Steven Burke - The Dark Tide

As he reached the clearing just east of Tarisdell, he noticed that the massive wolves he had heard about were burning in gigantic bon fires in the middle of the open area between the forest and the eastern walls. He was glad to not have to deal with those beasts while traveling through the Black Forest. He knew that in his future travels that he would be confronted by the unnatural beasts. At least he could travel with peace of mind while in the woods when it came to those beasts.

As soon as he thought this there was a chill wind that sprung up out of nowhere that sent unpleasant shivers down his spine. What made this unnerving was the fact this wind was from the west and not the north. He stopped dead in his tracks and did not move for quite a while. The wind persisted and did not gain in strength nor did it diminish. He sensed immediately the evil behind the steady breeze. His gaze shifted to the west; however, he could not see anything over the massive bulwarks of Tarisdell. He waited for a few more moments before continuing to the eastern gate.

As he neared the gate he could sense that the barrier was still up even though the elves had returned home. He saw the shadows of archers preparing their bows from within the shadows of the walls. This made his pause once again. He stood stock still with his hands raised high over his head and waited for someone from behind the gate to address him. He knew that the city was on high alert as these precautions were not typical even during times of war. It was as though Tarisdell was under siege once more.

“We are not under siege…there are some disturbing events unfolding in the west that necessitates these measure. Master Aiden, will you allow us to scan you?” came a strong female voice. It seemed to originate from directly above the gate itself.

“Do as you must, I do not take offense” replied the master swordsman. He stood still as he awaited the scan. He much rather enter as a known entity than deal with doubts from the elves.

“We will need to do this up close and outside the barrier. We have had to change some procedures to ensure everyone’s safety including yours” replied the same voice again. Aiden simply nodded his consent once again and waited where he was.

Three elves detached from the shadows on either side of the gate. The one in the middle made straight for Aiden while the other two watched for things unseen. Their scrutiny was intense and more thorough than what this soldier was used to experiencing. It was clear they were using magic to try to discover what may be hidden. As the elf in the lead reach the barrier, there was a brief pause before the home guard mage continued. The other two elves stayed behind the protective magical wall.

“This will not hurt and will be over momentarily” was all that the elf said before doing her scan.

He immediately felt a strong intrusion into his person in a way he had never before experienced. Though he did not have any real magic of his own, he was quite adept at protecting his mind. He was so good at protecting himself that even most expert magicians were unable to tell that he was subverting their attempts. He simply redirected the mental perusing to areas that were relevant. In this case, it worked without much effort. It was clear they were looking for specific information or tampering. The last part of the scan made his skin burn. It was as though they were looking for magical artifices contained within him.

“You are clear” said the elven mage simply. She gestured for him to take her arm as they approached the barrier. When they passed through the magical wall he felt a rush of warmth run through his body. It made him feel comfortable and at home all at once.

There was no talking as they marched to the gate and entered without any further delays. Once they were inside the walls, the guards that had met him vanished. He was met by none other than King Ciel. He had a considerable vanguard with him and looked surprisingly relieved to see him. The reception had not been what he had anticipated. He had expected the elves to be happy to be back in their homes and to be protected by so much magic that they would be a little more at ease.

“We have much to discuss before we get to the plan to head west. Mistress Khalida will be here tomorrow to go over what will be expected of you for this task you have volunteered for. For now, let us first eat and then we will discuss some of the strangeness you have become aware of” said the elven king warmly.

“Thank you my lord…I appreciate you taking time to come to meet me personally” bowed Aiden graciously.

The private council room hidden off the throne room was intimate and welcoming. The dinner had been comfortable and enjoyable. It seemed like a treat after all the hardships that had been plaguing everyone since the beginning of this conflict. The king sat in a comfortable armchair next to a roaring fire that was burned brightly in an ornate fireplace. Sitting across from the monarch was master Aiden. There was no one else seated around the fire and the guards that remained stayed in the shadows. It felt more secure than any other meeting place in quite some time.

“Tell me what you sensed as you entered the clearing?” asked the king with a pensive look on his face. He was staring intently at the dancing flames.

“That is when I felt the cold breeze start. It had the feeling of evil to it and did not seem to dissipate even once I entered the gate. Also, the forest seems to be trying to warn me of something…you could say a kind of wrongness” replied Aiden thoughtfully. He was not a master of words and what he was describing was rather difficult for him to articulate effectively. He hoped that King Ciel would understand what he was trying to convey.

“The cold breeze you are referring to just started at the moment you described. It has continued and shows no signs that this unusual wind from the west will stop anytime soon. You are correct about the evil feel to it…I will explain that as best as I can in a moment. The forest is warning us about a danger that none of us anticipated” the king said slowly. It was clear that he was steeling himself for something and Aiden was getting a little anxious as he waited for whatever came next.

“So, what is it that I do not know? I have heard that there is a rumor of some dark force in the west; however, I am not clear as to who or what that is. So, why don’t we jump to that” Aiden replied directly. He was a man of action after all, so this dancing around the topic at hand was not in his nature nor did he think he would ever be comfortable with it.

“My apologies for prolonging our conversation…I forget that the way of elves can be quite irksome to anyone not of our race. It is a curse of the immortal…but I digress. The evil in the west is our distant cousins who were banished and cursed to live under ground for the genocide of the Eldar. They are known as the dark elves of Meleirelnar” the king started with a little more purpose and direction now that they were truly getting down to business.

“I have heard tales of those murderers, however, I must say I do not know a great deal about them” replied Aiden honestly. It was true…among the kingdoms of men the tales about the dark elves were legends. Not many believed that the stories were true and almost everyone thought the dark elves were myth. They were stories meant to scare the young or gullible.

“Unfortunately the tale of the dark elves is a long one, however, for now we will focus on the important points. The most crucial thing to understand is that every dark elf has the command of elemental and underworld magic. This makes them a force to be reckoned with. However, the most vital piece of information you need to understand at this point is what I just learned from Mistress Khalida. The dark elves have completely annihilated all the giants that remained in their home land of Burien” King Ciel said with a heavy heart. He had a debt to pay back to the giants for their assistance in defending their capital. They were there when the elves were in need and he had not been able to do the same for them. This weigh heavily on him and the need to do something burned his every waking moment.