The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

 Chapter 22

            Rayne sat on the grass in the Winnol Park, the light breeze blowing the tips of the grass, swaying the flowers, and rattling the leaves on the trees.  The sun covered her in a warm soothing glow and she closed her eyes as she relaxed.  She was waiting for Alex to arrive; they usually met here when they were sleeping.  The sound of someone walking up behind her made her smile as she pictured her husband walking towards her but when his lips didn’t touch her neck like she had thought they would, she slowly opened her eyes and looked up.

“Marsa?” She said confused.

            “Rayne it is wonderful to see you again.” Marsa said to her with a bright smile as he sat down beside her.

“Why have you come?” She asked wondering why he would come to her.

“You know that we can talk to our love ones if we choose to do so.” He said with a light grin.

“If they are lost.” Rayne replied. “And they must be family.”

“Seems to me like you might be a little lost.” Marsa said to her.  “And I do consider you family, you married my son.”  Rayne lightly smiled as she looked down at the blowing grass beside her.  “Besides, you spent a lot of time with my family while you were training with the Druids; you were best friends to my son Dyn…” Marsa paused.

“Is it Dyn?” She asked as she looked up at the Elvaan man.

“Yes, yes that is my son.” Marsa sighed.  “Pixca was hoping he would be a distraction for you and Alexander.”

“A distraction?” Rayne said confused and Marsa nodded.

“She wanted to keep the two of you from prying deeper into who she really was.” Marsa said and then he paused.  “I feel like such a fool.”

“Why?” Rayne replied confused.

“Tas and I lost something very important, we gave up something very important for her.  Our time with our son was taken away because of her and because of her lies.” Marsa spoke and as he did she heard the pain in his voice.

“He wonders what it would have been like to grow up here.” She told him as a breeze blew past them.  “He wonders if him and I would have been friends, growing up together, sharing the same birthday, and he wonders what it would have been like to have a Father like you.”

“I sent him away to protect him but I do not think it did any good.” The Elvaan man sighed. “But enough about this let us talk about you.”  Marsa said as Rayne looked at him.  “Are you confused about Dyn?”

“Dyn? Well I wonder if it is really him.” Rayne told him.

“No I meant, now that he is back, now that he is not so clouded with hatred are you having feelings for him?” Marsa asked.

“No” Rayne said quickly. “Absolutely not, I love Alexander…”

“But Rayne…”

She cut him off.  “Even more than I had ever loved Dyn, there is so much more there between Alex and I, and I never want to lose that.  He protects me, loves me, Dyn, Dyn tried hurt me in a way no man should hurt a woman and I will never forget that.”

“Then what has you so confused?” Marsa asked.

“What do we do now?” Rayne said with a sigh.  “There is no Pixca, what does that mean? Will there be more Guardians or are we the last ones. How do we make sure that the Drak’nor do not come back, that they do not destroy this world and its life again?”

“The world is large, the lands are many, and the seas are deep.” Marsa told her and she looked at him confused.  “Perhaps we do not know the answers because they are hidden, hidden in places we have not been.”

“What do you mean?” Rayne asked.

“All we know is what Pixca told us and we now know we were here long before she was, long before their kind came here.  There must be answers somewhere.”  Marsa told her. 

“But we have been all over Pixcadia looking for answers, ever since Ignis started his war.” Rayne said. “And now most of that is a lie.”

“We looked in Tokia, in Kalica, in Sarila, and in Winnol but how do we know those are the only lands of this world.” Marsa said as he raised an eyebrow at her. “We only went where she allowed us; she told us about Tokia, about the other Continents but is there more Rayne?”

“More?” Rayne replied a little confused but her mind started processing what he said again and again and as it did the meaning of his words came to light. 

“If you have questions about the Drak’nor, only Loki can answer those but if you have questions about this world, this world will answer, you just need to look in the places you did not even know were there.” Marsa said as he stood up.

“But how…” She was cut off.

“Ask and they will show you, like they always have.” Marsa said with a light smile.

“You mean the Dryad?” Rayne said with bitterness.

“You show shame” Marsa said a little shocked.

“When Pixca died I felt her death, then I realized what she had done, the control she had over me.” She paused and swallowed hard.  “Who am I now?”

“You are Rayne she does not have control anymore you do and what you do from now on will be yours and yours alone.” Marsa told him.  “I knew when I saw the six year old girl walk into my meeting room all those years ago you were something special and I was proven right time and time again.”  He told her with a loving smile. “Now I must go.”

“Alright” Rayne said a little disappointed; it was nice seeing an old friend, even if it was this way.

“Take care of my Alexander and make sure that temper of his does not get him into to much trouble.” Marsa told her and Rayne smiled with a light laugh.  “I still do not understand where he gets that from.”

“If my Father were here he would say you.” Rayne spoke with a joking smile.  “You just have more patients than your son.”

“Mmhmm.” Marsa said raising an eyebrow at the joking Human in front of him.  Rayne watched as he turned and began to walk away but then he stopped and turned to her.  “One last thing.” He spoke.

“Anything Marsa.” She replied wanting the extra moment with him.

“Tas, she wanted me to tell you that even though she is not walking with the living any more does not mean she still does not want grandchildren.” Marsa spoke and Rayne’s face went beat red.

“We-we are a little busy at th-he moment.” Rayne stuttered out and Marsa smiled at her embarrassment.

“I agree but a conversation or two would not hurt.” Marsa replied as his smile turned to sympathy.  He then turned and headed down the path towards the Druid Council.  As the pathway got darker so did he until he disappeared.

“Damn he ain’t asking much is he.” Nick’s voice jolted her from her gaze and she spun around.

“H-how, this is my dream you have no right here.” Rayne said as she stared at the man now standing in front of her.

“Actually I do” Nick replied as he took a slithering step forward, he got so close she needed to take a step back.  “Don’t you remember, Rexil?” Nick said with an evil almost sadistic smile.

“Rexil?” Rayne whispered as she thought about what he meant and then her head snapped up.  “No”

“Yes” Nick replied with a nod. He reached up and touched the side of her head with his pointer finger.  “You still got some of me up here.” And with each word he tapped the side of her head, his finger jabbing harder with each one.  Quickly she stepped back as a small whimper of fear broke from her lips.  “Like I said you can’t escape me, you can’t run and hide, your death is inevitable.”

Her mind raced as she tried to figure a way out, a way to wake up.  No spell seemed to stop him and certainly no sword could stop him either.  How was she going to get out of this nightmare?  She looked around and saw the sun that was calming and warm was gone.  Now it was dark and cold and she started to shiver.  His hands wrapped around her arms and she snapped her head around and looked at him.

“It’s for the better; AJ would make a horrible Father.” Nick scoffed as he squeezed her arms.

Rayne stared at him for a moment as the idea leaked into her head.  Father. It was a long shot but if he was in there fighting, holding off the demon that’s trying to take over, perhaps she could get some kind of reaction.

“And what about you?” Rayne said as she made a last attempt to throw him off guard.

“Me?” Nick replied with a laugh.

Rayne swallowed and made sure she held the lie tightly inside her.  “I fear what Nalia will have to tell her child, when your son or daughter asks where their Father is.”

His grip slipped from her as she watched his face fall, she was ready for it and she had mix feelings about her trick working.  “You are not welcome here.” She said quickly and sent the spell hard into his chest.  A flash of light broke between them and she heard Nick shout something but she couldn’t make it out as he was pushed from her dream.

Her eyes fluttered opened and as they did she felt the throbbing pain inside her head.  With a soft moan she sat up on her arm and reached up with her free hand, placing her hand on her head. “Wonderful” She whispered at the pain. Getting her bearings she looked around the enclosed bed and saw that her husband was not sleeping beside her.  Grabbing her robe she left the bed and wrapped it around her. 

“Alex?” She called out as she looked around the room but he wasn’t there.  Tying up her robe she walked over to the window and opened it.  She looked out over the city.  “Where are you?” She wondered as her eyes scanned the streets below.

“Outside the city he walks.” A voice whispered in her head.

“Outside?” She thought as she looked towards the City Gates.

The sky was still dark but the moon was bright and lit up the streets below. Walking over to her wardrobe she opened it and pulled out a simple dress.  She put it on and walked out of the room.  The halls were quiet as she walked down them towards the front doors and the guards bowed to her as they opened the door for her to walk outside.  The guards at the front gates were surprised to see her but they still reacted to the Queen in front of them.  She stopped on the road and looked back as the gate locked closed behind her.  Rayne wondered if the guards had gone to get Jaina or Avit knowing both King and Queen were walking alone outside of Winnol.  Turning back around she started to walk down the dirt road looking through the trees and forest around her trying to find her husband.

When she saw a fork in the road a few yards ahead of her she stopped and thought about turning around.  She had been walking for a while now and she started to worry that she couldn’t find him.  The sound of a twig snapping took her attention and she looked to her left.

“There you are” She sighed relieved to see him walking towards her.  “What in the world are you doing out here and at this time of night?” She asked.

“Thinking.” He replied as he stepped onto the road.

“Here?” Rayne said as he started walking away.  She stared at him baffled that he hadn’t answered her.  “Alex?” When he didn’t answer she chased after him.  Stepping in front of her husband she blocked him from walking and he looked at her a little irritated.  “Why are you out here?”

“I told you I was thinking.” He snapped at her.

“Hey” She replied with a small frown. 

“I’m sorry” He sighed.  “I’m just all worked up over Nick.”

“Is that why you are out here?” She asked.

He looked away from her and looked behind them, to the area he had come out from.  “That’s where Bussa found us.” He said as he looked back at her.

“Found you?” She replied confused but quickly realized what he was talking about.  “When Marsa brought you back.”

“Yeah” He nodded.  “I thought I was dreaming.”

“I heard.” She replied and smiled a little as she remembered Marsa and her Father talking.  “Do you remember the first time we met?” She asked as she took his other hand.

“You mean when you slammed into me?” He asked and as he smiled she frowned.

“I did not, you slammed into me.” Rayne replied with shock even though she knew he was right.

“Please woman you had so many books on you, you couldn’t see where you were going.” He replied with a light laugh.

“I remember wondering who was this oddly dressed but handsome man.” She said laughing too.  “I also remember that was the first time I saw your temper.”

“Yeah well I was kind of going through a lot of shit.” AJ replied and she frowned at the swear word.

“Talk to me about Nickolas.” Rayne said as she ran her fingers through a piece of his hair.

“I keep thinking about what will happen next and every thought brings me to only one thing.” He said.  “I don’t think Nalia will do it and I don’t even know if I could but you…” He stopped and closed his eyes.  Her heart began to ache as she let go of his hair and touched the side of his face.

“We will find a way to help him.” Rayne said as he opened his eyes and looked at her.  “He is showing signs he is fighting, he is there Alex, and there is still something to fight for.”  As she looked at him, watched the pain in his eyes, she bit her lip.  “Plus I might have given him a little push.”

“Huh?” AJ replied as he looked at her confused.

“I was waiting for you at the park and while I was waiting Marsa showed up.”

“Marsa?” He replied and she heard the intrigue in his voice.

She nodded but decided not to get into detail about that part of the dream just yet.  “When he left Nick was there.  He told me he was still there because of what happened with Rexil.”

“When he helped you get your memory, he was in that phantasm thing you did.” He said and she knew he was catching on.

“He attacked me and…” She stopped when the words replayed in her head.

“What Rayne?” AJ asked.  “What did he do?”

“I could not think of anything to do to break his grip on me, to make him drop his guard so I could get out of the dream.” She told him.  “And then it just blurted out of me.”

“What did?” He asked as his head tilted a little.

“I asked him what Nalia would do when their son or daughter asks where their Father is.” She said and she couldn’t help but wince a little.  “It did work, he let go as soon as he realized what I was talking about and I was able to push him from the dream.”

“So now Nick thinks that Nalia is pregnant?” He asked and she looked at him confused then she saw the worry on his face.  “Rayne…he thinks she’s pregnant.”

She replayed his words and she began to see how that could be bad.  “Oh no” Her mouth gasped as she began to realize what she had done.  Before she could think any more on it AJ grabbed her and in a flash they were now standing in the hall of the Palace in Hevi.  Rayne looked around and saw AJ had brought them right outside of Nalia’s bedroom door. 

“Nali!” AJ yelled as he banged on the door.  “Nali are you in there?” She looked down as her husband grabbed the knob and turned it.  He pushed on the door opening it but when he let go of her hand and darted into the room her heart stopped.  As she walked through the door everything played out like it was in slow motion and she stood there frozen in time.

Nick was at the window holding Nalia as AJ ran towards them.  She looked outside the window and gasped at what she saw.  A large creature hovered, waiting.  It looked like a bird, like a giant Eagle but everything about the bird was a shadow.  Its feathers were shadows, its beak, its tail everything was a shadow.  Her eyes darted back to Nick and Nalia as Nick’s arm went flying out in front of him.  A shadow bolt burst from his fingers and slammed into AJ.  She watched as her husband was sent flying across the room and crashed against the desk.  Rayne looked at her friend, Nick’s one arm wrapped back around her, the other covering her mouth as she frantically grabbed at it.  Her screams were muffled by his palm and he looked at Rayne before bolting out the window. 

Finally Rayne was able to move and she darted towards the window but a loud, ear piercing squelch ripped through her ears and she fell to the floor covering them. She remembered hearing this sound as well, when they were in the park just before Nick had left.  When the sound stopped Rayne looked up.  Her eyes frantically searched the sky through the window but she saw nothing.

“Oh no” She whispered as she realized what she had done.  “Oh no Nali.” She said again as she scrambled to her feet.  Her body slammed to a stop as she looked out at the blue sky.  “Nalia!!” She yelled as her feelings and guilt over whelmed her. Rayne erupted into loud almost uncontrollable screams. “Nalia!!!” She screamed again as she pounded her fists on the ledge.

“Rayne?” AJ spoke from beside her and she looked at him, she could tell he was in pain.  “Oh Rayne.” He said with a frown as he reached up to her and pulled her into his arms.

“I just wanted to get away from him.” She whimpered.

“I know beautiful we’ll get her back.” He said as she felt his hand slid down the back of her head.