Steven Burke - The Dark Tide

He sat on the floor just outside the chamber where orb was kept and drew a circle in the dirt. He pulled a water skin from over his shoulder and emptied its contents into the circle. He mumbled some incantations which turned the clear liquid a silvery color. The surface was like a still lake with barely a ripple. He muttered in a different language this time and the surface rippled intensely for a moment before Khalida appeared in the circle.

“My lady…it is good to see you” Xuzien began warmly. He did not care for most people; however, he was simply unable to dislike Khalida. She was so kind and pure…she made you want to be better just because of her presence.

“I did not think you capable of such flattery my friend” replied the elegant guardian to her biracial friend.

“You caught me at a good moment…I have news to report that you and Adair should find most interesting” Xuzien replied smoothly. The tunnel echoed his words as he sat cross legged outside the entrance to the magically protected, yet unadorned, vault room which contained the Orb of Nitesh.

“What information or news do you have for me?” She was getting hopeful at this point. In all the years she had known her friend she had not seen him like this…what was the word; hopeful.

“The Elilasnar have started an expedition to my location just now. They are starting at Laikra Island and should arrive in a couple of days. Master Aiden has not arrived yet with his reinforcements; however, he too should arrive in a day or two. I will harry the approaching devil walkers to make sure Aiden arrives before they do. I just wanted you to know that the dark elves plan on betraying Kana in the end. They will give her the orb; however, they will attempt to guide her in a way that would unwittingly unleash the hordes of the underworld, including the keeper.” Xuzien seemed pleased with the amount of information that he was able to pass along to Khalida.

“You have done very well my friend. This will surely help our plans. I will need to get this information to my master at once. Please be safe…there are people who care about what happens to you” Khalida said with a smile. Before Xuzien could reply the link was severed. The liquid turned to water once more and was absorbed into the ground.

***

The darks elves entered what was known as the cave of Ordell. Once they were within the darkness the sound from the wind and crashing waves immediately ceased. The only noise was the sound of water dripping down from the ceiling to the floor. Further down the path there was a slight sound of water rushing. There were intermittent times where the sound of fluttering wings could be heard above all else. These noises made the dark elves feel right at home.

The female elf lit the way with a purple light that floated ahead of them as they began their descent. The air was thick with moisture and the temperature was dropping rapidly. The elves were able to adapt quickly to compensate for this expected change. The air was clean and pure which was something that they had not anticipated. This was a welcome gift as it would make it possible for them to go longer with fewer stops. As the elves passed the magical watchers, which looked like a spider with a giant singular eye, they all pulled their hoods down further so they could not be identified easily.

“What are you afraid of?” piped up Tanison. She flashed a wicked smile for whoever was watching them.

“What is wrong with you? What part of concealing our approach or using all our stealth to reach our destination undetected did you not understand?” blasted the elf in the rear. His voice was barely audible; however, he made sure she heard him.

“You heard Lord Tyrienwalker…these are guardian artifices…they are too busy and too important to be watching these all the time. Besides, they think Kana is coming from the east to Mia Koda. Relax” patronized Tanison. She did not care for cautious behavior…it always did more harm than good.

“You are worth no more than your looks you…” the rear dark elf cut off abruptly. He had a deadly dagger against his throat.

“Seriously, we are all on the same side here. There is no need to get bent out of shape” Tanison said sharply. All humor and teasing was gone. She signaled to the elf that was holding the blade to lower it.

“Let’s get one thing very clear…the mission comes first. This is a mission where we need to arrive in one piece and at full strength. It would not do to kill one or two of you just because you like the sound of your own voice” interjected Darken. He was the leader of this special force and he knew that these professionals needed some leeway to get pent up feelings or aggression out. He could not tolerate idiocy so he stepped in.

“Fine, you are right…I will play by the rules” Tanison said with a wink and a smile. She twirled about and continued forward as if nothing happened.

“You need to tighten the leash on that…” spat the offended dark elf from the rear. He did not finish his insult as he lost the ability to speak. In what were mere moments, the elf with the dagger had grabbed his tongue and cut it off in one single stroke. Dark blood gushed out of his mouth.

“Are you going to keep your mouth shut or are you content to bleed out?” Darken looked at the elf with no emotion whatsoever. He did not care one bit whether or not this soldier lived or died. He might be better without the insolent jerk.

The bleeding elf spat blood at his leader and moaned in laughter. There was a flash in the purple light and then contact. Darken had taken his long sword out and swung upward starting at the point between the elf’s legs. He then jerked hard upward until the blade hit the sternum. There was a crack as the elven expedition leader pulled up once more. It reached a point, about halfway up the rib cage, where he could no longer exert enough force to continue.

Darken swept the legs out from under the elf. The body hit the ground and blood and gore spilled out everywhere. With his right foot he pried his blade free. The sword caught fire for a few moments and then it extinguished itself. He then replaced it over his left shoulder. He did not look anyone in the eye and he returned to his place in line behind Tanison.

“Lead on…I believe we have a schedule to keep” offered Darken smoothly. No one was offended or surprised by the outcome. Apparently this is how dissension among the ranks was dealt with. Teasing and good natured ribbing was acceptable; however, blatant slander was not acceptable…at least in the field.

The cave walls were rough and full of minerals that reflected light at odd angles. The ceiling was no higher than the average giant. The entrance to the Vida Cavern was only big enough for an average sized man or elf to pass through. There were no other entrances or exits into this room. What remained unseen were the extremely tough magical barriers within the walls. It would be more difficult for a magic wielder to enter Cashlin Castle in the east than to attempt entry here.

As a tall figure paced outside the entrance, footsteps of the expected party broke the dense silence. Master Aiden had finally arrived with the aid of Lord Keb. The earthen lord had provided a way for the allied force to gain entry where none existed. The group had traveled several days above the ground while skirting the northern edge of the Mia Koda mountain range. They were able to move quicker than the dark elves that were fast approaching from the west.

“I am afraid that pleasantries will have to wait, they are here” spoke Xuzien quickly.

One elven mage went down with an arrow through his eye. The team quickly went into defense mode. The dark elves were using conventional means for the moment until they were able to ascertain what magic was being used outside the cavern to dissuade their forceful entry. They were well hidden by the shadows and their dark abilities. The ground in front of Xuzien opened and a hell hound burst forth. The beast was not quick enough to avoid the blades of Master Aiden who quickly cut down the demonic beast.