The Guardian Crusade

                                          Volume II

                                                      Chapter 18

Nick stood at his bedroom window watching the snow fall from the sky.  It had already piled up since the last time his balcony had been cleared off when he first got here.  He drew a line down the window, the condensation from the cold air on the outside and the warm air on the inside wiped away with his finger.

            “Nick?” Nalia said from behind him.

“Yeah” He said as he watched a drop of water dribble down the window.

“The servant said dinner is ready, did you want to go?” She asked.

“Not really hungry.” He said not looking away from the window.

“Nick come eat with Rossi, Mela and Dolun.” Nalia said walking over to him.

“Why so we can fight about Ashmourn again?” Nick asked turning around.

“Well you just started questioning him; a hello would have been nice.” She said as he rolled his eyes.

“He asked me what was going on.” Nick said his voice squeaking a little.

“Where is this coming from?” Nalia asked as he sat down on the bed.

“I’m tired of not doing anything, I’m tired of people lying and covering crap up because they can’t admit their mistakes.” Nick said.  “We need to find Pixca and there are only two of us here.”

“Nick, Rayne died; now she’s very sick.” Nalia said as she walked over too him.

“So we beat Ignis without her.” Nick said quickly.

“She was alive and on trial, she was not lying practically unconscious in the Healing Springs!” Nalia shouted angrily.

“Don’t get mad at me.” Nick said to her.

“You arrogant ass.” Nalia snapped at him.

“Excuse me?” Nick said as he stood up.

“Did you forget that Rayne is like a sister to me?” She yelled at him.  “But yet here I am in Tokia with you, I went all the way to Ashmourn with you and what do I get for it?” She asked him as she pointed at him.  “I am going to dinner, come if you want but do not start asking questions or I’ll kick you out into the Blizzard myself.” She said as she walked over to the door and out of the room, slamming the heavy wood and steel door behind her.

He closed his eyes and sighed he knew she was right but when Rossi wouldn’t talk to him about what happened, he got mad and frustrated   Nick thought people had learned after the whole Ignis thing, not to hide stuff anymore and now here he was on the verge or what he thinks is the verge of finding Pixca and people are road blocking him.  And then there was Aj all pissed off at him.  Like he knew what was going to happen to Rayne and besides no one told him to go looking. 

Growling in frustration he turned around and walked over to his bed, sitting down on it.  He rested his head on his fists thinking about what to do.  Does he say the hell with everyone and search this place top to bottom, or does he stay calm and wait for Rossi to tell him, if he tells him.  Nick sat on his bed thinking, thinking about that creature, how it looked, how it felt when he drained it.  What he saw through the monster, more of them, thousands, millions but they were different.  Some were like the creature him and Nalia had run into however there were others that even though they were linked, they weren’t the same species as the rock lava creature.  He knew he had to do something, the closer he got the closer she felt.  Pixca was there he was certain.

“You can’t just go in there, you have no idea what the place is, where it is or what happened.” He said as he stood up and started talking to himself.  “That would be stupid and you’re smarter than that.”

“Nali’s right, go have dinner, stay calm and just chat, then ask him, and if he doesn’t tell you, then you take anything you need to know.” He said to himself again as he walked over to the door. 

He walked down the halls of the Mountain Keep and made his way to the Dinning area, he could hear people talking and laughing as he stood outside of the door.  Taking a deep breath he opened the door and walked in.  Everyone stopped and looked at him and he looked around at them.  Nick could tell he had sucked the life right out of the room and quietly made his way over beside Nalia as a servant went into the kitchen to get him his food.

When he sat down he looked at Nalia and she lightly smiled at him.  It made him relax a little and he smiled back at her.  Everyone started eating again and some started talking again but Rossi kept quiet. 

“So how long will ye be staying?” Mela asked, Nick snuck a peak a Rossi and saw the dwarf looking at him. 

“Depends.” He said as the servant set a plate down in front of him.

“On?” Rossi said looking at him.  Nick wanted to tell him ‘when you tell me about Ashmourne’ but he didn’t.

            “On how Rayne is doing.” Nick replied looking away from him.

“That poor child, I can’t believe the Druids are behind it.” Mela said.

“Not all, just Drania.” Nalia said

“But she is their leader.” Rossi said.  “So who knows how many are in on it?”

“How be Alexander?” Mela asked.

“Not good when we saw him.” Nick mumbled.

“What do ye mean?” She asked.

“Nick and Alex got into a fight, Alex was out looking for us when Rayne had her episode, and he blames us for him not being there.”  Nalia told her.

“Aye, as well he should.” Rossi mumbled.

“What?” Nick said looking up.

“Rossi.” Mela said sternly.

“Hush woman.” He shot at her.

“Don’t talk to her like that!” Nick snapped.

“Now ye be tellin’ me what to do in my own Palace!” Rossi shouted.  “You were on ya way to Ashmourn, a pointless trip.”

“It’s not pointless Pixca is there.” Nick said angrily.

“No!” Rossi shouted. “No one is there, the Keep is filled with Lava..”

“And Creatures made of rock and lava.” Nalia said as both Nick and Rossi looked at her.  “And there will be more the closer we get to Ashmourn, so if there was nothing there, then why are they there now and why didn’t Ignis know about them?”  Rossi looked around the room everyone staring at him, waiting for him to answer. 

“Bah!” Rossi barked as he waved his arms at Nick and left the table.  The people in the room looked around as Rossi left the room.

“Nick.” Mela said as she looked at him.

“I’m sorry Mela but there is something there, I know there is, and he’s standing in my way on finding out what it is.” Nick told her.  “I am a Guardian; I will do what I need to do to find Pixca.”  He then pushed his chair back and also left the room.

“Nick” He heard Nalia say as he walked down the hall. 

“What?” He asked as he turned around.  “Going to yell at me, put me out in the snow? Go ahead; he’s hiding something, something that we both need.”

“I know” Nalia said and he looked at her confused.  “He did start it with the comment about Alex.”

“Thank you.” Nick sighed.  “So what are we going to do?” He asked.

“We’ll talk about that in our room, I told the servant to bring your plate to our chambers.” She said as they started walking down the hall again.

“Thanks.” He smiled.

She smiled back and then took his hand.  “We’ll find out what’s there Nick, whether Rossi wants us to or not.”

Aj leaned against his desk, the sound of the Tree Falls echoed in his meeting room, the doors to his balcony open. He stared at the ring in his hand, Avit said this was the ring he was suppose to give to her when he asked her to marry him.  No box, nothing fancy, just a small silver ring with Elvaan words inscribed on it.  Avit told him it translated to, “Solidarity & Unity”.  The other ring translated too “We now become one”.  He liked it and he liked the fact that when they were put together they locked.

“Sir?” He heard Avit say and he looked up from the ring as he closed his hand over it.  Aj saw his General standing at the door with Drania in front of him; cuff free and she looked very confused. 

“Thanks Avit.” Aj said as he put the ring in his robe pocket.

“What is going on?” Drania asked him as Avit walked her over to a chair.

“I’m sorry.” He said to her.

“Sorry?” She said a little stunned.

“We think we know who is playing with Rayne’s head and I was wrong, it’s not you.” He told her.  “I don’t regret what I did, I will protect her like I do this land, like I do for all of Pixcadia but I will apologize.”

“Thank you King Alexander.” She said with a light nod.

“You are free to go but I have one thing to ask before you do.” He told her and she looked at him.  “We don’t really have proof on who it is, they’ve done a very good job on implicating you, including Larsung.”  Aj told her.  “Is there a way you could help us.  I know you’re probably mad at me and that’s fine, I just ask that you do this for Rayne, for your friend.”  Drania looked down for a moment and Aj wondered if she would help, he couldn’t blame her if she didn’t want too.

“Alright, I will help.” She said with a nod.  “What can I do?” She asked.  “Can you tell me who it is?”

“It’s Rexil.” Aj said and the anger that came over her face, he wondered if she was as mad as him.

“What do you need me to do?” She asked.

“We need you too stay in jail some more.” He told her.  “Go back tell Larsung they will move you to the court jails in the morning for your trial to start in two days.  He will probably find a way to let her know.”

“And we will have men keeping an eye on him.” Avit said to her.

“I’m bringing in the spies too.” Aj said.  “Tomorrow we’ll move you to the court jail incase they try something.  I know it’s not your home but..”

“But Rexil has turned my life upside down; I would gladly sit in jail for weeks if it meant bringing her to justice.” Drania said with anger.

“I will take you back now then.” Avit said and she stood up.

“Is she still sleeping or is that a cover up as well?” Drania asked.

“No, no she’s still sleeping.” Aj said lightly shaking his head.

“I am sorry, perhaps one of the Druids could go into Phantasm and see if she is lost or something?” Drania asked.

“Under the circumstances, the only Druid I trust now are you and Rayne.” He said.  “Maybe once this Rexil mess get’s cleaned up, if she still hasn’t by then.” He hoped she didn’t sleep that long.

“Of course.” She nodded.  Aj said goodbye and Avit closed the door as the two left the meeting room.  As he walked back over to his desk there was a knock on the door, he turned around to see Kevin and the guys coming in.

“Hey” He said with a nod.  “What’s up?” He asked.

“You missed dinner.” Brian said as he sat down.

“I was with Rayne and then I came here to talk to Drania.” He told them.

“More questions?” Howie asked.

“Something like that.” Aj said.  “Not really hungry anyways.”

“Dude you gotta eat.” Kevin said.

“I’ll grab something before I go to bed.” He told them as he walked over to his balcony doors.  Closing them and locking them Aj closed up his meeting room and headed to the Lobby doors.

“Where are you going?” Kevin asked as they stood up.

“I’m going back to see Rayne.” Aj told them as he stopped, holding the door knob.

“Alex.” Brian said.

“Look I’m sorry, I know I should be jumping around and doing cartwheels cause your all here and somewhere in me I am.”  Aj told them.  “But you’ve been gone a year and I’ve changed in that time and I don’t mean this.” Aj said pointing to his new look, before Brian could say anything.  “I don’t mean this in an angry way or a bad way but guys, Nick needs you more than I do right now.”  Aj then turned the knob and opened the door leaving the guys alone.

“When I find out who brought us back I’m going to beat them.” Brian sighed.

“Why because he has a life besides us now?” Kevin said and everyone turned around looked at him.

“You can’t be serious.” Brian said.

“What he said is true, did you not notice the way Nick looked?” Kevin said.  “You’ll go chasing Aj down when he does something you don’t like, or makes you worried but what about Nick.” Kevin said.  “He’s been fighting with Alex, taking off on him; did you not hear me when I told you what Aj told me?”

“I agree with Kevin, we should go see Nick.” Howie said nodding.

“But Nick’s in that cold place.” Leigh B frowned and everyone looked at her.  “It’s so warm here.”

“Then I guess we should go pack.” Kevin said looking around.

“Well I’m staying here.” Brian said as everyone started walking out of the room.

“Fine, but when he kicks you out of the city and country too, don’t come cryin to me baby.” Kevin shouted as he disappeared behind the door with a wave.