“I do not wish to question your decision my lord, but what assurances do we have that they will distinguish between the allies and the axis powers? They have shown no regard for either in the past.” The king had a timid look on his face as he said this because the guardian was the most powerful being in all of Tuwa. He did not want to get on the wrong side of such a powerful person; however, he simply could not believe what he was being told. The tragic death of his youngest daughter had caused him to doubt more than he would have normally and his deep seated hatred for their inaction in the death of his wife had made it impossible for him to ever trust them.
“I understand your concerns. I have made an agreement that will ensure they do not do the very things you just described. I believe that I have motivated them sufficiently for the time being. Do not be afraid to express your concerns to me or the other guardians…we are obviously not without faults. However, the Seda will not break their agreement with me…I promise you that.” His steely, yet kind look told the elven king that he could trust what was being promised. He just needed to trust Lord Adair to keep those vile apparitions in line.
“Say no more my lord.” The king bowed his head again in humility before the towering figure of Lord Adair. His white goatee was luminous from the light filtering through the swirling mist.
“As of right now the orc army that was led by General Tomo is no more. They have been completely destroyed thanks, in large part, to the Seda.”
“That is great news!” The elven king felt real relief for the first time since the untimely death of his beloved wife all those years ago. The Seda have done the impossible…that does not mean they are forgiven. After this war has ended, I will do whatever it takes to remove them from my forest!
“It is good news, but this victory will be a rare occurrence. Kana will avoid the Black Forest from now on, so the Seda will not be able to assist us any further in large scale attacks. However, now we can move some troops back into the forest where they will be protected. I want the elves that are not fighting to return to their homes and work on producing supplies for their army. I do not want everyone tucked away in Landen with no escape route. The detachment you send back, along with yourself, will be responsible for irritating passing axis soldiers. They will also establish a supply line from Renshaw to the western city of Shafrig that is on the cliffs of Landen.”
“Excellent plan my lord! Should I relay this information to Kings Angus and Leroy?” King Ciel was relieved by this news because it meant that he was going home. This would provide his people with a significant morale boost and his troops would get supplies that are meant for elves. They had struggled to adapt to the food the mortals ate. They had never taken to the protein laden diet.
“Do not worry yourself about that…I have already taken care of it. They are aware of the changes I have ordered and of the amazing victory of Kylrilion. Your concern now is your people and their safety. Do not worry about the Seda…they have shown us their intentions and their devotion to the allies. Good luck Ciel Tiranidrol.” The guardian vanished with a faint popping sound. As always a faint mist hung in the air momentarily and then dissipated. The mist that had lined the room disappeared at the same time. Natural light filled the room once more.
The king mused over the unbelievable news he had just received. The war had taken on a new dimension…one that only the guardian himself foresaw. I simply cannot believe our good fortune. We will surely crush these axis fools now that we have destroyed one of the orc armies. The door opened slowly as one of his guards poked his head in. King Ciel stood up and motioned for the soldier to enter the room. He did not hide the joy he was feeling inside.
“I assume you heard everything?” asked King Ciel with a smile. He had thought that the mist muffled the conversation; however, he was pleased that they were able to hear the good news.
“Yes sir…I could not help it…we heard both your voices in our minds” replied the soldier meekly.
“Not to worry…I want you to spread the word…we are heading home!” He slapped his guard on the shoulder genially. They had much to look forward to now.
The Floods Recede
The newly created lake shimmered in the early morning sun as the water lapped against the canyon walls of Nairi. The debris that had polluted the surface for many days had disappeared without a trace into the depths below. The portents of the canyon lake were clear now instead of murky. A lone figure stood at the edge of the eastern shore looking out over the oddly beautiful vista. The person was tall and slender with long flowing red hair and appeared to have black wings. Her eyes were mostly red with a gray outline around the edges. As a breeze picked up from behind her, the light reflected off of several silver strands that were hidden within her silky long hair. She was not really looking at the scene before her…she was looking far off into the west as she stood rooted to the spot.
Kana suddenly burst into flames which seemed to caress her and was not harming her in any way. She looked at the lake finally and raised her arms high into the air and said, “Flymare”! The fire engulfing her started to pulsate as it grew larger and yearned to be set free. She directed her power toward some point high in the clear sky above Nairi. She continued to build the ball of fire until it was roughly the size of five full grown dragons. For the briefest moment the fiery sphere hung over the water as though it were waiting for a final command. As the fallen guardian brought down her hands, the ball shot downward with extreme force into the still waters.
High above the fiery projectile followed Ryo who seemed to appear out of nowhere and began adding his own fire to Kana’s ball. The moment the lethal sphere touched the surface of the lake there was an ear splitting squealing noise that filled the air as a result of the dramatic impact. The water evaporated with great ferocity and unbelievable speed. The air was quickly filled with steam so hot that it burned alive any creature unfortunate enough to be within one mile of Nairi. Once the fallen guardian’s projectile had made its way to the bottom it began to worm its way around the rest of the canyon lands to continue its battle with the water that was trying to fill the open spaces. The very air behind the fiery orb seemed to lack moisture as the assault continued.
The dragon Ryo flew up into the air above the canyon and circled slowly until he came to rest next to his master. He continued to watch the fiery ball with great interest while ignoring Kana completely. He still had not forgiven her for not listening to his advice and warning about the orb. He was also still upset that she went into the cursed village of Arlenael. He did not like how she was deviating from the original plan and was even more disgruntled by her attitude towards him. Sprouting wings of her own when she felt the need was adding insult to injury.
“So, you do not agree with how I am doing things?” asked Kana knowingly. She was giving her fell beast a sideways look which clearly indicated that she knew what he was feeling even if she could not read his thoughts. This was beginning to trouble her and she could not afford to have the rift between them get any worse. The wings she had displayed vanished.