Steven Burke - The Dark Tide

“Why is that of any significance?” asked Lady Necia politely. She folded her hands neatly in front of her on the council table.

“That particular element was chosen to protect the orb from detection. I felt it necessary to make Khalida and Keb aware of its existence. They would be able to detect its presence and I felt that they should know what it was that they were protecting. However, they never knew what it was for and even what powers it has. That knowledge lies with me and with the powerful master Mahdi.” Tension crept into the hall at the mention of the mystical being. That particular person was never discussed just like the foundation event.

“Can he be trusted with such crucial knowledge? Shouldn’t this council be responsible for guarding such powerful information?” asked Lady Hilzarie with a harsh tone. She did not trust him or his mysterious race. She had great difficulty these days trusting anyone after Kana’s fall from grace. She was also felt that Mahdi was not all that intelligent. He never spoke out loud which was always a sign of dimwittedness in her opinion.

“I trust master Mahdi completely…he and his kind will be the ones to end this war. They will come when they are needed and not before.” He gave Necia a stern look as he said this. He clearly heard her inner thoughts and did not care for what he heard. His icy glare seemed to last forever to the fire elemental.

“I am confused…what exactly does this magical object do?” asked Lord Keb quietly. He did not seem to be himself anymore. He looked frazzled from whatever he had suffered while he was away. He struggled to maintain his human form as he sat there next to Neb. He almost had the look of being frayed at the edges. His brown cloak had more of a dull gray hue to it. He face looked emaciated and gray.

“That secret cannot be divulged to anyone in this council…Kana’s ability to extract information has proven too formidable. She does not remember our ancient friend and his kind…we can take advantage of this oversight. I have relocated the orb, but Kana has already discovered the region in which it lies. She has dispatched a small expedition to retrieve this powerful object with Rolon in the lead.” He had a steely gleam in his eye as he looked around the table.

“Where exactly is it located?” asked Lord Neb smoothly. While he was confident as ever in his master, it was his friend Keb he was concerned with. He knew that some of what Adair had mentioned had a great deal to do with his friend. He was not really focused on what his master was talking about.

“It is in the Vida Cavern under the Mia Koda Mountains. I believe that Rolon and his party are planning to take the forbidden path. They will learn that Keala does not go all the way to the hiding place. This poor choice should delay them significantly. Sooner or later we may need to move the Orb of Nitesh once again. That is if Kana’s fiends prove more intelligent than I give them credit for.” Darkness crossed his face as he said this…as brief as it was, Khalida took notice. He knew that he was a little careless in sharing the vicinity of the orb with his council; however, it was high time that he trusted someone again. It is when you do not trust others that mistakes get made. They could not afford that right now.

“I really hate to persist in asking, but what power does the orb possess? We do not need to know the secret, but I think we need to know what it can do. Are we in any danger from it?” asked Lord Keb evenly. He had a dark look as he stared at nothing in particular. He appeared to be almost translucent as his focus continued to shift and his essence swirled. His focus was unshakeable as he looked at Lord Adair.

“You have every right to keep asking…you have suffered greatly while trying to protect the secret of its existence. We all need to be on our guard. If Kana gains possession of the orb, she will be able to destroy anyone or anything in her path. The Orb of Nitesh does have the power to inflict significant harm on any of us. However, she would never be able to discover the hidden capabilities that would threaten our existence. Even without the power to destroy us, we will be hard pressed to stop her if she gains possession of this powerful object.” His features darkened slightly as he spoke. It was clear that in Kana’s hands that this weapon would wreak havoc.

“Is our top priority keeping the orb hidden or with the war that rages on?” asked Lady Necia softly. She was clearly having a serious internal struggle that no one else seemed to notice. She felt that Kana had turned against the council and not her as an individual. She too had had issues with the council from time to time, so it seemed reasonable that the fallen guardian was somewhat justified in her actions.

“I will deal with ensuring the orb remains hidden. No one outside this council is to know about the existence of it. Also, no one is to mention master Mahdi and his kind. These secrets must be kept at all costs. Khalida will continue to lead the war effort while I deal with several pressing matters. Before I take leave of you, I would like to tell you about my encounter with the dark lord.” He looked at Lord Keb as he said this. A look of pity crept across his face while he looked at his friend who looked to be holding the weight of all of Tuwa on his shoulders. Adair seemed to rush through this until he looked at Keb. He knew that this matter required a delicate approach…something that he had always struggled with.

“Please continue” said Khalida smoothly. She was always able to sense his unease and knew that there were several things plaguing her master. This was going to be difficult no matter how gentle the guardian tried to be.

“Once I learned of Lord Keb’s disappearance, I knew that I had to find out what was going on in the north. I immediately knew that he was being held captive in that dark mountain which is the source of all evil in the world of the living. I determined that I would need to figure out who was in that accursed place before I simply walked in to retrieve Keb. It became clear that Kana had released Drogan and his followers from their icy prison. She had them watching over Keb in Mount Mephistopheles.” A chill filled the air at this revelation. The mountain was said to be one of the few places where the world of the keeper and the living met. Entering that place meant risking an encounter with the underworld.

“Kana released those foul creatures from the prison we placed them in?” asked Necia quickly. She was still struggling with her former master’s betrayal and could not bring herself to fully face reality quite yet. She cast a furtive look at Keb and then looked back at the guardian. She was seriously conflicted with everything that she was learning. The truth was not as clear to her as it was to the others. It is hard after serving with someone for millennia to change your opinion of them. The evidence was just not enough for her.

“Yes, and you had best accept the fact that Kana has not betrayed only you! She has sold us all out for her own selfish desires!” blasted Lord Keb darkly. He had little patience for Necia and her misplaced sympathies. The atmosphere around them darkened noticeably as he looked her in the eye. His focus was sharp now and he was able to maintain his human form. His eyes turned dark brown as he glared at her. There was real hatred in the look her gave the fire guardian.

“Keb makes a good point…albeit a little too harshly. Kana has left us and is intent on ridding the world of this council and those who we support. It is best if we all come to terms with that.” Adair looked around at each of his guardians to make sure that they each understood. His gaze rested on Necia a little longer to make sure she understood fully. His eyes narrowed menacingly for a moment and then he looked away. I may have to deal with her soon. I will not let another council member leave!