CHAPTER ELEVEN

The Minotaur trudged heavily, not concerned with being quiet as he traveled. He only cared about covering the distance between him and his objectives. Whenever a large obstacle came into view the Minotaur utilized his new spider-like abilities to navigate over or around them. The insect abilities were benefiting the Minotaur now and he leaped against massive trees to run across the bark wall to bypass obstacles without taking a long way around them. He saw a bright light of a campfire ahead and began to slow his pace a bit. He heard a dog barking and growling and stopped. Two elves approached the edge of the light they felt safe in. He saw them. He smelled their delicious flesh. He even smelled the scent of the Vile. The transformed Minotaur looked around him and saw several beaten bodies of dead Vile. He wondered what could have done this kind of bludgeoning damage. A unicorn would not be able to get close due to its magical protective barrier unless one of them was a magic user that was able to dispel the ability. The Minotaur sniffed the air again trying to pick up the scent of the unicorn again. There it was! He had the scent. Another time! The Minotaur thought as he took his eyes from the elves and trudged off in the direction of the unicorn.

The Minotaur was exhausted. He had run through the night. The sun was cresting on the horizon now. The scent of the unicorn was stronger than it had ever been. The Minotaur needed rest though. He climbed a massive tree and found a large and safe perch to sleep. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

The Minotaur awoke several hours later his perch. He stretched and yawned as he opened his many eyes. The Minotaur smelled the unicorn. Wait! He smelled several unicorns. How was he going to catch them? He didn't think things through entirely. The Minotaur climbed down and moved towards the scent. He heard movements ahead. He moved some brush aside to see a large cove and an entire heard of unicorns. He expected a single unicorn or at most a grace an entire heard. He could see a mare that was possibly the alpha stallion of the herd looking about several hundred yards away. The Minotaur's vision then saw something that gave him an idea. He saw several colts and fillies as well as a few foals.

"Baby unicorns," the Minotaur smiled. He wasted no time and crept in close. He opened his magical pouch on his belt. The Minotaur had no rope on him. Had he thought of it he would have taken one from one of the dead Vile's corpses. The Minotaur leaped out and grabbed several of the fillies and colts with each hand and tucked them into his magical belt pouch before the alpha stallion or the mares or other stallions could come to their aid. None of the older unicorns could get close to the Minotaur due to their magical protective field. The young unicorns that the Minotaur could not grab with his first attempt made it to the protection of an adult nearby.

"You can do nothing!" The Minotaur spat. "If you want to see them again, your alpha stallion and the one responsible for the deaths of the Vile need to willingly sacrifice themselves to the Spider God." The Minotaur turned to leave. Several unicorns used their magical fields to block his path but the Minotaur pushed right between them with ease and tromped off.

"What do we do?" A mare asked the alpha stallion stared with hatred at the mutated Minotaur.

"We say our farewells and save the herd." The alpha stallion replied before turning around and galloping away. The mothers of the kidnapped colts and fillies stared into the forest with tear-filled eyes.

"You can't let him take them!" One of the mares protested to the alpha stallion. The alpha stallion turned around to face the defiant unicorn.

"Fortuna… you free roam the forest all of the time. I wouldn't doubt that it was you that led that beast to us. Dare I say you are responsible for this?" The alpha barked. Fortuna thought about her recent encounters.

"You are probably right. If you won't go after them, then I will!" Fortuna vowed and turned to chase after the mutated Minotaur.

"Wait… I'm coming with you!" Another mare said chasing after Fortuna.

"Rose, if you go the both of you will be exiled from the herd and no longer under our protection." The alpha stallion warned. Fortuna glared at the alpha.

"Vennis, you didn't even try to protect the young ones. Protection of the herd? Huh!" Fortuna scoffed at her former alpha and galloped away. Rose followed her. Rose and Fortuna knew that they could catch up to the beast but then what? They could not get close enough to attack the mutated Minotaur because of the magic that protected them. Unfortunately, the young ones did not develop the protective magic until they are full-grown.

"Fortuna, what is your plan? How will we save them?" Rose asked as she followed beside Fortuna.

"I met some people in my ventures in the forest recently. I think they can help us." Fortuna replied.