Commander Rex and the Black Unicorn

Chapter 1

Chapter 1It is seven thirty-six in the morning. Rex, a man in his late thirties turned on his television and it was the same news story as it had been for weeks now. The trial of Pen Kenders droned on and on and there felt as if there was never going to be an end to it.

Rex didn't care if he opened the blade or not because he had real problems to deal with but still he couldn't believe what a mess it had made in Antacia all the same and now it was all these kingdom dwellers could talk about. “Do you think this kid did it?” Marion asked him as she walked out of the bathroom in a deep red robe. Rex took his gaze off the screen and to her with a smile.

“I don't know. It does seem kind of strange that thousands of generations of Blade Guardians happen, this nobody kid gets it and then the world comes to an end, or nearly, anyway,” Rex replied to his wife with a shrug. “But it all turned out alright, the world is still spinning and everything is almost as it was before the disaster. It seems to me that everything turned out great,” he finished and took his brown coffee cup out of the cupboard and set it on the counter.

“Well you were venturing in the Outside, hunting as usual, of course you didn't worry about it. The Northern Kingdom was a real mess for a while. We couldn't keep our eyes off the news,” Marion replied to him and he got a cup for her too and poured them both a cup. “It was insane, we all thought the world really was going to end,” she said shaking her head, still getting the chills.

Rex poured his coffee and turned around just in time to see Pen on the television, surrounded by media people and royal guards holding them back. He looked tired on the inside and out despite wearing a nice suit for court.

“Look at that kid, he's practically a noodle. No way he could pull one of the blades out, aren't they supposed to be locked anyway, ha, he didn't do it. He's just easy to blame. I'm really sure one of the knights did it, likely that crazy Giantess Knight, I mean her name is Miss Antigone. That's a ridiculous name,” Rex said and got hit in the face with a wet rag and nearly spilled his still hot coffee.

“Did you forget that I am half Giant? You need to watch what you say, we're not crazy,” she said and glared at him with her purple eyes that seemed to burn from the angle he was looking at her. Rex pulled the rag off and couldn't help but laugh just a little. “Okay, you're only just a little bit crazy,” he said with a smile and she crossed her arms.

“I think everyone is a little bit crazy,” she finally agreed with him and turned back to the television and couldn't watch it anymore, she turned the channel to one of her favorite cooking shows. “Ah look, Volente is on, she's making squid, I think It's squid,” Marion said and crinkled her nose to this, she hated sea food and always wondered why she lived on the Borderlands of the Elroxian Kingdom. They loved sea food so much one would think that was all they ever ate.

“But she's pretty hot, I see why you like this show,” Rex replied and sipped his coffee. “You are seriously pushing your luck, any more of that and I won't make your cream puffs the way you like them anymore,” she replied and Rex's eyes widened. There was no way he was going to risk that.

“I understand, you win,” he said raised his free hand in surrender. He knew better than to continue. She smiled with a nod. “I thought so,” she replied and considered actually making some for breakfast in a little bit.

Rex looked out the window, the sun was just starting to come up over the horizon. The Western Kingdom was always the last to get the sun, but he didn't mind that at all, everywhere but the Morglands, where the sun never really got over the horizon and the unfortunate ones existed. His mind was wandering but his thought train was broken by the ringing of a phone somewhere in the distance, at least it sounded far away to him for a bit. Marion picked it up. The sound of the phone made him depressed, only one thing called this early in the day.

“Yeah, he's here hold on,” Marion said and looked at him. “Hey, it's for you,” she said and he looked over. She threw the phone to him and he caught it. “Thanks,” he replied as he brought the thing to his head.

“Yo, what's up?” Rex said into the phone that looked more like a mini flat screen tv rather than an old-fashioned phone. He narrowed his eyes then “You're kidding me, are you sure?” he asked and waited with a quiet sigh to himself. “Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can,” he said and Marion just sighed, she wished she could just break the phone into pieces and never get another one, these kinds of calls were always the same.

He clicked the phone off and set it on the marble counter.

“What is it?” she asked him and he took a much bigger sip of his cooling coffee. “Unicorn attack, small village thirty miles outside the wall,” he said, never taking his eyes off the rising sun. “Oh gods, how many were lost?” she asked in a quieter tone.

“Everyone, not one living soul has been found yet I guess,” Rex replied and knew that Unicorn attacks were becoming rarer in the modern age, at least until the Blade incident. There had been a spike in attacks in the following two months.

“I need to get out there as soon as I can,” he said mostly to himself. “I know, just be careful,” she said the obvious and he smiled. “If I was careful all the time I wouldn't get anything done but I hear you. I'll be back, chances are it will turn out to be a rogue razor horn or something like that. It'll be easy enough to deal with,” he replied, pushed himself off the counter and walked back into the bedroom.

He quickly got dressed into his blue uniform, attached his golden unicorn hunter's badge on his chest. Took one look in the mirror to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. He put his blaster belt on and tightened it.

“Okay, let's go to work,” he said and walked out. Marion was waiting for him by the door. “You know the drill, if I don't make it back, will is in the safe, the combo is—“ Marion cut him off with a kiss. “I know the drill, you get out of here and go make some four legged monster pay for this,” she smiled and said to him. “You know I always do,” he said and with a sigh he turned and walked out the front door.

The cool morning air shocked him awake and he walked to his car. He opened the door and got in, started it up. Some morning news radio started to come through his speakers.

“Hello good people, this is Bob coming at you live from radio land. Today the trial of the century continues. Pen Kenders is accused of opening the Mimic Blade causing the disaster of the Northern Kingdom as you know, what do you think? Call us right now and you can have your opinions live on the air,” the DJ said and Rex winced, he was over this stuff and turned off the radio. That and he was never a big fan of Bob. He rolled the window down and drove off.

Marion was waving at him as he left, but he didn't see her as he turned the corner.