The Guardian Crusade

                                         Volume II

                                                      Chapter 3

Nick stood there staring at Nalia, her face in pain and all he could do was watch but as he did he felt a feeling come over him.  At first he thought it was something Ignis was feeling but as he watched Nalia drop to her knees, the sensation got stronger, and he realized it wasn’t Ignis it was him.  He was feeling the power flowing through him and it started to feel good.  As he pulled his hand off her shoulder, his eyes shot open and he quickly sat up.

Gasping for air he quickly looked around his room in Kalica; he then looked over and saw Nalia asleep beside him.  Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, calming himself.  He concentrated on his breathing focusing his mind as he breathed in and out.  It was something the Warlocks at the Warlock Conclave taught him. 

After Nick was free from Ignis he realized the things he had done, the memories of the things he had done while being controlled by him.  It was the same as Rayne’s mom, or so he thought.  Then he started having flashbacks and dreams about things he wasn’t there for, things that only Ignis would know.  Like the conversation Ignis had with Rem over how the Guardians were connected.  How Aj and Rayne were connected and how him and Nalia were connected, how he would need her because of the darkness.  It would bring back the memory of him and Ignis on the ship, what the Evil had said to him and how he felt draining Dyn, even before he was ‘taken over by evil’.

“They will not fight in a War, they will watch and enjoy it, they live alone because they are unlovable and soon Nickolas that will be you.” He heard Ignis’s voice say in his head.

He asked Nalia a couple of days later what he had meant.  That’s when Nalia told him Warlocks have a hard time staying balanced.  They deal with death and dark magics on a daily bases.  They didn’t say anything to him because they did not want to scare him.  That’s when she took him to the Warlock Conclave; since he wasn’t raised here he didn’t go to the school, so he didn’t learn the basic meditations that they taught.  They told him it’s not always enough; you have to watch yourself and never push yourself, for if he falls too far he won’t come back.  He’ll stay in the dark forever, alone.

Nick carefully climbed out of bed and closed the curtain.  Grabbing a robe from his stand up dresser he slipped it on and quietly stepped out of the room.  He hadn’t told Nalia about the dreams that kept him up at night, how he would stare at her remembering what it felt like when Ignis drained her, remembering what it felt like whenever Ignis did anything, and the fact he felt his body craving more.  He didn’t want to worry her, hoping the new things he was learning about at the Conclave would help him, but he had been at it for almost a year and it was getting harder to focus on his meditation.

As he made his way down the empty streets everyone in the city in their beds now, enjoying the peace of their new home.  Nick scratched the back of his neck as he sighed.  If all that wasn’t enough he had memories of Pixca but she wasn’t free, she was in a cave, maybe underground he thought.  He hasn’t told anyone cause what would he say?  He didn’t know where it was just what it looked like and the fact there were two demons and an army of demons protecting it.  He didn’t know if they had names or how they were related to Ignis but one thing he was sure of, the woman, the Elvaan looking woman he saw was Pixca.

Nick looked up as his thoughts broke and he saw the statue of his friends.  He frowned a little, he missed them, especially now.  Kevin would tell him to talk to the Warlocks at the Conclave, and they told him if anything happened that he wasn’t sure about to go there.  Nalia was always asking him how he was doing, making sure he had gone and done his daily meditation.  He could tell she worried about him; I guess when you live here and have seen Warlocks fall to the darkness you would worry.

Right now there were more important things to worry about, rebuilding the cities, rebuilding the land, rebuilding people’s faith in each other, and finding Pixca, finding more about them and the tale. 

When he heard a noise off in the trees he looked up, he saw the leaves on a bush shake a little and he became a little defensive.  Slowly he stood up not taking his eyes off the area.  His heart raced when something jumped out and he threw out his arm and sent a shadow flame right at it.  The bolt hit its target and it fell to the ground with a quick cry of pain. 

“Crap.” Nick sighed as he saw the deer kicking on the ground.  He looked around and saw no one.  Slowly he made his way over and carefully knelt down.  With caution Nick grabbed the antlers and held the head still.  He wondered if he should get help, maybe a Priest could heal it but as he looked at the deer, checking it over, he felt the darkness, the death that was calling to the animal, calling to him. 

“It’s dying anyways.” He thought to himself.  Quickly he looked around and then looked back to the deer.  Sliding his hand over it he released the drain spell and watched the black and dark purple orbs creep into the animals’ body.  They flowed through the deer’s body and wrapped themselves around his hand that held onto the antler.  As the last breath of life was taken from the deer and given to Nick he let go and fell back a little. 

He breathed heavily as he stared at the dead animal lying in front of him.  He closed his eyes and let the death, the darkness rush through his veins.  As his breathing returned to normal he opened his eyes and lightly smiled.  That was so much easier than that meditation.  Standing up he stretched a little and pursed his lips as he thought about what to do with the deer.  Looking around the only place sheltered enough, were the bushes the thing jumped out of just moments ago.  He grabbed the animal by the antlers and dragged it into the bush.  Carefully he walked back out into the park and made his way out of the area, heading back to the castle, back to his room, and back to bed.  The jitters and urges gone for now, he carefully crawled under the covers and looked over at Nalia as he laid his head on the pillow.

“It was dying anyways.” He thought again as he started to feel a little guilty.  Closing his eyes he pushed the guilt feelings away and took a deep breath.  A light mumbling noise beside him brought him back from the edge of sleep and as he opened his eyes he felt a hand slid across him.  Nalia still fast asleep pulled herself against him, resting her head against the side of his neck.  He wrapped his left arm around her as he in hailed the scent of her hair.  With his free hand he slid his fingers through her hair and let them drift down her neck.  His eyes started to get heavy and he fell asleep before the guilt seeped back in.

When Nick woke the next morning Nalia was gone and he figured she went to see Rayne before breakfast.  The memories of the night before didn’t come back until he was relaxed in the stone tub in his bathroom.  He felt bad, he knew he should have gone to the Conclave, he should have meditated.  He climbed out of the tub and wrapped the long cloth towel around his waist; grabbing a smaller towel he dried his hair as he walked out of the bathroom. 

“Good Morning.” Nalia said with a smile.  “Did you sleep well?” she asked.

“Yeah” Nick replied with a nod as she walked over to him.

“Good.” She said as she quickly kissed him.

“How’s Rayne?” He asked as he grabbed a robe from the wardrobe.

“Better this morning.  Her and Alex have already left and are in Winnol.” She told him.

“They have?” He said a little shocked.

“Mmhmm” Nalia nodded.  “I asked Alex if he wanted to come to the cottage with us but he said he wanted to stay in Winnol, just in case.”

“Oh in case something else happens?” Nick asked.

“Yes, and with the Springs right there, I can not blame him.” Nalia spoke as she slipped her arms around him.  “So it looks like it will be just you and I”

“I ain’t complaining.” He said with a smile as he leaned down a little and kissed her.

“And neither am I.” She smiled.

“I know, one of the things I love about you.” He said with a light laugh as he walked over to the mirror.  “So when are we leaving?” He asked as he looked at her through the mirror.

“You have an appointment with Master Warlock Prewdis after Breakfast.” She reminded him.

“Ugh” Nick moaned as he stood up and looked one last time in the mirror.

“Pardon?” Nalia said not sure what she heard.

“Nothing, my stomach saying it’s hungry.” He lied.

“Well then we better hurry.” She said rolling her eyes a little as they walked over to the door.  “Brian was right; it really does have a mind of its own.”

“When did he say that?” Nick asked with a squeal.

“Not telling.” She said with a smile as he closed the door behind them.

“He’s on another planet and still getting his shots in.” Nick sighed as Nalia started laughing.

“Good Morning.” Evia said as she joined the two in the front hallway.

“Morning” Nalia said with a smile as she hugged her mother.  It made Nick smile when he saw the two of them together back in their home, and he was a part of the reason why.

“Morning” Nick said with a smile as Evia reached up and hugged him too.

“Did Halian go back with them?” Nalia asked her mother as they walked down to the dinner room.

“Yes” Evia nodded.  “She was going to help Rayne settle in and then going to Drisel.”

“Have they named her Guardian yet?” Nalia asked.

“No” Evia said with a sigh.  “She still has not decided.”

“Hasn’t, or doesn’t want to.” Nick said as a servant opened the door for them.

“I would say does not want to.” Evia said with a light smile.

“Can you blame her though? She knew Rem all her life and look what happened.” Nick replied as they sat down at the table.

“She still needs someone to protect her.” Nalia said to him.

“She’s got Alex.” Nick said with a shrug.

“Alexander can not be there all the time and what if she wanted to go somewhere, someone needs to watch over the Palace.”  Evia said as another servant set down a plate of food in front of Nick.  “She is Queen, she needs her Guardian, just as Alex needs Avit, Rossi needs Chief Barco and I need Bussa.”

“I’m sure Alex will do something” Nick said as he looked down at the eggs and ham strips.

“Well hopefully soon, you four need to start the search for Pixca and she will need someone then.”  Evia said with a sigh as she began to eat.