The four guardians vanished as a strong wind pushed from west to east into the face of the remaining forces of Kana’s northern warriors. The elven mages took advantage of this cover to place some more magical traps for the oncoming intruders. They had had little time to lay deadly artifices, so the weather had afforded them an unexpected advantage. Now they felt that they were more prepared for the coming assault and the other defending forces adjusted their positions to accommodate the new defensives. One thing that the troops had forgotten about was the ships that were still on the waters filled with pirates from the Kai Ocean. An oversight that would prove costly once the battle commenced in earnest.
***
As the northern troops watched the strange battles over the lake they came to a collective halt. They were struck with fear as they realized the water demons were dispatched after Nicor had been destroyed. They were caught off guard by the downpour that erupted once the impromptu battle over the lake stalled. They were heartened by what they saw, albeit briefly, in the middle of the lake. The pirate ships were alive with activity in preparing for the storm. It appeared that the forces of Landen had completely forgotten about the water forces. Now that the rain was coming down in earnest the soldiers who were on the edge of lake had to make for the shelter of the cliffs.
The liche decided to take command of the army since no one appeared to be in charge anymore. Since the rain was not a deterrent for the spectral beings, a small detachment floated out to the ships being tossed on the now turbulent waters of Lachlan. They met briefly with the captains of the pirate ships before returning to the shore. The forces under the cliffs noticed that not all the liche returned from the brief journey on the inland sea.
“What were you up to out there?” asked one of the minotaurs asked roughly. He did not think much of the liche taking charge of the army. He did not trust them…anything that was not altogether solid was something that he could not depend on let alone brutalize.
“We are taking charge because of the circumstances. If this was merely a land battle and there were no magic involved, then we would happily have you and your kind in the lead. Since that is not the case, we are compelled to take over.” The specter’s voice was harsh and cruel. It was clear that they were being honest and did not want to be in charge and that it was necessity that drove them.
“Fine…I really do not care that you are in charge…what I want to know is what you talked to those fiendish northlanders about” queried the same minotaur hotly. Steam flared from his nostrils as he glared that the small group of liche. He could not tell which one spoke as they had no visible mouths.
“As soon as this storm passes the northlanders will anchor just off shore and we will board their ships. The guardians and elven mages will not expect an assault from the sea. This will give us an opportunity to gain an advantage over our enemies. They have planned several nasty magical traps along the shorelines; however, they are not planning on us coming at them from the water. So, water it is.” The specter who spoke this time hissed these last few words. The minotaurs still could not tell who was talking but they at least knew that it was someone different this time who spoke.
“So what do we do until this accursed weather breaks?” asked a different soldier this time.
“You all can just wait it out here. We will do some recon to determine the best tactical plan. We will be back before the storm ends.” All the liche departed over the water and were lost in the deluge of rain.
“I do not know about you, but those spooks give me the creeps!” said one of the shape shifters. Those nearest him turned to look at him. They all laughed collectively as the shifter who spoke was in the form of a specter.
“You shifters really do have a strange sense of humor” said a larger than usual minotaur. He snorted derisively at the superfluous shape shifters. While he did not care for the tricksters, he could not help but appreciate the joke.
The liche made their way across the lake toward the central eastern shore. As they had suspected, there were no troops there. The guardians were not there either which was heartening. They could sense the magic wielders towards the northeastern shore. It was time that they set some of their own traps. The specters were magical, though other worldly and they would set some rather nasty artifices of their own. They were extremely adept at providing the keeper of the underworld with souls and he gave powers to those that fed him.
***
The four lesser guardians appeared in a small forest toward the center of Landen. They wanted to regroup and to plan the next phase of the battle. They were full of confidence now that they had successfully dealt with the water demons. All they had to contend with now were the minotaurs, shape shifters, and the pestilential liche. The sky overhead was clear and sunny. The trees swayed slowly in a gentle breeze as the sounds of forest life filled the silence.
“Since the most difficult assailants are gone, maybe we should split up again. I think it is high time that one or two of us go to our dwarven friends and lend some much needed assistance” offered Necia calmly. She smiled genuinely at her fellow guardians. She felt closer to them than she could ever remember. This brought her comfort and a small amount of joy. It was rather difficult to be truly happy with all the death and destruction; especially when it is being caused by your former elder and supposed close friend.
“I am inclined to agree with you. Let’s have Hilzarie and I deal with the northerners. Necia, you go with Keb to visit our ailing dwarven friends. What say you?” Lord Neb was feeling more confident as he spoke. He was feeling more comfortable with Necia and knew that she could really help the dwarves out. The dwarves had an affinity for fire and were very receptive to Necia as a result. As the water lord he did not have much to offer the mountain dwellers. He did sense something nagging at the back of his mind; however, he ignored the troubling thought, whatever it was.
“I will go to our friends Mount Adem and see what I can do to maximize the lava moat they have there” replied Necia smoothly. She relished the idea of visiting the dwarves because they revered her to be a goddess. She also respected the mountain dwellers for their hard work and unmatched craftsmanship.
“I will head to Dagnolir’s fortress and provide what help I can” supplied Keb calmly. He looked more confident than he had been in years.
“Excellent, let us not waste any more time than we already have. Good luck to us all” Neb said with a loud popping sound as he disappeared. A bluish mist hung in the air momentarily and then slowly dissipated.
Necia, Hilzarie, and Keb all laughed amongst themselves at their impatient friend. Then they too vanished with faint popping sounds. The swirling mist hung in the air for only moments. The forest had gone quiet while they had met briefly, but they were all too preoccupied to have noticed anything amiss. Lord Neb sensed it but did not understand the warning. There was a presence there, a rather dark one at that, well within the shadows of the trees. Whoever or whatever it was, it was clear that they had been keen on listening in. They had not followed the guardians to the location, they simply happened to be there. They took advantage of the opportunity that presented itself.
“Do you think we should tell her about this?” queried one of the dark spies quietly.
“We are not here to spy for her; we have other business to attend to. I am sure she will figure it out” replied a low, hoarse voice. They both chuckled appreciatively and then went back to where the others were hiding deep in the darkest recesses of the woods.
The Black Mist