“And what if they aren’t as barbaric as you suggest?” asked Colonel Palin. “They could regroup and attack once again. We still have the avadons in the west to deal with. We cannot let another enemy loose in the east.”
“Then what do we do with them?” asked Marais.
“We execute them,” said Palin. “They are enemies of the empire. It is the law.”
Nikali’s eyes danced from one man to the other as they spoke. He took another drink from his goblet. The drink was turning sour. He hated the taste, but he kept drinking anyway. The tingle running down his spine was numbing. He needed more.
“What is your opinion, Nikali?” asked Marais.
Nikali shot back up as he heard his name. He looked at the council then lowered himself back down to his arms.
“Kill them all,” dismissed Nikali.
Marais threw up his hands in disgust. “Is that it? Have you even considered the ramifications of what that would take?”
“It’s the law,” said Nikali. “What am I supposed to do about that? Besides, that leads me into my matter of business.”
“Such as?” Marais asked.
“Executing Marina,” said Nikali with a smile.
There was a quiet gasp from several of the council members upon hearing Nikali’s words.
“She is already locked up, Nikali,” said Quaet. “That is already punishment enough for crimes, frankly, we know nothing about. Now you want to have her executed?”
“Yes,” said Nikali.
“For what?” Quaet asked.
“She is an enemy of Eluan,” snarled Nikali. He was growing tired of the Royal Council questioning his decision.
“What has she done?” Quaet continued on.
“She joined Tcher against the Eluan army during the war,” said Nikali. “She has ties to a conspiracy against the empire.”
“Nonsense,” said Quaet. “She was kidnapped by Tcher soldiers and was their hostage. She was not aiding them. This is nonsense Nikali. There will be no execution, and I move that we free Marina from her confines immediately.”
“No,” said Nikali, staring down Quaet. “I am the authority here. I am the emperor.”
“You are not the emperor,” said Quaet. “You are Emperor Present. You do not have full authority. You will not execute the true Empress. As long as Heric is alive then we all will work together to not only revive Heric, but to keep Eluan as strong as it has ever been. Am I understood?”
“Fill a cup of water. Roll down the hill,” answered Nikali.
“Stop drinking,” order Quaet.
Nikali looked up at the older council man. Then Nikali took another drink from his goblet. He deliberately made every gulp as loud as he could.
When he was finished, Nikali slammed his goblet down on the table, rim first. The cup was empty. Only drops of Tamor Blood landed on the table to stain it red.
“Done,” humored Nikali.
Quaet held his tongue. He had many foul words to scream at his new leader, but he remained patient.
His words were uttered by another.
“Your voice should not be welcomed here,” said General Twell.
Nikali turned his head to look at Twell. Then his body followed suit.
“What was that?” Nikali asked.
“You may have the blood of the emperor, but you are trash. You are a drunk and your language is in disregard to the trust the council shares with itself.”
“Watch your tongue when speaking to your emperor,” said Nikali.
“You are not the emperor. Heric Caning is our emperor. He may be injured, but he is still our leader, and it is our duty to lead the empire in his vision. Your duty, as well. You are only sitting on the throne in his place.”
“Do you even know what Heric’s vision was?” Nikali asked. “He brought me to this table. He wanted arcan to be used against the Tcher army.”
“He disavowed all that when he saw that you could not be trusted,” said Twell.
“Yet, it was I who opened the door that got our army onto the islands. That was me! That was my power!”
“Heric was desperate,” said Twell. “He would never make that choice again.”
“Heric would not choose you again, either,” said Nikali. “He chose you, all of you, because he believed he could put together a council that would be open to new ideas. He saw a brighter future for Eluan involving arcan.”
“That was never discussed,” cut in Quaet.
“Of course, it wasn’t,” said Nikali. “Heric was still scared of how you would react. He wanted results first. He wanted to show you just what he could do. That method was slow, and pointless. You have now seen what we can do with this kind of power, and you still shiver at the sight of me. I realize now where Heric had gone wrong. He tiptoed around you because he cared about what you thought.”
“That is the point of the council,” said Marais. “We are to offer you our opinions and concerns regarding decisions about the empire.”
“And that now falls onto my shoulders,” said Nikali. “I see so much that this empire could do. If only you all weren’t so afraid. I’ve seen the other side of the canyon. They live in fear of the avadons, and what they could be capable of. I will not send Eluan down that road. We are better than Louson in every way.”
“What you are proposing is unstable,” said Twell. “Heric was smart not to bring his dreams to the council yet. You are not ready, Nikali.”
Nikali slammed his fists down on the table. The sound echoed across the room.
He glared at Twell. His eyes never darted away or blinked.
“What are you doing?” Twell asked. The council held back as Nikali did not reply.
Twell would not back down. He continued to stare right back at Nikali. The two were deadlocked in their positions.
Nikali reached out to Twell’s emotions. He felt around for Twell’s fears. But Nikali was not getting anything. He could no longer feel the tingle in his own bones.
Nikali swiped his arms across the table. The goblet went flying across the room into the wall. The Royal Council backed away from the table.
Then Nikali rolled onto the table top. His eyes never left Twell. First, Nikali slid himself across the table along his back. Then he flipped over and began to crawl toward Twell.
Nikali was fast. The general did not have time to react to the oncoming attack. Nikali pounced onto the council member. His hands wrapped around Twell’s throat.
“I am your Emperor!” Nikali shouted. “Say it!”
Twell could not speak. His windpipe was being crushed. He fought to get Nikali off of him.
After a moment of shock, other council members started to swarm the situation. They surrounded Nikali and pried him off of General Twell.
Twell gasped for breath once his neck was free. He scurried away from the restrained Nikali.
“I am the emperor, now! You will listen to me!” Nikali shouted. “I will bring about the future Heric wanted. I will save Eluan!”
“Let me go!” Nikali finished. “I order you to let me go!”
The council did as they were asked once Twell was to his feet. Nikali shook off the hands that were cautiously ready to reach out once again.
“This council will be the death of our empire if we continue like this,” said Nikali. “I suggest you take a few days and get your heads on straight. I am in control now. I expect loyalty. Fires grow thick. The stars twinkle.”
Nikali adjusted his clothes. He wiped his face clean then walked freely out of the council room. He did not look at any of the council members. His head was held high.
The tension remained high, even after Nikali was gone. The Royal Council had a first glimpse of their future. They would have to get Nikali under control if their duties to Eluan were to continue.
Chapter 5
Nikali made his way to Heric’s chambers straight from the meeting with the Royal Council. He staggered through the hallway. His knees wanted to buckle. His strength was waning
. His mouth was growing dryer. Nikali needed a drink. He needed to quench his desire.
Finally, Nikali made it to Heric’s quarters. The guards outside the door kept their positions. They were accustomed to Nikali checking in on Heric every day. Gone were the days Nikali had to fight his way through the palace because nobody knew who he was.
He wiped off the beads of sweat that were perspiring on his forehead. Nikali stood up straight as he walked past his guards. They were his men, now.
The Emperor’s quarters were gigantic; bigger than Nikali was ever comfortable with. The ceilings were twice the height as the rest of the royal quarters. Nikali could hear his footsteps echo as he walked toward the adjacent room where Heric was placed.
The bedroom was slightly smaller. When Nikali entered the nurses that were watching over Heric looked up. They bowed at the sight of their new leader.
“How is he doing?” Nikali asked.
“The same,” said a young girl sitting at Heric’s bedside. Alma was one of the regular nurses that stayed by the side of Heric’s. She was used to Nikali’s visits, and was no longer nervous at the sight of her great leader. “Henri’s latest treatment is not working. We are keeping him nourished. He still twitches every now and then. We cannot stop it.”
“How has there been no improvement?” Nikali asked. “I’ve treated him every day.”
“Then it is not working,” said Alma. “Whatever you are doing is not improving the situation.”
“Leave us,” said Nikali.
Most of the nurses immediately turned away and headed for the door. It was not unusual for Nikali to want to be alone with Heric. They would wait outside the bedroom until Nikali left then return to their duties by the side of Heric Caning.
“Please, let us help you,” begged Alma.
“No,” said Nikali.
“I’ve seen what you are doing,” admitted Alma. Nikali’s glare burned into her when she said those words, but it did not discourage Alma from continuing what she was saying. “I know you use arcan. It is not a secret. Even before you saved Eluan. That does not mean you can save Heric too. You have not practiced medicine. We have levels of study. We can help you, Nikali.”
“I do not need help,” said Nikali. “There is nothing you or the physicians can do. If you have not been able to revive him yet then you will not be able to do it.”
“Neither have you, Nikali,” scolded Alma.
“I am getting close!” Nikali shouted back at the nurse. “I can feel it. I just need more time. Now, leave. I will do this on my own.”
Alma shook her head and looked at the floor. She had nothing else to say to her emperor. Finally, she turned away and walked toward the door.
Once the door closed Nikali waited a moment before he was sure they were alone. Then Nikali stepped closer to his bedridden cousin. Nikali’s foot would not stop jittering. Seeing Heric unconscious in bed brought back horrible memories for Nikali.
A few years ago, Nikali was in a similar position with Heric’s father, Cyrus. Cyrus was unknowingly being poisoned and corrupted by Alexus and his use of arcan. Eventually, Cyrus was bedridden and helpless as his body rotted away from the inside. Nikali saw the truth before anyone else did, but it was too late.
Nikali did not want the same thing to happen to Heric. Heric was always there for Nikali growing up. This was finally the chance for Nikali to be there for him. He was not going to let his cousin down again.
“I do not have much left to give you,” said Nikali. He stood by the side of the bed to the right of Heric. Nikali reached down and placed his hand on top of Heric’s forehead. “Something is different. I can’t feel it like I used to.”
With what little power Nikali had left he reached out and felt for Heric’s conscious. He searched through his dreams and his emotions for any spark of life. Nikali found himself shrouded in darkness. Heric was there calling out to him, but Nikali could not bring him out into the open.
As Nikali leaned over the bed, Heric’s body began to tremor. His chest raised into the air while his spine arched backward. His limbs were uncontrollable as they flailed about. Spit and bile seeped out of Heric’s mouth and down his cheeks. His eyes rolled back into his head.
Finally, Nikali let go. He tumbled to the floor. He had nothing left. Heric’s body calmed down and it remained still. Nikali struck the floor in anger. He yelled out his frustration and disgust. He was getting nowhere.
“What am I supposed to do?!” Nikali yelled. “You were not supposed to leave me! You were supposed to rule the empire. I was left alone to live my life.
“But you could not have that. Could you? No! You wanted a girl that was unattainable. You wanted to be free from all of this responsibility. You wanted my life. My crappy life.
“You had a father that loved you. He was so proud of you. I was a failure in his eyes. I was even worse in my mother’s. How do I rule when I have nobody backing me?
“You made this Council to accept new ideas, but they want nothing to do with it. They are comfortable in the old ways.
They will not change unless you tell them to. They will not listen to me. So, it’s going to come down to you waking up or you dying. What am I supposed to do?
“Wake up, Heric! Wake up! You are still there. I can feel it. Why will you not come back?
“Is this it? Is this your revenge against me after all those years of carrying me? You’re taking your break now?
“Do you know me, Heric? Because I know me. I will just as likely dismantle this empire than build it stronger.
“I am trying to hold the line to the standard that you made for me, but if you do not wake up I will evoke the name of Charos and do what is in my power to finally get what I want.
“It will be you or me eventually. If you do not wake up then I will know the answer.”
Chapter 6
Deep below the main floor of the palace was the secure bunker of the Emperor. It was now the home of Nikali and several of his followers, Cassandra, Aul, and the remaining ladies of the Red Cast: Isabelle, Cate, Elia, and Anita. Underneath the feet of the royal class, they would not be bothered by the rules and expectations of those around them.
Much of the original furniture was discarded over a year ago to make room for training supplies. But after the military team failed to gain traction with arcan the room became once again a sanctuary for its users. Mismatched furniture and supplies made their way back into the secured quarters.
It was often times Aul who returned from his rounds with new goodies. Every day he would walk every hallway of the palace once. It was a different route every time, and nobody paid him any attention. His bare feet were calloused and smudged dark from dirt and grime. He was getting a sense for the palace and all of its occupants.
The palace was not only a place of business for the Eluan Empire, but it also housed the Royal Council, and many members of the royal class that held close ties to the Caning family. There were also quarters for visiting senators from across the Empire.
Cassandra wanted Aul to grow accustomed to the palace. She wanted him to become a part of the background, just as she had.
Cassandra started young as an escort and a mistress for the men around the Capitol. She started in the Talons like most of the girls did. There was enough poverty and desperation that it was easy to begin.
Her parents, Mihell and Jean Bennen, were stage performers. They did shows all around the Capitol, but once the Prial/Tcher War began the shows started to dry up. Mihell refused to get dragged into the war and stayed on the show circuit. He believed he and his wife could make it through the slump and come back stronger once the war was over.
Eluan was refusing to join the war officially and the crowds were becoming bored with the Bennen’s act. Mihell and Jean needed new material and new audiences. They decided to entertain all those that were brought down by the war around them. So, they branched out their circuit to include Prial and Myrus.
Mihell talked to the soldiers that r
eturned from battle. He learned their stories and the developments of the war. Mihell was ready with pen and paper to create all new stories for his audience to hear.
Their only problem was Myrus and Prial were losing. Every story that Mihell wrote ended in sorrow and despair. No matter how hard he tried to end the stories on an encouraging note people would constantly walk out in tears when Mihell told the tales of the war going on.
Then Myrus dried up. Its commanders abandoned the city leaving the citizens to fend for themselves. New leadership came to power, but with the war still raging the entire world was unstable. Money was no longer coming into Myrus.
Mihell and Jean found themselves stuck in the city. They did not have enough left to travel back to Eluan or continue on with their circuit, especially with their new bundle of joy, Cassandra.
Eventually, Eluan got involved in the war. They took over Myrus and the rest of the cities and towns that were left dying from Tcher’s flood of terror. It was the promise of new prosperity for the growing Eluan Empire.
Then Prial fell.
The biggest superpower in the world fell under the persistence of the Tcher Islands, and the final blow came from Eluan itself. The two growing empires slaughtered thousands and left Prial a ghost town.
Finally the war was over, but there was still a lot of upheaval. While Tcher and Eluan liked to boast that they killed every last Prial. That was not the truth.
Many fled the cities during the final attack and found refuge west in the Cylo Forest, or down in Myrus, or even farther south. Communication was limited between the scattered people of Prial. They had to talk in code and proverbs to prove they were not enemies from Eluan or Tcher. The remaining people lived in secret, but their traditions lived on.
Myrus was introduced to Tamor Blood. It came into the city with the Prial survivors. Drinks with arcan existed in some way around the world for centuries, but the change in location for the Prial people created new opportunities.
The scavengers got their supplies from deeper in the Cylo Forest than ever before. It changed their drinks and created a more powerful connection with arcan, and a far more powerful addiction.
Eluan Falls: A Whisper of Fate Page 3
