The Fallen Guardian tgc-2

by Steven R. Burke

  Your god asked us to protect you while you met in our home.

  “The guardian asked you to do that?” she asked in disbelief. She knew that he did not trust these treacherous spirits.

  He has forgiven our past transgressions and has asked us to help you in your fight with the orcs and those wicked elves. We will protect the fair elven cities from capture and will lead any enemy of your god astray.

  “What was offered to you in exchange for your help? Surely you do not expect me to believe that because he forgave you that you are now so willing to help us.” She did not like the fact that Adair had not told her about the deal he had made with the Seda. How do I know I can trust these shifty shades?

  He bade us to give you a sign if your doubt should remain. He asked us to do one special task for him and that was to guard the path to the sacred object you just discussed with your god. One of the specters floated forward and transformed itself into the orb to show that they did know about the object they had been asked to protect.

  “You could have simply overheard our discussion.”

  We do not blame you for your distrust. You have every right to question our motives. As a further token of our sincerity, we will track your fallen sister for you. We will report her movements to you so that you will know where she is at all times.

  “How will you be able to communicate to me the whereabouts of the guardian Kana?”

  Time and space are nothing more than mere guidelines for us; they do not bind us or control us. When we have information for you, we will send a messenger to you. The shades began to pull back into the forest and disappeared after this declaration.

  Khalida sighed softly as she looked around the empty clearing. Could this day get any more complex? She absentmindedly began to stroke Kuma as she stood there soaking in the rays of sunlight. She knew that she needed to get back to Landen, but she could not make herself move. She was still reeling from her awkward meeting with the Seda. She still did not believe a word that they had said. She had the feeling that these vile spirits would end up betraying them somehow. She did not know how or even why; she just had a feeling that this would be the case. Adair is too trusting of others. This was not a good decision on his part. She pushed that thought out of her mind and mounted her burly steed. As she slowly made her way toward the cover of the trees, clouds from the north began to make their way toward the Black Forest. These clouds were black and were hanging very low over the Nairi Canyons. So, that is my answer as to whether or not this day could get any more complicated.

  ***

  Kana was flying high in the sky above the Nairi Canyons, which were now covered in darkness by a black storm cloud. She did not even take a second look at this mysterious cloud that appeared out of nowhere. She was too busy contemplating the orb she had been shown. Why would Keb, of all people, have information on a powerful magical object that she did not know of? What power did it possess, and where was it? I know that the fool had no idea of where to find it, but maybe I could force him to use his special connection to the earth to track it down for me. She smiled at this thought and spurred her steed to head north once more. She intended to visit her captive friend one more time. She had methods of getting what she wanted that even Drogan knew nothing about. He served his purpose and would continue to do so, but this task required her special talents.

  After flying for quite some time, she arrived at the mountain that held the earth lord prisoner. Her dragon fought her once again on going anywhere near the accursed place. This time she merely set down on the plains leading up to the evil lair. As she slid off the back of her steed, she gave him a very stern look. She did not like the fact that her dragon was afraid of anything…even though he had very good reasons to be scared. She started to walk away toward her destination and did not look back when Ryo took flight. She casually turned into a ball of fire and shot across the desolate landscape.

  As she entered the cavern where Lord Keb was being held captive, she noticed that her magic had been subverted somehow. She could sense the presence of Drogan before she saw him glowering over the prostrate form of her fellow guardian. She made a loud popping noise as she changed back into her human form, which got the attention of her accomplice. He had a look of surprise on his face at the unexpected visit. He quickly masked that look with a broad, devilish grin. Kana lowered herself to the ground and looked at him sternly. It was clear that she was waiting for an explanation as to why he had undone her magic. She did not try to hide the fact that she was furious with him about the subversion.

  “You have nothing to fear, Kana. I replaced your enchantments with some more potent ones of my own,” he said smoothly.

  “I know that I have nothing to fear from you!” she snapped indignantly. “I wonder if you realize that your ‘protections’ denied me access to my prisoner.” She made this a statement rather than a question.

  “I could have sworn that I gave you access through my magical webs. I will fix that straight away.” He said this with a rather pathetic attempt at looking sheepish. He simply could not hide his evil grin.

  “Leave us!” He looked at her sideways before retreating back into one of the walls of the cavern.

  She watched him go with mounting disgust. The people I must align myself with! I will dispose of him and the others once I have control over the races and creatures of Tuwa. She turned her attention to Lord Keb and began to smile wickedly as she stood over his bent frame. She was not finished with him just yet. He knew more than he had let on; he simply did not know it yet.

  The Flood

  Khalida reached the Blaine River by the evening on the third day after she had met with her master. She had been watching the unnatural clouds that had formed over the Nairi Canyons all day as she made her way to meet with Lord Neb. As she reached her destination, she did not even notice Neb standing by the river to greet her. He followed her gaze toward the black clouds and nodded his understanding. He too had been mesmerized by the sudden appearance of these weird-looking clouds. What made him even more disturbed was the fact that he could sense no moisture in the storm clouds. They had the look and the feel, but they lacked the substance. He had pondered this matter while he waited patiently to meet with his lady.

  “I see that you too are perplexed by those dark clouds,” supplied Lord Neb with a sly smile.

  “So, they are not of your doing then?” she asked thoughtfully.

  “No, and I do not believe they are what we think they are either,” he replied cryptically.

  “What are you on about, Neb?”

  “I do not think that those are clouds. They are wraiths. Our old enemy from the north must have sent them.” His crystal blue eyes squinted as he continued to stare at the mass of dark spirits. He did not care for their presence and was uncertain about the purpose of their sudden appearance. His dark hair ruffled in the breeze as they continued to stare at the unholy seen off in the distance.

  Khalida stood there for some time looking at the writhing mass that was clearly not the cloud formation she once thought it was. I wonder if Master Adair knew of their involvement. No matter. We will deal with them at the same time as the high elves. She looked back at Neb who was waiting patiently for her to tell him what was required of him. The sky overhead began to darken. There was a feeling of apprehension in the very air they breathed. The two Elementals looked at one another in such a way as to make it clear that they both knew what was happening and what needed to be done.

  “Shall I then?”

  “Neb, you were always the most astute fellow. Please, flood the canyon and eradicate those vicious devils from the sky. Send them back to their prison where they belong.”

  “I will banish those fiends into oblivion if I can manage it,” he said with a wink.

  Neb raised his hands high above his head and uttered the command word for water, “Watnese.” The Blaine River stopped flowing at once as if waiting for his command. Fill the Nairi Canyons until the water is level with the pl
ains above. A very dark storm cloud filled the sky above the spot they were standing. The moisture in it could be felt as they watched the cloud moved toward the canyons. Freeze the wraiths, and then teleport them back to their frozen dungeon. The cloud picked up speed, and the air around them began to have a bite in it as though winter had suddenly sprung upon them.

  As Neb’s storm cloud approached the swirling wraiths, bluish silver lightning began to shoot out horizontally at the unsuspecting intruders. With each strike, one of the devils was frozen solid and teleported back to the distant prison in the ice castle of the north. It was oddly satisfying to watch the spectacular display of power for the two Elementals. The underside of the cloud began to take on the same color as the lightning as it neared its target. Thunderous booms ripped through the sky as the lightning picked up its frequency. The booming noise became so loud that any creature or person within twenty miles of the aerial attack had to cover their ears. A sly smile crept slowly across the water god’s face as he watched his handiwork.

  “There is nothing like a good thunder and lightning storm.”

  “I did not think that you were one for theatrics, Neb. I thought you would have simply raised water from under the canyon floor. This tactic sends a clear message to those wicked elves.” She gave the water guardian a slight nod to show her appreciation for his creativity.

  Lord Neb merely smiled at the compliment and continued to focus on the eminent destruction of the high elves that remained behind in the Nairi Canyons. The guardians still believed that Queen Kishi was still in there and had not received the word from Lord Marcello that the queen was with her troops in the field of battle. Khalida smiled as the cloud settled over the canyons and waited patiently for the downpour. He gave Khalida a side-glance and flashed a mischievous smile as he lowered his hands. All at once rain came down in sheets. There was so much rain that it looked like one giant waterfall. Within minutes, the water reached the tips of the canyon walls. No living thing survived the sudden flood caused by the water Elemental. Mistress Khalida was pleased with the quick results.

  “I task you to keep the canyons flooded until I tell you to allow the waters to recede. I must go to the armies in Landen to give them word of our first real victory. I will send any news I receive from them in the usual way. Keep me informed of anything you learn while patrolling the river.” She reached out and touched him gently on the arm and then turned about on Kuma and headed south to find a crossing.

  “I will keep you informed of anything vital to our cause,” he replied as Khalida sauntered away on her giant bear.

  The storm clouds cleared slowly over the newly formed Nairi Lake. As the sun began to peak through the sudden stillness, the water reflected the rays of light like shimmering stars on a clear night. The water was still except for various objects breaking through the otherwise still surface. As the minutes passed, more and more disturbances occurred across the newly formed body of water. Dead bodies and remnants of their armor and weapons began to bob up and down. The water had a filthy brownish-red color to it from the clay canyon walls and floor. The products of the mass destruction could only be seen when the sun caught them just right. The stench that filled the air caused a natural barrier around the former home of the Nairi people. No one was able to come within five miles of it without being overcome by the foul smell. As Neb turned away from his handiwork, the Blaine River sprang back into life.

  ***

  Queen Kishi was enraged by their inability to penetrate the giants’ defenses. She was even more upset with herself that she was out dueled by a giant mage. How in the name of the gods did that brute learn to fight like that? In all my years, I have never before heard of or met a giant who could do magic, let alone defy me. What is this devilry? Perplexed by her encounter with Lord Marcello, she had called for a retreat so that they could rethink their approach. As they marched north and east to their newly set up camp at the base of Mount Lamont, soldiers began to murmur amongst themselves. At first Kishi thought they were questioning her abilities until she noticed what they were looking at. There was an ethereal black cloud hanging over the Nairi Canyons. Though they were still at a considerable distance, their sharp elven eyes clearly saw that they were not clouds at all; they were moving as if they were a conglomerate of individual things.

  “General Jaali! Come here at once!” she bellowed.

  “What is it, my queen?” The general had not noticed the unnatural cloud that had settled over the conquered canyon lands. He had been busy verbally abusing several of the soldiers who had prematurely retreated. When a reply did not come at once, he looked up to see the strange formation of what appeared to be black thunderclouds…except that they were swirling in unusual patterns and they were too thin to be rain clouds.

  “What do you suppose those things are?” she said, pointing at the object of everyone’s attention.

  “It looks like the demons from the north. How can this be? I thought they were imprisoned in that ice fortress.” Jaali stroked his long white goatee thoughtfully. He remembered the stories told by the elders about the spirit creatures that they fought during the first war for Tuwa. He had a feeling of foreboding come over him as he watched the orgy of wraiths.

  I wonder if the guardian council has unleashed those unholy terrors on us. They are the only ones with the power to do so since it was they who imprisoned the foul creatures in that castle. “General, let us not dally here watching this unnatural display. We do not want to get caught unawares by the giants. Let us quicken our pace and get back to camp as soon as possible.”

  “You are right. Let’s move out!” barked the general to the troops as they stood in awe of what they were seeing. They did not understand what was going on, but they did not dare ignore an order from their fierce general. He had the reputation of making examples of those who did not carry out his commands promptly. He was unusually gruff for an elf, which made him the perfect general for extreme battle conditions.

  As Kishi’s army picked up their march once again, another dark object appeared in the sky to the south of Nairi. This one was a storm cloud for sure, but it looked unusually dense and had an odd hue to it. As it neared the wraiths, it began to shoot lightning into them at an alarming rate. There were flashes of light, and as they increased in frequency, it was clear that the demons were disappearing as a result of this strike. The spectacular display did not slow their march one bit as the troops looked sideways at the awesome air show. Within a few minutes, all of the specters were gone as though they were frozen and then teleported somewhere. The high elven army increased their cadence as if to prove to their general that they were not distracted by the freakish display.

  As the soldiers picked up the pace even more, their new base came into view. They continued to ignore the large storm cloud that was now moving toward Nairi. Queen Kishi stopped to watch the storm cloud approach the rim of the southern end of the canyons. She was perplexed by the change in color that was taking place on the underside of the cloud formation. After a few more minutes, the cloud stopped and thinned itself out so that it covered the entire canyon land of Nairi. Fear gripped her heart as she understood what was going to happen. Some powerful being had created that cloud, and they were about to flood the nearly deserted occupied land. They are all going to die!

  “You there, come here at once!” One of the soldiers came running and halted at the side of his queen with a ridiculous bow that almost threw him head over heels.

  “What is wanted, my queen?” stuttered the scout.

  “I want you to take this message to-” Before she could finish her order, the storm clouds unleashed upon the canyon land. It was like watching a pitcher of cool ale fill a tankard to the rim within a few seconds. The queen and the scout stood there with their mouths opened slightly in awe of what had just happened. She felt a pain in her heart as she quickly realized the magnitude of what went down.

  “Malady, do you think that they are all dead?” asked the scout tentative
ly.

  “Yes, they are. Get back into formation,” she said sorrowfully. With a slight bow, the scout returned to the ranks and started to tell everyone around him what had just happened. Shock and dismay at what had happened to their friends and kin spread quickly through the ranks.

  After hearing what had occurred, General Jaali ordered the troops to begin preparations for a meal. He left his captains in charge while he went outside the camp to visit with a clearly distraught Kishi. They had been friends for years, and he knew that she needed someone to talk to. She did not look at him when he approached and looked oddly frail standing there looking at the clouds dissipating after their destructive rampage. He put one of his massive arms around his slender friend and embraced her in a side hug.

  “What happened over there, Kishi?”

  “Some very powerful magic is what happened!” she snapped. “Sorry. This is not your fault. It just happened so fast, and I did not sense it. Usually I can sense a danger like that.” She became suddenly rigid as she stood there fuming over the demise of the good people she had ordered to stay behind and occupy Nairi. At least there were not that many people there. Still, that does not mitigate the loss!

  “What shall we do now?”

  “We avenge our fallen brethren! I know that these allied countries have had something to do with this tragedy. So, they will all pay for this unforgivable act of aggression with their own worthless lives!”

  Wolves

  General Showia marched north through the enchanted Black Forest with the bulk of his army at a feverish pace. He wanted to reach the secret entrance to the cliffs of Landen by nightfall. Before they turned east to head to that hidden place, he had to send some of his troops west to secure Tarisdell as his king had promised the druid Zaide. He felt that a couple hundred soldiers would be sufficient to accomplish this task. However, he did feel that he should send his best remaining commander to lead them. Commander Fletcher was with his archers in the south setting up traps for any retreating orcs or high elves, so he asked one of his messengers to fetch Commander Brugon, who was in charge of the frontline soldiers. He may be a bit mad, but there is no equal in his tactical skills…no matter how ruthless they may be. I am just glad that he is on our side.