Eluan Falls: The Inheritors of the World

by Dane G. Kroll

  “Welcome back to Eluan, Heir Caning,” said Forman. “And welcome Heir Empress. Beyond this bridge will be your new home.”

  Marina looked out past the canyon. Nothing looked different. She was disappointed. She was expecting more.

  “Rest assured, the Capitol will be much more pleasing to the eye,” said Forman.

  Heric turned to his group. He could see their impatience and worries all over their faces. He did not want to delay them much longer.

  “I just wanted to say a few words,” said Heric. “We lost a good friend in Louson. Alexus was a teacher to us all. I looked up to him. He was a great man. If we have to find some kind of consolation in losing him, I want to believe he died trying to do what he loved. He was a traveler. He always told stories of the places he saw, and the cities he always wanted to see. He discovered Louson and he will always be remembered for that. This bridge will be named in his honor. The Alexus Crossing will forever be the symbol of his efforts in bringing our two worlds together.”

  The soldiers clapped in approval. Abigail began to tear-up. It was a great honor and she knew it. Nikali kept his mouth shut. He did not want to ruin this moment for Heric.

  The caravan set off. The Alexus Crossing welcomed them with open arms. Heric was the first to walk back into Eluan. A smile appeared on his face from ear to ear. He was happy to be home.

  “Welcome back to Eluan,” said the guard. “Is there anything you need?”

  “Actually, yes,” said Heric. “I would like some extra supplies. We need to stock-up for the rest of our journey.”

  Forman cut in. “We have enough for our return to the Capitol, Heric. It’ll be no problem.”

  “I’m not returning to the Capitol yet.”

  “Then where are you going?” Forman asked.

  “Myrus,” said Heric.

  “What for?”

  “Officer Seres said there was trouble brewing down there. I promised him I would check it out. I don’t plan on disappointing him.”

  “He’s just trying to test you. It’s nothing,” said Forman.

  “That’s why I’m going. I can’t let him make accusations whenever he wants. He’s a good guy, but Ellen is not a good influence on him. He needs to be shown his place.”

  “Yes, he does need to be put in his place. We can do that just as easily at the Capitol. Besides, we have a group of others with us. This surely isn’t the best time to take your fiancé on a military trip.”

  “On the contrary,” said Heric. “Myrus is known for its exotic and lavish extravagance. You’ve been telling me to relax.”

  “You’re really trying to make this work,” Forman said. He was amazed at Heric’s attitude toward the whole arranged marriage.

  “It’s what’s best for everybody,” said Heric, humbly.

  “What about the rest of the caravan?” Forman asked.

  “They can come along if they like. I’m not forcing them. If they wish to return to the Capitol they can- soldier or friend.”

  After their discussion, Heric and Forman proposed the extended trip to the others. It was unanimous. They were all going to Myrus.

  Chapter 31

  In all of Eluan there was one city that rivaled that of the Capitol. It was Myrus. The city was just as large, and saw just as much trade. Before the Eluan Empire took full control, Myrus was its own independent state. It traded with all of the major societies and most of the smaller ones. It was located in the heart of the land- nearly of equal distance from Eluan and Prial.

  After the war with Prial and the Tcher Islands, Eluan absorbed all of the cities in its path. Myrus remained intact. The Eluan royal class saw the city as a vacation spot. When someone wanted to get away from the politics of the Empire they would retreat to Myrus for new foods and new fun.

  This mindset of the royal class opened new opportunities for the rest of the citizens in Eluan. The royal class wanted to get away from their troubles, and they would spend gladly for it. The poor and downtrodden made their way to Myrus to chase a quick coin. The artist could entertain the rich, while the traders could lavish them with exotic goods from across the known world. It wasn’t long before the old charm of Myrus- the melting pot of culture- became its most important commodity.

  It was no wonder the entire Eluan caravan decided to follow Heric to Myrus. The soldiers could relax: they could find a gambling house, with beer and women. Nikali enjoyed the idea of continuing to stay out of the Capitol while his mother was there, and Abigail did not want to return to her empty quarters. She would put off the inevitable for as long as she could. Plus, the entire excursion was on the Emperor’s coin. In their eyes, there couldn’t have been a more pleasant choice.

  The buildings of Myrus were sprinkled with jasmine dust. They sparkled in the sunlight. The mineral was rare throughout Eluan, but there was so much in Myrus it held no value there. Visitors would scoop up handfuls of the dust and take it home with them. They could never sell it. It was just a souvenir from their time in Myrus.

  Since the arrival of Heric and the others was unscheduled they had freedom from any kind of obligations to the senators of the city or its military. There was no welcoming for them like there should have been. Nobody was offended by it. Heric preferred it like this. He could slip into the city relatively unnoticed, until he could make his presence felt at the senate house.

  The soldiers immediately went off on their own. Their duty was over. Only Forman, Kastor, and Tyeche remained with Heric and Marina to guard them. Surprisingly, Nikali stuck by them as well. Heric had expected him to disappear at the first corner down the street. It was only a matter of time, Heric thought. Nikali’s usual outspoken attitude had not returned since the night of the avadon raid in Louson. He was quiet- constantly in his own world, but much more than usual. The only thing he let close to him was his arck. It followed closely at his heels wherever he went.

  Abigail dropped herself off at an inn nearby the senate house. She was through with traveling. It was her time to mourn in peace. Heric and Nikali objected to her being alone, but she disagreed.

  Then Marina stepped in. She said she would stay with Abigail. Heric could handle his business and they could get together later. Abigail was surprisingly more agreeable to this solution. It calmed Heric down knowing Abigail would not be alone. They said their good-byes and left the two girls together with their guards.

  “I’m sorry to be such an intruder,” said Marina after the men had left. “They wouldn’t have let you go alone.”

  “I understand,” said Abigail. She had to start speaking in Louson again to communicate. “They mean well. I just want to be alone. There is a lot I need to deal with.”

  “I know you want to be alone, but I’ve never been here before. This is all new to me. I don’t even speak the language. Please, join me in the city. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say. I just can’t stay cooped up in a room all day,” Marina persisted.

  “I’ve never heard anybody actually ask me before,” Abigail chuckled.

  “I have no reason to order you around, Abigail. You’re my friend,” said Marina.

  “Thank you,” Abigail responded. “I’ll join you in touring the city.”

  Heric and his men walked through the senate house stopping for no one. At every doorway a guard would stop them only to be silenced by Forman and hissing from the fury arck. Word began to travel fast. After several doors, the guards were waiting for their Heir Emperor to arrive. Doors would open up for them until they came to the meeting room for General Kayl.

  Kayl was in charge of the military in Myrus. He had a history with them. He fought against them and alongside them during the war with Prial. This earned him the trust and loyalty of many of the Myrus soldiers.

  Heric was not surprised to see Kayl in the room with somebody else. It was the meeting room after all. The two men stood up to greet Heric and could not hide their shock to see him. Heric had to do his best to hide the one surprise the two men had. Kayl was joined by anoth
er military man from Myrus, Lieutenant Francesco de Seres.

  “I told you to stay in the Capitol,” said Heric. He charged forward to come face to face with Seres and Kayl. In that one moment, Heric knew his leisure trip to Myrus was going to be all business.

  “My apologies, Heir Caning,” said Seres. “It was been quite a while since we last spoke. You said I was not to return to Myrus until my work in the Capitol was done. I finished up, and headed back immediately. I still do care about my city. The underground has gained sympathy the past few weeks.”

  “Who are these men?” Forman said. “I’ll gather some soldiers. We’ll talk to them.”

  “It’s not that simple,” said Kayl. “The only people who speak are peasants and merchants. There families have been in Myrus long before Eluan control. We believe there are others working behind the scenes, but we do not know who.”

  “Why do you suspect that?” Heric asked. He held back as much of his emotion as possible. He wanted to hear their story first.

  “The things the protesters say. They are informed. They know too much about the workings of the Capitol. Somebody is feeding them information. They are being told what to say. We’ve questioned a couple of them already. They say the same thing to us. It’s almost as if they have rehearsed how to respond to the soldiers.”

  “Where are they now?” Heric asked.

  “That’s the trouble,” said Seres. “Merchants travel and move so much in the city. They never stay in one place for too long. They disappeared after we let them go. I’ve been working with General Kayl to try and find them.”

  “Do you have any idea what this underground plans on doing?” Heric asked.

  “Not yet,” said Kayl. “They have yet to make any direct threats or acts of violence. All we hear are their wants and warnings.”

  “Why have they gained sympathy? What has changed?” Forman asked.

  “There message changed a few weeks ago,” answered Seres. “They are now promising the end is near for the Eluan Empire. Myrus will be the first city to be free.”

  “That sounds like a threat,” said Heric.

  “Yes, and this is where it gets worrisome,” said Kayl. “One of our soldiers took it as a threat. He struck down the protester in the public square. He cut out his tongue for treason against the Empire. Then he took out his eyes, so the man will never see the future he promises.”

  “In public?” Heric asked.

  “Yes,” said Kayl. “Obviously, that sight was a lot for the general populace to take in. They see the underground movement as the victims, now, and the merchant as a martyr.”

  “Why would somebody be so stupid as to bring back those methods of retaliation?” Heric asked.

  “They are in the Eluan Law Book,” said Forman.

  “They are meant for times of high war. We are at peace. There is no excuse,” said Heric.

  “We have the soldier detained,” said Kayl. “He’s under protection. Since we have yet to track down and gather up the full power of this underground, we fear somebody will try to avenge the death of the merchant.”

  “I want to talk to him,” said Forman.

  “I would advise against that,” said Seres.

  Heric looked Seres straight in the eye. “Be very careful what you say, Seres. Do not think I have forgotten about you disobeying my orders. You were to stay out of the Myrus affair until I returned. Don’t let your ambition out-reach your power.”

  “I’m sorry, Heir Caning,” said Seres. He bowed his head in submission.

  “Forman will talk with the soldier. Kayl, don’t go behind my back again. You may be on my father’s Council, but I am still the Heir Caning. I will find you a second to help lead your investigation into the underground.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Kayl.

  “Seres, you are to return to the Capitol. I will have a new post for you there.”

  “Very well,” said Seres.

  “My group and I will accompany you,” said Heric. “When we arrive you will be provided with housing in the barracks.”

  “There is no need for that,” said Seres. “Ellen will accompany me back on my trip. She will provide for my housing when we arrive.”

  “Back?” Nikali stuttered.

  “Of course, Ellen is here in Myrus with me.”

  Nikali closed up. What color he had returned to his face had all but vanished. He did not say another word.

  “Show Forman to the soldier,” said Heric. “I don’t want my visit to Myrus to last too long. We have to return to the Capitol.”

  Chapter 32

  The two women walked through the busy streets of the Myrus market together. Kastor and Tyeche kept their distance, but were never too far away. Marina was entranced with all the differences between their two societies. Abigail explained she felt the same while being in Louson. As they walked through the crowd they passed many street performers.

  Abigail and Marina never stopped long enough to watch an entire show. Abigail continued to usher them on, never satisfied with the performance.

  The performances varied in style from stories, artists, to animal acts. Storytellers were on every corner. Each one had his own spin on tales of the Eluan Empire. The Victory at Disma was particularly popular that year. Often times, artists would be nearby. They would sell their paintings by associating them with the stories that were being told. There were singers spread throughout the city. Abigail was not interested in any of that. She had seen these types of performers in Louson. Marina would not be impressed or learn anything about Eluan seeing them. Abigail was looking for a greater show.

  “I wanted to hear what happens!” Marina complained. This was the fourth show Abigail had taken her away from. It was a story about a young boy, raised by jesters, who grew up to fight in a war.

  “The guy impersonates the commander during their terms of battle. He gets along with the enemy so well because of his jokes that they decided to not fight for a day. That day gives his people enough time to evacuate the city. His army loses, but he saved the lives of thousands of people. It’s a tragedy.”

  “It sounds good,” said Marina. “Why can’t we stay?”

  “I want you to see something else,” said Abigail. She kept looking all around the streets. Finally, the show she was looking for caught her eye.

  “How much do you know about Eluan?” she asked Marina.

  “I’ve gone through the history books Alexus gave us,” she said.

  “That’s good,” said Abigail. “But there is something that a lot of those history books leave out: many historians see it as insignificant. It’s a skill much more popular in the artistic community. It’s called arcan.”

  Abigail and Marina worked there way through the crowd. The crowd roared as the performer danced about the people. He would advance towards the edge of his space, staring down those near him. He gently swayed his hand across women’s cheeks and sized himself up against the men. The crowd loved it.

  “What is this?” Marina asked.

  “Just watch,” said Abigail. “Don’t be afraid.”

  The show continued. The man started off. He began juggling. He started with two rocks. Then moved to three. Then he grabbed a fourth one. He juggled all of them in the air. They danced through his hands one by one. Then came the turn. The man caught three of his rocks, but he could not find the fourth. He looked all around. There was nothing on the ground around him. The crowd laughed. They pointed to the sky. The fourth rock continued to hang in the air.

  Marina watched, stunned. She had never seen anything like it back in Louson. This wasn’t natural. It did in fact scare her.

  “The work of the gods,” she said to herself. She took Abigail’s words to heart though. She stayed calm. Nobody was panicking. She kept her composure. Kastor and Tyeche did the same.

  The performer jumped, trying to grab hold of his rock. He demanded it to come down. The rock would lower itself then shoot back up just as the man was going to grab it. The crowd laughed when
his butt hit the dirt. Marina found herself chuckling along with it.

  Finally, the rock gently fell lower, coming eye level with the man on the ground. It nudged him like a mother nudges her cub. The man nuzzled his rock in return. He stood back up, encouraged by his rock. The rock returned with the rest of its group, lowering itself into the man’s hands, and then the performer took a bow.

  Marina was surprised to see herself clapping along with the rest of the crowd. She couldn’t help it. The man had put on a wonderful show. Now, she wanted to know more.

  “That was unbelievable,” said Marina. “No wonder Eluan does not pray to the gods, the gods have blessed you with their power regardless.”

  “They can put on an amazing display,” said Abigail. They were back to walking through the crowd.

  “Can all of you do it?” Marina asked.

  “Not everybody does it,” answered Abigail. “There are problems that come along with it. The use of arcan can put on a wonderful show, but in the long run it’s not very good for your well-being. People become addicted to it. It obscures the way you think.”

  “Why were we not told about this?”

  “It was Alexus’ decision,” said Abigail. His name still sank her stomach to the floor. She pushed the feelings aside to continue explaining. “He wasn’t sure how your people would take it. He knew about your avadons. They have similar abilities. He felt it was something we should ease into.”

  “It looks harmless enough,” said Marina.

  “It is,” said Abigail. “But we are used to it. It fills our streets. The Talons, the lower class area, in the Capitol are filled with arcan users.”

  “Are they all as spectacular as that man?”

  “No, most of them are bums living on the street. They beg for coin just to get a taste of Tamor Blood.”

  “What’s that?” asked Marina.

  “It’s a drink that heightens the effects of arcan in a person’s body.”