“He is managing our armies that are surrounding Mount Adem. We have had some complications arise there that he is dealing with” replied Tadok K’K. His muscles tensed as he shifted uncomfortably. He wanted out of there the moment he arrived.
“Very well…I assume that Generals Synan and Tomo are managing the assault on the southern cliffs…” She was clearly agitated and was not hiding her feelings very well at the moment. She did not realize that she was making herself so vulnerable to the others by allowing her emotions to get the better of her. It was difficult to hide since flames were shooting out at random directions.
“We are here as well…I will represent the wolves and the other creatures in your service” Ulric spoke slyly within the group members’ minds. He had crept up slowly on the unusual group gathered together in the elven forest at a location that he thought they would have known to avoid.
“Fine…let’s get…” began Kana pointedly before she was interrupted by the giant spider Razi. She briefly turned into all flames at the interruption. The magical energy emanating from her was pushing hard against the oppressive atmosphere.
“Who made you our leader? Why do you speak for all us? I am here as well…what about me?” spat Razi nastily. He spat venom in the direction of the giant wolf which singed some hair on the beast’s tail. The large spider raised its fangs up in a threatening manner.
“Enough!” shrieked Kana loudly. “We must begin this meeting now so we can discuss the matters of war and make plans for overcoming our enemies who have proven to be stronger than our combined strength.” She briefly burst into flames as she struggled to regain her composure. Finally she regained control after all the build-up and all flames died out. She stood erect and all could see the flames still dancing in her menacing gaze.
The group of unlikely allies looked at one another uneasily. The only one that realized what was happening to them was Lord Trahern. His link to the earth was telling him to leave this place straight away. The ancient magic was alive in everything around them and was the source of the negative feelings and emotions that had beset the council members. The massive rock troll did not say anything to the others about what he knew and merely stood there waiting for the meeting to get started. An eerie silence fell over the axis leaders as they waited for things to begin…the oppressive air thickened even more. It was unnatural the way the forest around them silenced itself…almost as though something was heading their way.
“I guess I will make my report on our attempts to lay siege to King Kasim and his mountain kingdom” began General Akuji. He could not take the silence anymore and really wanted to get his part over with. He could not shake the feeling that something was pressing down on him. His lungs were used to the high altitudes of the mountain valley of Tarin, so the pressure he was feeling was a sensation he was not altogether familiar with.
“Very well…give us your report Akuji” replied the fallen guardian with a strained sigh. She was trying to secure her emotions and thoughts from the group. She was not being as successful as she would have hoped. Then again, she only really needed to concern herself with Dukker.
“We sent in our berserkers to remove any traps on the plains surrounding the mountain fortress. However, when they set off the explosives, they inadvertently caused molten lava to come up from under the earth. Mount Adem is now completely surrounded by liquid magma” Akuji spoke with a sullen determination. “The width of the mote we created is nearly one mile in the north where the land is closest together. We are working on ways of creating a bridge over the fiery barrier.” It was so uncharacteristic to see the mighty orc’s shoulders hunched in defeated way. Kana noticed that his breathing appeared to be labored and wondered what could possibly cause an orc of Tarin to struggle to breathe.
“So, you cannot reach the dwarves…at least they are not going anywhere” replied Kana with a hint of resignation in her voice. She was still troubled more by the orc himself rather than what was reported.
“Our armies will find a way over this temporary setback. King Kasim has no way of escaping and we have all of the resources from the forest on our side. We will crush him…it will just take a little longer than we had hoped.” He had a look of fierce determination on his face as his finished. I will not let those little mountain dwellers go unpunished.
“Well, it sounds like you have a plan in place to deal with the unfortunate circumstances…I do not believe that your Berserkers were the cause of this unlikely turn of events. The guardian council has become more involved in this conflict and will continue to interfere with our plans from now on. We must be prepared for any eventuality” Kana said to the group. The inevitability of her fellow guardians’ intervention was not much of a surprise to her. She had a look of resignation on her face and the others did not know quite what to make of it. It was clear that her thoughts had drifted elsewhere and she did not look inclined to share.
For nearly three hours the axis leaders reported to one another on the affairs of war and how things had gone ill in nearly every quarter. By the time all of them had shared their news, there was a heavy feeling of despair pressing down on them. They felt that their cause may be lost and that it might be the right time to give it up. After the fallen guardian had heard what her leadership had to say, she decided that it was time to reveal to them her secret plans that she had already put into motion. She explained to them, in detail, the quest for a powerful magical object that would help turn the tide of war back in their favor.
“That is good news…but what do we do for the time being? Rolon may not return with this weapon for quite some time. We are losing the war now and if we do not change course soon, it will be over before the wolf is back” the dark warlock said purposefully. He was not too pleased with the news of this object of power. This may put the balance of power in Kana’s favor and then he would be hard pressed to push his agenda.
“I agree with our little friend…things are not boding well for us at the moment. We need something now that will help us turn the bloody affair in our favor” interjected the giant rock troll flatly. He had not moved at all the entire time and though he remained motionless, even this stalwart was not unmoved by the unease.
“I believe that what is needed is a little retooling of our efforts. We have far superior numbers, but they are clumped together right now. We need to balance our attack if we are to see any progress” General Nero supplied confidently. He stood a little taller as he spoke as though purpose had been infused back into him. He still struggled for breath; however, he hid this with greater ease now.
“I concur with your assessment Nero…we will need to move some of the orc armies to the north to assist the ailing high elves who have been beaten soundly over the past few days. Queen Kishi is still recovering from her encounter with General Yukio. Which brings up a very important point…we must all be careful when dealing with that crazed man. He has plenty of motivation and has shown that he is an advanced wielder of magic. We must be cautious” Kana explained coolly. She looked around at her leaders to make sure that they were paying attention to her warning about the mysterious man Yukio.
“So you believe that bringing one of the orc armies to the north to aid the high elves would help turn things around?” asked a skeptical Dukker. His dark features did not hide his disbelief. He clearly did not care for the orcs and did not think much of their assistance. He also completely ignored the warning about the mortal man Yukio.