Eluan Falls: The Inheritors of the World

by Dane G. Kroll

  Chapter 35

  The rumblings carried across the valley. It was an early warning for the villagers that lived at the hillside. None of the people could figure out what was making the sound out in the distance. Their animals were spooked. The horses fought to be freed from their pen. The cattle all huddled next to each other at the far end of the fenced pasture. Every minute they pressed against it, made the fence bend another inch.

  The day rolled on. The sound never went away. A few of the men had gone out to find the source. They had yet to return. The sound was only getting louder.

  The villagers gathered together in their town hall. Panic was beginning to set in for many of them. They had to form a plan. Ideas were debated from staying put, to all leaving together. Nothing could be decided. They did not have the resources to leave together, and leaving individually meant they were out on their own against whatever was out there beyond the horizon.

  The arguments continued into the evening. The sun was setting. The town hall was lit with torches in order to continue discussions into the night. Some were there hoping if they talked long enough the problem would just go away.

  Then a little boy came rushing into the hall. He was the son of one of the farmers. He rushed over to his father, who was in the meeting.

  “It’s an army,” the boy exclaimed. “They’re off in the distance.”

  “The Eluan army?” asked the boy’s father.

  The entire group of villagers hurried to get out the doors. They all wanted to see what the boy was talking about. Sure enough, out in the distance in the setting sun was the silhouette of an army.

  It was a massive gathering of people moving forward across the land. They jumped into the air and came crashing to the ground, causing the noises that flew across the land.

  “Who do you think they are?” one of them asked. Nobody could answer. They had never seen an army like this before. There was little order to their marching. They glided through the air as much as they walked. There was no uniform or flag. It was a mass of savages.

  The villagers continued to watch the threat in the distance. They did not move. Fear had gripped them all. Then the horde appeared to be growing larger.

  One man’s eyes grew wide in horror. “Put out the torches,” he yelled. “Put out all the torches.” He ran back to the town hall. His fear began to spread as they all came to the same realization. The enemy on the road had noticed them.

  The villagers put out all the torches as fast as they could. It had only taken a matter of seconds for the entire group to do it. But it was too late. The advancing force had found its prey.

  Chapter 36

  Myrus was a speck on the map for the travelers now. They had been on the road for only a few days, but had kept up the pace. All Heric could think about was returning home. The mess with Abigail and Marina, the disobedience by Seres, and Nikali’s behavior at Louson had put massive stress on him. He was dealing with each issue as it came, but he still felt he was not doing enough. The thing he wanted the most was to return to his own bed in his own quarters. It was something he hadn’t wanted for years.

  An official had been appointed in Myrus to investigate the underground movement. Heric picked an old friend of his from the military, Captain Gregory Thou. Heric knew he could trust him, and did not need to watch over his shoulder the entire time. Whatever the underground was up to, Thou would find out.

  On the first day of the journey home the group had naturally separated itself along the road. The pattern never changed in the days following. Forman led the way, as usual. He was responsible for the safe journey of everyone. He would see to it until the end. Seres and Ellen were behind him. They were riding in a carriage. Ellen was able to pay for a luxurious and stylish return to the Capitol. The two of them had fresh food and attendants to do all the work. Heric and his guards stuck behind Ellen and Seres, in order to keep an eye on them. There was very little they could run-off to, but Heric was not in the mood for any more surprises. Marina, Abigail, and the two Louson guards rode together behind Heric. The two women chatted the entire way, trading stories from Eluan and Louson. And bringing up the back of the caravan was Nikali and his fury arck. Nikali wished to stay as far away from his mother as possible. He had managed to avoid her the entire time in Myrus. He had not seen her in Myrus and he planned to keep it that way. He diverted his thoughts to his time back in Louson. He kept going over the final night, trying to piece together everything that had happened. Everything was still fuzzy.

  He knew Alexus was up to something, but there was no way to prove it or find out more. Alexus was dead, and he was the key to it all. Nikali knew he would have to discuss the matter with Heric before long. It pained him to have kept the secret this long. Everyday his regret of not telling Heric sooner got worse. Nikali didn’t want to disappoint Heric and he was going to either way with the news about Alexus.

  The trip back to the Capitol would last another week at the rate they were going. Each night Forman would call an end to the day’s travels. His hand would shoot up signaling the others to stop and make camp. There would be no discussion or argument about it.

  Seres and Ellen had a beautiful tent set up each night by their attendants. For dinner, they went out of their way to eat in front of the others. They had larger portions of high quality food and better drinks. It was a show of defiance from the two of them. They were traveling on their own coin and they were going to live like royalty. The others kept to their rations.

  On the fifth day of their journey, the group began to run into more travelers. It was not unusual to do so along the roads between Myrus and the Capitol. They were the busiest roads in all of Eluan. As the day continued, more travelers started to pile onto the road. It was becoming more unusual. There were hundreds of people walking along. Nobody was speaking. The Eluan caravan continued past them for the first few hours. Then as the road stretched out through a valley they could see there were even more people just aimlessly walking along. Some had horses, some were on foot, some were alone, some were in groups. Very few of them had bags. They were not carrying food, tools, or clothes. They were just walking.

  Heric pulled up to Forman. Together they broke from the others to talk privately.

  “What do you think is going on?” Heric asked.

  “I have no idea,” said Forman. “It looks like westerners, probably from the villages outside of Falon.”

  “I think it’s time we talked to some of them,” said Heric.

  “Don’t tell them who you are,” said Forman. “We don’t want a riot. Just ask them what’s happening. We’ll figure it out from there.”

  They picked a couple who were walking alone from the other groups. They held each other in their arms. By the looks on their faces, it was as if the world had ended.

  “What happened?” Heric asked them. He towered over them on his horse, his figure blocking out the sun.

  “We were attacked,” said the man. “Are you from the Capitol? Are you here to save us?”

  “I’m from the Capitol,” said Heric. “But I don’t know what is going on. Who attacked you?”

  “It was an army,” said the man.

  “It was no army,” the woman said. “They were monsters.”

  “Where were they from?” Heric asked.

  “I don’t know. They carried no flag,” said the man. “We could hear them charging through the land. We had no idea what it was. Then once we saw them it was too late. They had seen us too. They destroyed our town. We have nothing left.”

  Heric looked out at the rest of the road. There were hundreds of people walking on the road. He realized it was more than one town that had been hit.

  “Which direction did they come from?”

  “They came from the west,” said the woman. “Please, can you help us? We don’t know where to go. What should we do?”

  Heric looked back at Forman. He knew his friend was not going to like the next decision, but he had to do it. Heric took off a pin
from his sleeve. It was a pin given to him from the Royal Council meant to honor him being the Heir Canning. He gave it to the couple below.

  “Take this,” Heric said. “Go to the Capitol and show it to the guards at the palace. Tell them Heric Caning, the Heir Caning, has sent you. Tell them to provide you with food and shelter. Tell that to everybody you pass on this road, anybody who has been attacked and left without a home. Tell them to go to the Capitol. They will be taken care of.”

  “Thank you, thank you,” said the surprised couple. They couldn’t take their eyes off of the pin that Heric had given to them. It was a second chance at life.

  “You’re the Heir Caning?” said the woman.

  “Yes,” said Heric. “And I’m going to fix this problem. I promise you that.”

  Heric rode off back to Forman. The couple had gained a bit more confidence in their pace. As they passed people they told them about the Capitol. The word spread more quickly than anybody could move.

  Heric returned to a stone-faced Forman: “You’re sending them all to the Capitol?”

  “I need to look out for my people,” said Heric.

  “I understand,” said Forman. “What’s our next move?”

  “We need to talk to the others,” said Heric. He led them back to the rest of his group. Heric signaled them all to gather together off the road. The group formed in a similar formation as they were on the road. Nikali was as far away from his mother as possible.

  “We have a problem,” said Heric. “Villages have been destroyed by an army.”

  “Tcher?” asked Seres. “We’ll gather our forces. Anybody trying to attack Eluan will be dealt with swiftly.”

  “I appreciate the thought, Seres, but it’s not that simple,” said Heric. “This group carried no flag. They were said to be monsters from the west.”

  Marina gasped. “Avadons? They followed us to the crossing?”

  “That’s what it sounds like,” said Heric.

  “What are avadons?” Seres asked.

  “Savages,” said Forman. “They are savages that use arcan.”

  “They are the children of the evil gods- the destroyers,” said Marina.

  “What are we going to do?” Abigail asked.

  “I’m going back to the crossing,” said Heric. I need to make sure that it is secure. We need to get it blocked off before any more come through.”

  “What about the rest of us?” Seres asked. “I will gladly accompany you. My country before me.”

  “Thank you, Officer Seres,” said Heric. “All of you are going to have to come. I need Forman and the rest of my soldiers to follow me. Tyeche and Kastor know the avadons. They will be a great help in fighting any off that we find. I need Nikali as well. That leaves Ellen, Marina, and Abigail. We can’t leave you off on your own.”

  “Excuse me,” said Abigail. “I can take care of myself.”

  “As can I,” said Ellen.

  “There are hundreds of stranded people on this road. They are all headed to the Capitol. They are desperate. If they get a whiff that you have money, they will attack. Our only hope is to stay in a group. We can protect each other. I wanted to go home more than anybody, but we brought those things with us. It’s our responsibility to make sure no more get through. Once we get the bridge secured we will all return to the Capitol. All of us. Is that understood?”

  The entire group said yes, and once again their backs were to the Capitol and all of Eluan. The avadons had made swift work of a number of towns, but now the element of surprise was no longer theirs. Heric would be ready for them. They would race to the crossing and get the situation under control. He would solve each crisis as it came.

  Chapter 37

  Heric lead the charge. There was no time for rest. He pushed his group faster than they had traveled so far. All of their luxuries were gone. There was no more carriage, no more tents. They all traveled on horseback with only rations and their weapons.

  Every group of refugees they passed they sent along with them the same message. Go to the Capitol and any officer you see on the road, send them to Insabal’s Canyon.

  They were joined by a handful of military guards in a matter of days. Eventually the parade of refugees had ended. There were no villages or towns beyond this point. It made the traveling easier. There was nothing to stand in their way. Every day further they were joined by more men.

  By the end of the journey, Heric had built himself a company. It was filled with men from all around Eluan. Many were soldiers stationed out in the west, while others had lost their homes along with the rest of the people. There were a number of men who were not a part of the military at all. They were there to simply defend their homes. Heric welcomed them and said he would pay them for their service.

  The final day had arrived. Insabal’s Canyon was only a day’s travel away. The men continued to race toward the avadons at the Alexus Crossing. As the sun settled down below the horizon, Insabal’s Canyon came clearly into view.

  The land beyond the canyon was in sight. It was the first moment of dread Heric felt since learning about the avadons’ appearance in Eluan.

  The field was covered with avadons. They were swarming the bridge from end to end. Thousands of avadons were bottlenecked at the Louson side, all fighting each other in order to cross the bridge into new territory.

  Heric ordered his men to halt. They kept their distance. He did not want any of the avadons to notice their arrival. He was out numbered, and ill-prepared for a battle at this time.

  All of his men remained quiet, and none of them budged. There was an unknown threat coming into their homes. They would face it. It did not matter if it were man or monster. Every man of Eluan stood tall.

  Heric ordered his men to stay put. Then he called for Forman, Kastor, Tyeche, and Nikali. The five of them went ahead without their horses. They got as close as they dared to get a better idea of the threat they were facing.

  They hid behind bushes, several hundred yards away from the crossing. The avadons continued to poor out from the bridge and make their way deeper into Eluan. A trail of them went out forward and disappeared into the night.

  “Any ideas?” Heric threw out.

  “We have to retreat,” said Forman. “There are too many of them. We can’t fight them back.”

  “We have come all this way. We need to secure the bridge,” said Heric.

  “And that would be glorious, but I do not see a way,” said Forman. “It would mean fighting off thousands of those things. We only have a couple hundred men. There is no way.”

  Tyeche spoke up, “We need to retreat. Kastor and I can not fight all of those off, nor teach your men how to fight the avadons properly.”

  “Tyeche is right,” said Forman. “We struggled when we tried to fight an avadon using Eluan fighting techniques. We have no idea how to handle a true attack like this from the avadons. They will destroy us.”

  “There has to be something we can do,” said Heric. “I don’t want to just sit here and wait for all of the avadons to get across the bridge.”

  “That might be the best solution. We wait until the rush dies down. Then we take the bridge and hunt them down later. We already have to do that. Who knows how many have gotten through already? We need to fight this battle on our terms, not theirs.”

  “Nikali, is there anything you can do?” Heric asked.

  Nikali looked stunned. He had no idea. “I don’t know what happened that night, alright? I hardly remember those things. It’s all just a blur. I can’t do anything. I’m sorry.”

  “Then it looks like we’re going to have to retreat,” said Heric. “I am not going to lose my men on a suicide mission that has no chance of success. We’ll return to the Capitol, take out any avadons we find along the way given the numbers, and then return with the entire army of Eluan. We’re not going to let the avadons take this land from us.”

  “There might be a problem,” said Kastor. He pointed out to the horizon past the canyon. There w
as a disturbance in the group of avadons. They stirred violently. The avadons around them began to get packed in. They rushed forward. As the disturbance grew some of the avadons fell over the edge, having no further room to push ahead.

  Out beyond the avadons were Rarian and the Louson Army. They were slaying avadons, charging forward through the mob. Heric and the others watched in amazement as the army plowed a way through the crowd like a knife. Many of the avadons looked afraid.

  “He’s making his final push,” said Kastor. “By the looks of his flags, this is a final attack.”

  “How long do you think he’s been fighting?” Tyeche asked.

  “Days,” said Kastor. “But his army is still looking strong. He’s got plenty of supplies toward the back.”

  “Then we have ourselves an army,” said Heric.

  “No,” said Forman. “No, no, we can not do this.”

  “We just need to close off the bridge. With Rarian on the other side we can trap the avadons in between and finish it off. Then we go back and gathered more forces for the avadons that have already made it over.”

  “We don’t have enough men,” said Forman.

  “We will,” said Heric. “Rarian will stop them from coming over the bridge. That will get us a gap that can allow us to get inside and close it off. This is our chance.”

  “I don’t like it,” argued Forman.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m going forward with it.”

  It only took a couple of minutes, but Heric was ready to lead his attack. He stood in front of his new company ready to give the signal. Tyeche and Kastor stood out in the distance in clear view of Rarian and the Louson army on the other side. They held unlit torches. When Heric gave the signal they would begin to try and communicate with Rarian, and explain their plan.

  “Eluan, listen to me,” said Heric. “We have allies on the other side. They are the Louson. This new threat that has attacked our homes is a threat that they have dealt with their entire lives. They come out of the forest to kill and destroy. Every year they deal with the avadons, and every year they beat the avadons back. I have visited their Kingdom. It is great. It is powerful. But it’s time to show them what Eluan can do. We will not fight the avadons year after year. We will put an end to this swiftly. We will show the entire known world and beyond that we do not take threats lightly. Let us begin tonight. Let’s show those men across the canyon what Eluan can do.”