Eluan Falls: A Whisper of Fate

by Dane G. Kroll

  As they charged forward many soldiers dropped to the ground and the fire below. Their feet were burning. The fire was growing hotter and hotter. It burned through their boots, their skin, and right down to their bone. The cold wind at their heads stole their breath away. Every breath of air was a struggle as they continued to push forward toward Elia.

  Elia remained in her place. The circle of fire stayed a few yards clear of her. She was safe and unharmed by any of the elements that were affecting the area.

  The soldiers began to slow down. They couldn’t catch their breath, and the fire was becoming more than they could handle. Some soldiers tried to turn around only to be met by more charging soldiers behind them. Men were knocked to the ground to only be consumed by fire and the stomping of feet.

  Then the fire began to grow. Elia fed the fire all of the energy in the air around them. As the temperature dropped further the fire began to grow stronger. Flames started to reach above the soldiers’ heads.

  The full retreat was on. Myrus soldiers turned around as they were surrounded by fire. The pitch black night was replaced with flames and the horrific looks on their fellow soldiers’ faces as they melted away.

  There was no escape. The fire began to spread outward. As the soldiers in the back of the legion tried to escape the burning field the fire continued to spread out farther never allowing the soldiers to escape their fate.

  “We need to do something,” said Odessa, uneasy watching the legion get burned alive.

  “There is nothing we can do,” said Seres. “It is too late for them.”

  “You sent them in there to get slaughtered,” said Odessa.

  “I need to know what weapons I can use against Nikali and the others,” defended Seres. “Fire is not one of them.”

  “Then what?” Odessa asked. “Will you send in more? With what next time?”

  “I need to find Nikali’s weakness,” said Seres. “I will send in as many men as it takes to bring Nikali down.”

  Odessa stopped arguing. There was no point. She could feel the heat from the flames as the fire burned away the legion that Seres sent into battle. Such a sacrifice was too much for Odessa. But she had to remind herself that they were up against something more powerful than they had ever seen before.

  Chapter 64

  “Word is already starting to spread about the fire outside the gates of Myrus,” Jordon bellowed at Seres. “People saw your legion get annihilated.”

  “They don’t know what they saw,” Seres dismissed. “My own men closer to the battle have scarce reports.”

  Jordon paced back and forth across Seres’ living quarters. Every time he walked past Seres he would snarl in his direction. Seres remained calm. The situation was still well under control.

  “Then tell me yourself what happened?” Jordon asked. “The Suraya demand to know what is your next plan of action. The violence in the streets is growing. You will have a mutiny on your hands if this conflict with Nikali is not ended soon.”

  “I would be more than happy to tell the Suraya personally,” said Seres.

  “You just lost a major battle against Nikali in front of your people and you stand there making demands?” Jordon said astonished at Seres’ confidence.

  “That was not my failure,” said Seres. “That was the Suraya’s. It was your group that pushed into attacking early. I warned you to not attack yet. Nikali and his cohorts are growing more powerful by the day. We need more time to prepare.”

  “The longer you wait the more powerful Nikali gets,” said Jordon. “There is no time to prepare.”

  “Nikali will plateau,” said Seres. “When that time comes we can attack properly.”

  “And when will that be?” asked Jordon. “A day? A month? Years from now? Eluan does not have years under Nikali’s reign.”

  “Let me explain the situation to the Suraya. Clearly, you are not cut out for it,” accused Seres.

  Jordon stopped his pacing. He stared Seres in the eyes. “Out of the question. I am your handler. If you have anything to say to the Suraya then it will be through me. They are busy people.”

  “Then tell them they will lose Myrus if they do not listen to me,” said Seres.

  “How much of a handle do you believe you have on this situation?” Jordon asked.

  “The situation is under control,” said Seres. “If Farrah is seen surrounded by my men again then the riots you are deathly afraid of will come to pass. Her association with Aldrin has soured her name for many people. My men cannot be seen protecting her. They will vilify us as well. By doing nothing we can delay the people’s reactions and keep them focused on Nikali.”

  “Abigail needs to be seen as the face of this revolution,” said Jordon. “She is the only leader the Suraya and everybody else will eventually follow.”

  “Maybe before, but we can advance without her,” said Seres.

  Jordon took a step back. He was dismayed at Seres’ suggestion. “Consider it a courtesy that I will not tell the rest of the Suraya what you just said.”

  “Farrah’s influence is falling,” said Seres. “She does not have the strength to lead.”

  “Be careful what you say,” said Jordon. “When this is over, you will have power. We promise that for your work so far, but remember you are just the primer for our revolution. Alexus had plans for Farrah. We need her to join forces with Louson. She could be one of the most powerful arcan users in our world today. She will be far more valuable than you when the time is right.”

  “Then let me do my duty,” said Seres. “If the Suraya wants to continue to hide then do just that. I will bring down Nikali with or without your help.”

  “See that you do,” said Jordon. “We’ll be in touch.”

  Then Jordon made his leave and once again left Seres wondering why he was taking orders from a fanatical with no true sense of the future.

  Chapter 65

  “There are too many of them,” said Abigail. She stood outside in the back garden of the Senate House. Many of her followers had started to return since the plague of Cate and Willem bugs started. Despite their misgivings of Abigail’s past they had hoped that her power could save them from this wretched development. They all now stood outside and waited on Abigail to rescue them.

  “I get one. I get two. I get three. Then there’s a new one. I didn’t see that one before. I got that one. But what’s over there? Another one,” Abigail continued. Her words bounced from a whisper to a yell. She wasn’t talking to anyone in particular from her audience of followers. Abigail had been lost in her own little world lately, merely being directed by Odessa and the others. It was one of the reasons Abigail had not been seen since the destruction of the garden.

  Odessa watched Abigail from the corner of the crowd outside. The bugs hardly bothered her. She continued to wear the usual veil. Its one new advantage was keeping the bugs out of her face.

  She was growing more worried about Abigail. She had changed. Ever since Grifith’s newest batch of Tamor Blood Abigail could barely concentrate. Odessa found herself pulling Abigail away from meaningless distractions to keep her focused on regaining all of her powers.

  Her raw powers seemed to have come back, but her control was gone. Abigail laughed at most conversations. She showed too much affection, hugging Odessa several times one evening and repeatedly saying, “You are the best.”

  Odessa knew of the effects of arcan on the body. It made people drunker than anything a normal mead could bring about. This was still different. Abigail wasn’t like this the last time. Odessa knew it was only brief, but Abigail was in far better control of her powers and her mind the last time she was under this much influence.

  Several times, Odessa had enquired from Grifith about the new Tamor Blood he was providing for Abigail. He always grew guarded when she asked him. He would speak in a hushed tone, and say it was just a new recipe. Then Odessa would ask to see it, and Grifith would say he didn’t have it written down it was all in his head. Then he wou
ld go on to explain that he couldn’t just recite it. It was like a reflex. He could just put it together when the time came.

  Odessa never once believed him, but he was tight lipped about the secret of the new Tamor Blood. It only made her more curious.

  She looked back at Abigail. Her arms danced around as she tried to point out the different sets of Cate and Willems that were flying around her head. She was trying to tell the crowd about each and every one of them.

  Odessa grew anxious. It was about time to pull Abigail away. She couldn’t stay the center of attention for much longer. Odessa had hoped the pressure of an audience would sober Abigail a little bit. It did not.

  “These two traveled all the way from the marshes outside the city,” said Abigail. “The Cate passed three different Willems before she settled on this one. The Willem passed on five.”

  Odessa had heard enough. Abigail was no longer working on the bug problem and the people were growing restless. They would have to try again in private.

  “That’s enough for today,” said Odessa gently as she approached Abigail.

  Abigail’s head snapped to look at Odessa. Her eyes widened with fright at the faceless woman coming up to her. Then she smiled a second later realizing it was only Odessa. Then her eyes widened one last time with excitement. Abigail petted Odessa’s veil.

  Abigail rushed out of range of Odessa’s reach. She raced down the small amount of steps toward the crowd of her flock.

  “I’ve been backwards this whole time!” said Abigail. Then she reached out. Her fingertips gently dragged across the faces from the foreheads to the chins of the two people closest to her.

  When she was done with those two she pushed through the crowd and did the same gesture to the next people she could reach. There was mild panic and silent shock as Abigail moved through the crowd.

  Odessa followed Abigail into the group of people. Before Odessa could get to Abigail she began to notice a change in the people around her. They were looking around with curiosity. Their hands were no longer instinctively swiping at the swarm of bugs that consumed the area.

  The outlander soldier was in awe. Abigail was no longer using her arcan against the insects. She was using it on the people. She was masking the bugs’ presence to each individual one at a time. Everybody she was touching no longer noticed the swarm of bugs surrounding them. It was like they were wearing a veil.

  Odessa stopped and let Abigail’s work continue. She had bought their cause another moment of levity.

  Meanwhile, deeper in the now ravaged garden of Night’s Flowers, Grifith and Darden were having a secret discussion. Grifith pulled his friend away from the activity out front of the garden just a few minutes ago. It was one of the few times Grifith could know for certain they were alone.

  “What is so bloody important?” Darden asked once Grifith had stopped moving through the garden and instead was looking around in circles.

  “Shhhhh,” shushed Grifith. “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “In the middle of the garden of bugs?” asked Darden annoyed. He slapped at several bugs scratching at his left arm. The longer he was in the garden the more he could feel the bugs brushing against his skin.

  “Nobody else can know about this,” said Grifith in a hushed voice.

  “What is going on?” Darden asked.

  “I’m worried about Farrah,” said Grifith.

  “We all are,” Darden said to comfort his friend. “She’s a bit loopy lately.”

  “No, it’s not that,” said Grifith. “I think I know why she’s different. It’s the Tamor Blood.”

  “What did you do?” Darden asked. His annoyance was being washed away by confusion and disappointment.

  “I was in the refugee town,” said Grifith. “That’s where I found the Tamor Blood.”

  “So? What bar?” Darden asked.

  “No,” said Grifith.

  “What are you trying to say?” asked Darden.

  “It was something else,” said Grifith. “I wound up in an alley. These guys beat me up and tossed me there. Then this lady gave me a flask. It helped me.”

  Darden nearly jumped from the frustration. Grifith was explaining things too slow and not well enough.

  “What. Did. You. Do?” Darden asked one more time.

  “They offered me something else. I don’t know what it is. But it worked. So I’ve been going back to get more. The thing is it’s costing me a lot of pain too.”

  Then Grifith raised his arm and pulled back his sleeve. He revealed several cuts along his arm that the Blood Beauties had been administrating every time Grifith came to them for more Tamor Blood ingredients.

  “What is going on?” Darden asked as he looked at his friend’s mangled arm.

  “They’ve been bleeding me as payment,” said Grifith. “I don’t know if I can keep going back there. I can’t do any more cuts.”

  “Why are they cutting you?” Darden asked.

  “I don’t know. They won’t say. They just get a mug of my blood then send me on my way.”

  Darden began to pace around the garden. He no longer noticed the bugs around him. He had other things to worry about. “Okay. Okay. What are they giving you? Maybe we can find it somewhere else.”

  “I don’t know what it is?” Grifith said. “I’ve smelled it. It smells like metal. It tasted disgusting.”

  “You gave something to Farrah without knowing what it was?” Grifith said then quickly dismissed it. He didn’t have time to worry about the past. “It has to be something we can figure out. Resources are limited in Myrus. Do you have any more?”

  “No,” said Grifith. “I have to go back and get more supplies for the next batch. I tried to not use it anymore, but that was the few days that Abigail slept in her room the entire time. Whatever I got from the alley is the only thing keeping her going.”

  Darden rubbed his temples. He was running out of options. Grifith had put them in a tight spot.

  “Show me where this alley is,” said the deep voice of Paltro. Suddenly, he emerged from nearby bushes. Darden and Grifith jumped and almost ran away, but their skittish fright only took them a few feet with their stumbling legs.

  “What did you hear?” Darden asked.

  “All of it,” said Paltro. He had been following Grifith around for days on Odessa’s orders. It had finally paid off.

  “I want to know what you’ve been giving Farrah, and I want to know who is giving it to you,” said Paltro. “Now.”

  Grifith swallowed his fear. He stepped forward with his head down in shame toward Paltro.

  “I’ll take you to them,” Grifith said.

  Chapter 66

  Even though the sun was still out it always looked like dusk in the northern parts of Myrus. The gloom of death hung in the air. Even the bugs that swarmed the city seemed to avoid the area as much as they could.

  Grifith led Darden and Paltro through the abandoned ruins of the former city to the shanty town where he got the Tamor Blood. No construction had been going on since the swarm of insects infected Myrus. In fact most of the city had shut down due to the disturbance. Very few people could handle working in such conditions.

  Grifith stopped by the alley where the usual meet up was. The remnants of the surrounding buildings cast shadows down that left the alley in near blackness. It sent goose bumps down Grifith’s neck every time he approached it.

  “This is it,” he said, presenting the area to Paltro.

  “Your dealer is down there?” Paltro confirmed. “Just one woman.”

  “Sometimes it’s a different one,” said Grifith. “It’s always changing.”

  Paltro looked at the two smaller men by his side. He wouldn’t be able to count on them if he became outnumbered in a fight. Darden and Grifith had good intentions and the will to fight, but none of the skill to back it up.

  “Just let me do the talking,” said Grifith. “I can get some new stuff. You can see who we’re dealing with. Then you can come
back later.”

  Paltro just huffed.

  Grifith turned around and began to make his way into the alley. The usual smell of urine and death wafted into his nostrils.

  “You get used to it,” said Grifith without any reason being needed. Darden and Paltro could smell the same thing.

  “Hello!” Grifith called out. “I’ve come for some more stuff.”

  Grifith waited for a reply. The alley was quiet. Even what few bugs that were flying through the area were deathly silent.

  “Who is with you?” said a whisper that echoed through the alley.

  “Just some friends,” said Grifith.

  “Who is with you!” whispered the voice again. This time the words were harsher. They hung in the air with venom.

  “My friends, Darden and Paltro,” said Grifith. “That’s all. Please, just let me get some more stuff.” As he said this, Grifith rolled up the sleeve of his shirt revealing the scars on his arm.

  “Grifith, why are they here?” whispered the voice. Every time the voice spoke it seemed to come from another part of the alley.

  “Just… just to help… me,” said Grifith. “They’re friends.”

  Grifith’s legs were beginning to shake. He focused his strength on staying still. He didn’t want to show just how afraid he was. Bringing Paltro was a bad idea. Grifith knew he shouldn’t have done it.

  “Are they here for something too?” asked the Blood Beauties.

  “No,” said Grifith. “Just me.”

  “I don’t think so,” said the Blood Beauties in unison.

  “Show yourself,” said Paltro, stepping up in front of Grifith. “You’re not getting anything from Grifith.”

  “The faceless one has a voice,” said the Blood Beauties referring to Paltro in his usual garb with the veil hiding his identity.

  “Who are you?” Paltro asked.

  “We’re your friends,” laughed the Blood Beauties.

  “What did you give Grifith?” Paltro continued with his questions. “Why are you cutting him?”

  “Because he tastes delicious,” answered the Blood Beauties. “How about you? How do you taste?”