A soldier, Rickter, stood his guard on the shore. He still had several hours on his shift, but he was already growing tired. His thoughts drifted to the whims of dreams. Every second he found himself catching his head before it fell to his chest. The only thing keeping him awake was the glare of the sun in his view.
Abigail was abruptly woken by a knocking on her door. She begrudgingly sat up in her bed as the door opened. A candle broke the darkness. Then Falon entered.
“It is time to go,” he said. “Get yourself ready.”
Abigail instinctively reached for the knife under her pillow. Falon watched as she clung on to her weapon. She looked over at him as if to see if he would make an attempt to remove it. He only nodded his head and left Abigail to get ready.
Rickter never fell asleep. He held tightly to the pains of being awake. The sun burned into his eyes. He let it keep him alert, instead of turning away like many of the other soldiers. It blinded him, but Rickter fought through it. He swayed his head back and forth in order to look around the blind spots his eyes were forming. That was when he noticed a ship was moving. It was heading toward the shore.
The ship rocked against the fury of the ocean. Falon and Abigail rushed through the halls. Their stride bounced from wall to wall to seek support. Other members of the crew scurried around them going in their own directions.
The two reached the top deck. The others in the Elite Guard were waiting for them. Marina with her two guards stood near Aldrin. Eviton stood near another door at the side of the deck. “Everybody inside, now,” he ordered.
Aldrin entered the room first. He was followed by Marina then the others in the guard. Before she moved, Abigail looked out to the ocean. She saw the shore coming closer every second. It was far, but she could swim. She knew it.
Falon grabbed hold of her arm. His grip was painful. She could not break free.
“You need to come with us,” he said. “You’ll be protected.”
“Marina will kill me when she has the chance,” said Abigail.
“Then do not give her the chance. Defend or descend.”
“I want to return to Eluan,” demanded Abigail.
“They will strike down anything that comes off this ship,” said Falon.
The Eluan army was forming on the beach. Panic jumped into Abigail’s thoughts. She was in enemy territory. The soldiers did not know her. They would kill her as soon as they saw her orange eyes.
“Move,” Eviton ordered from the entrance to the other room. Falon pulled on Abigail’s arm. She did not resist. They retreated to the room. Eviton closed the door behind them leaving him outside on the top deck.
Heric rushed to the shoreline. The ship had gained ground because of the lack of visibility. Aldrin was using the sun as a shield. Heric looked out at the rest of the ships. He was astonished that Aldrin would make the first move himself. Heric believed one of the other ships would make the run, but it was Aldrin’s ship that was no longer present in the lineup.
The scouts began reporting in. They had locked on to the ship as it approached the beach. Just as they suspected, the ship was making a run for the Majon River.
Heric commanded his army to get to their positions. There was already a considerable amount of men guarding the river, but Heric wanted full coverage. The ship would not make it to the mainland.
The river cut into cliffs just off of the beach. Heric had his men positioned across the cliff top and down the river. He would have the high ground.
Heric reached the edge of the cliff. He saw the ship still headed on course. He turned to address his men.
“That is Aldrin himself on his way to the Eluan shores,” Heric announced. “He is brave enough to face us head on. They will fight like the monsters they believe they are, but we will rain down the strength of the world. This ship does not touch land! End this war today!” The men cheered. Heric took his spot on the side of the cliff. He would not lead his men from the back.
The ride across the ocean became even more treacherous. Abigail could not settle. She was tossed around in the small dark room. There were no windows for them to look out. Aldrin and his guard sat quietly, undisturbed by the motions. Marina held herself steady with Kastor and Tyeche. None of them looked concerned.
Falon grabbed hold of Abigail’s hand. He leaned in close to whisper to her. “When we are past the army will you tell me more about Eluan?”
“What do I get?” she asked. If Falon wanted something from her then she would need things in return.
“A sharper knife?” he proposed. Discretely, he passed a bigger knife over to Abigail than what she already had. Her dinnerware knife had been dull. This was a more efficient weapon.
“I will tell you about the first wars between Eluan and Myrus. The jasmine mines never sparkled the same since those days,” she said as she tucked the new knife behind her clothes.
Arrows began to reign down on the ship. Eviton side stepped behind a pillar, dodging the Eluan attack. The arrows did little damage. Eviton made sure his crew was protected. The rowers were down below forced to work harder than ever before. He and a squad of Tcher soldiers were the only ones on deck out in the open. They held their ground with their shields. The cliffs reached higher in the sky twice as high as the ship. Eviton could see all of the soldiers watching over him. He smiled.
Heric steadied his men. The cliffs offered no area for escape. It was a choke point for ships. There was no shore to land on until a few miles down the river. He wanted the ship completely surrounded before the real attack began. An Eluan ship waited down the river. That was the attack point.
Eviton let the ship glide into the canyon. He watched as the archers above him let him pass. The sound of oars hitting the waves echoed across the cliff walls. It was deafening to the silence.
The Eluan boat was up ahead. Eviton saw it anchored down reaching from wall to wall. He grabbed a club hanging on the wall of the ship. It was long enough to work as a cane. Eviton began to thump it against the floor. He gave it a steady beat. It was his war drum.
Heric watched the pace of the ship speed up. He listened to Eviton’s beat. It sped up as the ship grew faster. The oars raced across the top of the water. The ship was on a collision course with Eluan.
Heric gave the signal. The archers on the cliff’s edge released their flaming arrows. They lit up the shadowy canyon as they descended toward the ship. The flames caught hold of the Tcher ship, but it did not stop their movement.
Eviton protected himself. Soldiers dumped buckets of water across the ship putting out the small fires.
They were fast approaching the Eluan barricade. Eviton never stopped his rhythm. The ship kept pace.
Eluan guards sprung up from the ship. They fired more flaming arrows at their enemy. The arrows landed on the side of the ship. Fires reached where Tcher guards could not put them out.
Then the ships collided. Tcher soldiers were rocked to their knees. The Eluan soldiers abandoned their ship. They left it as a dam for Tcher. It erupted into flames. The fire pits for the arrows were knocked over by the impact.
Eviton smirked. He remained calm. Eluan archers began to swarm the area. They were surrounding the Tcher ship.
“Fire!” Eviton yelled.
The ship groaned under the release of great pressure. Smoke and the smell of sulfur billowed out of the great tower on the ship. The Tcher guards jumped into action.
They were not holding swords. In their hands were hoses with handles and nozzles. The hoses stretched out and connected to the tower.
Gusts of liquid flames shot out of the hoses. The fire spread out across the cliff walls. It landed on the water and continued to burn on the surface.
Heric watched the display in amazement. Tcher had not shown this display of weaponry before. He was not prepared for it. He ordered his men to continue firing at the ship. The base of the canyon was becoming a fiery pit.
The rocks along the canyon wall began to crumble. They melted under the heat of th
e Tcher Fire. The stability was gone. The avalanches began.
The ground under the Eluan archer’s feet cracked and splintered. The edges collapsed. Archers fell to their deaths in the flames below.
All of the ground grew unsteady. The Eluan archers began to back away from the edge, but for many of them it was too late. More of the ground gave way. They fell into the pit below.
“Keep attacking,” Heric ordered. “Aim for the soldiers. Bring this ship down.”
Arrows continued to spread more fire on the Tcher ship. A few hit their targets. The Tcher soldiers fell to the floor dead. Their stream of fire sprayed wildly.
Heric then ordered his men to begin moving the boulders to the cliff’s edge. The rocks would puncture the ship’s infrastructure.
Eviton looked up through the smoke and debris in the air. He saw Heric Caning standing on the edge giving orders. Eviton pulled one of his soldiers aside. He pointed in Heric’s direction. The soldier adjusted his hose. He aimed for the cliff face under Heric’s feet.
Heric felt the support under him give way before he saw the attack. The ground fell to the water and fire below. He grabbed hold of the only solid earth he could find. He dangled along the cliff wall out of reach of the top.
The attack continued. The flames burned under his feet. He watched the rocks below him sweat away into nothing.
Heric lifted his feet against the rock wall. Then he projected himself outward past the flames trying to consume him. He fell through the smoke and ash.
He was lost for a moment. Then he landed hard against what remained of the ship’s sails. It broke his fall for a second. Then he slipped off and continued his plunge.
He crashed on the deck of the Tcher ship. He was bruised and singed from the surrounding fires. Pain coursed through his body. He struggled to his feet.
A Tcher solider rushed to Heric. The Eluan Emperor struck his foe down with one blow. Then he continued to the next one.
Eviton emerged from the smoke. He watched Heric’s fall from grace, and was excited to see he had survived. It gave him a chance to slay the Emperor himself.
“The Ageless wants you to know the Capitol will perish just as Prial did,” said Eviton.
“Aldrin will never make it off of this ship,” said Heric.
“Aldrin is not on this ship.”
The boat Aldrin and the others were in hit shore. It was quiet. They could hear rumbling, screams, and the roar of armies in the distance.
Genom opened the door gently. He gave a quick glance outside then rushed off the boat. The sound of swords striking each other carried back inside. The rest of the Tcher Elite Guard ran out to attack. Falon looked over at Abigail. He slid his fingernail across her arm. Abigail took it as a sign to defend herself. She gripped her knife under her cloak.
“Someday you’ll tell me about the Night’s Flower. I hear they are beautiful.” Then Falon ran off to battle with Eluan.
The beach was now less defended by the Eluan army. Aldrin’s guards could pave their way through the bodies of soldiers. Their father figure got up to watch the battle ensue on the beach.
Marina ordered Kastor and Tyeche to stay behind. They sat in the room across from Abigail. They waited.
Heric and Eviton traded blows. Neither could gain an advantage to the other. The ship groaned under the pressure of the fire. It waned and tilted into the water. The fire continued raging on. Tcher guards were falling either by the Eluan attack or by their own weapons. The Tcher fire was growing uncontrollable in the tight location.
“Aldrin is forever,” Eviton decreed. “He will see this false world turn to ash, and he will rebuild.” He grabbed hold of Heric’s armor. Eviton pulled him in tightly. He could feel the Eluan Emperor’s breath on him.
“You are a fool,” said Eviton. “You have led your men to death.”
Heric head butted the Tcher soldier. His grip was loosened and Heric was able to break free. The ship sunk further into the river. Fire nearly consumed the entire surface. Heric struggled to his feet. His armor burned at the touch of his skin. He grabbed one of the hoses. It had to be pried away from a Tcher’s dead hands.
“No,” said Heric. “I lead myself into death. My men bring me back.”
Heric activated the hose. It sprayed fire across the deck of the ship. Eviton could not escape. The Tcher fire consumed him. He burned in the flames. There was no struggle. Never once did he cry for mercy.
Only a charred body remained.
The ship began to tear apart. Heric dropped his weapon. The Eluan soldiers continued their attack. Only a few Tcher soldiers remained. Heric could hear the cries of the slaves in the belly of the ship. They all begged for mercy as water poured into the hull. They all spoke Eluan.
Air pockets from the ship cleared away the fire. Heric dove into the current. The water burned, but he swam under the fire across the river’s surface. It lit up the river’s bottom as the ship sunk. Hundreds of bodies reached out for help from their chains in the ship.
Heric surfaced clear of the danger. Steam rose from his body as he raised himself out of the water. The fires continued to spread across the cliff walls. The ship was gone. No Tcher soldier had survived.
His mission was a success, but Aldrin had played them for a fool. He was still alive.
When Heric returned to the command center on the beach he noticed bodies had already been placed for processing. Their numbers had to be counted and disposed of. Heric went to the commander in charge to find out the reason.
“There was another ship, sir,” said the sergeant. “It was smaller. Nobody noticed it until it was too late.”
“Who was on it?”
“Aldrin, sir,” said the sergeant. “His men cut through our defenses. Then he and his guards escaped before others could get to the area to stop him. The Empress was with them.”
“Hunt them down,” Heric said.
“We are already on it. Men are after them as we speak.”
“The river was a distraction,” Heric said. “But they are leaderless now. It’s time to take the battle to them. Ready the ships.”
Chapter 35
They would not escape. Heric believed that. He and his squad raced down the road Aldrin had ventured toward. He pushed his horse as fast as it would go. The land was clear for another few miles. Dust clouds sprung into the air. They were gaining on the soldiers already in chase. Aldrin would not be far behind.
In the distance the tree line of the Tacki Forest could be seen. Heric had to catch Aldrin before they gained entry. They could lose Aldrin in there if they weren’t careful. There was only one major road, but dozens of paths just big enough to allow passage for a small party. Guarding the entire forest would be near impossible. Aldrin could easily slip through the defenses and continue on deeper into the mainland.
Heric bucked his horse once again. It charged ahead. He would not let them escape.
The carriage rocked against the uneven ground of the dirt road. It was even worse than the boat, Abigail thought. Everyone sat quietly as they bounced in place. It was a tight fit for the entire group. Nobody could sit down. The Tcher Guard held tightly to their weapons. They were ready for an attack at any moment. Aldrin never dropped his smile. He was proud of his men, and soon he knew he would be even prouder.
The ocean broke against the Eluan ships. Sergeant Mallison commanded the lead ship. He had orders from Emperor Caning to destroy the Tcher ship line.
Over a hundred ships skimmed across the ocean towards their enemy. Tcher soldiers scurried across the decks of their ships preparing for the attack. They were anchored in place. Retreat was not an option.
Mallison stood at the head of the ship. He kept his eyes on the Tcher ship straight ahead of them. “Keep up the speed,” he ordered. “Cut a hole right through them.”
The Eluan ships were designed for destruction. The front hulls were reinforced for collisions. The Tcher ships were bigger than Eluan's, but Eluan had speed and maneuverability. Mallison planned
to use every bit to his advantage.
Heric joined with the soldiers ahead of him. Every second they gained on Aldrin’s carriage. Heric was confident he would catch them before they reached the tree line. When he reached the front of the group he signaled for two groups to branch off. Soldiers on the right and the left veered from the group and continued the hunt.
There was a slight turn around a hill to enter the forest. Heric’s men would flank Aldrin. Then they would have him surrounded.
The carriage charged down the road with reckless abandon. Heric watched with pleasure as they approached the hill. The carriage tipped to its side as it barreled around the turn. The left wheels spun in the air. It made it around the corner. The wheels touched ground and immediately came to a halt.
The Eluan guards had successfully flanked the carriage. They cut off the road to the edge of the forest. Heric and the others were not far behind. In a matter of seconds the carriage containing Aldrin and the others was surrounded.
The carriage driver moved swiftly. Without warning he slit his own throat. His body drooped over the side of the carriage.
The dust cleared. Nobody had exited the carriage. Heric stepped off his horse. He stepped forward with his sword in hand.
“It’s over, Aldrin,” he shouted. “Surrender or die.”
Sergeant Mallison readied his troops. Their ship charged the Tcher line. The men kneeled under a barrier designed to protect them from debris from the crash.
Then the sea boiled into madness.
Flames reached out into the sky. Every Tcher ship groaned in the process.
Mallison watched as his ship caught fire. There was no stopping it. He did nothing to put out the flames. It only fueled his plan.
“Brace for impact,” he yelled.
The Eluan ship crashed into the Tcher vessel. It broke right through the hull. The ships rocked against the ocean. The Eluan ship lodged itself firmly inside the hull of Tcher. The fire withered then spread to the second ship.
Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing Page 12
