The Fallen Guardian (The Guardian Chronicles 2) (19 page)

The
stars began to appear overhead in the cloudless sky as the small giants moved
about the open plains diffusing or destroying any traps they encountered. There
were several well placed traps that would not have been noticed by an untrained
eye. After about an hour of scouring the open land around the entire mountain,
the berserkers began to place their explosives to clear the fields of any unseen
dangers. The demolition would get the attention of their bearded friends and
hopefully cause them to fear. After another hour of laboring, they had
completed their preparations. They were waiting for Commander Gar’Dak’s order
to unleash their surprise.

“Now!”
barked the massive dark figure who stood on a rock positioned a few feet from
the eaves of the Black Forest.

Explosions
erupted suddenly with such terrific ferocity that even the orcs jumped in spite
of themselves. The sky was filled with bright red and white flashes along with
rolling booms that shook the entire region. Even after the dust settled, the
ground still shook violently as though they had caused an earthquake. Cheers
and vile chants filled the air as the orcs celebrated the success of the
berserkers. As the ground continued to shake, however, the orc armies began to
retreat back into the forest. Even the berserkers turned about and took off
toward the woods. Something had gone terribly wrong.

The
ground where the explosions had occurred caved in and sent even more violent
shock waves rumbling through the earth. It felt like a volcano was about to
erupt from under the ground, which seemed rather absurd to the orcs. The
generals grabbed Commander Gar’Dak as he ran for the cover of the trees. It
took their combined strength to restrain him long enough to get his attention.
He was clearly shocked at the destruction he had created inadvertently with his
demolition. He tried to steady himself as the ground underneath him shook with
increasing ferocity. The two generals tried to balance the much larger
berserker as the earth heaved to and fro.

“What…have…you…done?”
blasted General Maurizio. He voice shook as he tried to force out his question.

The
commander did not reply because the answer became very apparent behind him. The
mile wide patch of ground they had set off explosives in was now filling with
liquid magma. The heat was so intense that they all ran into the eaves of the
forest to escape it. As they turned around, the giant berserker began to laugh
uproariously. The generals soon joined in the revelry as they realized that
this was a good thing. The dwarves no longer had any underground escape routes.
They had their bearded friends completely surrounded with no hope of escape.
The other orcs inched toward the edge of the forest to see what their leaders
were on about. At the sight of the lava completely surrounding the mountain,
they began a loud war chant in their native tongue in celebration of their
success.

***

After
the rumbling subsided, the king looked out at the mile-wide lava moat that the
orcs had created…for him.
I may have lost my underground escape routes, but
that is of no consequence. Those passages had not been used in centuries, so
who knows if they were even safe.
He laughed out loud as he continued to
think upon his good fortune. His unusual display of jovialness caught his
guards’ attention. They thought something was wrong because his laugh sounded
more like a violent coughing fit. They rushed into the room to see tears of
laughter running down the cheeks of their king.

“My
lord, is everything all right?” asked one of the guards tentatively.

“Come
over here and look at what the orcs gave us.”  The king gestured at the lava
moat that now existed a good distance from Mount Adem.

“We
have no escape route now; at least they cannot get in,” replied the guard
nervously. He did not know how the king really felt about this turn of events.

“You
are right, my good fellow. We no longer have tunnels for escape, but if the
need should arise, I have another way out. Do not worry yourself about that.
Spread this joyous news. The orcs just bought us a great deal of time so that
we can be better prepared when they do cross their moat of magma.”  The king
slapped the guard who had been speaking on the shoulder genuinely and then put
his arms around both the guards as he walked them to the door. “Remember, this
is a good thing. Announce this good news, and tell the cooks to prepare a
feast!”

King
Leroy Ishrafle sat on his throne taking in the only peace and quiet he had had
for several weeks. His country now played host to General Yukio’s army, General
Sanjay’s army, and an army of giants.
Giants have never set foot on our
lands before, and now they are one of our strongest allies. How did this
precarious situation come about?
  His question was rhetorical, but it
caused him a great deal of anxiety whenever he had time to think. His people
had plenty of food to sustain their army for an indefinite siege, but they
simply could not support three additional armies––especially when one of those
armies is full of resource-depleting behemoths. In their short stay, they have
completely used up the reserves of two of the northern villages.

He
was not worried about his people complaining about the supply situation because
the giants definitely provided a level of security that even exceeded the
natural defenses of Landen. If the king wanted to create a problem, he would
point out the negative impact their large defenders were having upon the people
of Landen and their livelihoods. It had gotten to the point that many of the
farmers merely produced food to sustain King Angus’s soldiers. They could not
spare anything for themselves.
How am I supposed to feed the armies and my
people at the same time?  I do not see a way of balancing the two.

“You
need not worry yourself about such things,” replied a smooth voice from the
shadows of the king’s court. “We will make sure that no one goes without.”

“Mistress
Khalida, what brings you here?” queried the king as he stood up abruptly and
bowed to the beautiful guardian. Gone were the days when he was surprised by a
voice from the shadows. He still had a hard time adjusting to the times when
the guardians or the druids would speak to him in his mind.  His own internal
voice was troubling enough.

“I
have come to reassure you that you need not worry about the particulars of
sustaining four armies all at once. I have tasked one of the guardians to
assist with the production of food and other supplies gleaned from the earth.
Also, I have an update on what has been happening elsewhere in Tuwa.”

“Well,
I appreciate your assistance in the area of sustaining the allied armies and
for the sustenance for my people. I might be able to sleep now.”  He slumped
back down in his throne and exhaled slowly as he relaxed.

“Well,
we are not out of the woods quite yet, dear Leroy. The clouds of war are
gathering overhead as we speak. Every scavenger known to Tuwa is gathering to
this place because they can sense eminent battle. We should take advantage of
this early warning and make our final preparations for war.”

“I
will get the four armies within my borders prepared for anything then.”

“I
certainly hope they will be ready for anything. I still need to give you news
of what has been taking place below your cliff walls,” Khalida began slowly. At
this point, the king tensed up once more in anticipation of bad news.

“What
exactly did you find out?”

“Well,
there are three orc armies in the south in the land of Nodin along with half of
the high elven army. They are led by a powerful high elven necromancer who has
learned a great deal about our plans through spying on various secret meetings.
They should be attacking within the next few days, so we need to be ready in
the south to take on three hundred and fifty thousand troops. Also, many of the
high elves are some form of mage, so we will need to make sure that there are
some magical barriers along the cliff walls and at South Gate.”

“The
southern forces seem to pose the greatest threat right now, so we should
probably have my cavalry units prepare to sally forth under the protection of a
covering fire.”

“In
the north,” continued Khalida as though she had not heard him, “we need to
guard against the other half of the high elven army. They are being led by the
notorious General Jaali and the ruthless Queen Kishi.”

“Wait.
I thought she was supposed to be back in Nairi…”

“Lord
Neb flooded the canyons, killing all who remained behind from the high elven army.
Lord Marcello has informed me that he dueled with her at the North Gate right
before the floods were unleashed. The two main concerns at this point are the
high elven magicians and the siege capabilities of the orcs.”  She looked at
the king finally and gave him a very serious look.

“So
there is no one attacking from the east or west?” asked the king reluctantly. 
Is
there any good news?

“Before
I answer that question, I have news that throws a kink in the whole works. It
appears that Kana has somehow recruited the help of some of the more violent
creatures in Tuwa. Just two days ago it was confirmed that wolves had attacked
a small number of Aranian warriors who had been sent to protect the vacant city
of Tarisdell. Before they could reach their destination, they encountered giant
wolves. They were outnumbered and outmatched physically.”

“You
mean to tell me that those demons actually exist!” interrupted King Leroy. He
did not bother to hide his shock at this revelation.

“Yes,
they do, Leroy. Now, please do not interrupt me again. Time is of the utmost
importance right now, and I am afraid that it is working against us at the
moment.”

“My
apologies, malady,” replied the king with a bow. “Please continue.”

“That
is quite all right. Now, where was I? Ah yes, the coming of the wolves. Through
a bit of luck and sheer nerve, the soldiers were able to reach the eastern
outer wall. They were able to pass through the invisible barrier that the elves
had left behind as they fled. The wolves disappeared briefly but returned
later. Their full strength was in excess of five thousand plus wolves. There
were black, gray, red, and white wolves all joined together in the most
unlikely partnership. Normally they would tear each other apart, but I believe
Kana has used some sort of devilry to force them to work together.”

“So
you fear that these brutes will join ranks with the axis of evil just outside
our borders?  Or, do you think it more likely that they will try to scale the
western cliffs?”

“I
believe the answer to both of your questions is yes. However, I do not believe
that there are merely five thousand wolves. The number is probably ten times
that.”

“Well,
then we need to get some beasts on our side to deal with those devilish
brutes.”

“We
have summoned the help of the bears, and they should be arriving in the Black
Forest shortly. They will engage the wolves to merely make their presence known
and to try and force Kana to rethink her strategy.”

“That
does sound like an excellent idea. It lightens the burden on my heart knowing
that they will assist us of their own free will and choice.”

“Yes,
it will make the situation better, I think, but there is more. It appears that
Kana has also recruited the infamous vampire bats and filthy ravens that plague
every living thing in Tuwa. They are making their way to Landen as we speak and
will blot out all light within a few days. So, the cloud of war is literally
upon us.”  This declaration had an ominous feel to it.

King
Leroy rose from his throne and walked to the bay window that looked out over
the west land. He placed his hands behind his back as he observed what appeared
to be a black cloud moving toward his country. Khalida stood beside him as he
peered out intently at the deadly mass of bats or ravens heading their way. She
had a hardened look on her face as she surveyed the landscape. It was like she
was able to see things that the king simply could not with his naked eye. A
feeling of a heavy burden being placed on his shoulders came over him at that
moment. The safety of millions depended upon him and the success of the four
armies within Landen.
It will probably come down to the aid we received from
the bears and the guardians. Only with their help will we be able to fend off
these deadly foes.

Bang
!  The double doors to the king’s court
reverberated from the loud knock.
Bang
! 
Whoever this is must believe
that their presence is of the utmost importance.
“Who is there?” asked the
king irritably.

“It
is I, Zaide Ikofi of the druid order. I come in behalf of King Derek Udrugi and
on orders from the high druid Nariko Kromnög. I ask permission to speak to
you…alone,” boomed the commanding voice of the druid Zaide. He did not enter at
that point and politely waited for a reply. It was clear from his words that he
knew Khalida was there and that he did not wish to speak to the king while she
was present.

“I
will leave now so that you can speak with this druid. He means well, but I fear
that the druid order does not trust the guardians because of Kana. I will
respect their wishes for a time, but soon this distrust will have to be faced.
Now is not the time. I will leave you to council with him; remember what we
have discussed. Feel free to share the information with the druid, though I
doubt you will need to. Since they have partially restored the order recently,
their united powers have made them formidable once more. Beware the secret
druid.”  She said this last ominous statement and then with a faint pop disappeared.

“You
may enter, master druid,” commanded the king coolly. 
Why are the guardians
and druids so dramatic?

The
door opened silently, and the impressive druid entered into the king’s court.
His steps were measured and purposeful. His eyes bore into King Leroy’s without
blinking. Once he was within five feet of the king, he stopped and bowed his
head slightly to recognize his authority as the king of Landen. When he lifted
his head, his blue eyes locked onto the king’s again with even greater intensity.
The king had the unnerving feeling that his mind was being probed. He quickly
threw up significant mental barriers against this magical intrusion.
I need
to have those barriers up all of the time now. I cannot afford to let anyone
into my mind. Kana could have been reading my thoughts the past few weeks!
 
Shock raced through his body at this thought. He could not hide his internal
concerns from the druid. He could hide his thoughts but not his feelings from
this magical probe.

“You
have nothing to fear from me, good king. However, I recommend that you protect
your mind at all times from unwanted probing. Even when you are in trusted
company, protect your thoughts. I do not believe that the enemy has found out
anything useful over the past few weeks, so no harm done.”

“What
is it that I could do for you, Master Zaide?” asked the king tersely. He did
not enjoy the way druids took their time in getting to the point. It always
made him feel uncomfortable.

“As
that guardian probably told you, the druid order has been recalled during this
time of great need. We have met together and have determined that we should
remain united even after this evil has passed. I have been sent to warn you
against potential dangers that you may not be aware of.”

“How
very considerate…” the king replied dryly.

“Yes,
you do not trust us. How ironic. You will listen to the very beings that are
responsible for this current situation, but you will distrust those who have
never wronged you.”  Zaide did not hide his contempt for the guardians or for
the blind loyalty that the king and his people showed the Elementals. His face
flashed an ugly, disgusted look as he surveyed the king even closer.

“You
believe that all of the guardians are responsible?  You know that it is Kana
who has betrayed them. They have been actively fighting against her and have
lent significant support to us already in our fight with her axis of evil. What
the hell have you been doing!” blasted the monarch boldly.

The
druid’s eyes softened, and his demeanor changed from being rigid to a more calm
and collected look. “I understand your frustration for our methodical pace, but
we too have come to offer help. We just want to be careful when dealing with
the Elementals. It never hurts to be careful.”

“Fine,
what is it that you want?”

“I
have come to offer the druids services in your fight against the wicked high
elves and the orc armies. We will help to heal those who receive injuries, and
some of us will fight. We will help the bears face the foul creatures that Kana
has called to serve her perverse desires.”  After he said this, he made a
complicated hand gesture and bowed on one knee with his head toward the ground.

“Are
you pledging fealty to me?” asked the king incredulously.

“We
are offering our considerable services while this threat remains. After these
evil times pass, we will separate ourselves from any country or power in Tuwa
so that we may once again re-establish the druid order properly and in its
entirety.”

“I
must say that I am amazed at your offer. Mistress Khalida told me that they
would work with you, but that they knew that you did not trust them. They will
try to respect your suspicions, but not at the cost of innocent lives.”

“I
will pass that along to Lord Nariko after we are finished here. Do you accept my
pledge?”