Moonblood is a story of many dangers, frightening monsters, and epic stakes. And one of the most fearsome characters of all is the unicorn:
Here's a nice picture of a scary unicorn! If you would like to have your name entered in the drawing to win a copy of Moonblood, write up a caption for this picture in the comments section below. Let your imagination fly! Tell me who this unicorn is, where it comes from, what it wants. Is this one good? Is it bad? Is it an indifferent elemental spirit? Be creative!
I'll look forward to seeing what you come up with. I will announce the winner of the name-drawing next Sunday!
Isn't it nice to have a non-Dragon-related contest for once?
28 comments:
She had heard of these embassies of Farthestshore, but never wanted to see one for herself, for the unicorn was an omen of great change approaching.
I'll try not to be too influenced by "My Little Pony" but that is hard with a four year old girl in the house;) This unicorn is the Northern Star, Aurelia. Its racing across the northern sky creates the Aurora Borealis. It is neither specifically good or bad, male or female, it simply is what it was created to be: a beautiful part of the Creation who runs its courses through the northern sky to the glory of God and the joy of the holy angels. It lives simply to serve in this capacity and its greatest joy is to warm the frozen north with the reminder of the beauty and mystery of the created world and the Creator.
I love your first two books and look forward to reading the next whether I win one or not! Keep up the good work!
A servant of the eternal, the unicorn is indifferent to the affairs of mortals. It is heartlessly devoted to it's assigned role, whether the weaver's shuttle shifting one life-thread among countless others, or the shears that end its part in the tapestry of the world plainly seen.
The unicorn wanders Goldstone Wood, and few catch even a glimpse of it. But just a glimpse is enough to start legends circulating...legends few believe.
Some say that it heralds the death of those were catch a full sight of it. But the truth is rarely simple.
Is it an omen of death? Does it bring death? Or does this beautiful creature simply guide dying souls to a realm of peace?
Lie's Spice is a fearsome creature who stalks the night in fire that burns blue and bright. All those who behold him tremble and faint but in his wake the tales are tall and great. He was 10 feet tall and his horn was really a sword! I saw him strike down even the mightiest Lord! But as he peers back at those poor little men, he sees a reflection of a hundred more just like them. Gossip's fodder as I'm sure you've heard it said sees what no man can see, the thrice blind, once dead.
Blind to their emptiness,
Blind to their shame,
Blind to their deadness
Dead to freedom from death and pain.
Around him swirl the wild lies but in him abides the truth. For those brave enough to die he gives them living proof.
He is a guardian of Spacial Water. The realm between space and time where it's hidden ocean is his responsibility alone. And all he desires is nothing more then to protect these seas with passion. Using only his horn and eternal fire; given to him, by the Great King, for his courage in battle.
Water is not safe in the land of Falla. People avoid it, and when they do find themselves next to a puddle, or a stream, or eaven a buckett of water, they try not to look into the sparkling water in which might be their doom.
The reason for this fear is the spirit-unicorn, Nixie. She has long prowled the waters of the land of Falla, and is not happy with the people of Falla drinking her sacred water. The water that keeps her icy soul alive is as precious to her as a dragon's hoard, or a Pan's pipe. She will not let the people of Falla get away with their sin.
No, she most certainly will not.
She will hunt them down in their houses, finding her way through the portals of water...a drop of dew, even.
Nothing will stop her.
It was beautiful, and terrifying. The creature seemed to be one with the sky. It's mane was blue electricity and it glittered with stars. It glowed with moon light. It was the fabled licorne, never before seen by the human eye. The licorne was said to be created from lightning and stars and was to come during a maiden's greatest time of need. It had the power to defeat nearly any beast, to save the maiden from almost any danger.
I'd love to win a copy. Here's my caption:
Prancing across the heavens, Starfire stared through the pale at the forbidden land that called to him, the land he would one day conquer.
Guardian of the Realm of Life Everlasting, the fire unicorn discurages all who try to enter before their time. Many will try to fight their way into paradise, but this fearsome creature stops them, burning the persistant with the fire of purity that composes its very being. But he does no harm to those the King calls to the Realm. He is the protector of peace and justice.
Heahgesceaft stood gazing at himself in the reflecting pool, forlorn, yearning guidance from Edsceaft. Hadn't it been years since the two of them had frolicked in the star-strewn vales of Heahrodor? How he longed for his old friend. But was was this? The Heofonfyr caught his eye in the reflecting pool. It had been centuries since the last time the Heofonfyr danced, and this time it was on his mane and his tail. His hoof pawed the water with excitement and determination. He knew what must be done.
This is a beautifull magical Unicorn perhaps it is frendly or perhaps not. No one knows for sure. ~Manise
The unicorn is merely the guise of a spirit from another realm entirely different from ours. A spirit brought to this world by a sadistic and cruel baron who lives in a castle complete with an iron maiden, rack, and the like. The "unicorn" is under the baron's control and commanded by him to patrol the castle grounds looking for "unwanted guests" (aka trespassers). Any "guests" that do come across it are intrigued by what they see and come closer... only then does the spirit shed its guise into its true and horrific form... and by then it's too late to escape.
According to volume 25 of Talbitha's recently rediscovered treatise Beasts Magickal, Mythickal, and Material:
Status: Definitely Real.
The unicorn is rarely seen. Like the wind, generally only its effects are noticed. At crepuscule, the shadow of a unicorn may be perceived, albeit only reflecting in pools of water. Unlike its sworn enemy the bicorn (q.v.), the arrival of the unicorn portends good. Although popular legend attributes it to caring for maidens in distress, truly any being in such a situation may receive tender care from the unicorn.
Creature of the moon
Creature of the sun
Come to destroy
The golden ones
Strange lands to travel
Strange lands to roam
Seek not the After
But seek the Before
Hmm. I wasn't intending poetry but when I opened up Microsoft Word this is what happened. I guess I consider the unicorn to be controlled by a dark lord, whose centuries-long hold on is has wrought a darkening effect on the creature. But should that control be severed, the unicorn would shake off the bands of darkness and become its gentler counterpart (without brimstone eyes).
He is a star fallen to earth, the angel of the bottomless pit, king of the locusts. At the sound of the fifth trumpet he shall be unleashed and the shaft of the pit opened, the first woe on the world of men, when the wrath of God can wait no more. Five months is given him to torment the earth, five months his mission, five months his task to make those who no not his Master long to die. He is in a word Abaddon.
Without warning all the lights blinked out. The heady scent of torch-smoke lay foul and heavy in the air, thick in their throats like a nightmare. The cavern, which had seemed big before, now in its primeval dark seemed like the very void before time. Then, far off, there blinked a light, an ill-omened light of blue which cast under it a white shadow. It moved steadily toward them—as if in a nightmare they could not stir toward it or away, though their hearts began to pound—until at last they could see its form. It was a unicorn, but such a unicorn as only nightmares could conjure, padding steadily across the surface of the water while the ripples ran outward and inward and hushed like a lullaby. It seemed to be forever dissipating into fire and vapour but never burning away into the air. Its pale illumined existence burned on, always dying, always dead, never vanishing away.
Lovly and fare dangrerus and crepy this Unicorn stalks the wilderland searcing for a cirtaan princas
It serves one master, I am sure-and lives forever to serve him/her. Perhaps it is a creature that one cannot see with mere mortal eyes. For all you know, it could be standing next to you, but blind as you are, you would never see it, never hear it - except for those whose eyes have been stripped from their scales by overcoming great adversity beyond one's imagination.
P.S. Yes it is neat to see once in a while another mythical creature besides the dragon on your blog. :)
I am so impressed by all the imagination being showcased here! These captions are awesome. I wonder, are any of you thinking about taking these captions and turning them into full-length stories? Because many of these would be awesome reads! :)
Haha:) yes, I am rather considering turning mine into a story:) thanks for the idea!
We never knew when he would appear, that mysterious and ghostly creature of the Wood, but we knew that he always foreshadowed change: what had been, would no longer be.
His eyes burn with the fire of a thousand stars.
His mane is as brilliant as the hottest sun.
He stomps the ground and the earth trembles in fear.
His horn is his sword, waging war to all who fall in his path.
He is a light to all who live in darkness.
His name you ask?
His name is Fury.
His name is Justice.
His name is Vengence.
After setting his stable on fire for the third time, Flamish wondered if being a Fire Unicorn was all it was cracked up to be. So far it had just been a nuisance, what with the constant rebuilding and the other unicorns laughing at him. “Is this really me?” he wondered dejectedly, gazing at his reflection in the cool, unfeeling water, though he was careful to make sure his tail didn’t touch it, in case it should go out with a fizzle.
Once, long ago, in a time that has become legend and myth, a mystical being was forged in the hottest of fires, the magical and mysterious blue fire, in the caves of the kingdom, by a Crowned Prince unlike any other, a Good Prince who lost his love when she was wooed away by his great enemy - his brother. This mystical being was meant to find, protect, and return her to the Prince. He was the Good Prince's best friend, but the Good Prince's brother used Dark Magic on the being, forcing it to transform into a unicorn and serve him. Now known as the Blue Flame, he roams the kingdom with the Evil Prince, keeping the people in line and the Evil Prince on the throne. Unknown to the Evil Prince, he cannot deny his nature, and he still wants to find the Good Prince's true love and reunite them, and free his soul from the Dark Magic. But he cannot find the cave from which he came nor the Good Prince, and he remains trapped by the Dark Magic and in the service of the Evil Prince. Worse yet, his spreading internal darkness is threatening to destroy the good in his heart. But still he plunges on, believing that he will accomplish his purpose and find redemption.
The unicorn's name is Dessa. I have read some stories where unicorns come from the foam of the sea, but this one comes from the sky. It looks evil, but appearances can be deceiving. It is wandering the heavens. But remember, "All those who wander are not lost".
-Caitlyn
Arn, the unicorn said to create a bridge between the mortal realm and certain others, Faery excluded. Although many profess disbelief in them, there are legends dating back centuries telling the story of how, as he fell from the heavenly realms, his tail and mane painted the stars and his horn tore holes in the fabric of space and time. He has often been confused for other less-powerful, semi-legendary creatures, such as Pegasus and Bucephalus.
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