Orin did not say much more to them as they traveled onward that day. When they finally halted under a cloudless night, he found some large tree roots to huddle in and fell asleep. Shawna was sitting across the clearing and staring at his sleeping form. With her chin in her hand, her mind drifted towards thoughts of Orin: his eyes, his fit body, his dark hair, and how Jarred didn’t even compare. She didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there ruminating about his features until something came up behind her.
“Geez!” She jumped when the velvet nose touched her arm. “How can you be so quiet? Your feet are so huge.”
“Now my feet are huge as well?” said Mira. “You are too kind.”
“So, where’s this second realm?” she asked quickly.
She didn’t want to hear what Mira had to say, afraid it might be something bad about Orin. She so enjoyed looking at him, intact.
“The realm lies within a mountain valley between two columns that appear as twin trees to unseeing wanderers. I am confident we will find the second realm soon.” She turned her head towards the shrouded mountain range where no stars were visible. “Hopefully in time.”
“Why do we have to go to these places anyway? Why not just go to the last one?”
“The other four are meant to guide one to Lesath’s realm, my realm. It cannot be found without first passing through the four. That’s why I’m afraid if that sorcerer discovers it…” She let her thought drift away.
Sparkle, hanging upside down from a branch, stirred behind his wings, then continued sleeping.
“If it’s your realm,” said Shawna, “why don’t you know where it is?”
Mira inhaled and exhaled deeply before answering. “The realms were shielded, or closed, against your kind forever. However, by staying here, I did not realize I would never be able to return to my own realm.”
“Why did you stay?”
“For you. I believed you could help us.”
Shawna glanced away and picked at some moss on the rock. She wanted to ask more about her role in everything, but found she was too scared to ask, so she changed the subject. “If the realms were closed, how’d you find Kryos?”
“The unicorns created all the realms, long ago. But my own realm is completely hidden from my sight.” Her head lowered a little as if weighed by this reality. “If I don’t know where it is, then no one will be able to find it and destroy it.”
Shawna’s heart skipped a beat at the word destroy. So, she wasn’t the only one being hunted by the molochs, then. “But how did that man, the sorcerer, find Kryos?”
One of Mira’s ears swiveled backwards. “That, Shawna, is a thought that truly frightens me, and something I’d rather not discuss right now.”
She heard the finality and anger in Mira’s tone, so she didn’t pursue the mystery. “Okay, so, if we go to the other four realms then we’ll be able to find yours, right? And Lesath?”
Mira nodded her head. It was such a human gesture that Shawna still found it very amusing when done by a unicorn. She bit back a grin and said, “And I’m the only one that can help you find the last realm? Why?”
“It seems you are, whether you want to accept it or not. As to why,” Mira shrugged her head to her neck. “We all have our paths, and this is yours.”
At that statement, Shawna suddenly felt backed against a wall, and it must have shown on her face.
“No, no,” laughed Mira. “Do not look at me like that. Now, there’s actually a more pressing matter I wish to talk about with you.”
“More pressing?” Shawna nearly shouted before lowering her voice. “What could be more pressing than me supposedly saving us all? I mean, me? Are you kidding? What can I do?!”
Mira whickered in amusement. “As far as I can see, you have faced fear with courage for those you cared about.” She shook her mane. “You may be stupid sometimes,” Shawna crossed her arms. “But sometimes bravery requires a little stupidity. I am not worried, nor should you be.”
She gave Mira a look of I don’t care if you’re a unicorn,
I’m going to smack you.
“However,” said Mira, still smiling with her eyes. “I would like an apology” Shawna raised an eyebrow and corner of her lip at this. “My feet are not huge, nor is my head.” Mira arched her neck and snorted pompously. Shawna’s mouth twitched then broke into a smile.
“Sorry, you’re, um, very pretty.”
Mira stood regally in the moonlight. “Yes, I know.” Shawna smirked at her act. “For a horse with a stick in its head.”
Mira whickered, then shook her mane. “Now.” She lowered her nose. “Let me see that necklace of yours.”
Shawna glanced down at it, touching it with her fingers. “One of the stones changed after we left the Monoliths. Why did it do that?”
“It changes?” Mira said, staring at the necklace, transfixed.
“What? What’s wrong?”
Mira swished her tail then said, more to herself than to Shawna, “She did it. Even though Adhara had possession of this necklace.”
Shawna scrambled to her feet, grabbing the necklace, her breath catching in her chest. “Wait, Capella got this from her?” Immediately repulsed by the tainted thing around her neck, she let it go as if it had burned her. “Is this how she’s following us?!”
She was about to rip the leather strap from her throat, fling it into the woods, and make a run for it, but where to she had no idea.
“No,” said Mira. “Unless she had the same stone, she could not follow their energy.”
Shawna tried to lift the necklace from her throat, but the sapphire stone flared bright as day and scorched her hand like flame.
“Ow!” she screeched, releasing it and trying uselessly to shy away from the stone.
“What was that?” Lula yelled, flying over from her tree branch.
Everyone else had awoken to the bright flash and Antares growled, ready to attack something. Sparkle kept snoring.
“What happened?” Shawna gasped, gingerly allowing the now cool gem to touch her skin again.
“The sapphires have already fastened to you,” said Mira in awe. “They cannot be removed until either the fifth realm is found, or they are passed willingly with good intention to another. Do not be afraid,” she said, for Shawna was gaping like she’d just signed her soul away to eternal torment. Mira stamped her hoof, very pleased by this affirmation. Shawna felt like yet another noose had been forced around her neck.
“Well, that’s nice,” said Lula, yawning and fluttering back to her perch. “Next time don’t wake me unless it’s about Shawna saving the world, or something.” She paused on her branch and cocked her head. “Oh, wait.”
She then gave a wide grin in return to Shawna’s smirk before she flitted back to her bed of leaves to sleep. Antares grumbled under his breath, lashed his tail, and loped off to find a more secluded spot away from annoyances.
“What were you saying earlier?” Shawna said, turning to Mira. “You said ‘she did it.’ You mean Capella got it from my…from Adhara? How?”
“I don’t know. It’s not important right now. We have the sapphires, and that’s all that matters.” Before Shawna could say anything else, Mira turned and abruptly walked away, clearly unwilling to discuss anything more.
No one noticed Orin under his fur blanket, watching them in the moonlight.