The Guardian Crusade

                                           Volume II

                                                       Chapter 12

            Aj walked through the forest with Avit beside him.  They both looked around for any sign of Nick and Nalia.  A trail, a camp, something that would tell them they were this way.  The air was warm and the day was calm so they knew that the two had probably made good ground but Aj had a leg up, the Gryphon’s.  They had been searching all day after searching north of the city and then splitting into two to search the east and the west; they headed south hoping they could cover as much ground before nightfall.

“The moon is at our side; perhaps we should call off the search, and begin here tomorrow.” Avit said as the two men walked through the woods.

“Sure” Aj said as he stared at the ground.

“Everything alright Sir?” Avit asked.

“No everything is not alright Avit.” Aj snapped.  “Rayne is sick, Rayne she might be dying and I’m out here searching for Nick.”  Avit looked around as some of the people started to look at them.

“You can go back Alex, I can continue the search.” Avit said to him.

“No I can’t.” Aj said frustrated.  “I can’t just leave Nick out there. I don’t know what to do Avit, I’m being pulled in two directions and I’m trying to help them both.”

“I know Alex and..” Avit was interrupted.

“Sir!” A man shouted as he ran up to them.  “We found a camp inside a cave.”

“Where?” Avit asked as both men looked at the solider.

“This way.” The man said as he turned around and led them to the small moss covered cave.

“Looks like they have been here, but some time ago, the fire is cold.” Another man said as he walked out of the cave.

“I am thinking they made they’re way towards the Rock hills.” Avit said as he looked to Aj.  “Only other direction is to Pomic and considering why they left, I doubt they went that way.”  Aj said nothing but nodded.

“But the Rock Hills only lead to Ashmourn.” The solider who alerted them said.

“Ashmourn?” Aj asked.

“The lost Dwarf City.” Avit told him.  “That land has been uninhabitable for a thousand years.”

“Why would they be going there?” Aj asked.

“I do not know Sir.” Avit said with a frown.  Aj took a deep breath and looked around.

“We’ll fly to these Rock Hills set up camp and rest; we’ll begin our search there tomorrow.

“Very good Sir.” Avit said with a nod.  He then turned around and began shouting out orders for everyone to round up the search teams and call back the Gryphon’s.  They loaded up on the Gryphon’s and headed to the Rock hills.  When they arrived everyone ran around setting up camp and resuming the search.

“Your tent is ready Sir.” A soldier said as he approached Avit and Aj.

“I will get the final word from everyone and then come see you.” Avit said.  Aj nodded and then followed his soldier to his tent.  He closed the flaps over as he walked inside and grabbed his bag carrying it over to the mat and blanket that laid on the ground.

Opening the bag he pulled a book out and began skimming through the pages as he sat down on the mat.  Everyone else may be planning on sleeping but not him.  Thanks to one of the books he had found a way to read the spell that was cast over Rayne’s mind but the one he was more concerned about was the one around her heart, the one the Druid said was draining her of her powers.

He thought about Teleporting back to her checking up on her, but he needed to save his energy, he planned to be up all night reading and then search again for Nick in the morning.

“Alexander.” He heard someone whisper and he looked up from his book.  His eyes darted around the tent but he didn’t see anything.  He watched the shadows move along his tent walls but no one was stopped outside.  Shaking it off he looked back down at the text.

“Alexander.” The voice whispered again.

“Alright who’s there?” Aj asked closing the book with a sigh.  No one answered.  “Trippin Mclean, that’s what you get for not sleeping.” Again he returned his attention to the book he was reading, a little paranoid he would look up every second or so, just to make sure. 

“Alexander my Champion you must return.” The voice said and Aj looked up startled, the voice seemed to be coming from inside the tent.

“Who is this?” Aj asked.

“You must return and protect her.” The voice told him.

“Who Rayne? I know she’s in trouble but I can’t leave Nick.” Aj replied not sure why he was talking to it.

“Nickolas will be fine, he has Nalia, now go Alexander before it is too late.” The voice told him.

“Too late? Too late for what?” He asked his voice panicking.

“Alex?” Avit said from the tent door and his voice made Aj jump.  “Is everything alright, I thought I heard you talking to someone.”

“I..uh..” Aj said unsure what to say.  He looked around still not seeing anyone there.  “I..I..I need to go back to Rayne.”

“What?” Avit said out of confusion.

“I dunno something’s wrong.” He said quickly as he gathered up his things.

“I will get a Gryphon.” Avit said.

“No...I’ll teleport.” Aj said as he took one last look around.  “I’ll be back.”

“Alright.” Avit nodded not sure what was going on but saw the worry in Aj. In a flash Aj was gone, leaving Avit confused and the tent empty.

The room in Sarila was quiet, the halls were quiet, the Palace was quiet, and everyone, even the night maids were asleep in their quarters.  Even Rayne slept silently for the first time in days, no mumbling, no tossing, she was still until the sound of her door opening changed all that.

She slowly opened her eyes as she heard footsteps walk across the floor.  Knowing it was pretty early she wondered if it was Aj and she sat up pulling her hair back.

“Alex?” She softly called out to him but no one answered.  She waited and found the room quiet again.  Slowly she reached up for her curtain; she started feeling like something wasn’t right.  Maybe a month ago he would have played this game but not tonight.  Her hand had started to lightly shake as her fingers wrapped around the curtain.  With some hesitation she pulled back the curtain.

“Human!” A hooded figure shouted at her as it lunged at her.  Rayne screamed terrified as she scrambled across her bed, falling out to the floor on the other side.  Confused she tried to get under the bed but there was no way she could fit between the floor and the bed.  “Human” The voice hiss at her, she shouted in fright as she covered her ears, the voice so loud, like it was screaming beside her.

She tried to collect herself and scrambled to her feet, trying to get to the door and out of the room.  Then something grabbed her from behind and pulled her down to the grown.  Still confused her mind flashed to her when she was on the boat with Dyn.

“Help!” She cried as she tried to reach for something to defend herself.

“Help.” The voice repeated mocking her.  “No one will help, not even Alexander will help.” She felt the grip that was holding her back let go and she quickly rolled onto her back, sitting up, she started to crawl backwards.

“Why are you doing this to me?!” She yelled to nothing in the room.

“You, you are unworthy.” The voice said.  “Unworthy of Alexander, he deserves to know true love.”

“He loves me.” Rayne cried as she looked around the room frantic.

“No!” The voice shouted and then the hooded figured appeared right in front of her.  She screamed and tried to get away but her body froze.  “You are human, you can not know how to love an Elvaan, so full of greed and selfishness, you could never love Alexander the way he deserves to be.”

“He will greave, he will mourn, but he will forget, and when he does I will be there.” Its voice said as Rayne looked at it confused. Then just when she thought she couldn’t be any more terrified she clued in to what it meant.  Quickly she sent out a Grasp spell sending a wave of wind and lightning, a small nature storm at the figure.

“Milady?” Jaina’s voice broke through the room and Rayne quickly looked at her.

“Jaina help!” Rayne shouted as she got up and ran for the door.  She didn’t even give her Guardian and chance to check on her as she ran down the hallway.  Rayne could hear Jaina shouting behind her and she only hoped she was fighting that figure off.  In nothing but her night gown Rayne ran down the hallways of her Palace, she didn’t want to stop until she knew she was safe.

“Winnol.” She sighed as she began to run towards the globe room doors and she even found herself relaxing a little.

“Run Human run.” The voice said and Rayne quickly looked back seeing the figure behind her.

Rayne cried out in pain as she slammed into the doors but as she fell back she grabbed onto the knob, stopping herself from falling.  Her hands slipped around the long metal bar and she shouted in frustration at herself.  Finally the handle pushed down and the door clicked opened.  Quickly she ran inside and closed it behind her, sticking the chair that was beside her under the knob jamming the door shut.  Her body shook as she watched the doors, barely able to see them through her tears.

Slowly she backed away from them and stumbled when she reached the pedestal.  Frantic she turned around and touched the globe, when she heard a noise she looked back and saw the figure coming right through the door.  Then nothing but smoke covered her face.  She waited as long as she could before taking her hand off, hoping it was enough time she stepped down, and looked around the room.

“Winnol.” She sighed.  When the globe started smoking again Rayne shook her head in disbelief.  Before giving the figure a chance to get into the room, she grabbed the key and shut the globe down.  She then made a dash for the door and opened it breaking free into the hallway.

This hallway was just like the one in Drisel, quiet, everyone sleeping.  She walked down the hallway, just wanting to get to her room here in this city.  Then the doors to the globe room behind her flew open, she spun around and saw the figure exiting the room.

“That was not very nice Rayne.” The voice said.  “You are making this hard and I spent so much time trying to make this as easy as possible for you.”

“Go away.” Rayne said as she walked backwards.

“No, I am not, did you not hear a word I said.”

“You will never have Alexander; he knows it is you Drania.” She yelled at the figure.

“Yes he does and that is all he ever needs to know.” The figure said as it kept walking towards her.  Rayne’s eyebrows frowned in confusion, what did it mean by that?

“You are not Drania...” Rayne said as the realization came to her mind.

“Very good Rayne.” The voice said sounding happy.  “And since I’m going to kill you, I guess I can show you who I am.”  The figured lean forward and Rayne’s eyes grew in astonishment when she saw the woman in front of her.

“I guess the game is over, that Human will know pain, he will suffer for the stunt he pulled, thinking he could cast a spell and all will be well.” The woman hissed at Rayne.  “From the first day I took you into my school you tainted everything the Druids touched, you and your human hands.”

“Rexil.” Rayne gritted through her teeth.

“Let Alexander think it was Drania, she will be stripped of her title, and put in jail.” Rexil told her.  “She will pay for your murder, Alexander will see to that but then he will be alone in this place, his one link dead, and then everyone will truly see just how Human he really is.”

“No!” Rayne shouted as she grabbed Rexil’s robe and sent another spell into her.  This one made her head spin but she shook it off as best she could and got to her feet.  She started running down the hall but then something slammed into her back and sent her crashing to the floor in pain.

“I can use magic too.” Rexil said sarcastically at her. 

Crying, Rayne pulled herself up and tried to start running again but her legs gave out from under her.  She fell to the floor and couldn’t get back up, her instincts told her to crawl and that’s what she did.

“Look at you, pathetic excuse for a Guardian, crawling on the floor.” Rexil said as she walked up behind her.  “Trying to get away with every last ounce of strength you have.”  Rayne ignored her and kept pulling herself along the floor as she tried to cry out for help.  “Aww you want help? Trying to get to a nice safe room Rayne? Here let me help.”  Rexil said as she bent down and picked Rayne up by her nightgown and threw her through a door.  The wood shattered everywhere as she went crashing through them.

Slowly opening her eyes she looked around trying to figure out where she was.  Her eyebrows frowned when she saw the four beds or was it two beds, she didn’t know the room was spinning, and she tried to sit up but a sharp pain shot right up her back.  When Rexil grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up, she gasped as the pain in her back intensified.   When Rexil took her by the arms and spun her around she got a better look at the room, a room she had become very familiar with.  As the realization of where she was, what room she was in hit her, her thoughts from dinner tangled with them.

“I will say Rayne you are strong, I did not think any Human could have lasted so long here.” Rexil told her.  “And now, look at you, even now you fight, hard to tell if it is the love you have for Alex, or the fact you do not want anyone else to have him.”

Rayne wasn’t paying attention to what Rexil was mumbling about; she was too busy focusing on the life Auras in the room.  There were many but it was easy for her to sort through most of them.  The brighter they were, the less time they had been away.  Maids, servants, people who had come and gone, but there were three aura’s barely noticeable in the room too.  It had been a while since they had been here and she didn’t even know if it was going to work.

“Are you listening to me?” Rexil said and Rayne looked at her having no idea what the woman had said before.

“Bring forth these life forms, return to your aura.” Rayne said as she looked up at Rexil.

“What?” The woman said confused.

“Bring forth these life forms, return to your aura.” Rayne said again and a breeze picked up in the room.  The curtains started blowing and even lightning crashed down around them.

“What did you do!?” Rexil shouted as the wind picked up.

“Bring forth these life forms.” Rayne said as her whole body felt like it would collapse had it not been for Rexil holding her up but she pushed through it, she needed to be strong for the spell to work, if it could.  “Return to your aura.”  Rexil grabbed Rayne by the front of her gown and shook her

“Tell me what you are doing you wretched little brat!” Rexil shouted as she shook Rayne again.  Her head fell forwards as she passed out but she quickly came too again.  “You were supposed to die!”

“Bring forth these..” But Rayne was interrupted as Rexil sent her flying across the room and she crashed into the long table that sat in front of the couch.  The spell got stronger and then flashes of light started exploding around the room.

“Human!!” Rexil shouted at Rayne in anger, she ruined everything, it was suppose to end tonight but now, now she had to leave, Rayne did something and she was not sticking around to find out what it was. 

As Rexil disappeared a loud banging sound exploded into the room and then silence, as Rayne laid motionless on the floor, broken pieces table all around her.

“What the hell was that?” Howie said looking around.

“Where are we?” Brian asked.

“I’ve seen this place before.” Kevin said looking around and then he looked at his friends.  “Are we...”

“No...” Brian said shaking his head.  “We can’t be.” He said as he looked around the room in front of him.

“Who’s that?” Kevin asked as he pointed to the woman on the floor.  Slowly he walked over and turned the woman onto her back.

“Rayne!” All three guys shouted when they saw her.

“We’re back in Pixcadia?” Howie asked.

“What the hell is going on?” A female voice said from behind them, all three guys turned around.

“Where are we?” Another woman asked.

“He brought the girls this time.” Howie said with a smile when he saw his wife Leigh.

“He brought all of us?” Brian asked as the girls started walking towards them.

“Where are we Brian?” Leigh-Anne asked her husband.

“Remember that dream I said I had after the accident?” Brian asked.

“Yeah” Leigh-Anne nodded.

“It’s not a dream?” Brian half asked half told her wondering what she would say, but she didn’t say anything, she just stared at him.

“Kevin who is that?” His wife asked as she looked at the girl on the ground.

“Brian do you, I mean can you?” Kevin asked.

“I dunno.” Brian said as he knelt down beside her.  But they were both interrupted from a commotion in the hallway.

“What’s that?” Leigh B, Howie’s wife asked.  Just then the door opened and a bunch of guards came running in.

“Stay back!” They shouted as they stuck out their swords at the group.  The wives started screaming and instantly clung to their husbands.

“Kevin what the hell is going on?” Kristin asked him as they were moved to the back of the room.

“We’re friends of King Alexander.” Kevin said to one of soldiers.

“King What?!” All three girls shouted at him same time as they looked at Kevin.

“Stay back!” The man shouted at them again as he looked back at Rayne, then to them holding his sword firm.

            “Rayne!” An Elvaan shouted as he came into the room and saw her on the ground.  He ran to her kneeling down beside her.  “Rayne?” He said as he gently touched her face.

“Uhh, who’s that?” Howie asked wondering why this Elvaan showed so much concern for Rayne.

“Priest! I need a Priest now!” The Elvaan shouted frantically. “How did Drania get out of the city, she wasn’t allowed to leave the fucking city!” The Elvaan shouted to his men.

            “What the..” Kevin said speechless as the voice struck a familiar nerve.

“Kevin.” Brian said tugging on his cousin’s sleeve but Kevin couldn’t look away from the Elvaan.

“Your Highness we need to get her to the Springs right away.” The Priest told him.

“Did he just call that Elvaan your Highness?” Howie whispered.

“Go, go.” The Elvaan said quickly motioning for them to hurry.

“Sir what do we do with them?” A guard asked.

“With who?” Aj asked confused as he looked at his solider.  The man pointed to the back of the room.  He froze in spot when he saw the group of people standing there staring at him.

“How…” Aj couldn’t say anything as he looked at his friends.

“Alex?” Kevin said as his eyebrows fell with confusion.

“What?” Howie said looking at Kevin.  “Where?” He asked looking around.

“I’m right here dumbass.” Aj said as Howie looked at him.

“You’re not Alex, you’re an Elvaan.” Howie said shaking his head.

“I am now.” Aj told him and Howie’s jaw dropped.

“Alex.” Kevin said and it was all he could say.

“I know a little trippy but it’s me.” Aj said with a light smile.

“How did it happen?” Howie asked.

“What the hell is going on?” Leigh B said and it startled everyone. “Who is that why are you calling him Alex?”

“Because it’s me Leigh.” Aj said to her.

“But you’re dead.” She told him.  “You died in the accident.”

“Accident?” Aj said a little confused.  “Wait how the hell did you guys get here?”

“Dunno.” Kevin said “We were all going out to dinner and then we were here.” He told Aj.  “What happened to Rayne?”

“Rayne.” Aj said as he remembered almost forgetting from the shock of his friends showing up.  “I gotta go to the Springs.”

“We’ll come with you.” Kevin said.

“I want to know what is going on.” Leigh B said as Aj headed to the door.

“We’ll explain there.” Kevin said to her as he took Kristin by the hand.