Nikali heaved deeply beside her. Sweat dripped out of every pore. His tongue reached out and grabbed a lock of his hair. He sucked on it until it was covered in saliva. Then Nikali rubbed his hands across his face. Like a cat cleaning himself he licked his palms and ran his tongue up his arm. He was waning and he needed his power back.
When Nikali was ready he got back to his feet. Cassandra remained on the ground as Nikali started to walk off. She struggled to stand. The pain returned to her leg, but she kept going in her attempt to catch up to Nikali.
“Where are you going?” she asked him as she limped a few paces back.
“I need to check on something,” said Nikali. He did not bother to look back at his injured friend.
“What about me?” Cassandra asked.
“I can do this on my own,” he said.
“You are not leaving me here,” defied Cassandra. She looked down at her wound as another shot of pain hit her body. Blood continued to trickle out from the cut. She concentrated on the leg. The pain started to waiver. The blood began to recede. There was a moment of pleasure before it came crashing back. Only this time Cassandra’s energy was lower than before. She had used up all of her arcan.
Nikali continued walking away. Cassandra grabbed her shawl and wrapped it around her leg. Blood stained it in seconds. She did not care. Every step was a struggle but she did not stop until she reached Nikali. Her hand gripped Nikali’s hair on the back of his head. He came to a halt with some of his hair now ripped out of his skull.
“Heal me,” she demanded. “Mask my wound if you have to.”
“No,” said Nikali. “I do not have the power.”
“Bullshit,” said Cassandra. “I watched you. You have plenty.”
“It’s not for you,” said Nikali. “I need it.”
“I am in pain, Nikali,” said Cassandra. “You made me stab myself.”
“I was going to stab your arm. It was the only way. You could have still walked with your arm stabbed.”
“You would have ruined me with a scar like that.”
Nikali stopped arguing. He leaned in and kissed Cassandra. She embraced him in return. Almost instantly she felt the pain leaving her wound. When he pulled away Cassandra was standing up straight on her own two feet.
“Thank you,” she said.
“We have to go,” said Nikali, dismissing the moment. He walked off again this time with a small lurch in his step.
They hurried through the palace to the guest quarters. It was the home to many of the royal class. Cassandra had a room there. Nikali’s appointment to the Royal Council gave him a second room there. He used neither of them.
They went to a different room entirely. Nikali and Cassandra stood outside Alexus’ old quarters. It had been over a year since the two of them had broken in. The locked was just as easy to beat this time around.
The door creaked open. The scene had changed entirely from their previous visit.
Everything was gone. The items that Alexus had collected on his travels were no more. The furniture had vanished. It was as if the mess that Nikali left in his outburst had never happened.
“How did you know?” Cassandra asked.
“A lot of his stuff was at the Talons,” said Nikali. “I had to make sure.”
They walked into the empty room. Their footsteps echoed against the blank walls.
“Did they steal it all?” Cassandra asked.
Nikali kept looking around. All the rage he once had for Alexus and the room tapered off. It was now just a room. He looked over at the closed door to the right. It was Abigail’s former room. Nikali rushed over. He threw the door open. Just like the other room, this room was empty as well.
“Heric would never have allowed this,” said Nikali. His head spun around. He remembered how the room was situated. Abigail had her bed in the corner. A table sat in the corner across the way. Along the wall were books that Alexus had given her. To the side wall was another bookcase. Many of the books on it were Alexus’. He never bothered to move them out when he gave the room to Abigail.
Nikali saw the empty spot where the bookcase would have sat. He saw the outline of dust the bookcase had left. Then he finally noticed the hole in the wall in the center of the once covered section.
Nikali and Cassandra went to investigate. All of his thoughts on Abigail were gone.
The hole was empty. It was a small compartment, just big enough to hold an arm full of possessions.
“What do you think was in here?” Nikali asked.
“You said he was a traitor to the empire,” said Cassandra. “This could be the proof.”
She rubbed her finger across the bottom of the gap in the wall. Dust ran along the edges, but the middle was free of debris. Something had been sitting in there for a very long time.
They let light into the hole. The dust line was clearer.
“He had a book in here,” said Nikali. The clean ground was a perfect rectangle.
“So where is it?” Cassandra asked.
Nikali stormed into the council hall. He bypassed all the guards without a word. The doors roared to life in the room, disturbing the Royal Council meeting in session.
Nikali stood across the table from Forman. Neither was amused at the other.
“Have you actually come to join us for a meeting, Nikali,” said Forman.
“To ponder the question whether or not we should allow the wall guards to rotate to the left or to the right? I would rather not.”
“Leave then,” said Forman. “There are plenty of us here who wish to help the empire during a time of war.”
“How many of you have actually seen war?” asked Nikali. “Only a few of you are old enough to have actually fought Tcher the last time. The rest of you have dealt with outliers, and the few rebellions. You may count the avadons, but you are all idealists that live in a world of comfort.”
“What exactly have you done, Nikali?” Quaet asked. “You are so quick to judge these young men for helping your cousin lead the empire. Tell us your accomplishments.”
“It would seem I fit right in with this group then,” said Nikali.
“Enough,” said Forman. “This meeting is adjourned. You are all dismissed.”
Nikali stood his ground as the others left the room in a hurry. Forman waited until all the others were gone before he addressed Nikali.
“I should have you thrown in the dungeons again,” said Forman.
“And I would be brought out just as soon as Heric returned,” said Nikali. “You are not the Emperor. You never will be.”
“What do you want?” Forman asked.
“What did you do with Alexus’ stuff?”
“That does not concern you,” said Forman.
“It actually does,” said Nikali. “Who authorized it to be taken away?”
“It was Heric’s decision,” said Forman. “You would know that if you had been around the past year. The place was a mess anyway. Vandals had already gotten to it.”
“Then who took away Abigail’s things? Heric would never have allowed that. I told him she was dead. If he believed she was alive then he would never have gotten rid of her stuff.”
“Those were my orders,” said Forman.
“You had no right,” Nikali yelled.
“I had every right. I am the Emperor Present. Abigail is dead. It does Heric no good to have a constant reminder of that. It is time to move on. That includes you.”
Nikali collected himself before he continued. “Behind the bookcase was a hiding spot. What was in it?”
“I do not know what you are talking about,” said Forman.
“You had the room cleared. You did away with her stuff. There was a hole in the wall. What was in it?”
“Nothing,” said Forman.
“You are lying,” said Nikali. “What did Alexus hide in there?”
“Why do you even care?”
“Alexus was a traitor. Whatever he hid could have been important.”
> “How do you know this?” Forman asked.
“He attacked me. The night he died in Louson he attacked me. I was only saved because of the avadon’s siege.”
“Does Heric know about this?”
“Yes,” said Nikali.
Forman got quiet for a second.
“What was in the hole in the wall?”
“Nothing of consequence,” said Forman. “Alexus’ things have been discarded. As have Abigail’s. There is nothing further to be done.”
“You are lying,” said Nikali.
“The Emperor will deal with any Alexus situations from this point on. Thank you for coming forward with your information.”
“I am not just another citizen of Eluan that you can discard for your own benefit, Forman,” said Nikali.
“You have your orders. Get back to the training chambers. We do not need you at the council meetings. Stay as far away as possible, please.”
“Your team will fail if I do not get what I want,” said Nikali. “They are weak. I can break them within a day if I have to.”
“You have your orders from Heric,” said Forman. “I am not telling you what to do.”
“You can still help me,” said Nikali. “Alexus was a traitor. If he knew something that could help then you have to share it.”
“I did not go through Alexus’ possessions. I just got rid of them,” said Forman. “His knowledge is lost. If you had revealed your secret earlier then perhaps I could have helped.”
“You want to see me fail, Forman. I understand that,” said Nikali. “But all you are doing is ruining your chances at dominance. This team you have put together will die, and I will stand there laughing at there pitiful chance in this life. Charos mocks those that do not see the joke.”
Forman shook his head in silence. He was tired of Nikali and his ramblings. The ideals of Louson had gotten to him.
“You have your orders, Nikali. Break them if you will. I do not care. Just go.”
Then Forman walked off. He was no longer going to put up with Nikali and his antics.
Chapter 33
The days following Abigail’s talk with her grandfather she consumed every book that was in her room. She read up on the history of Tcher. The stories were told differently than what she had learned growing up in Eluan.
Aldrin believed in defending what was his. If anything could be taken then it was never yours. He started the schools with that principle. Every child was enrolled as soon as they could pick up a weapon. If a child wanted to thrive in the environment then they would have to fight for it. Once they claimed their prize they would have to defend it.
The first generation of parents was the first to fall to the new order. They were not ready for the aggressive attitudes that arose from their children when they started returning home.
The first years were a difficult transition for the Tcher Islands, but Aldrin the Ageless led them through it. He pushed out the weak. Their bodies descended to the bottom of the sea. Defend or descend became the law of the entire island.
Abigail read in awe of the island country. There were thousands of deaths in the first few years. The books wrote of days when the sand was stained red. It was all for the glory of Tcher. The Empire was solidifying control of the mainland. Myrus had been weakened and turned into a vacation home for many of the royal class. Aldrin did not want to see that happen to his home. The people living on the island were discarded by the Empire. They were the unwanted. In turn, they did not want to be a part of the Empire. The Tcher Islands were not going to bow to the Emperor and that meant they had to be the strongest they could be, no matter the cost.
Abigail became so obsessed with reading through the books she was upset when the door to her cabin opened. It became instinct to grab hold of her knife whenever the door opened. Falon entered with his usual offering of food and refreshments.
“Hello, Farrah,” he greeted her.
Abigail did not respond. She watched him put her tray of food down on the small table by the port window. Falon smiled over at her. Her grip never loosened on the knife.
“Have you been enjoying your time here?” Falon asked. He nodded at the book in her hands.
Abigail snapped the book shut and put it aside. She glared at Falon questionably. Falon did not seem to mind. He kept with the conversation.
“Are you feeling better since talking with Father Aldrin?” he asked her. “You should not have gotten so irate. He is here to help you.”
“He killed my mother,” said Abigail.
“Did you know her well?” Falon asked.
Abigail hesitated. She thought back, but realized she had little memory of her mother. Abigail could not describe her mother’s face. She did not know her name. There were just incidental feelings like when she smelled flowers after a storm. It gave her the sense of being nurtured. Abigail felt it was the only connection to her mother that she had.
“No,” she finally answered Falon.
“Then her loss might not be as strong as you think,” said Falon. “Connect yourself to things you can keep around, not things you wish you had.”
“Then I have nothing,” said Abigail.
“Wrong,” replied Falon. “You have knowledge. I’ve heard Aldrin talk about you. Years ago when Alexus would arrive to discuss his plans he would talk about you. He always spoke highly of you. You were smart. You were inquisitive. Alexus knew you were meant for bigger things.
“I was very young back then. I’d sneak through the citadel to learn what I could. It gave me an advantage to the others. I listened in on whatever conversation I could.”
“You know a lot about Tcher?” Abigail asked.
“Yes,” said Falon. “I’ve heard many stories growing up about the islands.”
“What about the history books?” Abigail asked.
“I can not read,” said Falon.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Abigail.
“It does not matter.”
“Do you know about Aldrin? His life?” Abigail asked.
Falon leaned back cautiously. His eyes darted back and forth to look for anybody around him. Then he kept quiet.
“I want to know more about him,” continued Abigail. “The books do not mention his life. All of his stories start with his reign of Tcher. What happened before that?”
Falon shook his head rapidly. He kept his mouth shut.
“Please, Falon,” said Abigail. “I will tell you a story of Eluan if you tell me about Aldrin.”
Falon stopped. He looked Abigail up and down. He thought she was beautiful. Her orange eyes mesmerized him. He could not say no.
“Will you tell me about the Capitol?” Falon begged. “Who built it?”
“I can,” said Abigail. “You were right. I know many stories.”
“Then tell me about the Capitol, and I will tell you about Tcher,” whispered Falon.
Abigail got in closer. Falon leaned in with his eyes wide from interest.
“It was built by a group of families. The most notable being the Canings,” began Abigail. “It started out as a village. A great wall was built around it to protect them from wildmen. Some of the wall is still up near the palace. The wildmen were dangerous; part animal. They were men that scurried on all four. They ate whatever they could find, including their own kind.
“Eric Caning lead the defense against the wildmen in the beginning. The other families followed his commands. They were successful night after night. Nothing could breach the wall. Eventually the wildmen moved on, and the people were able to live in peace. The village expanded as more people started to come inside the walls for protection. The Caning family was seen as their leaders, while the other forming families found their place as the royal class.”
“What happened to the wildmen?” Falon asked.
“Nobody knows,” said Abigail. “They eventually died off.”
“Good,” smiled Falon.
“Your turn,” said Abigail.
“What do you
want to know?” Falon asked.
“How did he come into power? Where was he from?” Abigail told Falon.
Falon’s voice grew to an even lower whisper. He leaned in close enough to Abigail she could feel his breath on her face. “Nobody knows where he is from. Even he does not know. He was brought to the Tcher Islands as a baby. His mother abandoned him at the docks on the mainland with the other passengers on their way to the islands. He was cared for in the orphanage on Tcher with the other unwanted children.
“There are no stories about his childhood. It wasn’t until years later when boys start to become men did he reemerge. People were talking about the ageless boy. Aldrin was growing older, but his body never looked over twelve. He was tormented by his peers. They humiliated him because of it.”
“That’s horrible,” said Abigail.
“Then a group of boys ganged up on Aldrin,” continued Falon. “They had called him names, beat him before, but this time it was different. They beat him harder than ever. Then one guy slammed a rock down on Aldrin’s head. It should have killed him. It would have killed any normal man. Instead, Aldrin stood up. He was furious.
“Aldrin was older than these boys, but because he looked younger they thought he was weak. He started fighting back. Aldrin killed all but one of them that day. The surviving kid spoke of Aldrin to others. He told them how he can not die. He was Aldrin’s biggest advocate. You know him as Eviton.
“The story started to spread. People came to see the ageless boy. Aldrin started promising that he would lead the people into the future. His followers grew. They fought for him. Eventually he gained enough support and power that he took over the entire island.
“People have tried to kill him over the years, but failed. Aldrin has been stabbed, crushed, drowned, burnt, but each time he comes out unfazed. There is no force in the world that can kill your grandfather.
“Now, he protects us,” finished Falon.
Chapter 34
The sun broke over the End Sea’s horizon. The Tcher ships silhouetted against the dawn. Their threat continued to loom over the Eluan soldiers on the beach.
Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing Page 11
