The Fallen Guardian (The Guardian Chronicles 2) (15 page)

Khalida
reached the Blaine River by the evening on the third day after she had met with
her master. She had been watching the unnatural clouds that had formed over the
Nairi Canyons all day as she made her way to meet with Lord Neb. As she reached
her destination, she did not even notice Neb standing by the river to greet
her. He followed her gaze toward the black clouds and nodded his understanding.
He too had been mesmerized by the sudden appearance of these weird-looking
clouds. What made him even more disturbed was the fact that he could sense no
moisture in the storm clouds. They had the look and the feel, but they lacked
the substance. He had pondered this matter while he waited patiently to meet
with his lady.

“I
see that you too are perplexed by those dark clouds,” supplied Lord Neb with a
sly smile.

“So,
they are not of your doing then?” she asked thoughtfully.

“No,
and I do not believe they are what we think they are either,” he replied
cryptically.

“What
are you on about, Neb?”

“I
do not think that those are clouds. They are wraiths. Our old enemy from the
north must have sent them.”  His crystal blue eyes squinted as he continued to
stare at the mass of dark spirits.  He did not care for their presence and was
uncertain about the purpose of their sudden appearance.  His dark hair ruffled
in the breeze as they continued to stare at the unholy seen off in the
distance.

Khalida
stood there for some time looking at the writhing mass that was clearly not the
cloud formation she once thought it was.
I wonder if Master Adair knew of
their involvement. No matter. We will deal with them at the same time as the
high elves.
She looked back at Neb who was waiting patiently for her to
tell him what was required of him. The sky overhead began to darken. There was
a feeling of apprehension in the very air they breathed. The two Elementals
looked at one another in such a way as to make it clear that they both knew
what was happening and what needed to be done.

“Shall
I then?”

“Neb,
you were always the most astute fellow. Please, flood the canyon and eradicate
those vicious devils from the sky. Send them back to their prison where they
belong.”

“I
will banish those fiends into oblivion if I can manage it,” he said with a
wink.

Neb
raised his hands high above his head and uttered the command word for water, “
Watnesé.
”
The Blaine River stopped flowing at once as if waiting for his command.
Fill
the Nairi Canyons until the water is level with the plains above.
A very
dark storm cloud filled the sky above the spot they were standing. The moisture
in it could be felt as they watched the cloud moved toward the canyons.
Freeze
the wraiths, and then teleport them back to their frozen dungeon.
The cloud
picked up speed, and the air around them began to have a bite in it as though
winter had suddenly sprung upon them.

As
Neb’s storm cloud approached the swirling wraiths, bluish silver lightning began
to shoot out horizontally at the unsuspecting intruders. With each strike, one
of the devils was frozen solid and teleported back to the distant prison in the
ice castle of the north. It was oddly satisfying to watch the spectacular
display of power for the two Elementals. The underside of the cloud began to
take on the same color as the lightning as it neared its target. Thunderous
booms ripped through the sky as the lightning picked up its frequency. The
booming noise became so loud that any creature or person within twenty miles of
the aerial attack had to cover their ears. A sly smile crept slowly across the
water god’s face as he watched his handiwork.

“There
is nothing like a good thunder and lightning storm.”

“I
did not think that you were one for theatrics, Neb. I thought you would have
simply raised water from under the canyon floor. This tactic sends a clear
message to those wicked elves.”  She gave the water guardian a slight nod to
show her appreciation for his creativity.

Lord
Neb merely smiled at the compliment and continued to focus on the eminent
destruction of the high elves that remained behind in the Nairi Canyons. The
guardians still believed that Queen Kishi was still in there and had not
received the word from Lord Marcello that the queen was with her troops in the
field of battle. Khalida smiled as the cloud settled over the canyons and
waited patiently for the downpour. He gave Khalida a side-glance and flashed a
mischievous smile as he lowered his hands. All at once rain came down in sheets.
There was so much rain that it looked like one giant waterfall. Within minutes,
the water reached the tips of the canyon walls. No living thing survived the
sudden flood caused by the water Elemental. Mistress Khalida was pleased with
the quick results.

“I
task you to keep the canyons flooded until I tell you to allow the waters to
recede. I must go to the armies in Landen to give them word of our first real
victory. I will send any news I receive from them in the usual way. Keep me
informed of anything you learn while patrolling the river.”  She reached out
and touched him gently on the arm and then turned about on Kuma and headed
south to find a crossing.

“I
will keep you informed of anything vital to our cause,” he replied as Khalida
sauntered away on her giant bear.

The
storm clouds cleared slowly over the newly formed Nairi Lake. As the sun began
to peak through the sudden stillness, the water reflected the rays of light
like shimmering stars on a clear night. The water was still except for various
objects breaking through the otherwise still surface. As the minutes passed,
more and more disturbances occurred across the newly formed body of water. Dead
bodies and remnants of their armor and weapons began to bob up and down. The
water had a filthy brownish-red color to it from the clay canyon walls and
floor. The products of the mass destruction could only be seen when the sun
caught them just right. The stench that filled the air caused a natural barrier
around the former home of the Nairi people. No one was able to come within five
miles of it without being overcome by the foul smell. As Neb turned away from
his handiwork, the Blaine River sprang back into life.

***

Queen
Kishi was enraged by their inability to penetrate the giants’ defenses. She was
even more upset with herself that she was out dueled by a giant mage.
How in
the name of the gods did that brute learn to fight like that?  In all my years,
I have never before heard of or met a giant who could do magic, let alone defy
me. What is this devilry?
  Perplexed by her encounter with Lord Marcello,
she had called for a retreat so that they could rethink their approach. As they
marched north and east to their newly set up camp at the base of Mount Lamont,
soldiers began to murmur amongst themselves. At first Kishi thought they were
questioning her abilities until she noticed what they were looking at. There
was an ethereal black cloud hanging over the Nairi Canyons. Though they were
still at a considerable distance, their sharp elven eyes clearly saw that they
were not clouds at all; they were moving as if they were a conglomerate of
individual things.

“General
Jaali!  Come here at once!” she bellowed.

“What
is it, my queen?”  The general had not noticed the unnatural cloud that had
settled over the conquered canyon lands. He had been busy verbally abusing
several of the soldiers who had prematurely retreated. When a reply did not
come at once, he looked up to see the strange formation of what appeared to be
black thunderclouds…except that they were swirling in unusual patterns and they
were too thin to be rain clouds.

“What
do you suppose those things are?” she said, pointing at the object of
everyone’s attention.

“It
looks like the demons from the north. How can this be? I thought they were
imprisoned in that ice fortress.”  Jaali stroked his long white goatee
thoughtfully. He remembered the stories told by the elders about the spirit
creatures that they fought during the first war for Tuwa. He had a feeling of
foreboding come over him as he watched the orgy of wraiths.

I
wonder if the guardian council has unleashed those unholy terrors on us. They
are the only ones with the power to do so since it was they who imprisoned the
foul creatures in that castle.
“General,
let us not dally here watching this unnatural display. We do not want to get
caught unawares by the giants. Let us quicken our pace and get back to camp as
soon as possible.”

“You
are right. Let’s move out!” barked the general to the troops as they stood in
awe of what they were seeing. They did not understand what was going on, but
they did not dare ignore an order from their fierce general. He had the
reputation of making examples of those who did not carry out his commands
promptly. He was unusually gruff for an elf, which made him the perfect general
for extreme battle conditions.

As
Kishi’s army picked up their march once again, another dark object appeared in
the sky to the south of Nairi. This one was a storm cloud for sure, but it
looked unusually dense and had an odd hue to it. As it neared the wraiths, it
began to shoot lightning into them at an alarming rate. There were flashes of
light, and as they increased in frequency, it was clear that the demons were
disappearing as a result of this strike. The spectacular display did not slow
their march one bit as the troops looked sideways at the awesome air show.
Within a few minutes, all of the specters were gone as though they were frozen
and then teleported somewhere. The high elven army increased their cadence as
if to prove to their general that they were not distracted by the freakish
display.

As
the soldiers picked up the pace even more, their new base came into view. They
continued to ignore the large storm cloud that was now moving toward Nairi.
Queen Kishi stopped to watch the storm cloud approach the rim of the southern
end of the canyons. She was perplexed by the change in color that was taking
place on the underside of the cloud formation. After a few more minutes, the
cloud stopped and thinned itself out so that it covered the entire canyon land
of Nairi. Fear gripped her heart as she understood what was going to happen.
Some powerful being had created that cloud, and they were about to flood the
nearly deserted occupied land.
They are all going to die!

“You
there, come here at once!”  One of the soldiers came running and halted at the
side of his queen with a ridiculous bow that almost threw him head over heels.

“What
is wanted, my queen?” stuttered the scout.

“I
want you to take this message to––”  Before she could finish her order, the
storm clouds unleashed upon the canyon land. It was like watching a pitcher of
cool ale fill a tankard to the rim within a few seconds. The queen and the
scout stood there with their mouths opened slightly in awe of what had just
happened.  She felt a pain in her heart as she quickly realized the magnitude
of what went down.

“Malady,
do you think that they are all dead?” asked the scout tentatively.

“Yes,
they are. Get back into formation,” she said sorrowfully. With a slight bow,
the scout returned to the ranks and started to tell everyone around him what
had just happened. Shock and dismay at what had happened to their friends and
kin spread quickly through the ranks.

After
hearing what had occurred, General Jaali ordered the troops to begin preparations
for a meal. He left his captains in charge while he went outside the camp to
visit with a clearly distraught Kishi. They had been friends for years, and he
knew that she needed someone to talk to. She did not look at him when he
approached and looked oddly frail standing there looking at the clouds
dissipating after their destructive rampage. He put one of his massive arms
around his slender friend and embraced her in a side hug.

“What
happened over there, Kishi?”

“Some
very powerful magic is what happened!” she snapped. “Sorry. This is not your
fault. It just happened so fast, and I did not sense it. Usually I can sense a
danger like that.”  She became suddenly rigid as she stood there fuming over
the demise of the good people she had ordered to stay behind and occupy Nairi.
At
least there were not that many people there. Still, that does not mitigate the
loss!

“What
shall we do now?”

“We
avenge our fallen brethren!  I know that these allied countries have had
something to do with this tragedy. So, they will all pay for this unforgivable
act of aggression with their own worthless lives!”

General
Showia marched north through the enchanted Black Forest with the bulk of his
army at a feverish pace. He wanted to reach the secret entrance to the cliffs
of Landen by nightfall. Before they turned east to head to that hidden place,
he had to send some of his troops west to secure Tarisdell as his king had
promised the druid Zaide. He felt that a couple hundred soldiers would be
sufficient to accomplish this task. However, he did feel that he should send
his best remaining commander to lead them. Commander Fletcher was with his
archers in the south setting up traps for any retreating orcs or high elves, so
he asked one of his messengers to fetch Commander Brugon, who was in charge of
the frontline soldiers.
He may be a bit mad, but there is no equal in his
tactical skills…no matter how ruthless they may be. I am just glad that he is
on our side.

“General
Showia, Commander Brugon reporting!”  He snapped to attention and saluted his
superior officer. He had a gruff, distorted face that did not hide the years he
had fought on the front lines. He had seen many bloody battles with goblins and
one rare encounter with orcs. He knew better than anyone else under General
Sanjay’s command what it took to win wars. He may lose some of his battles, but
he always came out on top in the end because of his stubborn determination and
his ability to adjust his tactics on the fly. The general could think of no one
else that would be able to handle a surprise attack in this enchanted forest.

“Commander
Brugon, I have a special request that I trust to no one other than you.”

“I
am yours to command, General.”  He nodded slightly to acknowledge the gracious
compliment.
This must be important if he wants me to abandon the front line.
I hope that I at least get to see some action on this new assignment.

“I
need you to take two hundred of your frontline troops and secure the elven
capital. I have a feeling that there may be a trap there, which is why I called
upon you. There is no one else I would trust to handle a potentially lethal
situation like this. You are my best soldier, and I know that you will not let
me down.”  He gave the commander a stern look of approval while a wry smile
crept across his face.

“I
appreciate your confidence in my abilities. I will select the troops that will
go with me immediately so that you can continue on to the secret entrance. I
will report back to you once we are ready to leave.”

“Excellent.
I will let the other commanders and captains know of this assignment so that
they can compensate for the slight reduction in numbers. I appreciate your
willingness to take on this assignment. I have a feeling that all will not go
as smoothly as the good druid would have us believe. Be alert at all times;
this forest is full of powerful magic, and I do not believe that it would be
wise to tarry longer than is needed. Gather your team, and return at once.”

The
battle-hardened commander saluted stiffly and took off at a run to carry out
his charge. It was a rather impressive sight to see such a powerfully built man
running at such a fast pace. He was slightly tall for a man and was much more
muscular than any other soldier in Sanjay’s army. Many stories of his brute
strength were told around camp fires at night, and songs were sung about his
heroic battles. He was a living legend among the troops and the young people of
Aran. There were many maids that tried to court him, but he would never settle
down and take a wife. He lived for the next fight or confrontation. He was the
consummate battle strategist.
I wish I did not have to send him away from
me. I just cannot shake this feeling that something terrible is about to happen
and it involves that fair elven city. I hope that I am not sending him to his
doom. No one would be able to replace him.

After
only fourty five minutes, the commander reappeared with two hundred soldiers in
tow.
If only all my soldiers were so obedient.
General Sanjay looked at
the group with satisfaction. Many of the troops had served with Commander
Brugon since his promotion to commander of the front line brigade. The general
hid his emotions so that the men would take their mission seriously. He did not
want any of them to become careless because they believed their leader felt
their task was easy.
Besides, a soft hand will make ladies out of men!
 
He laughed darkly to himself as the group came to attention before him.

“Gentlemen,
you have a very important mission to carry out. You have been carefully
selected by Commander Brugon to secure the elven capital of Tarisdell. I feel
that I should warn you right now that it is likely that the orcs or those
wicked high elves left some kind of trap behind for anyone who might attempt to
recapture the city. I also caution you against running up to the gates even
though everything may appear to be deserted. The elves may have protections
around the walls or the exterior that may not be detected by normal means. I
expect to see all of you alive in that city once we annihilate this axis of
evil.”

“Sir,
yes, sir!” barked the soldiers in unison. This was music to the general’s ears.
He liked nothing more than obedient men who did exactly what they were
instructed to do. He could tell that this group would not let him down.
How
could they possibly let me down? They have Commander Brugon leading them.
Still, I wonder why I have this feeling of foreboding. What could possibly
happen that they had not prepared for?

“Move
out!” barked the commander. The troops began one of their favorite marching
songs as they quickly stepped into action. There were a series of grunts and
foul language as they echoed from the front to the back of the formation while
they marched west toward Tarisdell.

The
general laughed out loud this time as he listened to the soldiers’ vulgar tales
of Brugon’s sorted adventures put to song. He blocked out the uneasy feeling
that kept bombarding him as he watched the men go.
They will be fine; it is
the wretched forest that is making me feel uneasy. I simply do not understand
why the Black Forest contains so much dark magic while Aran contains only good.
It probably has something to do with those wicked high elves and their
treachery. Well, we will pay them back soon enough.

***

Ulric
approached the deserted city wearily. He knew that the pointed-eared freaks
probably left some sort of spell around its borders to protect against invasion
if they should be forced to leave. His cold, black eyes scanned the destruction
that had taken place and was pleased to see that they would be able to clean up
the battlefield. His pack had been very patient up to this point, so it was
very difficult to hold them back when the wind blew the sweet smell of rotting
flesh at them. What lay before them was a buffet that any sane wolf would not
be able to pass up. He looked at Ulf, Zev, Zwi, and Tala with a look that
clearly indicated to them to indulge him a little while longer.

It
was an unusual sight to see black, gray, red, and white wolves hunting
together. These different packs had never gotten along, but Mistress Kana had
made sure that they would. She did not have to use her power to control them
because she had convinced Ulric, lord of the wolves that he would benefit from
her rule. The only wolf that would not submit to Ulric’s leadership was Rolon.
That did not mean that he was not on their side; it just meant that he would
not fight alongside the other wolves. He had consented to help Queen Kishi with
her battle while Ulric consolidated power among the different breeds of wolves.

These
wolves were not like ordinary wolves that are seen in the forest or even in the
mountains. They were roughly the size of a horse in weight and height. Ulric
had a black, shiny coat of coarse hair that had a purplish tint to it when light
reflected off of it. He was faster than any horse that ever lived in Tuwa and
was the most ferocious killer in the land. However, no one had ever been able
to detail his features or even recall his exact size because anyone who was
unfortunate enough to see him died. They did not merely snuff it; they were
torn to pieces. The only sign of his attack would be the blood. Nothing else
was ever left behind. He was rumored to prowl the Tansanee Forest in the far
west, but sometimes signs of his kills were found around Mount Adem. The
dwarves called him the devil and placed a bounty of one thousand gold pieces
for his head on a platter. Many tried to hunt the beast. None ever returned.

The
pack members were primarily from the southern lands and had not been to Tuwa
before. Ulf was the leader of the black wolves and was just as foul as Ulric.
He was slightly smaller and slower than his master, but he was still just as
big as a horse. His speed was only marginally slower than Ulric’s top speed,
however. He was the easiest of the wolves to convince to join him in Kana’s
cause. It was probably due to the similarities between them that made the
alliance easy. Zev, on the other hand, took quite a bit of cajoling. He was the
leader of the gray wolves of the southeastern lands. He was bigger than Ulf and
could not run as fast, but his strength was far superior. After a tussle with
Ulric, Zev realized that it would be wise to follow the powerful brute. He knew
that there would be plenty of victims for the eating and that his clan would
praise him for the opportunity to kill northerners.

Zwi,
the leader of the red wolves, was the smallest and also the fastest of all the
wolves. His clan was known throughout the deep south as the fastest creatures
on four legs. They also have the reputation of being the most ferocious beasts
to roam the continent. Ulric had a very difficult time convincing them to join
him in his quest. After many days of bloody negotiations, they conceded defeat
and joined the ranks. They would prove to be the most valuable asset for the
wolf army. The only female leader was the white wolf, Tala. She was enormous,
bigger than even Ulric. She did not require a strong hand to convince her to
join the cause. The only thing that she needed was to know that the female
guardian Kana was taking over Tuwa. After she was told this, she eagerly joined
the ranks of the wolf army. Her followers were from the deepest part of the
southwestern lands where snow was on the ground year round.

While
the different packs had united under Ulric, they did not mingle with one
another. It was an uneasy truce that held them together. The bounteous feast
before the wolf army would provide the needed glue to keep the wolves together
and unified in their cause. A rumbling of growls began to fill the air as they
waited impatiently for the go ahead to dig in. Ulric silenced them with a
particularly deep growl that caused most of the wolves to whimper in fright.
The jet-black leader sauntered up to a small round rock the size of one of his
front paws. He flicked it surreptitiously at the outer wall of Tarisdell to see
if there were any magical barriers. The rock did not explode like he expected,
but it vanished in midair. Silence filled the small clearing outside the wall
as the wolves considered what to do next.

“Make
sure you do not get too close to the barrier. Enjoy your feast!” growled Ulric
slowly. He made his way to the nearest orc and began tearing at its flesh.
Within minutes, a foul smell punctured the air as well as grunts of delight
from the ravenous wolves.

***

The
troops led by Commander Brugon continued in their boisterous singing until they
were almost at the clearing leading up to the eastern wall of Tarisdell. A
putrid smell filled their nostrils and made many of the hardened soldiers vomit
from the strong odor. Brugon silently called for a halt just within the shadows
of the trees. Several beastly eyes looked up as the men came to a halt and
stopped making noise. The wolves did not move one inch as they sized up the
intruders. The men waited anxiously for their commander to give an order. The
only sound that could be heard was that of bones and cartilage crunching in the
massive maws of the unnaturally large wolves.

With
a wave of his hand, Brugon ordered the troops to spread out and string their
bows. The men silently obeyed and quickly strung their bows and fitted their
arrows. Commander Brugon knew that waiting any longer would eliminate the
element of surprise that their appearance had on the gigantic beasts. “Fire!”
ordered the commander in his deep, gruff voice.

Arrows
soared through the air, and the sickening thudding sound followed the whooshing
of the projectiles as they connected with their furry targets. Yelps and howls
of rage rang through the still air. The red wolves were on their attackers
within seconds, even though they were the furthest north from the men of Aran.
They tore into the soldiers with great ferocity. Cries of pain ripped through
the air as the men tried to fend off the massive wolves.

“To
the trees!” ordered Brugon in a frustrated yell. The men immediately leapt to
the nearest tree and began climbing at a frantic pace. Fifteen men lay on the
ground dead while thirty others were bleeding from bites and scratches from the
furry monstrosities.

“Fire
at will!” ordered the commander once his troops were safely in the trees.
Several of the wolves fell from multiple arrow shots to the heart. It took no
less than three arrows directly to the heart to kill just one of the wild
beasts. Only five wolves appeared to be dead below them at the base of the
trees.