The Guardian Crusade

                                           Volume III

                                                             Chapter Seven

Nick sat at the desk in his and Nalia’s room.  She was fast asleep again and had been that way since her little accident upstairs.  It was hard telling her everything would be alright; everything would be ok because Nick wasn’t sure if it would be.  How was he going to go to War with Rossi, do his job as a Guardian and protect Nalia?  When he heard a commotion in the hallway he quickly looked over to Nalia hoping it didn’t wake her.  He got up from the desk and made his way to the door, when he got there someone started to knock.  Quickly he opened it and saw Bussa standing on the other side.

“What is going on?” Nick asked.

“One of Tokia’s ships has anchored off the shore line.” Bussa told him.

“One?” Nick replied a little confused.

“Yes just one.” Bussa told him.  “The Queen has asked that you escort her and her guards there, I will stay with Princess Nalia.”

Nick looked back at Nalia, still fast asleep and sighed. “Alright.” He nodded, if it had been anyone else he would have told them no but he knew Bussa would be there for her.  Making his way down the hall he headed towards the front lobby and saw about six guards and Evia all waiting for him.  He walked down the stairs and joined the group, Evia walked up to him. 

“You will ride in the carriage with me.” She told him and he nodded.  Evia took him by the arm and they both walked outside of the Palace to the awaiting carriage at the bottom of the front Palace stairs.  Looking around at the people he couldn’t help but notice the sorrow on their faces. 

“Where was Nalia when Bussa arrived?” Evia asked.

“Sleeping.” Nick replied as he closed the carriage door.

“How are you?” She asked as he sat down on the bench across from her.

“I’m ok.” He told her as he looked out the window.  The carriage jerked forward and Nick had to brace himself a little.

“Just ok?” Evia asked.

“I’ll be better once Rossi is dead.” Nick told her.  “What do we know about the ship?”

“Not much till we get there, once I had heard I had my men go and try to board the ship or at least keep an eye on it till we and the others arrived.” Evia told him.  “All I know right now is that it is a Tokia ship and there are people on it.”

“Why only one?” Nick asked.  “Do you think it’s a trap?”

“That is why I brought you.” Evia replied with a smile.  “But I do not see how he could get enough men on the boat and have them properly prepared to fight against you and my Army.”

Nick looked out the window, it had to be a trap but why would Rossi risk something like that already.  He knew there was only one ship, the soldiers would have seen the other boats and if there were then they would be too far out to make a successful attack against the shore when Nick and Evia got there.  With a sigh he sat back against the carriage wall and closed his eyes. 

“I am relieved to get out of the Palace.” Evia spoke up and Nick opened one eye.  She was looking out her window with her thoughts apparent on her face.  “The Warrior Guild has been asking me so many questions.”

“Why?” Nick asked as he sat up.

“They want to help Nalia; they have an idea of training her other senses, heightening them so perhaps she could compensate for…” Evia paused and looked at him.  “I’ve told them she is not ready but they are persistent on starting as soon as possible.”

“What did Nalia say?” Nick asked her.

“I have tried to talk to her but she says nothing, just lies in bed and asks to be alone.” Evia sighed. “I hate seeing her the way she is and not because of her eyes, it is how torn and confused she is.”

“Torn?” Nick replied unsure what she meant.

“When you went with Alexander to talk to his spies earlier I heard her talking in her room, I am not sure if it was to herself or if she was actually talking to Pixca but she is very angry that Pixca has not helped.” Evia told him.  “She has helped Alexander, Rayne and even yourself but when it comes to my Nalia she will not interfere.” Nick was about to reply when the carriage came to a stop and they both looked out their windows. 

“Looks like we’re here.” Nick said as he opened the door to the coach and stepped out.  He held out his hand so Evia could step out and down the step.

“Captain Angil what have you found out?” Evia asked as one of her Captains approached her.

“They are deserters.” He told her as he bowed to her.  “They say they have known the way Rossi has been acting for some time now and when they got word about what happened to Nalia people started running.”

“Can we trust them?” Nick asked more to himself than to the others around him.

“I am not sure, Queen Mela is amongst them.” The Captain said and Nick’s head snapped towards him.

“Mela is here?” Nick asked.

“Yes sir, and if her appearance is any indication on the truth she speaks than they are here to seek refuge.” Captain Angil replied and Nick didn’t like what he meant by that.

“Where is she?” Evia asked catching Nick’s look.

“In my tent.” The Captain replied as he held out his arm and pointed them in the direction.  Evia and Nick made there way to the Captain’s accommodations, looking around him Nick saw many Dwarves hurt and being tended to by the soldiers of Kalica.  He did not look away when they made eye contact but they looked away from him and Nick wasn’t sure if it was because they were all a lie, sent here by Rossi to trick Nick or were they saddened by what had happened to their people betrayed by their own King.  When Nick walked into the Captains tent he saw Mela laying on a bed, her face was badly bruised and cut, her dress was torn and dirty and she did not look well at all.  Slowly Nick walked over to her, his mind still unsure what was going on, truth or lie? Fact or Fiction he did not know but he was going to find out.

“Mela?” Nick spoke and the Dwarf woman slowly opened her eyes.

Nickolas.” She replied with a light smile and then it fell into a frown.  “I am so sorry about Nalia, I tried…” She stopped and took a deep breath. “I tried to stop them, to stop him but I do not know what is wrong with Rossi or Dolun.”

“Who did this to you?” Nick asked he still wasn’t buying her story yet.

“Rossi.” Mela said as she took another deep breath.  “When one of his men came in and told him you had rescued Nalia he became very angry, thought I had tipped you off and well, I woke up on the ship with Barco by my side.”

“Barco’s here?” Nick said a little stunned Rossi’s Commander was here.  “Where is he?”

“Tending to his wounded sir, I have an eye being kept on him.” The Captain said.

Nick felt like he was back in the cave on his way to Ashmourn when it was just him and Nalia, being torn left and right at the same time, being pulled up and down, and the confusion of not knowing what was real and what wasn’t.  Was this the truth, is it Rossi being controlled and not all the Dwarfs or is this still some sick trick for Rossi to get close to Nick.

Nick sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair.  “Take Mela to the Springs and anyone else that needs it, I will inform Alex and get some extra guards down there, everyone else take them to Kalica until we can find out if this is a trick or not.”

“Trick?” Mela replied softly.  “This is no trick Nickolas.”

“Whether you are on the side of the Demons or not Mela, you know how I feel about being lied too.” Nick said as he looked at the woman who was his Mother, is his Mother.  “Especially by my parents, so please forgive me if I’m not being overly friendly right now.”

“I understand.” Mela replied with a nod.

Nick turned to Evia. “I need to go see Alex and Rayne…”

“Rayne?” Mela said a little shocked.  “So it is true.”

“That she is alive?” Nick replied turning around.  “Yeah”

“But how?” Mela asked.

“We think she got out before the Castle collapsed and hid somewhere until she was strong enough to move.” Nick told her, the same story AJ told him to tell people.

“I see” Mela replied. Nick stared at her a moment her reaction to the news could have been taken either way. 

“I will meet up with you in Winnol.” Evia told him.

“Be careful, I do not trust this yet.” Nick replied.  He then leaned in closer to Evia and whispered.  “She is acting like she does not remember Ashmourn at all and I know that is a lie.” Evia nodded as she looked at him in agreement.  Nick took one last look at Mela and then walked out of the tent over to the carriage.  He told the driver to take him back to Kalica.

AJ sat at his desk in his meeting room, the sound of the waterfall outside echoed through out his room through the open doors behind him.  He stared at the orders that he had signed only moments ago that sent his spies to Tokia.  His mind wondered to when he first came here, how desperate everyone was, they all thought they were at their last desperate attempt to save themselves, and it worked.  AJ and Nick were brought back, Ignis was defeated and the truth was revealed or so they all thought but after Ashmourn and what they had all learned afterwards, AJ knew this War was far from over. 

A chirping sound broke him from his thoughts and looked over his shoulder to his balcony, a small robin like bird chirped at him again and it caused him to lightly chuckle to himself.  Slowly he stood up and walked over to the balcony railing and looked over.

“Are you spying on me?” He asked with a light smile as he looked down at Rayne.

“Perhaps” She replied as she looked up at him.  “Hiding in the bushes, is not my thing, as you would say.”  AJ’s smile faded a little, he had been busted.

“You knew I was there?” He asked.

“Alexander.” Rayne sighed with a light smile.  He knew it was a dumb question and he knew it was kind of dumb hiding on her in the first place.  If the bushes hadn’t told her he was there than him just being there did.  She could feel him like he could feel her, sense her.

“I just wanted to make sure you were ok.” He replied looking at her.

“Well I am fine.” She told him as she sat down on the grass.  With a sigh AJ teleported himself down a story and popped up beside her and she quickly looked up at him but not startled.

“Are you sure because you’d be the last one I thought I’d see walk away from Pixca like that.” AJ said as he sat down beside her.

“Do you think I am that blind?” Rayne asked.

“What? Blind?” AJ replied confused.

“You think I would follow her without question even though she has helped you, Nickolas and I but will not help Nalia?” She said as she looked into his eyes. “She is proving to be distrustful so clearly, yet you think I would still follow.”

“No, no that’s not what I meant Rayne, I just meant…” He stopped and tried to find the words before it made him look guilty.

“I am not some puppet she can use to play what ever game she’s playing.” Rayne said to him and he looked back at her.  He started to wonder if these words were really meant for him.  “She has the power to bring me back, to change me, to speak to Nickolas in his mind, and to create everything that is here, yet she can not and will not give Nalia her sight back, why?”

“I wish I knew Rayne.” AJ said with a sigh.

“Everything we have done, the people we have lost, and it is still not enough.” Rayne said quietly.  “Have we even won this War?”

“Yes” AJ replied.  “When me and my friends got here this place was very close to becoming Ignis’s but we stopped him, we got Kalica back, we got your Mother back, and we brought peace back to the lands.” He told her as he took her hands.  “We found out the truth and we closed the gate, you closed the gate, now we’re just cleaning up the mess that was left behind.”

“But how come it feels like she is hiding more, there is more to come?” Rayne asked.

“I don’t know beautiful but if there is more to come we will be ready for it and we’ll be ready for whatever secrets she still hides from us.” He told her.  “We’ll get through this; Nalia will get through it, with or without Pixca.”  Rayne lightly smiled as she placed her hand on the side of his cheek, they both leaned in and gently kissed for a moment.

“There you two are.” Nick said from above them, they both pulled apart and looked up towards the balcony of AJ’s meeting room.  “When you two are done sucking face wanna come up here, something came up.” Nick spoke with a sarcastic smile.

“I’ll kick his ass after we find out what’s going on.” AJ told Rayne as he helped her stand up.  She lightly smiled and then started to laugh as he took her by the arm and teleported them up to his meeting room.