The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

 Chapter 17

            AJ looked over to Kevin and saw a group of Dwarfs honing in on him but as he went to teleport to him he saw a group of vines come up and trap the small men.  Quickly he looked over at Rayne and then back at Kevin, raising his hand into the air he watched as it rained down icicles onto the Dwarfs around Kevin freezing them and shattering them all at the same.

“Woo thanks man!” Kevin shouted as he stepped over the frozen pieces of Tokia’s army.

“That a girl!” They both heard Nick yell and they looked over to their friend who was still standing on the wall as he walked beside Nalia watching her attack anything that came around her.  Then she swung her sword and chopped the head off one of Nick’s dead minions.  “Hey that was one of mine.” Nick pouted.

“Sorry” Nalia shouted back as she thrusted her sword into another Dwarf.

“Retreat!!” They heard a Dwarf shout and what men were left started running.

“Anyone seen Mela?” Nick yelled as he looked to Kevin and AJ.

“No” AJ replied shaking his head, still finding it hard to believe Nick was standing there in front of him.

“Wait!” Kevin shouted. “Over there.” He yelled pointing to Mela as she fought Rayne.

“I should have known you never survived the Castle crumbling down on top of you.” Mela hissed as Rayne blocked a spell.  “You are the Dryad, which is why there is a new tree; Rossi will be pleased to know.”

“You will not get the chance to tell him.” Rayne said as she sent a beam of light down onto Mela and the woman dropped to one knee.

“Go ahead and kill me, we are all connected, he already knows.” Mela said with a smile.  Rayne saw the woman’s eyes dart to the right, Rayne knew that meant something or someone was coming up behind her.  She spun around and saw a Dwarf with his sword raised at her.  A gust of wind swarmed the man tangling him up in and a small tornado.

Then she heard a grunt of pain and she turned around to see Nick standing by Mela his hand grabbing her shoulder, the familiar pink and purple beam seeping from her too him.  His eyes became dark almost black as black as his hair.

“Nickolas.” Mela gasped out.

“Since you’re connected tell Dad I said Hi before I suck the last of your life from you.” Nick hissed as he looked the woman in the eyes.  “Now say goodbye.”  And with that the beam got brighter as Mela screamed in pain and began to swivel up much like Dyn did back on the boat.  A moment later he let go and watched as the dried up Dwarf fell to the ground.

“Are you ok?” He asked. Rayne spun around and hit the other Dwarf with her moonbeam spell as the little tornado wore off, the man dropped to the ground in pain.

“Now I am.” She replied with a light smile. “Are you?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” He said with a nod.

“Rayne are you alright?” Dyn asked as he approached them.

“Yes I am fine.” She replied with a smile to his concern.

“That was some fancy teleporting there.” Nick said as Dyn looked at him.

“Thank you” Dyn replied with a smile and a light laugh.  “Rayne use to hate it when we played tag and I would do that.”

“You guys play tag here?” Nick asked a little stunned.  “We have that game back on Earth.  Although with all this magic, it must be really fun.” He said with a giggle and the other two joined in on the laughter.

“Nick?” They heard Kevin say from behind them and he turned around to see all of his friends and Nalia standing there staring at him.

“Nickolas.” Nalia said and Rayne could tell in her voice she was still unsure he was really there.  He walked up to her and took her hands, when he touched her she gasped and let out a small whimper.

“I’m here Nali, I’m right here.” He said as she threw herself into his arms and started crying.  “It’s ok.” He whispered to her as he held her tight.

“I-I thought you were dead, I do not understand.” Nalia said as she cried.

“Yeah, we’re all a little confused on that.” Kevin said as Nick looked at him.

“The arrow that hit me had a poison on it; it paralyzed me and made me appear dead.” Nick told them.  “Then they switched my body out with someone else’s before the guards got to the burial room.  I could hear everyone talking, I could hear everything going on around me but I couldn’t talk or move or anything.” Nick turned to Rayne.  “Luckily Rayne here figured it out and came to get me.”

Rayne wobbled a little and Nick grabbed her.  “Whoa are you ok?” He asked.

“I need to lie down.” She said as she grabbed her head.

“I can teleport us to Drisel.” Dyn said

“You can…” AJ started to say but Rayne didn’t let him finish.

“Please.” Rayne said to Dyn.  The Elvaan took her by the hand and they were gone in a flash.

Nick looked over at AJ who was just staring at the spot where Rayne was.  “Don’t be pissed at her, you brought this on yourself.”

“If she would have just told me.” AJ said looking at his friend.

“She was right you know, not wanting to rush the attack, they were ready for you, and it almost got everyone killed, if she hadn’t of found me and made it back here, who knows what would have happened.” Nick said.  “Both of you had no right attacking her the way you did.”

“We were upset Nickolas, we…we thought you were dead.” Nalia said to him as he looked at her.

“But you are a Princess and he is a King, you have to think with a clear head, or this is what happens.” Nick said to them.

“Wow” Kevin spoke up and everyone looked at him.  “Did Nick just say something intelligent?”

“Bite me” Nick snapped back jokingly.  “I’m going to go to Drisel, to the Palace and see if Rayne is willing to lend us her fleet to patrol for Rossi, the ships we have here won’t be enough.” He took Nalia by the arm. “Are you coming with me?”  She nodded yes.

“I think we’ll all go with you.” Kevin said as he looked over at AJ. 

“I’ll meet you guys there.” AJ said and then he teleported away.

They popped into the room and Dyn walked Rayne over to her bed, she climbed in and slipped under the blankets.  Her head was spinning, she felt weak and she was shaking.  Her eyes closed trying to get a grip on the spinning room.  Her hair was brown again, the aura gone and her eyes were back to the dark blue they always were.

“Rayne you should go to the Springs.” Dyn said as he knelt beside her.

“I am not allowed there remember.” She mumbled.

“Rayne you know he was just upset because of Nickolas.” Dyn said

“I am his wife; he should have talked to me, instead of yelling at me and kicking me out of our home.” She replied her voice quaking from the shivering.

“I’m sorry.” AJ said and Dyn turned and looked at him. “But you should have told me about Nick.”

“I told you I could not.” Rayne mumbled not by choice.

“Because of Pixca?” AJ asked.  “We are not even sure we can trust her.”

“Why can you not trust her?” Dyn asked.

“It is a long story.” Rayne mumbled.

“Alex she needs to go to the Springs.” Dyn said as he stood up and walked over to him.

“I am fine” Rayne mumbled.  “I just need to rest a little.”

“She’s white as a ghost and shaking like a leaf.” Dyn said as AJ walked over to her.

“Rayne let me take you to the Springs.” AJ said as he sat on the bed beside her.  Just then her bedroom door opened and Nick, Nalia and the rest of the gang walked in.

“Whoa, you don’t look so hot Rayne.” Nick said as he walked up to the bed.

“I just need some rest please.” Rayne said a little annoyed.

“Alright, everyone out.” AJ said standing up.

“Wait.” Nick said. “Rayne we need Sarila’s fleet, next to Tokia it’s the strongest fleet in Pixcadia, we need to look for Rossi.”

“Fine” Rayne sighed.  “Tell Jaina she will know what to do.”

AJ walked everyone out of the room and turned to his General.  “Avit I want you to help Jaina with anything she needs.”

“Of course.” Avit said with a nod.  “What about him?” Avit asked looking over AJ’s shoulder to Dyn.  AJ looked at Dyn and then looked at Rayne lying in the bed.

“Get a room ready for him in Winnol but I want guards posted outside his door and at least one with him if he goes anywhere.”  AJ said.

“Yes Sir” Avit replied with a nod.   He then turned to Dyn.

“Go with Avit, he’ll get a room ready for you, Rayne may trust you but I am not so easily convinced.” AJ said as Dyn walked over to him.  The two men left the room and AJ closed the door behind them.  He then walked over to Rayne’s bed side.

“Can I take you to the Springs now?” He asked.

“No” She replied, her eyes still closed, still shaking, her voice quiet and weak.  “I told you I just need to rest.”

“Then let me take you to Winnol, let me take you home.” He said.

“Home, you kicked me from my home.” She said as she opened her eyes.

“I was angry and hurt because of Nick.” AJ told her.

“And what will happen the next time you are angry and hurt?” She asked and he could hear the anger in her tone. “You are my husband and you just kicked me out of your life and what for? Because I did not agree with a decision you were making.”

“Rayne I…”

“Just leave, go help look for Rossi and let me rest.” She said as she rolled over and pulled the covers around her.

He looked at her wanting to say more, wanting her to know how sorry he was but he decided to let her rest like she wanted.  He teleported from the room and popped back up in Winnol outside their bedroom door, opening the door he walked in and walked over to the bench by the window.  His mind raced back to when him and Rayne were sitting here, when she was holding him as he cried at the thought of Nick being dead.  How angry he was and then what happened after, it was like a snowball at the top of a mountain and then it just started rolling, rolling out of control.  His mind went into a day dream, a dream about what he should have done.  How he should have listened to her and talked about what to do if the Dwarves were ready for them. 

“Screw this” He mumbled and he disappeared returning to Rayne’s room.

“Look Rayne I know you are pissed at me.” He said as he walked over to her bed.  “But I was…” He stopped when he pulled back on the curtain and she wasn’t there.  “Rayne?” He said as he let the curtain drop.

“Alex?” He heard her whisper and he followed the voice.

“Rayne?” He called out again not really sure where the voice was coming from.  As he walked over towards the couch he heard something move, he turned around and saw Rayne on the floor on the other side of the bed.  He ran over to her dropping to his knees beside her as she tried to pull herself up.

“I-I wanted to go to the bath, everything went black.” She said as he picked her up.

“I’m taking you to the Springs.” He said as he cradled her in his arms.

“I think that is a good idea.” She replied as she laid her head on his shoulder.