from his own jewel over the silvery object. “Someone sent the unicorns to you.”
“Here?” Adriane asked incredulously.
“This is a very powerful amulet. And it’s been tuned to the unicorn jewel.”
“Gah!” Ozzie hopped with surprise as a unicorn butted him. The colt’s sleek hide was covered with polka-dot spots.
“ I’m Ralfondiz. What are you?”
“Watch it, Ralfie,” the ferret answered.
“Ozzie’s another mage,” Emily explained. “He’s an elf.”
“Are all elves as fuzzy as you?” Ralfie asked, cocking his head.
“No, I’m extra fuzzy!”
“I’m Snowflake. Are you a mistwolf?” a snow-white unicorn asked Dreamer shyly.
Dreamer huffed, turning his left ear to mist.
“Oooo.”
“I’m Calliope.” A beige unicorn with big blue eyes sidled up to Kara. The creature’s hide twinkled as if coated with fairy dust. “My hair is all dirty.” She hung her head.
Kara ran her fingers through Calliope’s tangled silky mane. “Not to worry, a little herbal conditioner and you’ll look amazing!”
The unicorn beamed.
“Thank goodness we’re rescued!” another unicorn exclaimed, tripping over her big feet and falling on Lyra. “ Hi. I’m Electra.”
“Easy there, Electra.” Lyra nudged the lanky unicorn to her feet.
An ominous noise rumbled through the cave, dropping bits of rock and dust.
A little unicorn whimpered against Emily. “ Are the monsters still after us?”
“Violet, you’re such a worry wommel, ” Riannan said, rolling her beautiful dark eyes.
Adriane moved to the cave opening, her wolf stone glowing, warning of imminent danger.
“What attacked you, Violet?” Emily asked.
Violet squeaked and hid her head between her long front legs.
“ Big monsters made out of mist,” a unicorn with a sock marking on each foot told her.
“ I saw better than you, Clio!” another one scoffed. He had a pale blaze on his forehead. “ They were mist monsters.”
“That’s what I just said, Dante!” Clio stamped her hooves.
“Whoever made those creatures has powerful conjuring skills!” Tweek exclaimed.
“Only a magic master could use fairy magic like that.”
“We have to leave this place now,” Adriane said decisively.
“Just get us to our wagon and take us to Dalriada,” Riannan ordered.
“I’m afraid the wagon is gone,” Emily said, understanding now how they came here.
“Well, now what do we do?” Riannan groaned.
A howl of rushing wind echoed eerily in the cavern.
“BLEEEEEEAAAAAHHHH!”
Everyone jumped as a little unicorn blasted a noise like an air horn.
“Spruce, can that honker!” Dante scolded.
“Something bad is coming,” Spruce said, shivering.
A wet, slithering sound echoed down the dark tunnel.
“Of course, a very powerful fairy creature could be using elemental magic. There are some from the Otherworlds capable of it,” Tweek mused.
“How do we fight it?” Adriane asked, looking over her shoulder, down the dark tunnel.
“Fight it? That’s quite impossible. You’re only Level One mages.”
Kara, Adriane, and Emily stared at him.
“I thought we were full mages,” Adriane said slowly.
“How many levels are there?” Emily asked.
“Didn’t you guys read your HORARFM?” Tweek sighed with exasperation. “Handbook of Rules and Regulations For Mages! Your mentor should have given you that.”
“We don’t have a mentor,” Adriane said.
“What?!” Tweek shuddered, shedding a pile of shrub. “You mean to tell me that you’ve been wandering around with magic jewels all by yourselves?”
“Hey, what am I?” Ozzie interjected. “Chopped liver snaps?”
An eerie metallic swishing whispered up the tunnel, getting closer.
Dreamer growled, his hackles standing straight up.
“You won’t leave us, will you, Emily?” Violet asked, trembling against the healer’s side
“Of course not,” Emily said as the unicorns huddled against her and Kara.
“Can’t the unicorns open a portal, Tweek?” Kara
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