The Guardian Chronicles: Book 03 - The Dark Tide (2 page)

“We are here as well…I will represent the wolves and the other creatures in your service”
Ulric spoke slyly within the group members’ minds.  He had crept up slowly on the unusual group gathered together in the elven forest at a location that he thought they would have known to avoid.

“Fine…let’s get…” began Kana pointedly before she was interrupted by the giant spider Razi.  She briefly turned into all flames at the interruption.  The magical energy emanating from her was pushing hard against the oppressive atmosphere.

“Who made you our leader?  Why do you speak for all us?  I am here as well…what about me?”
spat Razi nastily.  He spat venom in the direction of the giant wolf which singed some hair on the beast’s tail.  The large spider raised its fangs up in a threatening manner.

“Enough!” shrieked Kana loudly.  “We must begin this meeting now so we can discuss the matters of war and make plans for overcoming our enemies who have proven to be stronger than our combined strength.”  She briefly burst into flames as she struggled to regain her composure.  Finally she regained control after all the build-up and all flames died out.  She stood erect and all could see the flames still dancing in her menacing gaze.

The group of unlikely allies looked at one another uneasily.  The only one that realized what was happening to them was Lord Trahern.  His link to the earth was telling him to leave this place straight away.  The ancient magic was alive in everything around them and was the source of the negative feelings and emotions that had beset the council members.  The massive rock troll did not say anything to the others about what he knew and merely stood there waiting for the meeting to get started.  An eerie silence fell over the axis leaders as they waited for things to begin…the oppressive air thickened even more.  It was unnatural the way the forest around them silenced itself…almost as though something was heading their way.

“I guess I will make my report on our attempts to lay siege to King Kasim and his mountain kingdom” began General Akuji.  He could not take the silence anymore and really wanted to get his part over with.  He could not shake the feeling that something was pressing down on him.  His lungs were used to the high altitudes of the mountain valley of Tarin, so the pressure he was feeling was a sensation he was not altogether familiar with.

“Very well…give us your report Akuji” replied the fallen guardian with a strained sigh.  She was trying to secure her emotions and thoughts from the group.  She was not being as successful as she would have hoped.  Then again, she only really needed to concern herself with Dükker.

“We sent in our berserkers to remove any traps on the plains surrounding the mountain fortress.  However, when they set off the explosives, they inadvertently caused molten lava to come up from under the earth.  Mount Adem is now completely surrounded by liquid magma” Akuji spoke with a sullen determination.  “The width of the mote we created is nearly one mile in the north where the land is closest together.  We are working on ways of creating a bridge over the fiery barrier.”  It was so uncharacteristic to see the mighty orc’s shoulders hunched in defeated way.  Kana noticed that his breathing appeared to be labored and wondered what could possibly cause an orc of Tarin to struggle to breathe.

“So, you cannot reach the dwarves…at least they are not going anywhere” replied Kana with a hint of resignation in her voice.  She was still troubled more by the orc himself rather than what was reported.

“Our armies will find a way over this temporary setback.  King Kasim has no way of escaping and we have all of the resources from the forest on our side.  We will crush him…it will just take a little longer than we had hoped.”  He had a look of fierce determination on his face as his finished. 
I will not let those little mountain dwellers go unpunished.

“Well, it sounds like you have a plan in place to deal with the unfortunate circumstances…I do not believe that your Berserkers were the cause of this unlikely turn of events.  The guardian council has become more involved in this conflict and will continue to interfere with our plans from now on.  We must be prepared for any eventuality” Kana said to the group.  The inevitability of her fellow guardians’ intervention was not much of a surprise to her.  She had a look of resignation on her face and the others did not know quite what to make of it.  It was clear that her thoughts had drifted elsewhere and she did not look inclined to share.

For nearly three hours the axis leaders reported to one another on the affairs of war and how things had gone ill in nearly every quarter.  By the time all of them had shared their news, there was a heavy feeling of despair pressing down on them.  They felt that their cause may be lost and that it might be the right time to give it up.  After the fallen guardian had heard what her leadership had to say, she decided that it was time to reveal to them her secret plans that she had already put into motion.  She explained to them, in detail, the quest for a powerful magical object that would help turn the tide of war back in their favor.

“That is good news…but what do we do for the time being?  Rolon may not return with this weapon for quite some time.  We are losing the war now and if we do not change course soon, it will be over before the wolf is back” the dark warlock said purposefully.  He was not too pleased with the news of this object of power.  This may put the balance of power in Kana’s favor and then he would be hard pressed to push his agenda.

“I agree with our little friend…things are not boding well for us at the moment.  We need something now that will help us turn the bloody affair in our favor”
interjected the giant rock troll flatly.  He had not moved at all the entire time and though he remained motionless, even this stalwart was not unmoved by the unease.

“I believe that what is needed is a little retooling of our efforts.  We have far superior numbers, but they are clumped together right now.  We need to balance our attack if we are to see any progress” General Nero supplied confidently.  He stood a little taller as he spoke as though purpose had been infused back into him.  He still struggled for breath; however, he hid this with greater ease now.

“I concur with your assessment Nero…we will need to move some of the orc armies to the north to assist the ailing high elves who have been beaten soundly over the past few days.  Queen Kishi is still recovering from her encounter with General Yukio.  Which brings up a very important point…we must all be careful when dealing with that crazed man.  He has plenty of motivation and has shown that he is an advanced wielder of magic.  We must be cautious” Kana explained coolly.  She looked around at her leaders to make sure that they were paying attention to her warning about the mysterious man Yukio.

“So you believe that bringing one of the orc armies to the north to aid the high elves would help turn things around?” asked a skeptical Dükker.  His dark features did not hide his disbelief.  He clearly did not care for the orcs and did not think much of their assistance.  He also completely ignored the warning about the mortal man Yukio.

“I know that reinforcements will make a difference” replied the fallen guardian knowingly.  She was beginning to regain her composure now that plans were hardening.  “I also believe that we need to send one of the orc armies to the western cliffs.  I already have some special friends crossing Lachlan Lake as we speak, so the eastern border is taken care of.”  It was clear now that she had cooled down and was back in control of things.  The oppressive feeling was still there, they had simply become accustomed to the negative influence.

“The devils from the north?” asked General Nero.  His demeanor immediately darkened at the mention of the forces from the north.  His breathing steadied as though he had had no issues breathing for the past few hours.  It was clear that his distaste for the northern creatures had to do with a past he clearly did not like.

“Yes…many of the banished creatures of the north lands have consented to help us in taking over middle Tuwa.  They were all too eager to help once I released them from their icy prison” Kana said with a wicked gleam in her eyes.  She cared little for those who joined her cause as long as her ends were met.  If they are not, she had ways of disposing of those who failed her.

“You have released the dark lord…haven’t you” Dükker stated darkly.  He did not think this was a wise move on her part.  He did not trust her from the start of their joint venture and now he knew that he needed to accelerate his own plans.

“Yes, I have.  He will be joining the fight once he has finished securing something for me.  He will lead the creatures from the north in crossing the eastern lake to Landen.  We must box in our enemies and then our evenly dispersed numbers will grind them into oblivion!”

“I will take leave of you all…I must return to Mount Carrick to assist General Yuki.  We have over stayed our welcome here”
Lord Trahern said as he began to walk away.  The ground shook violently as he strode quickly away.  He did not see the value of tempting fate in such an enchanted place.

“I think we should all leave here at once…something does not feel quite right.  You all know what to do.  I expect regular reports on how things are proceeding.  General Nero, have General Tomo take his troops to the north to assist Queen Kishi…he will be in charge until she has recovered.  Also, inform General Synan that I want him to take his army to the west.  He is to make camp in the eaves of the Black Forest so that he is out of range of those pestilential giants.”  For the first time in the hours of being near the deserted location she felt the oppression that was all around them.

“I will pass along your orders” replied General Nero.  He turned around and headed off in a southerly direction.  His breathing was labored once more as he ran from the village.

The rest of the council slunk off to their respective charges.  They were all glad to be leaving the little village.  They all had a nagging feeling that something had changed in the meeting place while they were there.  They also felt different than when they had entered the deserted dwellings of the woodland elves.  Kana did not dwell on these feelings for long…Ryo would not respond to her until she made her way clear of Arlenael.  The fell beast appeared out of the clouds over Landen and dove to where his mistress stood. 
I wonder why he keeps defying me.  He may not agree with some of my decisions, but he has always remained loyal to me before.  He has changed ever since I sent Rolon on that quest.  He will understand my reasoning when I have that orb…he will not question me then…no one will!

Yukio had recovered slightly from the tragic loss of his valiant steed that had been slaughtered by the cursed white wolf Rolon.  He still did not feel sated in his lust for revenge.  He believed that he must kill his wicked sister-in-law Kishi and all of the high elves to avenge the perceived wrongs committed against the general and the people of Nairi.  He had had a great deal of success in the first few days of the war as a result of his personal motivation, but he was still restless with what he believed to be limited progress.  He had inspired unbelievable acts of heroics among the troops with his erratic but driven behavior.  Some of the giants had even elevated their ferocity in light of the maniacal general’s tactics.  However, not all were pleased with his blood lust and boastings.

“I believe that General Yukio has truly lost touch with reality…he acts with little regard for himself which is setting a dangerous example for our soldiers” General Lang said to the other giant leaders.  He had heard the rumors of the general’s violent behavior and that it was beginning to have an adverse effect on his army. 
We need to get this situation under control before things get out of hand entirely.  We have enough to deal with!

“I think that we should simply invite the good general to come and meet with us.  He is an intelligent man after all and I believe that we could reason with him.  His magical powers have been a most welcome asset in this conflict, so inviting him to discuss this matter seems to be the best course.  Let us be honest, he has single handedly turned the tide of this siege in our favor through his efforts…regardless of how reckless they have been at times” said Lord Marcello smoothly.  His face showed no emotion or gave any indication about how he truly felt about this matter.  He always thought of every angle without allowing his feelings to dictate his logic. 
A little chaos is just what we need to gain an advantage in this conflict.  I must say that it is nice to have his creative magic...I have learned a thing or two from watching him.

“I think that we should not attempt any action that would dissuade our valiant friend.  We do need to speak to him so that he understands our concern for him.  Commander Boaz, please send for General Yukio.  Have him meet us here tomorrow morning.  That is all” said King Angus dismissively.  He was trying his best to act kingly, however, he was not all together used to it.  It was much easier as a chief over his own people.

“So, what is the current status of our defenses?  We should probably discuss this now since we cannot do anything more concerning Yukio until tomorrow” General Lang said after Boaz had departed.  He did not want to dwell on the upcoming intervention and thought they should at least discuss something productive.

“Lord Marcello, please go ahead with your report of what is taking place in the north” ordered the king.  It was clear that the monarch’s thoughts were elsewhere as he said this.  He did have an air of concern about him, though it did not seem linked to what they were talking about. 
Why do I have this feeling that something horrible is going to happen back home?  The war is in here in the central part of Tuwa, who would attack our barren lands?