The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

                              Chapter 14

            AJ sat on the bench by the window in his room, his head resting along the frame as he stared outside.  His eyes locked on the waterfall as it rushed down to the water below but his mind was else where.  He thought about the fights they had here in Pixcadia and the ones back on Earth.  He thought about the jokes they shared, the fun they had and he closed his eyes as his heart broke and tears fell down his cheek.  He didn’t know if he could accept this, he didn’t know if he could live with this.  Nick was gone, just like that.  No great battle, no sacrifice just one arrow in the back and it was all over.  When he felt someone touch his shoulder he didn’t need to look up, the touch was familiar and somewhat comforting.  As Rayne sat down in front of him his eyes finally broke from the waterfall and locked on hers. 

“It hurts so much.” He chocked out before he let his sadness over come him.  Rayne pulled him into her arms.

“I know darling.” Rayne whispered as he cried. “It will be alright.”

“No” He said as he pulled away from her.  “No it won’t, Nick is gone Rayne, he’s never coming back.”  As she frowned he looked away from her, he looked back to the waterfall as he thought about Nick.  His friend was gone, gone forever, and the Dwarves were the reason why.  His body began to fill with anger and rage.  Quickly he stood up breaking from Rayne’s grasp.

“Alex where are you going?” She asked as he walked across the room.

“To war.” AJ mumbled as he walked to the door.

“To war?” He heard Rayne gasp.  “Alex” She said and as he opened the door he could hear her running after him.  “Alex” She said again as she grabbed his arm and he spun around.  “Alex you can not do this.”

“And why the hell not?” He snapped at her.  “They did this, they killed Nick and you’re telling me I can not go to War?”

“We have no proof.” Rayne told him.

“No proof? They wanted Nick dead, look what they did to Nalia there is lots of proof Rayne.” He yelled as he turned to walk into the hallway.

“Alexander please!” Rayne snapped still trying to keep her voice down as she grabbed him again.

“Let go of me!” AJ yelled at her as he spun back around. “Why are you trying to stop me?”

“I do not want you rushing into this.” She said.

“I’m not rushing into anything.” He hissed at her.  “The Dwarves are responsible Rayne and I do not understand why you’re trying to stop me. Nick was your friend too and I thought you would want the people responsible to pay for this.”

“I do Alex.” She replied

“Than why won’t you let me go?” He asked

“Because you are upset…”

AJ cut her off.  “You’re fucking right I am!” He snapped.

“Do not swear at me!” She yelled back.  “And let me finish.”

“Why? I already know what you’re going to say.” He yelled.  “You’re upset Alex, you should not rush into this Alex, well you know what, it’s not going to change my mind, I’m going to Kalica, I’m going to go see Eva and we’re going to War, we are going to wipe Tokia off the face of this planet whether you like it or not!” He snapped and then walked away from her.

As he walked down the hall towards the globe room he heard the crunching and scratching of branches, then something wrapped around his legs.  When he looked down he saw large vines tangled around his feet and legs.

“Alex listen to me…” She started to say but he interrupted her again.

“No, I don’t want to hear anything you have to say, I have made up my mind and nothing you can do or say will stop me.” AJ said as he stared at her.

“Alex…” She stopped speaking when he disappeared right in front of her, her spell breaking and fading back into the ground.  “…ander.” She sighed.

He popped up in the hallway of the Hevi Palace and as soon as he arrived he could hear the voices coming from the room behind the doors beside him.  Opening the doors he walked into the room and saw Eva, Bussa, and Lawrence standing around the desk looking at maps.  When they heard him come in all three of them looked up.

“Alexander is everything alright?” Eva asked.

“Came here to see if you needed any help.” AJ told them.  “You want my spies you have them, you want my Gryphon riders you have them, anything, I want Rossi dead, and I want that continent gone.

“Well I was going to send Bussa over to Winnol to see if you would be willing to help but it appears I do not have too.” Eva replied with a light smile.  “Is Rayne going to prepare the fleet?”

“No” AJ said as he walked over to the desk and looked at the map. “She thinks I’m rushing into this.” AJ said with a frustrated sigh.

“Rushing? They are responsible for the death of Prince Nickolas.” Eva said a little stunned. 

“That’s what I said.” AJ replied tossing his hands up in the air a little.

“We must act now before they get the chance to do it again.” Eva told him.

“And I agree.”  AJ nodded.  Just then the doors to the office flew open and Rayne walked in.  AJ turned around in his chair and looked at her.

“I will tell you one more time Alexander do not teleport from me when I am talking to you.” She said as she walked right over to him.

“I said I don’t want to hear it Rayne.” AJ snapped back as he stood up. “Eva agrees with me, Buss and Lawrence agree with us we must act now.”

“Rayne I understand you are a druid and you cherish all life but this must be done now.” Eva said as Nalia’s mom looked at her.

“This has nothing to do with me being a Druid.” Rayne snapped.  “What if this is what they want? Has anyone thought about that?”

“Whether they are ready for us or not, we will go after them.  First the attack on Nalia and now the death of Nick, no we will not wait any longer.” Eva said shaking her head.  “Now, will we have the backing of the Sarila fleet or not?” She asked and everyone looked at Rayne.

“I can not send my fleet, my men into a trap, to their deaths, I will not do it.” Rayne said shaking her head and AJ looked at her with disbelief.

“Rayne…” A voice said from above them and everyone looked up to see Nalia standing along the railing outside the door to her room.

“I am sorry Nali but I can not.” Rayne said again.

“I thought Nick was your friend” Nalia said with anger.

“He is…was.” Rayne said with a frown.

“And am I not your best friend?” Nalia asked.  “Did we not grow up together, play together and fought along side each other?”

“Yes” Rayne replied with a light nod.  AJ looked at both girls, he couldn’t believe Rayne was objecting to this but he had hope that Nalia would change her mind.  “Then please, I am asking you, as a friend, for Nickolas, please, lend us your fleet.”

AJ watched as Rayne looked away from Nalia as she looked at him and the others in the room.  “I am sorry but I can not.” She said again shaking her head.

“Than perhaps you are with them?” Nalia said angrily.

“I beg your pardon?” Rayne gasped in shock.

“You do not want us to go to war, to get revenge against the people who killed Nick.” Nalia said and AJ could hear her choking up a little.  “My only thought is that you are with them, you are protecting them.”

“That is absurd.” Rayne replied shocked.  “I just want us to be smart about this, to use our heads and not our hearts.”

“Get out!” Nalia shouted and she started to make her way down the stairs slowly.

“Nalia” Rayne said a little frustrated.

“Get out I said!” she yelled again.  “And as far as I am concerned you are a traitor, and will not step foot in this Palace or in Kalica again.” AJ looked at Rayne with anger, how could she do this, how could she act like this.

“I will be in Winnol when you are ready to talk.” She said looking at AJ,

“No, no you won’t.” AJ said to her his voice a little quiet trying to hold back his rage.

“What?” Rayne replied stunned.

“Go to Sarila, go to Drisel, stay with your fleet and your men, since they mean so much more to you than Nalia and I.”

“Alex…”

“GO!” AJ shouted at her with pain and anger.

He watched as her lips pursed and she grunted in anger or frustration he wasn’t sure but she turned around and walked out of the room.

Rayne angrily tossed some clothes and her belongings into her bag as she packed things she would need but she wasn’t going to Drisel.  She couldn’t believe her friend had kicked her out of Kalica that her husband kicked her out of their home.  With a sniff and quick wipe of her eyes she grabbed her bag and tossed it over her shoulder.  She walked out of the room closing the door behind her and started to walk down the hall.

“Rayne?” Someone said from behind her and she turned around to see Avit and Kevin walking down the hall.

“Have you come here to escort me back to Sarila?” Rayne said with a sarcastic tone.

“No, why would I?” Avit asked confused.

“I have been kicked out of Kalica and I have been kicked out of Winnol, by both Nalia and Alex, I just wanted them to think it through, to not rush this war.” Rayne said as she started crying.

“They kicked you out?” Kevin replied confused.

“They asked for Sarila’s ships for my men and I said no.” Rayne told them.  “I will not send them into a trap and they are so blinded by the hurt of losing Nickolas they can not see it.”

“Where is Alexander now?” Avit asked.

“Yeah where is he?” Kevin asked after.

“Still in Hevi as far as I know.” Rayne replied with a shrug.  “Eva, Bussa, Lawrence and him are planning out an attack.”

“I’m going to go talk to him.” Kevin said as he looked at Rayne and then Avit.

“Yes, I shall come along.” Avit nodded.

“I will be in Drisel.” Rayne said sadly as she turned away from the men.  She walked slowly down the hall and then looked back when she couldn’t hear their footsteps anymore.  When she knew they were gone she turned back around and headed down the stairs to the first floor of the Castle. 

Rayne walked out of the giant Tree Castle and out into the city of Winnol.  She walked past the people with her bag over her shoulder and made her way to the Healing Springs.  She was glad to see that no Priest was around but she would have to get by the guards. 

“You’re Highness?” The guard said as she walked up to him.

“I would like to talk to Dyn, I have some questions for him.”

“Shall I go in with you?” He asked.

“No, I will be alright.” She replied and the guard nodded. When she walked in she saw Alex’s older brother sitting on the edge of the pool.  He looked up when he heard her walk in and by the look on his face he wasn’t expecting it to be her.

“Rayne.” He said with shock. “What are you doing here? Does Alexander know you are here.”

“No he does not.” Rayne said shaking her head.  “I am here because I need your help.”

“My help?” He replied confused.

“Yes” She nodded.  “I do not know if you have heard but Prince Nickolas is dead.”

“What!?” Dyn gasped in shock.  “How?”

“The Dwarves an assassin I believe.” Rayne told him.

“I am so sorry.” Dyn replied with a frown.

“The Kingdom of Kalica and The Kingdom of Winnol are going to war.” Rayne told him.

“And what of Sarila?” Dyn asked looking at her.

“War is what they want, at least right now.” She told him.  “I will tell you the same thing I told Nalia and Alex, I will not send my fleet and men into a trap.”

“And what did they say to that?” He asked.

“Nalia called me a traitor, said I was with Dwarves and kicked me out of Kalica.” She said with a frown remembering how angry Nalia was.

“And Alexander?” Dyn asked.

“I have been kicked out of Winnol as well.” She told him.

“Oh Rayne I am sorry.” Dyn said with a frown.  “But why do you need my help?”

“I am going back to Kalica, I am going to look for Mela myself there is something…” She paused, how could she say it without letting him know that Nickolas was still alive.  “There is something there in their hiding spot that I believe will end this once and for all.”

“What is it?” Dyn asked.

“I can not say.” Rayne told him.  “I just hope you can trust me and will help me find it.”  She paused as the tears filled her eyes.  “Because right now you are all that I have.”

“Trust you? Is it not me who should be asking you that?” Dyn said a little stunned.

“I know it is you Dyn, I know you survived the spell Nickolas had on you, I am not worried you are some trick or that you are lying about who you are.” She told him. “Aura’s do not lie.”

“How will you get me passed the guards?” Dyn asked as he stood up from the edge of the pool.

“I will escort you out telling them I am taking you to see Avit and Alexander for more questions.”  She told him.

“And if they do not let you?” He asked as he walked up to her.

“I am a Guardian and so much more, they will not be able to stop me.” She said as confusion fell over his face.  “A lot has happened since we last saw each other, I will explain later.” She said and Dyn nodded.  “Now let us go before Alexander and Avit return from Kalica.”