The Guardian Chronicles: Book 03 - The Dark Tide

by Steven R. Burke

  “Ever the patient one…you are right though. It is high time we rid Tuwa of these fiends. I will let you do the honors then.” He in turned looked sideways at his fiery companion, though he did not smile. It took a great deal to make him smile these days though this new version of Necia almost cracked his stoic face. He was becoming grimmer with each passing day of this violent conflict and felt that at some level he would never be quite the same.

  “Stand back…I do not want you to evaporate or anything.” Necia burst into flames and rose into the air high above her fellow guardian. She continued ascended into the air slowly as she prepared to attack. He transformed into the fiery element and began to swirl with increasing speed.

  The moisture in the air evaporated around Necia as she continued to build up energy to maximize the initial attack. Lord Neb timed his release of his watery hold on the demons so that the fire would be most efficacious. There was the briefest moment that the intruding forces thought that they had been successful in throwing off the hold the water lord had over them. Just as they gathered themselves for a much more focused attack, the fire elemental let them have it.

  Necia shot straight at the horde with lethal purpose. As the fiery orb, whose core was the fire elemental, struck the collective demon force the air exploded with the shrieks of absolute terror. Hilzarie appeared in the air and immediately recaptured the demons in a vortex of wind. Lord Keb appeared at the shore’s edge which was directly below the assault taking place in the air above. His face darkened as a grim smile crept slowly across his face. Anyone who knew the kind and gentle earth lord would have known that his demeanor spelled doom for someone. The shallows of Lachlan began to shake violently as a massive earthen hand reach up into the sky. The massive hand shot up quickly and closed tightly around the swirling wind cage.

  “You are no longer welcome in the world of the living you filthy demonic slime! Give my regards to the keeper!” Lord Keb’s hand clenched into a fist and the earthen hand followed suit. The demons were smashed out of existence by the force of all the combined elements.

  A gentle hand rested reassuringly on Keb’s shoulder as the earthen hand slammed back into the shallows. Neb gave his dear friend a squeeze with his hand to let him know that all was well. The fog that had covered the lake dissipated before them. The storm clouds above appeared to be yearning to unleash its pay load. Before the rain fell, the remaining hordes of Kana’s army making its way around the edge of the lake stopped in their tracks at the sudden change of events. As they stood there, the promised deluge erupted. The ground had standing water within seconds of the storm breaking.

  “Are you alright my friend?” queried Lord Neb. He was looking directly at his fellow guardian with great concern.

  “I would have to say that I do feel better. I now feel like a contributor in the fight against Kana and her minions. I just hope what we have done makes a difference.” As Keb looked at Neb he seemed to relax a bit. The energy surrounded the earthen lord seemed to lessen. His dark visage lightened and he almost smiled.

  “I know we have made a difference. For now, there are no more underworld foes that we have to deal with. Aside from Kana, everyone that is left for us to fight is fleshy” said the water lord reassuringly. This time he slapped Keb hardily on the back.

  “We really need to thank the guardian and his handling of that fiend Nicor. That really opened the door for us. I think his open involvement has made the biggest difference” injected Hilzarie as she appeared on the other side of Keb. Wind seemed to continue to swirl around her as she stood there.

  “We always knew that it would be up to him to change the tide of this war. He has certainly helped me overcome my misplaced loyalty to the fallen guardian” intoned Necia bashfully. She had appeared next to Neb and had placed her slender arms on the broad shoulders of her wise friend.

  “Welcome to reality…glad you could join us.” Keb smiled openly at Necia and they all laughed appreciatively. Necia rushed to Keb and threw her arms around him. The four lesser elementals felt a unity that they had not had in several centuries. It was sad that such trying times would be the reason for unification. They had a feeling again of family.

  The four guardians vanished as a strong wind pushed from west to east into the face of the remaining forces of Kana’s northern warriors. The elven mages took advantage of this cover to place some more magical traps for the oncoming intruders. They had had little time to lay deadly artifices, so the weather had afforded them an unexpected advantage. Now they felt that they were more prepared for the coming assault and the other defending forces adjusted their positions to accommodate the new defensives. One thing that the troops had forgotten about was the ships that were still on the waters filled with pirates from the Kai Ocean. An oversight that would prove costly once the battle commenced in earnest.

  ***

  As the northern troops watched the strange battles over the lake they came to a collective halt. They were struck with fear as they realized the water demons were dispatched after Nicor had been destroyed. They were caught off guard by the downpour that erupted once the impromptu battle over the lake stalled. They were heartened by what they saw, albeit briefly, in the middle of the lake. The pirate ships were alive with activity in preparing for the storm. It appeared that the forces of Landen had completely forgotten about the water forces. Now that the rain was coming down in earnest the soldiers who were on the edge of lake had to make for the shelter of the cliffs.

  The liche decided to take command of the army since no one appeared to be in charge anymore. Since the rain was not a deterrent for the spectral beings, a small detachment floated out to the ships being tossed on the now turbulent waters of Lachlan. They met briefly with the captains of the pirate ships before returning to the shore. The forces under the cliffs noticed that not all the liche returned from the brief journey on the inland sea.

  “What were you up to out there?” asked one of the minotaurs asked roughly. He did not think much of the liche taking charge of the army. He did not trust them…anything that was not altogether solid was something that he could not depend on let alone brutalize.

  “We are taking charge because of the circumstances. If this was merely a land battle and there were no magic involved, then we would happily have you and your kind in the lead. Since that is not the case, we are compelled to take over.” The specter’s voice was harsh and cruel. It was clear that they were being honest and did not want to be in charge and that it was necessity that drove them.

  “Fine…I really do not care that you are in charge…what I want to know is what you talked to those fiendish northlanders about” queried the same minotaur hotly. Steam flared from his nostrils as he glared that the small group of liche. He could not tell which one spoke as they had no visible mouths.

  “As soon as this storm passes the northlanders will anchor just off shore and we will board their ships. The guardians and elven mages will not expect an assault from the sea. This will give us an opportunity to gain an advantage over our enemies. They have planned several nasty magical traps along the shorelines; however, they are not planning on us coming at them from the water. So, water it is.” The specter who spoke this time hissed these last few words. The minotaurs still could not tell who was talking but they at least knew that it was someone different this time who spoke.

  “So what do we do until this accursed weather breaks?” asked a different soldier this time.

  “You all can just wait it out here. We will do some recon to determine the best tactical plan. We will be back before the storm ends.” All the liche departed over the water and were lost in the deluge of rain.

  “I do not know about you, but those spooks give me the creeps!” said one of the shape shifters. Those nearest him turned to look at him. They all laughed collectively as the shifter who spoke was in the form of a specter.

  “You shifters really do have a strange sense of humor” said a larger than usual minotaur. He snorted derisively
at the superfluous shape shifters. While he did not care for the tricksters, he could not help but appreciate the joke.

  The liche made their way across the lake toward the central eastern shore. As they had suspected, there were no troops there. The guardians were not there either which was heartening. They could sense the magic wielders towards the northeastern shore. It was time that they set some of their own traps. The specters were magical, though other worldly and they would set some rather nasty artifices of their own. They were extremely adept at providing the keeper of the underworld with souls and he gave powers to those that fed him.

  ***

  The four lesser guardians appeared in a small forest toward the center of Landen. They wanted to regroup and to plan the next phase of the battle. They were full of confidence now that they had successfully dealt with the water demons. All they had to contend with now were the minotaurs, shape shifters, and the pestilential liche. The sky overhead was clear and sunny. The trees swayed slowly in a gentle breeze as the sounds of forest life filled the silence.

  “Since the most difficult assailants are gone, maybe we should split up again. I think it is high time that one or two of us go to our dwarven friends and lend some much needed assistance” offered Necia calmly. She smiled genuinely at her fellow guardians. She felt closer to them than she could ever remember. This brought her comfort and a small amount of joy. It was rather difficult to be truly happy with all the death and destruction; especially when it is being caused by your former elder and supposed close friend.

  “I am inclined to agree with you. Let’s have Hilzarie and I deal with the northerners. Necia, you go with Keb to visit our ailing dwarven friends. What say you?” Lord Neb was feeling more confident as he spoke. He was feeling more comfortable with Necia and knew that she could really help the dwarves out. The dwarves had an affinity for fire and were very receptive to Necia as a result. As the water lord he did not have much to offer the mountain dwellers. He did sense something nagging at the back of his mind; however, he ignored the troubling thought, whatever it was.

  “I will go to our friends Mount Adem and see what I can do to maximize the lava moat they have there” replied Necia smoothly. She relished the idea of visiting the dwarves because they revered her to be a goddess. She also respected the mountain dwellers for their hard work and unmatched craftsmanship.

  “I will head to Dagnolir’s fortress and provide what help I can” supplied Keb calmly. He looked more confident than he had been in years.

  “Excellent, let us not waste any more time than we already have. Good luck to us all” Neb said with a loud popping sound as he disappeared. A bluish mist hung in the air momentarily and then slowly dissipated.

  Necia, Hilzarie, and Keb all laughed amongst themselves at their impatient friend. Then they too vanished with faint popping sounds. The swirling mist hung in the air for only moments. The forest had gone quiet while they had met briefly, but they were all too preoccupied to have noticed anything amiss. Lord Neb sensed it but did not understand the warning. There was a presence there, a rather dark one at that, well within the shadows of the trees. Whoever or whatever it was, it was clear that they had been keen on listening in. They had not followed the guardians to the location, they simply happened to be there. They took advantage of the opportunity that presented itself.

  “Do you think we should tell her about this?” queried one of the dark spies quietly.

  “We are not here to spy for her; we have other business to attend to. I am sure she will figure it out” replied a low, hoarse voice. They both chuckled appreciatively and then went back to where the others were hiding deep in the darkest recesses of the woods.

  The Black Mist

  “Have they reached Landen yet?” asked Lord Tyrienwalker, leader of the Meleirélnar subterranean nation. His voice was calm with a chilling coolness to it. His black skin seemed to not reflect light at all but absorbed it.

  “Yes my lord. They are in the small forest of Peppin. We now have a sizeable force in the heart of the high plains” replied master Shadowin. His dark features masked any signs of emotion. His skin too seemed to absorb any form of light.

  “Excellent…now we can gather our main force here in Tansanee…above ground” replied Tyrienwalker. He was still amazed that the fallen guardian had kept her promise and removed their light curse. Now they could travel above and below the earth. This change made his kind capable of anything. He planned on making the most of this great opportunity. Their skin was even blacker than before and somehow any form of light was absorbed and not reflected.

  “So, once we have the soldiers assembled, what is our plan of action?” asked Shadowin simply. He was curious what his leader had in mind. He too knew that their potential was unlimited now, so he was anxious to see what their first battle move would be. Getting a small force into Landen was rather simple with their centuries of practicing the complex art of magical stealth. It also helped that everyone was focused on the war so that they did not sense the intruders as they passed. The dark forces gathered some vital intelligence along the way, which they had passed along to the fallen guardian.

  “It is time we made ourselves known to the giants who infest the west. We will take all of these western lands back as our own. So, in short, our first move is to decimate the land of Burien” Lord Tyrienwalker replied darkly. He knew that his forces were far superior in numbers and in ability. He looked forward to using his power above ground…something they had not been able to do since the guardians had cursed them after the last war of the races. They had been punished for their role in the genocide of the most ancient race in Tuwa. They had destroyed the Eldar which happened to be their forefathers. The elves had also sprung from the Eldar, so the fair folk were their cousins though it is difficult to see the resemblance.

  The two dark figures were silent for a moment as they both consider the possibilities. Their race was the only one that meddled with the dark magic of the underworld. They had made pacts with its keeper and had been granted special abilities that no other living creature possessed. Even the dark lord Drogan did not possess the same magnitude of powers as the dark elves. Drogan was the representative of the keeper in the world of the living and was an actual creature from the realm of the dead. These two immortal beings possessed more magical power than any wielder in Tuwa. They also commanded considerable dark powers which they were given by the keeper himself. They were a force to be reckoned with and even their kin feared them.

  Over the next few days the main force of the Meleirélnar gathered in the southwestern part of Tansanee. This woodland was not too far from their peninsula homeland, the Wesh Forest, which was to the west of their current location. No one in the western lands ever went to Wesh out of fear. There were rumors that at night evil creatures came from under the ground to feed on the living. There was some measure of truth in these reports; however, reality was much more frightening than the stories told around camp fires.

  After nearly three weeks of marshaling the ranks above ground, the dark armies of Meleirélnar were ready for action. The leaders of the one million strong force met together to discuss their plans for dealing with the people residing in the Burian lands. Never before had anyone dared to assault the giants to this extent on their doorstep. The land itself should have been a deterrent due to its inhospitable nature. There were no underground paths to Burian, so the only options were to come at them above the ground or in the air.

  “I think the best approach is to not hide our coming. Let’s make them see their doom coming and then make them wait for it” Tyrienwalker said wickedly. His face was black as night and as cold as the furthest reaches of the northern ice lands. There seemed to be a black mist at the edges on his person as though evil was literally emanating from him.

  “My lord, I would also recommend that we completely encircle the entire land before we start moving in. That way we can account for every last one of them. Also, they will know that death is all around th
em” intoned a dark warrior captain. He was not quite as dark as the others…his skin was more of a dark gray color. This difference made him look more sinister than those that followed him.

  “Excellent point Captain Tyrianal, which would definitely add to the fear factor. We need them to be afraid so we can muster enough time to summon dark friends from the underworld” master Shadowin interjected smoothly. His silver hair reflected the light beautifully and had almost a glow to it above ground. His long hair was tied back in a ponytail and went all the way to his trim waist.

  As the dark elves plotted their first open assault above ground in centuries, fowl began to circle the air above the massive gathering. From the air the Tansanee forest looked like one big black spot. The Meleirélnar army was more numerous than any other fighting force currently engaged in battle. The sheer size was not the most frightening part…it was the fact that every one of the soldiers were wielders of magic. Not just any form of magic…they worked the dark arts like no other living creature in all of Tuwa. The crows circling overhead sensed eminent death which was continuing to draw more and more of their kin.

  “The crows are coming and we are ready to move out” intoned the silvery voice of the last dark elf to arrive at the camp. There was a black shroud around the person who had spoken.

  The military leaders quickly turned about and dropped to one knee. Their faces were toward the ground and they did not move. Lord Tyrienwalker was the first the break the respectful silence. He raised his head slowly while keeping his eyes cast down so as to not look the underworld demon in the eye. “We are ready to begin the summoning process. We are honored with your presence at such a crucial moment in our nation’s history. We will send many souls to the keeper to repay the knowledge and gifts he has given to us.” Tyrienwalker spread his arms wide was he bowed down to the ground once more.

  “It is I who is indebted to you. You alone were able to breach the barrier between the world of the living and dead. If it were not for you, I would still be bound until the end of this world” the demon Selven replied in a wavering whisper. The shroud seemed to engulf him and caressed him almost lovingly.