Steven Burke - The Dark Tide

“So…what does that have to do with me?” He looked away from his general with a look of supreme disinterest. He was wiping his hands clean and he motioned for more wine to be brought to him. He was clearly did not care about this news as, in his mind; it had nothing to do with him.

“You mean us, right?” There was such scathing sarcasm in how he said this that he was sure he would finally get the monarch’s attention. What a selfish bastard! Thousands of our allies are dying and even his people are threatened and he sits here caring only for himself!

“You are wasting my time general…what is your news?” The king was clearly perturbed by this impromptu meeting and for the lack of respect. He was still determined to not give the general the satisfaction of knowing that he was getting to him.

“Fine…I will tell you the bad news then. There is a massive army of drugars tunneling from the eastern walls of Nairi. They are working under the direction of a guardian who has a massive black dragon. Someone was able to dry the waters of Nairi in under an hour…they have taken control of Queen Daria’s land and have an army of fur balls digging holes in our general direction.” He sneered as he looked down at the seated monarch. He had lost all respect for someone that he once considered a friend and someone that he would gladly give his life for. Now he did not care if his king lived or died so long as he was able to get the monarch out of the way.

“That is fascinating news…too bad it has nothing to do with us. I have told you time and time again that we are safe. If we do not get involved in the elementals’ sorted affairs, we will be left alone.” He resumed his eating and did his best to ignore his general. He took a long swig of the newly arrived wine as though it were some hard liquor.

“I have sat by these past few months and defended your decisions to the army and the people because it was my duty. I have not agreed with any of your recent edicts and will not support your inaction any longer. The army will prepare for the defense of our beloved country from the drugars. I believe that another military entity will follow those furry beasts, so we will need to be prepared for a lengthy siege.” He turned to leave so as to make it clear he did not care what the king thought. He also wanted to make a show that his power was waning. I will save us without his help or his blessing!

“Do not presume to give orders general! I am king and I alone will decide what the best course of action is! Guards…take General Chad into custody.” The king’s guard who had remained in the shadows stepped into the light, but they did not move toward the general. They were looking at Chad as though they were waiting for his orders. The king looked around at his protectors in disbelief. He began to bristle in his seat and look at the soldiers with an ever increasing degree of hatred. How dare they side with that treacherous Chad!

“I am afraid your authority is temporarily suspended until you come to your senses. I am acting on behalf of the people of Ennis. Guards…take the king to his chambers. Make sure he is comfortable, but do not let him leave his room unattended. He is to have a watch over him every hour of the day until this threat has passed.” He turned away this time and began to walk away resolutely as though he had somewhere urgent to be.

“You cannot do this…I am king! You have no authority…” the king blustered as his guards grabbed him by his arms and began dragging him away. As the king struggled the dwarven guards tightened their already vice like grip on the monarch’s arms.

“You will understand in time…I am acting in the best interest of the people. Call for me if you have a change of heart.” He waved dismissively to his enraged king. He will understand when the fighting begins…at least we will be ready this time.

A tall hooded figure approached the small town of Belva in the dead of night. The residents were in their homes or taverns at this time of night. Torches were lit along the main thorough fare which cast odd shadows as the lights flickered. The stranger meandered slowly down the center of the road and did not look right or left. The Silver Anchor was at the end of the main street and was the source of the night time sounds drifting through the chill fall air. This was by far the most popular tavern in the west and it was clear that this traveler was heading directly for it. The air had a salty taste to it, which was not unexpected for a port town.

Some of the residents peered out their lantern lit windows at the unusually tall visitor. They had not seen someone that tall since the elves stopped trading with their town decades ago. They huddled together and watched the dark figure walk resolutely toward The Silver Anchor. Some were worried that it was an orc because of the person’s physique. They usually had to deal with a few dozen of those foul creatures every winter. This hooded stranger had a stocky build of an orc, but he was slightly taller than any they had seen before in Belva. After the person had passed their windows, they bent their heads closer together to discuss who this mysterious traveler could be.

The tall figure seemed to glide as he made his way past the rows of modest homes along the main road. The buildings were constructed of some of the finest timber from neighboring Tansanee Forest. Silver and gold were etched into beautiful carvings which were difficult to see in the twilight but still cast ominous shadows in the fire light. This port town was home to a wide variety of people…even southlanders. Visitors from the north came to this port town during the winter months, so there were none in town when this stranger came to call during the waning months of the fall season.

The light from within the tavern was bright as the outsider approached the thick wooden doors. The tall stranger peered through the panes of glass at the very top of the double doors. There were several tables scattered throughout the spacious inside of The Silver Anchor that were peopled by a wide variety of rift raft. They did not appear to be any females amongst the different races and the air was thick with smoke from the lamps and pipes the patrons were smoking. As the doors opened inward, a dank foul smell filled the nostrils of the tall dark visitor. He stepped into the light where his face was clearly visible for the first time. The noisy bar went deadly still at the sudden appearance of the mysterious stranger.

“Who you looking for mate?” grunted the bartender. The big beefy man had a black patch over his left eye and his teeth were yellowed from years of smoking. His face did not show any kindness or tolerance for fancy strangers. He did not even bother to look at the newcomer. He was too busy cleaning a tankard to take any special notice of anything out of the ordinary.

“I am looking for Xuzien…where can I find him?” asked the fearsome looking stranger. His white hair contrasted his tanned skin which added to his mystic. His hood still hid his eyes.

“Why should I tell ye anything? I have never seen the likes of ye in these parts before. Who the blazes are ye?” asked Ofular the bartender. He had a quizzical look on his face as he looked up at the unwanted visitor with his one good eye. He nodded to someone in the crowd without taking his eye off the unexpected guest.

A dwarf and a thick set man stood up after the gesture from the bartender. They made their way toward the tall figure that was draped in midnight blue robes with his hood pulled up over his head. He had crystal blue eyes that focused on the pair which caused them to halt their approach. The white goatee twitched as the stranger smiled at the fear in their eyes. He lowered his hood to reveal a mane of brilliant white hair and skin that was dark brown from prolonged exposure to the eastern sun. There was a collective intake of breath when the patrons realized who this person was.