CHASING UNICORNS
“Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Loki! I got a quest for you!!”
“What’s this fool snickerin’ about…?”
It was a bright, sunny afternoon in the Loki Familia household, and Aiz and the rest of the gang had been relaxing all day when a visitor arrived—Dian Cecht, accompanied by his follower, the silver-haired healer Amid.
“Your familia scammed quite a hefty sum out of mine the other day, so I’m here to pay back the favor!” the old man growled. “You wouldn’t turn down another quest, now, would you?! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
Aiz, Tiona, Lefiya, and Loki gathered in the front garden inside the gates to receive Dian Cecht and Amid. They each turned to Tione—the instigator of this mess—and shot her a deadly glare.
“…Tione.”
“Wh-what?! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
“…Well, let’s hear it, then, old man. I ain’t sayin’ we’ll accept, but whatcha got?”
“Hah! Very well! Amid!”
The two gods sat down at a white table while Amid stepped forward. “Recently, a unicorn has been spotted on the outskirts of Orario,” she began.
Aiz and the other girls were stunned, while Loki, hands clasped behind her head, raised a single eyelid.
Unicorns were a kind of monster, but they were treated more like divine beasts, with beautiful, snow-white coats and a single prized horn. They were counted among the most elusive denizens of the Dungeon, and many upper-class adventurers went their whole lives without seeing one. And of course, locating a unicorn aboveground was a virtually impossible task.
“Several of the city’s adventurers are hunting down this rare monster as we speak. It hardly bears mentioning what they all seek: the horn. We at Dian Cecht Familia would also like to procure this item for our own purposes.”
The horn of a unicorn was said to possess the ability to neutralize any poison. For a group specialized in healing like Dian Cecht Familia, it was a highly coveted item, and even disregarding that, the horn itself fetched an exorbitant price on the market.
“If possible, we would also like to return the unicorn to its habitat alive,” Amid went on.
“…It can’t ever be simple, can it?” remarked Tione with a sigh.
After seeking a new life on the surface, the unicorns had apparently started a new herd deep in the sacred mountains, and Amid very much wished to avoid seeing this fledgling species wiped out.
The proposed quest was shaping up to be a troublesome one, but just as the upper-class adventurers exchanged worried glances, Loki spoke up.
“Sounds fun. Consider me interested.”
Horrified gazes converged on their bigmouthed leader, yet Loki ignored them and went straight to negotiations.
“So what’s in it for us? Do we get a piece of this pie you’re cookin’?”
“Indeed. Should you succeed in obtaining the horn of the unicorn, we shall apportion a share of the material to you.”
“Woohoo! Sounds good to me! Count us in!”
“Hey, wait!”
“Lokiii!”
Loki, something of an aficionado for rare items herself, was quickly consumed by the prospect of adding another to her collection. Tione and Tiona were annoyed she hadn’t consulted them, or any members of the familia, before accepting the proposal, but the goddess wore the boots around here, and that was just how it worked.
Dian Cecht hollered with laughter. “Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! That’s settled, then!”
“So how we gonna do this?” Loki inquired. “Ain’t nobody ever captured a unicorn alive before.”
“It is said that unicorns are attracted to those pure of heart,” Amid explained. “We must exploit that fact.”
“‘Pure of heart,’ ya say? So we gotta put together a party of virgins?”
“‘V-virgins’…?!” repeated Lefiya, her face going bright scarlet.
One old legend claimed that after coming to the surface, a herd of unicorns played with a beautiful spirit girl deep in the forest and formed a connection with her. It was said that ever since then, unicorns were attracted to the pure and chaste—which, in the case of mortals, meant an unspoiled virgin—and could easily be charmed to fall asleep in their arms. Whether or not the legend was true, unicorns did seem to behave this way by all accounts.
“Then these four girls should do the trick,” said Loki. “They might be virgins, but they’re a darn sight more terrifying than any unicorn.”
“And I’ll send my Amid to aid you!” the old god added.
Left out of negotiations as usual, the familia members themselves breathed a collective sigh of dismay.
And so it was decided that the quest for the unicorn would go ahead. As thoughts shifted from the futile task of railing against their fate and toward notions of how it would be done, Lefiya asked her Amazonian associates a question.
“Erm, Ms. Tione, Ms. Tiona? Are you sure you have the necessary…ahem…prerequisites?”
Her cheeks flushed, making Lefiya’s preconceived notions of the Amazon race perfectly clear. Luckily, the two sisters didn’t seem to take offense.
“I am saving myself for the captain,” replied Tione with apparent pride.
“I’ve never done it with any boys or anything,” said Tiona simply.
“I-I see,” said Lefiya, still blushing.
“Amid’s my personal assistant,” said Dian Cecht, “and there’s a mountain of work waiting for her back at home. Which means I have to put a time limit on this quest: three days! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
“Three days…”
Aiz thought of how she could better use that time training or delving deep into the Dungeon, but Tiona noticed her despondent look and hugged her from behind.
“You have to come with us, Aiz!” she said cheerily.
Loki also gave a crafty grin. “Don’t think you’re wriggling your way outta this one, Aiz.”
“…”
And so Aiz was forced to participate as well.
The unicorn sightings mostly centered around a grassy region bordering on the forest at the base of the Beor Mountains, due north of Orario.
It was the day after Loki Familia accepted Dian Cecht’s quest. The previous day had been mostly taken up by paperwork with the Guild—even though the old god had already arranged many things in advance—so it was only now that Aiz and the rest of her unit sallied forth from the north gate, with Amid accompanying them.
“So hey, Amid. How come we can’t just throw a net over it or something?”
“Unicorns are noble creatures,” the healer replied. “If one is trapped, they will rage madly and could very well end up taking their own life.”
Word had apparently gotten around regarding Loki Familia’s interest in the unicorn, because the group found their path barred at every turn by adventurers—hunters seeking the beast’s materials for themselves. However, none of them could slow the team down for very long. Some of the girls even took it upon themselves to flush out the poachers personally, reasoning that the hunters’ very presence jeopardized the mission—which arguably stretched the definition of self-defense.
After wiping out most of the hunters, the group picked up the unicorn’s tracks and followed them into the highlands. As the party crested a hill, Lefiya raised a finger and pointed.
“L-look over there!”
When the others saw what she saw, it took their breath away.
A beautiful coat of white fur, like freshly fallen snow, spanned all the way up its supple legs to the tip of its tail. The single horn sprouting from the crown of its noble head boasted a spiral groove that ran to the tip. Seeing it dash across the plains made it easy to understand why people considered it a divine animal.
The unicorn.
“Wow! I’ve never seen one before!” exclaimed Tiona.
“It’s so beautiful,” muttered Tione. “It’s hard to believe it’s a monster.”
Even the taciturn Aiz widened her eyes at the sight and continued watching the beast for some time.
Upon closer examination, the beast’s white fur was streaked with flecks of blood, and it had clearly met with some hardship at the hands of hunters and their traps. From time to time, it would raise its head and scan the plain, wary of further danger. Aiz and her party observed the beast from a low hill, lying flat on their stomachs so as not to alarm it, while they devised a plan of attack.
“Who’s going first, then?” asked Tiona.
“Hm? Aren’t we all going?” replied Lefiya.
“We can’t do that! If we all go at once, it’ll be too overwhelmed by purity to know who to pick!”
“…I’m not so sure about that,” Amid interjected, “but we may well scare it off. Perhaps Tiona has the right idea; we should send a couple of us and see how things go.”
At Amid’s wise words, the whole group agreed. Tiona eagerly volunteered to be the first test subject, while dragging her reluctant sister along for the ride.
“…So we’re up first …?”
“Let’s make it a game, Sis: Who can charm the unicorn first, you or me?”
The other girls stayed back on the hill for moral support while the twins approached the animal.
“Now that I think about it, how do we even charm a unicorn?” asked Tione.
“That’s obvious!” squealed Tiona as she pranced ahead, leaving her sister behind. “Just pretend it’s a doggy! Good boy! Come here!”
Her sudden appearance startled the beast, but Tiona paid it no heed, spreading her arms and smiling, while beckoning it over. The unicorn studied the girl with eyes like sapphire gems, then seemingly lost interest and turned away.
“I thought for sure that would work…” Tiona moaned. Her elder sister sighed and decided to try for herself.
Taking care not to appear threatening, Tione softly approached the animal. Once at a safe but amicable distance, she pondered how best to proceed before finally breaking the ice with an awkward smile.
The unicorn barely registered her presence before swiftly turning its back.
“Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Tiona burst into uproarious laughter. “Look at that! It didn’t care!”
“That’s basically the same way it treated you!!” Tione angrily protested.
Defeated, the two Hyrute sisters returned to the hill to the consolation of their peers. Next up was Lefiya. She timidly approached, and it looked as if the elf girl might succeed, but as soon as she extended an arm to stroke the beast, the unicorn whinnied and stepped away.
“Eep!”
The girls on the hill emitted disappointed groans as Lefiya trudged dejectedly back to base.
“This is one fussy pony,” said Tiona. “It hasn’t given us a chance at all!”
“It’s not easy training a monster,” reasoned Tione. “That’s why tamers have such difficult jobs.”
“This might take longer than I thought…” said Amid, turning to Aiz with a somewhat apologetic look. “Do you want to try next, Aiz, or shall I?”
“…I’ll give it a go.”
Backed by Tiona’s cheers of encouragement, Aiz stepped down the hill. The unicorn was idly munching grass in the center of the beautiful, green field when its head jerked up at her approach. Staring into the blond-haired girl’s golden eyes, it turned its body and lowered its horn.
Ah, it’s scared.
It’s definitely scared.
It’s so scared…
The creature is frightened.
The four girls on the hill shared similar thoughts. They could almost feel the tension in the air as the unicorn fought valiantly to steady its trembling knees.
Aiz trudged back droopy shouldered, and so Amid was the last to make an attempt.
“…”
Upon reaching the edge of the field where the unicorn was grazing, Amid got an idea and sat down in place. Seated on the grass, she stared over and caught the unicorn’s gaze. When the beast saw this fair-faced, fair-hearted maiden, it took a few uncertain steps before slowly beginning to approach. Everyone on the hill leaned forward in amazement as the white animal settled beside Amid, folded its legs, and laid its large head in her lap.
There under the blue sky, a single unicorn took a gentle repose—a beast of legend and a beautiful maiden at ease in a vast meadow, just like a masterpiece painting from a child’s fairy tale.
Then Amid’s hand went to her waist as she withdrew the knife hidden within the folds of her robe. While the beast rested with its eyes closed, she gingerly brought the blade closer and closer to the coveted horn. Just as it was about to reach, the unicorn’s eyes shot open, and it sprang to its feet, throwing Amid aside before scampering off.
“Amid!” the girls cried, rushing down the hill. “Are you okay?!”
“I-I’m fine, just a little shaken, that’s all…”
Amid glanced at her knife, flung aside in the chaos, and cast repentant eyes after the unicorn.
“It appears that its experience with the hunters has left this animal rather scarred,” she said. “It seems…excessively afraid of people.”
The group glanced toward the unicorn, which had put a great distance between itself and the girls. It gave one last betrayed whinny, then turned and ran away. Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya made defeated faces, while Aiz helped Amid to her feet before turning to stare after the retreating beast.
The group found no luck following the unicorn’s trail that afternoon and spent the entire following day searching in vain. At last, the final day of their imposed time limit arrived.
Brimming with vigor and resolve, the girls headed deep into the forest, following the animal’s trail into the thick foliage at the base of the Beor Mountains.
“Even if we find it,” said Tiona, “do you really think the unicorn is gonna give us another chance? I’m not sure we can take its horn without doing something dramatic. What do you think, Amid?”
“…You may be right.”
Keeping the unicorn alive was Amid’s personal preference and not part of the quest. It was beginning to look as if the healer girl might be forced to set aside her own feelings for the sake of the mission, and the guilt on her face made it clear that the decision was not an easy one.
Before long, the party came upon the unicorn once more, nestled in a clearing beside a cool stream. The creature noticed the girls approaching and watched them warily, leaving them unsure how to proceed.
Suddenly, they heard a voice.
“…I found you.”
“L-Lady Riveria?!”
Lefiya exclaimed in shock as Riveria appeared behind them on horseback. She smoothly dismounted her steed and joined the five girls.
“Riveria,” said Aiz. “Why are you here?”
“Loki sent me,” the high elf responded with mild annoyance. “She said to assist you and ensure the successful completion of your quest.”
It transpired that Loki hadn’t briefed Riveria on what the quest actually was, so Amid explained, and by the end, the high elf seemed taken aback. “Oh, is that all?” she said and began walking over toward the unicorn.
“R-Riveria?” exclaimed Tiona.
At first, the beast was wary, but when it looked into Riveria’s jade-green eyes, it seemed to immediately relax, allowing her to come closer. As the girls watched in total shock, Riveria cradled the animal’s head and brought it to her own cheek.
“We had one of these beautiful creatures back in the high-elf village,” she said as if it was nothing. “I know how to handle them. Don’t worry.”
The girls watched, unable to believe their eyes or ears, as Riveria stroked the beast’s large neck.
“These are a lot friendlier than the brutish monsters you find in the Dungeon,” she added.
Before long, the unicorn was completely at ease in Riveria’s arms. “Is Lady Riveria perhaps some kind of master tamer…?” muttered Lefiya.
“I’m sorry,” said Riveria to the animal, “but could you share your horn with us? We swear we shall not use it for evil.”
To everyone’s surprise, Riveria made no attempt to steal the unicorn’s horn. Instead, she beseeched the beast to give it freely. The creature brayed softly in response before lowering its head in offering.
“A knife, please,” said Riveria, and Amid panicked before stepping forward with a blade.
Meticulous yet gentle, Riveria removed the horn with astonishing swiftness. The quest was complete.
“I shall guide this one back to its herd,” said Riveria as she remounted her horse, borrowed from a merchant in the city. “You girls return home now.”
She set off, unicorn in tow, toward the Alv Mountains. The sound of hoofbeats followed her into the depths of the forest.
The five girls stood silently in shock as the woman departed, having completed the quest in their place. A dry wind swept through the trees, and a somber mood descended upon the group. Each of them shared a sorrowful look before turning and heading back to town.
“Hey, Loki, don’t you think you could have just sent Riveria in the first place?”
The next day after turning in their quest, Tiona confronted Loki when the two of them were home. It didn’t seem fair that five girls had needed to waste three days in pursuit of the unicorn when the high elf could have settled it in a matter of moments.
“Yeah!” agreed Tione.
“Ah, well…you see, I mostly just wanted to see what kinda tomfoolery you’d get up to!”
When the Amazonian twins saw their goddess’s smarmy grin, they were livid. Loki beat a swift retreat while the two girls chased after her. Lefiya smiled awkwardly and, along with Aiz, followed the trio out to the entrance hall—just in time to see Loki apprehended.
At that moment, the door to the mansion opened, and a visitor appeared. She looked down at Loki, saw the two Amazonian girls piled on top of her, and tilted her head.
“Am I disturbing something?” she asked.
“Ms. Amid?” said Lefiya, as she and Aiz stepped over the pile on the floor to greet their guest. “Why have you come?”
“As agreed, I’ve brought the reward for the quest,” Amid answered. Then, smiling, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a bundle wrapped in cloth, and handed it over. As Aiz unwrapped it, she and Lefiya were dumbstruck by the sight.
“I made this from the unicorn’s horn,” Amid explained. “It can turn any poisoned or impotable fluid into clean, drinkable water.”
“It’s beautiful…” gasped Lefiya.
“Oh, what’s this?”
Upon hearing the commotion, Tiona and Tione hopped to their feet and peered into Aiz’s palm. Even Loki stood up and tried to squeeze her head through the crowd.
“Ohh! Now that’s a real beaut!”
It was a snow-white drinking cup, so beautifully carved and engraved with gold and silver lining that not a trace of the horn’s former shape remained. This was the Unicorn’s Cup, an item with the power to cleanse any poison. Aiz gazed at it and smiled warmly.
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