The Broken Council (The Guardian Chronicles 1) (13 page)

The
king opened the letter and read it through quickly.
 
His brow furrowed as he continued down the
page.
 
He had a look of disgust by the
time he was done reading the note from General Yukio.
 
He looked at both sides of the letter and
read it through again to make sure he did not miss anything.
 
He did not believe one word this supposed
general said.
 
He looked up at his head
of the home guard as if to ask if King Jarvis had been sent the same drivel.

“My
king, another message was attached to the hawk that delivered this message
colored after our fashion.
 
It was white,
and it was clearly intended for King Jarvis.
 
The bird took off immediately and headed due east toward Mount Carrick,”
reported Commander Giles.

“Please
retrieve General Magnar and Thanos Thrargoin immediately.
 
Have them meet me in the war room in fifteen
minutes.
 
We need to discuss this further
and determine what, if anything, we will do,” commanded King Kasim.
 
He was not pleased with what he read at all,
but he knew that he should ask his most trusted advisors what should be done.

“I
will return with them in fifteen minutes’ time,” replied Commander Bobrilir.
 
He turned to the private door and silently
slipped through.

***

“General
Magnar and my dear Thanos, thank you for coming on such short notice,” welcomed
the king.
 
He bade them to sit down at
his table so that they could discuss what would need to be done.
 
The surface of this unique table was covered
with a map of the lands of Tuwa.
 
Commander Giles turned to leave but was hailed by the king to return and
join them in the discussion.
 
He turned
about-face and marched back to the table and took a seat next to the mighty
druid Thanos.
 
He sat quietly as the king
read the letter to the other two.
 
He
still had the feeling that this message was treacherous, but he wanted to hear
what the others thought before expressing his concerns.

The
group discussed the letter until the sun came up.
 
They finally decided that they would continue
with their policy of not mingling in other races’ politics or affairs.
 
They would send this message back to General
Yukio when his bird returned.
 
In the meantime,
they would dispatch their own messenger to go visit King Edric and find out
what he was thinking.
 
Spies would also
be sent out to discover what else was taking place in Tuwa.
 
They all agreed that something was happening,
and they wanted to be prepared.
 
They
knew that the orcs were on the move because they have seen a great deal of
activity on Mount Tarin.
 
Maybe they had something to do with this
treachery
, thought Commander Bobrilir.

***

The
home guard of King Jarvis watched the warrior hawk approach their main
entrance.
 
They had no idea who would be
sending them a message in this manner.
 
If it was from another dwarf, they would use one of their own to send a
correspondence.
 
However, the bird
followed all of their protocols, so they did not shoot it out of the afternoon
sky.
 
The hawk landed softly on the
ground just in front of the massive steel gate.
 
The dwarves looked down at the little speck on the ground with great
suspicion.
 
The walls of King Dagnolir’s
fortress were as thick as King Kasim’s, but it was made of steel and
stone.
 
Lord Nariko watched the bird that
appeared to have a great deal of patience from outside the fortress.
 
As a druid, he would be able to communicate
with the hawk to some degree, so he felt it was up to him to greet the
unexpected guest.

The
enormous brown bear that had been walking near the fortress changed at once
into a dwarf.
 
He walked calmly up to the
messenger bird and retrieved the letter.
 
He reached down again and gave the bird some of the meat he had been
chewing on before he had changed shapes.
 
The warrior hawk took the food gratefully and focused on eating.
 
Lord Nariko uttered some unintelligible words
to the hawk, and the bird replied as if he understood what the druid was saying.
 
They did this for a few minutes, and then the
hawk went back to chewing on his treat.
 
The druid’s attention returned to the letter.
 
He opened it and read it through
quickly.
 
It was almost exactly the same
as the letter to King Kasim.

Nariko
reached down and picked up the messenger bird and placed him on his left
arm.
 
He walked resolutely toward the
main gate and demanded entrance.
 
The
doors opened slowly at his command, and there were onlookers all around trying
to get a glimpse of this mysterious visitor.
 
He continued to walk up the main thoroughfare until he reached the
entrance to the castle.
 
The king’s guard
halted him and asked him to state his purpose.
 
He explained that he had an urgent message from Queen Daria Thejar’s
general.
 
The contents of the note were
intended for King Jarvis himself.
 
They
let him enter and bowed as he walked past them.
 
The dwarves respected all shape shifters and would do whatever they
asked.
 
Lord Nariko Kromnög was revered
as the most powerful and wise of the druids in Tuwa.

King
Jarvis Dagnolir stood and bowed slightly as the druid entered the king’s
council room.
 
Lord Nariko stopped where
he was and returned the show of respect.
 
He was the king’s most trusted friend and confidant.
 
They would be able to decipher the truth of
the message and generate the appropriate response.
 
Reasoning together had always yielded the
best result in the past, and it would not be any different this time.

“Mighty
king, this warrior hawk brought us this letter from a General Yukio
Ibreshri.
 
He is the general of Queen
Daria’s armies and the husband of the newly crowned queen of the high elves,
Kira Tiranidrol.
 
They say that the
guardian Kana inspired the break from King Ciel’s people and the formation of
their new nation.
 
They also believe that
the union of this man and this elven princess was blessed by this elemental.
 
However, I sense that there is treachery on
the part of this particular guardian,” explained the master druid.
 
Of all
the elementals, Kana is by far the worst!
 
She is up to no good. I can feel it!

“You
feel that this particular elemental does not have the blessing of the other
guardians in this matter?
 
What does that
mean?” wondered King Jarvis aloud.
 
He
knew that by reasoning together that they would discover what the real intent
of this message was, even if the sender did not know the real intent.

“The
beasts of Tuwa have warned me that there is a rogue elemental about.
 
They say that the other guardians are working
right now to defend themselves and the people of the different races from this
dangerous threat.
 
There is much activity
across the west lands that we are not aware of,” explained Nariko darkly.

“So,
you believe that Kana is the rogue elemental.
 
I sense that you have hit the mark in this matter.
 
We must not ally ourselves with the wrong
side if there is to be a war involving the guardians.
 
It is clear that this intervention by the
Mistress of Fire and Air was not something the guardian council consented to,”
the king said while stroking his long, silver beard.
 
“We will reject the claims of this letter and
decline in joining in their treachery.
 
After I have written our response, please give the letter to the
messenger bird.
 
Once the hawk has left,
I need you to gather more intelligence for me.
 
I will prepare the fortifications of our people so that we could
withstand a lengthy siege.
 
I do not want
to be caught off guard,” explained King Jarvis.

“I
will go and do everything within my power to accomplish your command.
 
I may be some time while gathering
information, but I will send the usual messengers to you to give updates.
 
I recommend gathering food, water, and other
supplies to last for two years.
 
Also,
command those that live topside to come within the protective walls of the
fortress.”

“You
are truly wise, my friend.
 
I will do as
you have suggested.
 
Go now; speed will
be our greatest ally.”

The
druid bowed as the king handed him the finished letter and departed.
 
He took the note and tied it to the leg of
the warrior hawk.
 
The hawk had not left
his arm the entire time.
 
Nariko probed
the mind of the beast to see if it had understood anything that was said.
 
It had, so he was forced to alter the poor
creature’s memory.
 
After he had done
this, he released the bird into the air, and it immediately flew west toward
King Kasim.
 
After the visitor had
departed, he changed back into his bear form as he exited the fortress.
 
He knew what was required of him and that he
would have to be quick in fulfilling his mission.

General
Yukio led the massive army of Queen Thejar’s men at a quick pace along the
trail he had established between the Nairi Canyons and Mount Quang.
 
He had not seen his hawk for many days now
and was beginning to worry.
 
He had sent
scouts ahead of the army to watch for possible traps or ambushes.
 
So far they had discovered nothing, but they
said that there was an ill wind blowing down the side of Mount Konane.
 
There seemed to be a gloom gathering around
its peaks, and strange sounds echoed down the mountainside.
 
When Yukio continued to receive this same
report from his scouts, he picked up the pace.
 
He left a sizable force along the road as he had previously planned and
instructed them to act as a rear guard while they crossed in front of the
ominous mountain.

As
the main body of the army passed into the shadow of the mountain, a shriek
ripped through the air.
 
It was not an
echoing sound from Konane; it was from the skies above them.
 
Yukio’s head snapped up as he recognized the
call of his warrior hawk.
 
He was
descending rapidly to where his master was at the head of the cavalry
units.
 
The bird came up abruptly to land
on his arm.
 
There were two notes on its
legs.
 
He quickly removed them and read
their contents.
 
His face flushed red
with anger as he finished the last note.
 
He turned his attention to warrior hawk as if he were reading the bird’s
thoughts.

“Bronwen,
may I have a private word with you?” asked the general while trying to remain
calm.

“Of
course you can,” replied the chairman of the high council.
 
He spurred his horse on to catch up with
Yukio as he headed off the road to the north.
 
It was clear that the general did not want to be overheard.

“What
did the dwarven kings say?” asked Bronwen hesitantly.

“They
rejected our plea outright.
 
King Jarvis
politely reminded me that they do not interfere with other races’ affairs.
 
King Kasim vehemently refused to side with
elves of any kind,” Yukio explained furiously.

“Well,
it is up to us then to defend the high elves from all potential threats,” replied
the chairman confidently.

“There
is more to this than what was in the letter.
 
My hawk was able to tell me more about what took place than what is in
the letters,” explained the general.
 
“He
informed me that there is a massive gathering of people and beasts on either
side of the Blaine River as far south as the dwarves.
 
He could not tell for sure which races were
gathering, but their intent was that of war.”
 
I bet the dwarves are too afraid;
that is probably why they have turned their backs on us.

Bronwen
sat on his fidgeting steed in stunned silence.
 
He had the sinking feeling that there was more bad news to come.
 
He simply did not believe that the dwarves
would refuse to help them when the most revered guardian of the dwarves was on
the high elves’ side.
 
He did not
understand why they had rejected the plea.
 
There had to be more to this than what he had heard thus far.
 
He nodded for the general to continue his
report.

“King
Kasim seemed to have no other reason than to refuse assistance based on their
laws and traditions of isolationism.
 
He
does not particularly like elves, so it was not difficult to see why he took
the stance that he did.”
 
Yukio was not
smiling as he was explaining all of this to Chairman Bronwen.
 
“King Jarvis, on the other hand, had a great
deal more wisdom and put more thought into his answer.
 
He really believes that there is an all-out
war brewing and is investigating the buildup of armies in Tuwa.
 
His reasoning makes a good deal more sense
than King Kasim’s reply.”

“So,
did King Jarvis consult with Lord Kromnög?
 
If so, we should take this information very seriously,” Bronwen said
while trying to sooth his mounting fears.

“Yes,
they counseled together about our request and the reports of an impending war,”
answered Yukio.

“Then
we must make haste back to our queen so we can prepare for the worst!” the
chairman said excitedly.
 
This trip had
been much more difficult than he thought it would be.
 
He knew that something was coming and that it
was not going to be very pleasant.
 
He
just wanted it to be over so they could truly make a fresh start in their new
home and build up an enlightened civilization.

“You
are right, of course.
 
I am going to send
you on ahead to pass on this information to the queen and the council.
 
Have them convene at once to deal with the
claims of Princess Kishi so we can be done with that issue.
 
We will need absolute unity to weather the
coming storm,” Yukio explained.
 
He knew
that if any division occurred that his army would have to work twice as hard to
protect the high elves.
 
The cost may be
too high for him to ask of his men.
 
They
could fight a war easily in their homeland of Nairi, but in a foreign place it
would be very difficult.
 
They would be
successful in the end, but many lives would be lost in the cause.

Bronwen
nodded his agreement and departed with the high elves that had accompanied them
on their journey.
 
The general then
addressed the men to give them an update and to alter their orders.
 
He knew that his army was powerful and could withstand
the coming battles, but he wanted to make them aware of the difficulties that
lie ahead.

“Men,
we will have to be on our guard at all times from here on out.
 
I have received intelligence that an army is
gathering in the south and will be heading this direction very soon.
 
I take comfort in your abilities and in the
support we have from the mighty Mistress Kana.
 
She will aid us in our cause of freedom and in the defense of our ally!”
bellowed the general.
 
His voice sounded
firm and reassuring.

There
was a murmuring of agreement as the general spoke.
 
However, when he mentioned the guardian,
there were shouts of disagreement and defiance.
 
Many of the soldiers believed that they were so powerful that they did
not need the help of some female god, or any other god for that matter.
 
They firmly believed they could stand against
the armies of Tuwa and beat them all.
 
They would not yield the land they had been sent to defend.

Yukio
had never seen such pride among any of the races.
 
He was concerned that they were
overestimating their abilities and setting themselves up for a hard fall.
 
He knew that he should squash their
self-glorification, but he could not bring himself to do it.
 
The troops would need a sense of pride and a
solid belief in their abilities if they were going to successfully defend
themselves and the high elves.
 
Even
though their egos may be their undoing, he believed that it would keep them
safe for the time being.

“Men,
we will be victorious no matter what the enemy may throw at us.
 
We will fight to defend the free lands of
Tuwa!” exclaimed General Yukio.
 
He was
good at inspiring his men and bolstering their resolve.
 
He wanted to focus the attention of the
troops on the reason they were here so that their energies were directionally
correct.

Shouts
of approval rose from the ranks, and the general raised his sword repeatedly in
the air to cadence the exclamations from the army.
 
As the chanting died out, weird echoing
noises were heard coming down the mountainside at them.
 
These unnatural sounds brought everyone back
to their senses, and they hastened their march to Alanderas.
 
They felt a renewed surge of purpose and
commitment to the cause at hand.
 
They
were all afraid at the same time while in the shadow of Mount Konane.
 
They hurried along the base of the mountain
when rumblings shook the heights above and the road they were traveling.
 
It lasted longer than a typical quake, and
its source was clearly an unnatural one.

“Steady
men!
 
Keep moving!” ordered General
Yukio.
 
What evil shakes the earth so?

The
rest of the march to the capital city of the high elves was peaceful and
without incident.
 
Many of the soldiers
believed that Mount Konane was a cursed place even though there were no more
rumblings.
 
None of the troops wanted to
be stationed along the road anywhere near the accursed mountain.
 
The general had to give in to his men and not
force them to guard that portion of the route.
 
Check points were set up before and after the mountain along the
road.
 
Noises could still be heard coming
down from the mountain, which only strengthened the superstition that the
entire mountain was haunted by evil spirits from the cursed north lands.

Despite
the fear the men felt around the neighboring mountain, their pride and
determination returned in full force once they began to fortify the city of
Alanderas.
 
The combination of the high
elven home guard, their standing army, and the army of General Yukio made for
an impressive defense.
 
There was no
doubt in anyone’s mind that this city had become one of the most powerfully
entrenched strongholds in Tuwa.
 
After
all of the preparations had been completed, there was a celebration honoring
the soldiers and the builders of the fortifications.
 
The city was now complete and other matters
could be attended to.
 

***

Queen
Kira had not forgotten the last meeting with her sister, and she wanted to put
an end to the dispute once and for all.
 
She believed her sister had no real support in her claims, so she would
convene the high council tomorrow to settle the pointless dispute.
 
She understood what Bronwen and Yukio had
been saying for some time now that unity would be vital to the survival of an
all-out assault on the capital.

As
the sun began to hide itself after the completion of another day, Queen Kira
sat on her balcony pondering the events that would take place tomorrow at the
council meeting.
 
She wanted to be
prepared for any eventuality, so she tried to think like her sister.
 
Why was
she so upset with what I have accomplished?
 
I have saved many from a terrible fate and have garnered the support of
a guardian.
 
They would not only be a
protected people but a blessed one as well.
 
What could possibly derail our success at this point?
 
She did not notice the long shadow of her
husband as he stood looking at the sun setting in the west.
 
He too was consumed in his own thoughts so
that he did not realize his wife was right there.

“My
love, I did not see you there.
 
What is
troubling you?” asked Yukio.
 
He was
startled to find his wife had been sitting there all along.
 
It is
certainly a good thing that she cannot read minds.

“My
dear husband, I am troubled about this dispute with my sister.
 
I have an uneasy feeling that something is
wrong, and it is with me every minute of the day.
 
I feel like something horrific is about to
happen, but I cannot be certain if it involves my disagreement with Kishi or if
it is something else entirely,” Queen Kira explained wearily.
 
She seemed a bit distracted as she spoke to
Yukio.

“I
do not believe that you have anything to worry about when it comes to your
sister.
 
She loves you very much and is
just trying to find her proper place in this new country.
 
She will likely say hurtful things until she
is comfortable with the changes that have taken place. She will come around
eventually.
 
I foresee her being your
strongest ally,” explained Yukio calmly.

“Then
why am I so consumed by this feeling of fear and dread?
 
Why am I physically sick without knowing what
it is that is worrying me?
 
I do not like
it, and I do not know how to shake it,” she said with a pleading tone in her
voice.
 
She was trembling slightly from
her discomfort.

“My
angel, you have nothing to fear as long as I am here.
 
My army will protect you from whatever the
elves or the men of Landen and Aran throw at us.
 
These walls will protect you from whatever
the outside world contrives against your people.
 
I truly believe that you will be safe as long
as you remain inside the interior walls,” Yukio said confidently.