Merry-Go-Round [Finished]

[Jenn]

Elisibeta 2/15

A pair of Amuni strolled through Onyx Park, obviously related from their canine build, brilliant blue coats, stormy gray eyes, and thick manes. Where the older of the two had pale, star-like spots speckling his fur and a large white-and-gold miter as a symbol of his authority, the younger sported colorful socks on her front feet and white toes on the back. Her tail, shorter in youth, wagged enthusiastically, its red and yellow tip moving like a beacon. She had obviously inherited such vibrant markings from her mother, as her father’s cool colors did not lend themselves to Sacrifice-like markings.

”Don’t run too far ahead, Eli, or I won’t be able to see you,” the male called out when his daughter strayed too far from the path. She obediently slowed and waited for him to catch up, fur twitching with excitement and impatience.

She practically vibrated with energy. Others had told her about the beautiful park and the merry-go-round by its northern entrance. Every time she asked to go in the past, her parents were either too busy or she was still too young or it was too close to evening or...well, there was always some excuse. With her father being so important to the Amuni cause of exterminating the Euclide, she knew that she and her brothers were prime targets for the evil, immoral, sinful demons to kill or torture as revenge on Pope Kaerjius. Still, explanations like that, repeated over and over, eventually lost their impact on a young girl with a strong curiosity and never-ending supply of energy.

After so much pestering it was amazing he didn’t go mad, the adult had finally agreed to take her on a brief outing to the merry-go-round in the early afternoon of this fine spring day. Jukaestus and Timotejus were both out with Mother for the day, on an errand she hadn’t wanted to join, so they would miss out on this grand adventure. Oh well! At least she got to go!

[Jenn]

Elisibeta 3/15

The winding path led them at a leisurely pace through the park, which frustrated Eli to no end. With spring in full bloom, the bushes and trees were flowing beautifully and filling the area with plenty of sights and sounds to take in. Her young mind focused with canine tenacity on the treat ahead and she wanted to get there as quickly as possible. The sooner they arrived, the longer she would be able to play before her father called it quits.

When at last the fanciful ride came into view, the youngling bounded forward with a delighted yip. Kaerjius watched her go, taking quiet pleasure in her joy. It was a purely good emotion, a rarity in these dark and troubled times. He had so long dreamed of a family of his own, but never thought it possible with the kind of life that he led, fraught with danger and uncertainty. For centuries he had put off taking a mate, unwilling to subject another Amuni to the worries that plagued him daily.

Eli’s mother had been impossible to overlook, however. Quiet in her strength and firm in her resolve, Palabizikorna had attracted his attention from the moment he first laid eyes on her, ascending the cathedral steps that fateful night. She, along with so many others, had seen fit to join in his crusade that night. Later, she had graced him with her paw in marriage and gifted him a beautiful litter of healthy pups. It was impossible for him to say which meant more. So long as she stood beside him, a presence he could no longer live without, the Pope knew that he would never want for anything.

”Father, one of the animals is a unicorn!” his daughter cried out as he approached, her tail moving so fast it was a blur. They had always been her favorite mythical beasts.

Kaerjius smiled and walked up behind her, giving her a nudge with his nose towards the ride. ”Why don’t you take your two-legged form and go for a ride?” he suggested. Beaming, the young canine nodded and shifted into a bipedal figure before hopping onto the unicorn’s smooth wooden back. Its horn gleamed a pale silver and she leaned forward to stroke it reverently. Touching a unicorn’s horn was good luck, after all.

[Jenn]

Elisibeta 4/15

Kaerjius approached the human operator standing a short distance away from the ride, taking advantage of a sweet-smelling tree for some shade. ”If you wouldn’t mind starting up the ride,” he murmured, handing the aged man a small silver coin for his troubles. He pocketed the coin and dipped his hat politely in respect for the Amuni’s rank before limping over to the controls. His leg had obviously been injured at some point in the past, though the exact source of the limp wasn’t clear.

As the ride slowly came to life, the beautifully carved wooden animals came to life in the imagination of the young girl riding them. She was astride a mythical unicorn, its white hide and silvery horn glowing with magic – the good kind, of course, like her father used, not the evil kind that the Euclide called up from the depths of the abyss. She stroked its flank and laughed. Just wait until she told her brothers about this! They would be so jealous. She knew she would be in their places. After all, they missed out on the chance to ride a unicorn.

She circled round and round, her bubbling laughter like music to her father’s ears. He regretted not bringing her sooner, but things had just never worked out well enough to allow it. Next time they would have to come with Zi so she could see her daughter’s enjoyment as well. The boys would need to come too.

Not far away, the sound of innocent laughter roused a resting form into lifting his head. Pale silver eyes blinked open and his furred ears flicked this way and that, trying to pinpoint the direction of the delightful sound. Like a parched man drawn to water, Maatija stood and slowly walked in the direction of the merry-go-round, his destination unknown save for the source of that beautiful laugh.

[Jenn]

Elisibeta 5/15

Maatija felt the presence of the Pope long before he saw him, a faint fiery tingle in the back of his mind. He didn’t know what it meant, other than ‘something’ interesting was nearby and it didn’t feel too dangerous. He walked closer to the merry-go-round, following the bubbling laughter of a young girl, and stepped out of the carefully cultivated tree-line to find a pair of Amuni and a tired but amused old human enjoying the afternoon with a brightly-painted human contraption.

The adult was obviously related to the youngling and his miter combined with his heavy gold cross reminded the artifact of a Pope he’d met long ago, passing through a small English hamlet nearly a century ago. He narrowed his eyes and tried to remember the canine’s name. It began with the syllable of his rank, that much he remembered. Kae...Kaerjius! Yes, the name rang a bell almost immediately. Pope Kaerjius the First. Memories flooding back to him, he smiled and approached.

”Last time I saw you, your Holiness, I don’t believe you had a mate yet. Now here you are with a daughter! How quickly time flows.”

Kaerjius’s head whipped around in surprise at the unexpected words behind him. He hadn’t even heard the other Amuni approach, so quiet were his steps through the grass. In all his years, he had only ever met one unicorn artifact and had not thought to see that gentle wanderer again. Surprises like this were always welcome. ”Maatija! What an unanticipated pleasure. I hadn’t realized you were in London or I would have looked for you sooner. Nothing reached my ears that a unicorn had chosen to grace us with his presence. How is your missionary work going?”

While the two adults got reacquainted, Eli rode the merry-go-round in oblivious circles, engrossed in a little flight of fantasy. When she happened to glance over to make sure her father was still nearby, she nearly fell off of her wooden unicorn in her surprise at seeing a real unicorn not five feet away from the Pope. Eyes wide as saucers, she slid down from the ride and transformed back to her natural canine form mid-jump in her effort to reach her father’s side as quickly as possible.

[Jenn]

His back to the ride, Kaerjius didn't notice his daughter bounding towards them. Maati did and smiled, side-stepping so that there would be no chance of an accidental impact when the youngling finally applied her breaks. Sure enough, Eli tried to stop too late and ended up skidding, then rolling on the grass to an undignified halt before springing back to her feet and wagging her young tail furiously.

This day just kept getting better and better. First her father agreed to take her to the park for a ride on the merry-go-round she'd always wanted to play with, and now a real live unicorn was standing in front of her! It was just as pretty as she'd always imagined, fur a shining white and hooves gilt with gold. His horn, which drew her attention and imagination, rose from his forehead like the crowning glory it was, one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen. None of the others would have believed her had she told them about this, but with her father's word to back her up, everyone would be so jealous that they didn't get to come today.

"H-hi," she said shyly, suddenly unsure how one went about addressing a mythical beast.

He smiled, which she took as a sign that her greeting would do, and inclined his beautiful head. "Hello, child. Your father was just telling me about you and your brothers. What is your name?"

Her heart swelled with pride that her father would talk about her when a unicorn came to visit and her shy smile transformed into the beaming grin that she was better known for at home. "My name's Eli! Well, it's Elisibeta, but that's too long to say all the time so everybody calls me Eli instead. Or troublemaker. Or brat. But I like Eli best. What's your name?"

"Maatija," he said with an amused snort, "but sometimes that can be a mouthful too. You may call me Maati, if you like. Other little girls have in the past."

Elisibeta 7/15

[Jenn]

"Okay...Maati." Even his nickname felt pretty on her tongue. Why hadn't her father ever told her he knew a unicorn? Especially one of their own kind! He was a unicorn and a child of Amunuku, so that made him doubly special to her star-struck eyes. "I always wanted to meet a real unicorn. Always, always. You're as beautiful as I thought you'd be. Prolly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

The Artifact laughed and looked to Kaerjius. "You are a lucky man, sir, to have been so blessed. Sons are a pleasure in their own right, but daughters bring joy."

Smiling and nodding, the Pope looked down fondly at his daughter, so like him in spirit but with the beauty of her mother shining through. "I could not have asked for more," he agreed. "With the safety and security of a stable Church, I was finally able to settle as I always wished. You should meet my mate, old friend. She is truly an amazing woman."

"Perhaps I should stop by sometime, then," Maati agreed easily, more than willing to accept the invitation. Though he considered himself a wandering Missionary for life, he still enjoyed stopping every now and then to rest himself by the hearth of a friend. He knew where to find Kaerjius's congregation, as he'd made a point to learn the Churches of this city before coming, but hadn't yet found the time for a visit. Now he would certainly have to make the time and take an evening to relax. "I have not enjoyed formal services for quite some time."

Elisibeta 14/15