The Guardian Crusade

                                           Volume II

                                                       Chapter 20

“Anyone?” Nick asked looking around.

“Nothing” Kevin said as he closed another book.

“Zip here.” Kristin yawned.

“Do you think we’re going to find anything, if there are records of it, Rossi doesn’t want you to know, so they won’t be on the shelves.” Howie said as he looked at Nick. 

Nick was about to say something when the doors to the Library hall opened, everyone in the room looked at the doors to see who it was.

“Avit?” Nick and Nalia said a little confused.

“What’s wrong with Rayne?” Nalia then quickly asked.

“She has awoken.” Avit said to her. “Alex sent me to get you.”

“Just me?” Nalia asked looking at Nick then back to Avit.

“All of you.” Avit said as he waited at the doors.  Everyone got up from the table they were all reading at and walked over to Aj’s General.

“Is something wrong?” Kevin asked.

“It appears Rayne has lost the last two years of her memory.” Avit said.

“What?” They all said shocked.

“The last two years like everything we did?” Nick asked.

“The last thing she remembers is going to Sera with her Father; Halian said she thinks that was about a day, two days before the attack on Pomic.” Avit told them.

“Ouch.” Kevin whispered.

“Her Father, Marsa, Dyn, they were all alive…” Nalia said as she stopped Avit and looked at him.

“Halian has already told her, it took her Mother quiet some time to calm her down.” Avit said.

“Her Mom where was Aj?” Brian asked, Avit looked at Brian and then the rest of them.

“She doesn’t remember him.” Kevin said as Avit and Nalia looked at him.

“No she does not.” Avit said sadly.

“Poor Aj.” Leigh-Anne frowned.

“We should go then.” Nick said and everyone looked at him.  “I’m not going to find anything here, better leave before I do something stupid.”  Kevin lightly laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

            “Did you want to get our things?” Nalia asked.

“No we’re coming back, I may not find anything in there but there’s something here, I need time to find it, so we’ll spend a few days here, hopping back and forth.” He told her and she smiled nodding in agreement, glad to see he was thinking with a clear head for now.  When that would change she didn’t know.

“Where is she now?” Nalia asked.

“In one of the guest rooms, she found it to strange to sleep in Marsa’s room.” Avit told them. “When she is well enough she wants to go home to Sarila.”

“Where’s Aj?” Kevin asked.

“After she calmed down he went and had a meeting with his Spies, he’s been in his room ever since then.” Avit said as they entered the Globe room.  In a flash all 8 of them were transported to Winnol. They walked down the halls to the last corridor and stopped.

“I am going to go see Rayne first.” Nalia told Nick.  Nick nodded and said goodbye with a kiss.  Everyone else made their way down to Aj’s room.  Avit knocked on the door and waited.  They listened waiting to hear footsteps, waiting to hear the door unlock and open but instead they heard nothing.

Kevin knocked on the door and turned the knob, the door opened and he walked in.  He looked around and saw the room was empty.  Walking out to the middle of the room he shouted towards the bathroom.

“Alex?” There was not answer so he walked into the bathroom and saw nothing; he then walked back into the bedroom.  “He’s not here.”

“Perhaps he is in his meeting room.” Avit said and everyone turned around heading back into the hallway. 

“Nali says he’s not in Rayne’s room.” Nick said as he walked up to them.

“Alright let’s go to his meeting room.” Kevin said as he nodded for the stairs.

Aj put the books he had borrowed from the Darlawind library into his bag and put the strap over his shoulder.  He then made sure he had everything and walked out of the room.  When he did an Elvaan man approached him.

“Did you find everything you needed King Alexander.” The man asked.

“Yes, I think I found something.” Aj said with a nod.

“Wonderful.” He smiled.  “Hope to see you soon.” The man said as he opened the door for Aj.

“Just tell Myrdon I teleported home.” He told the head Librarian.

“Of course Sir.” The man bowed.  When he heard the door to the library close, he closed his eyes and pictured his home.  The wind whooshed passed his ears and when he opened them again, he was back in Winnol.

Aj walked down the hall towards his room, the Castle was quiet, and it was pretty late.  He left after his meeting with the spies, he needed to get away and think of something else beside Rayne.  Remembering he wanted to go to Darlawind to look for some information on Ashmourn.  The Librarian made sure he had dinner and everything, so he was set for the night.

“Alex..ander?” He heard Rayne say from behind him and he turned around.  “Alexander, correct?”

“Yeah” Aj nodded as his heart tightened.

“You should go see your friends before you retire, they are worried about you.” She told him.

“Oh.” He said wondering why they were looking for him.  “Are they here?”

“Yes, all but Nalia and Nick they returned to Augem.” She said.

“Oh, ok thanks.” He said.  “You should really be in bed.”

“I have done enough resting.” She told him.  “And even if I was tired with everything that Mother and Nalia has told me, I do not think I could.”

“Did you want to come in and talk?” Aj asked her.

“I do not want to intrude.” She said shyly.

“I’m not really tired so wasn’t planning on going to bed either.” Aj said with a shrug. 

“Alright” She said with a light nod.

Aj opened the door to their bedroom and held it open for her.  When she walked in she looked around and quickly walked over to her dresser.  As he closed the door he stared at her.  She carefully picked up the necklace her Father gave her as it laid on top of her jewelry box.

“I was going to have your Mom come in and get anything you needed when you go back to Sarila.” Aj said as he put his bag down on the desk.

“Mother said everyone thought Dyn had died and then he came back, siding with Ignis.” She said as she put the necklace down.

“Yeah” Aj nodded not sure what to say.

            Rayne walked away from the dresser and over to the window, she stood there for a moment and he watched her.  Then she turned around sitting down on the sill, covering her mouth, and muffled her cries.  Aj quickly walked over to her and sat down beside her.  He hesitated not sure if he should hug her.

“I thought I would have been enough.” She said.  “But he was so mad; he would not let his grudge against Marsa go.” She fell into his arms but he sat there stunned.  Slowly he wrapped his arms around her.  He was confused more than angry, she had told him when Dyn first came back she didn’t feel the same way but what she said now, how she is now, crying in his arms, he realized she was hiding something more.

“I am sorry.” She said as she quickly pulled away.  “I…I should not be here.” Rayne said as she stood up and ran out of the room, leaving Aj alone on the windowsill confused. 

Kevin sat on the end of his bed as everyone else ran around getting ready.  He stood up and walked over to the door.   He had forgotten how comfortable the clothes were here.  When he opened the bedroom door he heard his wife speak up.

“Where are you going?” She asked him.

“Look around for Aj some more, maybe Avit has heard something.  I’ll meet you guys downstairs for breakfast.” He said as she walked up to him and kissed him.

“He’ll be ok; he’s just dealing with a lot.” Kristin said.

“I can’t believe I had to check the Inns and Taverns but I just didn’t know.” He sighed.

“Well he wasn’t there so that’s a good sign.” She said.

“I’ll be back.” He told her as he kissed her and then left the room.

He walked down the hallway and past Rayne’s door, he heard some people talking in the room but it was too muffled for him to make anything out.  When he reached Aj’s door he knocked and got no answer.  He sighed and then waited and then knocked one more time.

“It’s open.” He heard a voice say and he felt himself relax recognizing Aj’s voice.  Opening the door he walked in and saw Aj sitting by his window.

“Where the hell have you been? Avit’s got half the army out looking for you?” Kevin asked.

“I was in Darlawind, didn’t realize I needed to check in Dad.” Aj shot at him.  Kevin looked at him; he sat on the window bench, his head lying against the wall.   

“All night?” Kevin asked.  “And what’s with the attitude.”

“I have an attitude because my whole fucking life has been flipped upside down and no, I wasn’t there all night.” Aj said in a huff.  “I came back sometime last night ran into Rayne.”

“How’s she doing?” Kevin asked.

“She’s pretty upset over Dyn.” Aj said.  “She was crying about not being enough to make him stay and not go to Pomic, and then she took off outta my room.”

“I thought she told you she didn’t feel the same way.” Kevin asked a little confused.

“She did.” Aj barked as he shot him a look.

“Dude” Kevin said taken back by Aj’s attitude.

“Just go alright, you found me I’m fine, now get the fuck out.” Aj said as he waved his arm.

“No I’m not going anywhere you’re upset.” Kevin said.

“Fuck yeah I am.” Aj shouted. “What was so bad about it that she couldn’t tell me huh?” He yelled as he sat up.  “I asked her if she did and she lied, she said no she didn’t feel the same way he did.”

“Well Alex the guy had just shown up after being dead for a year, not to mention what ever she was feeling for you at the time.” Kevin said as Aj stood up and walked around the room, pacing.  “Maybe she didn’t anymore, when he came he turned right away, he did those things to her before he was even under Ignis’s control, it was Dyn not Ignis that brought her to that ship and attacked her there. She didn’t have time to rekindle anything.”  Kevin walked over to him.  “Come on man, she thinks it’s two years ago, he was a different person, she hasn’t had all those things happen to her, he hasn’t done all those things to her.”

“But what if she did or still does, why couldn’t she tell me?” Aj asked.

“Maybe she thought it wasn’t worth it. He had become an evil person and what she did love of him was dead long ago.” Kevin told him.  “You were having your own problems with him.”

“She was so upset I hadn’t seen her that upset since she lost her Dad.” Aj said looking at him. 

“Rayne doesn’t know what he tried to do to her?” Kevin asked.

“I don’t think so; by the way she acted last night, no.  But I haven’t talked to Halian yet to see what all she told her, I dunno.” Aj sighed.

“Come to breakfast maybe she’ll be there.” Kevin said.

“I dunno, I need time to think, I’ve gone from getting ready to put the ring on her finger to wondering if she’ll ever love me again. I…I just dunno.” Aj said as he sat down on his bed. 

“Ok.” Kevin said as he lightly nodded.  “I’ll be back to check on you later.” Kevin told him pointing at him. 

“Yeah, yeah” Aj said as he waved at him to leave. 

Kevin sighed as he walked out the room and closed the door behind him.  He looked towards Rayne’s room and thought about going to talk to her, he decided not too and wait to see what happened, if anything, at breakfast.