The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

  Chapter 12

                AJ walked over to the tub and reached into the water, he grabbed Dyn by the collar of his robe and pushed him down under the water, Dyn struggled against him grabbing his arm trying to rip AJ’s grip from his robe and then his hands started to slip.  They fell in the water beside him and everything on Dyn went limp.

“Alex?” He heard Rayne say but he ignored her as he stared at the lifeless body in the water. “Alex?” He blinked and when his eyes opened he saw Dyn still lying in the tub, very much alive. It was only a daydream, wishful thinking on his part.

“Where did they find him?” AJ asked as his head slowly turned to the side to look at the Priest.

“On the shore, by the Dassilina River on the island side.” The Priest told him.  “He’s very weak the other Priests and I are still trying to figure out how he survived Prince Nickolas’s Drain spell.”

“And being dumped into the Ocean.” Rayne spoke up and AJ looked at her, he had forgotten she was there.

“Rayne I want…” AJ started to say but he was cut off by the sound of Avit running into the room.

“Is it…” Avit started to say as his head turned to look at the man lying in the water. “True.” His voice finished but trailed off.

“Has he said anything?” Rayne asked.

“No nothing, at first the men thought he was dead but after checking they realized he was breathing.” The Priest told her.

“Avit I want you to post guards in here and outside, the minute he wakes up come get me.” AJ said to his General. 

“Yes Sir.” Avit replied with a nod.

“Rayne?” Dyn’s voice broke through out the room and everyone froze and looked at him. His eyes were locked onto her and AJ didn’t like it.

“Who are you?” AJ asked and Dyn looked at him.  The man sitting in the pool looked very confused.

“You-You know who I am.” Dyn replied.  “I am Dyn Breezewalker, of Winnol, your brother.” He replied.

“No, you are not.” AJ said to him lightly shaking his head.  “Dyn is dead, Nick drained him, we saw him swiveled up and dead, we dumped him into the ocean.”

“I-I remember fighting with Nickolas.” He said as his eyes drifted remembering.  “I-I remember all the horrible things I did, I remember giving the man the poison to kill father…” His eyes closed and he began to cry.  AJ looked over to Rayne she was biting her lip as she stared at him.

“And do you remember what you did to Rayne?” AJ asked as he looked back to Dyn.  His eyes darted open quickly but he did not look at them. AJ waited for an answer but he didn’t get one.  “Do you Dyn? Do you remember attacking her, do you remember taking her onto the ship, do you remember…”

Dyn interrtupted him.  “Stop, please…I-I did not mean to, I do not know why I did it.”

“Don’t lie Dyn, you did that on your own you weren’t under the control of Ignis, you yourself chose to attack her.” AJ said his patients wearing thin with him.

“I-I swear to you, that was not me, I-I would never hurt Rayne like that.” Dyn said and then he looked at Rayne. “I would never hurt you Rayne; you know this to be true do you not?” He asked.  AJ looked at his wife and she wasn’t looking at Dyn, she looked down at her hands and then she walked out of the room.

“Rayne, please…” But it was too late she had already walked out of the cave.

“I want eyes on him twenty four seven.” AJ said looking to Avit and his General nodded.  Then he looked at Dyn.

“I don’t know who, or what you are but you are not Dyn, I will never believe you are him, he is dead, and thank Pixca for that.” AJ said as he stared at the man and then he too walked out of the room.

He saw Rayne sitting on the stone bench across from the cave and walked over to her, she was picking at her nails, which was something very rare for her.  Without saying a word he sat down beside her and took her hand and she quickly looked up at him.

“Not very proper for Queen to be picking at her nails.” AJ said with a light smile.  She looked at him and he wondered if her mind went back to when she said something similar to him when he had first arrived.

“Must be a habit I picked up from someone.” She replied with a light smile.  He giggled and wrapped his arm around her.

“Are you ok?” He asked as she laid her head down on his shoulder.

“Yes” She replied as she nodded not moving her head.  “Do you think it is really him?”

“I doubt it Rayne, there’s no way he could have survived Nick’s spell and then sinking to the bottom of the ocean.”

“But we did not stay to see if he did, Ignis jumped to Nick perhaps that broke the spell and there was still apart of him alive.” She told him.

“Rayne” AJ said as he lifted her head.  “I know you care about him.” As he said the words Rayne looked away.  “But he killed Marsa and he tried to…” AJ stopped.  The thought still made him seethe with anger.  “He tried to rape you Rayne.” 

“I know” Rayne whispered as she began picking at her nails again. “But his Aura…”

“Alex?” Kevin’s voice broke from beside him and AJ looked over at the entrance to the Springs. 

“Hey” AJ said as he with a crooked smile as he looked at his friends, Nick and Nalia.

“What’s going on?” Nick asked as everyone gathered around them.

AJ took a deep breath.  “Dyn” AJ said.  “He’s alive.”

“What?!” Nick and Nalia said shocked.

“Bullshit, I killed him.” Nick said in disbelief.

“Well he’s in that cave right over there.” AJ said nodding to the entrance to the stone room.  “We’re not even sure it’s him, I mean we were there when we dumped him over board but he’s saying he’s Dyn.”

“Rayne, what do you think?” Nalia asked as she looked at her best friend.

“I do not know what to think.” Rayne replied.  “I just do not know.” She said quietly.

“Are you guys coming to Kalica still?” Nick asked.

“I think we’re going to hang around here for a day or two, and then we will head over there, just see where this whole Dyn thing goes.” AJ said as he stood up.  He then turned to Rayne.  “I’m going to go talk to Avit, did you want to come?”

“No, I think I will walk back to the Castle.” She said as she stood up.

“Ok” AJ replied with a nod. 

She gave him a light smile, said goodbye to their friends and then left the Springs.  AJ stared at her as she left, wondering what she was thinking about what had just happened.  Taking a deep breath he let out a sigh as he looked back to his friends.

“I’m going to go talk to Rayne.” Nalia said to Nick

“Ok” Nick nodded

“Bussa?” Nalia said to her Cornel as she reached out her hand.  Bussa took her arm and escorted her out of the Springs.

“How’s Rayne taking this?” Kevin asked.

“Haven’t really had a chance to talk to her we just found out.” AJ told them.

“What happened?” Nick asked.

“We went to our room to start packing for Kalica and we were sitting at the window talking, this small bird shows up and then Rayne took off for the Springs.  I followed her and when we got here the Priest told us that some fishermen had found him by the Dassilina River.”

“Puts a whole new meaning to a little birdie told her.” Nick said trying to lighten the mood but it didn’t work.

“Was he in the water?” Kevin asked.

“No, on the shore on the island side.” AJ said shaking his head lightly.  “Anyways I’m going to go talk to Avit, you all heading to Hevi now?”

“Yeah” Nick nodded.

“I’ll swing by later and update you.” AJ said to Nick as his friends starting leaving the Springs.

“Alright and remember if ya need me to finish the job, I will.” Nick said looking at the cave entrance.

AJ lightly smiled.  “Thanks.” He replied with a light giggle.

As his friends and Nick left the Healing Springs AJ headed to the cave.  He saw Avit standing against the stone wall near the entrance and saw Dyn lying in the tub of water.  His General turned and looked at him.

“Where is Rayne?” Avit asked.

“She went back to the Palace.” AJ told him.

“How is she?” He asked.

“Confused.” AJ replied.  “I’m going back there too; we’re going to delay the trip to Kalica a couple of days until we figure out what’s going on.”  AJ looked at Dyn, he was awake and staring at the wall beside him.  “Anything new?”

“No, he has been quiet the whole time I have been here.” Avit said with a light shake of his head as he looked over at Dyn.

Nick sat in front of Eva’s desk as Nalia’s Mom went over the final reports from the attack led by Mela.  “So what’s the word?” Nick asked.

“Word?” Eva asked looking up.

“What’s going on?” Nick replied with a light smile. 

“Oh right.” Eva said with a light smile.  “You know the two of you have been here over a year now, it is interesting you still talk like you did back on Earth.”

“I’ve notice AJ has been changing a little but me I’m just lazy when it comes to words.” Nick replied with a shrug and Eva smiled.

“Well the wall is almost finished being rebuilt but I do not understand why we have not found any type of camp around the city.” She sighed.

“They gotta be hiding somewhere. Do you think it’s magic?” Nick asked.

“It could be, perhaps we shall talk to Alexander, see if he can pick up anything.” Eva said as she put the report down.  “Has he reported in yet?”

“Nope” Nick said shaking his head.  “I can’t believe the dude is still alive.”

“Do you think it is him”? Eva asked.

“Hell if I know.” Nick replied with a shrug.  “But if it is we’re about to have one very pissed off Elvaan mage.”

“Yes, I would bet Alexander would not be happy about it.” Eva said with a light nod.

Just then second in command Lawrence came in, he nodded hello to Nick and then walked over to Eva to discuss the army’s next move.  As the two talked Nick’s eyes wondered up to the door that led to his and Nalia’s bedroom.  He wondered if she was in there sleeping or if she was out with the girls.  Sighing, he hoped she was out with the girls, wanting her start trying to get back to normal.  He hated seeing her so sad and depressed.  When they first meet she was so full of life, she was strong and courageous and now, well now she was a mere shell of what she use to be, not that he could blame her.

He looked back at Eva and Lawrence and they were still talking, so he stood up from his chair.  “I’m going to go see Nalia, I’ll let you know if Alex comes by.” He said as Eva looked up at him.

“Alright” She replied with a light smile and then returned her attention back to Bussa’s second in command.

Nick walked up the stairs and opened the door to their room, when he walked in he saw the curtains to the bed were drawn which most likely meant she was sleeping. He walked over to the bed and gently pulled back the curtains.  A smile broke across his lips when he saw her sleeping under the puffy covers.  Undoing his robe and taking it off, he climbed under the blankets with her.  He wrapped his arm around her and she mumbled tossing a little.

“Nali?” He whispered as he brushed her hair away from her face.

“Mmm?” She mumbled as she started to wake up.  The cloth that covered her eyes slipped as she moved her head and before Nick could even react she sat straight up and grabbed it.

“Nali” Nick said with a small frown.

“I need to tighten it.” She said quickly.

“Here” He said reaching up for it.

“No” She snapped quickly. “Just wait.”

“Nali” He repeated taking her hand.  “I don’t care.”

“You don’t care?” She scoffed.  “I most likely look horrid although I do not know because I can not see.” She said bitterly.

“You can’t wear that thing forever babe” Nick said with a sigh.  Nalia said nothing.  He took her hands and kissed the back of them.  “I don’t care Nali, I really don’t, and I’m not going to think you’re ugly or anything like that.”

“Well maybe not you but others will.” Nalia spoke quietly.

“So who cares what other people think.” Nick said.  “You’re a Guardian, if they saying anything you can beat the shit outta them.”

“Nick” Nalia sighed.  “I can not beat anything if I can not see it.”

“You know back on Earth, there are a lot of blind people who can do amazing things, things that people who can see can’t do.”  He told her.  “They use their ears, they use their senses and I know you can do the same thing.”  When she didn’t say anything he kept talking.  “Pixca is right, you’re a Guardian, you can get through this and I will be by your side every day to make sure you do.”  Her head fell but he placed two fingers under her chin and lifted it.  “I promise you’ll get through this.”

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.  At first he noticed she was taken back by it but then slowly she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.  Gently he laid her down back against the pillows and pulled the blankets around them.  As their tongues flicked against each others, he slowly began to unbutton her robe, and let it fall to her sides as his lips drifted down her neck.