The roof was about ten meters high and crawled with huge black insects that looked like scorpions. The main roof of the underground cavern where the Weers lived was so dark and so high, it was impossible to see what supported the earth and tall oak trees that grew above it on the surface. The cavern was the size of a football stadium, and in the very middle of the flat, smooth floor was a hole so big a house could easily have fit into it. From this hole belched flames, and the smell of sulphur filled the whole cavern.

Chalice snickered fearfully when he saw the Weers lash out at some unicorns near the edge of the herd. It only took seconds for them to cut about twenty of them out from the rest of the herd, driving them towards the entrance to the chamber. The unfortunate unicorn's cries had the others trembling with fear, yet they pressed towards the ferocious Weers to try and save them. But now four of the Weer beasts sprang at them and cracked their whips to keep the neighing, kicking herd back while the six other Weers drove the twenty unicorns out of the chamber. Seconds later, all the Weers had gone.

Chalice neighed and stamped his feet, for he could feel his magic pumping through him. A tear of frustration tumbled down his beautiful boned face. There is no escape from this terrible place, he thought as some of the female unicorns near him began to cry.

Shaking his throbbing head and grunting with pain, Arthur sat up. I must have passed out, he thought. It was then that he saw that his protective barrier had almost dissolved. He realized the fury of the creature's attack had forced it right back into the trees. Forgetting his injury, the old man stretched to look past the creatures. Where is it? He couldn't see where the Warke had been.

He gulped now when he saw several other creatures slip from the trees to join the four who were attacking his barrier. Screeching like banshees, they tore at it until in a few quick seconds a small hole appeared. Arthur knew he did not have the strength to make another barrier. He had to save what little magic he had left to find the Warke and get away. He studied the biggest of the creatures that now pulled a wicked looking knife from the folds of its leathery green skin. Grinning, it placed an elongated finger on the sharp point of the knife. It was obvious what it was going to do.

Chalice was standing near the edge of the herd beside a family of five unicorns. He listened as he heard the youngest unicorn ask her father, "Where did they take those unicorns, Father?"

Her father neighed and glanced at his mate. "How would I know," he snickered angrily.

Suddenly, the sound of loud crying echoed around the chamber. The unicorns nearest to the pillars began to push back to try and get away from the twenty unicorns who had been taken away earlier. They were a sorry sight. Chalice rose on his hind legs to see what the commotion was. His eyes widened with horror as he caught a glimpse of the nearest of the group. Tears were running down its face and its head was almost bent to the ground. Now other unicorns began to cry when they saw what the horrified Chalice had seen. The horns of the twenty unicorns had been broken off. Their magic was gone. Soon the whole herd of unicorns was crying.

In its lair, Rashark heard them and began to roar with laughter. The monster reached for one of the pile of twenty unicorn horns that lay on a filthy cushion. Holding one up to its mouth, Rashark sucked hard on it.

Rashark was truly a monster. It had the head of a wolf with great glistening yellow fangs that dripped with black saliva. Its hands had nails on them as long as canoe paddles. Rashark wore a long black cloak with holes in it to allow room for its hairy muscled arms. The monster's feet were bare and hairy, with toe nails as long as cricket bats.

Rashark was the size of a Council House and around its neck hung a black unicorn horn on a thick gold chain. Now as it sucked the magic from the horn the monster began to glow all over. When the horn was empty, it tossed it over its shoulder into a dark corner of the lair where it clattered among several thousand that lay there.

Reaching for another horn, Rashark smiled as magic dripped from its wet snout onto its chest. Eventually, it thought, my Weers will capture the supreme unicorn. Then when I drain the magic from its horn I will certainly be the most powerful being in all the lands. I will be able to go into the Warke to other lands and destroy all who oppose me. What a time I will have.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..." The monster roared with laughter, its mad eyes glowing in the semi-darkness. Rashark's laughter echoed around the lair reaching the outer chambers where the unicorns still cried.