The Dark Tide tgc-3 Page 14

  “Could you seal my wound so that I can be taken to my home? I think I have strength enough for that and I would like to leave this world at home” Kishi said with a sad smile. All the defenses she had employed against her brother-in-law were down. She trusted him completely…sad that it came with so little time left in life. Tears threatened to streak down her now serene face. Her body convulsed from the ravages of the poison.

  Yukio bent down moved his hands slowly over her chest. A blue white light filled the hole that Dukker had created with his poisoned blade. Within moments there was no sign of an entry or exit wound. Her breathing eased slightly, but it was still clear that she was not long for this world. He then pulled her closer to him and they both glowed red for what felt like forever. He then helped her to stand up, but that did not last very long. She leaned on the general for support and whispered to him, “Please carry me…I do not have as much strength as I had hoped.” He gently stood up with her still in his arms and began to march away from the scene of obscene carnage.

  As they approached the knights and high elves, Kishi rested her head on the muscular shoulder of her hero. She could not believe how quickly she was able to change her feelings toward the man that had forever altered her existence. She now realized that it was for the better and not for the worse. She closed her eyes briefly as pain racked her body. The poison had worked quicker than expected…she was using what strength she had left to keep her organs from failing. Yukio had somehow stopped the poison from spreading more; however, the damage was done. She wanted to make it back to her homeland before passing beyond the veil of mortality.

  “My queen…what’s wrong” asked one of her soldiers quietly. He was tentative because he no longer knew how to refer to his former queen and he did not like the look of Kishi in the arms of Yukio. She looked unbelievably frail.

  “I am preparing for the eternal voyage to the home of our ancestors. Now, let’s go home friends” said Kishi weakly. Absolute silence met this response. Everyone knew that she was dying and that the long journey to Mount Quang would be out of the question. The general had performed a major miracle by keeping alive. The poison had had the taint of the underworld and should have killed her within a minute.

  “Yukio…let me take her home. Time is of the utmost importance…she has earned the right to die at the place she called home. I have moved the other high elves to their home…it is time the rest of them return home as well. I will carry Kishi for you my noble warrior druid. You have my deepest gratitude for what you have done here today…this will definitely change our fortunes” the guardian said with a warm smile. He always appeared out of nowhere and in time to help when it was needed. There was a swirling blue vortex that the remaining high elves were walking through. This was a power that was not inherent to the elementals and that meant that Lord Adair was also getting stronger.

  “It is I who is grateful for all you have done for us. I promise you that I will change the collective mind of the druid council…we will help you in this war. We will see it to the end” replied General Yukio in an uncharacteristically kind voice. There was a husky tone there that showed how he was feeling. This was one of those moments that bound the seventh druid and the head of the guardian council together through harsh trial.

  “General, report back to King Leroy of all that has transpired. There will be time to mourn after this war has ended…I need you here” Adair instructed. He had correctly read Yukio’s intentions of going to Mount Quang.

  “He is right Yukio…you are needed here. I am grateful that we were able to reconcile before I left this existence. I will give Kira your love when I see her” Kishi said as she hugged the massive man’s neck. She then reached up and kissed him before sliding down out of his arms. She began to stagger towards the guardian. In an instant, Adair was there to scoop her up in his arms. His white hair flared out as the wind picked up and they vanished into thin air. A thick blue mist hung in the air for what felt like several minutes.

  “Do not worry about the orcs in the north…they will not actually attack Landen. I am not sure exactly where they are heading, but they have been sent elsewhere by Kana. You need to be concerned with the orcs in the south and the northern creatures on Lake Lachlan” Adair instructed briskly. He was sounding more urgent with each passing moment. That is something to not dismiss or ignore when it is the eldest guardian speaking. The guardian had not been gone all that long.

  “Peace unto you all” replied General Yukio with a bow. The high elves returned the gesture by bowing in return. This was something no one would have thought possible at the beginning of this affair.

  A whirling vortex appeared off to the west of the gathered forces. The high elves made their way through the magical portal with a collective sigh of relief. Adair turned to look at General Yukio and as he winked, he vanished. The knights did not waste any time…they spurred their horses into action and made their way to South Gate. They were going to take the guardian at his word and reinforce the southern entrance. Yukio waved to them as they departed.

  Yukio made his way over to where the high elves bodies were strewn about the ground. He gathered up a strong wind to gather all the body parts and then piled them all together. He then incinerated the remains of the innocent high elves that had died needlessly. He was completely exhausted from the intense battle which made him immensely grateful for Norco. His thoughts were with the high elves and their dying queen. He too was glad that he had the opportunity to reconcile with his sister-in-law. Now that he had dispatched the second most deadly leader of the axis powers, they could focus on thinning out their enemies’ ranks.

  ***

  The high elves gathered together around the council room in the capital city of Mount Quang. The elven king stood atop a tower erected for his eulogy. He smiled down at his subjects as he began his speech. Kishi’s body lay at the base of the tower…she was dressed in the most elegant white dress. She has died minutes after returning to the place she called home. The guardian had kept his promise to return her, the least he could do for such a fierce warrior. He had immediately departed once he had delivered her.

  The guardian had returned a little while later to make sure the high elves were ready to proceed with the necessary changes. He had met with King Ciel briefly before calling the high elven council together. The elven king had brought two of Kishi’s cousins to head the councils in his daughters’ stead. Prince Thaarriol Tiranidrol would preside over the people of Mount Quang while Princess Alilbrial Tiranidrol, his sister oversaw the people of Mount Konane. Each would sit at the head of the two high elven councils. After assuring the unification of the elves, Adair departed again to attend to matters of war.

  After the funeral, the high elves prepared their defenses and set up several medical stations. Additional healers arrived daily from Renshaw to assist their brethren with their new charge. Injured soldiers made their way from Landen through the air. The eagles had volunteered to ferry the causalities of war to the distant mountains. It was agreed that the distance from the fighting would allow faster healing. When they had fully recovered from their wounds they were sent to Tarisdell to prepare to be redeployed into the battlefield.

  Obsidian Walls

  General Akuji swore fluently in orcish as their most recent assault on South Gate failed miserably. Nothing had gone right since the demise of that wicked dark elf. They lost the demonic spiders and their magic wielding riders. He should have known that those elves would betray them. He simply could not understand why Kana believed in those treacherous fiends. As he stood there brooding over his armies’ misfortune, a deafening roar drowned out the sounds of battle. Everyone went quiet as all heads turned to see a writhing cloud-like obstruction in the sky moving swiftly toward the gate. The general knew instantly what that dark cloud was…dragons!

  “Fall back now!” bellowed the general to his wearied troops. The massive orc army began to make a speedy retreat to their base camp. Silence engulfed the atmosphere
surrounding the gate. The ground shook at the combination of the orcs marching out and the dragons approach.

  “What is going on?” asked one of the Landen knights as he sat nervously atop his noble steed. They could not tell what was in the cloud and why it would cause the orcs to retreat. The insurgents had been making progress though they did not likely know it. The orcs had been hammered and beaten incessantly day and night; however, they too inflicted far more damage than they had realized.

  The air was suddenly filled with whirring sounds as the cloud came to rest over the men at South Gate. The eerie sound was quickly replaced with a wide range of noises. The ground shook violently from large projectiles smashing into the ground below. An army of dragons had joined the battle. These dragons were not like Kana’s steed Ryo…they were all different colors and breeds. They were dropping chunks of rock and other debris at the gate. The initial shock was beginning to wear off and the sudden attack from above was beginning to meet sharp resistance. Large missiles shot from the ground with such velocity that when they made contact with a dragon, regardless of its size, the beast was thrown in the opposite direction. Many of these creatures crashed into the cliffs just west of the gate as a result of the barrage. They were not pierced by the attacks, but they were severely damaged internally by blunt force trauma.

  The roars were deafening and the cheers from the allied forces filled the air. The battle was far from over and the dragons made sure to make that point. Their second attack on the gate came from a much lower altitude. They flew in swiftly and landed before the areal assaults had much of an effect. The dragons unleashed their hellish flames on the troops before they could find cover…hundreds were burnt to death instantly. Both sides had had victories and now the dragon assault on South Gate had really begun.

  Once the orc army had reached their home base there was a collective sigh of relief. They had been assaulting South Gate for quite some time and had made no noticeable progress. Once the high elves left, their attack was reduced to a point that made it clear that they would never be able to take the southern cliffs. The mood in the camp was not pleasant as many had their wounds attended to. Others looked for something to eat…this only angered them as their supplies were running low. The high elves had always made sure to keep them well fed…now they were alone and starving. Misfortune hung in the air and the thought of deserting the war effort to return to their homes in Tarin filled all the soldiers’ thoughts.

  “I need the commanders in my tent now!” barked General Akuji vehemently. He did not look pleased at all…he was not accustomed to losing over such a prolonged period of time. He quickly turned back to the depths of his tent and entered while grumbling vicious threats under his breath. His dark mood was consuming him completely at this point.

  The orc commanders reluctantly skulked to the central tent of Akuji…they were not looking forward to the prospect of being reprimanded for their lack of progress. The air was thick with disappointment and resentment toward the cowardly high elves. There were grumblings amongst the ranks about their current predicament. They did not see how they were going to be able to dislodge those stubborn men from the security of their cliff walls. As the ban of leaders reached the tent they looked at one another tentatively before entering the darkness of the canvas.

  “Hurry up you filthy pieces of dragon dung!” barked General Akuji sharply. He was not pleased with their sullen and defeated attitude. What has happened to their killer instinct?

  “Sorry for the delay Grogenmag” replied Commander Cragok. He looked sternly at the other commanders and captains with such disdain that no one returned his fierce gaze. He too was getting fed up with the defeatist attitude.

  “At least one of you has the right attitude. Take your places around the battle table” ordered the general gruffly. The thick wooden table filled the center of the main chamber of the general’s tent. This was a realistic map of the entire country of Landen. There was a new addition to this map that showed the country of Aran. The orc leaders looked at one another quizzically while staring at this new section. Only the areas of conflict were put on the map, so the addition of the forest capital did not make sense.

  “Why is Aran on this map general?” asked one of the more skittish commanders. He did not care for the men of Aran since an encounter he had with them several years ago, which resulted in his entire hunting party being slaughtered. He had escaped with his life but he had several vicious scars to remind him of the unpleasant event. Escaping a conflict is not something that is looked upon in a positive light in the world of an orc. If you were a true warrior, you fought to the death.

  “Comdax…either you get over your nerves or I will have your head mounted on my wall!” spat the general darkly. He was so fed up with the uncharacteristic weakness being displayed by some of the fiercest warriors. Not that this commander was worth all that much with his constant questioning and doubting.

  “General, I am merely inquiring into the reason for Aran becoming a part of our battle plan. They have not threatened our war efforts…why should we concern ourselves with them now. Our focus should be on finding a way into Landen” retorted the commander boldly. He shook slightly as he spoke to the imperious orc general. He could not believe his own daring but someone had to bring their leader to his senses. No good would come from attacking Aran…he was sure of it.

  “Are you afraid? You think that attacking Aran will be our downfall? I think that you are a disease…your thoughts betray what is in your heart. See…” shouted the general as he reached over and ripped the commander’s armor from his chest with his left hand while he punctured the soldier’s chest with his massive right hand. He pulled the black still beating heart from his body. General Akuji held the heart up in front of the vacant eyes of Commander Comdax. The commander’s lifeless body fell to the ground as the general threw the bloody heart into the fire that was next to the war table. Black blood drenched the dirt floor.

  “I will rip out the seed of weakness from our midst whenever and wherever I find it! As leaders of the greatest army in our history you must do the same. Yes, we have been betrayed by the wicked high elves…accept it! We will overcome their betrayal. Now we must focus on the problem at hand…Landen will continue to defeat us if we do not cut off their major supporter. We make for the heart of the Forest of Aran. We will show our longtime nemesis that we are a force to be reckoned with. We will bathe in their blood before the conflict is over!” The stunned leaders snapped back to reality and grunted enthusiastically at the prospect of retribution. The plan was clear and not complicated…just the way they like to fight.

  “Where is the army of Aran?” asked one of the captains intently. It was clear that the act of brutality by their general was common place and did not bother the leaders one bit. If anything it helped them to focus on the battle plan and to forget their fears. That was the way an orc dealt with fear…violence.

  “We know that the army of Aran is currently in Landen, so all that stands in our way is the home guard. Our numbers should be more than enough to capture the capital. This way we can cut off the supplies being sent to Landen as well as any further recruits. With the dragons keeping the knights of Landen at bay, we do not need to worry about them following us. Once we have secured most of the forest we can regroup by establishing our own supply route to Mount Tarin. We could also recruit more of our brethren before renewing our assault on Landen.” Blood was still dripping from the hands he used to draw the path they would take to get to Landen.

  “Excellent plan…when do we leave” asked two commanders simultaneously. They liked simply logic and plans that were not needlessly complex. They were eager to show their valor and worth in battle instead of uselessly questioning their general. Even the most bull headed warrior tires of ramming their head into the same barrier with no success. This change in target will give them something they could actually break.

  “We leave at dawn. It will take us some time to cross the Blaine River, b
ut we should arrive before those elf-like men know what is going on.” The general finally wiped his hand that was still soaked in blood over the likeness of the Forest of Aran. Each commander and captain spat on the same spot as they filed out of the tent to make preparations for the long march ahead. Their spirits were considerably higher after the meeting. Two smaller orcs went into the tent after the leaders and brought the body of the deceased commander out. Food was scarce after all; they should not waste any meat.

  Nightfall was met with an eerie stillness in the orc camp…usually the orcs were raucous after a long day of fighting. They knew that there was a long march ahead of them and that sleep was going to be scarce in the coming days. They all knew, even though it was not verbalized, that this was going to be a brisk march with little to no stops along the way. Overall the army was excited at the prospect of brutalizing their eastern neighbor. The only noise that broke the silence was the loud snores of the massive brutes as they slept soundly. A solitary figure could be seen on a small hill overlooking the massive encampment…the general could not sleep on the eve of changing their fortunes. He took the time to focus his rage and energy to the task ahead.

  ***

  The morning sun was absorbed by the obsidian walls surrounding Agaroth. The massive trees that blocked the majority of the light were slowly swaying in the gentle breeze. The giant aspen trees reached high into the sky above…they were taller in Aran than in any other part of Tuwa. Their white trunks made the serene forest seem innocent and pure. The black walls surrounding the capital city of King Udrugi’s realm appeared to move as the rays of light were absorbed into the wall. The guards standing atop the bulwarks looked uneasy as they marched. The wall was pulsating with some kind of dark magic. The soldiers often found ways to avoid duty on the foreboding barrier. There were so many rumors and stories about the origins of this wall that the truth had been lost centuries ago. The only one who knew the true foundation of the wall that completely encompassed the crown jewel of Aran was its king.