was something not right about any of them; the whole circumstance was just too odd. Nothing that he had been sure of 48 hours ago even seemed relevant now. He should want to get away; instead he was enthralled. He wanted to know more about everything. Never before had his studies seemed to relevant or so exciting.

Ikori's ears twitched slightly and he listened to Felix as the man rambled on. Felix's reasoning seemed a little, dumb to him. Just because someone wanted to avoid something did not make them an unsavory sort. Sometimes a town needed to be avoided, this man, he seemed to be trying to find a deeper reasoning behind it.

Ikori shook his head, when Ti had moved, Ikori had moved with her. Walking next to her, his side nearly touching her leg as they moved towards the road. When Ti stopped, Ikori stopped and glanced back to look at Felix. The road was just a bit in front of them, and the bushes thick enough to effectively hide the sitting dog from the view of anyone traveling along that road.

Ti laughed as he spoke, she couldn't help it. Unsavory professions... she was tempted to tease him and suggest she was working in such an 'unsavory profession' as he could imagine. She was, however, a simple hunter who simply had little use for towns except when it came to buying supplies or selling what she had caught. It would be easy to tease him.... Still she suppressed it.

"My my my, aren't you suspicious..." Was all she said, with that same twinkle of amusement. She skipped easily, humming to herself. She noticed how Ikori moved so close to her, it felt nice in a way. Simply to have a companion that seemed so loyal so instantly... Once they reached the path she pointed towards it and jerked her thumb towards the town.

"that's the nearest town, I wont be going that way though. still I'm sure you can manage to walk that far on your own." She laughed agian, the town could be dimly seen from here.

Sure enough, the road lay just before Felix, a small town was just visible in the distance. Still, Felix was reluctant to go. This girl knew more than she was telling him; she could help him. Even if it was just finding someone else who could really help him.

"So," Felix said. "Tell me about this town. Is it larger than it looks? What kind of people live there? Where is it that you are going from here?"

This man...Ikori had the distinct urge to bite him. Not hard, but just to scare him off on his way towards the town. He shook his head, pushing away that thought, such a thing would be rude and probably only cause more problems for himself. Humans acted rashly whenever they thought an animal might be attacking them, no matter the reasons for the alleged attack.

Ikori looked up at Ti and whined just softly. Eager to move, to put distance between him and the town. This man, he wasn't making such a thing easy with his useless, pointless questions. Go and see it for yourself was Ikori's line of thought, and words he would have said if he had been in his other form. Still, all he could do was sit there, and wait for Ti to either shoo the man off, or answer his questions. Ikori shook his head again and nudged Ti's leg softly, hoping she would understand he was eager to keep going.

"I haven't the faintest idea, I just saw someone going there I didn't like the feel of and decided to head west instead. No particular destination, just west. She answered cheerfully, reaching down to pat Ikori's head gently. She could feel his irritation, having a certain connection with animals and animalistic beings that made her able to read them easier. She then turned, back towards the direction she'd been heading.

"Well, I'm off. You can either go to town or follow but make up your mind swiftly Mr. Felix, I don't like standing near roads like this.. makes ya look suspicious" She said with a soft laugh, starting forward again. She hummed lightly as she walked, content with herself and her randomly chosen direction. Then again she tended to be pretty content..

Felix's heart stopped at the "or follow." Was she acknowledging that he could tag along? Did she sense that he wanted to or was he just that obvious? He hesitated a moment, but only a moment.

"Hey, wait up!" he yelled, hitching his heavy pack up higher on his shoulders. "I don't really have anywhere to go, either." He ran a little ways to catch up and fell in beside the girl. "I don't really have much to offer in ways of skills for the road, but I'm sure I can be useful somehow." He smiled widely at her; maybe what she was looking for was just a cheerful traveling companion.

Ikori wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the man tagging along with them. He gave a soft whine as he moved next to Ti. Again walking so close that his side nearly pressed against her leg. Glancing over at Felix, Ikori let out a soft huff and shook his head a bit. Whatever. He would trust this Felix until the man gave him a reason to think otherwise.

He hadn't planned on staying in this form for very long, but now that this other was with them, he wasn't sure he wanted to reveal that he could change. He could be more human, well, appear human at least. He panted softly and sniffed the air. Ikori was thirsty, he sniffed the air again, looking for the scent of water.

She hadn't really expected him to follow, oh well, it really didn't matter to her either way. She simply sensed something arcane in him and so had offered out of habit. Those who stayed in groups seemed to die a little less... they still died sometimes sure but it wasn't as bad as when they were alone. She did, however sense Ikori's unhappiness and felt a momentary twinge of regret. She reached down, patting him gently and whispering that it'd be alright.

She paused as she heard a scream, however, deep in the forest ahead of them. It didn't sound human... but it sounded afraid, very afraid. She held up a finger to her lips and gave felix a pointed 'be quiet' look and started towards the scream. She moved with the silence and grace of a jungle cat, not so much as snapping a single branch as she walked. Her eyes changed to cat pupils to see detail in the shadows better and she half crouched as she moved. Something was going on...

Felix was just about to ask for some names when the scream echoed past. His first emotion was curiosity; it wasn’t a human scream, after all. The traveling pair immediately took off towards the sound and Felix followed as best he could. The way the girl moved through the woods only proved, in Felix’s mind, that she wasn’t human.

Ikori's ears twitched and he let out a soft whine when he heard the scream. He hadn't caught the scent of anything on the wind, then again, it did all depend on the direction the wind was going. His muscles bunched and he glanced over his shoulder at Felix for a moment before he darted off. He was fast and almost as silent as a cat, Ikori was fleet- and sure-footed, so it was no surprise the dog could move the way did. Plus, he'd had years of experiance in moving swiftly and quietly. Easier to escape humans that way.

He kept himself close to Ti, right next to her and in step with her almost perfectly. Whatever it was. He was not about to let his friend face it alone.

Ti resisted the temptation to grow her claws, uncertain of the felix’s possible reaction and what she was walking into. She frowned to herself, the only sign of what was going on when they started to walk into the meadow… at least it seemed a meadow. It was actually a fairy’s glen and those without magic or those with evil intent would feel an urge to turn around. The urge would be stronger the closer one went to it but Ti was thankfully immune though even she was unsure why. She herself knew only that she wasn’t human, but what she was… that escaped her.

When they entered there would be a bloody mess staining the beautiful flowers and tiny golden homes in the trees. Small winged bodies lay on the grass, some only the size of your hand. Some, however, had their wings plucked from their bodies as if whatever killed them was trying to torture them. Some of the fairy’s had taken human size to fight whatever had destroyed them, the most obvious being the guardian of the glen.

His sword lay beside him, his beautiful violet eyes staring blankly up at the sky as he lay on his tattered wings. His sword arm had nearly been removed from his body something with such strength had ripped his sword from his hand. His chiseled features were stained with blood, his mouth left open. Most of the fay had parts bitten off, the guardian had several bites out of his body.

The size of the mouth wasn’t much bigger then a human, but each tooth or more actually fang was so much larger then any human. Any who had been at the crime scenes of where the magical beings had been murdered would recognize the bite. This was, however, a sign that it was getting more violent. Before it was usually one bite per victim and fairly clean… this had been a blood bath. It was as if somehow the fay had made the killer angry somehow…

The stillness in place of the fairy’s laughter drew attention to the dead, silence such as the meadow had never known filling it. It drew out, until finally it was shattered by what sounded like a shattering glass. A black crystal in the center of the medow, lying next to the gaurdians body was breaking into many pieces, releasing a black mist. The mist slowly formed into the mysterious black unicorn Silvermane.


((Silver mane and the sole survivor and her pet xD))

Silvermane reared, looking ready for a fight. It tossed his mighty head in a blur of silver and white hair, landing again as it searched the meadow with its glowing eyes. Whatever it was looking for it apparently didn’t find since its gaze fell to the dead guardian and then fell to Ti and the group. Those teal orbs flowed over them in an uncaring fashion, much as one would look at flies. It only reacted as it heard a small breath, the sole survivor of the glen’s destruction.

As the golden winged fairy whimpered, on the brink of death the unicorn tilted its head in thought. Slowly it ambled forward, touching that silver horn to her pale, golden tinted skin. The horn released a soft glow, magic in the light. Looking at that light would feel a person with a sense of peace… and also began to heal the fairy though her cloths remained stained with blood and torn. Once she was healed the glow stopped, saving her life… but everyone else was fully and completely dead so even a unicorn could not save them.

The fairy’s familiar, a small rat, stirred for it was so tied to her that because she had been dying so had he. He began to let out desperate shrieks which seemed to awake the fairy, causing her to open violet eyes almost identical to the guardians. She whimpered, still in pain. She called it’s name, Tawny, in her mystical voice. The sound was slightly accented in an elegant, elfish tone.

She looked down at her body, then the bodies around her as memory flooded her. She began to scream, loud shrieks. It was a different voice then they had heard before but filled with just as much fear. She was screaming in horror and shock, covering her face with her hands as if to keep from seeing the death she could feel around her. She appeared rather.. Broken somehow…

Such carnage greeted him and Ikori let out a low whine. It filled his heart with aching, an aching so strong he could feel it in his very soul. Faeries. Playful creatures that knew only laughter should never have been subjected to this kind of torment, this kind of death. They deserved better. So much better. Without thinking, Ikori lifted his muzzle to the sky and let out a loud, heart breaking mournful howl of the likes no dog or wolf had ever howled before. If he had been in human form, tears would have fallen from his eyes.

His howl stopped, ears pricking forward and with sad eyes he looked towards the shattering glass that brought forth a unicorn. For a moment the dog's breath caught in his throat. Ikori watched the unicorn as it moved to heal a wounded, dying faerie. All thoughts of Ti and Felix had left the dog's mind, especially when the surviving fae woke and began screaming. A low whine escaped him again, and he stepped forward. His form changing as he did. Faeries were sacred creatures and unicorns too. How cruel such a thing should happen to them. It only took seconds for Ikori to shift from dog to human form, shirtless but wearing pants.

Tears streamed down his face, his heart felt as if it would never be whole again. Carefully, Ikori knelt before the fairy and the unicorn. What words could a simple dog offer to such noble and beautiful creatures as these? Creatures that did not deserve what had happened to them. The pain he felt at seeing the aftermath of such carnage, he knew, could not compare to the pain of witnessing it first hand, or surviving it. Ikori was used to the cruelty of humans, had he not seen the bite marks, nonhuman teeth marks, Ikori would have been quick to blame humans for this cruelty. He licked his lips to moisten them.

"Please...don't scream like that...the one responsible is gone...it's not here anymore.." His voice was so soft, a gentle whisper and filled with sorrow. Slowly he reached out, pulling the human sized faerie against his chest, practically pulling her into his lap. Hiding her face against his torso, one arm gently around her back and the other rested softly on her hair. His touch was gentle, and light but firm. However, he'd let her pull away if she wanted. Other than that..the mutt had no idea of what to say or how else to comfort the faerie.

The fay could only shriek for several moments, her mind trapped by a dark presence. Slowly her violet eyes began to return to normal, the pupils becoming visible as Silvermane’s ancient magic purified her broken mind. She trembled, her formally torn wings folding behind her. Slowly Shaylee realized that her wings no longer hurt and they were whole just like the rest of her… The pain, the cold… had it been a dream?No, his words and the blood on her hands showed it had been no dream. She wriggled free, half running, half crawling to the fallen guardian.

“brother… brother…” She whispered as she began to sob, only now realizing he was dead. Sobs lifted her chest as she touched his cheek, still warm as he had not been dead long. As what she secretly was, however, she could sense death hanging around him and this palace as if it were a graveyard… and now it was. So she sobbed, looking into those cold dead eyes…

Silvermane looked on without passion, its eerily glowing teal gaze following her every move. It made no move to stop her, to protect her from the carnage. If it had not healed her earlier it would seem it didn’t’ give a damn about her one way or another… perhaps it didn’t. With Silvermane the fay had long learned you never know what it was thinking, planning, or even what it wanted.

Ti slowly walked forward, horror and shock on her face. Slowly however, the expression was being replaced by a thoughtful look. Her natural curiosity and her presence at another crime scene was making her think less like a shocked victim and more like an investigator. She walked to one of the other bodies, crouching by it. So much more blood and violence… something had gone wrong here, the creature had been surprised by something.

There was nothing he could do, and he let the female wriggle free. He couldn't bring the dead back to life. "It's best not to look, Fair One." Ikori's voice nothing but a gentle, sorrowed whisper as he followed the female. He reached out, as if to grasp her hand, to pull it back from the dead body. Though he seemed to think better of it and let his hand drop. For a few moments he didn't seem to know what to do, he glanced at Ti, once as if he had just realized she were there as well.

Ikori's attention once again on the sobbing fae, he reached over gently to carefully wipe the tears from her cheeks. His own cheeks wet with tears. "I'm so sorry, Fair One. If we had arrived sooner..." He whined softly, a very canine sound deep in his throat despite being in human form. Ikori pulled the girl close again, careful of her wings, so that she could cry against him. The dog let his gaze sweep over the area once more, inhaling deeply, and shivering at the scent of death. For a moment those eyes paused on the unicorn, it seemed so, disinterested. Very standoffish. He ran a hand through the fae's hair, and began to murmur soothing words in her ear to calm her some.

Shaylee shuddered as he touched her golden hued cheeks and gazed up at him a moment as if only just fully seeing him. Those tear filled eyes blinked at him and she bit her lip, saying nothing ffor a moment. She simply let herself be pulled towards him, her arms at her side. She pressed into his chest, letting herself sob helplessly. Her brother.. The only one who had ever trusted her… who had ever believed in her and her odd ways was gone…and so soon after her lover’s death…

Shaylee felt so alone.. So utterly alone. When she heard the unicorn she shuddered, biting her lip. She hated the feeling of that.. Something slipping into her mind. It was then she realized it reminded her of something. Before her mind went blank she’d felt something cold slide around her mind like a snake around it‘s prey. It was so strong and sudden she didn’t even realize it was happening. It had felt so cold, so silent, then came the pain and the fear from both body and mind as her eyes stayed blind. All she could see was darkness stretching unending before her.


The unicorn looked at them all, letting out a snort of a sound that seemed almost like dark laughter as he gave Ikori a cold look. They would all hear a rather androgynous voice ring in their heads, the voice of the unicorn. “If you had arrived sooner… you would be among the dead” it said simply, much as anyone else would talk of the weather. It was as if the life or death of others meant little to the creature who was an outsider even among unicorns.

Ti was studying the wounds still when she heard Ikori. She glanced over at him, sighing at his heartbreak. He really was a dog at the core, so emotional and open hearted. She would have to guard him carefully or it could get him killed. She then heard the voice of the unicorn, causing her own strange magic to rise and force the unknown presence from her mind. Still she had heard the words before she managed it, such was the ancient power of the creature who gave her a curious, cold look.

Ikori's body tensed slightly, but he kept his arms around the fae. Trying to sooth her and just letting her cry. Sometimes it was good to just cry everything out, Ikori's own tears had only just stopped, and the soothing words he had been murmuring to the fae stopped as well. Those eyes, filled with so many emotions and mostly unreadable at the moment were trained on the unicorn.

How could such a creature as that be so cold? Perhaps his words were true, Ikori might've died if he had arrived sooner, still... "Better to die fighting than to stand and do nothing, or to arrive to late to be able to help anyone." He had growled the words out a bit, Ikori knew, he was being rather disrespectful to a being that was probably far older than time itself, at the moment, the dog didn't really care. Had the unicorn even tried to save the others? Ikori didn't really think so, all the stories he had heard. All the legends and myths that spoke of unicorns, and now he had met one. Ikori wasn't disappointed, he was angry. This unicorn already seemed a complete opposite of the ones in the stories. Though, Ikori also knew that stories get warped and twisted around, still. He felt almost certain that most unicorns were not like this one, even if he only had stories and legends to compare this unicorn too.

Ikori's hand didn't stop running through the fae's hair. Hoping the motion would help to sooth and calm her. It usually worked on him if he were upset over something and so he figured it would help. His eyes, they didn't leave the unicorn. He watched the beast almost warily.

Shaylee shuddered, her sobs slowly becoming quieter. Her fear, her pain, it was all turning to anger. Whatever had done this… she had felt it now. She could do something about it’s attack NOW. She wasn’t sure what, mental magic had never been her strong suit, but she had a clue no one else had. So she would use it.. She would destroy this thing.

She looked up at the angry Ikori, his words interrupt her inner angry monologue. She bit her lip again in thought, only for her to shake her head. She half smiled, though it was a ghost of her usual brilliant one. He was doing something amusing in a dark, defeated sort of way it seemed.

“Silvermane the outsider, the black unicorn can not die….so you’re probably arguing with the wrong creature about that…we should bury the dead…” She half whispered, slowly pulling back to kneel. She was frowning at the ground now, gazing at the bodies with a lost, sorrow filled look.

Silvermane seemed amused by his anger, it was something the unicorn had clearly expected. He watched Ikori a moment before it spoke again in that same languid voice that always held a hint of boredom. As it spoke it spoke only to Ikori and regarded Ikori the way one might a new toy. The creature ignored the gold rat at its feet who was squeaking at it as if to tell him ‘stop picking on him..’

“Better to die fighting a worthless fight? And who would rescue the fair one as you call her? Or would you have preferred you battled for prides sake and the fair priestess be dead? Curious creature, so eager to throw your life away instead of make it useful. I‘ll try to remember that” Silvermane seemed to be nearly laughing as it finished, tossing it’s regal head before leaning forward. It picked the rat up by the back of its neck, causing him to try to punch the horse as it ambled over to Shaylee. It dropped the rodent in her lap, causing the Shaylee to hug the rat. She was automatically more relaxed to have her familiar near her…whether this was to keep her calm or to get it away from the unicorn’s hooves was anyone’s guess..


Ti was frowning at the unicorn, not because she could hear it was she couldn’t at the moment but rather that it had gone in her head in the first place. She hated telepathy and mind magic, it angered a deep part of her that went beneath her memories… into that self that she’d left behind. She shook her head, standing as Shaylee spoke. Shaylee was right of course… Slowly Ti began to gather what bodies she could, not knowing how Fay buried their dead. She tried to find missing limbs and wings where she could and reunite them with their originals but of course.. In the cases the parts were eaten there was nothing she could do

"All fighting is worthless...But if I can give up my life to help another, then I will. If I had arrived sooner, I would have fought and perhaps been able to distract whatever did this long enough for some of the Fair Folk to escape...or maybe not. Maybe they'd all still be dead and I with them, but I would have tried." He was glaring at the unicorn, but he let the fae pull from his arms. Letting her move back. Ikori had decided that he did not like this unicorn at all.

"I am a dog, I act upon instinct and heart. It's what we do, it may be stupid and useless but I don't care. I can't change what I am nor would I want to." His lips drew back and he snarled a bit, as if he might bite the unicorn if it came any closer to him. He might too. Angry dogs were a little unpredictable. "You're a cold, terrible creature and I do not like you. You are nothing like the unicorns of stories and myth, but I'm used to disappointment." He growled a bit, watching that equine rather carefully.

“The unicorns of which you speak do not like me either, perhaps you would like them better. Still, They and the last descendant fay would all be dead if they were here instead of I. Your.. Heart would have her death and the death of a unicorn, and perhaps your own…. Yes your heart is indeed to be admired.” Came the unicorn’s dry, amused reply. It simply watched him, seeming uncaring of his wrath. If he tried to bite him he would find just what sort of fighter the unicorn was but for now it simply watched and mocked him.

It then gazed to Shaylee, seeming to have dismissed Ikori. She seemed frozen as she stared at her brother’s body, unable to bring herself to move. The unicorn seemed to sigh, flicking it’s long tail and walking to her side. If it too felt pain at the guardian’s death it did not show it. It walked to her and lowered it’s noble head to touch her cheek ever so gently with the side of its own in a surprisingly tender gesture though it’s face still seemed passive and cold. Softly it spoke telepathically to Shaylee just as it had Ikori words only for her to here.

“You must preform the ceremony Little Lee, I can not take your place in this.” Came the soft whisper in her head, the pet name both her brother and the unicorn used for her startling her from her revere. She looked up at those familiar teal eyes and tears escaped her own, causing the unicorn to touch her forehead with its nose and say a cold ‘go’ in contrast to the tender motion. It was the push she needed, reminding her to focus. The unicorn stepped back as if sensing this and watched icily as she turned back to her brothers body. She raised her hand and summoned her staff, her outfit changing slowly to another. It was nearly transparent in many places and made of white silk and shimmering white crystals. Fairy tears the white crystals were called…

“Dog…. You will be quiet, stay out of the way, and keep your temper, this ceremony is to be respected and something no outsider has been allowed to see before…It will tire her… this many… she may need to be carried” All tenderness was gone as the unicorn spoke to Ikori and stepped back to the far side of the glen. It stood there in silence, gazing on with the eyes of someone who had watched this magic before. It sent a similar message about staying out of the way and respect to Ti and grew quiet.

Ti stuck her tongue out at the unicorn but stepped back, watching the priestess. She was curious what this would be. Something no outsider had seen before? Despite the tragedy around her it still got her curiosity. She wasn’t one to be humbled but she would be respectful, quiet. She bowed her head slightly, saying her own prayer for the dead.

Tears glistening in her eyes Shaylee stepped forward, raising the staff above her head and making a soft chant to call to the earth. She danced through the bodies, singing songs of sorrow and begging the earth to open itself and accept the fallen. Slowly hole below each body opened, about two feet deep. Her song in that elegant, elfish fairy language growing in volume and emotion. Tears streamed down her face as the song grew to a volume that would make one’s chest hurt.

Voices would join her own, the sound of many fairy who had been buried before those here. Softly glowing silver orbs would rise from the earth, each one seeming to add to the growing song. A choir of fay voices called to and mourned the dead, rising until your chest felt like it couldn’t take anymore only to begin to grow soft as each body was accepted and Shaylee kneeled near her brother. Her tears flowed in earnest now but she kept her voice steady.. Not that one could distinguish it from the choir any longer.

She put her golden, slender hand into the dirt near her, scooping up some and sprinkling it over the body. As she did so more dirt would seem to fall in over each grave until all the bodies were covered. Her voice would be nearly a whisper as she placed her hand on the center of the grave, waving the end of the staff over the grave as her song curled gently.

Vines began to grow upward out of the earth beneath her hand as well as over each grave and she lifted her hand upwards. The vines over her brothers grave followed her hand and a white bud covered with silver dust growing in the center. The petals slowly opened before the flower lay flat against the grave. She would do this for each grave, the beautiful flowers soon appearing all over the meadow and the song ceasing as the last grave was finished. The staff disappeared and her clothing fell back to normal as she finished. She fell forward on her arms, panting in the now silence.

Ikori had glared at the unicorn, wondering how such an ancient being could be so stupid. At least, Ikori thought the creature very stupid and a coward. The unicorn garnered no respect in his eyes. He watched it carefully as it approached the fae not moving from where he was as the unicorn spoke silently to the fae.

When the equine spoke to him, he growled rather viciously at it. Or, as viciously as a dog in human form could growl. However, the ceremony was more important than how he felt about the unicorn. More important than biting the creature. He moved back to give the fae some room, and dropped to one knee. Lowering his head slightly. He gave respect where respect was due, but he offered no prayers of his own to the dead. Dogs didn't believe in gods or have prayers. Silently he watched, fighting back tears that threatened to fall again. The time for crying was over, he would cry no more even as his heart continued to ache.

The ceremony over, Ikori rose, not looking to the unicorn, he moved to the fallen, no doubt exhausted fae. He slipped his arms around her and pulled her gently to her feet, he didn't wait to see if she could stand on her own. He picked her up, princess style, but being careful of her wings. He shot a rather icy glare at the unicorn and made his way to Ti. Whispering softly. "...The unicorn is mean...I don't like him." He had pouted just slightly.

Shaylee shivered, feeling a little faint. To bury so many was not an easy task… not when you did so while channeling all the fay ancestors anyway. She bit her lip as she felt Ikori pick her up, glancing up at him. She said nothing a moment, just flushing faintly in surprise. It had been some time since she’d been carried like this though her body was light as it was when in her smaller fairy form so he’d find it easy. She hadn’t been since before her love died… She glanced away.

The unicorn ignored the growl and again made that soft snort that seemed so much like a laugh. Ikori merely amused the creature it seemed. It looked over at the ceremony then, however, and seemed to forget all others. It simply bowed it’s head, slowly bending on it’s front legs. For a moment it seemed almost… humble, and all together another creature. There was even a soft glimmer of sorrow in those normally unreadable teal eyes as if it truly mourned the fay. The second the ceremony was over, however, the horse was standing, following close behind Ikori with it’s eyes flicking occasionally to the exhausted, heartbroken fairy.

It undoubtedly heard Ikori comment it was mean, but it said nothing. It was falling to it’s own thoughts and the battle that only the guardian had been conscious for. The unicorn’s partner in battle, nearly it’s son in life as Shaylee had once been its daughter. Still no expression was on its face, it’s thoughts as strange as always.

Shaylee looked up as he said it was mean, causing her to shake her head no. She did not understand the creature anymore then anyone else did but she knew it never did anything out of cruelty. Or at least she thought she did.. Ikori would likely disagree. She didn’t know what the Unicorn did or didn’t do in the battle, having been locked by the same psychic attack as the others that the guardian had somehow broken to scream. She did know however, that the fact the unicorn had been unable to protect the village from the evil scared the hell out of her…

It had been beautiful, Ti thought absently. She frowned, however, her mind already on the evidence she had spotted. She only glanced over as Ikori spoke and shrugged, not really caring. She had no particular feeling about the unicorn, finding it arrogant and a little irritating but not clear enough to know what it was as a soul….

"We should get going..." She suggested softly, not wanting to be here any longer. It didnt' feel safe and they'd found all the information they could fnd.. there was nothing more they could do here but put themselves in danger. She sighed and started north, seeming as good a direction as any.

Ikori had shrugged ever so slightly, so as not to jostle or disturb the fae in his arms. He was a bit anxious to leave this place and it's scent far far behind him. His heart was heavy and it still ached for the faeries, though he knew the pain he felt was nothing compared to how the female in his arms probably felt. He held her close and tight, but carefully and gently. When Ti suggested they move on, Ikori nodded. He had fallen silent though and said nothing. Only waited patiently for Ti to lead them on, occasionally casting a wary glance at the unicorn. No Ikori didn't like or trust the beast.

Shaylee stayed relaxed in the others arms, too exhausted to think anything or do anything but wait. She was reviewing her memories carefully, trying to recall some hint. She had to have seen something… or perhaps the unicorn had? Her brother definitely had seen something, he.. He had been able to scream. Finally she looked at the unicorn, eyeing him a moment before speaking softly.

“My brother… he was able to scream…why?” She asked pointedly. She was gazing at the unicorn closely, expecting some kind of answer. She was sad and she was tired.. But she was also a stubborn little pixie not about to give up.

The unicorn glanced up before gazing at the ground again in thought as the group followed Ti. It stayed silent at first before speaking telepathically, it’s voice hollow. Its words did not match the empty tone, a hint that there might be more to the creature then Ikori gave it credit for. It did not care who heard it this time, falling into its own thoughts.

“I gave him my blood. The creature could not cloud my mind as well as it could the fay, my blood is too old and unicorn blood to pure. I made it spill my blood onto brother when it’s own shadow attack. A good trick… but it was not enough it seems. I failed you Little Lee”

“That’s why you were in crystal form… it ‘killed’ you…but did you see it?” Shaylee whispered, trembling now. She would have normally reassured the unicorn but was more focused on the fact it’s shadows could harm the unicorn in the first place. The unicorn had skipped over it as if it was nothing but Shaylee knew the power of its light. As the unicorn shook it’s head no, her fear doubled.

Ti stayed silent through the exchange, collecting what information she could. So it was a mental attack.. One that could hide itself from normal means of detection and psychics… but the unicorn had a way to block free others. They.. They could fight the creature if they could find it. Ti was not a hero, Ti was not one to rush into battle… but when it was a creature that would come for her anyway.. Why not?

Ikori remained silent. Just carefully but firmly and gently holding the faerie. He said absolutely nothing to the unicorn or to Ti. At least for a long while Ikori was silent, the dog couldn't understand it though. Why would someone, or something, attack the faeries? A frown on his lips, confusion in his eyes and a light whine left his throat before he spoke. "But..Why...Why such a thing have to happen?" His voice was a soft whisper and he glanced at the unicorn for a moment then his eyes were on Ti. As if she had all the answers. "...I could understand it, if humans did such a thing. Humans are cruel..." Still his voice was a whisper and he let the sentence trail off.