Chapter 167 The Blood of Unicorns
In the box of death.
The first horse to approach Azure Death was impaled through the chest by his horn. The unicorn lifted both horse and rider until they tumbled backward. Once the animal and the human lay on the ground, a powerful hoof struck the neck of the horse, while the other smashed against the chest of the man. Bones broke beneath the force of the attack, and both died together. The second knight stabbed the elderly unicorn with his spear, drawing blood. Azure Death reared up, and his horn pierced the helm and head of the knight; his two hooves crushed the back of the horse. Immediately thereafter, several horses threw their riders and fled swiftly. Others fled with their knights in the saddle, paying no heed to the cries of the men. A breach opened in the line of the knights around the fierce Unicorn.
The giant lord of Isla Oveja shouted at the knights who were near him and his mount: Follow me! To the breach!
Ten Unicorns burst through the breach and fanned out to attack the knights, driving them north and south to create a wider opening. Peador used his giant mace to knock a knight from his saddle and hurl him to the ground. Bloody Beryl stomped on the leg of a horse on the other side, shattering it, and both the animal and the rider collapsed violently. The giant sought out the next knight and used his mace to crush his helm as if it were made of clay. The man and his fierce Unicorn killed or gravely wounded eight knights and five horses in just a few minutes. The other nine inflicted their own damage, and the breach proved immensely larger following their actions.
The Blue Knights collided with the lines of the knights in red. Behind them, other lines advanced to close the trap. The three companies of knights loyal to Aurelio were veterans of many battles against the northern tribes and, for many of them, against Puerto Blanco during the revolt. They loved to fight and kill. For many years, they heard tales of how strong the Unicorns were. Their pride told them that they could prove they were a match for the Blue Knights.
But most had never seen Unicorns nor their riders in battle. A spearhead that pierced completely into a horse could kill it or at least bring it to a halt. But a deep thrust of steel served only to enrage the Unicorns. The Blue Knights were also stronger and swifter than ordinary warriors. They hurled their heavy spears as if they had been fired from a ballista. When their massive swords struck armor, they could shatter bones, if they did not cleave through the mail or leather entirely.
In the north and in the south, the captains of the crossbowmen signaled their units to advance eastward and form new lines. The orders were simple: fire en masse at any unicorn that appeared in a clear zone.
Peador and seven of his companions broke through the lines first. They formed a line to charge against a group of knights who were regrouping to attack again. The arrows flew like a wall of iron and speed. The giant was the most obvious target. He and his mount took a combined total of thirty arrows. One of the legs of Bloody Beryl gave way, and she tried to keep moving forward on three legs. The man realized the severity of the wound and leaped from the saddle. Both fought against every enemy they could attack, even while bleeding to death. The others fought under a rain of arrows. Of the ten brave knights, only one returned to the city.
The Unicorns finally broke through the lines in large groups and began running south to escape the trap. The enemy knights attacked them until they were moving so fast that the horses could no longer keep pace. The crossbowmen of the north saw few targets that were not close to their own men. But the two southern lines saw many Unicorns and knights in open areas, charging almost directly toward them.
Captain Pedro shouted to his mount to run faster, and Sapphire Shield increased her speed as only a young unicorn could. Her horn and his two swords blocked many arrows with incredible movements. The crossbowmen began to flee as the attackers approached, though some were too slow to react. Two swords sliced through the air, and two heads fell to the ground, coming to rest beside their bodies. Pedro and his Unicorn gave chase to some of the men, stabbing them in the back or slashing their necks. As the others rushed past, no one fired at them.
The Blue Knights fled the battlefield while hearing the horns sounding the retreat from the defensive walls. The central army of the Queen withdrew in order, with the exception of a few groups that were encircled by the enemy. The enemy pursued them to inflict further wounds or deaths, until the archers of Puerto Blanco fired with such efficacy that the attackers halted their assault and retreated to their encampment.
In some areas, wounded, riderless unicorns fought for an hour before the last one fell dead. The fields were strewn with corpses and with men so gravely wounded that they were unable to flee. The army of Queen Olivia suffered a crushing defeat in the third battle for the succession to the throne of Costa Lunas. They entered through the three gates like defeated men.
In the north, Captain Pasqual surveyed the fields and assessed the outcome: they had won, but their casualties were not few. He rode across the fields to inspect every unicorn, using his spear to put to death those that were still breathing. Seventy-one: the highest death toll in a single battle in the history of the Blue Knights.
At the top of the castle tower.
The queen stood in the room where she had lived most of her life. Now it was empty. She looked out a north-facing window toward the rows of soldiers entering the city.
Olivia thought: How many men died for me today?
She knelt and wept for a long time. The woman she considered a mother was with the Goddess of Air. Her two young female friends were far away from her. The few boys she considered friends were either guarding the defensive walls with the militia or far away from her with his own army.
Many people in the castle and in the army wondered if it was a mistake to support a fifteen-year-old girl.