The Dark Tide tgc-3 Read online

  The Dark Tide

  ( The Guardian chronicles - 3 )

  Steven R. Burke

  Steven R. Burke

  The Dark Tide

  Council

  Kana did not waste any time after her meeting with the white wolf Rolon. She had to return her focus back to the war she had begun, so she called for a meeting with her military leaders. She was currently flying toward the eastern part of the Black Forest to the small woodland village of Arlenael…the location of her secret council. The elves had fled this quaint place after the wolves attacked some time ago. The beasts did not tarry long because they were heading to Landen to join forces with the orcs of Tarin. Only a handful of residents appeared to have died from the attack before the rest were able to vanish without a trace moments after the surprise attack. Of all the Elven dwellings in the ancient forest of Renshaw, this one contained the most complex forms of wild magic. The very ground pulsated with unimaginable power…something that should have concerned those who trespassed carelessly on its hallowed grounds.

  As the massive obsidian dragon Ryo flew high in the storm clouds that still covered the land of Landen, an ill wind hit the beast and its rider hard in the face. An unseen force tried to push them back or ward them off the path they were on. Ryo thrust his powerfully built wings with all his might in order to push through the clouds and once he was through the resistance ebbed away. Kana did not think anything of it, but her fell beast knew better than to dismiss such an encounter. Powerfully wild magic was in the air about them and neither of them possessed such unpredictable power.

  The village was directly below the pair now as they emerged from the clouds over the high plains. Ryo immediately went into a circling descent while Kana sent out magical probes to see who was already present. She immediately sensed the presence of several powerful creatures that possessed forms of the wildest magic she knew of. They were blocking her scans and appeared to be protecting something of great significance. However, she was not concerned with these unseen beings, so she merely ignored them and waited impatiently to land. Her focus was on the meeting and not some creatures that did not pose any real threat.

  The black dragon landed heavily on the ground and allowed for his master to gracefully slide off his scale clad back. Once she was on the ground, he thrust himself back up into the sky and turned west. “I wonder where he thinks he is going. Oh well, he will come when he is called for” thought Kana dismissively. She had noticed that Ryo had taken it upon himself to question her decisions of late. He was also expending a lot of energy to block his mind from her all the time now. She probably should have been concerned with this behavior, however she was too preoccupied with the war and the quest she had sent Rolon on to be concerned.

  “You should be concerned about his behavior…he knows your plans and all of your darkest secrets. If he parted company with you and decided to aid the guardian council, the damage would be irreversible” spoke a dark and meaningful voice from Kana’s left. A black mist seemed to dissipate slowly as a dark figure disgorged itself to stand by the fallen guardian.

  “Dukker…you must really stop doing that” replied Kana irritably. Flames encompassed her briefly at the unexpected appearance of the dark high elf. She shivered slightly and the flames slowly went out. She closed her eyes before rolling them. She cleared her mind and then slowly opened them once more to look out at nothing in particular.

  “You should remember to guard your thoughts and feelings better Kana. Or is it the fallen guardian that you prefer to be called now? At least that is what everyone refers to you as now.” His mirthless eyes did not waver from her as she struggle to remain in control of herself.

  “And you should remember that I am your master and can dispose of you at will!” Flames burst into life in her eyes this time as she looked Dukker in the face. It did not have the effect she had hoped for. He smiled slightly at her while his eyes continued to look at her coldly.

  “My mistress must do what she feels is necessary, of course. Where are the others?” His lack of concern at her fiery outburst seemed to have the desired effect. He rather this new game they played.

  “I thought I would let the two of you insult one another for a little while longer before I announced my arrival” someone with a deep guttural voice said from Kana’s right. A tall black figure detached from the shadow of a small cottage. He was not equal in height to the fallen guardian or the dark high elf, but his physique was significantly more muscular than his counterparts. His hide was a mixture of black and silver that mesmerized anyone foolish enough to look at him long enough due to the swirling patterns.

  “General Nero Oggoamak…how nice of you to join us” replied Kana smoothly. She turned her head resolutely away from Dukker and looked around the trees for the others who should be arriving for the council.

  “Where are the others?” Lord Aellenas questioned pointedly. He did not like being in close proximity to the brutish orcs and their lack of concern for personal hygiene. The stench made his eyes begin to water. His visage darkened as he did not hide his disgust for the beast by shielding his mouth with the sleeve of his robe.

  “I did not realize that you were still in charge Dukker” retorted General Nero darkly. “I thought your poor performance against the giants and elves in south Landen would have earned you a demotion by now.” He sneered at the warlock menacingly making sure to show all of his yellowed teeth. He relished the opportunity to insult an elf, even if they were on the same side now. Wars did not last forever; he would get his chance to deal with the vile elf then.

  “No one has been demoted” interjected Kana sharply. “We need every leader at the moment…even if that leader had been unsuccessful in taking the southern cliffs with over three hundred and fifty thousand soldiers!” She gave Dukker a quick side glance that made it clear that she was not pleased with him at all. Anger, distrust, and loathing seemed palatable in the air. The atmosphere was oppressive with it and was becoming more substantive the longer they tarried.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but I for one would like to get this meeting started so that I can get out of this cursed place” said a gravelly voice in the minds of the bickering leaders. There was a grating quality to the voice that made each of them cringe. All three of them cast their eyes upward to see Lord Trahern towering over them. They were all shocked that he was able to sneak up on them without making a noise. He was, after all, twice their height and weighed several thousand pounds more than all of them put together. The rock troll leader merely looked down at them with a blank look.

  “Welcome Lord Trahern. Where is General Yuki?” Kana asked her gargantuan leader. She felt more confidence now that he was there. She thought it was interesting how her opinion of the rock trolls had changed.

  “She is managing the attack on Mount Carrick and decided that she could not break away for this council. I will represent the trolls and the goblins” replied the massive rock troll impassively. His quiet confidence was a welcome change to the oppressive feeling in the air.

  “That will be just fine. Now, what about Generals Akuji, Maurizio, Synan, and Tomo? Where are they?” asked the increasingly impatient guardian. I need to get this meeting started now…time is working against us! Flames starting to outline her as her anger spiraled out of control once more.

  “Sorry for my late arrival, oh patient one, the journey from the south is not as easy as it once was” replied General Akuji. He was the largest orc in all of Tarin armies. He was the same height at General Nero, but he was much thicker around the chest.

  “Where is Maurizio?” pressed Kana even more irritably. The flames around her started small fires around her. The oppressive nature of the air thickened and now the gathered leaders were be
ginning to notice the change. Many cast their eyes around in a sneering fashion as though someone or something was responsible for their discomfort.

  “He is managing our armies that are surrounding Mount Adem. We have had some complications arise there that he is dealing with” replied Tadok K’K. His muscles tensed as he shifted uncomfortably. He wanted out of there the moment he arrived.

  “Very well…I assume that Generals Synan and Tomo are managing the assault on the southern cliffs…” She was clearly agitated and was not hiding her feelings very well at the moment. She did not realize that she was making herself so vulnerable to the others by allowing her emotions to get the better of her. It was difficult to hide since flames were shooting out at random directions.

  “We are here as well…I will represent the wolves and the other creatures in your service” Ulric spoke slyly within the group members’ minds. He had crept up slowly on the unusual group gathered together in the elven forest at a location that he thought they would have known to avoid.

  “Fine…let’s get…” began Kana pointedly before she was interrupted by the giant spider Razi. She briefly turned into all flames at the interruption. The magical energy emanating from her was pushing hard against the oppressive atmosphere.

  “Who made you our leader? Why do you speak for all us? I am here as well…what about me?” spat Razi nastily. He spat venom in the direction of the giant wolf which singed some hair on the beast’s tail. The large spider raised its fangs up in a threatening manner.

  “Enough!” shrieked Kana loudly. “We must begin this meeting now so we can discuss the matters of war and make plans for overcoming our enemies who have proven to be stronger than our combined strength.” She briefly burst into flames as she struggled to regain her composure. Finally she regained control after all the build-up and all flames died out. She stood erect and all could see the flames still dancing in her menacing gaze.

  The group of unlikely allies looked at one another uneasily. The only one that realized what was happening to them was Lord Trahern. His link to the earth was telling him to leave this place straight away. The ancient magic was alive in everything around them and was the source of the negative feelings and emotions that had beset the council members. The massive rock troll did not say anything to the others about what he knew and merely stood there waiting for the meeting to get started. An eerie silence fell over the axis leaders as they waited for things to begin…the oppressive air thickened even more. It was unnatural the way the forest around them silenced itself…almost as though something was heading their way.

  “I guess I will make my report on our attempts to lay siege to King Kasim and his mountain kingdom” began General Akuji. He could not take the silence anymore and really wanted to get his part over with. He could not shake the feeling that something was pressing down on him. His lungs were used to the high altitudes of the mountain valley of Tarin, so the pressure he was feeling was a sensation he was not altogether familiar with.

  “Very well…give us your report Akuji” replied the fallen guardian with a strained sigh. She was trying to secure her emotions and thoughts from the group. She was not being as successful as she would have hoped. Then again, she only really needed to concern herself with Dukker.

  “We sent in our berserkers to remove any traps on the plains surrounding the mountain fortress. However, when they set off the explosives, they inadvertently caused molten lava to come up from under the earth. Mount Adem is now completely surrounded by liquid magma” Akuji spoke with a sullen determination. “The width of the mote we created is nearly one mile in the north where the land is closest together. We are working on ways of creating a bridge over the fiery barrier.” It was so uncharacteristic to see the mighty orc’s shoulders hunched in defeated way. Kana noticed that his breathing appeared to be labored and wondered what could possibly cause an orc of Tarin to struggle to breathe.

  “So, you cannot reach the dwarves…at least they are not going anywhere” replied Kana with a hint of resignation in her voice. She was still troubled more by the orc himself rather than what was reported.

  “Our armies will find a way over this temporary setback. King Kasim has no way of escaping and we have all of the resources from the forest on our side. We will crush him…it will just take a little longer than we had hoped.” He had a look of fierce determination on his face as his finished. I will not let those little mountain dwellers go unpunished.

  “Well, it sounds like you have a plan in place to deal with the unfortunate circumstances…I do not believe that your Berserkers were the cause of this unlikely turn of events. The guardian council has become more involved in this conflict and will continue to interfere with our plans from now on. We must be prepared for any eventuality” Kana said to the group. The inevitability of her fellow guardians’ intervention was not much of a surprise to her. She had a look of resignation on her face and the others did not know quite what to make of it. It was clear that her thoughts had drifted elsewhere and she did not look inclined to share.

  For nearly three hours the axis leaders reported to one another on the affairs of war and how things had gone ill in nearly every quarter. By the time all of them had shared their news, there was a heavy feeling of despair pressing down on them. They felt that their cause may be lost and that it might be the right time to give it up. After the fallen guardian had heard what her leadership had to say, she decided that it was time to reveal to them her secret plans that she had already put into motion. She explained to them, in detail, the quest for a powerful magical object that would help turn the tide of war back in their favor.

  “That is good news…but what do we do for the time being? Rolon may not return with this weapon for quite some time. We are losing the war now and if we do not change course soon, it will be over before the wolf is back” the dark warlock said purposefully. He was not too pleased with the news of this object of power. This may put the balance of power in Kana’s favor and then he would be hard pressed to push his agenda.

  “I agree with our little friend…things are not boding well for us at the moment. We need something now that will help us turn the bloody affair in our favor” interjected the giant rock troll flatly. He had not moved at all the entire time and though he remained motionless, even this stalwart was not unmoved by the unease.

  “I believe that what is needed is a little retooling of our efforts. We have far superior numbers, but they are clumped together right now. We need to balance our attack if we are to see any progress” General Nero supplied confidently. He stood a little taller as he spoke as though purpose had been infused back into him. He still struggled for breath; however, he hid this with greater ease now.

  “I concur with your assessment Nero…we will need to move some of the orc armies to the north to assist the ailing high elves who have been beaten soundly over the past few days. Queen Kishi is still recovering from her encounter with General Yukio. Which brings up a very important point…we must all be careful when dealing with that crazed man. He has plenty of motivation and has shown that he is an advanced wielder of magic. We must be cautious” Kana explained coolly. She looked around at her leaders to make sure that they were paying attention to her warning about the mysterious man Yukio.

  “So you believe that bringing one of the orc armies to the north to aid the high elves would help turn things around?” asked a skeptical Dukker. His dark features did not hide his disbelief. He clearly did not care for the orcs and did not think much of their assistance. He also completely ignored the warning about the mortal man Yukio.

  “I know that reinforcements will make a difference” replied the fallen guardian knowingly. She was beginning to regain her composure now that plans were hardening. “I also believe that we need to send one of the orc armies to the western cliffs. I already have some special friends crossing Lachlan Lake as we speak, so the eastern border is taken care of.” It was clear now that she had cooled down and was back in control of things. Th
e oppressive feeling was still there, they had simply become accustomed to the negative influence.

  “The devils from the north?” asked General Nero. His demeanor immediately darkened at the mention of the forces from the north. His breathing steadied as though he had had no issues breathing for the past few hours. It was clear that his distaste for the northern creatures had to do with a past he clearly did not like.

  “Yes…many of the banished creatures of the north lands have consented to help us in taking over middle Tuwa. They were all too eager to help once I released them from their icy prison” Kana said with a wicked gleam in her eyes. She cared little for those who joined her cause as long as her ends were met. If they are not, she had ways of disposing of those who failed her.

  “You have released the dark lord…haven’t you” Dukker stated darkly. He did not think this was a wise move on her part. He did not trust her from the start of their joint venture and now he knew that he needed to accelerate his own plans.

  “Yes, I have. He will be joining the fight once he has finished securing something for me. He will lead the creatures from the north in crossing the eastern lake to Landen. We must box in our enemies and then our evenly dispersed numbers will grind them into oblivion!”

  “I will take leave of you all…I must return to Mount Carrick to assist General Yuki. We have over stayed our welcome here” Lord Trahern said as he began to walk away. The ground shook violently as he strode quickly away. He did not see the value of tempting fate in such an enchanted place.

  “I think we should all leave here at once…something does not feel quite right. You all know what to do. I expect regular reports on how things are proceeding. General Nero, have General Tomo take his troops to the north to assist Queen Kishi…he will be in charge until she has recovered. Also, inform General Synan that I want him to take his army to the west. He is to make camp in the eaves of the Black Forest so that he is out of range of those pestilential giants.” For the first time in the hours of being near the deserted location she felt the oppression that was all around them.