Fall, 1392

It had been a full season since Prince Sfelewi returned alone to Mwelian Forest, battered and mutilated and exhausted from his tribulations, mourning the loss of his guardian and friend Telsaeli. Queen Eefewei asked little. But within days all of the humans around Mwelian Forest, woodcutters, farmers, hunters, foresters, and travelers, were dead. The queen’s anger was still not sated, and packs of unicorns were sent on raids of neighboring human settlements, killing anyone who dared bear the tripod mark of the Miscabbards.

Still it was the Prince himself, unsteady and still somewhat weak, who came up with the plan to strike back at the heart of the devastating beast, suddenly appearing before the queen on a moonlit night a few weeks later.

#Mother, by your leave, I would like to raise a force to help the dragons destroy the Miscabbards.# Sfelewi stated as he approached and politely bowed before his mother. #I heard from the pixies that the Children of the Mourning Dragon have found the Miscabbard’s cursed city, but were captured and are to be publicly sacrificed. They saved my life, and I will help free them, and together we will destroy the cultists. This our opportunity to do so.#

The blindingly white unicorn queen slowly descended from the umbrella of willow leaves and went over to tenderly nuzzle her son on his forehead.

#The dragons are capable of nothing but destruction, Sfelewi. They are a wildfire and they will consume everything in their paths. All the races that were brought into the Great War, bled themselves dry. We have already lost so much-you have already lost so much-and it is best for us to hunker down and await the storm to pass yet again.#

Prince Sfelewi shook his head defiantly. He looked up to his mother with a blaze of fire in his eyes that he had never displayed before.

#You are a wise ruler mother, but our people were simply lucky to avoid the slaughter of that war. How long can that hold? We are the Guardians of the Forest. Fire is sometimes needed for growth, is it not? We need to nurture what is good for it, and fight what is destroying it. The Miscabbards will continue to destroy our forests. They are the greatest threat to the us since the Great War. Let us cultivate what will work best for us, and concern ourselves when it doesn’t.#

Queen Eefewei sighed, quietly hugging her son's head in her chest, but finally nodded.

#You are still young, and still have much to learn. But I will not be able to change your opinion, my child, I can see that. Go then, may the nurturing earth guide you.#

The prince bowed deeply. #I will do you proud, mother.#

#One way or another, we are part of the nurturing earth.# Came the reply. #Go.#

***

The call went out to the other assemblies for this deep raid. Unicorn herds all over Auxia had been decimated by the Miscabbard Negres and so there were eager volunteers. Soon two dozen unicorns had assembled under Prince Sfelewi’s command at Mwelian, with more coming in daily. As unicorns were mostly solitary creatures, with a population of about a thousand and unable to fly across hundreds of miles of hostile lands, the size of this force was unprecedented in recent memory.

Queen Mog, whose people had kept the intelligence of the goings of the cultists and dragons to his mother, was also contacted: while the pixies-with the exception of the goblins-were not known for their martial vigor, their scouting, poison and healing abilities were unrivaled. To the prince’s surprise the fey peoples were also outfitting an expeditionary force, and after a round of messages transmitted by the birds, a few weeks later the two forces met at Eildon at the transition zone between upper woodlands atop the basalt canyons and the lower fen forests.

The Queen of the Pixies was a diminutive, brass-skinned humanoid wrapped in what appeared to be gigantic leaves, with the eyes of an old soul peering from under a crystalline crown. Seemingly alone, she politely nodded as the unicorn prince approached with his war party.

#Welcome, Prince Sfelewi of Mwelian Forest.#

The unicorn knelt on his forelegs. #I bid you welcome as well, Mog, Queen of the Fairies.#

#Rise. I hope you are well, my prince. I heard about your unfortunate experiences and you have my condolences.#

#Yes well. My experiences did teach me about the wider world, and how to act. Namely, when darkness appears, one must focus and cast it out into the light, lest its tendrils extend and choke out all else. Now things will be tougher. But one must also find friends and allies, and work with them for the greater good.#

The queen nodded. #Well spoken, my young prince. We work with our friends to deal with crises. The dragons are our friends, though they do not yet know it. Your people are also our friends, and I come bearing gifts for my hoofed brethren.#

The queen beckoned, and some of her people suddenly appeared from the shadows and came forward, bearing large wooden plates.

#These are Ironwood armor to protect your people when fighting the human death cult. The Wood Folk may use their skill and dexterity, but us fey folk use our magicks. The wood has been boiled with lye and burnt sulfur, then compressed so that its strength rivals those of human metals. We have also added protective charms on them.#

Prince Sfelewi tested one set of armor that was brought up to him. The wooden slat armor was easy to slip into, yet seemed to form a tight, body-hugging coat once it was equipped. After strapping his helm on by bending his head over the plant-based bindings the unicorn prince raised his new helm and scanned the new equipment atop his body. He looked impressive, if he could say so himself.

#Nice. How do you know how protective they are?#

Instead of answering, the Fey queen suddenly pulled out three jadeite darts, and threw them like a striking snake. One dart bounced off the prince’s helm, the other deflected off his breastplate, and the third zipped past him to shatter through a small boulder besides him. As the other unicorns neighed and reared up in shock at the attack, Prince Sfelewi calmed them with a firm grunt.

As his people calmed down, the unicorn leader bowed again to the Fey Queen. #Impressive. I thank you for these gifts.#

#My people are not great fighters, but they can certainly help those who are. Your people unfortunately will probably be facing the cultists directly in battle.#

The prince smiled. #Good. Because killing the human cultists are the reason we are here.#

The queen bowed her head, and suddenly disappeared into the vegetation, along with all of her people. Her voice though continued to echo among the rocks. #There are others as well. My friend Smeasfe leads a force of goblins. And that half-Trasgu named Gren is leading a large force of humans: friends of the dragon, mercenaries, various opponents of the cultists. Together, along with the prisoners, we just might stand a chance.#

As the other unicorns finished donning on their new armor, Prince Sfelewi reared up and neighed, an act soon taken up by the others under his command. The cliffs came alive with the display of power from sleek muscular stallions and mares. A force to be reckoned with.

#Let us go to Kavi then, and show these cultists the nurturing Earth is not a meek victim to be dominated by the humans!# The young prince neighed to everyone in the area. #Let us show that she is a dangerous foe to underestimate! Let us remind these cultists why they once feared the Wilds!#

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Queen - We Will Rock You

Courtesty of  TheDinosaurMann!

Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45278579/