Princess Cari Publove Sky Arc Final Part

The crystal Skeleton Army

Cari, Scar, Ryo, the Chronicler and Oran all decided to stay another month. Mainly to get their thoughts strait and to boost morale. They knew that they needed this break and they all decided to take it. They could feel that the air was getting colder and colder and they knew why.. They knew that most likely once they touch down on the left side they would be at the dawn of winter.

“Do they have Christmas?” Scar asked.

“So they have that celebration in your world and time too.” the Chronicler stated. Scar smirked slightly.

They then climbed into the carriage and then they flew off and down to the final stretch of their journey in the skies of Publove and it was the floating island, and the Kingdom of Rowark. The first thing that they noticed was how quite the place was, even the children were as silent as the grave. They spotted that even the birds in the sky and the animals on the land were all mute, however they all had terror in their eyes, almost as if they knew that they all had to keep as quiet as possible.

With the silence the black wood and white or light brown gravel cottages all seemed to become just that much more creepy. Even the candle lit rooms added to the shivers that were racing down their spines. It was like they all had walked into a ghost town.

They walked around as they spotted that the cottages were all inhabited, however, they all had residence that were all knitting or reading and even eating without a sound.

“Is there a spell on them that keeps them quiet?” asked Oran.

“No...but-”

They all looked at them with such horror in their eyes that, for a moment, they thought that the villagers were afraid of them. But they all placed their fingers to their lips, that told them that they were afraid for them.

“Why should we do that?” Oran asked.

Soon the children ran to their parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles or whatever adult was in the room and berried themselves into them. They even heard them whimpering slightly, but doing their best not to make a sound.

That was when they heard the distant sound of a tingling noise. They looked to the horizon to see that there were several sparkles dotted, but very rapid. They then heart the sound coming closer and they soon spotted that there were several crystals moving but as they came closer and closer they spotted that, to their horror they were an army of crystal skeletons!

Quickly they all drew their weapons and Cari fired arrow after arrow, but they were still marching on. Ryo flicked the blade of his scythe and ran and just as the army reached the group they morphed their hands into scythes and raised them like a praying mantis. Ryo swung at their arms and dislodged them. He then smiled and flung off their heads.

“Look out!” shouted Scar as she drew her blade, to her surprise it was easier this time.

Ryo looked at the arms that he hands just dislodged and they just came back and reattached themselves to the rest of the body quickly followed by the head. They then came running towards him and was about to his him when Scar blocked their attack and drew it away. She then drew it in and then ran into them like the blade was dragging her.

The blade was dragging her, Ryo had to remind himself as he drew his attention elsewhere. He then mowed down and broke apart several crystal spines but they then came back together.

That was when the unicorns got involved. They all bowed their heads like a rhino and, charged at the army, keeping their heads down. They then raised it and then rose up and hit a few with their hooves. They then shot out a small beam out to the each crystal skeleton and when they hit they all tuned to dust. Scar looked at Oran and she her, nodding to demonstrate that they knew what the other was thinking they ran to the nearest unicorn and Scar jumped on the back of hers and Oran was pushed up by the Chronicler. They then placed their hands onto their backs.

“Horn of my unicorn, give your power to this one!” they cried and soon the beams of light that those unicorns became so powerful that the army was nothing but ash.

“So which unicorn do we need now?”

“Brenigh.” the Chronicler said.

“Here. By the way I think that you all should keep quiet, after all there's another fight coming.” he told them telepathically.

They all looked at each-other and nodded. They all climbed on the back of the unicorn and was at a wooden structure at the mouth of what looked like a very black cave. They even heard a slight ting inside. They were all about to get off but Brenigh shook his head.

“Scar, Oran I think that it is best that you two stay on my back. Meanwhile the rest of you pair up with a unicorn of your own. You will need to and you shall thank me for it later.” he told them. “Me and my rider went in there in hope that we could free the slave miners but we got separated and he was struck down by one of the crystal skeletons.”

“Cari, I think that you shall be with me.” said Yamkuro.

“I will be with Ryo.” Shighron stepped beside him.

“And I shall be with...the Chronicler.” said Nighron.

“And I shall be beside you.” said Manura. “After all, you do need to save your power for until we find that crystal.

Benigh nodded but with the look of destain. He gestured that the other unicorns go first and Menura to go behind him. They all clopped in and then they saw them, men, women and even children chipping away at the coal. Their faces were so blackened by the soot that you could hardly tell what their true skin shade was. They were so thin that they were shaking as they hit the coal off.

That was when they spotted a young girl, she could be no older than nine fall down at the floor as her body convulsed in uncontrollable spasms. This caught sight of one of the crystal skeletons. Which ran up to her and turned its' hand into a crystal whip. He then brought down the whip but the child did not even let a single whimper as her back became a mixture of soot and blood!

Cari, Ryo, Scar and Oran widened their eyes in shock at this brutality. The Chronicler however looked at the poor child with nothing but pity but there was a shame-filled look on her face as she touched her scar. She looked up at Brenigh and nodded. She picked up each one and put them all on each unicorn and set off before they could do anything. Her and Nighron stayed behind.

She had better be thinking of helping them. Cari thought as they galloped. Cari looked back and spotted that the crystal skeletons were running after them! The next thing that she spotted that the Chronicler was carrying the small child over to Nighron. She understood what her plan was now. She smiled slightly out of relief as she turned back.

“Got any ideas on how to make it harder for them to chase us?” Cari asked Yamkuro.

He smirked.

“Say 'crystal facti cinis' and fire an arrow.” he said. She looked behind and aimed her crossbow at the closest crystal.

“Crystal facti cinis!” she shouted at the top of her lungs and fired.

The arrow hit the skeleton. It looked down and looked up mockingly but then the arrow lit up and exploded and all around became ash. Then others replaced the ones that were now ash. Cari could feel pain in her arm but she ignored it and fired another shot.

“Crystal facti cinis!” she called again and again the army became ash. But then her arm from the shoulder to half way down her forearm burst out. She knew that she could not continue for the next time that she did it, she knew would loose consciousness. So she had to stop.

Ryo looked at his half-sister with great concern.

“Can I do that?” he asked.

“Yes, but it is not advisable, after all you will need to get up and close.” he said.

“Can you?”

“Sure.”

“Then why don't you?” he asked.

“Because I find it difficult to aim and gallop at the same time.” he admitted.

“The try.” he said.

Shighron looked back and bowed his head.

“Crystal facti cinis!” he shouted but when the beam came from his horn it missed but hit another.

Scar spotted what they were doing and placed her hand on the back of Manora.

“Horn of my unicorn, give your power to this one!” she called. “Destroy those things.”

Manora looked back and shouted, “Crystal facti cinis!” and her beam hit many until the closest three waves of skeletons were all ash. She then pulled back and soon they were at the black void-like final dark crystal.

Both girls placed their hands on Brenigh.

“Horn of my unicorn give your power to this one!” they shouted and soon the most powerful beam flew out of the horn and the crystal was no more.

When they returned the Chronicler and the slaves were gone. They all galloped to the village, where everyone was getting medical attention. Ryo carried Cari over to the nearest doctor and as he attended to her wound a small white ball of ice rested itself on it. Tbay looked up to see the dark amber clouds eclipsing the sky. Winter had come.