He taught her lessons about the Tcher Islands. They were lessons never taught to Heric or Nikali during their schooling. He covered the war with Prial, and Tcher’s part in beginning the rampage across the mainland. He told of the horrors Aldrin ordered of his men. Then of the burden Emperor Cyrus had taken upon himself to protect the rest of the world. He allied himself with Aldrin to annihilate the city of Prial. It satisfied Aldrin’s lust for blood and he and his army slithered back to the waters.
Abigail was taught more. She learned of the early history of Tcher. She learned of the sanctuary the islands offered. They were a place of hope and prosperity until Aldrin gained power. The Tcher Islands were once a great nation worthy of praise. Alexus believed it could be again.
Then Abigail looked down at the chain around her ankle locking her in her room. There was no hope for Tcher, not with Aldrin as their master.
A disturbance brought Abigail back to the present. Her door was opening. She turned to see who her visitor was. Then she turned red with anger.
“You,” said Abigail.
Marina opened the door wide. She smiled at her former confidant. The bruising to her eye had gone down, but it was still visible. Abigail reacted without hesitation. A knife was by her plate of food. She grabbed the weapon and charged her enemy. Marina did not move. Her cold stare stayed on Abigail.
The chain held tight. Even with her arms stretched out, Abigail could not strike down the Empress. She struggled, fought against her restraints but it was no use. Abigail was beaten.
“I heard you were coming along,” said Marina. “I wanted to see it for myself.”
“Leave, now,” said Abigail. She held the knife at the ready. Marina did not budge. Her feet stayed planted right outside the door to Abigail’s room and right out of her reach.
“How are you, Abigail?” Marina asked.
Abigail spit at Marina’s feet.
“Is that any way to treat your Empress?” Marina teased. She lowered her head to show off her tiara.
Abigail spit again. This time it landed on Marina’s dress.
“The past year has not taught you any manners,” Marina sniped.
“This blade will feel wonderful as it goes through your skin. That is what the last year has taught me,” said Abigail.
“You need to stay out of my way,” said Marina. “I have plans for this empire. I despise your presence on this ship. You are not worthy of the rewards being offered to you. It disgusts me the way you are treated so well.”
“You will not get me again, Marina,” said Abigail.
“True, you are untouchable for the moment,” said Marina. “That does not mean you get what you want.
“I am the Princess of Louson and the Empress of Eluan,” continued Marina. “I have the new world in the palm of my hands. Even the notion that you will bring about a new future is laughable. You are dishonorable.”
“I never asked for this,” said Abigail. “But I will no longer be a pawn in other’s games. Marina, I will strike you down for what you did to me. That is a promise, my empress.”
“What is going on?” interrupted Falon. He was carrying a tray of fresh food. Marina stepped aside. Falon eyed her down as he walked into the room. Abigail straightened up. She tucked the knife away behind her back.
“I wanted to speak with Abigail,” Marina told Falon.
“I am sure she does not want to speak with you,” said Falon. “Please leave her in peace.”
Marina snarled. She huffed then left without a word. Falon put down the tray of food. He picked up the old one and collected the silverware. His eyes darted, looking for the missing knife. Shyly, Abigail passed him the knife in her hand.
“No,” he said, “Keep it. You will need to be protected at all times.”
Falon headed for the exit. Then Abigail stopped him.
“Wait,” she said. Falon turned to look back at her.
“Yes,” he said. “Is there something wrong?”
“I want to speak with Aldrin. When he is ready,” said Abigail.
Falon smiled. “I will deliver the message. He will be very happy.”
Chapter 27
The Royal Council was called to an emergency meeting. Outside the gates of the Capitol, the Capitol army was ready for their orders. Their march to the End Sea would begin as soon as their commander arrived.
Heric could see his army from the balcony in the palace. The last of his council was arriving. He only waited for one man now, his newly appointed member, Nikali.
Quaet approached Heric. He cleared his throat to announce his presence. “Excuse me sir,” he said. “We have all arrived. Shall we begin?”
Heric scanned the room. He saw the chair still empty. “Not yet. There is one more still to come,” said Heric.
“Your council is accounted for, sir,” said Quaet.
“I have welcomed one more into the fold,” said Heric. “We have a full council, now.”
Quaet was quite surprised. “Oh,” he let out, annoyed he wasn’t informed earlier. “I see. That is good news.”
“When will he be joining us?” Quaet then asked.
Before Heric could answer him the doors to the chamber opened. Nikali strolled in. His clothes had returned to the beaten down formal wear of years passed. His sleeves ended in tatters. The pants had been patched so many times hardly any of the original fabric was left.
The others in the council watched in disbelief as Nikali walked through the room toward the table they were all sitting at.
Heric and Quaet came up to join them. Nikali greeted his cousin while Quaet pushed his way to his seat at the table. He had to nudge Nikali back like an animal protecting his territory.
“You’ll sit here, Nikali,” said Heric. He gestured to the seat on his right across from Forman. Nikali did as he was told. He took his seat without a word. The others continued to watch as he made himself comfortable.
“Thank you all for coming,” said Heric. “May I introduce our newest member, Commander Nikali Caning II. He will be helping us in these trying times.”
“What is it that he brings to this table, my emperor?” Quaet asked.
“He will be leading a squadron I have put together,” answered Heric.
“I have heard of no such thing,” said Quaet. “It has never been presented to the council.”
“All of my actions do not need to be presented to the council,” said Heric.
“It is the tradition of the Eluan Empire. This council was created to discuss decisions and developments to ensure the right path is chosen.”
“I understand the need for the council,” said Heric. “And I have seen fit to make decisions on my own from time to time. The creation of a new squadron was one of them.”
“What kind of squadron is this?” Quaet went on. “How is your cousin suited for this duty? I apologize for this, but you have left me no choice. The council is for debate. This needs to be discussed. Nikali has lived off the privilege of your father since birth.” Nikali sat up in his chair as he listened to Quaet continue his argument. “He has no military training. He is as experienced as I am at matters of physical combat, even less in other studies. I advise against him being on the council.”
Nikali leaned in toward Quaet. His full attention was on the older gentleman. “Are you through?” he asked.
Quaet avoided making eye contact with Nikali sitting right next to him. He looked right at Heric waiting for his response.
“What the Emperor does is his own choice,” said Nikali. “He was raised to lead this empire. He is more capable than you and your studies. He sees an opportunity. It is unwise to argue with him.”
“That will be all,” said Heric. “I understand your concern, Quaet. Next time bring it to me personally. Nikali is an unorthodox choice for our council, but the empire is changing and we need to change along with it. His insight will help in the future. That is all I am going to say for the moment. He still has work to do and is very busy with his assignmen
ts. It will be introduced when it is ready. There are currently more pressing matters at the moment.”
The council hushed at Heric’s tone. He was in no mood for debate.
“Aldrin shows no signs of leaving the beaches,” Heric continued. “Every single person in Selour has now died. Their illness only grew worse after Tcher came to aid them. Now, there are rumors spreading around that they have captured Empress Marina.”
The group gasped and mourned the situation. “Is it true?”
“She went off to travel the country,” he lied. “She is still new to our empire,” said Heric. “I do not know what drove her to the east. Her carriage has been seen by our scouts. I do not know any further of the situation, but I intend to find out.”
Forman stepped in for the next part. “Aldrin can no longer continue on the way he does. Eluan citizens are disappearing on his boat. It is suspected that Tcher is responsible for the final deaths at Selour. The Treaty of Prial is broken. Eluan is going to war.”
Every voice broke out in the council room. Each one tried to overcome the other.
“How do you expect to overcome their soldiers?”
“They will never come to the mainland.”
“Aldrin cannot die.”
“They will go away if we leave them alone.”
“Tcher should be burned to the ground.”
Nikali remained silent during the proceedings. He had no stake in this fight.
“Quiet,” said Heric. “The Eluan army will march today. The orders have already been sent. The beaches will be met with soldiers from every city. We will outnumber the Tcher Islands five to one. We will meet them in the water if we must. The Tcher Islands will fall.”
“Who will lead the men?” asked General Twell.
“I will,” said Heric. This announcement caused another uproar with the council. Heric silenced them quickly.
“The Emperor does not leave the Capitol at times of war,” said Forman, surprised as everybody else. “You must remain here to lead.”
“I cannot lead an army that I do not see,” said Heric. “We outnumber Tcher, but they are far deadlier. I will join my men on the battlefield.”
“Your father would have never done such an act,” said Quaet.
“I am not my father. His reign is over,” said Heric. “Forman will remain here to lead the Capitol and the rest of the empire in my absence. He is my confidant and I trust him with this responsibility.”
It was another shock to Forman. “Thank you, sir.”
“That is all,” said Heric. “You are dismissed.”
Heric stood up from his seat at the head of the table. The Royal Council stood up in kind. They bowed their heads and quietly left the room. Quaet stormed out in a huff; dissatisfied with the meeting. The only three remaining were Forman, Nikali, and Heric.
“Are you sure about this?” Forman asked.
“I have already made my decision,” said Heric. The men are waiting for me. We will put an end to the Tcher Islands once and for all.”
“What about Marina?” Forman asked.
“I will bring her back here,” said Heric. “Take care of the Capitol, Forman. I know you can do it. And keep an eye on Nikali. We need to see results.”
The two men shook hands and Heric was off. He had an army to lead.
Forman and Nikali watched him leave the room wondering if they would ever see their friend again.
“Can you fill his shoes?” Nikali asked Forman when they were alone.
“Yes,” said Forman.
“From foot soldier to Emperor Present,” said Nikali. “I am impressed. Will you sit on his throne?”
“Heric is the Emperor,” said Forman. “I am only its keeper. It would do well to show more respect to your cousin.”
“I’ll do my part,” said Nikali.
“Then get started,” ordered Forman. “Prove to me that Heric was right. He believes in you. Create our new superpower.”
“Yes, sir,” answered Nikali.
Chapter 28
The five men Heric and Forman handpicked waited patiently in the Emperor’s former chambers. They were anxious to meet Nikali officially. The display he put on during his arrival unsettled the soldiers. They had been to the Talons multiple times and watched the shows the artisans put on in the streets. Their displays were flashy and eloquent. The movements were simple when broken down. The soldiers could mimic the shows.
Nikali displayed a degree of control they had never seen. He was at ease with the arcan. The soldiers experienced tremors and sweats after a tough day’s training session. Even then they would have only lifted two boulders across the room.
After waiting for several more minutes the soldiers began to question the role of their new leader.
“I think he’s full of shit,” said Captain Lucas. He was the highest ranking soldier in the group. The others deferred to him much of the time.
“Why would you say that?” asked Barret. “You saw what he did to us.”
“And now he is not here,” Lucas replied. “He can do fancy stuff with arcan, but he is no leader. We’ll tear him apart.”
“It is orders from the Emperor that we listen to him,” said Aul. “He can teach us.”
“He would have to be here to do that,” put in Lin.
“Maybe this is a test,” suggested Remy. “He wants to see what we are like on our own.”
“Then it’s the stupidest test I’ve seen” argued Captain Lucas. “He cannot test us without being present.”
“But can’t I?” interrupted Nikali. He opened the door just as Lucas was talking. The soldiers stood to attention. Nikali tickled his fingers at the excitement. “Would you say you passed your test?”
“We have waited for you patiently, sir,” said Captain Lucas.
Nikali approached Lucas. They met face to face. Neither gave in to the other.
“You were saying this was a stupid test,” Nikali said. “Please continue your thought.”
“Sir, being left alone shows our dedication, but you are here to teach us to be stronger. We cannot do that if you watch us from behind closed doors. That is all.”
Nikali snickered. “I was just late, soldier.”
“Our training was supposed to start half an hour ago, sir,” said Captain Lucas.
“On who’s orders?” Nikali asked.
“General Forman’s, sir,” said Lucas.
“General Forman is not training you. He has other things to worry about,” said Nikali. “We train when I say we train. It is now time. I want to see what all of you are capable of. I already know you do not hold your ground. What else can you not do?”
The men lined up across the room from their target stands. Nikali watched from the side. They took turns lifting rocks and hurtling them towards the targets. Aul was the only one to hit the target. Everybody else fell short.
Nikali moved them on to an endurance test. He ordered them to hold one of the many rocks into the air for as long as they could. Each soldier lifted a rock with ease. Then they waited.
Nikali circled around the men. He did not say a word. His eyes looked each man up and down. Then he would move on to the next. This practice continued for an hour.
“What is your rank, soldier?” Nikali asked Lucas.
“Captain,” he answered. “I trained with Heric Caning himself.”
“Wonderful,” said Nikali. “What about you?” He turned to Remy.
“I was a soldier in the archery division, sir,” he said.
“You couldn’t hit the target,” said Nikali.
“It is different, sir,” said Remy.
“And you?” Nikali asked Barret.
“I am a Lieutenant in the Fourth Defense Squad of the Capitol,” said Barret.
“Did you defend the walls against the avadons?” Nikali asked.
“Yes, sir,” said Barret.
“Good. Then you will remember this feeling.”
Then Barret’s knees buckled. His posture began to
sloop. The rock hanging in the air in front of him lowered. His face became red with exhaustion. Tears blended in with sweat.
“What is the matter, Officer Barret?” Nikali asked.
“I do not want to do this anymore,” he said.
“Hush up, Barret,” Captain Lucas ordered.
Nikali jaunted over to Lucas. “I am giving the orders here.”
Lucas began to crumble under the weight of the pressure around him. He struggled to keep his footing.
“I will not accept deserters,” said Lucas. “We fight to the last man if even one cannot escape.”
“Is that your philosophy, Captain?” Nikali asked.
Lucas’ eyes began to roll up into his head as he spoke. “My friends have been left behind by others not responsible enough to lead them. It will never happen with me.”
“What are you doing to them?” Lin asked.
Nikali answered the man’s question without turning to him. “Helping.”
Lin screamed out in pain. He could feel the arcan flow through him harsher than ever. It felt as if claws pricked the insides of his skin. Each sweat pellet hurt as it poured out. His head began to boil. He kept his concentration on the rock. His focus was stronger than ever.
The rock vibrated in the air. It rattled. Then it crumbled into dust. Lin snapped back released from the pain. He dropped to the ground. All of his arcan was gone.
Barret and Lucas followed. They collapsed to their knees. Their rocks gently touched the ground. Nikali walked past them. He kicked the rocks aside.
“That will be all for today,” he said. “I imagine most of you will not sleep well tonight. Do not expect it to get any better.”
With that Nikali walked off. He learned what he wanted to know.
Chapter 29
The beach was in view. Heric was relieved that the Tcher ships were still in place. No new message had reached him, but he always feared the worst. His Capitol was in the hands of his friend and his army was in the sights of a madman. It wouldn’t be long before the full Eluan force was ready. They would all be arriving in the next few days.
Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing Page 9
