The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

 Chapter 30

            “Those god damn birds, I think they took a chunk of my ear.” Nick whined as he looked at himself in the mirror.

“Bloody well serves you right.” Rossi mumbled. “Taking off like that, what if something happened?”

“Happened?” Nick squealed as he spun around.  “Nothing is going to happened to me, they can’t touch me.”

“Fine than.” Rossi grunted as walked up to Nick.  “Before the birds get to ya.”

Nick gritted his teeth and stared at the dwarf.  “Don’t you have something to do?”

“Aye I would if someone hadn’t lost half my bloody army runnin’ off after Nalia!” Rossi shouted at him. Nick was about to reply when Dyn walked in.

“Did you do it?” He asked.

“Yep” He nodded with a laugh.  “Poor Rayne she was no idea what she’s in for.”

“What made Alexander so bad back then?” Rossi asked.

“It was just everything.” Nick replied.  “With all the booze he drank the drugs he did, he was an ass.  I know Rayne and that attitude is a major turn off for her.”

Rossi started laughing.  “Boy ye really think Alexander acting a fool while he doesn’t rrremeba’ anything, will be enough to break those two apart?”

Nick stared at him.  “Do dwarves even have brains?” He asked.

Rossi jumped at him but Dyn stopped the little man.  “What is the next step?” Dyn asked.

“AJ remembers nothing, which means he doesn’t remember the spell around the tree.” He told them and Rossi smiled. “Tomorrow Dyn you will get Rayne and meet us there.”

“Must we kill her?” Dyn asked.

Nick looked at him.  “She left you for dead and still you have a hard on for her.” Dyn looked at him confused.  “That’s love and yes we need to kill her, her blood opens the portal.”

Rayne’s eyes shot open and she replayed what she had just saw in her mind.  Was it a dream? Or was something showing her that conversation.  Slowly she sat up in the bed, her chest and back still sore she looked around.  The last thing she remembered before passing out was Alex. 

“Milady?” Someone said from beside her and she looked over.

“Jaina” She replied with a relieved smile.

“How are you feeling?” Her Guard asked her.

Sore” She replied.  “Where is Alex?”

“He is ah…” Jaina paused.

Rayne sighed.  “Which tavern is he in?”

“The Lion Heads.” She replied. “He has been there since they brought you here to Winnol.”

Rayne slowly climbed out of bed with much protest from Jaina.  “I appreciate your concern but I need to talk with him.”

“Then I will go down there.  The Priest said you had two broken ribs and a bruised spine, you need to stay off your feet.” Jaina told her.  “Please Rayne.”

“Alright” She replied as she and she laid back down.

“Is Sir Kevin still around?” Rayne ask.

“I believe so yes.” She nodded.

“Will you tell him I would like to see him as well?”

“Of course Milady.” She replied with a nod.

When Jaina left she slowly crawled out of the bed and walked over to her dresser.  She slipped on a robe over her nightgown and at a snails pace she made her way over to the couch.  There was a knock at the door as she reached the middle of the room and she answered.

“Come in”

The door opened and Kevin walked in.  “You are not supposed to be up.” He said as he walked over to her.

“I am going to the couch that is all.” She replied as he took her arm. 

“You’re supposed to be in bed.” He told her.

“A Queen does not do business in bed.” She replied.

“Business?” Kevin replied confused.

“I need to ask a favor from you and you’re friends.” She told him.

“What is it?” He asked.

“I need you to go to Ashmourn where the tree is, Rossi is on his way there.” She told him.

“With Nick?” He asked.

“Perhaps, although he might show up here to distract us.” She said with a sigh and a wince in pain.  “Alex remembers nothing, which means he does not remember the spell he put on the Tree.” She explained. “I will send Jaina, Avit and what ever army from both countries with you.”

“What about you Alex and Nalia?” He asked.

“We are going to Tokia.” She told him.

“Loki?” He asked.

“If we get there in time and kill him, the Dwarves will be released.”

“What about Nick?” He asked.

“All we know is that Alex is the key to helping him, like Nalia said there is something only he can see.”

“And now even if you knew he knows nothing about magic.” He said and she nodded.

“Right” Rayne nodded. “Tell you the truth I am not sure what to do with him.” She told him.  “Right now he is drunk at a Tavern here in Winnol, I sent Jaina for him but who knows if he will even come.”

“I am sorry about this.” She gave him a light smile and she noticed the look on his face.

“What is it?” She asked.

“I just never thought I’d be apologizing for him again.” Kevin sighed.  “I swore I would never do it again.”

“Was he like this?” She asked.

“Worse” He replied. “There was also Cocaine involved back then.”

Rayne sighed. “His Aura is dim.”

“What does that mean?” Kevin asked.

“When Aura’s are dim it means the person is withdrawn.” She told him.  “It is still there just you can not see it and that is how they go through life.”

“I think I understand.” Kevin replied.

The door opened and Rayne looked up.  “He will not come.” Jaina said as she walked in.

“What is in you hair?” Rayne asked as she looked at her Guard.

“Ale” Jaina replied with a tight jaw.

“Ugh Alexander.” Rayne grunted.

“I’ll go tell the others to get ready and then I’ll go get him.” Kevin said standing up.  “When do you want us to leave?” He asked.

“Everyone will meet in Alex’s Meeting room in an hour.” She told him.

“Alright” He replied with a nod as he walked out of the room.

“Meeting?” Jaina asked.

“We need to talk.” She told her.

“It is an honor to be drinking with you King Alexander.” The Elvaan man said as AJ drank the last that was in his mug. “I must say you drink like a Dwarf.”

“Thanks” AJ slurred out. “I think.”  He put down the mug and looked around.  “Where did that waitress go?”

“Another Drink for the King!” The Elvaan shouted and right now AJ didn’t care he was drinking with an Elvaan, all that mattered was they kept buying him beer.

“Nope I think King Alexander has had last call.” A voice said from behind AJ and he turned around.

“Ah Fuck” He sighed as he saw Kevin staring back at him.

“Rayne wants to see you.”  Kevin told him.

“What does she want to knit or something?” AJ asked as he wobbled in his chair a little.

“No” Kevin said as he grabbed him by the robe.  “She wants to talk to you.”

“Yay talking.” AJ replied with a drunken stumble.

“You know you better remember you’re the one who forgot how to use your magic, Rayne still remembers and if you keep being a dick to her, she just might use it.” Kevin snapped at him as he pushed him out the tavern door. AJ stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

“I remember you being this way, she doesn’t she never saw this side of you?” Kevin snapped.

“Well what the fuck am I supposed to do huh?” AJ yelled back.  “I wake up and I’m a fucking Elf.  I find out I am actually from another world, my mom isn’t my mom, and I can shoot firebolts out of my ass.”

“Alex” Kevin sighed.

“Plus I’m married to some chick who, I don’t even know why I’m married to her, she’s boring.” AJ as he threw his hands into the air.

“Rayne is far from boring.” Kevin replied.

“Really name one exciting thing about her?” AJ asked.

“Um hello dumbass the birds that saved your ass?” Kevin said quickly.

“That was her?” AJ replied.  “Fuck off.”

“I’m serious man.” Kevin nodded.  “And she can turn into a wolf.”

“A wolf. AJ said as he stared at him his jaw dropped a little.  “Like poof wolf.” He said extending his arms and waving them around upward into the air.

“Yes” His friend nodded. “She can command trees to come alive and fight; in fact she did it to Nick once.” Kevin told him.

“Trees?” AJ replied a little confused.

“Yes, actual Trees, with arms, legs, eyes, the whole nine. It’s all part of being a Druid.” Kevin said.  “She took a sword for me.”

“What?”

Kevin nodded.  “That evil guy Ignis I told you about, when he was controlling Rayne’s Mom, she kidnapped me, ya’ll came to get me out, and Ignis went to stab me with the sword and Rayne jumped in front of it.”

AJ didn’t say anything, thinking about what Kevin had said.  “And she loves you.”  He looked at his friend.  “She loves you, not AJ, not Alex, she loves Alexander.  She loves all of you, why do you think she won’t let you doing anything?”

“Cause she doesn’t want me drinking.” AJ mumbled.

“No because you have no Magic, and Nick is on a serious rampage.” Kevin told him.

“I can’t believe Nick’s all badass.” AJ replied.

“Well hopefully we can help him.” Kevin said as AJ looked behind them to the Tree Castle.  “She wants you to be safe, she wants to protect you and she can’t do that if you’re stumbling around drunk.”  AJ stared at the Castle, maybe Kevin was right.

“I seriously left everything behind for this chick?” AJ asked.

“She was not the only reason no, you started to realize that what they were saying was true, you were from here…you are from here.” Kevin said.  “The whole reason you are going through this is because you’re trying too find yourself but you can’t because you were on Earth.”

AJ walked over to a bench.  “This is all kinds of fucked up dude.” He said as he sat down.

“Yeah, I know” Kevin replied as he walked over and sat beside him.

“I just I don’t see it.” He said as he rubbed his hands over his eyes.  He took a deep breath and sighed.

“Well spend some time with her; stop acting like a fucking dick around her and you’ll find out.” Kevin said as he gave him a little nudge. “Now you can walk back or I can knock ya the fuck out and drag ya back, cause I got magic too, so…” He said as he cocked his head a little.  “What’s it going to be?”

AJ looked over at the bar; things were so much easier there.  He looked at Kevin and then looked at the Tree Castle.  The words that Kevin had spoken replayed in his head.  What if Kevin was right, what she was the one he was looking for? The one that filled the whole, the one who loved his fuck ups as much as his good deeds, and the one who wanted to be a part of his life not just along for the ride.

“Alright” AJ sighed as he stood up.  “How is she doing anyways?”

“Two broken ribs and a bruised spine.” Kevin told him.

AJ stopped dead. “I thought they said she was going to be ok?”

“Because she is, that’s what the Springs are for.  It’s like a hospital but Magical, sort of, I really don’t know how to explain it but the shit works.” Kevin said with a shrug.

“Where is she now?”

“In your room in the Castle.” He said as he nodded towards the Giant Tree.  “She wants to see you and I gotta get going, we’re going after Nick.”

“Am I going with you?”

“No, you’re going with Rayne and Nalia, to Tokia.” Kevin told him as they headed out of the market square.  “That’s why you gotta get your shit together.”

“What good am I going to be to them?” AJ asked.

“Hell if I know but she wants you with them.” Kevin scoffed.  “But she doesn’t want you stumbling around drunk and doing something stupid.”

“So Nalia that’s Nick’s girl?” AJ asked.

“Yeah” Kevin replied with a nod.  “Rossi attacked her to get back at Nick, they ah, took her eyes.”

“Seriously?” AJ asked as his eyebrows went up.

Kevin nodded.  “But you should see her fight. Wouldn’t even know it.”

“This place is…is just…I dunno.” AJ sighed.

“I know what you mean man we were all feeling it when we first got here but things happened and paths were followed.” Kevin said with a smile and he couldn’t help but smile back.