The Guardian Chronicles: Book 03 - The Dark Tide

by Steven R. Burke

  “Child…you know who I am…my name is known to you. I have come to discuss with you this unpleasant affair we are engaged in” replied the unidentified guest. He smiled warmly at the shaken queen as she cowered in her bath water. She could feel a trickle of warmth or comfort…she was unsure how to process this unexpected feeling. It was clear that this person was trying to comfort her and reassure her.

  “Master, forgive me for my rudeness” said Kishi as her eyes widened. She quickly sat up and bowed her head as she realized that she was in the presence of the leader of the guardians. His persona was vibrant and pulsating with unimaginable power. She understood now why she had not detected him. As she looked up, her thoughts were directed to her feud with her father, her late sister, and General Yukio. For the first time her mind seemed to be clear and she understood her role. She seemed to understand more about herself as well. How is he doing that? Why would Lord Adair visit me? Did I not side with Kana instead of his council? Is he trying to trick me in some way?

  “I have little time, so you will have to forgive me. I must first tell you that you have fallen victim to my old friend Kana. She has twisted everything since the elven council was broken. I am here to make things clear…display things as they really are.” He gestured toward the end of the tub where Kishi’s feet were. The suds began to swirl until they were replaced with a realistic representation of her sister’s marriage to Yukio. Many other images were shown in the hot water as the high elven queen watched in horror as the events leading up to her current predicament were displayed in a much different light. She felt unimaginable horror for what she had unwittingly been party to. Guilt threatened to consume her as she considered everything that she had just seen.

  “I did not know that I was playing into Kana’s hands…I have done terrible things” groaned Kishi aloud. A tear formed on her left cheek and slowly slid down her face as she realized the truth. She began to shake as the horror of all that had been done either by her hand or those who she commanded hit home. Is he here to extract a price for my allegiance to Kana?

  “Peace child. If it was not you and your sister, then Kana would have found another way to achieve her wicked designs. You have done that which you thought was right. You can still turn away from the path of destruction that you are on.” There was an unexpected tenderness in his voice. He made her yearn for his forgiveness. That thought alone was disturbing to her. She never felt an inclination to seek another’s forgiveness.

  “You are right…but how am I to atone for my choices?” asked Kishi with a downcast look at the now still tub water in front of her. She had finally relaxed now that the truth was clear to her and that it was apparent that the guardian was not there to exact revenge or some other price.

  “First and foremost, do not continue to entertain the deadly thoughts in your mind…harming yourself will not help anyone at this point. Second, you should decide for yourself what you should do…I am not your father nor do I have any stewardship over you. Lastly, I would suggest a more stringent guard surrounding you at all times…the good general is a bit of a fanatic where you are concerned.” Even though he made it clear that his visit had to be short, he was still taking the time necessary to ensure that Kishi understood everything that had happened.

  “Well, you certainly have given me a great deal to think about. Thank you for not punishing yet and for giving me this chance to understand. I promise to make amends for all that I have done or have been involved in.” She sat up fully in the tub and bowed her head slightly with her hands put together in a prayer like manner toward Lord Adair…forgetting her upper part of her torso was now completely exposed. Adair averted his eyes and vanished with a faint pop. The mist that had encompassed the room dissipated immediately after his abrupt departure. As Kishi sat in the tub with her chest above the water, she realized her foolishness and quickly covered her body with soap even though nobody was in the tent. Her face flushed red as she belatedly realized her lapse in judgment. Her embarrassment was quickly replaced with relief because she now knew what to do.

  The high elven queen exited the tub and dried her soapy wet body. She felt foolish about her interaction with the head of the guardians; however, she now had a great deal to do. In some way she felt that her end was near, but today was not her time to leave the living world behind. She was not afraid anymore…she knew what she needed to do. She quickly dressed and then got into her battle armor…selecting a wide range of deadly weapons to take with her. Many of these instruments of death were magically enhanced and some were even covered with poison. She grabbed her war staff as she left the central tent. Her guards did not know what to do when they saw her because she had not ventured outside in weeks. They clumsily saluted their queen and then stiffened at attention when they saw that she was dressed for battle.

  “Assemble the troops…it is time to change our stratagem” said their queen with a steely glint in her cold eyes. There was a magical aura around her as she strode into a circle of guards outside her tent. She walked with great confidence…full of purpose. Her magic was radiating out in waves from her.

  “As you command” replied the guards in unison. They had recovered from the surprise appearance of their queen with the help from Kishi’s magic. They marched off with full of purpose as they went about the task of assembling what was left of the high elven contingent in the north.

  “It is good to see you outside my queen” said one of her guards with an appreciative grin. The soldiers surrounding her tent bowed lowed and started to lead the way to a stand where Kishi could address the troops.

  Kishi started to ponder how she should approach the contingent and subsequently her subjects with the new direction. She knew that her change of heart would take some serious explaining and she certainly owed that to the high elves. Her greatest concern was with the volatile Lord Dükker who was currently trying to rally the contingency in the south. His inability to defeat the forces there had driven him to the breaking point. Kana was not all that pleased with his lack of success, so he was even more driven. She knew that her oldest friend may be the one to take her change of heart with the greatest skepticism…not to mention the possible lethal backlash.

  Queen Kishi stood silently on a platform that she had used to give inspirational speeches or to go over battle plans some weeks ago. Her troops crammed into the spaces they could and waited for her to speak. As she looked closely at the elves many were bloodied and gaunt from the prolonged struggle with General Yukio and his men. Her soldiers had tangled with the giants and had come out on the losing end of those interactions. She noticed that their numbers had dwindled considerably since the beginning of her bloody campaign. Her heart ached at the thought of the lives lost because of her impertinence. She quickly came out of the moment of self-loathing to look confidently at her fellow high elves. We are still elves…hopefully our brethren will accept us even after all we have done.

  “I have summoned you all here today to discuss a very serious topic…one that is long overdue” Kishi began stoically. Her color had finally come back to her as she looked at the crowd in front of her. She continued to use her magic to calm the troops while bolstering her confidence. “I have been thinking about the events that have led us to our current predicament. We have been wronged, in that there is no doubt. However, we have also been in the wrong. In the beginning the intentions of my dear sister were honorable and full of promise. Then she died…killed by Kana’s manipulation of a good man and friend to us all. I have been shown the last moments of Kira’s life and what I saw has revealed to me the duplicitous nature of the fallen guardian! We have been blindly following someone who has not had our interests at heart. Well, this is what I have to say about that…no more!” She slammed her right fist into her left palm which produced sparks.

  Her declaration was met with shouts of joy, or relief, she could not be sure. She had expected opposition or even muttering. She smiled warmly for the first time in over a year as she spread her arm
s toward her valiant soldiers. Though the sun had set, the area around the high elven camp was flooded with light. The dark visages in the crowd faded and were replaced by smiling faces. The blood lust was taken from them and they looked once more like the fair people they had once been. Their skin was still slightly darker than their woodland brothers because of their time spent in the mountains. This was obviously a gift from Lord Adair.

  “My joy is full like it has never been before. Let us redirect our vengeance upon those who are truly responsible for our mutual loss. Send messengers to our fellow high elves in the south…tell them to prepare for our arrival.” She beamed at her soldiers with knew found purpose and drive. She was very pleased at how readily her abrupt change in heart was accepted.

  “What of the orcs…what should we tell them?” asked one of her guard. It was clear that many shared his apprehension toward their unlikely ally. They all knew that they too had been manipulated by Kana; however, they would fight on for the sake of fighting. They had been given a chance to exact revenge and they would not simply walk away from it now that they had recognized the fallen guardian’s treachery.

  “Nothing…they will figure it out eventually…actually, I have a better idea” the queen said with a wicked grin. She motioned to her commanders to come closer to the stage. They huddled together for a few moments discussing something very intently. As they stood apart once more, one of the commanders whistled for a horse. He quickly mounted the beast and was gone. He was heading towards North Gate with a white flag hanging from a spear.

  “Are we surrendering?” asked one of the soldiers from the ranks. A wave of unease swept over the troops at this question. They were not sure that General Yukio was a forgiving kind of man. His blood lust and extreme magical prowess had made him someone to be feared. They were not sure they could trust that particular man after what had happened at their mountain homes months before.

  “Of course we are…our intentions need to be made known to our former friends and allies in order to assure our safe passage to the south. Now, who wants to volunteer to take our good news back to those who remained behind at Mount Quang?” She was sending a feeling of comfort in the form of magic over the gathers soldiers like a warm blanket now. She wanted her troops to be at ease so that they did not do anything rash.

  “I will” the reply came from within the ranks. He looked extremely happy to perform this particular service. He had several scars that still looked gruesome even after having his skin lightened.

  “Take a detachment with you…it is important for you to actually arrive. Once you shared the news with them, instruct them to prepare both Mount Quang and Konane for wounded.” She had a brief moment where her face contorted slightly. “It is also probably a good idea to avoid Renshaw for the time being.” She was still unsure how the high elves would be received by the woodland elves. I wonder how my father will react. I have put him through so much. Her actions had cost him much…the loss of his youngest daughter, thousands of elves dead, and many thousands more displaced.

  “What do you mean?” asked the volunteer quizzically.

  “I intend to offer our homes as a sanctuary for casualties of war. I think this would be a good show of faith on our part. It should also help our effort to re-establish old ties.” She smiled warmly again and the volunteer returned more confident smile…understanding dawning on the soldier. He was surprised by the warmth and overall concern his queen was showing. Kira had been the one who had always cared about the people…maybe Kishi cared all along and was now able to actually express it.

  “Right you are…I will be off shortly” the soldier replied with a bow. He motioned to several of his fellows and they went off to prepare for their emanate departure.

  “Now, we need to prepare for an early morning departure…pray to the guardian to protect our march and that our arrival will be met without violence” the high elven queen said in heartened tones. Cheers met this declaration…there was a collective sigh of relief at this long awaited turn of events. There had been more than enough blood spilled in the last year to last an entire existence of an immortal elf.

  ***

  General Yukio watched the lone horseman riding toward the gate with moonlight breaking through periodically through the over cast sky. He could tell, even from this great distance, that the rider was an elf. He was bewildered by the white flag flapping in the wind as the mysterious warrior made directly for North Gate. After several minutes it was clear that this was a messenger who was coming to surrender. How could this be? Kishi would never surrender…this must be a trap of some kind. He tried to extend his vision past the rider to see if there were any more troops.

  “Do not be too quick to judge” intoned the all too familiar deep voice from close by. The surprise guest’s white hair seemed to glow in the partial moonlight. A fine mist obscured the view of the moon for a moment or two after the visitor’s appearance. He placed his hand lightly on the shoulder of the powerful druid Yukio. Lord Adair was beginning to show signs that he had not rested in several days by the quality of his usually crystal clear voice. Even an immortal elemental needed a day off to rebuild their strength.

  “You really do get around. What are you on about today my lord?” asked Yukio calmly. He was never surprised by the guardian’s audacious behavior. How can he sneak up on me like that? I will learn his secret someday…if that I live long enough that is.

  “So you are telling me that these betrayers are really giving up” the general said without looking at the tall figure of Adair. He did make sure his skepticism was apparent in his voice. He looked surreptitiously at the guardian’s hand and then straight forward again.

  “Let me say this…I had a little chat with your sister-in-law about what really has taken place since the broken council in Tarisdell. She must have decided to stop this mad course the high elves were on. Do not shoot the messenger…welcome him yourself at the gate” suggested Adair smoothly. His gaze was fixed on the approaching rider. I hope that Kishi is ready for the back lash from her former allies. The elves and people of Landen may not be too pleased to see her. I will have to ensure that her elves are not treated too harshly.

  “I will do as you suggest…if you will excuse me” Yukio said with wry smile. As he began to walk towards the gate he shouted over his shoulder, “This is a good sign…hopefully this war will finally turn fully in our favor.” He heard a loud crack as the guardian disappeared. Bluish mist hung in the air for a while and then dissipated. Good luck wise one…you have really made a difference in this conflict. I hope he knows that unlike the other druids I do not hold him responsible for Kana’s actions.

  As the sun rose off to the east, the guards at North Gate stood silently at attention. They had a subtle look of anticipation on their faces as they looked to the northeast. The high elven camp was no longer visible…it was as though it had vanished during the night. The valley between where their enemies had been encamped and Landen was covered in a thick fog. This was not unusual with the cold mornings, but it was nearing midday and the mist seemed to thicken as the day wore on. The Nairian soldiers had learned over the course of the past few months to never show any emotion because that had given the high elves an edge in several of their battles.

  General Yukio stood in the middle of the entry way waiting for the arrival of his former foes. He had taken an oath to not ride another horse until he had successfully put an end to the high elves. He was not sure what he would do now…he could not really try to carry out his hasty oath. He had been offered numerous steeds by King Ishrafle over the past few months for his heroics, however, none had felt quite right to him. While he continued to muse over this unexpected thought the mist that blanketed the valley moved onto the plains in front of them. The guards on either side of him shifted nervously at the strange phenomenon. Several lowered their weapons in preparation for a surprise attack.

  “Men, do not worry about the fog…the high elves are being assisted in their retreat by
the guardians. We need to be more concerned with the orcs…we must not forget about General Synan and his army.” He stood erect and looked resolutely into the fog. His demeanor had a positive effect on his men. As he looked into the swirling portents, it was clear that he could see who was in the fog while his men could not.

  “I thought they had stopped at the western cliffs” uttered one of the guards before he could stop himself.

  “As you know, General Tomo’s army met their demise in the Forest of Renshaw. My information tells me that General Synan has broken camp and is marching north as we speak. They have rounded the northeastern corner of the cliffs as of this morning. They have suffered losses because they chose to march on the western side of the Blaine River” explained the general while looking to the east. He had a slight grin as he said this.

  No one said anything as the high elves emerged from the mist. General Yukio had expected Queen Kishi to be at the front, but she was nowhere in sight. That gave him pause as he continued to look for the vivacious leader. It was in that moment that he knew where she was. She had remained behind to dispatch the wolves that had been acting as their steeds. She was probably attending to that while her troops made their way to the safety above the cliffs of Landen. He smiled openly now as he moved forward to greet the high elven commanders. The approaching army cowered at the mad general’s appearance.

  “You have nothing to fear…we accept your unconditional surrender. For safety reasons, I ask that you proceed through the gate immediately. Follow my commander who is on horseback just inside the gate. He will lead you to the elven king Tiranidrol. It will be up to him to determine your fate” said General Yukio in kindly tones. He made a gesture toward the mounted commander. He then backed out of the way to allow the high elves to pass.