The Guardian Crusade

Volume III

 Chapter 35

            AJ sat on the couch with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. His wife was now sleeping.  He brought her to their room in Hevi when she started losing it in the hallway and then had Avit retrieve a Priest when she wouldn’t calm down.  The Healer conjured a sleep spell and now she had been sleeping for a couple of hours. 

He began to think about Halian seeing her lying there, her eyes open but there was no life in them.  With a sigh he let the sadness and pain out.  His heart ached for Rayne seeing the pain she was in and his heart ached for Halian.  Missing the woman that had been there for him much like a Mother and coming to the realization that she wouldn’t be there anymore.

There was a light knock at the door and AJ looked up as he caught his breath.  He wiped his eyes and looked over to the bed hoping it didn’t wake his sleeping wife.  Composing himself not knowing who was at the door he stood up and made his way to answer it.  When he opened it he was surprised to see a tall old Elvaan standing in front of him.

“Kimiri right?” AJ said as he looked up at him.

“Yes” The Elvaan nodded.  “I heard about her Majesty’s Mother, I came to give her my sympathy’s.” He said.

“She is sleeping right now, Priests orders.” He told him.

“I see” He replied with a light smile.  The sound of someone walking up behind the Elvaan perked both men’s attention and the looked to see who it was.

“Avit” AJ said seeing his General stopping behind them.

“I will leave you to your business King Alexander, please tell Queen Rayne I came by and again I am truly sorry for her loss.” Kimiri said with a light bow.

“Thank you and I will relay your message.” He told the old Elvaan. When Kimiri left AJ turned to Avit. “What’s up?”

“I know this may not be the best time but we need to discuss Loki.” Avit said as AJ opened the door wider.

“Come in” AJ said.

Avit took a stepped in and then stopped.  “Her Majesty is sleeping?” He asked.

“Yeah” AJ nodded.

“Perhaps we should go to the meeting room.” Avit suggested.

“I am not leaving her alone because of what happened and because who knows where Dyn is right now or what he will do next.” AJ said as he sat down on the couch.  “What is the final word on what happened here?”

“From what witnesses say Halian was walking down the hall and Dyn appeared out of now where, they exchanged words and Halian started to walk away.  That is when he came up from behind her and…” Avit stopped.

“He did this for a reason; there was no strategy to this but to get to Rayne.” AJ said with anger. “He wanted her to go through this, he wanted it to happen and that pisses me off so fucking much.” AJ breathed heavily.  “When I get my hands on him.” With an angry grunt he stood up and walked over to the window.

“I have had eyes every where and no one has seen him.” Avit told him.

A soft moan broke from behind the curtains and both men looked at the bed.  After a moment AJ looked back over to Avit, his General was looking at him.  The Elvaan took a deep breath and then spoke.

“Nickolas told me about what he had learned about Loki.” Avit said as AJ headed back to the couch.  “I think if we take Sarila’s fleet and Kalica’s fleet we can set up a base on the north-east coast line, find one of the entrances around there and make our way through.”

“I want you to get the gang, Nalia and Nick, go over everything with Evia, Bussa and Jaina, and then we will gather and head out.” AJ said as both him and Avit stood up.

“Very well Sir.” Avit replied with a nod.

AJ walked him over to the door and said goodbye.  He closed the door quietly and locked it and then walked back over to the couch.  Sitting back he shut his eyes and took a deep breath.  How he wished he could just grab Rayne and run away, teleport somewhere with her and hide away from everything.

“Mom?” Rayne loudly moaned from behind the curtain and he sat up looking towards the bed.  He saw the curtain fly open and saw her start running towards the door.  Quickly he stood up but knew he would not catch her in time if he ran.  With one thought he was standing in front of her and slammed back against the door as she slammed into him.

“Whoa” AJ said as she fought against him.  “Rayne stop it’s me.”

“Let me go” She said pushing him into the door.  It didn’t hurt but she still fought to get passed him.  “I am going to find him.”

“Rayne” He said as he tried to grab her arms.

“I am going to find him and I will kill him, this time I will kill him.” She said and he heard her voice crack.

“You do not even know where he is Rayne.” AJ said as he was able to stop her from swinging and she looked up at him. 

“It is because of him my Mother is…” She stopped and for a moment she had the look like she was going to be sick.  “Because of him…” Her voice was now a whisper and that sick look came back. As a tear dripped down her cheek she opened her mouth to say something but a loud voice broke through out the room.

“Because of me your Mother is dead.”

AJ snapped his head towards his brother as he felt Rayne slip from his grasp.  He reached for her but only caught thin air.  She dashed at Dyn but he was ready for her and grabbed her arms as she reached for him.  He threw her down to the floor and pushed out his hand releasing a wind spell.  It blew Rayne across the room; she slid across the floor and slammed into the wall beside AJ’s dresser. 

AJ unleashed a firebolt towards Dyn but his brother was quicker and dodged the fireball.  It slammed into the wall beside the bed leaving a round scorch mark.  Quickly he teleported over to Rayne and popped up in front of Dyn.  With a swing of his arm he sent his fist flying into his brother’s face sending the Elvaan stumbling back.  Just as AJ went to go at his brother again Rayne went bolting past him.

“Rayne!” AJ shouted as he watched as Dyn teleported away and she went crashing to the ground.  He ran for her but someone grabbed him by the back of his robe and he was spun around.

“Halian was just as foolish as the two of you thinking you could stop me, thinking she could just walk away and ignore me.” Dyn growled in anger and then with another growl he sent AJ flying over the couch.  He crashed hard into the table but the adrenaline aloud him to recover quickly.  When he stood up he saw Dyn pulling Rayne up by the hair. AJ was starting to think Dyn killing Halian wasn’t because of Rayne.  He wondered was it because of him? But why Halian?

“You will feel the pain you caused me.” Dyn yelled at him and then sent her flying into AJ.  The couple slammed into the stone wall.  The room was spinning and as he opened his eyes he saw his brother walking up to them.  “One by one I will take them all away just like you took everything from me.” Dyn said as he pulled up Rayne.  He reached for his brother’s robe and pulled on it but his mind couldn’t comprehend the command to pull and he just grabbed at air. “Even after you kill Loki and you wonder what is next, I will be there, reminding you every single day…” Dyn spoke as he dragged Rayne across the room.

“Dyn…” AJ gasped out as he tried to stand up.  His legs wobbled and he fell to the floor and let on a frustrated huff.  He looked up and watched in horror as Dyn stepped up onto the window bench and threw open the doors.  “Don’t” 

His brother stood at the window the wind blew in blowing Rayne’s hair around, she fought against him but AJ knew he was too strong for her.  “Reminding you dear Brother I am the reason you sleep alone at night.”  With those words Dyn shoved Rayne out the window.  Rayne screamed as she went toppling from the windowsill.

“Noo!!” AJ screamed and the room seemed to shake.  He scrambled to his feet in a hysterical panic and stared at the window as his brother stood there, his arms extended in a pushing motion.  Something wasn’t right and it knocked him from his hysteria.  He stood there catching his breath panting a little, stopping his tears as he stood with his eyes locked on his brother. Dyn stood at the window motionless.  Quickly his eyes darted to the open window and to his astonishment Rayne was outside the window, floating in midair.  His eyes frowned as he took a step and he saw that she wasn’t floating she was stopped. 

AJ walked up to the window and looked at Dyn, everything about the man was frozen, stuck in a moment.  AJ looked outside the window and saw a bird, stopped in mid flight, he looked down the people, even the people weren’t moving.  He looked at Rayne again her face stuck in a terrifying stare at the ground below. Carefully he grabbed her by the waste and quickly pulled her back.  When he did she snapped back into motion and began kicking and screaming. 

It sent AJ stumbling back and they both went crashing to the floor.  He landed with his hands behind him catching himself but his eyes never left her.  When she hit the floor she stopped dead and looked around. 

“What…” She said breathless.  Her eyes went to AJ and she stared at him and then looked towards the window.  Quickly with a gasp she stood up and backed away from Dyn.  She bumped into AJ and spun around.  To his surprise she pulled away from him and looked at him a little scared. “What…what is this?”

“I swear I do not know.” AJ replied.  “Everything just stopped.”

“You did this?” She asked looking at him.

“I-I don’t know maybe?” He replied.  “I don’t remember doing it, I saw him push you out the window and I lost it.”

Rayne turned and looked at Dyn.  Slowly she walked over and studied him.  She then looked out the window and he heard her gasp.  His wife spun around and looked at him.  “Everything has stopped.”

“Yeah” AJ replied with a quick nod. 

Then Rayne turned and looked at Dyn, she reached for him and began pushing him towards the window.  AJ ran over to her and pulled her away.  “Hey what are you doing?”

“Pushing him out the window like he was going to do to me.” She snapped as she tried to push away from him.  “Would you let me go?!”  He stared at her even though she was still fighting with him.  Only a moment ago she was tumbling out of the window to no doubt her death below.  Now she was standing here in front of him and at the moment he didn’t care about what was or what wasn’t going on around them. This sudden need came over him and he had no time to think about the ‘what ifs’. “Alexander I said let me go!” She shouted as she looked up at him. 

“No” He said and she gave him a puzzled look clearly not expecting that answer.  AJ pulled his wife against him and grasped her lips in his.  She resisted at first and tried to pull her arms out of his grip.  The longer he kissed her the more he wanted her.  His hands tried to cure the lust that flowed through him but it wasn’t enough.  He pushed her towards the wall never once breaking the grasp he had on her lips. Hesitating before he let go of her arms, he wondered if she would stop him now that he let go of her but she didn’t. 

His hands grasped her hips and he pushed her firmly against the wall.  He let go and unclipped his robe. Reaching down AJ gripped the bottom of her nightgown in his hands and pulled it up over her waist.  His lips drifted from hers and skipped down her neck as he reached into his boxer shorts.  AJ lifted Rayne up and slid her onto him.  He returned his lips to hers as his body bucked against her body. 

He wrapped his arm around her waist steadying them.  His other arm wrapped around behind her, grasping her shoulder with his hand and as he continued his steady pace his eyes opened and locked onto her face.  Her eyes were closed but there was pleasure on her face.  Gently he pecked at her lips and she moaned lightly.   

The couple stood there engulfed in an erotic embrace everything around them, everything outside stopped in time. It was just the two of them, Dyn oblivious to what was going on a few feet away.  No one coming in with more bad news, no war to think about, no Demons to fear, just him and his wife as they made passionate love against their bedroom wall. Her moans became louder as her lower body tightened around him. When her body began to tremble and she called out his name his desire for her grew stronger.  He pushed her down onto him as he thrusted into her.  A flurry of emotions erupted through his body as a grunt of pleasure broke from his lips. 

As he hit his peak he thrusted into her one last time, banging her back into the wall but they were both too immersed with each other to notice.  Rayne pulled her lips away and gasped as their bodies began to slow.  His lips skimmed up her neck and he could feel her pulse, throbbing against them.  Her heart was racing fast and it was like he could feel each beating thump.  When she lowered her head he pulled his lips away.  Their eyes locked on each other as they both caught their breath.  Her finger skimmed down the side of his neck stopping on the dip under his collar bone. This time Rayne leaned in and kissed him, after a moment her lips trickled from his mouth down his neck.  She then pulled away and her eyes drifted over beside them and AJ smirked knowing who she was looking at. She looked back to her husband, her lips smirked, the smirk cracked into a smile, the smile spread into a giggle and the giggle let out a laugh.  She wrapped her arms around him as they both started laughing.