Laranki slowed down his pace a little. He had to run, fast, away from the Ark, for fear of being seen by the group of humans that were beside the Ark. Laranki had no fear of Noah, nor his family, for God had instructed both himself and his wife to make their way to the Ark and they where to know that Noah and his family were friends to all animals and that they would give the unicorns sanctuary when the great flood came.
The sun burned hot, even in Laranki’s eyes, and on two occasions he had almost stumbled and fell to the ground.
Injury to himself he could not and should not be risking at this time.
He headed back toward his temporary home. A home made from rocks and crags that served as a refuge for himself, and his wife, to hide in this barbaric land. It was so much harder to exist here than in the plentiful forests that he and his wife had once dwelt within.
It seemed so long ago that they had last had plentiful water, abundant fruit, and vegetables! They had travelled far to reach this place, which seemed so barbaric and barren and lacking in water.
Laranki was angry with himself! On two separate occasions now, he had set out to give word to Noah, of both his and his wives decision.
The decision that they had made together, the decision that was ‘to not accept the safety offered by the Ark.’
Laranki felt that he could have told Noah this time, had the crowd of humans not appeared at that particular moment. He could not have waited around in case any of the humans had caught sight of him. Unicorns were not safe from the cruel desires of the humans. Humans, as a rule, were to be avoided at every possible occasion.
Laranki had a great dislike of humans and wished that he, and his wife, had never had to make the journey to this place but, they where chosen by God, and they would do his bidding.
The thought of humans bolstered his speed a little. It was best that he kept his pace up until he was at least lost amongst the rocky hills and slopes. In the desert, it would be easy for him to be seen but the rocks and slopes that he was headed toward gave him, and his wife, some protection from the prying eyes of the dreaded humans.
He began to wonder if Soreecilor was alright? He had left her for longer than he had wished to and he cursed himself for being away so long and for failing in his task of speaking with Noah.
Suddenly, he was brought from his reverie by the sight of a motionless lizard, lying directly in his path, its eyes locked onto some insect, some possible meal.
Laranki reared as he tried to swerve to avoid the lizard. The lizard in turn, suddenly realizing the immediate danger to itself, tried to scuttle away. In instinctively running, it ran almost directly below the pounding hoofs of the unicorn.
The two, in trying to avoid an accident, had created one. The lizard took a glancing blow to the side of its small head.
Laranki ground to a halt, sending a choking swirl of dust into the air around him, as he turned to look back at the lizard. The unfortunate lizard lay upon its back. One of its back legs twitched as it attempted to turn itself over, to get its fragile underside away from the deadly rays of the sun. It struggled in vain! There had been too much damage dealt to the poor creature.
Laranki could see a small amount of blood around the lizards face. A dark patch had already spread out onto the sand.
A deep breath sighed out of Laranki.
The lizard’s eyes where turned upon him. He could not understand the lizard but he could understand the eyes. The pain… The fear...
Even as Laranki watched, he saw that a solitary insect had found its way to the lizard and he realised, if one were to find its way here then there would surely be others to follow.
In his mind he had wished he had not tried to avoid the lizard, and that the lizard would have made its own escape.
Laranki stared deep into the eyes of the lizard as he recalled the words that God had spoken to himself, and to his wife, and to all living creatures. “The end of all flesh is before me...” and, hearing these words again, Laranki realized that the lizard would now be saved from a greater, even more, terrifying fate.
Insects, gathering around the dieing lizard, had now begun to feast.
In a reflex action, Laranki brought up his great hoof and brought it crashing down upon the lizards head. Bone snapped and life rushed away. The insects feast would now be painless for the lizard.
It is better this way, little one, than for you to endure the vicious bites of the insects tearing away at your very life. Laranki thought to himself, wondering as he did so, if it really was true. The buzzing seemed to rise in pitch as Laranki turned and began to walk away. Sadness and pity hung over him like the cloud that would come to destroy the earth.
Laranki quickened his pace and soon, through necessity, thoughts of the unfortunate lizard where forgotten as his mind returned to the attentions of his wife. He was nearing the place where he had left her and so he slowed his pace, looking around for any sign of the evil humans. He could not see any but he knew that did not mean that they were not there.
His eyes were scouring the nearby hills and rocks as he moved onward, toward them. His eyes tried to pierce the very rocks as he sought to see through them, to see his wife and know that she was well.
He was beginning to fear for her safety. He should not have left her. He cursed himself now. He began to race a little onward, his energies returned and his tiredness forgotten. A dust cloud raced along behind him in the places where he ran across bare sand between the rocky outcrops. He was a small tornado weaving his way amidst the rocks and stones.
He should have stayed with his wife. There was no need to tell Noah that we would not be turning up to seek sanctuary upon the Ark. He thought to himself. By just not turning up Noah would have realised.
Laranki approached the last of the small dry pools of desert sand and began to climb amongst the rocky slopes that littered the craggy rocks that were ahead of him. His great throat ached for a long drink of cooling water. He was feeling weak. He knew that he had stood for far too long in the piercing heat as he had tried to gain Noah’s attention.
Up and over the sand covered rocks he made his way, past the odd scrub bush and, at one point, past an abandoned wheel from one of the wooden carriages that where so often used in the desert by the humans from the villages. Laranki cleared a small ridge and cantered down a well-worn trail into a small, flat clearing amidst the rocks. The trail was abundant with the soft, white, silky sand that Laranki detested so much. It was awkward to move through and it slowed him greatly and used up his already depleted energy.
As he reached the near centre of the clearing, his senses alerted him to some kind of danger. He stopped, his nostrils drawing in the air and trying to determine any recognisable scent.
He stood as quietly as possible, allowing any scents to make them-selves known to him and, somewhere amongst those scent’s he recognised the one that he feared the most. His skin began to crawl and there was panic and fear caressing his bones as he drew himself an image about what those scents told him. There were humans nearby.
A strange sound came to his ears. His mind, immediately recalled visions of what had happened two days earlier, when he and Soreecilor had been chased by a pack of humans. Luckily, the humans had given up their chase when they had, for Laranki and Soreecilor could not had of kept up their own pace for much longer.
With the demise of the humans’ efforts to catch them, they had slowed their pace and gone on for as long as they could, so they could place as much distance between themselves and the humans.
They had kept on going until, in the end, Soreecilor herself had all but collapsed. It had been so much harder for her, for she was with child. Laranki knew that the child could arrive in this world at any time, suddenly and without warning! A child whom they would love so much that they would not be able to gain their refuge upon the Ark. For it had been made clear that only two of each species may enter the sanctuary of the Ark.
They had continued their journey through the mountains, towards the Ark, in the hope that they might find a land of plenty where they, and their child, could spend a few simple days together. There was no land of plenty on this side of the mountain ranges.
They had gone on in search of any shelter that they may find away from hungry human eyes. Away from hungry human wants. If they had of known sooner that Soreecilor was with child then they would have returned to their forests. But now, it was too late to go back.
If they attempted to go back through the mountains there was the chance that the child would be born on the return journey and, if that should happen while they crossed the mountain ranges, then there would be little or no food for Soreecilor, himself and the new born! They had to remain where they were and take their chances when the floods came.
He recalled the tired face of his wife as she had urged him to keep going. She had been urging him! She was so brave. Laranki’s heart filled with pride as he admired the heart within his wife.
Laranki stood still! There was still the faint scent of humans in the air but he had to get back to his wife. His eyes rested upon an insignificant looking darkness, a shadow caused by the overhanging of a great rock creeping out from the cliff face at which he stared. His nostrils twitched and he breathed deeply as he tried to determine, by scent, what exactly was lurking in that shadow.
As he recognized the scent, a whimpering cry emitted from the shadow and forced a frantic run from Laranki’s tired legs as he raced toward the source. He ran forward, forsaking any immediate danger, hurrying toward the shadowed area.
He should not have left Soreecilor. He cursed himself, again. If the human trophy hunters where there then he had no choice but to try to save his beloved Soreecilor.
Even before he reached the shade and saw his wife, and saw that she was alone, he heard her whimpering cries of, “Laranki! Laranki!” as she called for him.
He pulled up beside her and could she that she was in great pain. “What is wrong, wife?” he questioned her, when he was sure that there were no humans nearby.
“Time! It is time!” replied Soreecilor; her breathing was deep and guttural.
Laranki looked, dumbfounded, upon her, not understanding the hidden message in her painful reply.
“The baby! It is time for the baby!” she said, stating the obvious that Laranki had not seen, due to his concern about marauding humans. Her eyes fixed upon his as she saw him struggle to take in this information. He stood there, shocked, unsure as to what he must do. His wife leaned completely over on her side. She was hot, very hot and very tired.
“Water...” she said, feebly.
In his helplessness, Laranki was grateful to have been gave a task to do. Something to do that he felt he could cope with. Then she continued, “I must stand. Help me, Laranki.”
Laranki nuzzled and nudged his wife, encouraging her to stand.
With the task accomplished, Laranki looked into her deep, dark eyes. He could see the pain she was in and, looking even deeper into her eyes, he could see the love she was in.
“I need water,” Soreecilor said, “just a little. It will help me and the child.”
“I’ll be back,” said Laranki, as he leaned forward to lick his wife’s face. He lapped around both her eyes and the tip of her mouth. The look in her face showed him the urgency of the request. “Stay here,” he said, immediately feeling stupid for issuing such an order. For where, on Earth, could she go in her present condition? He raced off, back across the clearing, through the silky white sand and over the rocks.
A little while later he approached the two large shaped rocks that told him that the water hole was now not far. It was because of this water hole that he and his wife had decided to camp in this area.
The lush land from which they had journeyed had plenty of water… this land however, did not.
They had travelled here to climb aboard the Ark. The Ark and the sanctuary it offered.
That, though, was before they had discovered that Soreecilor was expecting a child. They could not board the Ark with a child and they could not leave their child behind. Fate had played a cruel, twisted blow upon them. After so many years of wanting a child of their own, their dearest wish had finally been granted. There had been hope of a bright new future until the humans had ruined it all. The humans had ruined everything for every single living creature upon the face of the Earth.
Had they have been able to reach the Ark before the child was born then things may have been different but his wife had not been able to complete the journey. The imminent birth had forced them to stop and they could not continue until the child was born. And then, there would be three of them, and only two of them would be permitted to obtain the safety of the Ark.
The three of them could not all be granted permission to go aboard the Ark, and that is what they expected.
Laranki and Soreecilor had decided that the three of them would spend as much time together as was possible before the Earth was finally destroyed by the will of God. It was such a sad time for two loving parents who wanted a child of their own so very much, to have to bring that child into a world that was going to end.
He also hoped, secretly, that there would be some kind of intervention. He hoped for an intervention that would allow the three of them to attain the safety that the Ark offered. Laranki hoped, as he believed Soreecilor hoped, and could find no pain through hoping.
As Laranki was thinking about these things, he had slowly and cautiously, made his way toward the water hole. The waterhole was a very dangerous place and one had to be extremely careful when one sought to use it.
Laranki’s greatest fear was that the water hole would not be empty. His greatest fear was realised.
There were two humans there and, with them, were two of Laranki’s cousins. These cousins did not have horns upon their heads and had been captured and used by the humans for generations.
He could not wait, he ran toward the precious water hoping that he would be too quick for them.
Reaching the water in a flurry of sand he began to drink greedily at the life giving liquid. Huge gulps flowed down his parched throat; the coolness of the water was a beauty unto itself in this arid land.
He drank fast, ready to bolt at the first rock thrown at him. He drank but no rocks came! No rocks had been hurled toward him and, his thirst sated, and his mouth filled with as much water as he could carry, he raised his head and turned to leave.
Two humans confronted him. He could smell the sweat coming from their ragged robes.
“Here boy!” said one of the humans, making small moving gestures with their arms as they moved toward him, slowly.
Laranki stood silent and still for a moment, allowing the humans to advance. Menacing smiles showed upon their faces as they looked at each other and back at Laranki. He could clearly detect the repulsive smell of the humans. He could almost smell the hatred that the humans tried to hide behind their evil smiles.
As they approached to within two body lengths Laranki suddenly bolted. Running first toward one and, as that human turned to avoid his charge, he altered direction and ran toward the second, causing him to aim wildly with the rock he held in his dirty sweaty hand. He charged with his great head down, knowing that the humans not only regarded his horn as a great prize but, also, as a great weapon to be feared.
He swerved again, turning to make his breakaway, when a huge rock caught his left, rear flank and a searing, burning pain shot through him. He realised that there had been another human at the water hole. He knew that he had not seen this other human when he had first arrived at the water hole.
Suddenly, this third human was before him, leaping from behind another boulder, another rock already in his hand. Because of his closeness, Laranki reared in surprise, smashing out with his hoofs, and caught this human a blow to the side of the head. In the never-ending grief of the desert, Laranki heard the crunch of bone smashing. The human fell to the sand in agony.
The sudden screams and yells from around him spurred Laranki to make his escape. Plunging his head into the water, he gulped a fresh mouthful of the precious liquid, and then quickly he turned and began to race away.
One human had to leap from his path as they made their way to where the injured human lay.
It was reckless of Laranki to have tried to get more water but, unsurprisingly, it was so very much required by his wife. And he knew, that just a small drop was enough to make all the difference in this violent, overheated land.
He ran! But not in the direction from which he had first approached this place.
Instead, he headed out into the desert, leading the humans the wrong way in case they chose to follow him, as he was sure that they would! The yells faded into the distance and, if he knew the humans, they would have to tend to the injured one before giving chase, unless they chose to treat the injured human as he had treated the injured lizard! They would be greatly angered if the human died.
Laranki hoped that he was not dead and that they would stay and look after him. It would give him and his wife more time. More time for Soreecilor to have the child and more time for them to get away from this area.
Hundreds of body lengths into the desert and Laranki changed direction. Hundreds of body lengths more and then he changed direction again. This changing direction went on until he felt that he laid a long trail that would keep the humans busy for a time and, hopefully, the desert winds would hide his tracks so that the humans had no idea in which he had finally gone.
The trail would lead the humans away from his wife.
After much frantic running, and changing direction, Laranki made his own way back amidst and into the rocks so as his prints were lost. Then, with his mouth still holding the precious water, he raced as fast as his tired body would allow, returning him to his beloved wife.
Eventually, his tired and aching body half-ran, half-stumbled, into the clearing! And, with shock filled eyes, Laranki could see two humans, the smell of which he recognized, making their way toward the shaded overhang in which his wife was hiding from both predators and the gruelling heat of the sun.
Anger flared through his nostrils and hatred pierced through his brain.
Laranki could not believe it! The scene before him was the scene that he had tried to avoid by laying a trail into the desert, but the clever, evil humans had not followed that trail. No, they had followed the trail of his approach to the water. They had guessed that there had been another unicorn, for unicorns were seldom seen alone, they were known to travel in pairs. They had been clever and had back-tracked and they had found Soreecilor, lying trapped and helpless, easy to capture.
With his disbelieving eyes, Laranki watched as the two humans slowly made their approach toward the shaded overhang.
Laranki charged as best as he could across the clearing. The soft sand and the clenched, water filled mouth ensured his charge was a silent one.
The two humans were so intent on the prize that they expected to gain that their eyes remained constantly fixed upon the female unicorn.
As Laranki reached the first human, a piercing scream broke the stillness of the hot desert air as Laranki’s horn pierced the back of the human. His horn drove in deep at the base of the human’s spine.
Dark fluid burst upon Laranki’s face. He startled, his mouth opened and the precious water fell to the sand. This was another provocation added to his already venting anger. He swung his great head, wildly and madly, trying to throw the human off. The human body had now gone limp and swung like a heavy sack. Then, with a sickening, gurgling sound, the pathetic body slid to the sand.
Laranki had to shake his great head to try to get the humans blood from his eyes.
A pain lashed across Laranki’s neck as the other human threw a large rock. With the burning pain wracking his neck Laranki threw his head at the sand. Back and forth, he swung his great head, the sand drying and clotting the running blood of the human.
Another rock hit him and, jerking his head up, he spun around and ran a little way off… hopefully out of reach of the human.
No, another stone crashed upon him.
His leg almost buckled as the stone impacted, fiercely, against his body. The remaining human was becoming confident. He was running forward throwing stones wildly, hoping that one was going to strike lucky and knock the unicorn senseless, and when that happened then the evil human would move in to make a final kill and then, after that, Soreecilor would be at the human’s mercy, or rather, lack of mercy.
Laranki could not run away for he had more than himself to protect, he could not keep trying to move out of range of the human for, if he did, the human would surely turn his full attention toward Soreecilor. Perhaps the human only wanted Laranki to run away and leave him with the prize of the other unicorn horn, the one that belonged to his wife, Soreecilor.
Perhaps he thought that the unicorn could run away.
Laranki was tired and this small war had to be finished quickly for soon he would tire and that would leave himself and his wife at the mercy of the human, which was no mercy at all.
The human came running forward with Laranki moving backwards trying to keep a safe distance, and trying to keep his eye on the human. If he lost sight of the human, he knew his death would be imminent. The human could climb to safety in the higher rocks and still bombard Laranki from a place of safety.
Laranki turned his back to the human and ran a little way away.
The humans shouting, screaming voice invaded his senses. Laranki stopped, turned, and began to run toward the human. He ran hard and he ran fast. He ran with a maddening anger coursing through his veins.
The human went silent as he tried to comprehend what it was the unicorn was doing. ‘Unicorns were timid animals! Why was this one not running away?’ The human began to back away as he, unbelievingly, watched the determined, advancing unicorn!
Even more horror filled the humans face as the unicorn lowered his head. The human tried to push out with his hands as if he might be able to stop the charging beast. His eyes bulged in terror and a mighty gasp raced from the human’s lungs as the great horn, which he had desired so much, rammed its way past his shaking arms into the flesh of his stomach.
A scream rang out from the human, a scream that seemed to shake the very mountains around them.
The human stood, his body slumped against the unicorn’s neck. The unicorn had stopped his charge and remained standing with the human still embedded upon his horn. He felt the human stir and was fully aware that the human could do no more harm to him. Laranki stood still, breathing heavy, his head and neck supporting the wretched body of the human.
He felt the human’s hands push at him, trying to force himself back to a standing position, trying to remove his body from the unicorn’s horn.
Laranki felt the human slide from his horn and, as the human came free, Laranki lifted his head and gazed into the eyes of the human. The human, his hands clutched to his stomach trying to stem the flow of blood, looked back into the eyes of the unicorn.
Laranki sensed that the fear and hatred had left the human. Laranki stood there staring back at the human and, in those dark eyes, Laranki felt he could almost see a hint of intelligence.
The human tried to open his mouth to speak but could not manage to make a sound. The human raised one of his hands and examined the blood that ran along his arm and fingers.
The human studied his arm for a moment and then looked back into the eyes of the unicorn. Slowly, the human crumpled to one side and fell to the sand, lying upon his back, and his eyes remaining fixed upon the unicorn. Blood ran from the human’s mouth and tears ran from his eyes. The air was still. Not even an insect had yet sensed the blood, and attempted to make their determined approach.
Laranki moved forward. The scared eyes widened and the human tried to raise an arm to fend off another blow.
He was dieing, Laranki knew this, and he raised a mighty hoof to bring down upon the human’s head, to release him from his agony, as he had done for the lizard.
Laranki stopped and lowered his hoof to the sand, thinking ‘That is the thing I would do for someone who I did not wish to suffer!’
Laranki turned and walked away from the human. ‘Let the insects feast! And let the human live through that feast for as long as possible.'
In the silence, he walked toward the shadowed area beneath the rocky outcrop, and toward his wife.
He thought about God, and why God was destroying the earth and all those who dwelt upon it! And of his own son, or daughter, who would die because of the ways of the evil humans. ‘Let the human suffer.’
He arrived at Soreecilor’s side, glad to be out of the glare of the sun. Her distress had been heightened by the events that she had witnessed.
“You are hurt!” she cried as he approached her.
“It is nothing! How do you feel, wife?” ask Laranki.
“Time is very near.” Soreecilor said and Laranki could feel the nervous tones in her voice.
“I will return for water,” he said.
“No, there is no time. I want you here with me,” said Soreecilor, and Laranki knew by her voice that her wishes could not be argued with and, knowing that he needed rest and would not be able to make the journey for a while, he nodded to indicate that he would stay with her.
Laranki became aware of the pain in his body. The blows from the rocks were beginning to make themselves felt! His wife licked at his face as he bent down to lick at hers. He knew that she would not enjoy the taste of human blood but perhaps she may derive some moisture from it.
He sank to the sandy floor beside her, the tiredness creeping in on him. He could hear and feel her heavy breathing. He was wondering if the heavy breathing was his own, as a silent darkness descended over him, and, with his wife gently repeating his name over, and over, he fell into a deep pit of relaxation.
He felt proud for having fought bravely. He knew that she would be proud of him as he fell deep into his sleep. A sleep troubled by dreams. He had dreams of himself trying to reach Noah and his Ark, but his success was constantly thwarted by a great wave of water... a wave that would come and wash the Ark away, leaving him behind to face the wrath of the rising waters. He dreamt his troubled dreams over, and over, and when at last he awoke, he was very proud again.
He was proud not of himself, but of his wife, for she had bestowed upon him a son!