The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

 Chapter 20

A giant gust of wind picked up about fifty dwarves and sent them flying through the air and crashing into the trees.  AJ’s knee buckled a little but he held himself up.  He was tired, drained, and finding it harder to concentrate.  He wasn’t sure how long him and Nalia had been going at it with the Rossi and his Dwarves but the sun was starting to fall behind the mountains. 

“How many?” Nalia yelled as she swung her sword around.

“Fifty maybe, plus Rossi is still sitting on his pony.” AJ said with a slight joking tone.  His eyes darted to Nalia and she had a smile on her face.

“Do you hear that?” Nalia said and AJ looked at her after sending out a fire bolt and a group of dwarves trying to creep up on them.

“Hear what?” AJ asked confused, he was hearing a lot of thing.

“Above us” Nalia replied.

AJ looked up and saw black spots in the sky.  “Birds” He replied as he looked back out at the attacking dwarves but realized they too were looking into the sky.

“The wing span is too big.” Nalia replied.

“The wing…?” AJ looked at her confused, how would she know that unless she could hear the flapping of the wings themselves?

A Dwarf’s scream made him look away and back out towards the small army.  There about twenty yards away laid small body with an arrow sticking out of its chest.  Quickly AJ looked up as two of the seven birds broke away and headed back towards him and Nalia as the rest began to send a rain of arrows at the Dwarfs.

“Gryphon’s…” AJ said quickly.  “It’s Gryphon’s!” AJ said excitedly to Nalia and he could tell she got the same serge of energy as he did.  “Remind me when we’re done here to give Avit a raise.”  Nalia chuckled as they watched more and more dwarves fall to the arrows above them.

“Blasted Elves!!” They heard Rossi shout and it brought a small smirk across his face. Then he looked right at AJ.  “That bloody tree is going down Alexander.”

“You’re army is almost dead Rossi, give it up.” AJ shouted back.

“Ah, yee’d like that wouldn’t ya!” The Dwarf King shouted. “But alas no, I’m sorry my dear boy, today be the day you die.”

“I’ve heard that somewhere before?” Nalia said and AJ turned his head and looked at her.

“Oh yeah Ignis use to say that to me all the time.” He sighed picking up on her joke.

“Ignis was a tool.” Nick’s voice said behind them and as AJ spun around he saw Nalia get sent flying back.  She slammed to the ground with a grunt but AJ’s eyes were fixated on Nick.  “Guess she didn’t see me coming.” He said as he smiled at AJ.

“Speaking of tools how’s Lokin?” AJ asked and went to hit Nick with a wind burst but Nick raised his hand to the tree.

“Careful there Alex, I can suck the life outta this thing faster than you can snort back a line.” Nick said as his hand waved over the trunk.

“Fuck you asshole.” AJ snapped.

“Oh that hurts.” Nick said grabbing his heart.

With one deep breath AJ sent a gust of wind at Nick and it sent him stumbling back.  When AJ was satisfied that Nick was away from the Great Tree, He took another deep breath and with everything he had conjured a spell.  This spell started to wrap itself around the tree; first the wind carried the loose leaves and let them swirl around the branches they fell from.  Clouds formed around the top of the tree and small bolts of lightening crashed to the ground below. The wind got stronger, the rain got harder, and the Tree disappeared behind the magical storm.

“Now try to get to it.” He said with the last amount of energy he had left.  AJ dropped to his knees as the world around him began to black out and his body went fuzzy. When he hit the ground he heard shouting and fighting around him but he just couldn’t find the energy to do anything about it.

Rayne sat in the water still and relaxed, her eyes were closed and she shut out everything around her.  Not wanting to think about what she felt running down the road to the park, what she saw when she entered the park, and how easily he had over taken her.  Her lip quivered as she thought about how naive she had been. All this time she thought she was doing it on her own, her choices, and she even told Alex she would not blindly follow Pixca. The sound of foot steps beside her broke her from her peaceful calm and she jolted a little as her eyes shot opened.

“Sorry.” Kevin said as she looked up at him.  Giving him a light smile she looked down at the water.  She didn’t really feel like talking to anyone and she was Queen so no one could make her.  “How are you doing?” He asked her but she still wasn’t going to say anything.  “I’m sure he’s fine, I mean if he wasn’t than…” She looked at him and he stopped talking. “Sorry, that was a Nick moment.”  A light smile came across her face and he would never know she laughed a little inside. Then a frown as she remembered Alex’s friend, her friend, and she closed her eyes not wanting to show the pain to the person beside her.  But she knew he was right, if Alex wasn’t alive she would know, she would feel it, then after that Rossi would get to the Tree and then she would we be dead minutes later.

“One can not survive without the other.” Pixca’s voice played over in her head.

“Pixca” She sighed with a frown.

“I don’t understand what has happened to Nick.” Kevin said and his voice startled her, she had forgotten the man was still there.  “The way he looked and attacked.”

Rayne sighed; she really didn’t want to talk.  “Nalia said Mela put some kind of magic or power into him, she thinks this is what has happened because of it.”

“Can we help him?” Kevin asked.

Rayne thought about Nick’s aura, about the different colours and what they could mean.  “I do not know we need to know what kind of magic or power it was first.” She told him.

“Queen Rayne?” Jaina’s voice broke into the cave and Rayne looked up at the entrance.

“Are they back?” She asked hopeful.

“No, no not yet, I just came to tell you the Priest said you could go back to your room.” Her Guardian said as her heart sank.  Jaina set a dress down on the stool for Rayne.

“Well I’m going to check on the others.” Kevin said as Rayne started getting out of the water.

“I will send Jaina to get you as soon as they get here.” Rayne told him.

“Thanks.” Kevin replied with a light smile.

When he left the room Rayne proceeded to get dress and she put her hair, which was still damp up in a bun.  The night was chilly and she was glad Jaina had brought down her shall.  Wrapping it around her shoulders she pulled it tight against her as she walked through the city.  The people of Winnol bowed and smiled at her and she tried to smile back but she felt a little lost.  Who’s thoughts did she have, we’re they hers, were they Pixca’s?  She stopped at a corner and looked at the street beside her.  It was the road that led to the park.  Her mind raced back to her and Nalia running down the road, when her breath was taken away and it felt like she had ran right into a wall.  She felt like she was slipping and if it wasn’t for Nalia dragging her the rest of the way, she wondered if she’d still be standing in the middle of the road.

The sounds of people shouting behind her broke her from her thoughts as she turned around to see what the commotion was.  Everyone was pointing into the sky and her eyes followed.  There above her was a large group of Gryphon’s.  Her breathing got quick with excitement and a smile broke from her lips as she started running towards the Gryphon Tower. 

“Avit!” Rayne shouted when she saw him come out of the doors at the bottom of the tower.  “Is he ok? Is Nalia ok?” She asked as she approached him.  Avit moved her out of the way of the doors and she looked at him confused.  When her eyes darted back to the doors again she saw a bunch of guards carrying a stretcher.

“Oh no.” Rayne whimpered as she tried to get to them but Avit stopped her.  “Is he ok?” She asked as she looked at Avit.

“I’m not sure.” Avit replied.

“Rayne” She heard Nalia say behind her and she spun around.

“Nali, you are ok?” She asked as she ran to her friend and hugged her.

“Ow” Nalia said sharply and Rayne pulled away.

“Sorry” She replied with a light smile.

“It is fine, just a little sore.” Her friend said still smiling.

“What happened? She asked as she looked over as they carried Alex away.

“We were fighting for hours, hundreds of Dwarves but Alex took a bunch out with his wind spells but then Nick showed up.” Nalia said and Rayne heard the pain and sadness in her voice.  “He was threatening to drain the tree but Alex stopped him.”

“How?” Rayne asked. “Y-you did not kill him did you?”

“No” Nalia replied quickly.  “Alex put up some kind of spell, like a small storm and it surrounded the tree. He passed out and then Nickolas tried to break it, tried to break through but he could not.”  She took a deep breath.  “Avit swooped down with a bunch of other swordsmen and guards and Nick and Rossi took off.”

“How are you?” Rayne asked as they began to follow the stretcher.

“Sore, I think I twisted my back after Nick hit me.”  Nalia replied lightly rubbing her back.

“Hit you?” Rayne asked as he stopped both of them from walking.

“We were distracted with Rossi and he came up from behind us, he hit me sent me flying back and that is when he and Alex got into it.” Nalia told her.  Rayne watched her friends face contort in pain and sadness.  “I need to ask you something.”

“Anything” Rayne replied.

“You said his aura was changing.” Nalia spoke.  “That means he is changing, does it not?”

Rayne could only nod.

“Do you know to what?” Nalia asked.

“I think…” Rayne paused.  “I think he is being turned into one of them.”

“One of them?” Nalia replied confused.

“Into a Drak’nar.” Rayne said and Nalia’s face fell with disbelief.

“No” She said shaking her head. “Can-Can we stop it?”

“I do not know Nali.” Rayne replied with sadness.  “Perhaps if not to far along.”

“We should go check on Alex.” Nalia said as she watched her friends face push the sadness away.

“You need a Priest as well.” Rayne told her as they started walking again.

“I will be fine.” Nalia replied with a stern tone.

“Milady?” Jaina said from behind her.  “I was told the Gryphon’s arrived.”

“Yes Jaina, please tell Sir Kevin and the others to meet us in the Springs.” Rayne replied.

“Is Avit alright?” Jaina asked.

“Yes he is fine.” Rayne replied and she saw the confused look on Nalia’s face.

“And King Alexander?” She asked.

“I am assuming he will be fine after some time in a bath.” Rayne said with a light nod.

“I am glad to hear that, I shall retrieve his friends.” Jaina said with a light bow and then headed to the Castle.

“That was….” Nalia stopped and Rayne knew she was searching for a word.

“Interesting?” Rayne replied with a light smile.

“Are her and Avit?”

“No” Rayne shook her head.  “Although Alex and I have wondered for some time now if they do have feelings for each other.”

“You should do something.” Nalia replied.

“You sound like Alex.” Rayne said with a light laugh.  “And I will tell you the same thing I told him.  You can not force love, if it was meant to be, than they will find a way.”

“I never thought Avit could love someone after Tsa.” Nalia said as they two girls started walking again. “Perhaps that is why they have not said anything?”

“It does you know good to wonder Nalia.” Rayne replied.

“Tell that to Alex too?” She asked.

“Yes” Rayne sighed and then the two girls started laughing.  When the laughter stopped it was silence for the rest of the way, well until they hit the entrance. 

“What do we do now that Pixca’s gone, do you think this place will fall apart?” Nalia asked and Rayne stopped walking.

“No, I do not think this place will fall apart.” She said as she turned to her friend.  “I think Alex was right about her all along.”

“Rayne” Nalia said confused by her friend’s comments.

“They are demons Nalia, they do not or did not care about us, just themselves.” She spoke in a strong tone.  “We were here first and they came in and wiped us out, yes we owe Pixca.  She gave us a second chance but now she is gone. Now more than ever we need to stick together and make sure it does not happen again.”

“But there are only three of us now.” Nalia said sadly and Rayne put her hand on her shoulder.

“He is still there Nalia, otherwise his aura would be completely changed.” She told her hoping those words would give her hope. “We will find a way to help him.”

“And if we can not?” Her friend asked as she choked back tears.

“Then I will be there for you as much as a best friend can, because I would want to do what you will have to do.” Rayne said as her hand slipped down and took Nalia’s.  Her friend looked away and she could tell she was crying.