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“Thank you Lord Keb” replied General Yukio with a bow. “I will meet with the troops to determine the best formations to hide the magic wielders. General Lysander, will you meet with your cavalry units to ascertain the best flanking options?”

“I will at once” replied the Landen general with a side glance at Lord Keb. He felt uneasy about the change that had come over the gentle elemental, but knew better than to say or do anything that would indicate his concern. He left the room at a brisk pace. The other leaders left as well, except for King Leroy. He looked at the earthen lord with concern. He did not like the change he was seeing.

“What is it that you would have me do?” asked the king quietly to Lord Keb.

“Evacuate the lakeside villages completely…bring your people to the city of Kandar in the west…they will be safe there. I have put in place magical protections that will conceal their whereabouts” replied Keb. There was a distracted air about him as he spoke. There was no warmth or care emanating from him.

“You should also know that there is an evil coming from the western lands that we had not accounted for…I cannot say more because I do not know more than what I sense” Keb continued with a far off look. The other guardians looked at one another…dismay etched clearly on their faces. They had no idea who he was talking about…they each had an idea, but they did not dare say anything. The room became slightly darker at the mention of this evil.

“I appreciate the warning…I will get to work on the evacuations…thank you for your continued help” replied the king with a slight nod before he too left the chambers. He felt greatly disturbed by the latest news. Who would be a threat from the west? That is the part of Tuwa that has always been safest to all people.

The guardians looked at one another with weary looks…Neb quickly threw out magical webs to seal the room so that no one could enter or hear what was taking place in the war room. Once the place was secure, they began to discuss their own battle strategy. They met for nearly an hour before leaving the castle to assist with battle preparations. They knew that this confrontation would be a turning point. If they were able to destroy the northern army, then they would have a chance of vanquishing the water demons. During their discussion they did not address or speak of the evil threat in the west that Keb mentioned.

Lake Lachlan

The shores of Lachlan were quiet as the mysterious fog became thicker as the day progressed…an ominous sign to be sure. From the silent waters nothing could be seen from land…the forces that were stationed along the shores were concealed from both the natural and magical eye. The northern army, now positioned in the middle of the lake, was making their final preparations for their massive assault. The vast majority of creatures had been dispatched almost two days previously to circle the northern edge of the lake. The lake’s water had created a significant overhang over the centuries which provided adequate covering from anyone who did not know where to look in order to see them. All of the water demons had already been deployed along the western shallows to launch the necessary surprise attack in order to disorient their enemy. Kana had seen fit to use the pirates from the northern Kai Ocean region…a group of men who were so wild that many jumped ship at the mere sight of their raised colors.

While Kana felt a great deal of confidence in her plan, she was becoming less patient for the success that had now eluded her since the start of the war. The water demons had the backing of the powerful hydras that hid at the edges of the growing mist while the minotaurs and shape shifters made their march along the northern shore. The remaining dragons were called to the service of the rogue elemental, so they were elsewhere as the battle for Landen was about to renew. The liche had taken to the skies in an effort to take their enemies by surprise from behind. This was the reason the fog was expanding and for the black storm clouds that were now gathering overhead.

“Prepare the tidal wave!” the voice of the demonic water lord gurgled. He had been waiting for the land units to be out of the reach of the wave that they were about to create. He did not care particularly for the northerners and would, under different circumstances, destroy the beasts along with those he was targeting. His dislike was overruled by reason…he needed those soldiers in order to route the stubborn men of Landen. After this war I will be able to do as I please with those fiends, so patience now and then I can destroy them. The very thought gave the demon a strange sense of comfort and something to look forward to.

As the vile water lord swam back and forth behind his demons, a lone figure detached from the shadows of the shore. From the vast distance where Lord Nicor was, it was not clear who or what the thing was. The result of this blatant indifference would cost Kana’s minions significantly in the end. The unknown individual walked right to the edge of the water and stooped down with one hand flat against the cool surface. After several moments, the person stood erect and stared out into the thick wall of mist. Shaking its head slowly, it turned around and returned to the shadows from whence it had come.

Blissfully ignorant of what had just occurred at the shoreline, Lord Nicor unleashed his water demons. A wave exploded into the air some fifty feet high and immediately rushed forward toward where the figure had been. The wall of water was some three miles wide and had the force of a tidal wave that had started miles further out than this one had. The wave moved swiftly and unimpeded until it hit an invisible barrier. The water rushed up the unseen barrier until its energy was spent. The demons along with the water they had gathered together fell back into the depths of Lachlan. Lord Nicor rushed to the scene in a blind fury.

“What magic is this?” bellowed the water lord at the barrier. He frantically searched for a way to circumvent this obviously powerful magical wall. His temper was getting the better of him already and the fight had just begun…or at least they had tried to start.

“I am sorry Nicor…you see, I prefer to remain dry this fine morning” replied a deep clear voice from nowhere in particular. There was an ominous quality to the voice.

“I will give you dry… I know you are here you white haired, interfering…” blasted Nicor as he raised high out of the waters. He took on the form of a giant squid as he began to swat the air around him before stopping suddenly at the sight of his query. So, the guardian decided that I am too powerful for his lesser counterparts to handle.

“I am here to show my friends what I require them to do to your scattered army. No longer will the guardians tolerate your kind to come from the underworld. Prepare to return to that gulf of misery and woe that you sprung from.” The guardian took on a solid form some fifty feet in the air right in from of the giant squid. His eyes had a steely look in them and as he made a pushing motion with both hands in the direction of the water demon, the darkening skies lit up with purple, gold, and white lightning.

“You cannot hurt me…my powers have almost fully recovered. Besides, you do not have it in you to kill anything!” After shouting this rather weak insult at the guardian, the water demon turned into his usual demonic form before the effects of Lord Adair’s attack were felt.

There was a blinding flash of light as the lightning that had been gathering in the clouds converged on that water demon. A gust of wind was the result of the guardian’s pushing motion. The wind wrapped itself around Nicor and held him fast. Before the demon could do anything to counter the attacks, Adair launched a combination of elemental projectiles at him. A ball comprised of earth, wind, water, and fire consumed the struggling underworld demon. As the ball of elements swirled, lightning continued with increasing ferocity to slam into the now helpless axis leader.