“So I became known as Hornclaw. I impaled a fairy with my horn and crushed the skull of another.” Armel paused. Heartless looked at him seriously.

“That’s a shit way to get a name.” He eyed her, sneering a bit.

“You say that? Your own name means nothing.” She glared back at him.

“You impaled someone with your horn? You don’t know how to fight. You wanted your weapon to be your cudgel? What bullshit is that? The Ragebrood tribes are fools.” Armel snorted.

“I am no longer Hornclaw. I go by Armel,” he replied, waving his hand and looking away.

Heartless opened her mouth to speak, but then a door slammed in the distance.

“Armel! Armel! There’s a problem!” Feet pounded the floor, and the golem, Unter, shook the ground and the walls as he opened the doors to the prison area.

“Be slow,” Armel said, standing, “What is it?”

“It’s Somda. He says they need you. It’s…There’s been a spotting. Fairies, Armel.” Armel grimaced, touching the back of his neck.

“Ah, fine, yes.” Armel considered the unicorn mare in front of him.

“Do you fancy a bit of exercise?” he asked, “I want to see how ‘heartless’ you really are.” She glowered at him, standing, and glanced at the babe.

“There’s no danger to him,” Armel replied, still puzzled by her fascination with the child, “Day can stay with him. It will allow you to…have a look around. Shouldn’t be too long unless…there’s a fairy raid.” Heartless’s ears twitched. Armel preferred it if she came with him. Bored unicorns were a different problem. There was such a thing as bloodlust addiction.

“I’d like my morning star back,” she replied after a moment of contemplation.

He agreed with her.

Spotting a griffin, a few unicorns, a dragon family or two was normal. They tended to be moving towards other areas in the old city, but fairies were different. When fairies were seen near the entrances to the underground base, it was surely some kind of scouting mission. Fairies didn’t leave enclaves without good reasons. The good reason was usually an order from the boss fairy.

This was especially concerning considering they were moving base.

Heartless stretched her arms, swinging her morning star around. Armel almost regretted giving it back to her, imagining the sharp ends embedded into his skin, but he hoped he had garnered enough good faith that she would not feel cornered and lash out.

“I am ready,” she said, still bruised and scraped from their battle a few days ago. Her arm would still be loose, but unicorns healed quickly compared to the other types of human. The salve that Day had dug up was particularly potent, and he silently thanked her for it. It was a kind thing which made his job easier. It was not fun dealing with a wounded unicorn.

They left Seren to Day, who was busy readying some food for him. She smiled at Heartless. Heartless scowled back.

Unter waved at them as Armel led her through the door to the tunnel, clicking the door behind him.

“He will be safe?” she asked. Armel nodded.

“Unless something comes in, which hopefully won’t happen. We should head it off now.” He led her through the tunnels. Their hooves were particularly loud on the concrete, clip clopping. His jangling earrings made it worse.

Armel wondered if part of the reason unicorns opted for straight on battles was because there was no sneaking with hooves.

He decided to lead her through the whole base, just to give her a peek at everything. Surely this was better than where she came from.

Some stared at them. Others ignored them. He caught Heartless sneering at a dragon family who scuttled by them on their way to the market area.

“Be proper,” he said.”

“You be proper. We are unicorns, walking here!”

“We aren’t better than others.” She went silent at that.

“Hi, Armel!” A dragon approached them, red scaled, female, and annoying.

“Hello, Zelda,” Armel replied, holding back a grimace.

“I have been wanting to…to talk to you, you know.”

“Yes, but right now there’s a situation I need to attend to. Excuse me.”

“But let’s meet tomorrow then!” she called after them. His hoof steps quickened.

He waved his hand at her, not looking back.

He heard Heartless snort.

“That your girlfriend?” Armel snorted back.

“No, filly. Keep your comments to yourself.”

He led her past the market and the living areas to the main entrance. Polly was there, talking to Somda.

“Hey, Armel,” she said, her voice soft and fricative, “We spotted two. Males, full grown wings. They seem to be with the Arcwing enclave, as there’s a symbol printed on the front of their jackets.”

“What? Arcwings?” Armel looked at a drawn map she was holding.

“We spotted them here, not too far from the…site where we left all the items?” she said, glancing at Heartless. Heartless frowned at her, folding her arms.

“That’s…that’s too close, Polly,” he frowned, “What are they looking for?”

She shrugged, “Couldn’t get a good read on them. Too risky. I don’t know what kind of items they have either. It is better not to draw attention but to get rid of them quietly. Can you do it?”

Armel stared at the map.

“Are we almost at the point where we move everyone?” he asked.

“Ryuu said tomorrow we should start moving people.”

“I think it is better to distract them,” he replied, “Let me draw their attention over here, on the other side. That way, if they are looking for us, or if they suspect something, their eyes will be in another direction. After we dispose of them, you’ll have to start moving everyone soon before the rest get here.”

She nodded, tail flicking back and forth, “That sounds good. Take Somda with you and let me know. Also, Ryuu told you about the tunnels?”

“He said there was…trouble.”

“Yeah, when you come back, I need you to pack up and move out. We need people over in the new base.”

“Fine.”

Armel motioned to Heartless, and she followed him through the tunnel that led to the entrance. The griffin hopped along beside them.

“Nice to see you, Somda.”

“Yes, nice to see you too. This the unicorn?”

“This is Heartless,” Armel replied.

“We are taking a bird with us?” Heartless asked, “Two unicorns are enough for two fairies.”

“This is Somda. He’s the fastest in our camp.” Somda nodded at her, his head bobbing up and down.

“Nice to meet you, finally,” said Somda, “I’ve heard about you from Ryuu. From the…what was it…The Bloodfury clan? I have seen them. Very formidable.” Armel smiled to himself, glad that Somda was taking her seriously.

“Yes, I am Heartless of the Bloodfury,” she replied, a bit gruffly.

The tunnel led to a ladder at the top of which was a latched door. Armel unlatched it, and sunlight poured down the dark tunnel. Heartless followed after him, climbing up the ladder and out into the light.

They blinked a lot, unused to the brightness of the sun. Armel closed and latched the door and led them over the rubble.