The Guardian Chronicles: Book 03 - The Dark Tide (21 page)

“I agree my lord…what is it that you wish to discuss?” asked General Yukio smoothly.  He had numerous battle scars which made him even more fearsome looking and added to his ever growing reputation.  He was now carrying a staff which he used for wielding his druidic magic as well as a crutch.  He had seen more battles than his fellow leaders, but he looked the wiser from his experiences.  He also looked to be in control of himself for once.

“I first want to report what I have been doing…at least what I can share with you at this point.  Second, I want to discuss the significant threat on and in Lake Lachlan.  Finally, we need to address a matter of the utmost importance…the Orb of Nitesh” the guardian said to the silent group.  Quizzical looks were exchanged but the room remained silent.  It was clear that the orb did not register with most of them.

“What is this orb you speak of?” asked King Ishrafle with a worried expression.  He did not like the sound of this mysterious object. 
Why are we only hearing of this object now?

“You have every right to ask…unfortunately there is only so much I can share at this juncture.  Let me discuss this topic first as it is now at the forefront of all of your minds” the guardian replied thoughtfully.  “The Orb of Nitesh is a spherical ball of such immense power that if it were to fall into Kana’s hands, this war would almost certainly end badly for all of us.”  He emphasized the word all…he wanted to make it clear that even the mighty elementals were threatened by the mystical object.  This pronouncement certainly got their attention.

“What kind of power does this orb possess?” asked General Yukio quizzically.  His eyes looked intently at the guardian…it was as though he were trying to read his mind.  He was the only one in the room who was confident enough to look him in the eye.  He had forged a special bond with the elemental which was something that should not have been possible.  The druids and guardians had always shared a mutual distrust of one another.  Even when difficult times arose, these two powers often did not work together.

“What difference does it make knowing what kind of power this ball of death contains?” snapped General Lysander.  He did not have much use for a discussion that did not benefit his battle plans. 
Why are we wasting our time on this?

“Lysander, it is of the utmost importance that we understand this orb to a certain degree…if you choose to ignore this topic, you do so at your own peril” warned Lord Adair sternly.  He fixed the general with a withering look that made the horse lord shudder involuntarily.  The man had never been comfortable with the guardians, even though he revered them.

“My apologies…please, tell us where this object obtains its power” replied the general slightly abashed.  He was respected by his king for his direct manner and as such, he thought there was nothing wrong with questioning the head of the guardian council.

“I shall” intoned Adair darkly…he was clearly irritated with the interruptions.  “The orb draws strength from the elements.  So, as long as there are elements, this sphere will have the power to destroy and create.  Yes, this sphere has the ability to destroy anything comprised of elements, but it can also build or construct anything out of the elements.  The limits of this object are based solely on the wielder.  So, it should be clear that if Kana obtains this ball we will all be in grave danger.”  Again he emphasized the point that everyone was in peril if the fallen guardian gets her hands on the orb.

“So, this ball is a source of life and death.  Now that we understand how important this object is, what do you propose that we do?” asked General Yukio darkly.  He did not like where the conversation was heading.  He also knew that there was way more to this orb than what was being shared, however, he could do his own research later.  He had the feeling that more knowledge would bring great peril to the acquirer of information.

“Well, the orb is located in the west where it is protected by my magic as well as by a powerful ally.  What we need to do at this juncture is to send a small party to reinforce the defenses.  I know that Kana has dispatched her own minions to retrieve the orb, but we must ensure that she does not possess that powerful sphere.”  He could not hide his sense of urgency regarding the orb.

“My lord, I will lead the reinforcements to the secret location” sounded the confident reply of master Aiden.  He had spent the majority of his time during the war at the front lines, but he was present at this meeting at the personal request of the guardian.

“I thought you would volunteer…please leave at once.  Head to Tarisdell where a small group of elven hunters and mages will be awaiting your arrival.  You will then receive further instructions from mistress Khalida.  Thank you for your willingness to serve” replied Lord Adair.  He smiled briefly at the master swordsman before giving him a nod of dismissal.  The master swordsman left without looking at anyone as he left.

“So, what is the next item of business my lord?” asked General Lysander…his impatience returning anew after the brief discussion about the Orb of Nitesh.  He wanted to get through this meeting quickly as he did not see a great deal of benefit in talking about objects that did not directly concern him.

“As I have already reported some of what I have been doing the past few weeks, let’s finish up my findings and get on to immediate issues” began Adair considerably calmer now.  “The battles raging in Mount Adem and Carrick are getting serious.  The dwarves are holding back the tide, but sooner or later they will need assistance.  It looks like the ever stubborn King Nognili will do nothing to assist his brethren in the south, so we are going to need to find a way to help them before too long.  However, Lake Lachlan must be addressed first as the threat is more imminent.  I will deal with the stubborn northern king…trust me.”  He did not hide his disdain for the dwarven monarch.  Adair had someone on the inside that would be able to help supplant the monarch for the time being.

“If you need any help, please let me know” chimed in General Yukio slyly.  The room chuckled appreciatively at the remark.  It was no secret that Yukio and King Edric did not get along too well.  The dwarven king’s isolationist philosophy had never set well with the Nairian general.

“Be careful what you say Yukio…you may get what you ask for” replied the guardian smoothly.  “Now, let us address the situation with the lake to the east.  There is a significant army of creatures that were released from their northern prison by Kana and now they have a new leader.”

“Who is that leader?” asked General Lysander quickly.  He thought the monster from the deep was their commander and that the beast had been killed.  His interest had returned as he felt that this topic was of direct importance to his command.

“The demon lord who used to serve the dark lord before his imprisonment…Lord Nicor” Adair said with tangible distain.  The vile demon could take many forms and was very adept at inspiring those he commanded.

“So, Prekihar was not the leader of their armies…do we even know if that beast is dead?” asked he Landen general.

“I spoke with ladies Hilzarie and Necia about just that…they assured me that the leviathan was indeed dead.  To be certain I asked Lord Neb to verify that assertion…he confirmed that the beast was indeed deceased.  We need not fear him; however, we should have a greater amount of respect for the demon lord.  He is leader of the dark army hiding on Lake Lachlan.”  His did not share his concern that this demon would use his underworld powers to summon more vile creatures from the world of the dead.

“The news just keeps getting better and better.  I assume that this means that Nicor is going to have more than those demons from the north with it” chimed in King Leroy.  He had the haggard look of a leader who was genuinely concerned for everyone’s well-being and its toll was clear to everyone that turned to look at the king.  Anyone who looked at him felt sympathy and gratitude for all that he and his people were sacrificing for the free peoples of Tuwa.

“You have brought up my greatest concern…not only do we have to contend with a wide variety of northern demons, but now we have to face unknown water demons.  I have requested that ladies Hilzarie and Necia help with the fresh assault against Kana’s water force.”  Adair’s face suddenly fell as though something happening elsewhere had caught his attention.  He did not even attempt to hide his great concern from the gathered leaders.  “I am sorry, but I have to leave at once…I apologize for the abrupt departure.” 
Crack!
  He was gone.  The silvery blue mist hung in the air momentarily and then slowly evaporated.

“What the blooming hell was that all about?” gasped General Lysander in spite of himself.  He was clearly taken aback by the sudden departure of the guardian.  Even though the news that the imperious leader had brought was negative, just having his presence there had made the war effort seem less dire.

“Steady general…we have our own concerns right now that require our attention.  If there is one thing that I have learned about our enigmatic friend is that he does nothing that is not important or without reason.  Just be grateful he is taking care of business that we would likely not be able to handle” interjected General Yukio swiftly.  The druid gave the general a reassuring nod which seemed to have a calming effect.  He was sending out waves of calm and reassurance.

“Lysander, listen to our friend from Nairi…do not worry over Lord Adair’s business.  Let us focus our efforts right now on devising a viable battle plan for Lachlan” King Leroy said reassuringly to his general.

“So, the guardians will lead the attack against this demon lord…what is the battle plan then?” asked General Lysander in a more subdued manner.  The long weeks of fighting and bloodshed had taken a toll on this seasoned warrior.  His face relaxed as he looked around at the other leaders in the room.

“My suggestion is that we do whatever we can to lure the northern demons to land…General Lysander, you could then flank the beasts with your cavalry.  Meanwhile, we will have archers in the middle all the while raining down death from above.  I think magic wielders should be placed in their midst for protection.  I do not believe that a magical assault would be wise…they would not be drawn in so easily if they knew that our ranks were filled with powerful magic users” supplied General Yukio with an air of authority.

There were two loud cracks as Ladies Necia and Hilzarie appeared suddenly next to the standing Nairian general.  Almost seconds after the unanticipated appearance of two of the guardians, there were two more pops at the other end of the table.  Lords Neb and Keb had appeared as well.  Keb had a haggard look to him that made the leaders in the room instantly uneasy.  They could not understand what would make an invincible elemental look like death.  There was an uneasy silence while everyone took in the new arrivals.

“Apologies for our sudden appearance…mistress Khalida was meeting with us when master Adair popped into our meeting.  He asked that we join you to help plan the attack against the demon hordes on Lake Lachlan.  We came here as soon as our mistress was finished with her business.  So, what plans have been made thus far?” queried Lord Neb smoothly.  The explanation seemed straight forward; however, many questions came to the minds of the leaders in war room.

“Well, we were just discussing a plan where our magic users are hidden among the missile ranks.  What say you?” asked King Leroy solemnly.  His heart was filled with more hope now that they were going to have four elementals to help them in this attack.  He was especially pleased to see Lord Neb…he could probably handle the demonic lord by himself.

“I think that General Yukio’s plan will be the wisest course of action.  Hiding the limited number of magic wielders will be important if we are to lure our demonic enemies to shore.  If we can dispatch the northern army then we can focus on the bigger threat.  Those water demons cannot be killed by any non-magic means” lady Hilzarie said with a deeper tone than the leaders were used to hearing from her.  Then again, they had barely heard a word from her to this point so maybe that was how she sounded most of the time.

“The giants will keep the northern part of Landen secure while the western and southern parts will be protected by the elves.  I will ask General Lang to spread out his troops amongst the elves for better protection.  That has seemed to work well in the past.  To be safe, I will ask Lord Marcello to lead the troops at North Gate…just in case the water forces attempt to flank the Landen cavalry” injected Lord Neb gruffly.  The water elemental was usually more eloquent; however, in dire situations he did not waste his energy on it.

“Make it so Lord Neb.  I have been asked to lead this campaign by the guardian…I would ask that General Yukio lead the non-magical troops while I orchestrate an elaborate magical attack that will catch everyone by surprise” Lord Keb said darkly.  He smiled at the leaders gathered around the war table.  A chill went down their spines at the blank look he gave them.  Something had changed the normally gentle guardian…something that was not tangible enough to determine exactly what the source of this change was.  It was almost as though he had snapped.

“Thank you Lord Keb” replied General Yukio with a bow.  “I will meet with the troops to determine the best formations to hide the magic wielders.  General Lysander, will you meet with your cavalry units to ascertain the best flanking options?”

“I will at once” replied the Landen general with a side glance at Lord Keb.  He felt uneasy about the change that had come over the gentle elemental, but knew better than to say or do anything that would indicate his concern.  He left the room at a brisk pace.  The other leaders left as well, except for King Leroy.  He looked at the earthen lord with concern.  He did not like the change he was seeing.