As she entered the cavern where Lord Keb was being held captive, she noticed that her magic had been subverted somehow. She could sense the presence of Drogan before she saw him glowering over the prostrate form of her fellow guardian. She made a loud popping noise as she changed back into her human form, which got the attention of her accomplice. He had a look of surprise on his face at the unexpected visit. He quickly masked that look with a broad, devilish grin. Kana lowered herself to the ground and looked at him sternly. It was clear that she was waiting for an explanation as to why he had undone her magic. She did not try to hide the fact that she was furious with him about the subversion.
“You have nothing to fear, Kana. I replaced your enchantments with some more potent ones of my own,” he said smoothly.
“I know that I have nothing to fear from you!” she snapped indignantly. “I wonder if you realize that your ‘protections’ denied me access to my prisoner.” She made this a statement rather than a question.
“I could have sworn that I gave you access through my magical webs. I will fix that straight away.” He said this with a rather pathetic attempt at looking sheepish. He simply could not hide his evil grin.
“Leave us!” He looked at her sideways before retreating back into one of the walls of the cavern.
She watched him go with mounting disgust. The people I must align myself with! I will dispose of him and the others once I have control over the races and creatures of Tuwa. She turned her attention to Lord Keb and began to smile wickedly as she stood over his bent frame. She was not finished with him just yet. He knew more than he had let on; he simply did not know it yet.
The Flood
Khalida reached the Blaine River by the evening on the third day after she had met with her master. She had been watching the unnatural clouds that had formed over the Nairi Canyons all day as she made her way to meet with Lord Neb. As she reached her destination, she did not even notice Neb standing by the river to greet her. He followed her gaze toward the black clouds and nodded his understanding. He too had been mesmerized by the sudden appearance of these weird-looking clouds. What made him even more disturbed was the fact that he could sense no moisture in the storm clouds. They had the look and the feel, but they lacked the substance. He had pondered this matter while he waited patiently to meet with his lady.
“I see that you too are perplexed by those dark clouds,” supplied Lord Neb with a sly smile.
“So, they are not of your doing then?” she asked thoughtfully.
“No, and I do not believe they are what we think they are either,” he replied cryptically.
“What are you on about, Neb?”
“I do not think that those are clouds. They are wraiths. Our old enemy from the north must have sent them.” His crystal blue eyes squinted as he continued to stare at the mass of dark spirits. He did not care for their presence and was uncertain about the purpose of their sudden appearance. His dark hair ruffled in the breeze as they continued to stare at the unholy seen off in the distance.
Khalida stood there for some time looking at the writhing mass that was clearly not the cloud formation she once thought it was. I wonder if Master Adair knew of their involvement. No matter. We will deal with them at the same time as the high elves. She looked back at Neb who was waiting patiently for her to tell him what was required of him. The sky overhead began to darken. There was a feeling of apprehension in the very air they breathed. The two Elementals looked at one another in such a way as to make it clear that they both knew what was happening and what needed to be done.
“Shall I then?”
“Neb, you were always the most astute fellow. Please, flood the canyon and eradicate those vicious devils from the sky. Send them back to their prison where they belong.”
“I will banish those fiends into oblivion if I can manage it,” he said with a wink.
Neb raised his hands high above his head and uttered the command word for water, “Watnese.” The Blaine River stopped flowing at once as if waiting for his command. Fill the Nairi Canyons until the water is level with the plains above. A very dark storm cloud filled the sky above the spot they were standing. The moisture in it could be felt as they watched the cloud moved toward the canyons. Freeze the wraiths, and then teleport them back to their frozen dungeon. The cloud picked up speed, and the air around them began to have a bite in it as though winter had suddenly sprung upon them.
As Neb’s storm cloud approached the swirling wraiths, bluish silver lightning began to shoot out horizontally at the unsuspecting intruders. With each strike, one of the devils was frozen solid and teleported back to the distant prison in the ice castle of the north. It was oddly satisfying to watch the spectacular display of power for the two Elementals. The underside of the cloud began to take on the same color as the lightning as it neared its target. Thunderous booms ripped through the sky as the lightning picked up its frequency. The booming noise became so loud that any creature or person within twenty miles of the aerial attack had to cover their ears. A sly smile crept slowly across the water god’s face as he watched his handiwork.
“There is nothing like a good thunder and lightning storm.”
“I did not think that you were one for theatrics, Neb. I thought you would have simply raised water from under the canyon floor. This tactic sends a clear message to those wicked elves.” She gave the water guardian a slight nod to show her appreciation for his creativity.
Lord Neb merely smiled at the compliment and continued to focus on the eminent destruction of the high elves that remained behind in the Nairi Canyons. The guardians still believed that Queen Kishi was still in there and had not received the word from Lord Marcello that the queen was with her troops in the field of battle. Khalida smiled as the cloud settled over the canyons and waited patiently for the downpour. He gave Khalida a side-glance and flashed a mischievous smile as he lowered his hands. All at once rain came down in sheets. There was so much rain that it looked like one giant waterfall. Within minutes, the water reached the tips of the canyon walls. No living thing survived the sudden flood caused by the water Elemental. Mistress Khalida was pleased with the quick results.
“I task you to keep the canyons flooded until I tell you to allow the waters to recede. I must go to the armies in Landen to give them word of our first real victory. I will send any news I receive from them in the usual way. Keep me informed of anything you learn while patrolling the river.” She reached out and touched him gently on the arm and then turned about on Kuma and headed south to find a crossing.
“I will keep you informed of anything vital to our cause,” he replied as Khalida sauntered away on her giant bear.
The storm clouds cleared slowly over the newly formed Nairi Lake. As the sun began to peak through the sudden stillness, the water reflected the rays of light like shimmering stars on a clear night. The water was still except for various objects breaking through the otherwise still surface. As the minutes passed, more and more disturbances occurred across the newly formed body of water. Dead bodies and remnants of their armor and weapons began to bob up and down. The water had a filthy brownish-red color to it from the clay canyon walls and floor. The products of the mass destruction could only be seen when the sun caught them just right. The stench that filled the air caused a natural barrier around the former home of the Nairi people. No one was able to come within five miles of it without being overcome by the foul smell. As Neb turned away from his handiwork, the Blaine River sprang back into life.