The Guardian Chronicles: Book 03 - The Dark Tide

by Steven R. Burke

  “I assume you heard everything?” asked King Ciel with a smile. He had thought that the mist muffled the conversation; however, he was pleased that they were able to hear the good news.

  “Yes sir…I could not help it…we heard both your voices in our minds” replied the soldier meekly.

  “Not to worry…I want you to spread the word…we are heading home!” He slapped his guard on the shoulder genially. They had much to look forward to now.

  The Floods Recede

  The newly created lake shimmered in the early morning sun as the water lapped against the canyon walls of Nairi. The debris that had polluted the surface for many days had disappeared without a trace into the depths below. The portents of the canyon lake were clear now instead of murky. A lone figure stood at the edge of the eastern shore looking out over the oddly beautiful vista. The person was tall and slender with long flowing red hair and appeared to have black wings. Her eyes were mostly red with a gray outline around the edges. As a breeze picked up from behind her, the light reflected off of several silver strands that were hidden within her silky long hair. She was not really looking at the scene before her…she was looking far off into the west as she stood rooted to the spot.

  Kana suddenly burst into flames which seemed to caress her and was not harming her in any way. She looked at the lake finally and raised her arms high into the air and said, “Flymaré”! The fire engulfing her started to pulsate as it grew larger and yearned to be set free. She directed her power toward some point high in the clear sky above Nairi. She continued to build the ball of fire until it was roughly the size of five full grown dragons. For the briefest moment the fiery sphere hung over the water as though it were waiting for a final command. As the fallen guardian brought down her hands, the ball shot downward with extreme force into the still waters.

  High above the fiery projectile followed Ryo who seemed to appear out of nowhere and began adding his own fire to Kana’s ball. The moment the lethal sphere touched the surface of the lake there was an ear splitting squealing noise that filled the air as a result of the dramatic impact. The water evaporated with great ferocity and unbelievable speed. The air was quickly filled with steam so hot that it burned alive any creature unfortunate enough to be within one mile of Nairi. Once the fallen guardian’s projectile had made its way to the bottom it began to worm its way around the rest of the canyon lands to continue its battle with the water that was trying to fill the open spaces. The very air behind the fiery orb seemed to lack moisture as the assault continued.

  The dragon Ryo flew up into the air above the canyon and circled slowly until he came to rest next to his master. He continued to watch the fiery ball with great interest while ignoring Kana completely. He still had not forgiven her for not listening to his advice and warning about the orb. He was also still upset that she went into the cursed village of Arlenael. He did not like how she was deviating from the original plan and was even more disgruntled by her attitude towards him. Sprouting wings of her own when she felt the need was adding insult to injury.

  “So, you do not agree with how I am doing things?” asked Kana knowingly. She was giving her fell beast a sideways look which clearly indicated that she knew what he was feeling even if she could not read his thoughts. This was beginning to trouble her and she could not afford to have the rift between them get any worse. The wings she had displayed vanished.

  “I do not agree with your decision to go after the orb or for your constant need to change the plan. I have warned you that your choices will lead us to ruin unless you stick to the original plan.” Ryo was not trying to hide his feelings from Kana because he knew that if he did throw up barriers that she would not trust him. Even though he strongly disagreed with several of her choices, he knew that if he stayed with her that he would end up on the winning side. However, there were times he doubted that there would be a winner in this particular contest.

  “I see…you still do not understand the burdens of leadership. A true leader must be able to adapt to ever changing circumstances. We have not been successful in any of our attacks on the free peoples of Tuwa, so we must change our stratagem. Plus, in the beginning we did not know of the existence of the Orb of Nitesh. That, in and of itself, changes everything.” She had an air of superiority as she spoke.

  “You make a valid point about an ever changing situation. Since the beginning of this war we have lost several of my kindred beasts in southern Landen where our armies should have been able to easily overrun the enemy. We have yet to breach the cliffs! Thousands have fallen for nothing!” The usually calm dragon was letting his frustrations get the better of him. He knew that this may actually get through the Kana.

  “I understand your frustration…I did not take into account that the druids would reunite and begin their search for the seventh secret druid. I did not count on the guardian council working closely with the peoples of Tuwa. I did not believe that the guardian himself would again banish the dark lord to the icy Bekra Keep in the north!” She was losing her composure as she spoke to Ryo. Nothing is going as it should!

  “I share your sense of frustration…we, however, must keep our wits about us. Your former master is trying to unsettle you and push you into doing something foolish.” He turned one of his jet black eyes toward her. “What we need to do is decide what must be done now. We have lost Drogan, but we still have his army in place over Lake Lachlan. You need to determine who will lead them into battle.”

  “You are right…why don’t we agree for the time being to disagree about past choices. You and I need to be one as we move forward. I think that we must first finish with our business here and then we will decide what to do after that.” She laid her right hand gently on the inky black scales and stroked Ryo’s neck. It was the first time in a long while they had been able to overcome the chasm that existed between them.

  “I think you are right…I will see how close we are to finishing this purge.” Without another word he took off into the air. It was impossible to see where he went because of the thick steam that was everywhere now. A sense of ease came over her as she continued her stroll. She knew that she needed every powerful ally she could find and Ryo was definitely at the top of that list.

  After a few minutes the fiery sphere reappeared out of the canyon and climbed high into the sky above Kana. Ryo was circling even higher above waiting for the final command. The fallen guardian swung both her arms upward in the direction of the odd pair. A bolt of red lightning shot at them with great speed from her outstretched hands. The fiery ball and the dragon were melded together by this magic. The burning beast soared a little higher and then went into a steep dive toward the Nairi underground castle. The mutated projectile hit the sandstone structure with terrific force. The ground shook violently and reddish clay dust filled the air. The ground continued to rumble for a few moments post impact. The dragon could be seen standing apart from where he and the fiery ball had hit the canyon wall.

  “Home sweet home” Kana said with a wicked grin. She had a sense of accomplishment which felt good considering all the string of failures her plans have had. She had needed a base for her operations and this would do nicely.

  Ryo roared as the dust settled. The castle had been transformed completely from the forceful impact. The combination of Kana’s magic along with the dragons had altered the exterior completely. It had the look of one of the ancient dark temples from centuries ago. The symbols representing the four elements were engraved in the jet black walls and pillars. There were demonic depictions along with images of goblins, rock trolls, orcs, and beasts loyal to the fallen guardian. The walls were smooth like marble and were slightly warm to the touch. Even though the surface was completely black, there was a dull red glow emanating from it. The new exterior seemed to pulsate in a rhythmic fashion that was eerily similar to the wall surrounding Agaroth.

  “Let us call on our newest friends to come out of hiding” said Kana after she had appeared out of thin air next to R
yo. A fine red mist swirled and then faded after her appearance. The dragon gave her a quick sideways look and then unleashed a long drawn out flame over the landscape just in front of the newly blackened entry to the Nairi castle.

  The ground began to shake violently as odd looking creatures emerged from under the canyon floor. They had a hairy look to them that made them look like gigantic fur balls. They stood nearly three feet high and were almost the same size around. There were different colored creatures which distinguished them from their fellows. Some were black while others were shades of different browns. Their faces were obscured by the massive amount of hair, but their noses did poke out slightly. They all had huge black eyes which were extremely sensitive to natural light. To the casual observer they looked like oversized porcupines.

  “Be still my friends…I have summoned you only long enough to give you instructions” Kana said swiftly as the creatures closed their sensitive black eyes against the blinding sun. She made a welcoming gesture to the seldom seen creatures. They were considered creatures from a time long ago and were thought to be extinct.

  The creatures, which had not been seen in the middle lands of Tuwa for centuries, had four powerfully built legs. Both sets of legs were well adapted for digging or mining. The extra-long hair made it easier for them to move through the earth. What were not immediately visible to the naked eye were the razor sharp needles it used for defense that were shorter than the hair. If they feel threatened, they will roll up into a ball and try to steam roll its assailant. When they get into this position, the metallic spikes protrude from their skin and act as a weapon. If they get cornered they will launch their needles at their enemies. They also emit a musky scent when they feel threatened. There was no way to avoid this particular defensive measure.

  “Drugars…I have called you here to request your help in surprising your neighbors nestled in Mount Ennis. I am offering you an opportunity to get retribution on those who have hunted and killed your kind over the centuries” Kana said boldly. There was a soft rustling of quills in reply to this grand offer. It was clear that they were willing to do whatever this fallen guardian wanted so long as they get the chance to repay the dwarves for senseless killings of so many of their kind. They had been hunted as pests or for fun. The musky smell they emitted when they felt they were threatened was one of the most popular reasons for hunting them down.

  “We will do whatever you want Kana so long as you keep your promise” replied the head drugar Dorax. He was nearly four feet tall and had a sleek jet black coat of hair. His eyes had an unusual silver hue to them. The drugars cannot speak, but they have superior telepathic abilities that assist them with their mining activities. Many dwarves take their lack of speech to mean that they are lesser creatures or even giant rodents. This misperception is at the heart of the rift between the two groups. The dwarves viewed them as smelly oversized rodents and the drugars thought the dwarves were ruthless bearded nuisances.

  “Dorax…I am surprised that you even asked me that. I will keep my end of the bargain…you will have plenty of dwarves to feast on. All I ask in return is that you begin digging along the eastern canyon walls. From there I want you to continue all the way to Mount Ennis. These tunnels need to be high and wide enough for several armies to fit in with their war machines.” The drugars were not carnivores and would only eat dwarves because of their extreme hatred toward the above land hole diggers.

  “It will take us some time to make it all the way to Ennis, so we will get started now. How many tunnels do you want?” They were eager to join Kana without thought of what her plans were. They did not care for above landers’ politics or wars. They merely saw this as an opportunity to get revenge on the dwarves without the interference from the men of Nairi. For as long as anyone could remember there was an agreement between the dwarves of Ennis and the men of Nairi to assist one another in controlling the drugar population.

  “I want two dozen…I will leave you to your work then.” Kana turned her back on the sea of furry beasts to look at Ryo once more. The twenty thousand plus army of hairy diggers made their way to the eastern walls and began their projects. The ground shook violently as they went about their work.

  “You trust those earth loving beasts? They never remain loyal to anyone outside their own kind. What makes you think they will stay true to you?” asked Ryo suspiciously. He eyed the tasty treats as the clay laden dirt began to fly. His instincts wanted him to snatch up a few of them.

  “I thought you would have caught on by now…intimidation and brute force is not the only way of persuading others to do my bidding. I find that servants are more faithful when you give them proper incentives. They will do what we want them to because they benefit from the arrangement.” She knew that these beasts were only doing her bidding because she had removed the threat of Nairi. They did not care at all about her war or what the above landers were doing.

  “I see that you have thought your strategy through…what is our next move then?” He was feeling more confident in his counterpart. The rift between them was mending quicker than he had anticipated.

  “I need to you visit the battlefield in southern Landen. Go to south gate and try to bolster orc ranks as well as the high elves. If the number of griffins is half of what it was at the beginning then you will need to procure more recruits. The aerial attacks will give us the edge we need to crush those fiends along the cliffs.” They knew that the eagles to the north never ventured to the south and would not get involved in the fight there. They may engage them at some point; however, they were confident that they would not attack there.

  “Finally…we agree on something.” As Ryo said this, he took off into the air that was now filled with dust. As the beast flew over the eastern edge of the canyon walls there was the slightest movement along the precipice. After the dragon had cleared Nairi, all was still on the plains above the canyon lands. The dust made it difficult to see as far and would help to hide what was taking place at her temple.

  I wonder what that was on the plains. It was big enough to be seen clearly from a great distance even with the dust. Well…it is gone now…whatever it was. I have more pressing matters to attend to. Kana turned her attention to the drugars who were digging madly at the base of the canyon walls. She smiled at their eagerness to reach the dwarves. She lingered for a few moments longer while she watched their feverish pace. Her black wings appeared and she flew slowly toward her new home. This new temple was going to be the center of Tuwa…the place where she would rule over everything and everyone. She dove from her place in the dusty sky and flew through the temple entrance.

  ***

  King Nognili sat at a table next to his beautiful throne eating his way through a wild boar. He was humming lightly as he greedily ate his meal and drank his fair share of elven wine. An outsider may have been taken aback by this care free scene considering the fact that war was all around him. There were several servants waiting on their king while he gorged himself. They looked away in disgust at their leader’s insistence that all was well in the world. King Edric lacked severely in table manners which only added to their revulsion. His beard was stained with juices and blood from his meal.

  The doors to the king’s underground throne room burst open sending the massive wrought iron doors banging into the hall’s stone walls. The sound reverberated loudly as the king turned slowly in his chair to see who had disturbed his meal. The stout figure of General Chad stood silhouetted in the doorway as he labored to catch his breath. King Edric gave his general a quizzical look as he impatiently waited for the abrupt disturbance to be explained. There was food mingled with the blood in his long beard.

  “King Nognili…I have news…” panted General Chad. He walked quickly over to where Edric was seated at a beautifully carved stone table. He did not hide his revulsion at the manner of his monarch.

  “How can I help you general?” asked the king shortly. He did not bother to hide his irritation at the intrusion. He finally st
arted to clean himself up since his appetite was likely to be ruined with more drivel from his general. He was not altogether pleased with his general’s war mongering and his insistence that he involve his army in the war at large.

  “Sorry for the interruption, but I thought it would be good for you to know that someone has drained the water from Nairi.” He could not hide his disdain for his king’s lack of action during these dangerous times. He made sure not to be polite in order to throw off the monarch. He had to find a way to get the dwarven king to act…even if it meant the end of his career or his freedom.

  “So…what does that have to do with me?” He looked away from his general with a look of supreme disinterest. He was wiping his hands clean and he motioned for more wine to be brought to him. He was clearly did not care about this news as, in his mind; it had nothing to do with him.

  “You mean us, right?” There was such scathing sarcasm in how he said this that he was sure he would finally get the monarch’s attention. What a selfish bastard! Thousands of our allies are dying and even his people are threatened and he sits here caring only for himself!

  “You are wasting my time general…what is your news?” The king was clearly perturbed by this impromptu meeting and for the lack of respect. He was still determined to not give the general the satisfaction of knowing that he was getting to him.

  “Fine…I will tell you the bad news then. There is a massive army of drugars tunneling from the eastern walls of Nairi. They are working under the direction of a guardian who has a massive black dragon. Someone was able to dry the waters of Nairi in under an hour…they have taken control of Queen Daria’s land and have an army of fur balls digging holes in our general direction.” He sneered as he looked down at the seated monarch. He had lost all respect for someone that he once considered a friend and someone that he would gladly give his life for. Now he did not care if his king lived or died so long as he was able to get the monarch out of the way.