The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

 Chapter 24

            “Don’tcha be getting cocky!” Nick heard Rossi shout as the door slammed behind him and his Father left the room.  With a sigh he fell back onto his bed.  How much longer did he have to pretend to obey him.  He needed an army and right now he didn’t have time to deal with the fallout of just killing Rossi.  They would probably loose more man that way than just having Rossi lead them, or think he was anyways. 

            After he had flown away with Nalia from Kalica and landed on Rossi’s ship, the dwarf was furious Nick had wasted so much energy going after her, he was still mad that he had to send men after him when his energy began to wane out in Winnol.

“The Dwarf in him is still fighting ya can’t be runnin’ around like a blasted pup!” Rossi yelled at him.

First he was sleeping lost in a fun little game with Rayne.  Well until she told him about Nalia and then that stupid little dwarf started fighting.  Then the next thing he knew he was on his way to get Nalia and bring her back here. Now she was sleeping on the couch.

“I could kill her just like that.” He said snapping his fingers.  “Maybe I should, I’m sure you’d just give up and let go with nothing to fight for.”  He felt a tingle inside him and he smiled with an arrogant laugh.  “I heard they all fight but they all fail, this is who they are, the Drak’nors.  They don’t kill they just absorb.”  He looked over at Nalia and then continued to talk to himself.  “I wonder what would happen if Loki took her?”  His eyes locked onto hers.  “I wonder what would happen to the baby?”

With a slither of a snake he stood up from the bed and walked over towards her as she lied sleeping on the couch.  His eyes scanned her body as he leaned closer to her.  His hands drifted up her stomach his fingers lightly touching her robe.  They trickled their way over her breasts and under her neck.  With one last look at her peaceful face he clamped his hands down around her neck and began to squeeze. 

In a second her hands were around his wrists and she fought against him.  She gasped for air as her body twisted and turned under him.  He watched as her face turned red and then purple.  Her face seemed to swell a little and a small demented laugh broke from his lips.

“Nick…please.” She gasped out as spit gurgled from her mouth. 

He felt a tingle but he ignored it.  Her hands began to weaken their grip and he felt the tingle again.  A sharp pain ripped through his body and he let go as he fell back stumbling.  His body hit something and he heard a crashing sound as he felt a couple of things fall onto his head.  Out of instinct his body collapsed to the ground.

“Nick?” He heard Nalia say her voice was raspy and weak.

Nalia, how he missed her and if he didn’t know any better the pain he was feeling was from being away from her.  He opened his eyes even though he knew the light that beamed through the window would cause his throbbing head to explode he didn’t care.  He needed to see her.  His eyes opened and he looked across from him.  There she sat on the floor holding her throat as she looked at him, well what would be looking if she could see him.

“Son or Daughter.” Rayne’s voice echoed in his ears.

A bolt of pain ripped through his head and he grabbed it as he moaned.  His head dropped and he started to lie down on the floor.  Like his body was telling him it would feel better if he was lying down.

“Nickolas talk to me please.” Nalia said and he looked up at her.  “Please Nick I need to know you are still here.” She said and he heard her voice crack.

“I…” His throat went dry and the sound felt like it ripped his brain apart.  “I’m here.” He moaned out.  When he heard the sound of something scurrying across the floor he opened his eyes again and saw Nalia crawling over to him. Slowly he sat up and as he did she reached him.  Her arms wrapped around his neck and for a second the pain went away.

“Tell me how to help you.” She whispered through her tears.  “Tell me what I need to do.”

The pain started to come back and it started to come back ten fold.  He had to tell her how, he had to get it out before it was too late and she disappeared again.  “Alex…” He grunted out.  “He can see…”

“See?” She replied confused.  “See what?”

The pain blocked out anything more she said and he began to fold into himself as his body was over whelmed.  He tried to fight it but the more he did the darker everything became until…

“Nickolas, talk to me please.” Nalia said as he sat up.

He started laughing.  “Sometimes my stubbornness is a downfall.” He sighed as he got to his feet.  Then he reached down and grabbed Nalia by the arms and pulled her up.  She shouted in fright.  “Now what to do with you?” He said as his eyes drifted down her face. “This would be so much easier if there wasn’t a baby involved.”

“Baby?” Nalia replied confused.

“Don’t you deny it, your friend Rayne let the secret out.” Nick said to her.  “Granted the transformation is taking longer because of it, it will still happen. But what to do about the two of you is another question” He said as he pushed her down to the ground. A small smile broke from his lips when he heard her grunt as she hit the floor. He opened the doors to his room and walked out, not once looking back.

When she heard the door close she broke down into tears.  For a moment she held him, for a moment he was back in her arms but now he was gone again. She was alone, scared and it had been a long time since she felt that way.  Her mind played his words in her head.

“This would be so much easier if there wasn’t a baby involved.”

She sat on the floor confused still a little shaken up from waking up the way she did.  Why would he be talking about a baby, what did he mean Rayne let the secret out.  Then her mind played back a memory. He had just taken her from her room, they were on some sort of flying animal and she could hear Rayne screaming for her.  The tone in Rayne’s voice was regret and pain and she didn’t understand why.

“He thinks I am with child?” She whispered to herself and then it hit her.  “He…thinks I am with child, is that why Nick has been fighting?”

Just then there was a commotion outside of her door.  Carefully and quietly she made her way over to the door.  Slowly walking, carefully stepping, making sure not to knock anything over and draw attention to herself. She made her way towards the doors and the closer she got the more she could hear.

“Now where ye be going?” She heard Rossi say.

“I’m going for a walk” Nick snapped.

“Last time ya went for one we had to pick you up in Winnol.” Rossi barked.

“Whatever just worry about the army.” Nick sighed.

“Aye and what about her?” Rossi asked.

“She’s blind and we’re on a ship in the middle of the ocean.” Nick said and then she heard footsteps walking away.

“Rayne…” Nalia said as she began to feel her way around the room.  She followed the walls until her hands reached glass.  Her hands searched for something to open the window.  When something metal drifted across her finger tips she let a small smile escape her lips.  Undoing the latch she pushed on the windows and slowly leaned her head out.  She could hear the sounds around her the crashing of the waves against the boat, the squawk of the seabirds above her and the sound of the men above deck.

“Please tell her I am here, tell her where I am.” She whispered as she watched some sea birds fly past.

“Do you need something?” Nick’s voice said from behind her and she jumped right into his arms. “What were you doing?”

“I…I…” Her mind raced with an explanation.  “I…I was getting some air, feeling a little light headed.” She replied.  “I guess it…it is from the baby.”

It didn’t matter to her where the lie came from, why Nick thought she was pregnant, what matters is that he believes it and as long as he does, he will keep fighting.  She knew he would so if she needed to play along she would.

“I’m going out.” He said as he moved her over to the bed, there was no loving touch and no loving tone in his voice.  “I don’t know when I’ll be back and I can’t promise Rossi will feed you, he’s pretty pissed you’re here at all.” Nick said and she heard the window close and lock.  “If you feel light headed again, the bath is on the left side of the room, use it.”

A moment later she heard the bedroom doors close and realized he had left the room.  She breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t clued in to what she was doing.  Lying down on the bed she hoped and prayed Rayne and Alex would find her soon. 

“Alex…He can see.” Nick’s voice repeated in her head.

Rayne felt the breeze on her face and she opened her eyes, she didn’t know where they had popped up and she didn’t care.  Opening her mouth slightly she bit down on his fingers and Dyn shouted in pain. He quickly let go of her as he did she brought her leg up behind her and kicked him away.  Spinning around she made sure she got him in her sights.

“What exactly do you think you are doing!?” Rayne snapped as Dyn tried to catch his breath.

“I wanted you to see.” Dyn said.

“See? See what?” Rayne snapped.

“I do not mean you any harm Rayne.” Dyn said as he tried to take a step towards her but she stepped back, keeping him at a small distance. 

Rayne broke out in laughter.  “You could not hurt me even if you tried. I am not the weak fragile girl I was a year ago on that boat.”

“Rayne.” Dyn sighed.  “I told you that was not me.”

“Not you!” Rayne shouted.  “Do you think I am that stupid Dyn?  You were not being controlled by anyone. You are the one who dragged me onto that ship and you are the one who attacked me, who tried to…” She paused and it was a long enough pause for her tears to catch up with her.  “You were my best friend next to Nalia.”

“And at one point you loved me.” Dyn said to her and she saw the hope in his eyes.

“At one point yes but not now and not ever, not after what you did.” Rayne told him as she wiped her tears.

“I can not tell you why I did what I did because I do not know.” Dyn said trying once again to touch her and this annoyed her.  “I saw my Mother and my Sister get crushed by a falling building, he was the reason they were there in the first place, he knew the danger and he let them go anyways.” Dyn said bitterly.  “I had a year to sit and think, I was angry and hurt and….”

She interrupted him.  “I do not care!” She yelled at him.  “I have heard this all before Dyn and nothing will make me change my mind or make me forget what you did, or tried to do, to me.”  After a moment she spoke up again.  “Now take me home please.”  Dyn said nothing.  “Did you hear me Dyn Breezewalker? I said take me home.”

“Why?” Dyn said and he looked at her “Take you home so I can go sit in a jail cell.”

“It is where you deserve to be.” Rayne said angrily.  “You killed your Father.”

“He sent my Mother and…”

“I am so sick and tired of hearing about Tsa and Nati.” Rayne shouted at him.  “I will tell you now the same thing I told you when you left for Pomic.  They went on their own accord, maybe Marsa did know about the risks but we could not live our lives in a bubble.”  She stopped and looked at him, he said nothing just stared at her.  “And what about your Brother.”

“He is not my Brother!” Dyn snapped.

“He is your Brother!” Rayne snapped back as she took a step forward and got right in his face. “Alexander is your Brother and you took his Father away.  A loving, caring, and amazing Father from him and it was not like he grew up with one like you did Dyn.”

“Well then there is another thing Father is at fault for because he sent him away.” Dyn mumbled.

“Are you responsible for anything?” Rayne shouted.  “Everything that you have done to me, to your Brother and to your Father is someone else’s fault.”

“Rayne” Dyn said as he grabbed her hand. 

With one quick motion Rayne lifted her free hand and sent her wraith spell slamming into his chest.  The man was pushed back from the force of the spell and crashed hard into the ground.  She did not move as he gasped for air and tried to get to his feet.

“I will tell you again do not put your hands on me” She said with a bitter anger.  “You can not even comprehend what I can do to you Dyn.”

“You will not hurt me.” Dyn replied still a little breathless.  “Somewhere deep down you still love me, it is why I never went to jail, it is why I am still living in the castle and it is most likely why you settled for my Brother.”

Rayne felt the rage rise up in her and then she heard the sound of ground breaking, thick, heavy vines came up from the ground and trapped him.  He started yelling, twisting and turning to get out of the vine trap but he could not.  A moonbeam spell came crashing down onto him and he shouted in pain.

“You think I still love you.” Rayne hissed through her teeth.  “You make me sick Dyn Breezewalker.” Another moonbeam spell came crashing down, he yelled out in pain again, and then he was hit with another spell.  Tears streamed down her cheeks, her breathing was heavy and sporadic, and her jaw was tightly clinched.  “I want you dead, I want you gone and if I have to do it myself than so be it.”

“Well well well look what we have here.” A voice said from behind them and Rayne spun around to see Nick standing there.  “Aww Rayne why are you so sad?” He said with a frown. He then looked over at Dyn lying on the ground.  “Oh that’s why.” He replied and she could hear the sarcasm in his voice.

With her attention on Nick her spell on Dyn let go.  The vines release and the man slowly rolled over moaning in pain.  “Felt good huh?” Nick said as Rayne stared at him.  “Making him pay for what he did to you.  I’m sorry I distracted you, please continue.”

With an angry yell Rayne sent her arm out and released a wraith spell at Nick but it did nothing.  He waved his arm and the spell dispersed before it even hit him. Rayne’s anger grew as Nick stood there laughing at her.  The rage began to flow through her again, her fists clenched, her jaw tightened and then the ground started shaking.  She stared at Nick as he looked around confused and then he turned around.  There behind him were to giant trees walking towards them.

“Look familiar.” Rayne hissed angrily.

“Go ahead kill me.” Nick replied.  “But when I don’t return Rossi will kill Nalia.”

“He will try.” Rayne shot back.

“And what of the baby?” Nick said and the memory of the secret came back to her.  The thought distracted her and he took that moment to attack.  His drain spell wrapped around her and began to suck her energy from her to him.  She grunted as she dropped to her knees, her body becoming tired and weak.  Then the spell was gone and she collapsed to the ground.  She looked up and saw Dyn and Nick going at it.  Spells were flying everywhere and both men were holding their own.

“Jeez Dyn you can have her when I’m done.” Nick shouted at him.

“You will not harm her.” Dyn snapped back.

“Ok, I mean you are so much better at it than I am.” Nick replied with a sigh.

A frost bolt came flying at Nick and he almost didn’t block it in time.  Dyn ran at Nick ready to attack him not with spells but with his hands. It was a mistake.  Nick grabbed him and as soon as he did he began to suck the life from Dyn.

“Kind of like Déjà vu.” Nick said as he looked at the man and then his head turned to Rayne.  “So, what will it be Rayne?” He asked. “You can fight me and try to save him and yourself or you could walk away right now, while I drain the life out of him.”

With the anger still running through her she stared at both men and pondered the question.  Walking away would be so much easier, let Nick kill Dyn and be done with it.  But could she really do that, could she willingly let her former friend die.

“Rayne…p-p-please.” Dyn choked out.

The memory of the pain, the fear and the hurt of a friend’s betrayal returned. With a deep breath she looked Dyn right in the eyes and said.  “Perhaps now you will understand.”  And with those words she turned and began walking.  The sound of Dyn screaming tore at her so she picked up her dress and began to run.  She ran until her lungs felt like they were drying up, she ran until she felt like she was going to throw up but not once did she look back.

Rayne dropped to the ground with exhaustion.  She tried opening her eyes to look and see where she was but all she saw was something big and furry.  A snarl echoed in her ears and the feeling of something cold and wet on her neck.

“Rest Milady, we will take care of you.” The voice said and she relaxed letting her body drift off into slumber.