The Dark Tide tgc-3 Read online

  As soon as it was clear to the demons that this assault was a lost cause they started to vanish into thin air. After hours of battle only the drugars and dwarves remained. General Chad had made it to the battle finally and had taken command of the situation. He ordered the troops to completely surround the vile perpetrators of unneeded death. There was only one order he gave after that. “Kill every last one of them…we end their threat now!”

  The battle for Mount Ennis was over in matter of days. When dwarven soldiers became too weary to lift an axe or heft a hammer, another would take their place. They rotated thusly until the threat of the drugars was over. It was sad to end such creatures as they were the last of their kind and were from an age long forgotten. In wartime such considerations went by the way side. Survival instincts take over and the only consideration is how to save your own kind. It was still a loss to Tuwa and there would be time later to mourn their extinction.

  General Chad organized the army without further interference. He organized the relief effort to their brethren in the south. He knew that it would take some time to get his army ready to move out and did his best to remain patient. The dwarves of the north needed to make their presence known in order to get the attention off of Adem and Carrick. He spent the next couple of weeks planning and strategizing on different ways to do just that. He wanted to make a good first impression since the army of Ennis has never really been in action outside their island in years.

  The Sacking of Belva

  The old man from the east had promised that this war would not find them. Yet, Belva burned. Men, women, and children were run down in the street by black nightmares. These creatures were ghost stories to scare children into better behavior. The black devils were more myth or legend…they were not supposed to be real. Tell that to the people being burned alive. Tell that to the dark elves who appeared out of a dark mist that came from the east and not the west. They descended upon the people of this port town with vengeance and ruthlessness that defied description. The horrors were too great for many who opted to take the quick way out. Dead bodies lay everywhere.

  Children roamed the streets crying out for their parents. This would bring an arrow or more gruesome reply for such innocence. The stories of the dark elves had always said that they were without morals or fear. It was completely different to experience firsthand their brutality. The dark tide moved through the streets with ruthless efficiency. The Silver Anchor was decimated and its owner rent to pieces in front of his patrons. Absolute terror gripped the people as they watched their doom come at them like a tidal wave.

  Rain began to pour down on the city which turned the dirt streets into mud mixed with blood and gore. The atrocities committed against the innocent people of Belva were worse than any other such incident in recorded history. There was nowhere to hide. The end was drawing close for those few survivors. In all, only fifty survived the day and a half assault. The survivors gathered in the local church to make their last stand. Only a handful of dark elves surrounded the church and they made no move against it. This gave hope to those inside that they were being protected by a higher power.

  “What do you have to live for?” taunted a dark elf who was growing bored standing around in the rain.

  “Each moment in life is a gift and should be treasured” retorted one of the survivors boldly. The voice was firm and full of conviction.

  “I see…you believe the creator will save you…that you are sacrificing yourselves for the greater good. Do you think it makes any difference to the creator what you do? Where was he when we descended upon you? Why did he not save you?” jeered another elf from the circle surrounding the church. Dark laughter filled the smoke filled air.

  “Your words are meaningless and hollow. I know my maker and I am prepared to meet him. You deny your maker and are enslaved to the keeper. You will see what the keeper does for those that serve him in the end. There is no curse we can levy against you that would be worse than what your master has in store for you” replied a female voice this time. There was no hint of fear in that voice.

  The dark elves shot flames at the church as one. They had tired of taunting their prey and wanted to move on to other things. There were shouts of terror and pain as the remaining few were burned alive. In a matter of two days the entire town of Belva had been demolished. The people were all dead and the buildings had all been razed to the ground. The only sign that anything had existed here before were the piles of smoldering ashes.

  “What is our next move?” asked one of the dark elven captains. He was addressing Lord Tyrienwalker who stood on the hills just outside the former town of Belva surveying something that was not visible to the captain.

  “Patience my friend…time is on our side. We have the keeper’s backing and for now we have our allegiance to Kana. We need only to build our first above ground stronghold and I will look to you to help out with that noble cause. I have other matters to attend to presently.” Tyrienwalker did not look at the elf who knew that he had been dismissed. He did not feel slighted in the least…building the fortification that had been presented earlier would require a great deal of energy and resources. The captain had a solid reputation of motivating others and this could be used well in this endeavor.

  The dark figure of Tyrienwalker could be seen descending the eastern side of the hill. He was heading directly for his tent to meet with his high ranking military leaders. He wanted to meet with them to discuss their latest direction from Kana. He had met with the axis leader while his troops decimated Belva. She had instructed him to build the stronghold and told him that this particular location was crucial to the war effort. She did not tell him why, however it did not really matter to him. His people were making their presence known and their reputation was spreading like an airborne virus. This would prove helpful in coming conflicts.

  In the end, Tyrienwalker still planned to overthrow Kana and take control of the lands of middle Tuwa. Once they had conquered these lands they would head south. They would not rest until all of the people and creatures of Tuwa were under their heel. They were the strongest in the land and had every right to rule. They were showing that they were powerful enough to do what they had set out to do. They showed no mercy and that they would do anything to win. The giants and the people of Belva were mere examples…they planned to enslave as many as they could.

  ***

  Xuzien had setup different traps along the keala path that Kana’s forces were on. He had also setup magical waypoints where he could glimpse what was going on in the various locations he had set this up. He had also put in place several of these viewers throughout the west, especially on Laikra Island. He knew that this was where his adversary would come from in the end and he wanted as much advance notice as possible.

  As he went through his routine of checking the different way points, he noticed that one of the Laikra viewers was showing something that he could not quite believe. It looked like the town of Belva was no more. There were smoldering piles everywhere; however, the distance was too great for him to get a better look. Still, this was an alarming development that he knew Adair would need to know about right away. He quickly activated an unusual looking device that had a blue flashing light on it. After a few moments, the guardian appeared before Xuzien. It was only a spectral version of the head guardian which meant that he was off dealing with pressing matters again.

  “Adair, I thought you would like to know that the city of Belva is no more” stated the outcast magician.

  “What? How do you know this?” asked a now not so distracted guardian.

  “One of my spying devices allowed me to catch a peek at the town and it was gone. Nothing was left standing and there are piles burning everywhere. I could not tell if there were people there or not.” Xuzien’s heart clenched as he said this. As much as he tried to live separate and to not get attached to anyone, the people of Belva had always welcomed him. They were some of his only friends and allies in life. Now, he did not kn
ow what had become of them.

  “I think this is the work of the banished dark elves. They have been busy with their slaughter of the giants and now the people of Belva. I really liked those people as I know you did as well. I am so sorry” the guardian said kindly.

  “The cost of this war keeps increasing…what are the dark elves after?” asked a clearly perturbed Xuzien.

  “At this point my theory is that they are looking to side with Kana just long enough for their forces to be positioned properly to take out the allies along with the axis powers. They want to rule everyone and everything in Tuwa. It is a horrible cliche; however, it is likely at the heart of what they are striving for.”

  “Does this change anything for me?” asked Xuzien darkly. His mood was getting worse and the reality of what had happened to both the giants and the town of Belva cut deep.

  “Stay the course…not much longer now and Master Aiden will arrive at your first rally point. I need you to pay closer attention to Laikra Island from here on out. I have a bad feeling that the dark elves may get wind of the orb and decide to retrieve it for their ends and not Kana’s. This would be beyond disastrous…it is one thing to have Kana gain the orb; however, it is even more troubling if those dark fiends get their cursed hands on it.” The guardian’s mood was also growing dimmer as the conversation continued.

  “I will do what I can. I will check on Master Aiden to see where he is at and then I will continue to prepare.” It was clear that his mind was moving into action mode and that he was done with the conversation. The guardian disappeared without further comment. He had known Xuzien his whole life and did not take offense by the way he communicated.

  ***

  Lord Tyrienwalker waited patiently for Kana to arrive. They had much to discuss. He was very curious about this orb he had heard so much about. He thought that this may be something that he could obtain and use against the fallen guardian sooner rather than later. It would make the over throw so much simpler. It was actually poetic since this was obviously an object of great power or at least importance to the elementals. It was clear that possessing this magical sphere was crucial to both sides of the conflict; this was something he needed to know more about.

  Kana appeared on the rocky island out of nowhere. The popping noise that usually precedes her arrival was muffled by the incessant winds. She walked resolutely to where Tyrienwalker waited for her. Behind her was a hidden entrance to a cave of no consequence…or so the fallen guardian thought. She did not relish working with the treacherous dark elves, however, all of her other alliances had proven weak and inept. The dark elves would be successful no matter what the cost. They were an almost unstoppable force and their recent successes were a clear indicator of just that. They had had more success in the brief time they had been a part of the conflict than all the other armies under her leadership combined.

  “Why are we meeting here Tyrienwalker” she shouted over the wind. She did not like communicating via the mind with dark elves, especially this one. They were too powerful to let in.

  “We need to discuss this orb you are searching for. What exactly does it do?” asked the dark elf smoothly. His voice carried clearly over the wind as though the elements had no effect on it.

  “The orb is a profound source of elemental magic…something that you and your kind have always disregarded.” Kana did not like the show of interest by the dark elf. She knew that she needed to down play its importance so that they would leave it to her. Besides, she needed them to focus on their push east.

  “Who is seeking out this object for you? Do you need assistance in retrieving it?” pressed Tyrienwalker. His cold eyes did not show any emotion or feeling as he stared Kana down.

  “No, I have already sent a special force to retrieve the object. It is more of a precautionary move than anything. I do not want the other guardians to have possession of this powerful object. By wresting control of this orb from them we will have the advantage. Now, enough about this, what we need to discuss are the battle plans for moving your armies east.” Kana made it clear that she was done talking about the orb. She held the dark elves gaze long enough to ensure she was understood.

  “Naturally, you cannot blame me for my curiosity. As far as moving our troops east, where do you want us to head first? I sense the Seda all around Renshaw, so I am guessing that we will head elsewhere first?” Tyrienwalker let the conversation move into this new direction. He knew what he needed to know…this orb was all important to Kana regardless of what she said.

  “I want you to head south and help the orcs deal with those stubborn dwarves of Adem. There is a lava moat surrounding them and we can no longer allow this to keep us out. We need a way across and soon.” She knew that the dark elves could use their considerable dark magic to get around this formidable obstacle.

  “I will come up with a plan to do just that and we will begin building the stronghold on the ruins of Belva.” He smiled darkly at this pleasant thought.

  “I will leave you to it then” replied Kana briskly. She vanished again with an inaudible popping noise. Tyrienwalker followed suit and disappeared.

  Laikra Island

  The dark elves standing on the rock island of Laikra would catch the attention of anyone passing by. Seeing the Elilasnar above ground after centuries of being out of sight would have been enough to cause a ship to run aground. If someone was passing by who had more recent knowledge or information about the actions of this fallen race, they would have turned about and never returned to western Tuwa. There have been tales over the years of various legendary creatures or races that have caused real fear or terror…these pale in comparison to what fresh hell the people from Meleirelnar had unleashed on the giants and Belva.

  The wind was almost gale force strength which did not seem to make any difference to the hooded figures. The cowls were drawn over their dark faces so it was impossible to know who was who. They did not do this because of their curse, which had been removed by Kana; they did it to protect themselves from flying debris. The waves crashed into the rock island of Laikra with such terrific force that the very ground shook where they stood several spans away from the shore.

  “Why are we here my lord” boomed the voice of a tall and exceptionally stout elf. His white hair practically glowed from underneath his cowl. He face was resolute without a hint of emotion.

  “There is a magical object that Kana is after and I have learned that this orb is the key to our ultimate designs” replied Lord Tyrienwalker. His voice was calm and he did not shout like his fellow to be heard. He had magically enhanced his voice to be heard above the sounds around them.

  “What exactly is this orb? How will it help our cause with the keeper?” intoned a frailer looking elf. His features were completely hidden beneath the cowl…with the exception of his eyes. They gleamed an eerie silver color which gave anyone pause who look in his direction.

  “The orb contains power over the elements of this world and will allow us to grant access to the keeper to enter the real world. Kana has different designs in mind from what I have gathered. She wants to use this device to subvert all the living creatures and peoples of Tuwa. I believe that we are included in this subjugation.” Tyrienwalker was cool and calm as he began to reveal the truth about the orb.

  “So, I take it then that we will gain access to this orb for ourselves and take out Kana before she has a chance to take us out” replied a cool female voice. This dark elf had thrown back her hood so that she could look unobstructed at those in the circle.

  “Right on one account…we will retrieve the orb and then give it to Kana so she can deal with the guardian council for us. Once they are out of the way, we can then manipulate her to bring to heel the rest of the peoples of Tuwa. During this process we will encourage her to use the orb to manipulate the underworld. With our guidance she will unwittingly open the lands of middle Tuwa to the keeper and his minions. Then we will be able to throw down that unworthy witch and take control of the
orb for ourselves. It will be a symbol of our great victory over those who tried to oppress us.” The wind ceased for a moment at these boasts and the elves all nodded their grim satisfaction with their leader’s plan.

  “What are the next steps? Where is this orb located?” queried another elf.

  “It is to the east of here. It lies in the Mia Koda mountain range near the western end. There are two paths to get there. One begins in the southwestern part of Renshaw and is called the Keala Path. This underground road actually runs through parts of the underworld and this is the way that Kana has elected to take. She does not know about this other way or the fact that Keala does not fully reach the destination that she is heading for.”

  “I see, so we will take this other path and get to the orb first. This way we can present it to Kana which will cement our fallacious relationship with her” interjected the female elf. She could not hide her joyous anticipation of leading such a powerful being astray.

  “Let us not get too far ahead of ourselves. First, we need to talk about the path that starts right here below this very island” replied Tyrienwalker smoothly. He gestured toward the barren landscape behind where they stood. While the naked eye could not see the secret entrance, with their magic they were able to see the way.

  “Have all the traps been removed?” asked the most cautious elf in the group. He eyed the area where the entrance was with great suspicion. He could sense at least a dozen magical artifices that had yet to be dealt with.

  “It sounds like we have our first volunteer. You get to deal with those traps while we finish up our plans for this expedition” Tyrienwalker stated flatly. The glimmer in his eyes betrayed the humor behind his statement.

  “Learn your lesson from me all of you…volunteer for nothing” joked the dark elf in reply. He then quietly made his way to the entrance and set about the meticulous work of disarming the wide variety of traps.