Steven Burke - The Dark Tide

“My lord…this is truly a great honor. How may I be of service?” asked the King Ciel humbly. It was a rare event for the head of the guardian council to appear to anyone, so he knew that this visit was important. He trembled slightly to be in the presence of such a powerful being. The mist he had cut through now darkened the window and slowly encircled the entire room.

“It is I that will be of service to you. It is clear that your owl has communicated to you the proceedings in the western part of Renshaw. Let me give you an update.” He motioned for the king, who had finally looked up, to take his seat by the window. He immediately calmed and felt warmth seep through his body. It was as though the guardian had done something to him. He thought the mist would be chilling; however, he found it to be quite the opposite.

“Thank you my lord.” With another slight bow he walked to the chair and set his swords leaning against the wall before taking his seat. The mist was constantly changing colors which made the atmosphere light and inviting.

“I have much to tell you, but let us begin with our first major victory in the war. Lords Arnaud and Mahon have combined their strength together at my bidding to attempt to make a dent in the massive army of General Tomo in the west. Unknown to either of these noble leaders was the fact that I had also secured the help of the Seda in the defense of the Black Forest.”

“They agreed to help us?” He could not restrain himself…the Seda were treacherous fiends that had long been a source of consternation for the elven king. Siding with these specters did not feel right to him. A shiver had gone down his spine at the mention of the Seda. The elves had had dealings with those spectral devils for millennia and he was not about to trust the very creatures who could have helped save his wife from her fate.

“Let us say that they are trying to make up for past actions. They do not want to be on the wrong side again and were easily persuaded to join the cause. They have promised me to protect the Forest of Renshaw from the axis powers. I have explained to them who exactly they are to prevent from entering…they are to kill any of those I identified to them as the enemy if they should stray into the woods.” He could not help but feel a certain measure of pride at his own brilliance. He had been able to twist the creatures that many have distrusted, and rightly so, for thousands of years into doing his bidding. They will actually be helping others for once in their existence.

“I do not wish to question your decision my lord, but what assurances do we have that they will distinguish between the allies and the axis powers? They have shown no regard for either in the past.” The king had a timid look on his face as he said this because the guardian was the most powerful being in all of Tuwa. He did not want to get on the wrong side of such a powerful person; however, he simply could not believe what he was being told. The tragic death of his youngest daughter had caused him to doubt more than he would have normally and his deep seated hatred for their inaction in the death of his wife had made it impossible for him to ever trust them.

“I understand your concerns. I have made an agreement that will ensure they do not do the very things you just described. I believe that I have motivated them sufficiently for the time being. Do not be afraid to express your concerns to me or the other guardians…we are obviously not without faults. However, the Seda will not break their agreement with me…I promise you that.” His steely, yet kind look told the elven king that he could trust what was being promised. He just needed to trust Lord Adair to keep those vile apparitions in line.

“Say no more my lord.” The king bowed his head again in humility before the towering figure of Lord Adair. His white goatee was luminous from the light filtering through the swirling mist.

“As of right now the orc army that was led by General Tomo is no more. They have been completely destroyed thanks, in large part, to the Seda.”

“That is great news!” The elven king felt real relief for the first time since the untimely death of his beloved wife all those years ago. The Seda have done the impossible…that does not mean they are forgiven. After this war has ended, I will do whatever it takes to remove them from my forest!

“It is good news, but this victory will be a rare occurrence. Kana will avoid the Black Forest from now on, so the Seda will not be able to assist us any further in large scale attacks. However, now we can move some troops back into the forest where they will be protected. I want the elves that are not fighting to return to their homes and work on producing supplies for their army. I do not want everyone tucked away in Landen with no escape route. The detachment you send back, along with yourself, will be responsible for irritating passing axis soldiers. They will also establish a supply line from Renshaw to the western city of Shafrig that is on the cliffs of Landen.”

“Excellent plan my lord! Should I relay this information to Kings Angus and Leroy?” King Ciel was relieved by this news because it meant that he was going home. This would provide his people with a significant morale boost and his troops would get supplies that are meant for elves. They had struggled to adapt to the food the mortals ate. They had never taken to the protein laden diet.

“Do not worry yourself about that…I have already taken care of it. They are aware of the changes I have ordered and of the amazing victory of Kylrilion. Your concern now is your people and their safety. Do not worry about the Seda…they have shown us their intentions and their devotion to the allies. Good luck Ciel Tiranidrol.” The guardian vanished with a faint popping sound. As always a faint mist hung in the air momentarily and then dissipated. The mist that had lined the room disappeared at the same time. Natural light filled the room once more.

The king mused over the unbelievable news he had just received. The war had taken on a new dimension…one that only the guardian himself foresaw. I simply cannot believe our good fortune. We will surely crush these axis fools now that we have destroyed one of the orc armies. The door opened slowly as one of his guards poked his head in. King Ciel stood up and motioned for the soldier to enter the room. He did not hide the joy he was feeling inside.

“I assume you heard everything?” asked King Ciel with a smile. He had thought that the mist muffled the conversation; however, he was pleased that they were able to hear the good news.

“Yes sir…I could not help it…we heard both your voices in our minds” replied the soldier meekly.

“Not to worry…I want you to spread the word…we are heading home!” He slapped his guard on the shoulder genially. They had much to look forward to now.

The newly created lake shimmered in the early morning sun as the water lapped against the canyon walls of Nairi. The debris that had polluted the surface for many days had disappeared without a trace into the depths below. The portents of the canyon lake were clear now instead of murky. A lone figure stood at the edge of the eastern shore looking out over the oddly beautiful vista. The person was tall and slender with long flowing red hair and appeared to have black wings. Her eyes were mostly red with a gray outline around the edges. As a breeze picked up from behind her, the light reflected off of several silver strands that were hidden within her silky long hair. She was not really looking at the scene before her…she was looking far off into the west as she stood rooted to the spot.

Kana suddenly burst into flames which seemed to caress her and was not harming her in any way. She looked at the lake finally and raised her arms high into the air and said, “Flymare”! The fire engulfing her started to pulsate as it grew larger and yearned to be set free. She directed her power toward some point high in the clear sky above Nairi. She continued to build the ball of fire until it was roughly the size of five full grown dragons. For the briefest moment the fiery sphere hung over the water as though it were waiting for a final command. As the fallen guardian brought down her hands, the ball shot downward with extreme force into the still waters.