Eluan Falls: The Inheritors of the World

by Dane G. Kroll

  “We need to trust them, Heric. That’s the only way this will work.”

  With the three of them outside of the carriage, two more guards rushed inside. They grabbed Alexus and brought him out without any struggle.

  “I want to go with him,” said Abigail. She broke free from Heric’s hand and rushed over to Alexus. A guard stopped her from getting too close. Alexus became aware of the situation around him. He composed himself for the moment.

  “Abigail,” he said, “Listen to the men. It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine.”

  “No, let me come with you,” she begged.

  “Just do as they say. We’ll see each other soon.” Alexus struggled with the last few words.

  Abigail tried to fight off the guard, but it was no use. She could only watch as her father figure was carried away in obvious pain.

  The guard that first asked Abigail to join him came up to her. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away.

  “No, I’m staying with Heric.”

  “I’m sorry, those are not my orders. I’ll show you to your room,” said the guard.

  Heric was stopped by Forman. He could not rescue Abigail.

  “You need to trust them,” said Forman. He leaned in closer to whisper in his ear. “This is why you should not be with her. The people will never allow it to happen. I’m sorry.”

  Heric watched as Abigail was taken away by the guard. She defiantly walked away with him, never able to break his hold.

  “Stop getting in my way, Forman.”

  “Then stop acting like a fool. You’re no longer a warrior, claiming whatever spoils he wants for his victory. You take a step back then two steps forward. Now, settle down. It’s time to greet the King.”

  Chapter 14

  Heric and Forman stood outside the throne room. The doors reached from the floor all the way to the ceiling- three stories high. They could hear a pulley system begin to operate. The door moaned in compliance as it creaked open.

  Heric was no longer amused about this visit. He could no longer keep up the act. There was no smile on his face. His hand remained constantly at his side where his dagger was. It was only a dagger for show, but he knew he could get at least two people with it.

  “I know you’re upset,” said Forman.

  “I’m a little bit past upset at this point. The last twenty-four hours have been stressful as you may remember.”

  “And that is why we are here,” assured Forman. “They are rushing to fix the situation. We have two people injured. It would have done no good in your care.”

  “And what about Abigail?”

  “She is not royalty, no matter how much you want that to be true. She gets a different treatment than us. The King would never see her, and the King needs to see us now.

  “These people are not your enemy, Heric. They never have been.”

  His hand slid away from the dagger. Heric took a deep breath. The adrenaline from the past night was still coursing through his body. He thought back to what Alexus had taught him. “Find a pattern in the chaos, but never trust it. It will calm your nerves while your enemy scrambles for a sense of control.”

  By the time the doors opened for the two men to enter, Heric was able to put on a smile. He kept it humble- any more and it would obviously be fake.

  The throne room was lit with torches lined up against the wall and pillars. Guards stood on the outside at attention. Ornate tapestries hung from the ceiling. They displayed the seal of the Louson Kingdom: the all too familiar fury arck protecting its city.

  The King sat on his throne on the platform at the end of the room. His skin was leathery. Scars and wrinkles folded over one another. His face was completely bald of hair. It gave his eyes the look of being sunk into his head.

  By his side was a young woman. She wore the traditional Louson style of dress. It blended in with her tan complexion. Her dark hair flowed down from her crown all the way to her waist. She never took her eyes off of Heric.

  Once they reached the guest podium, Heric and Forman knelt to their hosts. Heric couldn’t help but look back at the young woman. He smiled at the affection she showed him.

  “Greetings Your Highness, King Edmund Arraw,” said Forman. He never looked up from the floor. “May I present to you, from the Eluan Empire, Heir Heric Caning.”

  “Welcome,” said the King. He gestured for them to stand.

  “It is an honor to finally meet another people as grand as ourselves. Alexus has told me much about you. He is a good man to represent you.”

  “Alexus truly is a treasure,” Heric said.

  The Louson King looked impressed at the fluency of Heric’s words.

  “You speak Louson well,” he said.

  “All thanks to Alexus,” said Heric.

  “You are being modest. There are Louson who do not speak it as well as you do. And even Alexus was never that skilled.”

  “Very true,” said Heric. “I have an ear for languages.”

  “How many languages do you speak?” asked the young woman.

  “Six,” said Heric.

  “You have the need to speak six languages?” the woman said surprised.

  “Unfortunately, not so much anymore,” said Heric. “Many of the speakers of these languages have adopted the Eluan language as their own.”

  “Out of desire or need?” King Arraw asked.

  “It is the way of the land. We never forced them to adopt our language and customs, but you can never escape the assimilation after a war. So many holes are made that have to be filled in by the victor. It is inevitable.”

  “Does war come easily to you, Heir Caning?” the woman asked.

  “Only to my enemies,” said Heric.

  “Are we your enemies? What would you do to us if captured?” the woman retorted.

  “That is enough,” said King Arraw. “You’ll have to excuse my daughter. She has an active imagination. She is always concerned for the future.”

  “No apologies necessary. I understand the burden that comes from protecting the future,” said Heric. He turned to address the Princess, “You have nothing to fear from me. We come in peace. This is a time for jubilation at the Eluan Empire. We are celebrating the first year without a battle. Peace is certainly something we wish to continue.”

  “That is good news,” said the King. “I welcome you and your group to the Louson Kingdom with open arms. May the rest of your visit be better than your trip. I have been told about the events that transpired. I am sorry on behalf of my Kingdom. The arcks have never strayed from their territory before.”

  “The path I gave Alexus would have had you crossed through their territory during the day time hours. What happened is unexplainable.”

  Heric lowered his head, “And I apologize for the deaths of your fury arcks. I did not realize what they were until your men arrived. I would have searched for other means of survival if I had understood.”

  “Nonsense, you did what had to be done. I would have done the same. I have men picking out a new breed of fury arcks as we speak.”

  “There was another party out in the woods. We heard them get attacked by the arcks.”

  “Yes, Forman told us. There are soldiers out searching for their camp now. They were poor souls at the wrong place. I would like to offer them a proper burial. The gods will surely welcome them.”

  “Thank you,” said Heric. He couldn’t help but feel guilty for leading the fury arcks in the direction of the other camp.

  “We will get to the bottom of all this chaos,” said King Arraw. “Until then, relax. I will have guards take you to your fallen comrades. My entire Kingdom is at their and your disposal.”

  “Thank you, Your Highness,” said Heric. “And, Your Highness,” he said to the Princess.

  “Please, call me Marina,” she said. “It has been a pleasure meeting you, Heir Caning. I hope to see you again soon.”

  “There is no doubt you will, but for now I must be going. My friends are in pain, and I would
like to be there for them.”

  Heric made his final bow along with Forman. They were escorted out of the throne room. Once the door was closed behind them, Heric let out a breath of relief. He had passed his first test. He reminded himself to thank Forman later.

  Chapter 15

  There were no stops on the way to the medical compound. Heric and Forman were rushed over still wearing their formal attire. The building they were taken to was near a military training camp for the Louson Kingdom. The people walking around were all in step. They were clearly soldiers.

  The guard escorting them led them directly to the room where Alexus and Nikali were being kept. It calmed Heric down when he noticed the area was calm. There were no emergency treatments going on. It meant Alexus and Nikali were in decent and stable condition.

  “I don’t care what you’re waiting for. I don’t have to wait for them,” was shouted from the room. Several voices were mumbled after that. Then a young girl quickly left the room. She kept her head down as she passed Heric and Forman. They entered the doorway curious as to what all the sudden commotion was about.

  “The blue moon sets. Hills roll through the field.”

  Nikali was out of his bed and putting clothes on. To his dislike, they were not his own clothes. He scoffed at the Louson style, but still preferred it over being naked at the time.

  Abigail was sitting in a seat across the room. Four beds were placed along the walls. Two of them were being occupied by Nikali and Alexus. Abigail stood up at the sight of Heric. She was now wearing a new Louson dress. They raced to each other for an embrace. Nikali rolled his eyes at the situation.

  “Are you okay?” Heric asked her.

  “I’m fine. They just took me to my room. It’s beautiful really. They offered me an entire wardrobe. Then they let me come here.”

  “Good, you’re here,” said Nikali, cutting the two off. “These overprotective people will not let me leave without seeing you first. I’ve seen you. I’m leaving.”

  “Are you alright, Nikali?” Heric said. He stood up in front of him to block his path from the exit.

  “I’m fine. It’s out of my system.”

  “Quiet, Nikali,” interrupted Alexus. He was in the bed in the corner of the room. His leg was propped up and wrapped. “We don’t want them knowing what you did. It was irresponsible, so close to the Louson Kingdom.”

  “What I did kept us alive,” Nikali said in his defense.

  “Thank you, Nikali,” said Heric. “We wouldn’t have survived without you.”

  “You’re welcome. It’s good to know somebody appreciates my efforts around here.”

  Alexus felt the need to step in again. “It’s not that I don’t appreciate what you did. It’s just that we’re in a different land. I already explained to you the dangers of using arcan. We must respect their traditions.”

  “It’s not like I’m going to be flaunting it around all day. Not that it matters. I’m out. The rest of this trip is going to be a bore.”

  “All the better,” said Alexus. “They can easily become suspicious if they start seeing too many bizarre actions from us. Attacking the fury arcks was not a good start either.”

  “It’s okay,” said Heric. “I’ve spoken with the King. We’re past that. It would be best if we did not talk about it anymore though. The King understood, but some soldiers may not.”

  “I agree,” said Alexus. “It’s time to move on. We have much more to do here. We cannot dwell on the incident.”

  “Very good, now if you’ll excuse me, I have some exploring to do,” said Nikali.

  “Where do you think you are going?” asked Heric.

  “Anywhere,” said Nikali. “You see, unlike all of you, I have no duties here. There is no schedule for me. I’m going to go have a drink, share some stories with the troubled soldiers, and maybe share a bed with an unsuspecting dame. I hear women love foreigners.”

  Heric shook his head, but he had no rebuttal. Nikali was right. There was nothing for him to do there.

  “Do not get into any trouble,” said Heric.

  “I only get into trouble with the people that know me,” Nikali smirked.

  Nikali walked over to Alexus. He bowed his head as good-bye. When he turned away, Nikali brushed against Alexus’ stuff. His hand quickly reached in and grabbed a purse of Louson coins. Nobody noticed.

  With that, Nikali left. It was as if he had never fallen ill the night before.

  Alexus broke the tension and silence after that. “As surprising as it may sound, I agree with Nikali for the moment. We don’t need to be anywhere for a couple of days. It’s time to relax. Go. See the city. Heric and Forman, take Abigail with you. She’ll enjoy the city. Find out what we can learn from them, and what they could learn from us.”

  “What about you?” asked Abigail.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m feeling better already. I’ll be walking in no time. Trust me. You don’t need to be by my bedside the entire time.”

  “Alright, then,” hesitated Abigail.

  “Head up Abigail, and the same for the two of you,” said Alexus. “It’s time to start celebrating. This is a new era for the Louson Kingdom and the Eluan Empire. Let’s start acting like it.”

  The three of them agreed. All they needed was a day to shrug off the previous several nights. The Louson Kingdom looked like it could provide that distraction.

  Chapter 16

  “What’s the strongest drink you have?” Nikali asked the bartender. The last few hours Nikali had spent looking for a new outfit. It took three shops and an argument with a homeless man, but he finally had something he was comfortable in. He could tell it looked out of place there. He would get stray glances wherever he wandered off to. It did not matter in the slightest to him. His only concern was finding a drink strong enough, if not mimic Tamor Blood, then to at least mask his withdrawal.

  The bartender gave him the once-over that everyone else in Louson had already done at the sight of Nikali’s choice of outfit. The pouch in Nikali’s hand made the bartender quickly forget about the odd sight. He was a paying customer.

  “Are you looking to forget last week or lose the next two days?” the bartender asked.

  Nikali leaned in to whisper to the man. “I want to feel like the strongest man in the world.”

  “Have a seat. I’ve got something you may like.”

  Nikali smiled. He dropped a few coins from his bag onto the counter. “And go ahead and make a round for the rest in this bar of yours. I would like to drink with friends.”

  Across the city in a better part of the Kingdom, Heric and Abigail walked together arm in arm. Forman had withdrawn his presence shortly after they left Alexus. He told them he had matters to attend to with his remaining guards.

  For the first time in months, Heric was smiling. He did not have to sneak around with Abigail in the Louson Kingdom. They walked around to get a feel for the city. It was practically a maze to them but it did not matter. The spire of the King’s palace was always in sight. Using that, Heric could easily find their way back.

  They sat on benches outside a bathhouse, that were across from a market square where much of the city passed by. Heric was amused at being there and having nobody bother him. It was refreshing.

  “I would never be able to do this back home,” he said.

  “It’s really not that great, Heric,” assured Abigail.

  “Are you not enjoying yourself?”

  “No, no, it’s not that,” she said. “This is nice, being here with you. I just mean sitting on benches isn’t all that great after a while.”

  “It’s just something new. I’ve been stuck in studies, battles, and traveling, and whatever else my father wants me to do. I’m getting tired of it.”

  “Being the Emperor is a big responsibility. You need to be ready.”

  “That’s what Alexus keeps telling me.”

  “I happen to agree with him,” said Abigail.

  “Do you think I’ll be a good
emperor?” Heric asked her.

  “Yes, of course. You can do it. I believe in you. Are you not sure?”

  “I don’t think I’m ready,” confessed Heric.

  “Nobody ever does. I’ve read stories from all of the great Eluan Emperors- your ancestors. None of them said they were ready. They were thrown onto the throne often times suddenly, during wartime. Nobody is ready for that.”

  “I would be ready for that,” Heric argued.

  “Then why aren’t you ready for this?”

  “We’re not at war. We won. My father conquered the known world. All that we have left is the Tcher Islands and now the Louson Kingdom. These are treaties and alliances we are making. We’re not attacking them. I barely understand any of it. Each step I take it feels like a leap of faith.”

  “You’ll figure it out. You have more respect for other people than most in Eluan. That’ll get you a long way. Trust me.” She stroked her hand across his beard. Heric pulled her in a little closer.

  “What would I do without you?”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” said Abigail.

  “You know what I mean. All I hear from Forman is that we can’t be together.”

  “He’s right, though. The Royal Council will never allow us to be together. It would surely cause a rift.”

  “What if that didn’t matter?”

  “What?”

  “What if it didn’t matter what the Royal Council thought? Would you marry me- be my Empress?”

  “I... I don’t know what to say. There is no way this can happen.”

  “Yes or no?”

  “Yes, I would love to marry you. I love you. It’s just not possible. Please, let’s stop talking about this. It’s just going to hurt more when we get back.”

  “But when I’m Emperor, I can change the rules,” said Heric. “I will create my own Royal Council- one that would not put up a fight about you being my bride.”

  “It will never happen. Alexus will find me a husband before then. Are you going to steal me away from him- kill him in battle? Then you would need a Council that accepts a widow as a bride.”

  “You don’t have to wait,” said Heric. His tone got serious. “You can’t tell anybody what I am about to say. Only a few members of the Council know this.”