“What are you doing here, Nikali?” Forman demanded.
“I’m coming along for the trip,” Nikali responded.
“Excuse me?” Forman said. “You can’t just add yourself to the travel detail. All of our supplies and rations are accounted for and prepared for the numbers we already have.”
“Luckily, I come with my own supplies,” said Nikali. “That is, if you give me back my bag.”
“You’re not going.”
“Yes, I am.”
Heric once again had to step in and take charge.
“Nikali, why are you here?” he asked. He whispered it to give Nikali a sense of privacy.
“It’s simple really. My mother is in the Capitol. I don’t want to be. It’s time for a vacation.”
“This isn’t a vacation. This is a diplomatic mission.”
“I don’t care. I’m getting out of town. I’d rather like to join some friends if I could.”
“There really is no room for you. There are no extra horses.”
“No worries. I’ve already arranged for one. I really won’t be a bother.”
“What about a tent?” Alexus said.
Forman groaned. “You’re not really indulging him, are you?”
“I have a tent. Thank you, Alexus, for your concern.”
“Then I see no problem in him joining us,” said Alexus.
“If he wants to make the trip, it’s okay with me,” agreed Heric.
“Fine,” said Forman. “Can we just get a move on?”
“Thank you, Forman, for being so gracious to my needs,” said Nikali.
Alexus addressed the group, “We need to be moving. We have a long ways to travel by tonight.” He clapped his hands to signal the servants to get back to work. Heric and Nikali stayed where they were.
“You’re sure about this?” asked Heric.
“Not really, but I’ve got nothing left to lose. It’s time I did something else with my life.”
Chapter 9
The following week was grueling for most of the travelers. Only Heric, Forman, and Alexus had no problems on their journey to this point. The rest of the caravan had their own individual problems over the past few days.
The half a dozen guards that were assigned to the group had to deal with Forman’s overbearing management. He wouldn’t let go any detail that went wrong. One of the soldiers broke a container of water. Forman made him break off from the group to retrieve a new supply of water from traders down by the river. The river was a half day away. The guards quickly came to resent Forman more each mile of the trip.
Abigail was inexperienced with trips of this length. Her body quickly grew sore from all the riding, but it did not stop her from continuing. She never complained. She never cried. It was her chance to show Heric what she was capable of.
Nikali stayed at the tail end of the caravan. He did not talk to anybody, and they did not talk to him. His lack of military training was beginning to show. He gave off the impression of being bored, and miserable. Every time Forman looked back to the caravan he always expected Nikali to no longer be with them. He expected he would look back down toward the horizon and there would be Nikali heading back toward the Capitol. That moment never came.
In fact, Nikali was enjoying himself. It was the first time in years he was in peace. There was nobody to look down on him. The open fields let his thoughts wander, while the forest made him keep in form trying to detect what was behind every tree.
He hadn’t drunk any Tamor Blood since the trip began. It was nearly gone from his system. At this low level, there was no benefit from it, but Nikali still tried to tap into the arcan flowing through his body. He tried to mimic its sense and feel the animals all around the forest.
Heric would call out for the group to stop periodically. There would be a sense of danger Heric was trying to protect them from. Nikali would silently guess to himself what it was going to be. He was rarely correct.
Heric and Abigail kept their distance from each other. With only a handful of people around them and nothing happening, attention to detail was important. Even a longing glance could be caught by Alexus or one of the guards and could reveal their relationship. Even so, Heric continued to find himself riding closer and closer to her. Forman would call him to attention asking for his advice on the upcoming path. Heric would immediately ride up to him and regret it every second.
After two weeks of traveling, Insabal’s Canyon was on the horizon. They would cross it the next day. Alexus chose to leave that for the morning. He wanted his companions to see the beauty of the canyon and the land on the other side. Night would be closing in soon, and all that would be lost if they continued on at this time.
They settled in a patch of grass just inside the tree line. Beyond the forest was open ground that led straight to the canyon. They could see the bridge from that distance. It was plain in design. The bridge was still in its early stages. Eventually, they would send artists to give the bridge the look of beauty; let it represent the combining of two cultures.
There was one building nearby. It served as the guard’s post and housing. This spot would one day turn into a trading post for travelers looking to cross the bridge. It would be a town eventually. The name of the town had not been decided yet. But for all of that to happen, Heric would have to encourage Louson to join their empire. For now, the one guard post would have to do.
As night came down, the travelers all settled in nearby a fire. The soldiers were quick to put up the tents for the group. Nikali was left with his own tent to set up.
They all gathered around, and began to eat their rations for the night. The conversation was light. Most of them were tired and hungry. The fire made the shadows of the forest dance. It kept the travelers entertained. Heric on the other hand could not look away from the canyon. It was barely visible in the darkness, but he knew it was there. He pictured it in his head. He pictured what was on the other side.
“You okay, Heric?” Abigail asked.
Heric immediately turned back to the group. They all stared at him over the fire. He laughed off the embarrassing moment.
“I was just thinking about tomorrow,” he said. “We’re going to be traveling where few have gone. That’s big.”
“You’ll need to get that awestruck look out of your system before we get to Louson,” said Alexus.
“I know,” Heric said. “The Heir Emperor should never be surprised, only amazed.”
Alexus chuckled. “That is correct, Heric.”
“It is an amazing feet, what we have done. We’ve built a bridge that crosses the impossible canyon. We’ll be the first to cross. It’ll go down in the history books.”
“Does the Louson Kingdom know about the canyon?” Abigail asked. “Did they make any attempts at crossing it?”
Everybody turned their attention to Alexus. He was the expert on the Louson Kingdom. Alexus settled in. It was a common gesture of his when he was going to tell a story.
“I’ll tell you, but with one condition. From here on out we all have to speak in Louson. I’m sure you’re all rusty from your teachings, and we need to be able to speak a decent Louson when we arrive.”
Forman gave a groan. He did not want to switch to another language. He was under the belief that others should learn the Eluan language, not the other way around.
Heric chuckled. As soon as he learned he was going on the trip, he reacquainted himself with the Louson language. He had already learned five other languages from societies across the Eluan territory. It was his tribute to the battles he had been in, and the armies he had defeated.
“Still glad you came, Nikali?” Heric quipped.
“I know Louson. I was in the studies too. It’s just not as elegant as Eluan. It doesn’t even have a proverbial allowance to it,” said Nikali.
“Which is all the better,” said Alexus. He then switched over to Louson. The group listened closely trying to get the feel for the dialect again. Alexus allowed for that. He spok
e slowly and enunciated each word. Gradually he sped up, and after only a few minutes he was speaking fluent Louson. The others did not miss a beat. He had taught them well.
“They do know about the canyon. It’s in their history,” Alexus began. “I’m still piecing together all of their past. It is a bit complicated. The canyon is a part of a story that happened centuries ago before the Kingdom was actually founded.
“There were people more powerful than what we see today.”
Nikali interrupted Alexus. “More powerful?” he said in Eluan.
“Louson, Nikali,” Alexus responded.
Nikali corrected himself. Alexus nodded in thanks.
“Yes, it sounds similar to what we would consider arcan, but on a higher scale. These people are said to actually be the creators of the human race you see today.”
“They made us?” Abigail asked.
“According to them, yes,” said Alexus.
“Why doesn’t our history go back that far?” asked Heric.
“That’s difficult to say,” Alexus responded. “We’ve always had the understanding that we built ourselves from the ground up. If somebody did create us, it did not matter. We were all that was left. As long as we can remember we have been the most advanced culture in the known world. Possibly we migrated out, and forgot all about this leg of our history.”
“What happened to them?” asked Nikali.
“They died off. They disappeared. They left us. There was a war- that’s for sure. That is in fact what created the canyon. During this end to their golden age, many of the gods- as they were called- wanted to restart everything they had created. They hated what they had and were just going to destroy the entire land and everyone on it.”
“But some of the gods disagreed with that idea. They cherished the world they had created. They did not want any harm to come to the people.”
“The gods’ differences came to a head. There was a war. The people joined with the gods that swore to protect mankind and the rest of their creations. They fought against the evil gods, the destroyers, who weren’t without their own supporters. There were people so vile, so insane they wanted to watch the world come crashing down. The destroyers bestowed upon them extra power. These men became known as avadons.”
“It came down to a final standoff. The destroyers and their avadons had the people on the run. The gods were being picked off, weakened by their inability to truly let go of themselves in a war.”
“But their people were different. They grew desperate. It was said, a man could gain the powers of their gods by drinking their essence. When the gods went to console their dying people, the people turned on them. All the gods escaped, but one, a goddess. She was overpowered, beaten, defiled, and ultimately eaten.”
“A group of men gained her powers. They took the war to the destroyers. The other gods were no longer on their side, they disappeared abandoning their people, but it did not matter. The destroyers were not prepared for such an attack.”
“What few destroyers that were left needed to escape. They knew the people would find them wherever they went. Their only way out was through oblivion. They were so afraid of the people chasing them. They created a path to nothing.”
“They dug into the ground, deeper and deeper until they were past everything they had created and the hollow void was below them. There they dived into oblivion where the people could not reach them. Thus the bottomless canyon was formed, and mankind was so afraid to face their own destruction that they did not go near it.”
Alexus ended his story. The others did not say a word. They remained still, taking in the story.
“That is a horrible story,” said Abigail.
“It is indeed terrifying to hear what we are capable of doing,” said Alexus.
“There must be some powerful arcan users in Louson” said Nikali.
“Actually, arcan is feared. Anybody who even gives a hint that they practice such an act, are quickly destroyed.”
Nikali was taken aback by this statement. He had not heard it before.
“Eluan may have a tolerance for it, but the Lousons do not,” said Alexus. “Louson is a very different society. You have to be tolerant of it. Remember we are the guest, and we are outnumbered. They are just as curious about us as we are about them, but that will not help if fear overcomes them.”
“They have no reason to fear us,” said Heric.
“It’s not us they fear. While I was there I tried to see as much as I could, but there is a forest beyond the Kingdom that people are not allowed to enter. They fear what is in there, and it has to do with arcan. They may not fear us, but they fear what some of us can do. Do you all understand?”
They all nodded their heads in agreement. Alexus eyed Nikali despite his head nodding.
“I get it,” said Nikali. “No using.”
“Then make sure you remember it,” Heric reinforced. Suddenly, he realized Nikali could be a liability, and he was not going to let that ruin his first chance at diplomatic relations.
Chapter 10
They rode out in the morning. The anticipation grew as the canyon got closer and closer. It stretched across the horizon from end to end. Nobody had ever made it completely around the canyon before. If you were to follow it, eventually the land would turn to desert. There was no plant life or animals in the outskirts. Every convoy sent out had to turn back before they reached the end of the canyon.
Heric charged his horse faster. He broke from the pack and raced toward the canyon’s edge. He steered away from the bridge, heading toward open ground. His horse began to slow down, despite Heric’s direction. The edge came upon them and the horse came to a nervous stop. Heric jumped off his horse, landing only a foot away from the drop off.
His entire body tingled. It was a rush he hadn’t felt since being on the battlefield. Certain death was only a few inches away. He remained there until the others caught up to him.
“Are you crazy?” Forman asked him.
Heric turned away from his moment of ecstasy to address his friend: “I know what I’m doing.”
Forman bit his tongue. There was nothing he could say that would convince Heric he was acting recklessly. He was going to just have to be silently mad.
The soldier guarding the canyon rushed over to the arriving group. He stood at attention once he was within speaking distance.
“Heir Caning, General Forman, hello,” said the guard.
Heric saluted him back, “Officer Cossum.”
“How has everything been?” Forman asked.
“It’s been mostly quiet here, sir. A couple of traders pop up every now and then. I turn them away.”
“Very good,” said Heric. “How do they take it?”
“Not well at first, sir. I’ve taken to buying a couple of items from them before they leave. It seems to calm the situation easier than other ways, and you can never have enough meat.”
“I’m glad you’re finding some amusement here. After our mission, this bridge will be booming with people. You’ll have plenty of company, and meat to satisfy you. You’re doing good work,” encouraged Heric.
The soldier couldn’t hold back his smile. The heir to the Empire was acknowledging his work.
“If there is anything you need, let me know,” said Cossum. “We don’t have much here, but we do have the necessities.”
“That won’t be necessary,” said Forman. “We really need to be moving on. There is still a long day ahead of us.”
“Of course, I’ll show you to the bridge,” said Cossum. When Cossum turned away, the group all looked at each other. They shrugged off the comment, and took it as a nice gesture. There really was no need to be shown where the bridge was. It was clear as day.
“Lead the way, Officer Cossum,” said Heric. They followed him through the field to the bridge. It really was an unspectacular sight. The bridge was utilitarian. The guard post was just as plain. Without knowledge of what the canyon meant, it would look like this bridge
had been abandoned years ago.
“How far is this from the original tree falling bridge that you crossed, Alexus?” Forman asked.
“About a mile away,” he answered. “We chose this spot because of the field. It is perfect for development. The tree falling bridge was elsewhere because the canyon narrowed as it went down in that area. It was ultimately not an ideal spot for traveling.”
They all stood at the edge of the bridge. Cossum stood proud to present the entrance of the bridge to them.
“Heric, you may have the honor,” said Alexus.
“Surely, somebody has crossed this already during the construction of it,” said Heric humbly.
“But it will go down in the history books that you were the first one to cross the bridge. Do not take that away from yourself.”
Heric stepped forward. His first step was slow, but once the novelty of the situation waned he stepped more quickly. The bridge was now his.
“For the Eluan Empire, the Insabal Crossing is open,” said Heric. The others walked forward. They were all in awe of the situation. Below them the canyon rushed down toward darkness. Mist and dust wafted through the air, taking away any further visibility into the canyon. There was no visible bottom.
The guards looked straight ahead. Beyond the bridge was uncharted territory. Their job would come into play very quickly. They were unsure of the dangers for the last leg of the trip and they had to take notice of everything. Even the horses they rode upon could feel the nerves of everyone in the group.
Abigail found herself walking closely to Heric as she returned his horse to him. The bridge put her on edge. Her instinct was to find comfort in the familiar.
Nikali carried with him a pebble. He had grabbed it before venturing onto the bridge. He could not take his eyes off the darkness below. He stayed near the edge, his head always over the railing. When the group was in the middle of the bridge, the walls of the cliff nowhere near them, he dropped the pebble.
It descended and vanished into the darkness. Nikali tuned the rest of the world out. He listened for the pebble. The rest of the group kept walking without him. They did not notice him standing still at the railing. Nikali remained transfixed on the pebble. He waited for any kind of sound to come from below. It never came. There was no bottom to the canyon.
Eluan Falls: The Inheritors of the World Page 6
