Steven Burke - The Fallen Guardian

“You need not worry yourself about such things,” replied a smooth voice from the shadows of the king’s court. “We will make sure that no one goes without.”

“Mistress Khalida, what brings you here?” queried the king as he stood up abruptly and bowed to the beautiful guardian. Gone were the days when he was surprised by a voice from the shadows. He still had a hard time adjusting to the times when the guardians or the druids would speak to him in his mind. His own internal voice was troubling enough.

“I have come to reassure you that you need not worry about the particulars of sustaining four armies all at once. I have tasked one of the guardians to assist with the production of food and other supplies gleaned from the earth. Also, I have an update on what has been happening elsewhere in Tuwa.”

“Well, I appreciate your assistance in the area of sustaining the allied armies and for the sustenance for my people. I might be able to sleep now.” He slumped back down in his throne and exhaled slowly as he relaxed.

“Well, we are not out of the woods quite yet, dear Leroy. The clouds of war are gathering overhead as we speak. Every scavenger known to Tuwa is gathering to this place because they can sense eminent battle. We should take advantage of this early warning and make our final preparations for war.”

“I will get the four armies within my borders prepared for anything then.”

“I certainly hope they will be ready for anything. I still need to give you news of what has been taking place below your cliff walls,” Khalida began slowly. At this point, the king tensed up once more in anticipation of bad news.

“What exactly did you find out?”

“Well, there are three orc armies in the south in the land of Nodin along with half of the high elven army. They are led by a powerful high elven necromancer who has learned a great deal about our plans through spying on various secret meetings. They should be attacking within the next few days, so we need to be ready in the south to take on three hundred and fifty thousand troops. Also, many of the high elves are some form of mage, so we will need to make sure that there are some magical barriers along the cliff walls and at South Gate.”

“The southern forces seem to pose the greatest threat right now, so we should probably have my cavalry units prepare to sally forth under the protection of a covering fire.”

“In the north,” continued Khalida as though she had not heard him, “we need to guard against the other half of the high elven army. They are being led by the notorious General Jaali and the ruthless Queen Kishi.”

“Wait. I thought she was supposed to be back in Nairi…”

“Lord Neb flooded the canyons, killing all who remained behind from the high elven army. Lord Marcello has informed me that he dueled with her at the North Gate right before the floods were unleashed. The two main concerns at this point are the high elven magicians and the siege capabilities of the orcs.” She looked at the king finally and gave him a very serious look.

“So there is no one attacking from the east or west?” asked the king reluctantly. Is there any good news?

“Before I answer that question, I have news that throws a kink in the whole works. It appears that Kana has somehow recruited the help of some of the more violent creatures in Tuwa. Just two days ago it was confirmed that wolves had attacked a small number of Aranian warriors who had been sent to protect the vacant city of Tarisdell. Before they could reach their destination, they encountered giant wolves. They were outnumbered and outmatched physically.”

“You mean to tell me that those demons actually exist!” interrupted King Leroy. He did not bother to hide his shock at this revelation.

“Yes, they do, Leroy. Now, please do not interrupt me again. Time is of the utmost importance right now, and I am afraid that it is working against us at the moment.”

“My apologies, malady,” replied the king with a bow. “Please continue.”

“That is quite all right. Now, where was I? Ah yes, the coming of the wolves. Through a bit of luck and sheer nerve, the soldiers were able to reach the eastern outer wall. They were able to pass through the invisible barrier that the elves had left behind as they fled. The wolves disappeared briefly but returned later. Their full strength was in excess of five thousand plus wolves. There were black, gray, red, and white wolves all joined together in the most unlikely partnership. Normally they would tear each other apart, but I believe Kana has used some sort of devilry to force them to work together.”

“So you fear that these brutes will join ranks with the axis of evil just outside our borders? Or, do you think it more likely that they will try to scale the western cliffs?”

“I believe the answer to both of your questions is yes. However, I do not believe that there are merely five thousand wolves. The number is probably ten times that.”

“Well, then we need to get some beasts on our side to deal with those devilish brutes.”

“We have summoned the help of the bears, and they should be arriving in the Black Forest shortly. They will engage the wolves to merely make their presence known and to try and force Kana to rethink her strategy.”

“That does sound like an excellent idea. It lightens the burden on my heart knowing that they will assist us of their own free will and choice.”

“Yes, it will make the situation better, I think, but there is more. It appears that Kana has also recruited the infamous vampire bats and filthy ravens that plague every living thing in Tuwa. They are making their way to Landen as we speak and will blot out all light within a few days. So, the cloud of war is literally upon us.” This declaration had an ominous feel to it.

King Leroy rose from his throne and walked to the bay window that looked out over the west land. He placed his hands behind his back as he observed what appeared to be a black cloud moving toward his country. Khalida stood beside him as he peered out intently at the deadly mass of bats or ravens heading their way. She had a hardened look on her face as she surveyed the landscape. It was like she was able to see things that the king simply could not with his naked eye. A feeling of a heavy burden being placed on his shoulders came over him at that moment. The safety of millions depended upon him and the success of the four armies within Landen. It will probably come down to the aid we received from the bears and the guardians. Only with their help will we be able to fend off these deadly foes.

Bang ! The double doors to the king’s court reverberated from the loud knock. Bang! Whoever this is must believe that their presence is of the utmost importance. “Who is there?” asked the king irritably.

“It is I, Zaide Ikofi of the druid order. I come in behalf of King Derek Udrugi and on orders from the high druid Nariko Kromnog. I ask permission to speak to you…alone,” boomed the commanding voice of the druid Zaide. He did not enter at that point and politely waited for a reply. It was clear from his words that he knew Khalida was there and that he did not wish to speak to the king while she was present.

“I will leave now so that you can speak with this druid. He means well, but I fear that the druid order does not trust the guardians because of Kana. I will respect their wishes for a time, but soon this distrust will have to be faced. Now is not the time. I will leave you to council with him; remember what we have discussed. Feel free to share the information with the druid, though I doubt you will need to. Since they have partially restored the order recently, their united powers have made them formidable once more. Beware the secret druid.” She said this last ominous statement and then with a faint pop disappeared.