Gold Fire 3

Gold Fire 3 is an encounter in Kingdom Aflame.
==Enemies==
* Thunder Liger (Kingdom Aflame) (200 Gold, 200 XP, 200 Energy, 3 HP)
* Ellsaria the Dawn-Dancer (Kingdom Aflame) (300 Gold, 300 XP, 300 Energy, 1 HP)
==Transcript==
===Introduction===
"We're going to kill a unicorn?" Carmath stared at Crenus, mouth and eyes wide.
"So?" Kimon said.
He bit his lip and cast a sideways glance at the king, still not used to having the ruler of West Kruna sharing their campfire. In truth, Ranlatta doubted any of them were yet.
"I love unicorns!" the sergeant said. "When I was a girl my father carved me one, and my mother told me the story of the unicorn queen. They're magical, beautiful creatures!"
"Ever actually seen one?" Ranlatta asked. "A real one, I mean."
"No... But I always wanted to meet one and... and ride it, and go on adventures, and..."
Symric sniggered. Carmath glowered at him.
"When I was a girl, I mean!"
"I wanted to meet a dragon, when I was a boy," Crenus said.
"I've heard that unicorns are vicious," Ranlatta said.
"Some are," Crenus said. "A good sized unicorn at full charge can put a horn through plate armor and the warrior wearing it."
"I bet there's good eating on a unicorn," Kimon said. "Met a gnome once who said they tasted like rainbows."
"Marzipan. They taste like marzipan."
"You've eaten a unicorn?" Carmath almost shrieked the words, and the nearest Purple Tigers reached for their weapons -- anticipating an assassination attempt.
"No. Rainbows."
"Oh..."
"A fairy delicacy. Anyway, it may not come to killing. I have an idea..."
***
Ellsaria the Dawn-Dancer wasn't troubled when the cries of bird and beast alerted her to their approach. Even before the war, the forest had known more than its fair share of enemies. Avaricious fools came to slay its magical denizens, seeking a fortune in unicorn bones, thunder liger pelts, and other things precious to those who wrought alchemy or sorcery, or else merely wished to deck themselves out in the spoils of the rarest creatures. All had perished to horns, hooves, claws, and teeth.
The conflict had brought fresh dangers. Soldiers and bounty hunters searched for rebels granted sanctuary in the woods, or for Ellsaria herself -- knowing that she'd pledged herself to the banner of the Kasans and the blood of the long-dead hero who remained as famed among her own kind as %he% was amongst men and elves. These foes had died just the same. The forest held beauty, but all of nature's merciless ferocity as well.
So Ellsaria wasn't frightened. If these latest intruders came into her domain, their bodies would feed the predators and nourish the earth.
***
Carmath's downcast face reminded Ranlatta of a sad puppy. But she'd been firm, and told the sergeant that she was to stay with the others -- while the general, Crenus, and Purple Tigers ventured towards the forest. If they had to slay unicorns, she'd rather not traumatize Carmath's inner child with the gory spectacle.
"How do we find her?" Ranlatta asked, when they stood at the edge of the sunlit wood.
"We don't," the king said. "She'll find us."
A growl rumbled amidst the trees.
"That's not a unicorn..." she said.
A huge feline form padded towards them, muscles rippling beneath its dark pelt. The general gulped. And her disquiet didn't diminish one iota when the beast's eyes flashed cyan, and lightning crackled around its paws.
===Conclusion===
The thunder liger pounced. Its body sailed through the air, with grace that seemed impossible from so big and mighty a beast. Electrical energy flashed and sparked around the creature's hide. Purple Tigers scattered, yielding before the fearsome, magnificent animal. It landed and clawed the ground, then turned its head, roaring. Dense muscles tensed -- ready to launch its frame into a fresh attack.
A Tiger darted forward, trying to blindside the creature. The liger's ear twitched. Lightning burst around its body, instinctive defenses ready to shock and destroy.
"Now!" one of the Tigers said.
Another hurled his net. A mesh of weighted chains tangled around the beast, and its electrical energy flashed in one immense discharge, sparking along the magic metal. The liger collapsed, injured and ensnared. It gave a soft moan as its great chest heaved.
"Still breathing," a Tiger said. "He'll-"
The ground rumbled. A white, equine mass exploded through the bushes, hooves pounding the earth. Ellsaria's horn gleamed like a blade in the sunlight. Ranlatta had never imagined a unicorn roaring, but this one did -- a bloodcurdling sound that made the primitive parts of her brain yearn to flee. The Dawn-Dancer was coming right for her. Ellsaria lowered her horn, aiming it like a lance. Now it was Ranlatta's turn to roar. She didn't know if it was a battle cry or a shriek of terror. Perhaps both.
Lassos flew on both sides of her vision. One of the thick, knotted loops bounced off the unicorn's alabaster hide. But another fell around her neck. Then another. Purple Tigers tugged on them, bracing themselves, putting all their strength against Ellsaria's throat. The unicorn cried out. She thrashed and struggled, and the Tigers' boots scraped the dirt as they tried to keep their grip on the ropes. Ellsaria spun round, putting her hindquarters to Ranlatta, facing her other foes.
The general dived forward, dodged a blind kick from the creature's hoof, and wrapped her arms around the leg. She yanked at it with all her might. It came off the ground, depriving Ellsaria of purchase. The limb shook, kicking, dragging -- till Ranlatta didn't know if her arms would be pulled from their sockets or if she'd be thrown under the beast's crushing hooves.
"She's too strong!" a Tiger said. "Can't hold her!"
"We need to use blades!" another said.
"No!" Crenus came forward.
The king evaded a stamping foreleg, cocked his golden gauntlet, and punched her in the jaw. The unicorn tottered, then went down with a heavy thump.
***
Ellsaria the Dawn-Dancer opened her eyes, and discovered that she wasn't dead. For an instant she dreaded capture. Imagined she'd be dragged away from her forest and thrown into a cage for the king's minions to taunt and torment. But her limbs weren't bound. She got her legs under herself and stood up. There was a slight ache where the bastard had hit her, yet it was already fading.
"I had a priest heal your jaw," King Crenus said.
He was leaning against a tree, armor shining in the shafts of light that fell between its branches. A sword rested against his arm. Ellsaria looked around, keeping one eye on him, and wondered what was happening.
"My people are at a safe distance," he said. "Just close enough to make sure none of your friends interrupt our talk. The liger's fine, by the way."
Ellsaria began to lower her horn.
"If you try that, it won't be a punch this time."
Crenus described a figure of eight with his sword. The unicorn raised her head and snorted.
"What do you want, human?"
"To know something. In the stories, unicorns can sense evil, maybe even read a person's soul. Is there any truth to that?"
"Some of us can. Some can't."
"And you?"
There was a long silence.
"You've met %name% Kasan, haven't you?" Crenus asked. "Tell me, what did you glean from %him%?"
"Is that what you want?" Ellsaria's black eyes bored into his, unblinking. "To know your enemy?"
"No. I want you to know yours."
Crenus stepped forward. The unicorn backed away, hooves ready to lash out. But the king's sword was pointed at the ground. It was the open palm of his other gauntlet that he extended towards her. The Dawn-Dancer tensed, but allowed him to rest it on her brow, beneath her horn.
"What do you see in me, unicorn?"
"You..." She couldn't keep the wonder from her voice. "But you're a tyrant! A..."
"What will you believe? What you've heard, or what you've felt?"
"I... I don't..."
"I don't ask for your allegiance. Nor will my men raid and burn your forest for the lives you've claimed. Stay out of the fighting, and this place will be sacrosanct."
She held his gaze, while the breeze whispered through the branches and sunlight danced on her flank.
"Very well."
Ellsaria pulled away, turned around, and trotted deeper into the trees. Crenus whistled. His warriors withdrew from her path. The unicorn looked back, gazing at the golden king. He favored her with a soft smile and walked away.
Category:Kingdom Aflame