The Guardian Chronicles: Book 03 - The Dark Tide

by Steven R. Burke

  “Whatever ye wish commander” replied the goblin captain acidly. He looked at his two fellow complainers with a slight roll of his eyes.

  “I am glad you are so willing” snapped Commander Toan viciously. With a speed that belied their size, the three rock trolls reached down and grabbed the three shrieking goblins. They flailed and kicked wildly in an attempt to free themselves from the iron grip of the trolls.

  “Take’em to the front” laughed Jabari silently. The ground shook as the three massive trolls moved to the front lines with the latest volunteers.

  The three trolls marched slowly towards the littered opening to the underground entrance to Dagnolir’s fortress. They stopped by some caskets of oil and dipped the frantic goblins bodily before setting them ablaze. Once they were on fire, they hurled them with extreme velocity at the dwarves who were attempting to seal the entrance. The limp bodies exploded violently against the partial wall that had been constructed. The barrier gave way as burnt body parts flew every which way.

  “I really did not think that would work” laughed Commander Jabari wickedly. He was actually so overcome by the hilarity of the moment that he slapped his knee as he doubled over. The ground shook as he continued to laugh. It felt good to laugh a little. He did not care at all for goblins, so he decided he would use them however he saw fit.

  “Let’s get back to business…we need to take advantage of this lucky turn of events. Send in our troops. Ask the archers to provide as much cover as they can” ordered Commander Toan sharply. He did not have any sense of humor, so he only saw an opportunity when the fiery goblins knocked over the stone barrier.

  “Charge!” bellowed Commander Jabari in deep voice that echoed off of the blackened tunnel walls. The shout reverberated all the way into the bowels of Dagnolir. While it sounded impressive, it was countered by the snippets of laughter still emanating from the commander.

  A mass of twenty rock trolls rushed at the reeling dwarves before they could regain their footing. Several hundred goblin archers quickly scaled the walls to get a better angle for their covering fire. As the trolls were running by the barrels of oil that had been placed near the tunnel opening, each of them picked up a few as they passed. The massive brutes started hurling these wooden caskets into the open floor inside the fortress. The goblins caught on quickly and began lighting their arrow tips with fire. The soldiers on the floor passed these burning projectiles to the archers on the walls. Within a few moments the air was full of fiery darts.

  The bottom of Dagnolir’s fortress burst into flames as the fire arrows hit the oil. Several dwarves were unable to avoid being burned alive. All of those who had been working on the barrier were killed in the gruesome attack. The dwarven archers were distracted by the extreme carnage below them which resulted in the significant oversight of the rock trolls entering the castle unnoticed. The trolls took full advantage of this by grabbing the burning dead and throwing them at the inattentive archers. Several beards caught fire as their kin hit them bodily. Some fell from their hiding places to the burning floor below.

  “Send these fowl dogs to depths of the underworld!” barked Captain Agnar. The air was full once more with oil…this time it came from the dwarves up above. Most of the trolls were drenched in the black liquid and were unable to avoid the fiery darts of the powerful dwarven archers.

  Booming roars echoed from the ensuing chaos below. Thirteen rock trolls fell dead from this retaliatory attack. Moments later cauldrons of icy water were poured onto the burning floor. Smoke filled the air along with thick billows of steam. No one could see anything as the atmosphere continued to be polluted with vaporized water and black smoke from the oil. Unseen by the rock trolls were several dozen dwarven foot soldiers rushing onto this deadly battlefield. They were wielding double edged battle axes and massive war hammers as they surprised the giant intruders. The stout attackers went for the legs in an effort to bring down the large monsters before they knew what was happening below them. If their initial attack was not successful, they would likely be crushed to death amidst the din.

  Commander Jabari roared his frustration at the effective counter attack. In his anger he began grabbing chunks of the tunnel wall; some frightened goblin archers were inadvertently smashed in the process, and throwing these pieces of bloodied stone at the dwarven soldiers who were wreaking havoc on his vulnerable troops. The first rock hit two dwarves so hard that their helmets were driven all the way down to their shoulders. Their heads were completely gone at the moment of impact. They seemed to fall soundlessly to the ground as the tumult around them was all that could be heard.

  The blackened floor began to change colors as dwarven blood was smeared savagely across the scorched basin. As more trolls joined the fray, more dwarves rushed to the defense of their comrades. Commander Jabari was continuing his frantic, unintentional widening of the entrance into the base of Dagnolir. Commander Toan ran toward the battle with two long swords the length of a small tree. As he entered the opening, he was hit with a barrage of arrows. Only three pierced his extensive armor and they did not hit anything vital. With a suddenness that surprised everyone, including the other rock trolls, Toan jump up to the first level above the ground floor without breaking his stride. He was on the archers before they could retrieve their axes or hammers.

  “Kill stunties!” roared the clearly enraged rock troll commander. He swung his long and deadly swords with great precision. Several heads were sent flying every which direction. Blood filled the air as the massive troll brutally attacked the dwarves.

  “How dare you desecrate our home with your filth…I swear to you that I will be the last thing you ever see in what remains of your pitiful life!” roared a deep gruff voice from the midst of the dwarven archers. The lethality of the threat was profound; however, it would not be taken seriously.

  Toan laughed as he watched a small, black haired dwarf rushed at him. The infinitesimal time it took the troll to laugh, the stout attacker had hurled two silver throwing axes at Toan’s shoulders. The simultaneous hits knocked back the giant warrior enough to unbalance him and distract him from the real threat. With an upswing of his silver war axe, Mason Bardomli split the vile monster from his nether region all the way up to his chest. Black blood and guts spilled out on the floor in gushes. All the dwarves around the scene backed away from the rock troll fearing the damage the dying brute would do to them.

  A deafening roar silenced the hot battle as Commander Toan writhed in pain. Mason walked slowly to the side of the dying troll’s head. With both of his calloused hands he grabbed Toan’s head and forced his eyes open. Tears were streaming down the rock like skin as they stared at one another. The aged dwarf forced his way past the troll’s mental barriers and searched quickly for any useful information. He then released his psychic hold before addressing the helpless beast that lay before him.

  “Commander Toan Aruwurd…I promised you that I would be the last thing you saw in this world and I like to believe that I am as good as my word” began Mason darkly. He muttered some dwarvish spells under his breath and then with force beyond his natural strength, he smashed the rock troll’s head in. It looked like he had merely smashed a cantaloupe.

  Several of the dwarven archers rushed to the now still body of the late Commander Toan and hoisted him up on the ledge. As they dowsed the lifeless body with flammable liquid, Mason retrieved his silver throwing axes along with his massive war axe. He nodded his approval to light the beast’s body. Once the flames burst into existence, they unceremoniously shoved Toan over the edge. Commander Jabari’s stunned silence evaporated as he began to swear ancient blood oaths to the keeper of the underworld.

  “Commander Jabari Ihana…leave this place before I do you too!” ordered Mason boldly. He winked to the dwarves around him as he waited for the proper response from the dangerous leader of the forces under the mountain.

  “You…die…I…kill…now” stuttered Jabari in an absolute rage. He grabbed for a huge chunk of ro
ck to hurl at the defiant dwarf. As he pulled ferociously at the wall without realizing how unstable the entry was now. His excessive usage of wall fragments had caused the tunnel to visibly shake in its weakened state. With a final tug at the rock he had selected, the arch gave way completely. Dust filled the killing field as the archway collapsed. Everyone close to the collapsed entry coughed roughly as the air filled with stone particulates.

  “I wonder how the battle goes down below.” King Dagnolir wondered aloud. He had not slept well since the beginning of the siege and his exhaustion was becoming difficult to hide from others. When tired he was exceptionally irritable and he paced incessantly.

  “If my information is correct, Mason has personally killed Commander Aruwurd. He also tricked Commander Ihana into collapsing the tunnel entrance” supplied the warrior druid placidly. He was looking out the window at the latest blizzard that assailed the mountain side. His face was inscrutable as he stood next to his friend.

  “How do you know this?” The king’s exhaustion evaporated at this unexpected news. It was great news which was much needed. He just wondered how is mystic friend had gained this knowledge.

  Nariko looked sideways at his friend before pouring water from a pitcher in his hands onto the floor between them. He closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath. As he opened his eyes he knelt down on the floor beside the pool of water. He then leaned gently to one edge of the liquid and blew softly over the surface. The water turned a silvery color and shimmered for a moment. Then the bowels of Dagnolir’s fortress came into view. There were several burnt trolls, dwarves, and goblins lying all over the floor. Mason appeared and looked directly at the king and druid.

  “Can he see us?” asked King Jarvis quickly. He was stunned by what the druid had done right before him. He had not seen such obvious uses of magic before. He thought that this particular use of magic could prove very useful. I am so glad my friend is such a powerful druid. We could really use more druids like him.

  “Course I can…what can I do fer ya?” asked Mason gruffly. His beard and face was covered in blood with a fine layer of dust on top of it. He looked like he had been through quite an ordeal. The mixture between blood and dust made him look as though he had just come from the underworld.

  “Lord Neb taught me this trick. He felt that this would work better than sending runners up and down Dagnolir all day and night” offered Lord Nariko with a knowing smile. He knew that this new method of communicating will help the continued war effort.

  “Mason, what is your status?” asked the king as he eyed his druid friend with a smile of relief. The king’s irritation evaporated at the news and the amazing magical communication method that Nariko had provided.

  “We have killed all rock trolls who had entered the fortress…including that big bloke Toan. Jabari collapsed the tunnel through the force of sheer stupidity. We finally have a chance to regroup” reported the bloodied war hero. His armor was covered in black blood from his deadly encounter with Commander Toan. He was panting slightly from his latest heroics. He did not boast about what he had done…that was not his style. That did not mean he did not enjoy others showering praise on him.

  “It seems that the gods are smiling down on us…we too have been afforded an opportunity to…” began the king slowly before Mason cut him off.

  “If that is all, I best be getting back to work” Mason said indifferently. He then walked out of the sight of the shimmering two way mirror.

  “Do not be offended my lord…he is all business. He has things under control down there” Nariko said with a sly grin. He chuckled silently at the gruff nature of his old friend Mason. He was definitely a dwarf of action and not one for talking. If there was work to be done then he would make sure it was attended to. He was not politician and did not waste energy on such endeavors like social interaction. He preferred to be left alone which also led to the mystic status given to him by other dwarves.

  “I am not worried…I am just relieved for this break. Do you have any news from the guardians?” the king asked as he stared at the disappearing puddle of water. He chuckled slightly at his exchange with Mason.

  “They will visit soon to assist with our fight. However, they are rather busy at the moment with the massive siege of Landen. We are not forgotten…I believe this weather has been their contribution. What do you plan to do now?”

  “We can outlast these idiots, but that will take more time than we have. We need to help our brethren and friends in this fight against that vile witch Kana. I have some ideas…” began the king determinedly. His demeanor calmed as they began to talk.

  The two dwarven leaders discussed strategies through the night as the snores from the brown bears of the north battled with the howling wind from the latest blizzard. General Yuki’s army had slid all the way to the base of the mountain and resigned themselves to waiting out this latest weather development. Nariko and Jarvis knew that they needed to make repairs in addition to planning new defensive stratagems. The warrior druid felt that they should use their furry allies to wreak some havoc on the unsuspecting trolls and goblins down below. By the following morning their plans had been laid and the fortress of Dagnolir came to life as their plans were put into motion.

  Visit to Nairi

  The obsidian walls of Kana’s temple sanctuary seemed to absorb all light that touched its evil looking surface. The closer the lone figure came to the forbidding exterior, the more this unwanted guest felt the vibrations of the magic pulsating from the smooth exterior of the eerie complex the fallen guardian had created. It was difficult to avoid the evil feeling that this unholy place had. The solitary individual was cloaked in a robe that was as pure white as the snows in the harsh northlands. The sun shone a reddish color overhead as it began to wane. There were no clouds in the sky, yet the area around the temple was somehow dark and misty.

  Milling around at the entrance to the dark monstrosity were two massive wolves that were clearly from the southlands. They both had black fur with fierce, deadly eyes that quickly focused on the stranger in white. They stopped in their tracks and began to slowly back towards the temple. The hair around their shoulders and all the way down their spines rose up as they began to growl menacingly at the mysterious visitor. After a few paces of retreat, they came in contact with pillars that were on either side of the entry way.

  “Please tell your mistress that she has company…I do not relish being here, so if you would fetch here right now I would be very grateful” said the stranger from under his cowl. Brilliant blues eyes flashed with great intensity from under the cowl. His mere presence commanded respect…even from his enemies.

  The dark beasts whimpered slightly as they turned tail and ran into the depths of the temple. Adair smiled slyly as he listened to the wolves howl in shock and anger as they searched out their master. As he peered into the black through the entry way he saw a flash of red light from within. Roars of pain echoed through the halls within and then there was silence. The ground shook with extreme intensity for a few moments and then all was still. A tall figure of a beautiful woman suddenly appeared right in front of Lord Adair. She had a fierce look on her face as she stared at her adversary. Once he was her master…now it was clear that she had a new one.

  “So, what brings you to my new home Adair?” asked Kana haughtily. She sneered at the still cloaked figure of the guardian. She no longer felt the need to show any deference for the head of the guardian council. She was a ruler in her own right now and she had more power than the supposed all powerful master Adair knew. She was starting to feel that she could take him in a head to head competition now. Her power had grown with the aid of dark magic.

  “I felt that it was time that we had a heart to heart” replied the guardian smoothly. He pulled back his hood to reveal his darkened visage. His white hair fell gently onto his shoulders and his goatee moved slightly as a gust of wind blew through the canyon floor. He had a cold, hard look on his face. He no longer held any hope
of saving his oldest friend. She had chosen a path of darkness and he would have to deal with her with finality.

  “So, old man, what is it that you want? I am rather busy unifying the peoples of Tuwa, so if you could get on with whatever it is you are here for that would be great” she spat acidly. Her face clearly showed that she no longer feared or respected her former master. What the guardian noticed was that she had considerable power emanating from her…something that was very disturbing to him. It had the distinct feel of the underworld.

  “I see that you have gone to great lengths to break all the laws that govern magic…you carelessly use any power that suits your needs without regard for the consequences” Adair observed coolly. He noted that her significant power was more than merely breaking of sacred laws…the feel to it was other worldly. He suspected that she had made a pact with the keeper for the powers she now possessed.

  “You always did fear power and those who have it. You indeed have reason to worry…I have become more powerful than you know.” She gave Adair a dismissive look as she started to turn away from him. She wanted to make it clear that she did not feel threatened and that she was in total control.

  “I do not think that you are as powerful as you believe, but that is neither here nor there. I am here to discuss some important items of business and to fill you in on some losses that you may not yet know about.” He could tell that this caught her attention. I can feel her connection to the underworld…she is truly lost now. Why did she make a pact with the keeper?

  “Losses…what are you talking about?” For the first time Kana had a look of mild concern on her face as she looked past Adair. What is he talking about now…I hope those brainless oafs have not messed up our latest plans!

  “I mean the fact that Prekihar is no longer leading your foul demons from the north. Are you so out of touch that you have not realized that your minions have suffered yet another setback?” He looked at her meaningfully and did not hide his slight smile. He was enjoying this encounter.