The Guardian Crusade

                                          Volume II

                                                       Chapter 8

Aj stormed into the cottage in the park, the Druid head quarters, the woman standing in the front room quickly walked over to him, but he put his hand up and walked right past her.  She looked at him stunned and shocked as he disappeared down the hall.  When he reached the doors to the Council room he saw two guards standing beside them.  They looked at him as he approached the doors and then jumped back in shock as they flew open slamming into the walls on the inside of the room. The guards stared at him as Aj stood there; he hadn’t even touched the doors.  Drania and the High Druids looked up confused and startled.

“King Alexander what is the meaning of this intrusion.” Drania said very confused.

“Stop it.” Aj said angrily at her as she stood up on the other side of the table. He still hadn’t walked into the room.

“Stop what?” She asked confused.

“Stop the spell on Rayne and stop it now.” Aj said as he finally took a step into the room.

“I assure you King Alexander I do not know what spell you are talking about.” Drania said but that wasn’t the answer Aj was looking for.  With a livid growl Aj throw out his left hand and a gust of wind blew through the room, it sent the table in front of Drania flying away from her and the Elvaan woman almost fell to the ground, trying to dodge the flying table.  The guards outside entered the room, the guards in the room drew their swords but hesitated on what they should do, this was their King.

“You think I’m fucking playing?!” Aj yelled at her as the wind blew around everyone.  Some of the books that weren’t securely sitting on the shelves started blowing off, loose paper that was on the tables and desks flew around the room.  “I don’t know why you Druids need to be all up in my business but it stops now!” Aj shouted at her.

“I can see you are very upset Alexander.” Drania said trying to stay calm.  “If this has anything to do with Queen Rayne’s condition I assure you I or any of the other Druids have anything to do with it.” She told him.

“Then why is she seeing you.” Aj said angrily.

“Me?” Drania said confused.  She took a breath and then looked around the room.  “Leave us.”

“Drania?” Larsung said as he looked at her worried.

“It is fine Larsung.” Drania reassured him.  Slowly everyone left the room even the guards and she brought her attention back to Aj.  “Now please King Alexander why are you making these accusations?”

“Rayne’s not tired someone is messing with her head, making her see things that aren’t really there.” Aj said to her his tone still very angry.  “And considering it’s you she’s seeing, well I have to wonder don’t I.”

“Why would she see me, what am I doing to her?”

Aj let out a small laugh, not a haha laugh the pissed off kind of laugh.  “It’s not what you’re doing to her; it’s what you’re doing to me.”

“Oh.” Drania said a little stunned.  “King Alexander I assure you I am not the one behind this spell, Rayne is my friend and I like to think you are as well, the last thing I would do is come between the two of you, and even if I wanted to I couldn’t I see how much you two love each other.”

“Which is why you’re doing it this way.” Aj said angrily.

“No I am not.” Drania said.  “But I will do everything in my power and in the Druids power to help you find out who.”

“I don’t need your help.” Aj shouted with frustration. “I want you and the damn Druids to stay out of our Business and if this spell doesn’t lift from her by tonight, I will rip this town apart until I find the source.”

With that Aj took off out of the room leaving Drania standing there in shock and amazement, she had never ever seen him this angry.  As he flew out of the front doors of the cottage, he mumbled to himself in frustration, the threat got him no where.

            Nick sat under the blankets on his bed looking out the window.  It was open a little bit and the curtain waved as a light breeze blew in.  He was alone in the room, finally, all the Warlocks and Priests had left from that mornings check up, and Nalia was out doing her daily duties.

            “Use this, the connection we have, seek me out and when you do you will find what you are looking for.” The voice said over in his head.

            Nick took a deep breath as he thought about what she meant.  Was it really Pixca, if it was he should do what she says, she can help him but what if it wasn’t, what if it was someone messing with him, like someone was messing with Rayne.  At least Aj thinks anyways.  He thought back to this morning when Aj was visiting and he told Nick what Rayne had told him the night before.  She was seeing things, things that weren’t really there.  Nick wasn’t sure what exactly it was, Aj wouldn’t tell him but his friend was pissed, really pissed.  He sighed as he looked down to his sheets, he hated being confused like this, not sure what to do, or where to go next.

            Nick looked up with a confused look on his face when he heard a commotion out in the hall.  He stared at the large wooden door to his and Nalia’s room as the shouting voice got closer.  The doors here were thick and he couldn’t here what was going on, on the other side, even with the yelling.  The confusion quickly wiped from his face when the door to his room flew open and then slammed closed as Nalia stormed into the room. 

“Nali?” He asked as he watched her stomp across their bedroom, she didn’t say anything as she made her way to the door across from the bed.  It was the door that led to the second floor of her mothers meeting room.  She grabbed the door pulling it open and disappeared as the door closed behind her.

Nick got up out of the bed and made his way over to the door Nalia had just walked through.  He was still light headed and it felt like he hadn’t walked in a week but he made his way there with the help of the furniture.  Turning the door knob Nick quietly open the large door and the yelling started again.

“Nalia sweetheart you need to calm down.” He heard Evia tell her.

“I will not calm down, those Warlocks want to isolate him they want to put him with the others.”

“The others?” Nick thought as his eyebrows etched into a frown.

“He will not be put with the others Nalia, they have different facilities for the different stages.” Evia said.  “They just want to make sure he will stick to his meditation.”

“I can make sure.” Nalia said in defense.

“You can only do what Nickolas will let you; he has already hid his condition from you once.” Evia replied. 

“So then you are on their side.” Nalia said.

“I am not on any side Nalia but I need to think about Hevi and Kalica and I can not have some rogue Warlock running around especially a Guardian one.” Evia said and that was all Nick needed to hear or wanted too.  He lightly closed the door over and made his way back to his bed.  He crawled under the blankets and laid back against the head board.  Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and thought about what Evia had said.

“…seek me out and when you do you will find what you are looking for.” The voice said again in his mind.  Then the words that Evia said played in his head, calling him a rogue Warlock.  He knew what she meant by that, meaning he was out of control, and he wasn’t.  He was just confused and maybe a little scared, this whole Warlock thing was new to him but he knew he wasn’t going to be locked away in some room.

The door across from him opened and he looked up, seeing Nalia walk into the room.  When she closed the door she looked up at him and he saw the shock on her face that he was looking back at her.

“You ok?” He asked.

“Yes.” She replied as she looked away and walked over to her desk.

“What was that about?” Nick asked playing dumb.

“What was what? She asked as she looked back up at him.

“You and the yelling outside.” Nick said nodding to the door that lead out to the second floor hallway. “Then you stormed in here and went into the meeting room.”

“It was nothing Nick, just Palace politics.” She said but her voice was quiet. 

“Nali.” Nick said and she looked up at him. 

“I will tell you.” She said. “Only if you tell me why you sought fit not to tell me about what you were feeling, how bad it was getting for you.”  Nick looked away he didn’t’ see that coming.  “I understand why you did not tell Alex but Nick I could have helped you, I still can.”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.” Nick said with a light shrug.

“Worry, as appose to you draining me and then taking off into the woods?” She asked.

“I said I was sorry.” Nick said.  “I didn’t know it was going to get like that.”

“Exactly.” Nalia said and Nick looked up at her.  “You don’t know.” She said and it shocked him a little when she said don’t.  “You were not raised here, you were not told about how Warlocks can isolate themselves, how they can fall into darkness, but I was and I can help you, if you let me.”  She walked over to their bed and sat down beside him.

“They want to take you to Pomic.” Nalia said as she took his hand.

“What’s in Pomic?” Nick asked but he had a feeling he knew.

“The Warlocks have a place there, it is like a hospital.” She said looking at him hoping he would understand.

“Oh.” Nick said realizing he heard right.  “Am I really that bad?”

“No” Nalia said shaking her head.  “They just want to take a precaution because you’re a Guardian and…”

“And I might go all Peter Parker on this place.” Nick sighed.

“Who?” Nalia asked confused. 

“Peter Parker is Spiderman and in the comic…never mind.” Nick smiled at her and then lightly laughed.  “It means I understand what you’re saying.” He said and she smiled back at him.  “Do you think I should go?”

“No, but it does not matter what I think.” She told him.  “If the Master Warlock thinks you should be brought to Pomic then..”

“So I don’t get a choice?” Nick said as he started getting defensive.   Nalia didn’t say anything and that answered Nick’s question.  “Great.” He sighed.  “When are they taking me?” He asked.

“As soon as possible.” She told him.  Nick moaned in frustration as he put his head in his hand and then ran his fingers through his hair. “I wish there was something else we could do.”

Nick looked up at her when she said those words and the words that he had heard back in the cave played in his head.  He looked at her wondering if he should tell her.  He didn’t know where Pixca was or how to talk to her again; he didn’t even know if he could make the trip, where ever it was, alone.

“There might be.” Nick said quietly and Nalia looked at him confused.  “Something happened while I was in the cave that I haven’t told anyone.” Nick said to her.  “And I’m not even sure if it was real but if it means not being locked away, then I’m going to try.”  He then told her about the voice he heard in the cave, who it was, and what she said to him. 

“She said she could help me but I’m not sure if it’s someone messing with me.” Nick told her.  “You know this place a hell of a lot better than I do, so if you come with me, maybe we can find her together.”

“And Rayne and Alex as well.”

“No” Nick said quickly.  “Someone is defiantly messing with Rayne and she’s too weak and tired to come, she’d hold us back, and Alex won’t leave her alone for long right now.”

“Then the two of us will go, we will leave tonight.” Nalia told him.

“What if they want to take me to Pomic before then?” Nick asked her.

“I think I can stall them to wait until tomorrow and by then we will be gone.” She said and Nick couldn’t help but let a small smile slip from his lips.

“And if it’s not Pixca?” He asked.

“Then I will gladly run my sword through who ever it is.” She replied anger stirring in her voice.