Chapter Three: Alnilam

Cesar knew how to get to her. All animals she’s encountered did. All the Masked One had to do was speak her name and ask to be taken to her.

“Take me to Lisa.”

That was all it took. Cesar trudged through the wind and snow to find the Gateway that would bring them to her home planet of Alnilam.

Once through, he could smell a number of scents that was like nothing on Earth. He couldn’t hear much over the howling winds.

Cesar continued to travel through the bad weather, pinning his ears back to keep the snow out. He could feel the Masked One shivering in the saddle and his breathing was becoming ragged. He finally saw something glowing ahead of them, but his depth perception didn’t allow him to figure out how far away it was.

When he could finally see what it was, he heard the Masked One gasp in amazement. She was very young – he could tell she was female by her scent – and had a glowing sphere around her, which seemed to be protecting her from the snow and wind. She could have been a horse, as he was, were it not for the single horn growing on her forehead and the wings folded at her sides.

The unicorn filly trotted to them, whinnying worriedly.

“Who’re you?” she asked, but only Cesar understood her.

“Cesar,” he answered. The Masked One was gasping at the young filly standing before them.

“Impossible…” he commented. “That’s…you’re…”

The filly canted her head to the side and spoke, but this time it was directly in their heads.

My name’s Mistral. Why you out here in th’ snow?

The Masked One gasped. “You speak?”

She laughed. Well, yeah!

“Lisa…” the Masked One said. “I must find Lisa…” Cesar could tell he was getting desperate by the sound of his voice. He had also started to periodically cough. They had to hurry.

“Can you take us to Lisa?” Cesar asked.

Mistral looked from Cesar to the Masked One and back again.

“Can you take me to Lisa?” the Masked One unknowingly echoed.

Lisa? Sure! Wanna be dry an’ warm? She stood next to them and shut her eyes. The glow around her expanded to surround them. All the water dripping off them disappeared and they were suddenly much warmer.

“What did you do?”

Cesar wondered the same thing.

My weather shield. I can make little pockets of no weather. Can put it around me and someone else. She seemed to smile. Cool, eh?

The Masked One didn’t answer. Cesar followed Mistral through the forest until they came to a meadow, and in the middle of the meadow was a house.

End chapter three.

Back *~*~* Chapter Two *~*~* Chapter Four