The soft snore of Latifah’s sleep had a company as the floor creaked slightly from the soft measured steps that produced a tune almost inaudible to the ear. The walking figure walked to Latifah’s bed, the moonlight casting his shadow on the sleeping girl. The figure stood there, his gaze transfixed on the girl, his heart beat paced in short silent breaths, and waited.
The sleeping girl turned on her side as her father chased in her dream. She was laughing as she crossed the meadow, heading for her favourite tree. Soon, she was of the ground, her take off facilitated by strong hands that were used to working the ranch. Now, they were soft and warm.
“Latifah, sun of my morning and moon of my night, what do you want from me? Ask me anything, anything at all and it will be yours.” Her father asked, holding her high.
Latifah, with a large smile overflowing from her eyes, declared: “I want you daddy”
“Of course you have me,” her father replied as he turned her to face him. He could read the joy in her face and genuine love in her eyes. He shed a lone tear for her mother.
“However,” he continued, “I want to give you a gift. Tell me what you want, anything and it will be yours.” His eyes expectant as a man expects a reply after making a proposal.
“Okay daddy,” Latifah began as she looked at the sky and then at her favourite tree. “Can I have a unicorn?”
Her father chuckled to himself; children are often predictable. Latifah had always wanted a unicorn. He only wanted to make sure she still wanted one.
“Al right dear, you’ll have one. You only have to do three things. Deal?” he watched Latifah nod her head and then continued. “First, you need to learn the ancient writings of the Serogs. Secondly, you need to learn how to defeat a Umbree. And lastly, find a man who would die for you.”
Latifah stirred in her sleep, her dream self confused by her father’s conditions. The figure bent to brush his lips slightly against her forehead. He then straightened himself and away, refusing to heed the burning tears that rolled down his cheek.
"Xander! Xander!”
Xander, brother to the Crown Prince, looked up to see a lone figure run towards him, waving something in the air.
“Sorry Raji, we’ll have to do this later.” He apologised as he mounted his chariot and rode to meet the running figure. His men trailed him from behind. He met the lone figure halfway, lifted her off the ground onto the chariot and hugged her as if his life depended on it.
“Hold up you perverted prince, I have only been gone a few hours. Besides I think this is more appealing than my desert dusty body.” The girl announced after pushing his mouth away from hers. She showed him the stone slab she had found in a hidden cave.
“I don’t understand. All I see is a stone slab; what am I supposed to see?”
“Oh, you ignorant boy. I forgot you knew nothing of the Serogs. It’s very ancient cryptography used by…”
“I know the Serogs. My grandfather wiped all of them.”
“Well, we should be thankful some people preserved their language or else…”
“Latifah, could you get to the point. Raji has an ache in his side and he really needs to see a healer.”
“Oh, I’ve forgotten about your one true love, Raji, the great horse of Prince Xander who is far more important than I ever can be. I guess the only reason you’re here is because your brother willed it.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.” Xander murmured softly as he touched Latifah’s hands.
“That’s what you usually say. Anyway, according to this stone, there is horse of immorality is buried in one of those mountains.”
Xander’s eyes grew wide, his ears unbelieving of what he heard. “It is impossible. Those mountains have been searched over and over; no one could find anything.”
“Well, did they know anything about the ancient writings of the Serogs?” Latifah asked. Xander thought he saw a spark in her eyes
“No. You are about the only young person who still gives a damn about the Serogs. I’ll indulge you. Let’s get Raji to a healer. We’ll tell my brother what we have found and with father’s blessings, we might be able to carry out an expedition. I hope you aren’t just trying to use me to continue your absurd search for unicorns. Because, as I’ve always told you, they don’t exist.”
Latifah smiled and retorted, “They do.” In her mind, she added, “Because my father said so.”
Xander watched as his brother, Tefi kissed Latifah. He resented that he had to do his brother bidding at all time. he stroked Raji’s mare while he waited. He looked away when he noticed Latifah turn to him. He saw her whisper something into his brother’s ear and then turned to look at him. He looked away a second time.
Soon they were at the mouth of the cave. Xander had asked to lead two men to search the cave while Latifah focused on reading the writings off the walls using the red light from the burning torches held by some of the men. They had reached the end of the end of the cave and found nothing. However, immediately Latifah placed her hands on writings, large boulder rolled and blocked the entrance of the cave. The two princes, Latifah and a few of the men were trapped.
The tremulous silence of the group was disturbed by a roar that came from the end of the cave. Everyone slowly hurdled backwards, their hearts beating as an orchestra playing what might be its final score. All of the men drew their swords at once. The men pushed themselves forward with Xander at the fore. Latifah was at the back, behind Tefi who was already cursing.
The roar became a hiss, a hiss Latifah recognised, adding more to her fear. It was the first time she heard it but there was no mistaking its unique tune. She recited the chant to be sure: “As soft as the wind on a feather, as continuous as the flow of water, the hiss of a Umbree is the hiss of death. When the sound stops, a heart stops with it.”
“I know what it is.” Latifah whispered.
“We know too. It is a serpertine. We’ll keep you safe.”
“No, you don’t understand. It isn’t a Serpertine. It is an Umbree. You have to hiss when it stops hissing.”
“What is an Umbree?” Xander asked just as the hissing stopped. The man beside Xander dropped dead and then the hissing resumed.
“What just happened?” The other man asked.
“Calm yourself soldier,” Xander ordered. He turned to Latifah, “How do we kill this thing?”
“You don’t. You can only defeat it in a game of riddles.” Latifah replied.
“Riddles? On common, you can’t be serious.” Tefi said as he walked to check on the dead man.
“Let’s listen to her Tefi, I think…”
“What did you say?”
“I said we should…” Xander slowly began to reply before he was cut short by Tefi
“I mean, what did you call me?”
“Oh! I’m sorry Prince Tefi. I got carried…”
“It shouldn’t happen again.”
“Are you guys serious? Someone is going to die if we don’t defeat the Umbree and you are concerned about protocols”. Latifah interjected.
“And whose fault is it that someone is going to die? Uhn?”
“What? Are you blaming me for…?”
“Who else would I blame. You and Xander came to me with this ridiculous mission of yours and I was stupid to listen to you guys. Imagine, two princes are going to die in a cave like mere cowards. I have a responsibility….”
“You mean you have a crown waiting for you. Latifah, don’t listen to him. He only obsessed with the crown. So obsessed he doesn’t give a damn if you die here. Just go on with what you have to do”
“No Latifah, I didn’t mean it that way. Of course I care for you. I love you and will never abandon you.” Tefi pleaded as he tried to hold Latifah’s hands.
“Just let me be. As soon as we get out, the engagement is over.” She replied as she picked up her bag she had earlier dropped. She was about to reach into a bag for something when the hissing stopped and the other man dropped dead.
I never was, am always to be
No one ever saw me, nor ever will
And yet I am the confidence of all
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball
The trio listened as the Umbree, who had transformed herself to a beautiful lady at Latifah’s biding chanted her riddle. They knew they had until the hissing stopped to answer the question before one of them dropped dead. Even worse, for every wrong answer, someone was going to die too.
While Xander and Tefi tried to think of an answer, Latifah walked to the walls and continued reading the writings. She was the one who had discovered the sequence of blocks to press, causing the boulder to block the entrance and the appearance of the Umbree. Now, she wanted to figure out what would happen next. In her dream, seventeen years ago, her father told her to learn the ancient writings of the Sarogs, learn how to defeat an Umbree and also get a man who loved her. She knew the writings, had already solved the answer to the riddle but wondered if it was all connected. Was the unicorn in her dream the horse of immortality? She needed to find out.
Tefi sat on a low stone in deep reflection. All attempts to reconcile with Latifah had proved abortive. The only person she wanted to talk to was Xander. He had always noticed the way Xander looked at her. Was he going to lose the love of his life to his younger brother? Tefi almost swore that it would never happen. Now there was this riddle. It seemed Latifah knew the answer. He needed to find out.
“Latifah, do you think the answer is in those scribblings?”
Silence
“Alright. I’ll join in searching.” He announced as he started to scan the wall. “Look at this symbol here. It seems the woman dies and the man becomes powerful. Seems they are having a kiss. Could the answer be a spirit wife?”
“Common, don’t be stupid. You’re better than that.” Latifah scoffed.
“Latifah…?”
“Leave her alone. Haven’t you put her under enough stress?”
Tefi turned to his bother, his left arm fondling the hilt of his sword. Deep within him, he knew Xander was a better fighter but that didn’t calm his temper.
“I am speaking to my betrothed”
“Didn’t you hear her? She isn’t your betrothed. It’s over. You never cared for her.”
“And you do? Common brother…”
“I care for her. I’ve seen the way you treat her. I hear the bad things you say about her. I even…”
“Xander?” Tefi asked, the hurt from Xander’s lies visible on his face.
“Don’t call my name brother.”
“Just stop it, you too.” Latifah announced, turning to them. She then turned to the Umbree. “The answer is tomorrow.” She then turned to Xander, “I will die here. I just figured it out. Someone has to die for the cave to be opened. I’ve done the rituals already. The Horse of immortality doesn’t exist. At the end of the cave, there is a large stone. Lift it. Underneath it, there is a bronze horse with a horn on it. A secret potion is hidden inside out it. That potion will give immortality to who ever drinks it. Guard it with all your life. It must never fall into the wrong hands”
“I cannot allow you live this place Tefi” Xander announced, his sword in his hand.
Tefi had Latifah’s head on his laps, her face sprinkled with tears from his face. He looked up and couldn’t pretend to be surprised. He had always known Xander had his eyes on the crown. “What is the meaning of this Xander?” he asked, feeling the ground.
“Can we skip the formalities? I will be king and you will be dead. It’s that simple.
“Xander, we can talk about….” Tefi hurled a large stone at Xander, rising to his feet at the same time. Latifah said the boulder was going to roll away on his own. He only had to stay alive until then. He was sure that some of his men will still remain at the mouth of the cave. He only had to fight until that happened.
“Hmm. That was a smart move. Lets see if that helps in the swordplays.” Xander taunted and lunged at Tefi. Steel against steel, experience against strength, love against hate, the two brothers but they weren’t equals. Tefi dashed his foot against a stone and Xander made a clean strike to his side. Tefi fell beside Latifah. He knew the wound would kill him. Xander sword was always poisoned. To lose his love, his kingdom and his brother in one day was a terrible blow. He crawled to her side and looked her face.
“It’s tragic. She was a good girl you know. I might have even considered marrying her. Well, I’ll give you a chance to kiss her goodbye. Be quick.” Xander offered as he walked towards his brother.
Tefi looked as Xander approached and then at Latifah. This was the end. He put his lip, closed his eyes and kissed Latifah. Her lips were still warm. Just as his lip touched hers, the boulder rolled away and the men outside rushed in.
“The Prince is dead. Treat him like a hero. The men were possessed by some sort of spirit, including my brother. He strangled Latifah and almost killed him before I could hurt him.” Xander announced as he hurried to the end of the cave to look for the potion. Just as he bent, he heard coughs. He looked behind to see Tefi and Latifah. They were alive and Latifah was holding a small bronze unicorn.
Entry for the Twenty Four Hour Story
