Steven Burke - The Dark Tide

High above the fiery projectile followed Ryo who seemed to appear out of nowhere and began adding his own fire to Kana’s ball. The moment the lethal sphere touched the surface of the lake there was an ear splitting squealing noise that filled the air as a result of the dramatic impact. The water evaporated with great ferocity and unbelievable speed. The air was quickly filled with steam so hot that it burned alive any creature unfortunate enough to be within one mile of Nairi. Once the fallen guardian’s projectile had made its way to the bottom it began to worm its way around the rest of the canyon lands to continue its battle with the water that was trying to fill the open spaces. The very air behind the fiery orb seemed to lack moisture as the assault continued.

The dragon Ryo flew up into the air above the canyon and circled slowly until he came to rest next to his master. He continued to watch the fiery ball with great interest while ignoring Kana completely. He still had not forgiven her for not listening to his advice and warning about the orb. He was also still upset that she went into the cursed village of Arlenael. He did not like how she was deviating from the original plan and was even more disgruntled by her attitude towards him. Sprouting wings of her own when she felt the need was adding insult to injury.

“So, you do not agree with how I am doing things?” asked Kana knowingly. She was giving her fell beast a sideways look which clearly indicated that she knew what he was feeling even if she could not read his thoughts. This was beginning to trouble her and she could not afford to have the rift between them get any worse. The wings she had displayed vanished.

“I do not agree with your decision to go after the orb or for your constant need to change the plan. I have warned you that your choices will lead us to ruin unless you stick to the original plan.” Ryo was not trying to hide his feelings from Kana because he knew that if he did throw up barriers that she would not trust him. Even though he strongly disagreed with several of her choices, he knew that if he stayed with her that he would end up on the winning side. However, there were times he doubted that there would be a winner in this particular contest.

“I see…you still do not understand the burdens of leadership. A true leader must be able to adapt to ever changing circumstances. We have not been successful in any of our attacks on the free peoples of Tuwa, so we must change our stratagem. Plus, in the beginning we did not know of the existence of the Orb of Nitesh. That, in and of itself, changes everything.” She had an air of superiority as she spoke.

“You make a valid point about an ever changing situation. Since the beginning of this war we have lost several of my kindred beasts in southern Landen where our armies should have been able to easily overrun the enemy. We have yet to breach the cliffs! Thousands have fallen for nothing!” The usually calm dragon was letting his frustrations get the better of him. He knew that this may actually get through the Kana.

“I understand your frustration…I did not take into account that the druids would reunite and begin their search for the seventh secret druid. I did not count on the guardian council working closely with the peoples of Tuwa. I did not believe that the guardian himself would again banish the dark lord to the icy Bekra Keep in the north!” She was losing her composure as she spoke to Ryo. Nothing is going as it should!

“I share your sense of frustration…we, however, must keep our wits about us. Your former master is trying to unsettle you and push you into doing something foolish.” He turned one of his jet black eyes toward her. “What we need to do is decide what must be done now. We have lost Drogan, but we still have his army in place over Lake Lachlan. You need to determine who will lead them into battle.”

“You are right…why don’t we agree for the time being to disagree about past choices. You and I need to be one as we move forward. I think that we must first finish with our business here and then we will decide what to do after that.” She laid her right hand gently on the inky black scales and stroked Ryo’s neck. It was the first time in a long while they had been able to overcome the chasm that existed between them.

“I think you are right…I will see how close we are to finishing this purge.” Without another word he took off into the air. It was impossible to see where he went because of the thick steam that was everywhere now. A sense of ease came over her as she continued her stroll. She knew that she needed every powerful ally she could find and Ryo was definitely at the top of that list.

After a few minutes the fiery sphere reappeared out of the canyon and climbed high into the sky above Kana. Ryo was circling even higher above waiting for the final command. The fallen guardian swung both her arms upward in the direction of the odd pair. A bolt of red lightning shot at them with great speed from her outstretched hands. The fiery ball and the dragon were melded together by this magic. The burning beast soared a little higher and then went into a steep dive toward the Nairi underground castle. The mutated projectile hit the sandstone structure with terrific force. The ground shook violently and reddish clay dust filled the air. The ground continued to rumble for a few moments post impact. The dragon could be seen standing apart from where he and the fiery ball had hit the canyon wall.

“Home sweet home” Kana said with a wicked grin. She had a sense of accomplishment which felt good considering all the string of failures her plans have had. She had needed a base for her operations and this would do nicely.

Ryo roared as the dust settled. The castle had been transformed completely from the forceful impact. The combination of Kana’s magic along with the dragons had altered the exterior completely. It had the look of one of the ancient dark temples from centuries ago. The symbols representing the four elements were engraved in the jet black walls and pillars. There were demonic depictions along with images of goblins, rock trolls, orcs, and beasts loyal to the fallen guardian. The walls were smooth like marble and were slightly warm to the touch. Even though the surface was completely black, there was a dull red glow emanating from it. The new exterior seemed to pulsate in a rhythmic fashion that was eerily similar to the wall surrounding Agaroth.

“Let us call on our newest friends to come out of hiding” said Kana after she had appeared out of thin air next to Ryo. A fine red mist swirled and then faded after her appearance. The dragon gave her a quick sideways look and then unleashed a long drawn out flame over the landscape just in front of the newly blackened entry to the Nairi castle.

The ground began to shake violently as odd looking creatures emerged from under the canyon floor. They had a hairy look to them that made them look like gigantic fur balls. They stood nearly three feet high and were almost the same size around. There were different colored creatures which distinguished them from their fellows. Some were black while others were shades of different browns. Their faces were obscured by the massive amount of hair, but their noses did poke out slightly. They all had huge black eyes which were extremely sensitive to natural light. To the casual observer they looked like oversized porcupines.

“Be still my friends…I have summoned you only long enough to give you instructions” Kana said swiftly as the creatures closed their sensitive black eyes against the blinding sun. She made a welcoming gesture to the seldom seen creatures. They were considered creatures from a time long ago and were thought to be extinct.