“I have decided that the council is far too limited in its scope. I have been branching out a bit. I feel that we should not shun the lesser races of Tuwa like we have done for centuries now. We do not have control over them as we once did-”
“We never controlled them! What you are referring to was different than what I believe you are doing now. We counseled them and taught them; we never ruled them.”
“I do not see the distinction. We taught them what we wanted them to know. Knowledge is power, and we used it to control what went on in Tuwa a thousand years ago. The result of our interference was millennia of peace and prosperity for the peoples of the middle land. However, in our absence, the races have evolved to a point where they pose a great threat to one another again and the land itself is in danger. Can you not feel it?”
“I do sense uneasiness within the earth and within the races of Tuwa. I fear that war is about to break out once again. But, I do not believe that it is our place to become involved unless the elements are in extreme danger.”
“An isolationist ’til the last. So be it.” Kana motioned with her left hand to someone or something behind Keb.
“What are you doing?” He did not like where this was going. Has she allied herself with the evil creatures that live within this wicked mountain? If so, what are they planning to do to me? They cannot kill me or do any lasting harm, so what is Kana playing at?
“I am planning on torturing you for information, my weak friend. Why else do you think I returned? I left you here so that you would not interfere any further with my plans, but it seems that you have continued to disrupt my plans even though you have not left this place. How have you done this?”
“What are you talking about? I have not left here. You made sure of that.”
“Then how have my enemies discovered my plans before they were fully implemented? Did you communicate with your old friend Neb somehow? Did you tell him about my plans?”
“I have no clue what is going on outside this accursed mountain. What are you up to really?”
“I told you…there is need for intervention like before and I am doing it again. However, our dear leader does not want to get involved in the affairs of lesser people, so I have taken it on myself to act for the council.” She looked at him skeptically as she hovered above him. I do not believe that he did not pass information to one of the council.
“How are you intervening?” Keb had a sense of dread coming over him as he looked up at his former friend.
“I am merely restoring the proper balance that existed before we got involved the last time.”
“But that would mean you are helping the orcs and goblins.”
“Do not forget the rock trolls. They were on the receiving end the last time as well. However, this time I have even persuaded a few of the elves to join my side so that they would be preserved. This time men and dwarves will perish just like the Eldar and other lesser races did a thousand years ago.” Her features turned rather ugly as she looked him straight in the eyes. She began to emit the same fowl stench as the wraiths swarming around them.
“Your ways have become evil; that much is clear. Like all things wicked, you too will end up all alone. Your undoing will be the treacherous friends you are making. They will not support you longer than what it will take to get what they want. What makes you think that the orcs, goblins, rock trolls, and elves will continue to follow you if you succeed in usurping power?” He smiled at the look of disgust on Kana’s face after he had said this.
“You know nothing of true power! You were always too weak because of your peace-loving attitude. Your undoing will be your faith in those divided races uniting to fight against my vast armies. You will find that your trust is sadly misplaced, and your folly will be revealed in due time.”
“Go ahead and do what you will to me because it will do you no good. I know nothing that will aid your cause against the peoples of Tuwa. Go; wage your unholy war and leave me be.” He was being rather recalcitrant toward his captor and did not seem to care what she did to him. After all, she cannot kill me. Can she? She knows that I cannot die. Only the guardian would know if that were even possible.
Kana stuck out both of her hands dramatically and said, “Erome!” Lord Keb turned into a pile of dirt. The wicked mistress laughed raucously at her captive as he obeyed her command. She had truly mastered the command of elements outside her stewardship. Keb could not believe that she was able to make him transform. What was even more disconcerting was the fact he could not change back. What evil magic is this?
“Woorgal!” bellowed Kana wickedly. Keb turned into a piece of wood and found that he could still not change to any other form. He was at her command now, and there appeared to be nothing he could do to fight it. He knew that he must now focus his efforts on protecting the secrets he kept for the guardian. If Kana found out some of them, the entire world would be in danger. He turned his entire attention inward while trying to mask his internal action from his vile captor.
“Flymare!” screamed Kana. Fire engulfed the beleaguered Lord Keb. It took everything he had to protect his thoughts from his captor. He knew that if he did not, thousands would suffer and die. The council would be irreparably broken if he was not successful.
“I am going to leave you now so that you can think about whether you help me willingly or if I have to become real nasty,” Kana said maniacally. “I will not be gone long. I leave you in the care of some of my new friends.”
Immediately the wraiths dove in and out of the burning wood that was Keb. He shrieked because of the pain and the horror that was building in him. He did not know how much longer he could take this form of torture. He again focused his energy on protecting the secrets that the guardian had given to him. He would not fail his leader by giving in to this vile apparition that was once a fair goddess.
Kana began to rise slowly from the orgy of wraiths and turned her head toward the exit. She knew that she had probably wasted her time with Keb, but now she knew that he did not know anything. He would also be unable to interfere with her plans, so now she was free to go and help her armies. She would lead them to decisive victories over men, dwarves, and elves. After she had eliminated the unworthy creatures, she would deal with the stupid giants. She did not know yet why they had joined the fray, and she would regret underestimating their importance. She was also gravely mistaken to not realize that the other guardians were about once again in the land of Tuwa. They would get involved at some point, and this would force her to stand and fight or she would have to leave those she had rallied to her cause. She would have to go into hiding for a long time if her plans failed.
The Refusal
King Edric Nognili sat quietly upon his gem-encrusted throne pondering the messages he had received from his scouts. He did not know if it was a wise decision to side with General Yukio and the people of Nairi so quickly. He had also received information that an innumerable goblin army had combined with rock trolls and were laying siege to Mount Carrick in the south. There seemed to be war all around him, but he did not know if it would be prudent to get involved. His first obligation was to his people, and they had become very prosperous over the years under his rule because he did not involve them in other nations’ affairs. His beautiful crown glinted from the sunlight that was allowed in through a class dome at the top of the throne room. There were gems of all colors encased in silver and gold in the king’s circlet. At the very front of it was a depiction of his mountain fortress situated on the north slope of Mount Ennis. The mountain itself was an island in the middle of a vast lake that had unknown depths and dangers in it. The king felt safe behind this watery deterrent and did not think it was beneficial to venture out of his stronghold to help others. Many would die in the effort, and his kingdom’s defenses would be weakened.
“Fetch General Chad,” ordered the king to one of his hidden guard. He knew that he needed the advice of his faithful leader of his massive army. As the guard left, he cont
inued to ponder the options before him. After a few moments, a stout dwarf entered the throne room with a gruff look on his face. He had long red hair along with an even longer red beard. As he approached the king, he bowed to one knee and waited for the command to rise.
“You may stand, my old friend,” ordered the king warmly.
“What may I do for you, my lord?” asked General Chad. He did not like to waste time and knew that the king admired him for his direct approach. What he did not understand was why the king needed to counsel with him when he was busy shoring up the defenses against a possible attack.
“I find myself in a difficult situation, my good friend. I have learned that King Jarvis is under attack and that the battle for Nairi is growing in intensity. I have made a pack with Queen Daria’s general to send aid to them when the need arose; however, I do not want to weaken our defenses by sending valuable troops to their deaths in a cause that is not ours.”
“I can understand your hesitation with regards to the people of Nairi, but what about dwarves at Mount Carrick? Shouldn’t we at least dispatch some help for our brethren?”
“I sympathize with your sentiment about the plight of King Jarvis, but that is exactly where my dilemma lies. If we send a detachment down there, we will be left vulnerable. What if the high elves succeed in taking Nairi? What would stop them from attacking us next? I cannot afford to lessen our ranks needlessly when there is a very real threat to our island kingdom.”
“My lord!” interjected a voice directly behind where the general was standing.
“What is it?” bellowed King Edric. He did not like to be interrupted, especially with the subject matter they were discussing.
“I apologize for the interruption, my lord, but I have news from several of the scouts,” replied the messenger bashfully.
“There is no need to apologize; please tell us what they have learned,” the king said with a more sincere tone this time.
“King Jarvis is completely surrounded by a vast goblin and rock troll army, but he has managed to fend them off thus far. We have just found out that the elves are under attack by the high elves in the north while a massive orc army approaches from the south. Even more troubling is the fact that there is another orc army heading for Mount Adem as we speak. It appears that the peoples of Landen and Aran have been left alone for the time being. This is our report, my lord,” said the messenger with a very low bow.
“What in the name of the gods is going on? The whole land of Tuwa is engulfed in a war that does not make any sense,” said the king in utter disbelief. “You may leave us!” The messenger stood up at once and departed.
He was surprised by how his king took the news. He thought that there would have been a call to action.
“General, what do you make of this news?” the king asked while regaining his composure.
“I think it is a clear sign that we are to send aid to our brethren in the south. We need not worry ourselves about men or elves. They are good people, but they cannot be trusted. For all we know, this whole series of confrontations is their doing,” replied the general.
“I agree with you that these tragic events that are unfolding are likely the doing of men and elves, but I still do not see why we should weaken our defenses to send aid to those who would not do the same if the roles were reversed. I believe that we can hold this island if we retain all of our troops for our defenses.”
“King Edric, you and I have been friends for a long time. I know that you are genuinely concerned for the welfare of our people, but entrenching ourselves will not keep the armies of orcs, high elves, goblins, and rock trolls from converging on us. They will leave us be until they have defeated the others and attack us last because of our apparent complacency. They will crash on our island fortress like the violent waves of the eastern sea. We will not be able to fend off such a massive assault for long and will die just the same.” He had a strained look on his face as he pled with his king to see reason.
“I simply do not share your appraisal of the situation. If we send out our army now, their armies will attack us and we would be finished. I truly believe that we would live longer if we stay out of these horrific affairs of middle Tuwa. By staying isolated from the politics and bloodshed, their armies will leave us alone.” He truly felt that he was right and that over time his point would be proven.
“I think that we do agree on one point, and that is we have different ideas about what the best course of action is. However, you are the king, and your wish is my command. What is your final word?”
“General, I order your soldiers to strengthen our island defenses. We will outlast this war that has been brought upon our brethren by the folly of men and elves.”
“What word would you send to King Jarvis and King Kasim? What should we tell them when they ask for help?”
“Well, we have heard nothing from King Kasim yet, so we need to reply to King Jarvis right now and then copy that reply in the way of a preemptive letter to King Kasim.”
“What exactly do you want to say to them?”
“Tell them that we too have an army on our doorstep and that we will have to be prepared for an attack. We will not be able to spare any of our troops because of the need to be ready for the impending assault. Wish them luck, and let them knows that we are still their brethren.”
“It will be done according to your command. I take leave of you so that I can carry out your orders. I will send the messages immediately and then prepare the defenses for an attack.”
The general saluted the king and did an about-face. The king watched him skulk away as if he had been scolded for misbehavior. Edric knew that his friend would understand in time that his plan of defense was the best possible course of action. He really believed that his people would rally behind this decision. He felt very strongly that public opinion would turn on him if he sent the army into distant lands to die for a cause that was not altogether clear. The issue that will be tricky would be the option to send supplies to aid those fighting to defend their homes in the south. At first, the king thought he would send supplies to the people of Nairi, but then he found out about Mount Carrick being attacked. He then decided that if the war spread to other allies he would have to send them aid as well. This generosity would cost his people in the end. They would need all of the troops that he could muster and the supplies to support the army while defending their homes. He simply did not see the benefit of aiding others at the cost of his own peoples’ welfare.
The general called an impromptu meeting of his commanders and captains. He wanted to fill in the leadership about what the king had decided and his reasoning for his choice to defend the island. General Chad had begun to devise a plan in his mind while waiting for the leaders to show up to their secret meeting. He had determined that the king was clouded in his judgment at the moment, which meant that he needed to have a backup plan that could be put into action quickly. The difficulty with this line of thinking was the fact that he would have to hide what they were doing. The king could not get wind of what they were planning because he would make them undo whatever they had decided to do. The general sat on his balcony that overlooked the northern part of the lake, mulling over possible scenarios in which he could successfully place his troops so that when he finally convinced the king he was right, they would be able to spring into action right away.
He was so lost in his own thoughts he did not hear the approach of his captains and commanders. None of them thought it was wise to disturb the general, so they merely stood at attention awaiting his command. Several minutes passed before General Chad came out of his introspection and took notice of his military leaders. He stood up at once and welcomed the small group to the meeting. He expressed his gratitude for showing up on such short notice and assured them that what he had to say was more important than anything they may have been working on. He asked them to follow him to his private office and bade them to take a seat so that he could explain what had happened.
“When do we head out?” asked one of the captains. The other captains and the commanders nodded their agreement with this direct question. In their minds, there was no debate about what they were supposed to do at this point. They must go to the aid of their brethren at once.
“Ah…that is the catch, isn’t it?” replied their general knowingly. “Our orders are to shore up our defenses and to wait for an attack.” There was an immediate uproar of disapproval, and vulgarities spewed from the disbelieving dwarves surrounding the general.
“That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever!” barked one of the commanders in utter disbelief.
“I agree, but it is not our place to disagree with our king. We must do as he asks or suffer the penalty. However, he did not say that we could not prepare ourselves for a time when we would be called on to send forth our army in support of our brethren,” explained the general slyly. Many of the leaders caught on quickly and shook their heads in agreement.
They spent the next hour planning exactly how they would be able to mobilize the army within an hour. They felt that the home guard should be given the most strategic positions because those were usually the ones that were difficult to get out of in a hurry. They also determined that it was crucial that they did not discuss their plans outside this room until the time for action was called for. They did not want the soldiers or the guard to know about their plans. It was not exactly treason, but the king may misconstrue their intentions and call them traitors. The general made it clear that this was the best plan allowed under the constraints put in place by King Edric. He also made it known that he disagreed point blank with their ruler’s logic and his plan of defense.
The Fallen Guardian tgc-2 Page 4
