The Guardian Crusade

                                         Volume II

                                                     Chapter 4

Nick pulled on the thick leather strap as he tied the gate to the cottage’s Gryphon pen.  When the gate was secure he looked up and saw Nalia coming out the front door.  The place had been fixed up, new furniture added; the Gryphon pen was added too.  Nalia said there was one but it collapsed from neglect over the years.

“The place looks wonderful.” Nalia said as she joined him.

“Never really saw the downstairs.” Nick said with a shrug.  He saw Nalia frown and he lightly nudged her.  “Just kidding.”

“I know” She said but she was still frowning.

“Hey” Nick said as he stopped dead in his tracks.  Nalia turned around and looked at him confused.  “Did the guys ever tell you what a whoopsy daisy was?”

“A what?” She asked with a soft laugh.

“A whoopsy daisy.” Nick said with a smile.

“No” Nalia said shaking her head.  “What is this whoopsy daisy?”  He smiled at her and then scooped her up in his arms.  She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  “So now what?” She asked.  Nick started walking down to the hill and Nalia looked over her shoulder, the only thing she saw was the lake.  She looked back to Nick who was smiling at her.  “Nick what is a whoopsy daisy?” She asked as he started walking into the water.  He didn’t say anything but just giggled.  “Nickolas no.” She said shaking her head.

“Oh yes.” He nodded and as she shouted his name one last time, he tossed her gently in the air and into the water she went.  She came up just as fast as she went in and she caught her breath, pulled her hair from her face and looked at him. 

“Whoopsy daisy.” He said with a shrug and a laugh.  He turned around and started heading out of the water but something stopped him.  Nalia wrapped her arms around him from behind, he laughed at her feeble attempt at pulling him into the water, and then he felt her legs wrap around his.  She turned them, how he wasn’t sure, and then as he started to fall to his right he realized she was using some Warrior trick on him.  They crashed into the water and as they went under she let go.

“That’s cheating?” Nick said as he stood up, both of them soaking wet.

“Oh I see so there are rules now?” Nalia said as she raised an eyebrow.

“Not now” Nick said as he lunged at her, picked her up and dunked both of them into the water.  They both came up together laughing, the water now just below their shoulders, and they hadn’t realized how far they had gone out. 

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him.  She brushed her hair back as she wrapped an arm around his neck and looked into his eyes.  With a light smile she leaned in and gently kissed him.

Nick loved how he would get lost in their kisses.  Although he would never say anything of the kind to AJ or the fellas, if he ever saw them again, it was one of the things he kept to himself.  Next thing Nick knew they were both naked in the lake, still kissing.  Another thing he adored about her, she lived in the moment.  She didn’t care a lot of the times where they were, although still careful because she was a Princess but she didn’t let it stop her.

 Nalia didn’t let a lot of things bother her, at least the way the girls back on Earth did.  He wanted to have fun in life and he wanted someone to have that fun with but a lot of the times all he found were people and girls who wanted to be fun half of the time.  Girls that wanted you to change but they weren’t willing to do the same for you.  People who told him this wasn’t the right way to live, you have to do it this way but she wasn’t like that.  She let him have a life, she became apart of his life, she didn’t become his life, or expect to be his life and it made things much easier.

Nick smiled as he kissed her forehead lightly and he helped her get dress.  They walked side by side back up the hill and into the cottage.  He took her upstairs where they continued their lake rendezvous in the comfort and warmth of their bed.

Aj sat in his meeting room looking over some papers Avit had given him when they had arrived back home.  The documents were reports on the civil unrest about Aj being King.  People still had a problem with him being leader of the Elvaans, leader of Winnol.  Their argument, he wasn’t raised here and some were even saying he wasn’t born here but an imposter using magic on everyone.  They were starting to have more meetings than usual, the place switching every week, they heard whispers of the group getting bigger and now there were reports of recruitment in the streets late at night.

“Should we have the spies start patrols?” Aj asked Avit as he sat back in his chair.

“It might be a good idea, at least just to see if the rumors are true and proceed from there.” Avit told him as he sat across from him.  “You know they are also using Rayne against you.” Avit was talking formally with him something he only did when it was just the two of them, or Rayne was around.

“Yeah” Aj said with a light laugh.  “I thought we were supposed to be the peaceful race?” Aj asked him.

“We are Sir.” Avit sighed. “Unfortunately are downfall is our pride.”

“Well then we should be ready for them to get even more pissed off.” Aj said as he tapped his finger on the desk.

“Why is that Sir?” Avit asked.

“I’m thinking of asking Rayne to marry me.” Aj said as Avit looked at him stunned.

“Alex, that is wonderful news.” Avit replied with a light smile.

“Is there something I need to do?” Aj asked.  “You know, as an Elvaan? What do we usual do?”

“We are simple people so we really do not do things to the extent that most humans do.” Avit told him.

“Would I give her a ring?” Aj asked.

“Yes, yes of course, you give her two actually, one symbolizing her and one symbolizing you.” Avit said. “You give her the two rings and ask that her love joins with yours, after she says yes the Coalesce happens and then the next day at dawn, she will give you two rings which completes the bond.”

“That’s cool.” Aj said thinking he liked that way better than the way back on Earth.

“It is more or less the ceremonies that are different, humans like to have lots of people, in big buildings with big giant parties and Elvaans like to have this be a private moment, just the two of you and the Arch Bishop which would be Kel’Ryn.”  Avit told him.

“But we like to party so much I thought this wouldn’t be any different.” Aj said with a light smile.

“We do Sir, and there will be but not till after the couple have coalesce, after the dawn ceremony.”

“What’s that?” Aj asked.  “Oh wait never mind.” Aj said with a smile.  “Wait, were we supposed to wait?”

“I like how you say were.” Avit said with a laugh. “No, it is only called that when the couple come together as the complete bonding.”

“How come you party after?” Aj asked intrigued, although at times he wanted to party afterwards too.

“With Elvaans we take sexual relations as a type of bonding, when two people come together out of marriage, we believe they are making love, they are expressing to each other how they feel.” Avit explained as Aj listened.  “When two people come together after marriage it takes on a whole new meaning, they are not so much bonding as keeping their bond, and expanding their bond by creating life.”

“Back home it was always the proper thing to ask the parents first, should I ask her mom?” Aj asked.

“You do not have too, if she was still a Princess than yes, but she is a Queen, you do not need anyone’s permission but hers.”  Avit said.  “But if you ask me Sir, it would make life with Halian a little easier and that could never hurt.”  Aj smiled and then started to laugh at Avit’s comment.

“You know I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go out with a girl.” Aj said jokingly.

“I choose not to Sir.” Avit said with a light smile.

“Because of Tas?” Aj asked.

“Yes” He said with a nod.  “A woman deserves a man’s heart, all of it, and I can not do that.” Avit said as Aj frowned.  “A piece of my heart will always be with her.”

“She must have been pretty amazing.” Aj said.

“Oh she was Sir; she was strong and wise like Marsa but patient and kind like her mother.”

“I wish I could have known her.” Aj said sadly.

“She wanted to know you too; Marsa never hid anything from his children, telling them everything when they were old enough to know.” Avit said.  “Even her patients were growing thin with Dyn.”  Aj smirked at the thought.

Aj heard something outside and he looked over at the door, when he didn’t hear a knock he looked down at the space between the bottom of the door and the wood floor.  He could see a shadow outside of his door and he looked at Avit, who by then had notice Aj’s attention had been diverted.

Slowly Avit stood up and walked over to the door.  He reached for the door knobbed and opened it quickly, hoping to catch the person on the other side; he was not expecting to see who he saw.

“Elder Drania, may I help you?” Avit asked.

“Oh Avit hello.” She said a little startled.  “I was looking for Queen Rayne.”

“She is not here; she is still resting in her room.” Avit told her.

“Did you need something Elder?” Aj asked as he stood up.

“How is her Majesty doing?” She asked as Avit let her walk in.

“She’s doing better but still needs some rest, I wanted to talk to you about our meeting if it would be alright to cancel it, I would like to take her somewhere, Priests orders.” He said with a smile.

“That is fine King Alexander; we shall set up a new one when you return.” Drania said.  “I will speak with Rayne at another time then, send her my best.” She said with a light smile.

“I will Drania thank you.” Aj said with a nod.  They said goodbye to the Druid Leader and then returned to their seats in the room.

“So, where do I buy these rings?” Aj asked as he continued the conversation him and Avit were having.

Nick sat on the grass, his legs stretched out in front of him, his back leaning against a dead tree log, and his arms stretched along the log kept him balanced.  He watched with admiration as Nalia went through her sword skills.  She stood off in the distance giving herself plenty of room.  The blades would spin like propellers at her side and then criss cross in front of her.  She would spin around and thrust out the sword in her right hand, while swinging the sword in her left hand over her head. 

As he watched her everything went blurry and he looked away wondering if he was staring too long.  He looked out to the lake and a second later everything went blurry on him again.  Reaching up he rubbed his eyes and looked up again, hoping this time everything would focus, but it didn’t and it seemed to get worse.  Standing up he felt a rush go through him and he quickly sat back down again.

The rush that he got a moment earlier started to manifest into something else.  A feeling of want came over him, a sense of need came over him, and he took a deep breath as it began to over come him.

“Nick?” He heard someone say and he looked up at the blurry image in front of him.  He looked away when the sensation rushed through him again. 

“Nali help.” Nick gasped out as he tried to stand up.

“Nick, Nick what is going on?” She said as she took him by the arms.  When she touched him he felt it, the same thing he felt when he drained the life from Dyn, and what Ignis had from drained her.  It called for him, it teased him, and he looked at Nalia as his eyes pleaded with her.  “Nickolas?” Nalia asked and her voice shook with worry.

“Just..a…little.” He whispered as he dropped to his knees and grabbed her arms trying to hold himself up.

“What?” Nalia asked not hearing what he said but he didn’t repeat himself.  She gasped in pain as she felt the spell release into her.  Nalia looked at Nick horrified as she tried to pull her arms away.  “Nick stop.” She pleaded but he didn’t let go the sensation to strong, his body didn’t want to let go.  A sudden jolt pushed him back and soon the growing feeling was replaced by a strong pain sensation.  He looked up as he fell to the ground and saw Nalia running into the cottage; it was the last thing he saw before everything went dark.