“Oh yeah,” said the odorous customer to Grifith’s right. He smiled with several teeth missing. “What brings you here? You working in the city?”
“I’m staying at the Senate House,” said Grifith. “I’m working there.”
“Oh,” said the man, put off by Grifith’s words. “You’re one of them.”
“What does that mean?” Grifith asked. He took a sip of the Tamor Blood. It was stronger than most in the city, but Grifith didn’t know if it was going to be good enough.
“You’ve been offered the best place in the city,” cried out the smelly man. He raised his voice so the others could hear him in the bar. “You were given food and everything, just for being a traitor. What are you doing here taking our drink for?”
“I’m looking for Tamor Blood. Something strong?” Grifith asked. Then he quieted down and let the tavern regular go on a rant as the others listened.
“Oh, the Myrus stuff isn’t good enough for this man of men! I slave everyday to bring this city back to its former glory. I work hard and we’re given enough to pay for our tools, pay for our meal, rent out a space in this mudhole, drink some crappy ale that this guy makes, and just squeak out enough for a little entertainment. This is the only stuff that can get me a little kick in life nowadays. I don’t think you need to be wasting our stuff because you need a kick. What is so exhausting about your life that the Myrus Tamor Blood won’t do it for you? Huh?”
“Please,” begged Grifith, growing intimidated by the man. “I’m just looking for some Tamor Blood. That’s all. I don’t want any trouble.”
The old man got close to Grifith. His smell was worse up close. Grifith fought hard to not gag and insult the man.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t be following an enemy of Emperor Nikali. If you don’t want any trouble then you’re going to have to pay for it,” said the man.
Grifith clutched his purse of coins. They jingled in his hand. He didn’t want to give in. “I need this for Tamor Blood.”
“Okay,” said the man. “I can get you Tamor Blood. The strongest you’ll ever taste. It’ll be a nice kick for you. How about that?”
Grifith thought about it for a moment. “Show me first. Then I’ll pay you.”
The man smiled. He bobbed his head and laughed in Grifith’s face. As his laughter grew he patted Grifith on the back with enough strength to send Grifith slamming into the bar.
“Deal!” said the man. “I’ll get you your kick.” The man laughed again. This time he wrapped his arm around Grifith’s neck. At first it seemed like a friendly gesture, almost an embracing hug. Then the man’s arm grew tighter. Grifith could barely breathe and he couldn’t break free from the man’s grip.
“It’s out back,” said the man to the struggling Grifith.
Grifith was caught in the man’s right arm. Then the man’s left hand reached over and grabbed a wad of Grifith’s hair. The pain prevented Grifith from wiggling free. The smelly man got to his feet dragging Grifith with him.
“Come with me,” said the old man. “If you want stronger Tamor Blood then you’ll need to be much more worn out than what you are. I’ll show you what exhaustion is. You people can’t just waltz into town and be given everything by the Senate. We work to the bone every day and have little to show for it. So if you want stronger Tamor Blood then that’s what you’ll get. Let’s go around back.”
The man wrangled Grifith up to his feet. None of the other patrons tried to stop him. They all had the same greed and anger in their eyes. Grifith was dragged through the bar toward the backdoor.
Grifith’s teary eyes saw several more men follow in their stead. They smiled down at Grifith. He was now outnumbered by five men surrounding him.
His smelly capturer pushed through the backdoor. When they were clear of the doorway he flung Grifith to the filthy ground of the alleyway behind the bar. Grifith slammed into the wall opposite the building. Before he could get to his feet the five bar regulars swarmed Grifith and began to stomp away at his body.
As they beat the life out of Grifith they cursed him and the other followers of Abigail for being given what they didn't deserve from the Senate. It wasn’t long before Grifith no longer felt any of the blows and the men’s hateful words were drowned out by the ringing in his ear.
Grifith never knew when the beating stopped. His body trembled. Blood trickled into his eyes. His last clear glimpse was of the smelly man grabbing his purse and walking back into the bar with the other men.
Alone, Grifith struggled to cry out for help. His voice was weak and broken. He couldn’t get the words out. He tasted blood filling up in his mouth. The ground spun around him. He wouldn’t be able to stand even if he had the strength. Pain resonated throughout his body. It came in flashes then slowly numbed away.
The world was starting to fade away for Grifith. He opened his eyes again. The alley was quiet.
Then a figure began to walk toward him. He couldn’t focus on any details. Blood and tears disrupted his vision. All he could see was a pale figure coming up to him.
“I hear you’ve been looking for Tamor Blood,” said the woman’s voice.
Grifith could not answer. He didn’t have the energy.
The pale woman kneeled to the ground. She leaned in close to Grifith’s bloody face. Then Grifith could feel her moist tongue lick across his cheek.
“It would be a shame if you died,” said the woman. She placed her hand under Grifith’s neck and propped him up. Grifith’s head dangled with his mouth opened.
Then she took out a small flask and let its contents drip into Grifith’s mouth. It tasted sweet and irony. Almost instantly Grifith felt energy surge though him. He could breathe again. The pain was subsiding.
Grifith let out a great gasp of air. His body convulsed from the sudden resurgence. Then the woman gently laid Grifith back down on the ground.
“You’re going to need this,” said the Blood Beauty. She put the flask down on the ground in front of Grifith’s face so he could clearly see it.
Grifith slowly reached out for the flask. His hand shook as it made its way to the healing elixir he was given. He looked back up, but the woman was gone. She had disappeared back down the alley from whence she came.
His hands shook as he took another sip of the Tamor Blood. It was like nothing he had ever had before. It was the strongest stuff he had ever felt, and it tasted, oh, so good. It took all his might not to finish the flask right then and there.
But he couldn’t. In the back of his mind, he knew he had to save it. He was out there for a reason. He wasn’t looking for himself. He was looking for Abigail.
She needed this. Not Grifith.
Grifith sat up. The pain was lessening. His breath was growing steady. He was going to be fine. All because of that mystery woman. Another savior.
And if he was going to be fine then so was Abigail.
He finally had what he was looking for, and Abigail would be strong once again.
Chapter 56
Days had passed since Nikali revealed his ultimatum to Myrus. Despite growing unsettled, the city continued on. The Senate House, for a short time the heart of a growing community, was now near empty with only her truest believers still amongst her company.
The fear that was once throttling Myrus returned. Many of the refugees from the Capitol or anywhere else in Eluan had to watch their back in fear of retaliation from the people of Myrus that claimed that city as a home more than others.
Abigail remained in hiding. For the moment, her absence was enough to sooth the citizens of Myrus. Requests to see her were few and far between. That did not stop the shouting outside the Senate House from the streets. People demanded that Abigail be brought to justice. So far it was limited to shouting and cursing at her followers, and Abigail did not want to push the situation any farther until she had a better grasp of the situation.
The night was dark. Odessa waited at the entrance to the watch tower at the front gates of the city. Three hooded figures approached
from a side alley. Odessa waved them in. That late at night there were not many people on the street.
Once the three hooded figures were inside and Odessa closed the door behind them they revealed themselves as Abigail, Darden, and Grifith. The rest of the tower was empty on Seres’ orders. He gave the night shift to Odessa and Paltro upon Abigail’s request.
“Is she out there?” Abigail asked.
“Yes,” said Odessa. “Arrived at dusk just like every night.”
Ever since Nikali made his appearance outside of Myrus, every night in the same spot one of the Red Cast would appear with a torch in hand. The torch was a beacon all through the night. They were waiting. They were waiting for one of the Myrus citizens to hold their end of Nikali’s deal and present to them Abigail, dead or alive.
Odessa showed the three new comers to the top of the tower. When they were in view they could see down across the open fields in front of Myrus and see the one torch in the sea of darkness.
Abigail could just make out the face of the young girl that was one of Nikali’s disciples. The Red Cast’s cold glare could be sensed all the way to the top of the tower.
“Where does she come from?” Abigail asked.
“The south,” said Odessa. “As the sun starts to set she just appears as if out of nowhere. The sun’s glare makes it difficult to see exactly where she comes from. There are several smaller villages between here and the Capitol they could be staying in any one of them.”
“Seres has already begun to search the villages,” said Abigail. “They have found nothing yet.”
“Can we trust him?” Odessa asked.
“Do you not?” asked Abigail.
“I’m still worried he does not have your interest at heart,” said Odessa.
“I don’t believe so either,” said Abigail.
“Seres could have had his army swarm Nikali and the others that day,” said Odessa. “Instead, he gave Nikali the opportunity to reveal your history.”
“We’ve seen what Nikali can do against an army,” said Abigail. “Seres was at the crossing, as was I. We don’t know how powerful Nikali has become. An army might not be enough.”
“You’re giving him the benefit of the doubt,” said Odessa.
“Right now, yes,” said Abigail. “Seres is still our ally. We gained a foothold in Myrus because of him. We need to watch him, but for now we still need to work with him.”
“What about Nikali’s threats?” Odessa asked. “How do we combat that?”
“We’ll only know once we see what he does,” said Abigail.
“You need your powers back,” pushed Odessa.
“I’m working on that. Grifith has found some barkeeps to make some stronger Tamor Blood.”
“We need to find out how Nikali is getting his power,” said Odessa. “We should be doing the same thing.”
“The Suraya do not know his source,” said Abigail. “Besides, there is more to it than that. I need to access my memories again. I was drinking weaker stuff and getting better results.”
“Will this new stuff do the trick?” asked Odessa.
“I think so,” said Grifith. He had not told them about the beating outside of the bar. He also didn’t tell them where he got his newest concoction of Tamor Blood. He was using what remained in the flask little by little in Abigail’s newest drinks. Grifith noticed a rise in Abigail’s attitude since giving her the newest remedies. He was going to make the mystery Tamor Blood last as long as possible.
“It better,” said Odessa. “If Nikali finds out that you are powerless he will overrun this city with whatever forces he has at his command. You are the only thing that is keeping him at bay at the moment. They remember what you did against his army at Jemn. They are scared.”
“We are going to be cautious,” said Abigail. “I am getting stronger every day. I can feel it. Grifith’s batch is working. I can defend against Nikali, but it will take some time. We can wait him out. We just need to be careful. Whatever Nikali tries we will combat it in any way that we can.
“If he tries to hurt our people we will heal them. If he tries to fight us we will fight back. Nikali cannot defeat us as long as we work together.”
Abigail’s words were understood amongst her most trusted allies. She was not going to let Nikali get in between them. It was her duty as their leader, and their savior.
Chapter 57
The next morning the landscape of the Senate House had changed. The lawn surrounding the building was lush. Trees and vines rose out of the ground nearly ten feet high from wall to fence. The shrubbery and plants had grown overnight and it was a stunning sight for every single person that woke up that morning.
Paltro stood awe struck in his room as he looked out the window. He rubbed his eyes several times and even dared to remove his silk face covering to get a clear view out the window. His eyes were not deceiving him.
A surge of excitement rushed through him. He prayed to Marage that this was a sign of change. With Abigail’s powers back they once again stood a chance against Emperor Nikali.
Paltro quickly put on the rest of his clothes and secured his veil. Then he rushed out the door and hurried down the steps to go outside and see more of the miraculous garden that now dominated the scenery around the Senate House.
It was an even more beautiful sight outside on the ground. The trees and leaves were vibrant with color, but as Paltro started to get a closer look he noticed another kind of leaf scattered throughout the entire garden. The leaves were pale. They blended in well with the garden, and were only noticed once the eye adjusted to them. He had never seen anything like it and wanted to know what kind of plant they were. Luckily for Paltro, as he walked through the new garden he found the creator herself waving hello to him.
“I’ve been practicing,” said Abigail. “Since I woke up I’ve felt more powerful than ever. I had to get it through my system. So I started working in the garden. Look at what I’ve done. It’s amazing. I can grow flowers in minutes. I can heal wounds faster than ever. I remember how to do it now. Everything is clear to me.”
“That’s wonderful,” said Paltro. This was the happiest he had ever seen Abigail.
“We can rebuild everything that we lost in Myrus,” said Abigail. “Odessa wants to hold off for the moment. If we keep my powers a secret for now then maybe they’ll underestimate us. She thinks we can surprise Nikali and the others when the time is right.”
“Does she have a plan yet?” asked Paltro.
“Not yet,” said Abigail. “But now that you’re up I believe the two of you can come up with something.”
Paltro nodded his head. He was anxious to get back into the swing of things and retaliate for once. He was a soldier after all.
“Sorry to interrupt,” said Grifith. He came walking into the gardens with a mug in his hand. “I have another cup for you, Farrah. It’s the last of this batch. I’ll make you more for tomorrow.”
Abigail’s eye lit up. Her gaze followed the mug as soon as she saw it. “Thank you, Grifith! You’re the best.” She leaned out and hugged Grifith with a great bear hug. The drink almost spilled out of Grifith’s hand, but he was able to compose himself.
Paltro looked inside the mug. It looked like Tamor Blood, but it was darker than usual, and it carried a different smell.
Grifith’s promise to himself to make the new Tamor Blood last as long as possible was broken. The meeting the previous night at the watchtower urged Grifith to push ahead. Abigail needed her power as soon as possible. Nikali was too big of a threat. So Grifith gave her drink last night a majority of what remained in the flask. Abigail didn’t mind as she drank the whole thing. Her pupils dilated and a smile spread across her face. Grifith thought he saw a new skip in Abigail’s step as she left him that night. And he was right. Overnight Abigail had created this gorgeous garden across the Senate lawn. Grifith reminded himself to go back to the alley and find the helpful woman. He was going to need more Tamor Blood.
A
bigail took the drink and finished it in only a couple of gulps. Red liquid stained her upper lip. She licked it off and chuckled.
“Grifith figured out a new recipe,” said Abigail. “It’s the best. You should try it.”
“I’m fine,” said Paltro. He never drank Tamor Blood before, but the cup that Abigail had in her hands now smelled familiar. Whatever the smell was brought up memories of hunting.
“Wait until you see this place at night,” said Abigail. “This place will outshine any lantern outside the city. It’ll be just like home.”
Then she began to walk back into the garden with a small skip in her step. Even with the recent threat of Emperor Nikali bearing down on the world around them, it was as if Abigail no longer had a care in the world.
The Blood Beauties could sense the garden being formed in Myrus. They felt Abigail's power in their senses, brought to them by Grifith's misguided generosity. Abigail was now being fueled by the blood of the pale women. Abigail's thoughts were opened to the Blood Beauties now. And they took no shame in peering into their enemies' secrets.
Then the Blood Beauties gasped. Their minds were flooded with Abigail's memories of the past and the future. They saw the lines of fate that Abigail held in her hands. They were all connected. Everyone of their deaths was being woven together. The Blood Beauties tried to break free but they were mesmerized by the beauty of time's tapestry.
Soon, sorrow overcame the three women. Power was at their grasp. Just beyond the horizon of fate there was a future where the Blood Beauties thrived, but it was unattainable. They could not turn fate around. They were trapped. Only Abigail held the key. She was the one that broke through fate. Now, she was the only that could free the rest of them.
The Blood Beauties saw their deaths, but they could change that. They could break Abigail first.
Chapter 58
As soon as Quaet closed the door behind him inside his townhouse he removed the hood that covered his face. It was becoming too dangerous to walk the streets of Eluan alone, but Quaet had to take the chance tonight.
Eluan Falls: A Whisper of Fate Page 28
