Unforgivable Sin
Lady Hilzarie soared gracefully over the High Plains of Landen in search of Mistress Khalida who did not appear to be anywhere in the vast country. She did not have time to search for her, so she hovered where she was several thousand feet above the ground and sent out a magical web to see if she could find the nearest Elemental. After a few moments, she came into contact with Lord Neb who had just finished flooding the Nairi Canyons. She quickly relayed to him the information about the druids and what they had discussed. After she had finished telling him everything, she took leave of him so she could get back to the task that had been given her.
Go little one. I will tell Khalida everything. He sensed her acceptance of his reassurance, and then the connection was severed.
Lord Neb knew that he had to report back to Khalida at once because of the charge that she gave him before they separated. I wonder why Hilzarie did not deliver the message herself to Khalida. She should have found her just south of here. I hope that nothing has happened. Worried, the water god sped down the river to find out where Khalida had gotten to. As he hurried south in the cool waters, he noticed a large army emerging from the forest. He paused to look at this pleasant surprise before his eyes. The foremost of the army had a figure clothed in a brown robe with black sashes. This sighting caused Neb to stop altogether. A druid is leading the army from Aran? What is going on?
The mysterious figure detached himself from the ranks of the army and walked briskly down to the edge of the water. He came to a standstill as he began to mutter an unintelligible chant of magical words under his breath. The water in front of him stopped moving, and the presence of Lord Neb was revealed. I really hate it when they do that. They really should not meddle with time in such a light manner. Neb decided to transform into his human form and hovered over the water ten feet away from the druid.
“What gives you the right to reveal my presence like that?” demanded Neb irritably. Of all the guardians he was the one who distrusted the druids the most. He was the unfortunate one who was betrayed by the druid who fractured the council centuries ago.
“You do not have to worry. I have stopped time for them, so they will not know that you were ever here,” replied the druid soothingly. He understood Neb’s feeling of distrust and did not blame whatsoever.
“Zaide, is that you?” The Elemental asked this with an edge of disbelief in his voice. I never would have thought him to be a warrior druid.
“No, I am not a warrior, Lord Neb. I am merely leading this army from Aran to Landen. I have come to this spot to show them the secret entrance to the High Plains, which happens to be right behind you.”
“So, why have the druids finally decided to get involved? I know that your comrades have met together in a traditional druid council just south of here. Why were you not there? Still not getting along?”
“You have many questions, god of water. Can you not glean from my mind what you seek? We still do not allow others access into our minds, and our reasons for getting involved are not your concern. We have chosen to help and will see to it that this war that is on the brink will not destroy all of the peoples of this land. We take our charges very seriously.” He did not hide his contempt for the Elementals in his retort to Neb. He meant nothing personal by it because he liked Lord Neb the best out of all the guardians. The druids did not trust the Elementals after the first war of the races, and it was apparent that their attitude was not about to change.
“The druids still hold a grudge against the guardians. That is not surprising to me. Your inability to learn from mistakes is still your greatest weakness.”
“The guardians are still arrogant and unrepentant for the destruction they caused in the past. And now we are just supposed to trust you because you say so? What of Kana? It is no longer a secret that she is responsible for the current situation. We know of her direct involvement, and we also know that you have done nothing to stop her. You still insist on using these lesser creatures to fight your battles. Why don’t you take her and your kind and stay in the east where you belong!”
Neb did not like what he was hearing at all, and he wanted to blast the infidel into oblivion, but he knew that he had more pressing matters than fighting with a foolish druid. He submerged himself back into the water and continued down the river to find his mistress. He had broken the druid’s hold on time, and Zaide’s surroundings burst back into life. He stood there watching the Elemental heading south with a feeling of regret for having been so harsh with someone who had once been a good friend. If only they would admit to their folly and make amends for it. If they could finally accept responsibility for their actions or rather their inactions, we could move forward together once more.
“Where do we cross?” asked General Sanjay from behind the druid who was lost in his own thoughts. The question brought him back to reality.
“We shall cross here,” he replied while motioning to the running waters behind him. The druid turned about and with a complicated waive of his hands, the water stood still.
General Sanjay walked up to the water’s edge and placed a tentative foot on the smooth surface. The water was solid as though it had been frozen except that it was not icy or slippery. He looked at the slight druid with a look of approval as he placed both of his feet on the magical barrier. He turned to face Zaire while still standing on the water and gave him a look that clearly asked what they needed to do next.
“General, will you please have your troops cross over this temporary bridge I have created and march them directly at that boulder on the other side of the river. That is the entrance to the Shabazie Path.” The druid was clearly not focused on what was happening at the moment. He was still thinking of his talk with the water god. He wished that he would have been more forgiving. In the end our two councils are going to have to stand together. After all, we too experienced the same treachery that has torn apart the guardian council.
“You want my soldiers to march across this bridge and walk into that massive rock? Don’t you mean that we need to go around it to the secret entrance behind it?”
“No, I mean that you walk at the rock as though it were a curtain. I warn you that if a person is not resolute about entering the secret path, then they will not be granted passage.” The druid marched himself across the river and walked right at the boulder at the base of the tall cliff. Everyone tensed as he reached the point where they all thought he would hit the rock. When he came into contact with the entrance, he vanished from sight. A collective gasp escaped from the troops who could see what was going on.
“Leave it to a druid to be so dramatic,” the general said dryly. “Follow me!” The army resumed their march and crossed the river and entered the surprisingly vast tunnel under the cliffs.
***
The sound of the river filled the air as Khalida and Kuma made their way south along the western bank of the Blaine River. As she neared a narrow bridge that would allow her to cross the flowing waters, she stopped abruptly like a feral beast that sensed its prey. She looked around the water’s edges trying to see someone or something that was not there. I sense the traces of powerful magic around that area on this side of the river. If I am not mistaken, it feels like druid’s magic. She continued to puzzle over this development as she sat there atop her massive bear.
A little further done the river on the eastern bank there was a dark figure in the eaves of the Aran Forest. She did not move yet because she wanted to ascertain the intentions of the person that was standing there by the river’s side. Then, with a sharp turn of its head, the dark elf caught sight of her. She could not make out what it had said, but whoever it was had summoned magic and threw it at her with great strength. A bolt of purple lightning shot at her almost too fast for her to counteract the attack. Khalida was able to deflect the magical missile and sent it flying into a nearby tree. The blast blew apart the massive tree like it was a sapling.