The Adventures of the Barbarian . . . and Friends!
__________IV The Prince__________
"Don't be silly."
The barbarian and the Unicorn both turned their attentions simultaneously at the new voice as a fox came trotting casually up to sit before the brute with the un-cursed sword and the mess he'd previously made, "The dwarf wasn't your father. The sword possessed your father's soul which, very obviously, was released when our friendly neighborhood guardian of the forest here de-cursed it." The fox explained rather smugly as his flaming tail curled elegantly around his sable forepaws, and he nodded to the both of them.
The barbarian nodded back at the little fox, pretending to have every idea of what he was talking about as he plucked a few purple berries off a nearby bush and fed the baby bird.
Meanwhile, the lithe ivory beast began to stir. It's cloven hooves danced weightlessly upon the moss, ringlets of sea-foam swaying about its long neck and from beneath it's chin, and in that child-like, soft-spoken voice the unicorn announced, "V-very s-s-sorry . . . Would lo-love to st-stay and ch-ch-ch-chat . . . But a v-v-virgin maid calls. I'm s-sure you will show our g-guest around." The last statement was directed to the fox.
And the fox agknowlaged the suggestion, calling after the frolicking white beast as it disappeared into the twilight woods, "Of coarse, but next time I get to come �talk' to the virgins, too!"
The barbarian looked down at the fox as the mother jay perched on his shoulder to watch over the comfortable and satisfied chick sleeping in the man's cloak collar.
Ignoring the piles of gore littering the large tree nearby, the fox pointed its pointy snout up to the man, regarding him cooly, "Yes, it seems there truly wasn't too much of a curse on you after all, my new friend. And speaking of curses, I suppose you're wondering why a fox is talking to you when none of the other woodland creatures � excluding our enchanted horned beast companion � are speaking. Well, my big barbarian, please come this way, I shall show you some of the more exciting and er�" and here, one of the fox's pointed sable ears slid back as he snubbed the dead dwarves nearby, "� unspoiled parts of the woods. Come along." And with out waiting for an acceptance or denial of the invitation, the fox stood, twirled around on all fours and trotted off under the lilac branches of the dark but fragrant forest, letting his flame like tail sway in his trail.
The barbarian, who hadn't been curious in the least about why the animal was talking but the others weren't, looked at the mother jay on his shoulder and shrugged causing her to flutter off and return to her nest.
So he set off, his large burly form moving between the flowering trees as one huge paw of a hand moved up to shield the baby jay at his chest while he followed the little chattering fox.
"My truest name is Prince Ernil Astaldo of Arandur � no bowing or falling to one knee or other formalities necessary, titles of royalty and birthrights of nobility mean little in a unicorn's forest." the prince/fox explained rather matter-of-factly as they passed under cascades of golden honeysuckle and sleeping morning glories, revealing a still pool of glassy brilliance laced with water lilies and surrounded by a bank of spring soft grass, "As you might obviously guess by my identity, I was not always a fox, no, not a simple woodland creature, but once I was a noble among my people, a ruler of men."
As the Prince explained his story, he would quickly blurt out a description of the places they came upon in a hurried tone so he could continue his own story, "Yes, a Human prince at that � and this is the Magical Mirror of Souls, and if you look into it you shall see yourself for who you truly are, it's often used as tests for epic adventurers on important quests of honour and glory, though personally I've always thought it was just a metaphor . . . " he said as he briefly stoped at its bank.
The barbarian paused as well, curiously looking down at the images in the water. He stared at his muscular, brutish form, his unkept hair, his blank expression and the massive hilt of the man-sized uncursed sword at his back, and at the very unimpressed, unbelieving little normal-woodland-creature-looking fox at his feet who shrugged, "Toldja."
With a tired chirp, the baby jay cuddled up in the barbarian's cloak peaked its little pinfeathery head out to look at what the barbarian was looking at. The vision of flaming blue dominated the waters, wreathed in ashy feathers, a proud and mystical phoenix rearing its curved, black beak and talons.
The prince and the barbarian blinked at the epic vision in the water, dumbfounded, then casually headed off again, and the fox continued his tale as they continued the tour of the forest.
"Anyway, about myself, where was I? Oh yes, a ruler of men, a very envied ruler at that. Of coarse my nobility, though my reign was prosperous and fair, gained me many bitter enemies � all of which were wicked and evil of coarse."
As they walked, following a blue creek up its stream, the barbarian thoughtfully pet the baby jay on the top of its head with one finger as it thankfully chirped at him.
Their wanderings soon brought them to a cascade plummeting down to feed the stream from crystal rocks causing a foam and mist which seemed to sing with the falling of the water and radiate a feeling of relaxation.
"One such enemy was especially terrible, a sorcerer from the eastern lands whose great magics and powers of influence were only matched by his greed � And this is the Singing Crystal Cascades where our local nymphs often bathe accompanied, of coarse, by our favourite horned stud � er steed rather." then his sable ears slid back a bit as the prince turned to give the barbarian a knowing look before continuing on, "And sometimes even me, that is, until they realise my mortality. But, back to more important matters, this sorcerer, like everybody else, wished for my throne. So I did like any other brave, devoted and noble ruler would do and I sent my most trusted and truest heros to go dispose of him. But wouldn't you know it! They were all vanquished, most likely devoured by his damned wargs � troublesome beasts � or turned to stone, or into simple demon slaves, or some other horrible fate � And here we have the Enchanted Tree of Knowledge complete with its crystal flowers and golden fruits, a real talking library, though its not too good for snacking unless your up for a coppery sugar coated tongue that lasts a week � so then after my heros don't return, I get word that this guy really plans to take me out. He even comes to my palace, enchants it, puts the whole place to sleep with only one single spell. Luckily I wasn't there when all this was happening � These are the Singing Flowers of Pure Eternal Youth and Beauty, if one is pure and truly innocent of heart, they can drink the nectar of these flowers and gain eternal youth and beauty, those who are not get some overdramatized, unnecessary punishment, though the only ones I know with all of those absurd qualifications are already enchanted, immortal, and beautiful and don't need the flowers, but whatever � I was off riding through the woods at full gallop in search of some wise wandering or hermit elder or someone who could give me the clue of how to vanquish this foe . . . "
As amazingly interested as the barbarian with the baby jay forced himself to be, his attention was momentarily diverted to the ringing sound of wordless song humming through the pastel stand of blossoms just as a butterfly slowed its flight to glide down and fan its star-yellow wings like two shards of stained glass. As its little straw mouth uncurled and its dark legs clutched at the pollen coated heart of the blossom, the entire insect crumbled into a light dust and was carried away by the winds, leaving the barbarian to suddenly question the relevance of some of these bless or punish enchantments.
So as the prince/fox continued his tale, they passed by a dozen or so other enchanted and/or crystalline and/or singing and/or youth, beauty, or wisdom blessing landmarks.
"I never did find such a person, however, and I was soon cornered in a remote hollow. He summoned demons and wargs and I battled them with my family heirloom, pricelessly jewelled, and of coarse, enchanted sword against which his dogs of war were nothing. But his stream of summoned magical allies was endless, simply a distraction � that worked rather well, mind you � to keep me in one place as he prepared his spell casting. The battle was long and fierce, I left the dead in piles as I turned to face new foes which seemed to sprout from the blood of the fallen."
Back to Table of Contents<<<------------->>>Onward to the Next Episode
