Steven Burke - The Dark Tide

“I’m sorry me lord…I did not realize it was ye” said a quaking Ofular. He bowed hastily and began to fumble around for a clean glass. He poured a clear liquid and held it out for the visitor to take. He trembled slightly as he held the drink. He seldom was nervous or afraid of anyone; however, having a god-like person in your tavern changed that. He had enormous respect for the white haired old man.

“It is quite alright Ofular…I am grateful for your hospitality” replied the dark stranger as he took the strong drink from the shaking bartender. He downed it in three huge gulps and placed the glass back down on the bar. There were many in the establishment that raised eyebrows at how easily he downed such a powerful drink. Some mumbled grudging respect from someone who could down the strong drink.

“Attention ye raucous bunch of thieves…this here is the fella that saved our ancestors from those damnable demons! He be the one that kept those eastern war mongers from entering yer lands. This be the guardian himself!” bellowed Ofular with an even more ridiculous prostration. Cheers rang through the smoke filled air as well as many thumping the table with their fists or tankards. There was one person who did not bow or join in the cheering. The bent figure stood slowly and made their way to where Lord Adair stood at the end of the bar.

“You filthy scum…you wretched traitor…you piece of bat droppings! You’re the murderous villain that is the cause of the bloodshed in middle Tuwa and if you do not leave now, that war will follow you here!” hissed the stooped figure. The person wore a tattered cloak with the hood pulled way over its head. The room fell silent as everyone in the bar waited for the guardian to reply. It was as though all time stopped and no one breathed for what seemed an eternity. The outburst was such a contrast to the warm welcome the guardian had just received that the room was immediately tense. Stunned silence permeated the bar.

“Ukegry…death waits for you my old friend. Why do you come here in disguise? Are you afraid these fine folks would dispose of you if you revealed yourself to them?” Adair turned to face his antagonist. His visage darkened as he looked at the stooped figure.

“You do not care for these people! You are merely trying to cover your backside!” retorted the hooded figure. The creature straightened its back and stood tall as he faced down the powerful elemental. He began to grow in height until the tattered cloak was rent and fell away to reveal a reptilian beast. Shouts of anger and revulsion erupted at the appearance of the hated Godok. There was such an outburst of the choicest sailor swear words at this unwanted revelation that even Adair flinched slightly. He thought he had heard it all, apparently he was wrong.

The Godok were creatures that were reported to be able to change their size to suit their needs. They had scales that mimic their surroundings while being hard enough that no weapon could penetrate their scaly hide. The only thing that could kill one of these beasts is a powerful brand of magic. The people of the west did not possess any magic and did not tolerate those who possessed it. The guardians and druids were the exceptions to that long standing rule. The people who lived west of the Burian did not know anything about the politics that has ravaged the rest of Tuwa. As a guiding principle, they typically did not care about what went on east of the giant’s home land.

Ukegry and his kind live along Lake Tallulah and on the Wesh peninsula. They frequently quarreled with the giants and preyed on hapless travelers that crossed into their territory. The giants had hunting parties that had almost annihilated this race of vicious beasts, but due to their lack of unity before the current war of the races they had been unable to destroy the pestilential lizards. The Godok loved to feed on the flesh of those that have the use of magic. The dark lord had used these creatures to finish off the Eldar centuries ago. The guardian council did not banish the creatures because they had been forced to do Drogan’s bidding. This was one of the main reasons the elementals and the druids grew apart.

“Hold yer tongue yer vile piece of…” began Ofular heatedly. He was pointing a sausage like finger at the lizard man. His sense of rage was shared by the others in the bar. There were several who stood to rush the beast while others also broke bottles to use as weapons.

“There is no need to waste your breath on this worthless creature. I take it you are in the service of Kana. What did she promise you in return for your services?” asked the guardian knowingly. I thought she would resort to using these foul creatures to eliminate the elves. She still does not realize that the Seda are working for me now. They would love to see the Godok again. Adair smiled inwardly at this happy thought. He smirked at this happy thought.

“I do not have to answer to you…I answer to the true master of Tuwa! I am here to deliver a message to you. My mistress wishes me to tell you that she knows what you are up to and that she looks forward to the time when she sees you face to face again. I personally think that the next time you see her that it will be the last thing you ever see!” The scaly lizard laughed mirthlessly as he towered over the lord of the guardians. His greenish scales shimmered ominously in the dank light of the tavern. There changing scales and size alteration is what led to many calling these beasts shape shifters.

“I think we have all heard enough from you. Clearly you have no idea of what is really going on. Say goodbye to Ukegry everyone” said Adair easily. With a wink of his left eye the Godok burst into smokeless flames and was gone. A pile of ash was all that was left of the foul smelling beast. It was very satisfying to what the arrogant creature be snuffed out of existence with such great ease.

“Thank ye me lord…I had no idea that be what he was. My apologies for the rude interruption” Ofular said with a sideways look at the pile of ash that represented what was left of the wretched beast. The bartender could not help but sneer at the ashes. He leaned over and spat into the neat pile that was Ukegry.

“There is no need to apologize my friend. I want to assure all of you that the war that is raging in middle Tuwa will not reach your lands. I will keep you safe from this power struggle. It is true that one of the elementals have fallen prey to the same delusion that the dark lord had many centuries ago. The guardians and the druids are working with the free peoples to end this threat. Now, I really do need to talk with Xuzien.” His calm demeanor helped everyone to recover from the quick incident. Usually such uncomfortable confrontations end in a nearly destroyed bar.

The dwarf and the man who had been advancing on the guardian swept up the lifeless ashes and took the remains outside. The bartender gave a nod to a man at the other end of the bar. The fellow slid off his stool and went into a back room as though he was retrieving something. The room was still deathly quiet after the display of powerful magic by Adair. The people had a deep mistrust of anyone who uses magic, but they were fiercely loyal to the guardians. These two beliefs were causing internal conflicts that could not be easily resolved. The air had become tense as the minutes went by without the return of the messenger.

The fellow who had left earlier returned to the bar slightly out of breath. He motioned for Ofular come to over to him. He whispered in his ear and then sat down on his stool. He took a long drink from his glass of ale and then wiped his mouth hastily. He did not look at the guardian and was staring fixedly at an insect making its way across the bar in front of him. The bartender shuffled over to the powerful elemental and relayed the message to him in whispered tones.