The Guardian Crusade

                                           Volume II

                                                       Chapter 23

AJ watched as his arm reached out and he grabbed Rayne.  He tried to do everything he could to stop his arm, but he wasn’t in control anymore.  AJ shouted out for her as he slipped into the water.  Water fell into his lungs and as he felt someone grab his robe, he began coughing the water out, still trying to grab onto something.

“Dude relax.” He heard Kevin say as he gasped for more air.

“Rayne” AJ gasped in between coughs.

“She’s fine, she’s outside waiting.” Kevin told him as AJ started to calm down and look around.

“Where’s Rexil?” AJ asked.

“Dead.” Kevin told him and AJ looked at him confused.  Kevin told him what Nick had told him and the others.  About them going to Darlawind, and seeing the smoke on their way back, Nick told Kevin what happened at the town square and about Rexil attacking Rayne.  Then Kevin told AJ about Nick draining her.

“Is he ok?” AJ asked a little stunned.

“Yeah he seems fine.” Kevin said with a light nod.  “I’m going to go get a Priest ok?” Kevin said to him and AJ nodded.

When Kevin left the room AJ lifted his arms and watched the water drip from the sleeves of his robe.  He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed as the memories of what had happened rushed through his head.  The sound of a heel on the stone floor made him look up and he saw Rayne standing at the door way.  Quickly he climbed out of the bath of water and walked over to her.

“Are you ok did she hurt you?” He asked.

“You should not be out of the water.” She told him.

“I’m fine, are you ok?” He asked again.

“Yes” She said with a nod.

“Do you remember anything; now, now that Rexil is dead?” He asked with hope in his heart.

“No” She said and his heart sank and the hope vanished.  “You should really get back into the bath.” She told him gently taking his arm and pointing to the pool of water.

“I need to go see Avit.” AJ said as he walked passed her.

“Alexander.” Rayne said as she ran in front of him and stopped him.  “Get back into that pool.” She said sternly at him as she pointed back into the cave.  He looked at her stunned, confused, and then turned around, getting back into the bath of water.

“Shouldn’t you be in Sarila?” He asked her as he slipped into the water.

“I was but I asked Nickolas to show me the Meleth Cirith.” She said still standing by the door way.  “I was hoping I would feel something while there.”

“And I take it you didn’t.” AJ said finally speaking.

“No, I did not.” Rayne replied and AJ lightly laughed.  “Why did you stay?” She asked him.

“You mean here?” AJ asked and she nodded.  “What does it matter?  It won’t help you and I really don’t feel like talking about it.”

“It matters because..” She stopped not sure if her words would make sense to him, or end up hurting him.  “It matters because..”

“Alright I got the Priest.” Kevin said as he walked into the room but stopped when he saw Rayne and AJ.  “Oh, do you guys need a minute?”

“No, no it is fine.” Rayne said pushing her thoughts from her head and she left the cave letting the Priest tend to AJ.

“Is everything ok?” Kevin asked as he looked from the Cave door to AJ.

“Yeah.” AJ said with a robotic nod.

“Seemed like a pretty intense conversation.” Kevin said as the Priest hovered his hands over top of AJ.  AJ kept silent and stared into the rippling water. 

“Can he have visitors yet?” Nick asked as he poked his head in.

“Not you.” AJ said jokingly.

“I’ll remember that the next time some crazy ass Druid tries to kill you again.” Nick said rolling his eyes.  “At least Rayne said thank you.”

“I heard you too had a date.” AJ said and Nick immediately got defensive.

“It wasn’t a date dude.” Nick told him.  “She wanted to go see the mess you made.”

“Well nice try but it didn’t work.” AJ said as Kevin helped him out of the bath.

“Yeah I know.” Nick frowned. 

“She’ll never remember.” AJ whispered but his friends heard him.

“I don’t think she’s trying to remember.” Nick said quickly then he realized how it sounded.  “I mean, I don’t think she doubts you love her.”

“What are you talking about?” Kevin asked as AJ put on a clean robe.

“I think she doubts how she felt.” Nick said and then realized saying that was probably worse.

“What makes you think that?” AJ asked quickly.

“It was just something she said, that made me think that.” Nick said trying to back track.

“Which was?” Kevin asked.

“She asked me how come I decided to stay here, and then she asked me why you decided to stay here.” Nick said nodding to AJ.

“What did you tell her?” AJ asked.

“Told her she had to ask you that question.” Nick said as AJ closed his eyes and moaned.

“What?” Kevin asked confused.

“She asked me but I didn’t want to answer.” AJ said as he sighed.

“So how does that make you think she doubts her feelings?” Kevin asked.

“Cause it’s what she said after.” Nick told them.  “I told her that you love her, and she shouldn’t doubt that, but then she said it’s not your love she doubts.”

“It’s hers?” AJ asked more to himself than to Nick.

“What does that mean?” Kevin asked confused.

“She means she doesn’t see herself loving me at all.” AJ said as he started to leave the cave.

“I don’t really think she meant it like that Alex.” Nick said grabbing AJ’s arm and spinning him to face him.

“Well then what the fuck did she mean!?” AJ yelled.  “Since you seem to know, since you’re the one she’s fucking talking to, how about you fill me in!”

“Alex you need to calm down.” Kevin said as he reached for his friend but AJ stepped away.

“No, no you know what I need.  I need to get the hell outta here, I need to go home.” AJ said throwing up his arms.

“What?” Everyone said shocked.

“Rexil made sure the people will revolt against me, they’re already starting to, there’s no reason for me to stay here anymore.” AJ said shaking his head.

“What about Pixca?” Nalia said.  “What about Rayne?”

“You guys can find her without me.” AJ said as he looked at her.

“What about Rayne?” Nalia said stepping up to him.

“It is alright, Nalia.” Rayne said as she sat in a chair.  AJ looked at her; he didn’t realize she was still here.  “Let him go if he wishes. I now have all the answers I will ever need.” She said standing up and leaving the Healing Springs.

Nick said nothing as he walked up to Nalia and took her by the waist, they then left the Springs as well. Everyone else leaving after them and not saying a word to AJ.  He stood there in silence, his world crumbling around him, and he didn’t care how mad everyone else was at him, they weren’t him.  They didn’t loose the one they loved.

“You’re Highness?” A Priest said from the entrance way on his left.  AJ looked at him; not saying anything, wondering if that would be the last time he was called that.  “Sir Avit wishes to see you.” The elder Elvaan said. 

AJ made his way into the cave and saw Avit lying in the pool of water.  For the first time he saw what he had done to his General.  His face badly bruised, a large gash in his forehead, and his arm was held close to his body in a sling, no doubt AJ had broken it.

“Are you alright Sir?” Avit asked.

“I should ask you that.” AJ said as he sat on a stone bench by the stone tub.

“I will be.” Avit said with a light nod.  “But what about you, you sounded upset outside.”

“You heard that?” AJ asked.  Avit nodded slowly.  “Everything is crumbling down around me and it’s not my fault, I can’t do anything to stop it.”

“I have never seen you like this before.” Avit said and Aj looked at him confused.  “Is this how you handle things back on Earth?”

“Handled things?” AJ said still confused.

“When you came here you had a hard time understanding yes, but when Rayne needed you, when these people needed you, you were strong and you faced everything head on, you did not run away.” Avit said as AJ looked down at the stone floor.

“Well” AJ said as he took a deep breath and stood up.  “They don’t need me anymore.”  He turned and walked away but what Avit said next made him stop in his tracks.

“They need you more than ever Sir.”  Avit said in an almost pleading tone.  AJ stood there, Avit’s words repeating in his head.  He closed his eyes and pushed them away as he continued out the cave door. 

Rayne ran into her room, her eyes were soaked with tears.  She went right to her Druid chest and began pulling things out of it.  A wolf pelt, some branches, stones of many colours and other Druid knick-knacks.  At the bottom of the chest was a large heavy fur pelt, and as she pulled it out of the chest a bears head followed.

It was given to her by Marsa, it was suppose to be given to her by her Druid Mother, but her being Human she never found one.  Druids used the pelts to communicate with the spirits; the bear pelt was used for Phantasm.  It represented the hibernation the body went into.

Without putting the other things back into the Chest she ran back out of her room, the bear pelt firmly in her hand.  She walked down the hall towards the back stairs of the Sarila Palace.  Making her way down the stairs she went over the spell in her head, normally it was done with two Druids, but that wasn’t an option right now.  She needed to remember, she needed to know if she really loved him.

Her doubts ran through her head, how could she stay with AJ when Dyn needed her so much, why didn’t she try harder to reach out to Dyn, to try and help him.  Why did she hurt him by pretending to love his brother?

She walked across the lawn to about the middle of the back courtyard.  She laid the pelt down and then pulled a small jar of sand from her pocket.  Sitting down on the pelt she opened the glass jar.

Closing her eyes she began to speak.  “Spirits I call, hear my voice, I am lost and need to be found.”  Her eyes opened and she began to spread the sand around the pelt in a circular motion.  Dropping the jar out of the way she closed her eyes and repeated the words again.  “Spirits I call, hear my voice, I am lost and need to be found.”

The wind around her picked up and her hair began to blow around in the breeze, then her head fell forward and like a mothers loving embrace, the breeze laid her down on the bear pelt.  Rayne laid there silently, sleeping as the wind died down around her.