The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

 Chapter 16

            “What will we do when we land?” Dyn yelled at her as they flew over the tree tops.  “He will just teleport to us again.”

“No” Rayne said shaking her head.  “He has not been to this part of Kalica”

She looked for a good spot to land and then brought the Gryphon down for a landing.  Taking her bag off of the harness she sent the bird back up into the air and then turned to Dyn.  “We will be walking from here.”

“Do you know where we are, do you know where we are going?” He asked as she looked around.

“No, but they will tell me.” She said as Dyn looked at her confused.

She saw the look on his face.  “The animals, the trees, everything that is nature can communicate with me, part of the Dryad.” She told him.

“Rayne can I ask you something?” Dyn said as she put her bag over her shoulder.  She then turned and looked at him.  “Why did you do that to Alex?”

“He was not going to let us go, I had no choice.” She told him.

“He is your husband Rayne, what is so important here that you would turn your back on him?” He asked.

“He turned his back on me.” Rayne said and she couldn’t hold back the anger in her voice.  “And I told you I can not say.”

“Well I will find out soon enough will I not?” Dyn asked as they began to walk.

Rayne looked at him and realized he had a point.  “Nick…Nick is alive, the Dwarves took him, they did something to make him appear dead, even to me, they switched out his body and they have brought him somewhere around here.”

“How do you know this and why could you not tell Alex that?” Dyn asked.

“I felt like something was not right ever since I heard that Nick had been killed, I confronted Pixca on the matter and she told me.  She also told me I had to let life play out, that I could not tell them, I need to find Nick I need to get him out of there.” She said as she looked around.  “Now please Dyn I need a moment.”

Dyn nodded as Rayne dropped her bag.  She walked over to a tree and placed her hand on the rough bark.  An image flashed in her mind, it was of the dwarves and they had Nick with them, carrying him through the forest.  “Where did they take him?” She whispered and then another image came to her.  The Dwarves standing at a large rock, then they pushed it out of the way and entered into a cave.

“There is a cave around here somewhere.” Rayne said looking at Dyn.

“Do you know which way we should go?” He asked.

She knelt down and skimmed her hand along the grass.  “Show me who walked this path.”

Another image came to her and this one showed the Dwarves walking by a few feet away and as she stood up she knew which way they were going.  “This way.” She said as she nodded behind them.  Rayne started walking and Dyn followed her, they made their way through the forest and as she would walk by she would touch the trunks of the trees letting them show her the way.

“Stop” Rayne said quickly.

“What is it?” Dyn asked.

“There are guards around.” Rayne whispered.

“I do not see any cave.” Dyn replied.

“It is still a distance away but the birds gave me the warning.” She told him and she caught the look on his face.  “Even I am still not use to it Dyn.”

He lightly smiled.  “I always knew you were something special.” He said

Rayne lightly smiled and even blushed a little.  Then the sound of a twig breaking took their attention away. They saw a group of Dwarves running in front of them, they were all dressed in armor and they looked like they were in a hurry.

“What is going on?” Dyn asked.

“I do not know but if my direction is correct they are heading to Hevi.” Rayne said as she looked at him.

“There are more coming.” Dyn said as he pointed to another group.

Rayne began to worry; there were many of them heading in the direction of the Kalica Capital.  As they laid low in the grass making sure the traveling Dwarves could not see them, Rayne began to get light head. She placed her hand on the bottom of a tree to try and keep her balance.  Her head was swirling, her body tingled and she felt like she was going to be sick.

“Rayne is everything alright?” Dyn whispered but she was so overcome with what was happening to her she could not answer. 

She could feel Nick, what he was going through what was happening to him, the Dwarves were filling him with something, was it Death, was it magic she just wasn’t sure but whatever it was it was over taking him.  As another bombardment of magic went through her she gasped out and placed her hands onto the ground trying to hold herself up as Dyn called out to her.

Nick laid on the table barely able to keep his eyes open, he just got finished another session with Mela and his body ached, his head hurt, he felt dizzy and nauseous.  When he heard his mother talking to someone he rolled his head towards them and opened his eyes as far as he could.

“The soldiers have been sent Milady.” A guard said to her.

“Good, Nickolas should be done, give him time to recover and then bring him to Hevi, I will be waiting.” She said with a smile.

Hevi, he knew that place well, it was his home, his home he shared with her and it was her that was getting him through this.  Mela talked about him coming back to her, coming back to Rossi, that this whole process was suppose to bring him back but all he could think of was about her, Nalia.  It was hard to think of her this time, Mela had given him more and she had done it more than once this time around.  They picked him up and moved him back to the small room they always took him to when he was done.  He looked up at Mela as she knelt down in front of him.

“Yee Father is on his way, the ships are ready, and now with out Sarila’s fleet, the land of Kalica will not stand a chance.” She spoke as she touched his face.  “Are yee ready my boy? Ready to take the life you crave.”  Mela smiled and then stood up. She walked out of the room and closed the door.  Nick laid against the wall, his head resting on the flat rocks behind him, and he closed his eyes.  A small smile crept across his face when he saw Nalia and it made him want to get home to her even more and to tell her he was still alive. He didn’t know what Mela and Rossi had planned for him but he knew he wasn’t going to do it.  Nick wasn’t going to destroy Nalia’s home, he wasn’t going to harm her people, and he wasn’t going to be their puppet.

The sound of men shouting and the commotion outside his door broke him from his day dream of Nalia and he sat there listening for a moment.  He heard screams, the cries and he even thought he heard Magic going off.  Could it be them? Did they find out about the evil trick? Were they on their way to save him?  Carefully Nick leaned back against the wall and used it to help himself up but before he could even take a step the door to his small room flew off the hinges and slammed into the wall on the other side, shattering into pieces. With a stunned look he stared at the doorway unsure what was going on.  Then someone walked into his room.

A slender woman her hair was brown with streaks of blue, she had a light around her, an Aura that was a lighter blue, and then she turned her head, her eyes glowed blue and Nick realized where he had seen this woman before, in the Lava Castle, just before…

“Rayne?” Nick said a little shocked.

“Nickolas are you alright?” She asked and her voiced echoed around the cave.

“I think so” He replied.  “Where’s Alex?” He asked but as he did Dyn came running into the room.  “Rayne behind you!” Nick shouted as he went to grab her but she didn’t move.

“It is alright Nickolas he is with me.” She replied as Nick started to get a shadow bolt ready.

“What? But where is AJ?” He asked.

“He is not here.” Dyn said.

“Wait I remember Mela and the guards talking they said Nalia and AJ kicked you out of Kalica and Winnol.” Nick said trying to remember.

“Yes” Rayne replied.  “They wanted to go to war, I asked them to wait, they would not listen and when I refused to give them my Fleet and my Men, Nalia labeled me a traitor and both her and Alex banned me from the countries.” She told him. “They think I am with the Dwarves.”

“How did you know I was here, I thought they covered up my Aura too.” Nick said.

“They did but I just had a feeling something was not right, I went to Pixca and she told me, she also told me not to say anything to anyone, that is why I asked them to wait but when they kicked me out I realized I had no choice I had to come and find you.”

“So what’s with him?” Nick asked nodding to Dyn.

“It is Dyn, I can see it in his Aura and he was the only one who would help me.” Rayne replied.

“They’re attacking Hevi” Nick said as he looked back from Dyn to Rayne.

“I know, we must hurry” She replied.  “What were they doing to you?” She asked.

“I’m not sure, I…I think they were giving me more power.” He told her.  “I can feel it rushing through me, I feel stronger, I feel different.”

“Well then let us get to Hevi and see just what exactly they did shall we?” She replied as she pointed towards the open door.

“Sounds good to me” Nick nodded with a light sadistic smile.

“They are coming from the North and the West.” Bussa said breathless as Nalia, AJ, Avit, Kevin, Brian, Howie, and their wives ran towards the Palace.

“Rossi must be on the ships.” Avit said as more Dwarf soldiers came up in front of them.

“This is where Rayne’s fleet would have come in handy.” Kevin shot at Nalia and AJ.

“She refused to give them to us.” Nalia snapped.  “So her betrayal would have made little difference.”

“You two seriously think she would do that?” Kevin asked as he swung his sword up and blocked a Dwarf from attacking him.

“Can we fight about this later!?” Brian shouted as he threw his arm out sending a healing spell across his friends.

“Well I never thought she’d attack me but my headache tells me otherwise.” AJ snapped at Kevin as he sent an Ice bolt towards a running Dwarf.

“Well she probably thought you would have never kicked her from Winnol either.” Kevin snapped back at him as he dropped his sword to his side and faced AJ.

“She’s the one that did not want to help!” AJ yelled as he dropped his arm and turned to Kevin.

“She wanted you guys to think it through and look…” Kevin said failing his arms around.  “She was right, they were ready for you, and they wanted you to attack them.”

“GUYS!!” Kristen shouted as she dropped her bow.  “Just shut up and fight!” She yelled as her pet went running after another Dwarf.

“Where’s Leigh-Anne?” Brian said his voice showing a little panic.  Then they heard a scream and everyone spun around to look behind them.  There was a Dwarf standing there, he dropped his sword as a whirl wind of daggers danced around him, green poison smoke flowed across him, then with one final whooshing sound he dropped to his knees and then face first to the ground.

“I’m right here.” Leigh-Anne said a little breathless.  “You guys were to busy fighting you didn’t see him coming, good thing he didn’t see me coming either.”

“We need to get to the west wall.” Bussa said as AJ looked at him.

“In coming!”  Howie shouted as he pointed down one of the streets that led to the west wall.

“Braun go!” Kristen commanded her pet and the Tiger took of running down the street, jumping and dodging the arrows and swords that came at him.  She lifted her bow and sent multiple arrows at the small men and four of them struck their targets.

“God damn that’s hot.” Kevin mumbled and AJ couldn’t help but laugh.

As the pink arrows from Kristen’s bow started firing rapidly, Howie joined her and his wife Leigh lit her sword on Fire as she readied in a battle stance.  “Nali stay behind us” AJ said as he looked at the Warrior.

“No I am fine.” Nalia said with a stern tone.

“Um..Nali…” AJ said as he started to point out there wasn’t anything she could really do.

“I said I am fine, Nick knew I could still fight, so I can still fight.” She said her tone changing from sadness to confident and back to sadness again.

“I will keep my eyes on her.” Bussa said.

“I do not need a babysitter.” She snapped and then spun around and tossed her sword like a tomahawk and everyone watched as it pierced a Dwarf that was sneaking up on them.

“Ok then.” AJ said a little confused as he turned his attention back down the street.

“How’s it looking Howie?” AJ shouted up at him as Howie jumped from a roof top to another one.

“Right now the street is clear.” His friend shouted back down.

“Alright let’s go!” AJ shouted to everyone and they all took off running down the road.

The group quickly ran down the newly cleared street and started heading to the back ally that lead to the clearing by the west wall.  When they all ran out from the ally they all stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the men on the field.  There were Elvaans fighting, Humans fighting, Dwarves fighting, and there were bodies scattered everywhere.

“Do we split up?” Kevin asked looking to AJ.

“I think we should stick together” Brian said looking around.

“Our men are getting over ran, there are still more Dwarves coming in from the wall.” Bussa said as AJ looked at him.

“What in Pixca is that!?” Avit shouted and everyone looked towards the fields. A purple glow hovered around the ground and as AJ looked closer, he noticed the purple smoke was swirling around the dead bodies.

“What the hell is going on?” AJ said a little breathless as he looked to Avit.

A loud laugh was heard over all the shouting and fighting and the group looked towards the new hole in the wall and saw Mela standing on top of it. “I have a surprise for you!” Mela shouted and AJ looked at his friends and his General confused.

“No…no way.” Howie gasped out and AJ spun around to look at him.

“What do you see?” He asked but as his head turned to the direction Howie was looking he didn’t need his friend to answer, he saw what had turned his friend white as a ghost. 

“Nick…” AJ said as the breath was taken from him.

“What?” Nalia gasped out.  “What, what is going on?”

“Tis good of you to join us Nickolas.” Mela shouted.  “Rayne was foolish to come and try and rescue him!” Mela shouted. 

“What?” AJ said stunned. 

“And now you all will meet the same death she did!” Mela shouted.

“What is going on?” Nalia shouted confused.

“She was going to save him?” AJ said stunned as his eyes started to fill with tears. “Why, why couldn’t she just tell us?”

“Actually Mom there’s been a change in plans.” Nick said as his head turned and looked at her.  AJ looked up at Nick and then to the Dwarf Queen, she looked as shocked as he was.

“Look!” Kevin shouted. “Is that Dyn?” As he pointed to a man teleporting through the crowd of people and with each teleport he popped his freeze trap spell, trapping most of the Dwarves around him.

A whizzing sound was heard from up above and everyone looked up and saw something, or something’s falling to the ground.  “Are those stars?” Avit asked confused.  Then when one struck a dwarf soldier he screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, more came and more Dwarfs screamed and fell to the ground.

“They are not hurting our men.” Bussa said in awe.

“Is it Nickolas?” Avit asked.

“Nick!!” Nalia shouted.  “Nickolas answers me please!” She shouted again.

“Hey babe did ya miss me!?” He shouted back at her and AJ had never seen someone smile so brightly.

“Where are these stars coming from?” Mela shouted as she looked at her men dropping by the handful.

AJ watched as Nick turned around and reached down for something but as AJ saw Rayne step up onto the wall everyone gasped when they saw her.  Her hair had blue streaks in it, her body gave of a light Aura and she looked up as more stars started to fall.

“No!!” Mela shouted.

“I think two people owe you an apology when this is over!” Nick shouted as he looked at Rayne and then to AJ and Nalia.  “Seriously guys…a traitor? Really? Rayne?”

“Kill them!!!” Mela shouted.  “KILL THEM ALL.”

“Not if I can help it!” Nick shouted back at her and then the purple smoke started to rise up and with it so did the bodies.

“Holy shit what the hell is going on?!” Brain shouted as the corpses grabbed their swords and turned towards Mela.

“Got a little army of my own!” Nick shouted at her. “Thanks for the new powers Mom, I guess I can’t say ya never did anything for me!”

“What do we do?” Kevin asked as everyone watched the dead army attack the dwarves, stars still falling around them as Dyn flashed in and out trapping the ones he could.

“Attack.” AJ said quickly.  “WINNOL ATTACK!!” He screamed and then Bussa yelled for the Kalica army to do the same.