Voyage of the Unicorn

Dr. Alan Aisling, a once-prominent antiquities professor, faces the loss of his job as the new dean announces sweeping curriculum changes. His wife is dead, and Cassie’s daydreams about an imagined world clash with Miranda’s push to stay practical. The family tensions set the stage for an extraordinary journey they could never have anticipated.

Monstrous trolls led by Skotos assault the house, forcing the family to flee for their lives. They escape with elf Sebastian and dwarf Malachi, boarding a mysterious ship called The Unicorn. The harrowing escape begins the family’s unlikely bond and a crossing into a fantasy realm.

The Unicorn travels through the Sensible world into the Landscape of Imagination, heading for Faerie Isle. Sebastian and Malachi join the family as allies and friends. Titania and Oberon reveal a prophecy that they must find a benevolent dragon to restore balance.

They reach Avalon where the faerie court explains the quest to save the faeries from darkness. Titania gifts Cassie with a jewel that always points home and Aisling with a lens that reveals truth, while Miranda is recognized for hidden gifts. The sense of destiny solidifies as they accept the mission.

On the island, they locate ruins that mirror King Minos’ palace. Cassie chases a stray goat into the labyrinth and becomes lost. The Minotaur—also lost—joins them, and they use stones to mark a path while Cassie discovers the dragon bones along the way.

With the dragon skull secured, they dash back to the Unicorn only to be chased by Skotos’ ship. A fierce battle damages the Wunterlabe, threatening their route home. Dr. Aisling resolves that they must seek the mysterious Ziggurat temple in the middle of the sea for aid.

Inside the Ziggurat, the gorgon Medusa confronts them and demands the lens in exchange for passage. Dr. Aisling uses his lens to glimpse Medusa’s beauty, persuading her to join rather than be turned to stone. Cassie offers Medusa a place with the family, and Medusa accepts, becoming their ally.

Departing the Ziggurat, a Sphinx blocks their path and asks Cassie to answer a riddle. Cassie answers correctly, earning passage, and the group welcomes her to join them, but she declines, choosing to stay with her family. The lens has already become glasses for Medusa, allowing her to look without turning people to stone.

Trolls board the Unicorn again and the ship is attacked at the prow, forcing a chaotic defense. The Wunterlabe is damaged, and the group must abandon any easy return and press on toward Troll Island. Medusa remains aboard as they seek a new path through the seas.

Following guidance from the College of Magical Knowledge, they learn unicorn tears can turn stone back to flesh. To obtain them, they locate a tree guarded by an ogre and disguise themselves as princesses to earn the tears and the unicorn’s aid. The tears heal Malachi and renew hope for their voyage.

Back to Faerie Isle, they discover it has been decimated by the trolls. Oberon gives Skotos the power to summon a sea serpent, but Skotos breaks his vow to spare the faeries. A mermaid’s magic breaks the serpent's spell, allowing the group to press onward toward Troll Island.

On Troll Island, the heroes split up to locate the dragon skull. The Minotaur, Medusa, Sebastian, and Malachi are captured or endangered; Skotos de-horns the Minotaur to coerce information, while Miranda’s courage helps reveal the skull’s location. Cassie seizes the skull, calls on the dragon’s power to resurrect it, and the revived dragon drives away the trolls.

With the trolls defeated and the dragon back in action, the family returns home. Dr. Aisling becomes the new dean, Medusa finds a way back to their world, Miranda embraces music, and Cassie continues drawing in her mother’s portfolio. The family ends the adventure with renewed purpose and a brighter outlook on life.