The Fallen Guardian tgc-2

by Steven R. Burke

  Why are we speaking out loud? queried Lady Bernadine smoothly with her mind. The other two flinched at the mental intrusion. They both disliked her disregard for the sanctity of one’s own mind.

  “Lady Bernadine, I am glad that you could make it. Where are you?” asked the dwarf gruffly.

  “Here,” she replied audibly this time. A black horned owl flew down from its perch and landed on the ground right next to Nariko. She transformed into her elven form and looked down at the stout fellow next to her. She looked very similar to Nita in her appearance except her hair and eyes, which were jet black. She too looked a great deal younger than her actual age.

  “You always have to play things up, don’t you?” snipped Nita briskly. She did not care for Bernadine’s dramatic flair. What a waste of time and talent. If she would only put that much effort into her charges, then this current situation might be more manageable.

  “Now, now, Nita, it is not nice to think such things.” Bernadine smirked. She loved torturing her fellow elf whenever she got the chance. Though they were the same race, they could not be more different in personality.

  “Ladies, that is quite enough of that. We have serious issues to discuss. Where are Thanos and Zaide? I know that Verandos has taken command of the elven army, so he is excused, but the others are not,” complained the powerful dwarf. He did not care at all for elven banter or what they consider to be wit.

  “You really should work on patience with others Master Nariko,” replied Thanos gruffly from behind a tree. He was the same height as his dwarf brother but was not quite as thick like the other. He was still very stocky for his height.

  “Where is Zaide then?” barked Nariko even more impatiently. “Just like a man to be late!” While he cared little for elves, he truly did detest men. They were so unreliable.

  “Master Nariko, he has taken the army of Aran to the secret entrance to the High Plains. He asked me to tell you that he is sorry for missing the council meeting and would like a report of what is discussed and decided.” Thanos spoke calmly and with a silky edge to his voice that did not match his rough dwarven exterior. There were some who mistook this manner of soft speech for weakness.

  “Always sticking up for that man. Oh well, I guess it cannot be helped with all that is going on,” replied Nariko grudgingly. His long brown hair moved gracefully as a breeze rushed along the shores of the Blaine River. He went silent for a moment while he stroked his beard again. Four out of six is not bad, but it is not a lucky number. We are going to need all the luck and good fortune that can be had.

  “Why don’t we begin this council so that we can return to our charges?” suggested Nita calmly. She was notorious for mediating disputes between groups, and this one was no exception.

  “Of course, you are right, Nita. Let us begin,” replied a subdued Nariko. They all pulled their hoods over their heads and bowed their faces to the ground as they formed a tight circle on the bank of the river.

  Druids were an ancient religion that assumed responsibility for the care of sentient beings. Over a thousand years ago they formed their first council and built a castle fortress. This sanctuary was home to representatives of very race in Tuwa. They came together as a sign of treaty and to work together for peace for all. They trained in arcane arts as well as in every battle method known. They built weapons that we magically enhanced as well as special armor. They acted as a balance to the power of the guardian council. In the beginning they were at peace with the Elementals, however, war has a way of changing views.

  As the druids stood side by side in their brown robes with black sashes, they began to chant softly in a common tongue created by the original druidic council. The ground in the center of their circle began to move in swirling patterns as their rhythmic chanting continued uninterrupted. A mist began to rise up from the unsettled ground and hovered at the waist level of the elves. The misty cloud had a bluish hue to it as it hung there suspended in time. The druids stopped their utterances and stood there stalk still. Life around them ceased to move or make a sound. It was like the entire world had stopped completely and time itself froze. After a few more silent moments, the council raised their covered heads to look into the magical mist. Lord Nariko was the first to speak, and he did so as the high druid of Tuwa, the rightful protector of the peoples of the land.

  “Show us the pain of the peoples of Tuwa.” His commanding voice was not rough or even low when he said this. His tone was even and crystal clear. The mist obeyed by first showing the dwarves at Mount Adem who were surrounded by two massive orc armies. They were outnumbered two to one.

  “Noble Thanos, your assistance will be required by General Magnar if King Kasim is to fend off this vicious assault on his kingdom.”

  “What shall I do to ensure their safety, Lord Nariko?” His tone was filled with reverence for his master even though he had chided him earlier. There was a time for fun, but this was not it. This situation looks worse than it did for the dwarves during the first war for Tuwa.

  “Let us look at the other situations that vex the lands so that we can determine the best course of action all around.” Even though no one could see his face, it was clear that he was troubled by the massive force attacking poor King Kasim.

  As they continued to look into the shimmering mist, they saw the plight of the dwarves at Mount Carrick who were surrounded by all of the rock trolls and the entire nation of goblins that resided in the Sheldon Mountains. Of course, Lord Nariko knew this already, but it was good for the others to see just how serious the situation was. Then an image of three orc armies combined with half the high elven army appeared. They were gathering weapons and laying out strategies to siege the southern cliffs of Landen. Meanwhile, in the north, the other half of the high elven army, led by Queen Kishi and the bloodthirsty General Jaali, were preparing for another attack on North Gate. The tidings of woe did not end there.

  Tarisdell, the elven capital city at the heart Renshaw Forest, was surrounded on the eastern border by a massive army of wolves. The druids looked closer at the beasts to make sure they were seeing them properly. They were the size of a massive warhorse. They were black, gray, red, and white-and there were over five thousand of them. This did not bode well for the one hundred and fifty soldiers who were stranded on the eastern outer wall of the city. They could see the magical shield, but they could tell that the magic holding it in place was beginning to fail. Then they were whisked away to a distant place in the far north, which was out of their area of influence. They only had stewardship over the races found in Tuwa, so they did not recognize any of the mountains or other landscape.

  An image of a black dragon flying toward a dirty gray mountain appeared next. An elegant figure was seated right at the base of the neck and had a fierce look of determination as she urged the fell beast toward the mountain. At once they all knew what that place was. They did not know its proper name, but they all knew that this was the home to the evil that almost conquered Tuwa a thousand years ago. What was more, they could sense its presence again. This troubled them greatly because they knew that the guardians had banished that vile creature to the ice fortress in the north. They also knew that there was no way for him to escape his icy prison without the assistance of those, or one of those, Elementals who had imprisoned him.

  Kana! they collectively screamed in the minds. Even though the druids did not care for the guardians they still did not believe what they were seeing.

  What has she done? asked Bernadine in her mind. They were all linked mentally at this point, so they all heard and echoed her question.

  “She has committed an unforgivable sin. I believe that she is the source of this evil that is plaguing the peoples of Tuwa. Because she is the root of all these problems, we will not be able to handle this situation on our own. The other guardians must rise to the occasion, and they must do it now!” said the normally reserved Thanos.

  The mist dissipated, and the ground in the middle of the circle returned to
normal. However, time continued to stand still while they pulled their hoods on again while still in the circle. The unique thing about a druid council was that when they combined their powers they could literally stop time while they discussed sacred matters in the circle. This had proved very useful over the years, although it did not prevent the fall of their wise independent council several centuries before. Unfortunately, the sacred circle never revealed treachery of any of the members that were in the druid council. This limitation cost them dearly and had made it difficult to fully re-establish the old order.

  “General Verandos and Zaide are aptly placed to assist the giants, the army of General Yukio, and the army of General Lysander. Thanos could go at once to help General Magnar while Lord Nariko returns to General Gideon’s army to fend off the rock trolls and goblins. Lady Bernadine and I can retrieve some special warriors that have already been informed of the situation,” suggested Nita wisely.

  “Agreed,” chanted the druids in the circle. No one ever disagreed with Nita when she laid out the options. She was definitely the wisest of them all and knew what was best in this case. She was kind enough to simply provide options and not to dictate. After all, she was not the head of the council.

  “Let us not tarry any longer. Each of you will need to contact the leaders you will be working with so that they know you are coming. I recommend travel by the swiftest means possible. Our werebear forms are not conducive to speed, so transform into your other forms. Remember, distance is nothing more than time. Control it like you do your destinies,” proffered Nariko solemnly.

  One of the unique abilities that a fully trained druid learns is to transform into a variety of animal forms. Typically they learn two forms while others who obsess with the art learn several more. The bear is the most common form followed by various fowls. This ability allows the druids to interact with all forms of sentient beings and not just the races of Tuwa. In times of war it enables them to gather intelligence while minimizing the danger of scouting.

  Nita was the first to act by moving to the water’s edge and bringing her hands together so that her fingertips touched. She uttered some words under her breath, and a patch of water froze in time right in front of her. Once she had left the circle, life sprang back into action all around them. She held the water still with a powerful time-bending spell and stepped onto the unmoving liquid. She was immediately transporting to where the valiant warriors were that she was going to recruit with Lady Bernadine. Her fellow elf had joined in the tear in time where they communicated to the warriors that they would be arriving soon and in their fowl forms. Nita transformed into a lovely brown barn owl and the two female druids flew to their destination now that they had given warning to those they sought.

  Each of the remaining druids did the same thing in bending time to give an instantaneous message to their respective generals about their impending arrivals. Nariko changed into a large golden eagle and flew off at once to the rescue of General Gideon. Thanos transformed into beautiful bald eagle and took off to help General Magnar shore up his defenses against the wicked orc armies. Finally, everyone had left to deal with their charges. Lady Hilzarie had been watching from above and knew that she needed to inform Mistress Khalida of the actions of the druid council. The guardian council did not fully trust the druids after their fall centuries ago. I think this is actually a good sign that they are working together again. I wonder who the seventh druid is though. I wonder if they know who it is.

  Hilzarie blew away toward Landen to report what she had overheard and seen to her mistress. As the surroundings came back into life after the druids were gone, a lone figure detached from the trees. It was a tall dark elf that had the look of one who had barely escaped death’s grasp. He had a wicked smile on his face as he looked up into the clear sky above. He was very glad that he had not left the Blain River. His lack of strength over the past few days had turned out to be a great blessing and not a curse. The knowledge he had gained by eavesdropping on the druids was invaluable to his plans. I will be able to use this knowledge for our gain. Now those fools in Landen stand no chance whatsoever if I can get to Nodin immediately. Their reinforcements will be too late!

  ***

  Lord Dukker laughed wickedly as he dusted off after lying in the dirt beneath the trees for several days. He was weak, but this new information invigorated his body and mind. He stretched out his left hand, and his staff magically appeared in it. He pointed it at the water and muttered some dark spell. A white flash shot out from the end of his staff and hit the water like a lightning bolt. Several fish floated to the surface, and he retrieved them hungrily. I must replenish my strength so that I can fight once I arrive at the base camp in Nodin. They will need my strength and leadership; they will not fail with me at the helm. The elves will pay for their stupidity, and the giants will suffer for their interference. Those fragile men of Landen will die slow, painful deaths for aiding those who defied me!

  Unforgivable Sin

  Lady Hilzarie soared gracefully over the High Plains of Landen in search of Mistress Khalida who did not appear to be anywhere in the vast country. She did not have time to search for her, so she hovered where she was several thousand feet above the ground and sent out a magical web to see if she could find the nearest Elemental. After a few moments, she came into contact with Lord Neb who had just finished flooding the Nairi Canyons. She quickly relayed to him the information about the druids and what they had discussed. After she had finished telling him everything, she took leave of him so she could get back to the task that had been given her.

  Go little one. I will tell Khalida everything. He sensed her acceptance of his reassurance, and then the connection was severed.

  Lord Neb knew that he had to report back to Khalida at once because of the charge that she gave him before they separated. I wonder why Hilzarie did not deliver the message herself to Khalida. She should have found her just south of here. I hope that nothing has happened. Worried, the water god sped down the river to find out where Khalida had gotten to. As he hurried south in the cool waters, he noticed a large army emerging from the forest. He paused to look at this pleasant surprise before his eyes. The foremost of the army had a figure clothed in a brown robe with black sashes. This sighting caused Neb to stop altogether. A druid is leading the army from Aran? What is going on?

  The mysterious figure detached himself from the ranks of the army and walked briskly down to the edge of the water. He came to a standstill as he began to mutter an unintelligible chant of magical words under his breath. The water in front of him stopped moving, and the presence of Lord Neb was revealed. I really hate it when they do that. They really should not meddle with time in such a light manner. Neb decided to transform into his human form and hovered over the water ten feet away from the druid.

  “What gives you the right to reveal my presence like that?” demanded Neb irritably. Of all the guardians he was the one who distrusted the druids the most. He was the unfortunate one who was betrayed by the druid who fractured the council centuries ago.

  “You do not have to worry. I have stopped time for them, so they will not know that you were ever here,” replied the druid soothingly. He understood Neb’s feeling of distrust and did not blame whatsoever.

  “Zaide, is that you?” The Elemental asked this with an edge of disbelief in his voice. I never would have thought him to be a warrior druid.

  “No, I am not a warrior, Lord Neb. I am merely leading this army from Aran to Landen. I have come to this spot to show them the secret entrance to the High Plains, which happens to be right behind you.”

  “So, why have the druids finally decided to get involved? I know that your comrades have met together in a traditional druid council just south of here. Why were you not there? Still not getting along?”

  “You have many questions, god of water. Can you not glean from my mind what you seek? We still do not allow others access into our minds, and our reasons for getting involved are not your
concern. We have chosen to help and will see to it that this war that is on the brink will not destroy all of the peoples of this land. We take our charges very seriously.” He did not hide his contempt for the Elementals in his retort to Neb. He meant nothing personal by it because he liked Lord Neb the best out of all the guardians. The druids did not trust the Elementals after the first war of the races, and it was apparent that their attitude was not about to change.

  “The druids still hold a grudge against the guardians. That is not surprising to me. Your inability to learn from mistakes is still your greatest weakness.”

  “The guardians are still arrogant and unrepentant for the destruction they caused in the past. And now we are just supposed to trust you because you say so? What of Kana? It is no longer a secret that she is responsible for the current situation. We know of her direct involvement, and we also know that you have done nothing to stop her. You still insist on using these lesser creatures to fight your battles. Why don’t you take her and your kind and stay in the east where you belong!”

  Neb did not like what he was hearing at all, and he wanted to blast the infidel into oblivion, but he knew that he had more pressing matters than fighting with a foolish druid. He submerged himself back into the water and continued down the river to find his mistress. He had broken the druid’s hold on time, and Zaide’s surroundings burst back into life. He stood there watching the Elemental heading south with a feeling of regret for having been so harsh with someone who had once been a good friend. If only they would admit to their folly and make amends for it. If they could finally accept responsibility for their actions or rather their inactions, we could move forward together once more.

  “Where do we cross?” asked General Sanjay from behind the druid who was lost in his own thoughts. The question brought him back to reality.

  “We shall cross here,” he replied while motioning to the running waters behind him. The druid turned about and with a complicated waive of his hands, the water stood still.