The Fallen Guardian tgc-2

by Steven R. Burke

  “General Showia, Commander Brugon reporting!” He snapped to attention and saluted his superior officer. He had a gruff, distorted face that did not hide the years he had fought on the front lines. He had seen many bloody battles with goblins and one rare encounter with orcs. He knew better than anyone else under General Sanjay’s command what it took to win wars. He may lose some of his battles, but he always came out on top in the end because of his stubborn determination and his ability to adjust his tactics on the fly. The general could think of no one else that would be able to handle a surprise attack in this enchanted forest.

  “Commander Brugon, I have a special request that I trust to no one other than you.”

  “I am yours to command, General.” He nodded slightly to acknowledge the gracious compliment. This must be important if he wants me to abandon the front line. I hope that I at least get to see some action on this new assignment.

  “I need you to take two hundred of your frontline troops and secure the elven capital. I have a feeling that there may be a trap there, which is why I called upon you. There is no one else I would trust to handle a potentially lethal situation like this. You are my best soldier, and I know that you will not let me down.” He gave the commander a stern look of approval while a wry smile crept across his face.

  “I appreciate your confidence in my abilities. I will select the troops that will go with me immediately so that you can continue on to the secret entrance. I will report back to you once we are ready to leave.”

  “Excellent. I will let the other commanders and captains know of this assignment so that they can compensate for the slight reduction in numbers. I appreciate your willingness to take on this assignment. I have a feeling that all will not go as smoothly as the good druid would have us believe. Be alert at all times; this forest is full of powerful magic, and I do not believe that it would be wise to tarry longer than is needed. Gather your team, and return at once.”

  The battle-hardened commander saluted stiffly and took off at a run to carry out his charge. It was a rather impressive sight to see such a powerfully built man running at such a fast pace. He was slightly tall for a man and was much more muscular than any other soldier in Sanjay’s army. Many stories of his brute strength were told around camp fires at night, and songs were sung about his heroic battles. He was a living legend among the troops and the young people of Aran. There were many maids that tried to court him, but he would never settle down and take a wife. He lived for the next fight or confrontation. He was the consummate battle strategist. I wish I did not have to send him away from me. I just cannot shake this feeling that something terrible is about to happen and it involves that fair elven city. I hope that I am not sending him to his doom. No one would be able to replace him.

  After only fourty five minutes, the commander reappeared with two hundred soldiers in tow. If only all my soldiers were so obedient. General Sanjay looked at the group with satisfaction. Many of the troops had served with Commander Brugon since his promotion to commander of the front line brigade. The general hid his emotions so that the men would take their mission seriously. He did not want any of them to become careless because they believed their leader felt their task was easy. Besides, a soft hand will make ladies out of men! He laughed darkly to himself as the group came to attention before him.

  “Gentlemen, you have a very important mission to carry out. You have been carefully selected by Commander Brugon to secure the elven capital of Tarisdell. I feel that I should warn you right now that it is likely that the orcs or those wicked high elves left some kind of trap behind for anyone who might attempt to recapture the city. I also caution you against running up to the gates even though everything may appear to be deserted. The elves may have protections around the walls or the exterior that may not be detected by normal means. I expect to see all of you alive in that city once we annihilate this axis of evil.”

  “Sir, yes, sir!” barked the soldiers in unison. This was music to the general’s ears. He liked nothing more than obedient men who did exactly what they were instructed to do. He could tell that this group would not let him down. How could they possibly let me down? They have Commander Brugon leading them. Still, I wonder why I have this feeling of foreboding. What could possibly happen that they had not prepared for?

  “Move out!” barked the commander. The troops began one of their favorite marching songs as they quickly stepped into action. There were a series of grunts and foul language as they echoed from the front to the back of the formation while they marched west toward Tarisdell.

  The general laughed out loud this time as he listened to the soldiers’ vulgar tales of Brugon’s sorted adventures put to song. He blocked out the uneasy feeling that kept bombarding him as he watched the men go. They will be fine; it is the wretched forest that is making me feel uneasy. I simply do not understand why the Black Forest contains so much dark magic while Aran contains only good. It probably has something to do with those wicked high elves and their treachery. Well, we will pay them back soon enough.

  ***

  Ulric approached the deserted city wearily. He knew that the pointed-eared freaks probably left some sort of spell around its borders to protect against invasion if they should be forced to leave. His cold, black eyes scanned the destruction that had taken place and was pleased to see that they would be able to clean up the battlefield. His pack had been very patient up to this point, so it was very difficult to hold them back when the wind blew the sweet smell of rotting flesh at them. What lay before them was a buffet that any sane wolf would not be able to pass up. He looked at Ulf, Zev, Zwi, and Tala with a look that clearly indicated to them to indulge him a little while longer.

  It was an unusual sight to see black, gray, red, and white wolves hunting together. These different packs had never gotten along, but Mistress Kana had made sure that they would. She did not have to use her power to control them because she had convinced Ulric, lord of the wolves that he would benefit from her rule. The only wolf that would not submit to Ulric’s leadership was Rolon. That did not mean that he was not on their side; it just meant that he would not fight alongside the other wolves. He had consented to help Queen Kishi with her battle while Ulric consolidated power among the different breeds of wolves.

  These wolves were not like ordinary wolves that are seen in the forest or even in the mountains. They were roughly the size of a horse in weight and height. Ulric had a black, shiny coat of coarse hair that had a purplish tint to it when light reflected off of it. He was faster than any horse that ever lived in Tuwa and was the most ferocious killer in the land. However, no one had ever been able to detail his features or even recall his exact size because anyone who was unfortunate enough to see him died. They did not merely snuff it; they were torn to pieces. The only sign of his attack would be the blood. Nothing else was ever left behind. He was rumored to prowl the Tansanee Forest in the far west, but sometimes signs of his kills were found around Mount Adem. The dwarves called him the devil and placed a bounty of one thousand gold pieces for his head on a platter. Many tried to hunt the beast. None ever returned.

  The pack members were primarily from the southern lands and had not been to Tuwa before. Ulf was the leader of the black wolves and was just as foul as Ulric. He was slightly smaller and slower than his master, but he was still just as big as a horse. His speed was only marginally slower than Ulric’s top speed, however. He was the easiest of the wolves to convince to join him in Kana’s cause. It was probably due to the similarities between them that made the alliance easy. Zev, on the other hand, took quite a bit of cajoling. He was the leader of the gray wolves of the southeastern lands. He was bigger than Ulf and could not run as fast, but his strength was far superior. After a tussle with Ulric, Zev realized that it would be wise to follow the powerful brute. He knew that there would be plenty of victims for the eating and that his clan would praise him for the opportunity to kill northerners.

  Zwi, the leader of the red wolves, was t
he smallest and also the fastest of all the wolves. His clan was known throughout the deep south as the fastest creatures on four legs. They also have the reputation of being the most ferocious beasts to roam the continent. Ulric had a very difficult time convincing them to join him in his quest. After many days of bloody negotiations, they conceded defeat and joined the ranks. They would prove to be the most valuable asset for the wolf army. The only female leader was the white wolf, Tala. She was enormous, bigger than even Ulric. She did not require a strong hand to convince her to join the cause. The only thing that she needed was to know that the female guardian Kana was taking over Tuwa. After she was told this, she eagerly joined the ranks of the wolf army. Her followers were from the deepest part of the southwestern lands where snow was on the ground year round.

  While the different packs had united under Ulric, they did not mingle with one another. It was an uneasy truce that held them together. The bounteous feast before the wolf army would provide the needed glue to keep the wolves together and unified in their cause. A rumbling of growls began to fill the air as they waited impatiently for the go ahead to dig in. Ulric silenced them with a particularly deep growl that caused most of the wolves to whimper in fright. The jet-black leader sauntered up to a small round rock the size of one of his front paws. He flicked it surreptitiously at the outer wall of Tarisdell to see if there were any magical barriers. The rock did not explode like he expected, but it vanished in midair. Silence filled the small clearing outside the wall as the wolves considered what to do next.

  “Make sure you do not get too close to the barrier. Enjoy your feast!” growled Ulric slowly. He made his way to the nearest orc and began tearing at its flesh. Within minutes, a foul smell punctured the air as well as grunts of delight from the ravenous wolves.

  ***

  The troops led by Commander Brugon continued in their boisterous singing until they were almost at the clearing leading up to the eastern wall of Tarisdell. A putrid smell filled their nostrils and made many of the hardened soldiers vomit from the strong odor. Brugon silently called for a halt just within the shadows of the trees. Several beastly eyes looked up as the men came to a halt and stopped making noise. The wolves did not move one inch as they sized up the intruders. The men waited anxiously for their commander to give an order. The only sound that could be heard was that of bones and cartilage crunching in the massive maws of the unnaturally large wolves.

  With a wave of his hand, Brugon ordered the troops to spread out and string their bows. The men silently obeyed and quickly strung their bows and fitted their arrows. Commander Brugon knew that waiting any longer would eliminate the element of surprise that their appearance had on the gigantic beasts. “Fire!” ordered the commander in his deep, gruff voice.

  Arrows soared through the air, and the sickening thudding sound followed the whooshing of the projectiles as they connected with their furry targets. Yelps and howls of rage rang through the still air. The red wolves were on their attackers within seconds, even though they were the furthest north from the men of Aran. They tore into the soldiers with great ferocity. Cries of pain ripped through the air as the men tried to fend off the massive wolves.

  “To the trees!” ordered Brugon in a frustrated yell. The men immediately leapt to the nearest tree and began climbing at a frantic pace. Fifteen men lay on the ground dead while thirty others were bleeding from bites and scratches from the furry monstrosities.

  “Fire at will!” ordered the commander once his troops were safely in the trees. Several of the wolves fell from multiple arrow shots to the heart. It took no less than three arrows directly to the heart to kill just one of the wild beasts. Only five wolves appeared to be dead below them at the base of the trees.

  “Raz zu loc ne!” growled Ulric in the wolven tongue. His back arched as he surveyed their unwelcomed guests.

  Tala came bursting into view, taking massive bounds toward the nearest tree that was refuge for three soldiers. She came to a sudden halt and swiped at the tree with her massive left front paw. There was a sharp crack, and the tree began to fall to the ground as though a dwarf had just cut it down. She hit the base of the tree so hard that it broke in two at the impact point, which caused the tree to glide to toward the ground. Once the men were on the ground, they were grabbed by no less than seven different wolves that began fighting over their prey. Commander Brugon knew that he had to do something and he had to be quick about it.

  “Draw your swords, men! Follow me!” He leapt down from where he was perched in a tree and caught two of the nearest black wolves by surprise. Before they knew what was going on, he had severed two of their sleek heads from their bodies. He then roared as he charged at the massive group of almost three hundred wolves. Several of the beasts moved out of his way because the crazed man was swinging his sword with great efficiency. He killed four more idle wolves before breaking through the barrier they had created between themselves and the elven capital. His troops were right behind him swinging their blades with great success as they all too broke through the ranks. Only about one hundred and fifty soldiers made it through the line, but that did not slow their mad rush toward the eastern gate.

  “Couzja!” ordered Ulric loudly. Let them kill themselves. His laugh was a particularly nasty growl, which was duplicated by the rest of the small army of wolves.

  As the maddened men reached the point where the rock vanished before the wolves’ eyes, Commander Brugon uttered an elvish phrase. “Edhil nur! Edr!” The men continued through where the magical barrier was and did not disappear. Once through the magical shield, they continued through the gates and immediately took up defensive positions atop the bulwarks. Enraged by this trickery, several of the wolves rushed after the men of Aran, ignoring the commands from Ulric to stop where they were. Once they reached the barrier, they were stopped abruptly. They did not vanish like the rock, but they were immediately turned into stone. Thirty wolves appeared to be frozen midstride and moved no more. They retained their color and looked as though they were merely frozen in time. Howls of rage and indignation rose from the wolves as they backed away into the forest. After a few moments of backing away, the men could no longer see them.

  “What are those things, Commander?” asked one of the soldiers nervously. He had blood dripping down his forehead from a bite he had received while running past the packs of wolves.

  “Those are the legendary giant wolves of the south lands. Do not worry. They will not be able to penetrate this magical barrier left by the elves.”

  “How did you know what to say?” asked the same bloodied soldier in awe of his commander.

  “King Tiranidrol is a personal friend of mine. He named me elf friend many years ago, which gave me special access to any elven city.” He smiled darkly as he considered the luck that had befallen them. I will have to serve King Ciel to the end of my days to pay back this special favor. We were dead!

  As he dwelled on this unsettling thought, bright beastly eyes appeared in the shadows of the trees. The moon and the stars began to make their appearance in the night sky above them, which made the wolves’ eyes shine. There were thousands of eyes looking at them this time. It appeared that there were more of them in the wilderness that they had not seen. As they inched nearer the edge of the trees, Commander Brugon ordered one of his men to shoot a warning shot at the foul creatures. The arrow whizzed through the air and was unaffected by the barrier as it continued to its apex. Then it started down toward the ground and hit a patch of dirt making a small thudding noise. It was some twenty feet shy of the eaves. Emboldened, the wolves inched their way into the clearing. There were about four rows of wolves, that they could see, and there appeared to be about one thousand of those furry demons in each row.

  “What do we do now?” blurted a soldier on the left of Commander Brugon.

  “We wait.” Let them stare…as long as we stay here we are safe.

  Druids

  Lord Nariko looked over his shoulder at the battle for
Mount Carrick with apprehension. The mountainsides looked like they were on fire from the intensity of the fighting that was ravaging both sides of the conflict. I hope that this does not take long. I need to return to the battle. As the druid stood on the east bank of the Blaine River, he shifted restlessly while waiting for his fellow members of the druid council to appear. They needed to determine what their role would be in this conflict and what lengths they should go to in order to defend their respective races. While the councils that the druids held were informal and infrequent, they still served a very real purpose. I wish that we could form a proper council and separate ourselves from the people so that we could once again be independent from the politics that plague the peoples of Tuwa. I think that I am lucky to have a king who is above petty bureaucracy and does what is best for the people.

  “Always lost in thought, Nariko? You have not changed one bit,” chided Nita. She was a tall, slender elf with beautiful, short brown hair that gave her a rather boyish look. Her dark brown eyes stared fixedly at the much shorter dwarf that stood before her. Her elegant features hid her actual age better than most elves.

  “I thought that an elf would appreciate the importance of taking time to ponder weighty matters,” replied the burley warrior druid. He was stroking his long, braided brown beard as he looked to the west over the river. His body seemed to be made of nothing but muscle. His wisdom was such that many sought his council.