General Story Synopsis (=fancy word for samenvatting):
Mythical creatures exist since the beginning of time, but most have gone into hiding or have gone back to the source of magic in modern times. As humans grew from cavemen to more civilized beings and made large cities, they pushed mythical creatures back into the wilderness. To humans, mythical creatures were dangerous; like wolves. Humans saw mythical creatures as something to be feared or something to be exploited.
Then, at the height of the Dark Ages (circa 1300 AC) humans and mythical creatures clashed - resulting in a war. Knights took up arms against dragons and so-called monsters, such as chimeras. Sailors trapped sirens and displayed them at carnivals. Clergymen sought to burn faeries as witches. Thus, dragons returned to the source of magic, sirens migrated in masse to the deep of the sea, faeries hid their whole continent in a parallel dimension.
And then, unicorns (the oldest among all mythical creatures); some returned to the source of magic, some hid in the sea and some followed the faery. But... some unicorns decided to stay... in a different way. It wouldn't be fair to say humans won the war. It would be more accurate to say mythical creatures abandoned the war and chose life away from humans.
Mythical creatures exist since the beginning of time, but most have gone into hiding or have gone back to the source of magic in modern times. As humans grew from cavemen to more civilized beings and made large cities, they pushed mythical creatures back into the wilderness. To humans, mythical creatures were dangerous; like wolves. Humans saw mythical creatures as something to be feared or something to be exploited.
Then, at the height of the Dark Ages (circa 1300 AC) humans and mythical creatures clashed - resulting in a war. Knights took up arms against dragons and so-called monsters, such as chimeras. Sailors trapped sirens and displayed them at carnivals. Clergymen sought to burn faeries as witches. Thus, dragons returned to the source of magic, sirens migrated in masse to the deep of the sea, faeries hid their whole continent in a parallel dimension.
And then, unicorns (the oldest among all mythical creatures); some returned to the source of magic, some hid in the sea and some followed the faery. But... some unicorns decided to stay... in a different way. It wouldn't be fair to say humans won the war. It would be more accurate to say mythical creatures abandoned the war and chose life away from humans.
The World of Stargazer outline:
Your outlook on the world pretty much depends on who you are and where you live.
1. For humans, the world is modern and magic does not exist. However, every now and then, there are unexplained phenomenon. The ghost story at that old house, the guardian angel that saves a child from a car accident, people that go missing and never return. Humans are so focused on their daily life and materials that they don't realize magic still exists.
2. For mythical creatures, depending on what kind of creature you are, the modern world is a gift or a curse.
3. Unicorns were one of the mythical creatures that suffered the most when humans turned against them. They are the oldest of magic and existed along with humans since the beginning. Until, a human saw a unicorn purify water with their horn. The human, figured that the magic lives in the horn (also known as alicorn) and decided he wanted to own it. So, the first unicorn was killed at the hands of a human. The horn lost all magic once the unicorn lay dead, but the human was convinced it still possessed magic. Word spread fast and within no time, unicorns were hunted by humans for the magic of their alicorn. As if the threat of humans wasn't enough, there is also trouble between unicorn clans. But we'll get to that when the time comes.
Your outlook on the world pretty much depends on who you are and where you live.
1. For humans, the world is modern and magic does not exist. However, every now and then, there are unexplained phenomenon. The ghost story at that old house, the guardian angel that saves a child from a car accident, people that go missing and never return. Humans are so focused on their daily life and materials that they don't realize magic still exists.
2. For mythical creatures, depending on what kind of creature you are, the modern world is a gift or a curse.
- Most faeries have settled in their hidden continent, called Tír na nÓg. Some faeries find it fascinating and stay to feed of human virtues or sins. For example, a faery that loves healing hides her true self and becomes a nurse. For these faeries you could say it is more of a curse to live among humans. Yes, they know the joy of healing, but they experience the sadness of death too. Humans are very fragile in comparison and faeries who love humans, find much sadness when they die. A faery that loves gold, finds that living among humans is more of a gift. They tend to become a successful casino owner and they find joy in humans that gamble. It doesn't trouble them that humans lose more than win. There is always a steady stream of humans willing to gamble their riches away. Thus, the love for gold, money and power is well-fed. Note: Faery are blessed with unusual long lives. Their choice to live within human society goes largely unnoticed because they assume different identities as time goes by.
- Dragons have mostly left for the source of magic, deep within the planet's core. Here most of them slumber in what feels like eternal sleep. Truth be known, dragons are not really living. They are simply waiting for their time to end. Only a few chose to step away from slumber and come back to the Earth's surface. These very few have mastered the human form. They are very secretive and are very seldom seen or heard of. They know better than to let on that they are here. Too many of their kind has been slaughtered by humans and they are bitter about it.
- Sirens or mermaids live in the deep sea and no longer concern themselves with the modern world. They are even more rare than dragons nowadays.
3. Unicorns were one of the mythical creatures that suffered the most when humans turned against them. They are the oldest of magic and existed along with humans since the beginning. Until, a human saw a unicorn purify water with their horn. The human, figured that the magic lives in the horn (also known as alicorn) and decided he wanted to own it. So, the first unicorn was killed at the hands of a human. The horn lost all magic once the unicorn lay dead, but the human was convinced it still possessed magic. Word spread fast and within no time, unicorns were hunted by humans for the magic of their alicorn. As if the threat of humans wasn't enough, there is also trouble between unicorn clans. But we'll get to that when the time comes.
Every story needs a beginning, middle and an end:
Since I have wanted to write Stargazer for years, I have different stories of her. However, for webtoon I would like to try this setup. It is based on a study in literature by Professor Joseph Campbell. He studied mythology from all over the world and spotted a pattern. He laid out the story that is common to all stories of heroes and villains, everywhere in the world. many great movies like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and even Harry Potter are based on this pattern.
So, these are the different stages of the story as follows:
1.) Status quo (we meet Stargazer in her current home culture & we meet Adrian Holm)
Izar (=means "star" in Basque) Stargazer, goes through modern life looking like a normal college student that travels the world on exchange student programs. Her papers say she is born and raised in the South of France, she is 19 years old and she has mastered many languages from her travels. She studies art history and spends much of her time in museums.
When we meet her she is attending the university of Copenhagen, Denmark. She has applied for an internship at the Castle of Rosenborg in Copenhagen, but they have declined her. They already have another intern, so she needs to wait. She's been waiting for six months. She may need to wait another three months.
Adrian Holm attends the same university. He's a normal human, he is 20 years of age and in his senior year of literature studies. He wants to become a literature professor. To help him finance his studies, he is part-time barista in the coffeeshop of the Castle of Rosenborg. At the coffeeshop he serves people that work at the Castle, tourists and local students that study at the university. So, technically, he sees Izar almost every day when she visits the coffeeshop. Izar has made it a habit to go there to study. Adrian is a nice guy with a great sense of responsibility. He wants to inspire others to learn more about literature and how it can help them in their daily lives. People who work at the Castle like him a lot and often stop by to talk to him.
Playing cupid for Izar and Adrian will be Dari Olsen. She is a bubbly, funny girl studying in the same class as Izar. She helped Izar get a room in her study dorm, when Izar first got to Denmark. And she has been stuck to her like glue ever since. She was going to be an artist. But she had trouble thinking up new art, so she started to study so she can work in a museum restoring art. She thinks Izar is a little too serious and needs to loosen up. Perhaps a guy would do the trick. However, Izar never wants to go to a nightclub. So, the next logical step seems to hook her up with a guy she sees daily = Adrian Holm. But... Adrian is a little dense and doesn't realize Dari's plan. He's mostly oblivious to her attempts to hook them up. Needless to say, Dari is not too successful and Izar and Adrian are perfectly ignorant to all love attempts.
2.) Call to adventure
Izar is biding her time in Denmark. There is a reason she is there and she is being patient with the internship. She doesn't mind how long it takes. Well, actually she minds, but she doesn't want to admit it. She enjoys living among humans. One night she finally agrees to go to a nightclub with her friend Dari. The nightclub is so loud, noisy and packed with people, she doesn't really enjoy it. So, she tells Dari she is going home and she'll see her tomorrow.
On her way home, Izar walks past the Castle and stares at it. Then a naughty idea strikes her. It is almost full moon. Perhaps in three more nights it will be full moon and her powers will be at a high. Even though it isn't full moon...
Certainly a little look can't hurt? She starts to walk towards the Castle.
Adrian having is a all-nighter at the coffeeshop. He's making a thesis for his study. Since he's friends with the Castle guards and the Castle manager he is allowed to stay till very late going through their books. It is a little after midnight when he hears a sound he has never heard before. He leaves the library to check it out. The sound is coming from the Throne Room. When he steps into the room, he doesn't know what he's seeing. There is a black unicorn standing in the middle of the room. Moonlight shines on her from the glass dome ceilings. But she isn't looking at him. She is looking at the Throne Chair. Or, better said, at the three silver lions (statues that guard the Chair) that stand in front of the Chair.
Adrian freezes but still she hears him and disappears into the shadows. Adrian isn't sure if he dreamt the whole thing.
The next day, Adrian is looking up information about unicorns but finds very little. It's all about a mythical white horse with a horn on its forehead. He is puzzled. Never did he believe unicorns existed. Let alone a black unicorn. He puts down the book and closes his eyes. He tries to remember more details. Then, he realizes she was watching the Throne Chair.
He pulls up the information about the Throne Chair. According to legend, the Throne Chair is made of the horns of unicorns. It is guarded by three life-size silver lions, based on Biblical references, and was a symbol of the absolute monarchy of the Kingdom. Not sure what to make of this information, Adrian decides to leave it at that.
3.)Crossing the threshold
Izar can't believe how easy it was to get into the Throne Room at the Castle. She was a little clumsy the first time, that is why she was spotted. However, she is sure that by now Adrian has discarded the whole memory as a dream. Izar is determined to try again tonight. It is full moon. All she needs is a few moments to study the Chair up close. She is so close it would be stupid to give up now. She waits for the Castle to go empty and silent for the night. Then, she transforms into her full unicorn form, Stargazer, and slips in. She is careful this time to make no sounds. In the Throne Room, she stands again in front of the Chair. As the full moon reaches it's zenith, it fills the room and touches the silver lions. The guardians sense the unicorn and come to life.
Stargazer bows respectfully and so do the lions. The lions ask why she is here and she explains that she needs to examine the Chair to know for sure if it is really made of unicorn horns. The lions explain that most of the horns are made of narwhal tusks, but that there is one that is a true unicorn horn. They have guarded it all this time from humans.
Suddenly there is a sound in the room and they all turn to see Adrian stumbling in. He is witness to the magic happening in front of him. The lions growl and want to kill him. It all moves so fast, Stargazer is unable to stop three lions from attacking Adrian. They corner him and one of lions makes a scratch on Adrian's leg, thankfully not too deep. But another lion is about to make the kill. Stargazer jumps in between, assuring that he means no harm. He is not like regular humans. He is not consumed by greed or bloodlust. The lions concede. But only if he now helps Stargazer on her quest. Adrian agrees shakily. The lions retreat and allow Stargazer to approach the Chair. Her horn lights up as she examines the horns. One horn lights up in return and she knows that is the unicorn horn. She transforms into her human form and that's a another shock to Adrian. Not only is she human, she is a human he's been seeing every day. Izar tells him not to be too dramatic and promises to explain everything. She removes the unicorn horn from the chair and the lions go back to statue. The only reason they could come to life was because of the magic in the alicorn.
"Come," Izar says to Adrian. "We have to look after your leg and I have to deliver the horn to it's owner."
Izar makes a portal with magic and they go through it. On the other side of the portal is a place known as Tír na nÓg. (This is the Faery continent that has gone into hiding. The name Tír na nÓg means: Land of the Young.)
The faery welcome Izar, but are a little nervous about the new human among them. They help treat his injury on his leg and they offer them to stay the night, but not do anything else before they have spoken to their Queen in the morning.
So, Izar and Adrian are finally alone and she starts explaining that she is not exactly human. (duh) Adrian asks everything he can think of about her and who she is. Yes, unicorns exist. Yes, more mythical creatures exist. I mean, look at the faery who welcomed us. No, not all unicorns are white. In fact, we are a lot like other species on Earth. Some of our cousins look very different from the paintings. Yes, we posses magic. No, we're not crazy rich because of it.
Izar is actually pleased. Adrian is taking all this extremely well, perhaps because the injury he got from the lion. Sometimes, wounds gotten by magical beings give you courage. Who knows, he may be now a hero in the making because of it.
Adrian learns among everything that Izar is a lot older than she looks. She comes from a long line of unicorns. She could be considered royalty among unicorns because her bloodline can be traced to the original Monoceros (one of the first unicorns = there is a star constellation named after him). More of her kind prefer not to live between humans. She is considered reckless for doing so. But she is convinced not all humans are bad, plus there is something she is investigating about the unicorn past. So, she does what she does.
When morning comes, they meet with the Faery Queen who is absolutely delighted to meet Adrian. The Queen thinks it is wonderful that he is going to help Izar with her quest. Adrian isn't even sure he wants to, but has trouble declining her. She talks so much and doesn't let him get a word it. Finally, she insists that he be given a Fae charm so he can contact magic if he ever is in trouble. Feeling that he is uncomfortable with so much attention, Izar steps in and saves Adrian from the chatty Queen. Izar shows the Queen the horn she retrieved from the Chair and the Queen helps to purify it with her magic. Then, Izar invites Adrian to follow her and the Queen to a special place in the faery lands called Sacred Cascades. It is a small valley with many waterfalls. In the meadow, in the grass, Adrian sees many still forms that look like sleeping unicorns. The Queen explains that these are unicorns that have had their horns stolen from them, but the faery managed to save them before they were killed. In the Middle Ages, humans figured that they could lure unicorns with a innocent maiden. The unicorn would lay it's head on the maiden lap, fall asleep and then hunter would drug the unicorn and saw off their horn. The horn would retain its magic as long as the unicorn did not die.
With the horn they purified, Izar locates its rightful owner and when the horn is placed onto the forehead, the unicorn is revived. The faery rejoice as another unicorn is brought back to life. Every unicorn strengthens their magic and helps protect their home. Only Adrian notices that Izar's smile is bittersweet. She is happy to have found another, but sad that there are many more to go. And it is in that moment, that Adrian decides to really help her.
"A celebration is in order," the Faery Queen decides. Adrian looks puzzled at Izar and she shrugs. It can't be helped. That night they feast, drink and Izar talks for a long time with the unicorn. Adrian is pleased to find faery appreciate literature as much as he does. No longer nervous about him, they show him their library and he is amazed to find that some of the best writers in history were good friends to the faery. So, humans and faeries can live together if only they tried.
It's almost dawn when the celebrations finally die down and Izar comes to find Adrian. She allows him to bid goodbye and then makes a portal to guide him back home. "So, what now?" he asks her.
"I could erase all your memories..." Izar considers.
"WHAT?"
"Just kidding, geez... I don't know. I suppose it's up to you," she smiles and walks away. "See you."
4) Road of trails & Approach/Plan
To be honest, Izar doesn't expect much of Adrian. She even thinks he will just go back to his own life. The Fae charm is harmless, if anything it might protect him from now on. Should he tell other people about what happened, no one would believe him anyway. And, she could always claim she saw him drinking too much coffee and making too long hours. So, he could have dreamt the whole thing. Since time works different in the Fae dimension, they didn't even lose a day in Earth. For all people know, he simply went home after work and slept in.
Yeah, she had it all figured out.
Until that afternoon.
Stopping by at the coffeeshop for her regular lunch, with Dari, she is surprised to find Adrian standing in no time next to her table. "Hi," he grins. "I thought a lot about your proposal."
Dari almost has a heart attack. Izar and Adrian hooked up without her knowing? Izar goes pale. Proposal?
"What?" she stammers.
"You know," Adrian smiles innocently. "About that thesis you want to help me write? I think I found all the right materials and books in the castle library. I've decided I would like to write it together with you."
Dari is in the seventh heaven. She pulls up a chair for Adrian and leaves the two of them to "write".
Izar stares after her friend. She'll never hear the end of this now.
But in all seriousness, Adrian has puzzled together what Izar has been doing all this time. She has been single-handedly been tracking all artifacts made of unicorn horns in the world to revive her people. As long as the horn is missing, the unicorn will slumber. More dead than living and she can't bear the idea. So, by looking up where other artifacts can be found around the world, Adrian is proposing a plan to find every last one.
Izar looks over the work he has done so far and is surprised to find his information very accurate. She dismisses a few of the artifacts, because she's already tested them. But the next item she didn't think about. It is the The scepter from the Austrian Crown Jewels. Its handle is composed of narwhal tusk, according to the museum, and surmounted by precious stones. It is currently located in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Izar studies the image. It looks more unicorn than narwhal. "This could be one," she nods.
"Good," Adrian says. "So, when do we go?"
Izar looks at him. "You're really into this?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Alright," she chuckles. "Next full moon. We need to learn all we can about it's location though."
"Very well."
Izar and Adrian spend the next months immersing themselves in history, museums and finding more together than Izar ever dreamt of doing alone. One by one, they find more alicorns and their trips usually end in success. Not only do they find alicorns, they revive more unicorns. Even when the trail of artifacts runs cold, they don't give up. They find more artifacts hidden away in the vaults of museums. Some artifacts never made it to the public eye or in history books, simply because they are too crude. Or, not important enough.
With all this time spent together Izar and Adrian get to know each other pretty well. A friendship forms. Although, it maybe more than friendship for Adrian. He realizes he cares for her and he likes her. Izar is a little too focused on the tasks to realize that she too, has started caring for him. But she'll not have the luxury to deny it for long.
5) Ordeal
It's another full moon. The next destination is the Unicorn Cave. The Unicorn Cave (German: Einhornhöhle) is the largest show cave in central Germany. In 1686 a report was written about it and mentioned the local trade with unicorn artefacts. In those days fossilized bones supposed to be from unicorns were ground and used for making medicine. According to a legend the discovery of the cave was linked to the nearby rock church. In the cave-like rock church it is said that there lived an old and wise woman who helped people in search of advice. One day she was driven away by a monk in a black habit in the company of warriors. A unicorn was supposed to have protected her from her pursuers. The woman joined the witches' community on the Brocken mountain. Thereafter the black monk disappeared into a hole in the ground which led to the discovery of the Unicorn Cave. In fact the cave had been known about since the Stone Age and had never been forgotten.
Adrian and Izar teleport not too far from the cave at night. There is no one nearby and Izar turns into her unicorn form to open the doors. There is no lock that she can't undo with a touch of her alicorn. The doors swing open and Adrian follows her into the cave with a flashlight. They have to go deep, far beyond what tourists see. At last they find a small cave room and something seems to glow within. Under the dirt, they find three horns and all seem genuine alicorns.
Delighted with their find, they search the rest of the cave before they exit it. Three is a good find. They're in high spirits as they get out of the cave and suddenly Izar freezes. There is a familiar scent in the air. All nightlife has stopped making sounds and there is an absolute still. "What is it?" Adrian wonders.
Izar reverts to her unicorn form and steps in front of Adrian. "Trouble."
From the shadows of the woods in front of them steps a white unicorn stallion. He's heavier in build, his eyes glow with malice and snorts. "How dare you? With a human, of all things."
Stargazer slightly bows her head. Not in reverence. But in a defensive stand. "Thoth. What do you want?"
"Rumor has it you've lost your silly mind and you go traipsing around with a pet human now."
"And if the rumor is true, why would you care?"
"Why would I not care?" Thoth shouts. "Have you forgotten what they have done to us? To him?"
Stargazer narrows her eyes. Thoth is having another psychotic episode. To leave without a fight is impossible at this point. Especially since he's seen Adrian. "I've not forgotten." she tries to stall for time.
Adrian senses that the situation may escalate and slowly backs away. Back into the cave. Whatever this is, it is better to be out of sight. His mere presence seems to upset the stallion. It would make no sense to aggravate it more. Stargazer feels Adrian has started to retreat, but Thoth also notices. "Where does he think he goes?" the stallion screams.
He lounges forward to attack at the same time that Stargazer leaps forward. She hits him hard on his shoulder and drives him back, but the unicorn is too frenzied to care. All he sees is the lowly human that needs to die. He gathers magic in his horn and aims at Adrian. Stargazer pushes again against him and manages to make him miss. The energy blast hits away from the cave. Thoth turns on her, enraged and their horns clash, causing sparks with each strike. Although Thoth is heavier and has more strength, his rage makes him sloppy. Stargazer's calm calculations help drive him back and away from the cave. She may have earned a few injuries taking him on like this, but she's gaining ground on him.
That is until he notices what she is doing. Fresh anger makes him gather energy again. This time the energy blast hits the cave entrance and it collapses on itself. Trapping Adrian inside. Stargazer gasps. No! She's unable to tell if he is safe. Thoth thinks he's killed the human, so he turns his full attention on her. To his mind, he has to punish the traitor of his kind now.
Whether she likes it or not, Stargazer has to deliver the fight of her life.
Inside the cave Adrian is fine, but unable to tell what is happening outside. Desperately he starts digging and removing debris from the entrance of the cave. But progress is slow. By the time he manages to make an exit, he is unsure how much time has passed. To him it feels like an eternity. In truth, no more than half an hour. Once outside, he looks around. Thoth is gone. He sees a dark form on the ground. He hurries next to it and finds Stargazer. Barely conscious with deep slashes on her shoulders and neck. Adrian kneels next to her and strokes her face gently. "Izar, please wake up."
The black unicorn opens her eyes, sees him and sighs. Then she uses the last of her magic to revert to human form but is unable to fully awaken. Not sure what to do next, Adrian embraces her body and calls for help with the Fae charm given to him so long ago. The Fae Queen herself responds by teleporting them to the safety of Tír na nÓg.
The faery come immediately to their aid. The Queen asks: "What happened?"
Adrian shakes his head. "We were attacked by a unicorn called Thoth."
The Queen pales. "Thoth did this?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Thoth is the crown prince to rule the White Unicorns. This is a declaration of war on humans, on Stargazer and on her clan. From here on, there is no going back."
Season one finale -
Whaahahahahhaha! (that is my evil genius laugh)
But this is what I kinda have planned for the first season.
Lemme know what you think :)
Since I have wanted to write Stargazer for years, I have different stories of her. However, for webtoon I would like to try this setup. It is based on a study in literature by Professor Joseph Campbell. He studied mythology from all over the world and spotted a pattern. He laid out the story that is common to all stories of heroes and villains, everywhere in the world. many great movies like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and even Harry Potter are based on this pattern.
So, these are the different stages of the story as follows:
1.) Status quo (we meet Stargazer in her current home culture & we meet Adrian Holm)
Izar (=means "star" in Basque) Stargazer, goes through modern life looking like a normal college student that travels the world on exchange student programs. Her papers say she is born and raised in the South of France, she is 19 years old and she has mastered many languages from her travels. She studies art history and spends much of her time in museums.
When we meet her she is attending the university of Copenhagen, Denmark. She has applied for an internship at the Castle of Rosenborg in Copenhagen, but they have declined her. They already have another intern, so she needs to wait. She's been waiting for six months. She may need to wait another three months.
Adrian Holm attends the same university. He's a normal human, he is 20 years of age and in his senior year of literature studies. He wants to become a literature professor. To help him finance his studies, he is part-time barista in the coffeeshop of the Castle of Rosenborg. At the coffeeshop he serves people that work at the Castle, tourists and local students that study at the university. So, technically, he sees Izar almost every day when she visits the coffeeshop. Izar has made it a habit to go there to study. Adrian is a nice guy with a great sense of responsibility. He wants to inspire others to learn more about literature and how it can help them in their daily lives. People who work at the Castle like him a lot and often stop by to talk to him.
Playing cupid for Izar and Adrian will be Dari Olsen. She is a bubbly, funny girl studying in the same class as Izar. She helped Izar get a room in her study dorm, when Izar first got to Denmark. And she has been stuck to her like glue ever since. She was going to be an artist. But she had trouble thinking up new art, so she started to study so she can work in a museum restoring art. She thinks Izar is a little too serious and needs to loosen up. Perhaps a guy would do the trick. However, Izar never wants to go to a nightclub. So, the next logical step seems to hook her up with a guy she sees daily = Adrian Holm. But... Adrian is a little dense and doesn't realize Dari's plan. He's mostly oblivious to her attempts to hook them up. Needless to say, Dari is not too successful and Izar and Adrian are perfectly ignorant to all love attempts.
2.) Call to adventure
Izar is biding her time in Denmark. There is a reason she is there and she is being patient with the internship. She doesn't mind how long it takes. Well, actually she minds, but she doesn't want to admit it. She enjoys living among humans. One night she finally agrees to go to a nightclub with her friend Dari. The nightclub is so loud, noisy and packed with people, she doesn't really enjoy it. So, she tells Dari she is going home and she'll see her tomorrow.
On her way home, Izar walks past the Castle and stares at it. Then a naughty idea strikes her. It is almost full moon. Perhaps in three more nights it will be full moon and her powers will be at a high. Even though it isn't full moon...
Certainly a little look can't hurt? She starts to walk towards the Castle.
Adrian having is a all-nighter at the coffeeshop. He's making a thesis for his study. Since he's friends with the Castle guards and the Castle manager he is allowed to stay till very late going through their books. It is a little after midnight when he hears a sound he has never heard before. He leaves the library to check it out. The sound is coming from the Throne Room. When he steps into the room, he doesn't know what he's seeing. There is a black unicorn standing in the middle of the room. Moonlight shines on her from the glass dome ceilings. But she isn't looking at him. She is looking at the Throne Chair. Or, better said, at the three silver lions (statues that guard the Chair) that stand in front of the Chair.
Adrian freezes but still she hears him and disappears into the shadows. Adrian isn't sure if he dreamt the whole thing.
The next day, Adrian is looking up information about unicorns but finds very little. It's all about a mythical white horse with a horn on its forehead. He is puzzled. Never did he believe unicorns existed. Let alone a black unicorn. He puts down the book and closes his eyes. He tries to remember more details. Then, he realizes she was watching the Throne Chair.
He pulls up the information about the Throne Chair. According to legend, the Throne Chair is made of the horns of unicorns. It is guarded by three life-size silver lions, based on Biblical references, and was a symbol of the absolute monarchy of the Kingdom. Not sure what to make of this information, Adrian decides to leave it at that.
3.)Crossing the threshold
Izar can't believe how easy it was to get into the Throne Room at the Castle. She was a little clumsy the first time, that is why she was spotted. However, she is sure that by now Adrian has discarded the whole memory as a dream. Izar is determined to try again tonight. It is full moon. All she needs is a few moments to study the Chair up close. She is so close it would be stupid to give up now. She waits for the Castle to go empty and silent for the night. Then, she transforms into her full unicorn form, Stargazer, and slips in. She is careful this time to make no sounds. In the Throne Room, she stands again in front of the Chair. As the full moon reaches it's zenith, it fills the room and touches the silver lions. The guardians sense the unicorn and come to life.
Stargazer bows respectfully and so do the lions. The lions ask why she is here and she explains that she needs to examine the Chair to know for sure if it is really made of unicorn horns. The lions explain that most of the horns are made of narwhal tusks, but that there is one that is a true unicorn horn. They have guarded it all this time from humans.
Suddenly there is a sound in the room and they all turn to see Adrian stumbling in. He is witness to the magic happening in front of him. The lions growl and want to kill him. It all moves so fast, Stargazer is unable to stop three lions from attacking Adrian. They corner him and one of lions makes a scratch on Adrian's leg, thankfully not too deep. But another lion is about to make the kill. Stargazer jumps in between, assuring that he means no harm. He is not like regular humans. He is not consumed by greed or bloodlust. The lions concede. But only if he now helps Stargazer on her quest. Adrian agrees shakily. The lions retreat and allow Stargazer to approach the Chair. Her horn lights up as she examines the horns. One horn lights up in return and she knows that is the unicorn horn. She transforms into her human form and that's a another shock to Adrian. Not only is she human, she is a human he's been seeing every day. Izar tells him not to be too dramatic and promises to explain everything. She removes the unicorn horn from the chair and the lions go back to statue. The only reason they could come to life was because of the magic in the alicorn.
"Come," Izar says to Adrian. "We have to look after your leg and I have to deliver the horn to it's owner."
Izar makes a portal with magic and they go through it. On the other side of the portal is a place known as Tír na nÓg. (This is the Faery continent that has gone into hiding. The name Tír na nÓg means: Land of the Young.)
The faery welcome Izar, but are a little nervous about the new human among them. They help treat his injury on his leg and they offer them to stay the night, but not do anything else before they have spoken to their Queen in the morning.
So, Izar and Adrian are finally alone and she starts explaining that she is not exactly human. (duh) Adrian asks everything he can think of about her and who she is. Yes, unicorns exist. Yes, more mythical creatures exist. I mean, look at the faery who welcomed us. No, not all unicorns are white. In fact, we are a lot like other species on Earth. Some of our cousins look very different from the paintings. Yes, we posses magic. No, we're not crazy rich because of it.
Izar is actually pleased. Adrian is taking all this extremely well, perhaps because the injury he got from the lion. Sometimes, wounds gotten by magical beings give you courage. Who knows, he may be now a hero in the making because of it.
Adrian learns among everything that Izar is a lot older than she looks. She comes from a long line of unicorns. She could be considered royalty among unicorns because her bloodline can be traced to the original Monoceros (one of the first unicorns = there is a star constellation named after him). More of her kind prefer not to live between humans. She is considered reckless for doing so. But she is convinced not all humans are bad, plus there is something she is investigating about the unicorn past. So, she does what she does.
When morning comes, they meet with the Faery Queen who is absolutely delighted to meet Adrian. The Queen thinks it is wonderful that he is going to help Izar with her quest. Adrian isn't even sure he wants to, but has trouble declining her. She talks so much and doesn't let him get a word it. Finally, she insists that he be given a Fae charm so he can contact magic if he ever is in trouble. Feeling that he is uncomfortable with so much attention, Izar steps in and saves Adrian from the chatty Queen. Izar shows the Queen the horn she retrieved from the Chair and the Queen helps to purify it with her magic. Then, Izar invites Adrian to follow her and the Queen to a special place in the faery lands called Sacred Cascades. It is a small valley with many waterfalls. In the meadow, in the grass, Adrian sees many still forms that look like sleeping unicorns. The Queen explains that these are unicorns that have had their horns stolen from them, but the faery managed to save them before they were killed. In the Middle Ages, humans figured that they could lure unicorns with a innocent maiden. The unicorn would lay it's head on the maiden lap, fall asleep and then hunter would drug the unicorn and saw off their horn. The horn would retain its magic as long as the unicorn did not die.
With the horn they purified, Izar locates its rightful owner and when the horn is placed onto the forehead, the unicorn is revived. The faery rejoice as another unicorn is brought back to life. Every unicorn strengthens their magic and helps protect their home. Only Adrian notices that Izar's smile is bittersweet. She is happy to have found another, but sad that there are many more to go. And it is in that moment, that Adrian decides to really help her.
"A celebration is in order," the Faery Queen decides. Adrian looks puzzled at Izar and she shrugs. It can't be helped. That night they feast, drink and Izar talks for a long time with the unicorn. Adrian is pleased to find faery appreciate literature as much as he does. No longer nervous about him, they show him their library and he is amazed to find that some of the best writers in history were good friends to the faery. So, humans and faeries can live together if only they tried.
It's almost dawn when the celebrations finally die down and Izar comes to find Adrian. She allows him to bid goodbye and then makes a portal to guide him back home. "So, what now?" he asks her.
"I could erase all your memories..." Izar considers.
"WHAT?"
"Just kidding, geez... I don't know. I suppose it's up to you," she smiles and walks away. "See you."
4) Road of trails & Approach/Plan
To be honest, Izar doesn't expect much of Adrian. She even thinks he will just go back to his own life. The Fae charm is harmless, if anything it might protect him from now on. Should he tell other people about what happened, no one would believe him anyway. And, she could always claim she saw him drinking too much coffee and making too long hours. So, he could have dreamt the whole thing. Since time works different in the Fae dimension, they didn't even lose a day in Earth. For all people know, he simply went home after work and slept in.
Yeah, she had it all figured out.
Until that afternoon.
Stopping by at the coffeeshop for her regular lunch, with Dari, she is surprised to find Adrian standing in no time next to her table. "Hi," he grins. "I thought a lot about your proposal."
Dari almost has a heart attack. Izar and Adrian hooked up without her knowing? Izar goes pale. Proposal?
"What?" she stammers.
"You know," Adrian smiles innocently. "About that thesis you want to help me write? I think I found all the right materials and books in the castle library. I've decided I would like to write it together with you."
Dari is in the seventh heaven. She pulls up a chair for Adrian and leaves the two of them to "write".
Izar stares after her friend. She'll never hear the end of this now.
But in all seriousness, Adrian has puzzled together what Izar has been doing all this time. She has been single-handedly been tracking all artifacts made of unicorn horns in the world to revive her people. As long as the horn is missing, the unicorn will slumber. More dead than living and she can't bear the idea. So, by looking up where other artifacts can be found around the world, Adrian is proposing a plan to find every last one.
Izar looks over the work he has done so far and is surprised to find his information very accurate. She dismisses a few of the artifacts, because she's already tested them. But the next item she didn't think about. It is the The scepter from the Austrian Crown Jewels. Its handle is composed of narwhal tusk, according to the museum, and surmounted by precious stones. It is currently located in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. Izar studies the image. It looks more unicorn than narwhal. "This could be one," she nods.
"Good," Adrian says. "So, when do we go?"
Izar looks at him. "You're really into this?"
"Sure, why not?"
"Alright," she chuckles. "Next full moon. We need to learn all we can about it's location though."
"Very well."
Izar and Adrian spend the next months immersing themselves in history, museums and finding more together than Izar ever dreamt of doing alone. One by one, they find more alicorns and their trips usually end in success. Not only do they find alicorns, they revive more unicorns. Even when the trail of artifacts runs cold, they don't give up. They find more artifacts hidden away in the vaults of museums. Some artifacts never made it to the public eye or in history books, simply because they are too crude. Or, not important enough.
With all this time spent together Izar and Adrian get to know each other pretty well. A friendship forms. Although, it maybe more than friendship for Adrian. He realizes he cares for her and he likes her. Izar is a little too focused on the tasks to realize that she too, has started caring for him. But she'll not have the luxury to deny it for long.
5) Ordeal
It's another full moon. The next destination is the Unicorn Cave. The Unicorn Cave (German: Einhornhöhle) is the largest show cave in central Germany. In 1686 a report was written about it and mentioned the local trade with unicorn artefacts. In those days fossilized bones supposed to be from unicorns were ground and used for making medicine. According to a legend the discovery of the cave was linked to the nearby rock church. In the cave-like rock church it is said that there lived an old and wise woman who helped people in search of advice. One day she was driven away by a monk in a black habit in the company of warriors. A unicorn was supposed to have protected her from her pursuers. The woman joined the witches' community on the Brocken mountain. Thereafter the black monk disappeared into a hole in the ground which led to the discovery of the Unicorn Cave. In fact the cave had been known about since the Stone Age and had never been forgotten.
Adrian and Izar teleport not too far from the cave at night. There is no one nearby and Izar turns into her unicorn form to open the doors. There is no lock that she can't undo with a touch of her alicorn. The doors swing open and Adrian follows her into the cave with a flashlight. They have to go deep, far beyond what tourists see. At last they find a small cave room and something seems to glow within. Under the dirt, they find three horns and all seem genuine alicorns.
Delighted with their find, they search the rest of the cave before they exit it. Three is a good find. They're in high spirits as they get out of the cave and suddenly Izar freezes. There is a familiar scent in the air. All nightlife has stopped making sounds and there is an absolute still. "What is it?" Adrian wonders.
Izar reverts to her unicorn form and steps in front of Adrian. "Trouble."
From the shadows of the woods in front of them steps a white unicorn stallion. He's heavier in build, his eyes glow with malice and snorts. "How dare you? With a human, of all things."
Stargazer slightly bows her head. Not in reverence. But in a defensive stand. "Thoth. What do you want?"
"Rumor has it you've lost your silly mind and you go traipsing around with a pet human now."
"And if the rumor is true, why would you care?"
"Why would I not care?" Thoth shouts. "Have you forgotten what they have done to us? To him?"
Stargazer narrows her eyes. Thoth is having another psychotic episode. To leave without a fight is impossible at this point. Especially since he's seen Adrian. "I've not forgotten." she tries to stall for time.
Adrian senses that the situation may escalate and slowly backs away. Back into the cave. Whatever this is, it is better to be out of sight. His mere presence seems to upset the stallion. It would make no sense to aggravate it more. Stargazer feels Adrian has started to retreat, but Thoth also notices. "Where does he think he goes?" the stallion screams.
He lounges forward to attack at the same time that Stargazer leaps forward. She hits him hard on his shoulder and drives him back, but the unicorn is too frenzied to care. All he sees is the lowly human that needs to die. He gathers magic in his horn and aims at Adrian. Stargazer pushes again against him and manages to make him miss. The energy blast hits away from the cave. Thoth turns on her, enraged and their horns clash, causing sparks with each strike. Although Thoth is heavier and has more strength, his rage makes him sloppy. Stargazer's calm calculations help drive him back and away from the cave. She may have earned a few injuries taking him on like this, but she's gaining ground on him.
That is until he notices what she is doing. Fresh anger makes him gather energy again. This time the energy blast hits the cave entrance and it collapses on itself. Trapping Adrian inside. Stargazer gasps. No! She's unable to tell if he is safe. Thoth thinks he's killed the human, so he turns his full attention on her. To his mind, he has to punish the traitor of his kind now.
Whether she likes it or not, Stargazer has to deliver the fight of her life.
Inside the cave Adrian is fine, but unable to tell what is happening outside. Desperately he starts digging and removing debris from the entrance of the cave. But progress is slow. By the time he manages to make an exit, he is unsure how much time has passed. To him it feels like an eternity. In truth, no more than half an hour. Once outside, he looks around. Thoth is gone. He sees a dark form on the ground. He hurries next to it and finds Stargazer. Barely conscious with deep slashes on her shoulders and neck. Adrian kneels next to her and strokes her face gently. "Izar, please wake up."
The black unicorn opens her eyes, sees him and sighs. Then she uses the last of her magic to revert to human form but is unable to fully awaken. Not sure what to do next, Adrian embraces her body and calls for help with the Fae charm given to him so long ago. The Fae Queen herself responds by teleporting them to the safety of Tír na nÓg.
The faery come immediately to their aid. The Queen asks: "What happened?"
Adrian shakes his head. "We were attacked by a unicorn called Thoth."
The Queen pales. "Thoth did this?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Thoth is the crown prince to rule the White Unicorns. This is a declaration of war on humans, on Stargazer and on her clan. From here on, there is no going back."
Season one finale -
Whaahahahahhaha! (that is my evil genius laugh)
But this is what I kinda have planned for the first season.
Lemme know what you think :)
For reference: The Throne Room, the Throne Chair and the Austrian Scepter.
For reference: more unicorns!
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All content copyright © Piedritazul