The Guardian Crusade

                                          Volume II

                                           Chapter 33

            “Avit, we are ready for him.” Jaina said as she stood in Avit’s General room.

“Thank you for coming to tell me.” Avit nodded.  “We will be there shortly; he just needs a couple of more minutes.”

“Very well.” Jaina replied.  She turned around and reached for the door but stopped.  “How is he?”

“In public he is strong for his people and for her people but in private he is but a mere shell of what he use to be.”  Avit told her with a frown.  “He won’t leave his room, I can barely get him to eat and he still will not let Nickolas anywhere near him.”

“His friends are still here?” She asked.

“Yes, I spoke with Sir Kevin and he says they are all staying until he gets past this.” He replied.

“That is good to hear.”  Jaina lightly smiled.

“How is the Queen Mother?” He asked.

“She lost her husband and now her daughter to this mess but she was once a Queen and hides herself from me.” Jaina replied.

“And you?” Avit asked.  “You two had become close had you not?”

“Yes we were.” Jaina said with a light smile.  “And I miss her.” Jaina paused.  “I should go I will inform them back in Sarila that he will be there shortly.” 

Avit nodded and watched her walk out of the room.  He took a deep breath and sighed.  He missed her too.  Rayne was one of the most amazing humans he had ever known.  But what made it worse was he knew the pain his King, his friend was going through and he knew the only thing that would make it better would be time. For Alex he wondered just how long that would be.

He picked up his new sword and slipped it into its strap.  Looking into his mirror he checked and made sure his ceremonial armor was proper and then left his Generals room.  Walking down the halls he looked at the servants all of them wearing black, the mood in the Castle and in the city was very somber everyone morning the loss of Queen Rayne, all of them knowing she gave her life for them and for Pixca.

When he came upon AJ’s room he found himself taking a deep breath before he knocked on the door.  He knew if he was in there AJ wouldn’t answer but he thought it best to knock anyways.  Putting his arm down he waited and listened for AJ to answer only to be left standing at the door.  Avit reached for the knob and turned it, it opened and he walked inside the room.

“Sir?” Avit said when he saw AJ sitting at the open window.  Still he said nothing and Avit walked further into his room. He sat on the windowsill bench staring at something outside “Alex?”

“I can’t do this again.” AJ said not moving his eyes, his head, or anything but his lips to speak.  “I can’t say goodbye again.”

“It is for the people Sir.” Avit said politely.

“The hell with the people!” AJ shouted.  “What about me? I close my eyes and all I can see is everything coming down, all I hear are her last words to me, and all I can think about is why the hell didn’t I drag her out of there, why did I…why did I just let her die…” AJ cried and he pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head in his arms.

“You did it because she asked you too, you knew deep down it is what she wanted Alex, and you know she was willing to give her life for this place.” Avit said as he sat down beside him.

“Please Avit I can’t do this again, yesterday with the Elvaans it was hard enough, get Nalia to do it.” AJ said as a tear fell from the corner of his eye.

“Of course Alex.” Avit nodded as he stood up.  “Get some rest then.”  He told him as he pointed to the bed.

“I’ll try.” AJ sighed as he looked back out the window.  Avit watched him for a minute and then exited the room.

“Is he ready?” Kevin asked as Avit was greeted by AJ’s friends.

“He is not going; he is not up to it.” Avit told them.  “The taverns all know not to serve him, but I can have one of the spies follow him, keep an eye on him.”

“We really need to go that far?” Brian asked.

“He is in bad shape; I trust him but not the condition he is in at the moment.” Avit told them.  “Will you still be coming?” He asked.

“Yeah, we’ll go.” Kevin nodded.

“Very well come with me then.” Avit said with a light smile and the group headed down the hallway towards the globe to Sarila.

AJ sat on the windowsill his stare locked on the Tree Falls.  Memories of him and Rayne there were swirling through his head.  The sound of foot steps across his floor made him close his eyes in frustration; he just wanted to be alone.

“Damn it what now?” He moaned as he turned his head.  “You” AJ said staring at the Elvaan woman in his room.  “Get out” AJ said as he stood up from the bench.  “I don’t want to talk you, I don’t want to see you, after everything I’ve done for you, and you let the most important person in my life slip away!”

“Alexander please.” Pixca spoke trying to calm him.

“I said get out!” AJ growled at her.  “I don’t want too see you, I want nothing to do with you, now get OUT!!”

“Very well” Pixca sighed and she disappeared right in front of him.

The rage rushed through him and he grunted as he breathed heavily.  He grabbed a glass vase that sat on the table and threw it across the room.  Screaming out emotion that flowed through him, the vase crashed against the wall shattering into pieces, and AJ collapsed to the floor crying.

“My dear son.” A voice broke out from behind him and AJ spun around.  His jaw fell and he quickly wiped his eyes, wondering if the tears were playing tricks on him.

“Marsa?” AJ said quietly unsure what he was seeing.

“Look at you” Marsa said with a smile.  “You broke the protection spell.”

“Uh, yeah” AJ said looking around.

“Well you make a very good looking Elvaan.” Marsa smiled.

“Thanks.” AJ said as he flashed a tiny smile. 

“You get your looks from your Mother.” Marsa replied.  “But that temper.” He said looking at the mess on the floor by the wall.  “Where did you get that from?”

“Must be an Earth trait.” AJ said as he got up.

“Must be.” Marsa sighed.  “I hate seeing you in all this pain.”  AJ said nothing as he walked over and began cleaning up the pieces. 

            “Well it’s a good thing you’re dead too then.” AJ said as he looked at him.  “You can just poof and then you don’t have to see it anymore.”

            “Alex” Marsa sighed.

“Are you here to tell me you can bring her back?” AJ said looking at him.

“No” Marsa said with a frown.

“Then just go” AJ sighed.  “Or whatever it is you do, because that’s the only thing that will fix this.”

“Time will heal…”

AJ interrupted him.  “Don’t feed me that shit!” AJ shouted.  “Time will heal this, time will heal that, no it won’t, the only thing time will do is make me miss her more.  I’ll never hold her again, I’ll never touch her again, I’ll never kiss her again, I’ll never see her again and as each day passes the want, the need for her will get worse.”

“You do not know that.” Marsa said.

“Yes I do” AJ snapped.  “I do know it because I feel it, she was my everything, she was my life, she was best friend, she was my world, not this place and now she’s gone and I did nothing.”  AJ yelled as he tossed the pieces into the garbage.  “I did nothing, I let her die, I let the Castle and the mountains come down on her, I killed her.”

“No you did not Alexander.” Marsa said sternly.  “She made the decision herself, she chose to stay; she knew what she was doing.”  AJ looked at him as he wiped his eyes.  “You will need to get past this, not now, or a week from now, but you will need to get over this, get past this, or it will eat you up and I know that is something she would not have wanted.”

AJ closed his eyes as he rubbed them, trying to ignore the stinging pain of the truth Marsa had given him.  When he opened them again the Elvaan man was gone and he sighed wondering how much of that really happened.  He walked over to their bed and sat down.  Slowly he crawled up the mattress and laid his head on his pillow.  Looking over to the empty spot where she would sleep he reached out and touched her pillow.  Pulling it over to him he closed his eyes as he breathed in the sent of the pillow.  The smell of her shampoo, the smell of the perfume oil she wore still strong and he brought the pillow closer to him, holding it like he would be holding her if she was lying next too him right now. 

“What am I going to do without you?” He whispered as buried his face into the pillow and began to cry again.

“Queen Rayne gave her life to banish the demons that plagued this world, and there will be a time to honor her for the sacrifice she made but today, we morn our loss.” Nalia spoke as the people of Sarila cried and listened.  “Sarila…” Nalia was cut off by the sound of the large doors at the side of the auditorium opening.  Everyone looked to see who it was disturbing this moment but when they saw AJ walk out in a long dark green hooded robe, they all stood up and began to whisper.  His face was mostly covered by the long hood, only the jaw outline and his nose broke out from the shadows of the headpiece, and the bottom of his long dark hair hung out from the sides, his beads dangling as he walked.

The assistant beside Halian stood up so that AJ could sit next to her.  Rayne’s Mom stood up when he approached her and the two hugged.  They both sat down together and AJ took her hand.  He looked up at Nalia and she lightly smiled at him. 

Nalia continued as everyone listened.  She talked about the pain they were all feeling, the emptiness they felt over the loss of their Queen and then she looked at AJ.

“And even though we look to King Alexander for strength we must remind ourselves that he needs ours more.” She spoke to the crowd.  “For he too has also sacrificed for us and for Pixcadia.” 

When it was over AJ sat in his seat as everyone around him got up and left, when the servants, aids, assistants, and guards had cleared out from the building, it was just AJ, Halian, Nalia, Nick, the guys and their wives.  Nick hung back away from AJ.

“I’m glad you decided to come.” Halian said to AJ.

“I came for you.” AJ said quietly.

“Come darling walk me to my dinning hall, I’m famished.” She said as she took him by the arm.  He lightly smiled and oblige and they both walked out of the auditorium.

“Well hello to you too.” Kevin sighed.

“It’s cause I’m here.” Nick said as he sat back.  “How the hell was I supposed to know?”

“You weren’t Nick and he’ll see that.” Brian said to him.

“You are not the only one he is taking his anger out on.” Nalia said as she sat down beside him.

“Yeah dude we’re all feeling it.” Kevin said.  “So what’s going on with Rossi?”

“Dunno, not talking to him.” Nick said as he stood up.  “Not after what Pixca told me and the way he was acting he knew exactly what happened.”

“Lady Nalia” Bussa said as he rushed into the room from the side doors.

“Bussa what is it?”  She asked.

“Our scouts have come back from Ashmourn.” Bussa told her.

“What did they say?” She asked.

“I suggest you go find King Alexander and see for yourself.” Bussa told her.  Nalia looked at him confused and then walked towards the doors, everyone following behind her. 

“What did you find Bussa?” Nalia asked in a whisper.  He looked at her and she sighed.  “I am not going to go in there, go through the trouble of dragging him down there without knowing what for.” She told him.

“The scouts said there was a forest there.” Bussa whispered.

“A what?” Nalia asked as she stopped dead, the people behind her almost slamming into her.

“A forest Milady.” He repeated.  She looked at him confused and then started walking to the dinning hall.  They all walked into the room and stopped by the doors.

“What is wrong Nalia?” Halian asked as Nalia walked up to her and AJ.

“My scouts have reported that there is something going on in Ashmourn.” Nalia said looking at AJ.

“What did they say?” AJ asked as he head quickly popped up.

“There is a forest there now.” Nalia told them.

“A what?” Halian said confused.

AJ looked down the words of Pixca and Rayne’s last words to him flashed through his head.  Quickly he stood up and bolted out of the room, everyone including Halian followed him down the halls, upstairs and through the doors of the Globe room to Kalica.  When they got to the city they made their way to the Gryphon tower and headed out towards Ashmourn.

They flew over the large forest where they set up camp, they flew over the open field that led to the Gorge and then the giant birds swooped down into the Gorge.  AJ stopped his bird and let it hover over the empty canyon. 

“Alex.” Nalia said as she drifted up beside him.  “Where is this water coming from?”  AJ looked around as he pulled off his hood and watched the small river of water floating through the canyon.

Gently he kicked his bird and it started to fly again. It soared above the water as he headed to the opening of Ashmourn.  He wanted to make the bird fly faster but even they had their limits.  As they approached the end of the Gorge AJ saw nothing but trees and he pulled on his Gryphon slowing it.  Looking back he checked to see if the others behind him were slowing.  When he reached the edge of the forest AJ landed his bird and hopped off.

“Alexander what is this?” Halian asked as she walked up beside him.

“I dunno, this place was…it was nothing but lava, dirt, and rocks.” AJ said confused.  “I’m going to go check it out.”

“I’m coming with you.” Halian said.

“Halian I don’t know what’s in there.” AJ told her.

“And are you forgetting who taught you half the magic you know, including that little elemental you love so much.” She shot at him.

“Point taken” AJ sighed knowing she had him, like every other time he tried to talk her out of going some where with them.  “At least stay close. Everyone stay close we don’t know what’s in there.”

“Do you see anything?” Nalia asked Nick as they started walking into the forest.

“No, I don’t see anything but trees and flowers and crap, no death essence anywhere.” Nick said looking at her.

They walked deeper and deeper into the place; they followed the river which seemed to go all the way through the forest.  They climbed hills and had to cross the water a few times some areas just too high or thick to get through, they saw animals and insects and everything that was life. 

“We’ll stop for a minute.” AJ said turning around.

“Wait” Howie said looking around.

“What?” Everyone asked him

“I hear water.” Howie told them.

“Yeah dude, river right there.” Nick said ass he rolled his eyes.

“No I mean like a water fall.” Howie said as he shot Nick a look.

“Ahead of us?” Kevin asked.

“Yeah” He nodded.

“Let’s go then.” AJ said as they started to walk along the river bed again.

“The trees are getting lighter.” Halian said as she walked beside AJ.

“There’s a field out there.” Howie said from behind them. Everyone walked through the trees into an opening and stopped as they came to the source of the river, a large pool of water and a tall water fall coming from the cliffs. 

“Wow look at that” Brian said as he took everyone’s attention.  They followed to where he was pointing and they were all taken back by the large tree that sat on the east side of the pool of water. 

“That’s a lot of deer.” Kevin said looking at the families of does, fawns and bucks that scattered around the tree.

“There’s something in the tree but I can’t see through all the leaves.” Howie said as he stepped forward hoping for a better look.

“Should we go over?” Nick asked.

“And get trampled by Bambi, no thanks.” Brian scoffed.  Nick made a face at him and then took a light slap from Nalia.

 “He started it.” He whispered to her. 

“But you kept it going.” She answered back.

“Yeah there’s defiantly something in the tree.” Howie nodded.

“Well shouldn’t we leave it alone?” Kristin spoke up.

“Where was the Castle?” Kevin asked and everyone looked at him.

“I dunno everything is so different.” Nalia said looking around.

“Over there.” AJ said pointing.  “The cliffs on the east side, it was over there.”

“Ah guys.” Howie spoke up.

“We know dude something’s in the tree.” Nick sighed.

“No, it’s out of the tree now and walking around.”  Howie said pointing.

Everyone looked over and squinted to look at the figure walking around the tree.  “What the hell…” AJ whispered as he started walking towards it.

“Careful Alex.” Kevin said following him as did everyone else.

When AJ approached the deer’s a familiar voice spoke up.  “Stop Alex.”

“What do you want?” AJ asked not even needing to turn around to know it was Pixca.  “Thought I told you to stay out of my sight.”

“Alex” Halian said a little appalled.

“What is that?” Howie asked as he walked up to Pixca.

            “It is a Dryad.” Pixca told them.

“What is that?” Nalia asked.

“They use to be Druids, Druids who have sworn to protect this land from the evil that lies here.” Pixca explained.  AJ slowly turned his head and looked at her.

“Protect Winnol, protect Sarila, protect the people, and I will protect you.” He heard her voice whisper to him and quickly he looked back at the Dryad.  “Rayne?” AJ whispered as he started to walk towards the tree.  “Rayne!” He shouted as he started running towards it.  The Dryad heard him and quickly looked up, she saw the strange person running towards her and she took off behind the tree.  AJ stopped running and watched her climb up the branches.  “Rayne it’s me, it’s Alex Rayne.” AJ said as he walked up to the bottom of the tree.

“She does not know who you are” Pixca said from beside him.  “She has no memory of who she use to be.” AJ stood there staring at the large, thick, and tall oak type tree.

“Come Alex” Halian said as she walked up beside him.  “We should go and leave it in peace.”

“Hali…” AJ said looking at her.  Rayne’s Mother frowned at the anguish on his face.

“I know Alexander but our Rayne is gone” Halian replied as she took his arm.  “You heard Pixca, let us not disturb her anymore.”

AJ bowed his head and closed his eyes as he fought back more tears.  He took Halian’s arm and headed towards the river.  Slowly everyone started the follow them and soon everyone was returning to the dense forest.  He stopped and looked back at the tree one last time.  Taking a deep breath he stared at the tree, the Dryad still had not come down from the branches, and he sighed hopping he would get one last look.

So this was going to be his life now, the burden of two country’s on his shoulders, the sting of pure heartbreak and now the knowledge that this creature, a creature who use to be someone he loved was here in this forest.  Never being able to talk to her and never be able to hold her AJ thought about her last words.

“I will protect you.”

“And now I will protect you” AJ whispered as he looked away from the tree and followed Halian, who was waiting for him, into the forest.