Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing

by Dane G. Kroll

  The Eluan soldiers recovered from their stunned impact. Water rose to their waists. They began to board the new ship.

  As they entered into the remains of the hull slaves chained to the floor reached out for the soldiers. The Eluan soldiers struck them down. They began to beg for their lives. It did them no good.

  Mallison charged up to the deck. The ships were stabilizing in the water. He had only to worry about the Tcher enemy up above.

  The door to the carriage slowly opened. The sound of the creaky hinges hung in the air. Heric held his men back. They waited for a proper response from the group inside.

  Aldrin’s small frame came in to view. Heric breathed a sigh of relief. It was no trick. They had him this time.

  “Is this your surrender?” Heric asked.

  Aldrin’s face drooped down. His thick cheeks no longer held the tightness they used to. For the first time in his life, Aldrin was looking his age.

  “Are your men ready to die?” Aldrin asked.

  “There will be no further bloodshed,” said Heric. “My ships are attacking the Tcher line as we speak. We will withdrawal if you return with us. End this war before it begins.”

  Aldrin cracked a smile. The glow of life returned to his body.

  “This war is almost over then,” said Aldrin. “You may attack as you wish. My men will hold. Then when my ships reach shore they will swarm this area and eviscerate everyone not under my allegiance. What will happen when the carcass of the Emperor is carried into the Capitol? Who will challenge me then? This empire is mine.”

  Inside the carriage, Abigail listened intently. The sound of the Tcher guard echoed inside the compartment. She could barely make out what was being said outside. She tried desperately to peek out the door. The voice Aldrin spoke with sounded familiar.

  “You think too highly of your men,” said Heric. “I already killed Eviton. I will kill the rest of your Elite Guard.”

  The guards in the carriage snickered at Heric’s comment. Aldrin did not budge.

  “Age caught up to Eviton,” he said. “You killed a man past his prime. The rest of my guard will not be as easy.”

  Aldrin stepped down from the carriage door. He kept clear of the entryway as the rest of his Elite Guard exited the carriage. They lined up shoulder to shoulder across the field from Heric.

  Abigail was once again left alone with Marina and her Louson guards. The grip on her new knife tightened as she turned her head to peer outside. Her heart beat faster. Heric was yards away.

  Heric studied the Tcher Elite Guards. He counted them off in his head. Excluding, Eviton, they were all accounted for. Then he looked at the carriage. There was movement inside.

  “Is the Empress in there?” Heric asked. “I demand for her to be released into Eluan custody.”

  “I propose a different plan,” said Aldrin.

  “You have nothing to bargain with,” said Heric.

  “Empress Marina would argue that,” refuted Aldrin. “Do you believe your men can reach the carriage before mine slay her?”

  Heric paused. He looked at the distances. Everybody in the carriage would be dead before his soldiers were even close.

  “What are you proposing?” Heric asked.

  “You can end this war, right here,” said Aldrin. “Pick your opponent out of my guard. You will fight to the death. If I win, I set my men loose. We will then see how your army fares against mine. If you win, I surrender. There will be no further bloodshed today.”

  “I choose Jasper,” Heric declared.

  Aldrin clapped quietly. He was please Heric had agreed so quickly.

  Jasper stepped forward. His chain-mail jingled as he moved. He was a walking shield. Jasper stood inches taller than Heric. His breathing was unsteady. The sound of him exhaling echoed around his body.

  Heric stepped forward. He unsheathed his sword. Jasper balled his hands into fists. The chain-mail wrapped into metal gloves. He had no need for a sword.

  Sergeant Mallison led his troop through the upper deck of the ship. The Tcher soldiers never relented. Every foot gained was fought for in blood and sweat.

  Mallison stuck the railings of the ship. He kept the flames of the ocean to his back. He forced the Tcher to him then he would flip them overboard.

  He kept his eye to the other Eluan ships. They were beginning to board the enemy. There were still more to cross the line of fire. Mallison charged forward. He wanted his ship to be the first to fall under Eluan control.

  Every blow from Jasper knocked Heric back a step. He could almost feel the metal gloves grinding into his armor. Heric’s sword did little damage. The chain-mail was strong. It absorbed much of the attack of the blade.

  Heric circled Jasper several times. He had to keep moving. Jasper was surprisingly fast for a man of his size. Heric would dodge several strikes, but could not miss them all.

  Heric avoided a punch and charged in close. He hit Jasper across the jaw with the butt of his sword. Jasper cried out in pain. Heric continued his attack. He struck Jasper’s knees. Unfortunately, they barely budged. His knees were reinforced with armor. Jasper would not yield.

  Heric began to draw back, but Jasper grabbed hold of his arm. He threw Heric to the ground. His knee met Heric’s skull. The Eluan Emperor spun on the ground. His world became blurry.

  Abigail watched the fight in horror. “No,” she cried out. Abigail would have jumped from her seat, but Kastor was quick to hold her down. The knife Falon had given her dropped to her side. Kastor saw it and knocked it out of her reach.

  “Hold your tongue,” he told her. His hand covered the entire bottom half of her face. He forced her to watch the fight continuing outside. She tried to pry away his hands, but he was too strong.

  Heric crawled back to his feet. His balance was off. His right arm was losing its feeling. He was forced to switch to his left hand to hold his sword. Jasper stood triumphant.

  Heric attacked again. He thrust his sword to Jasper’s shoulder. The blade bounced off of the chain-mail. Heric used the momentum to swing the sword back and strike at Jasper’s hip. He then spun and struck the ribcage with his gauntlet.

  Jasper staggered but recovered quickly. Heric reacted quicker this time. He got out of range of Jasper’s reach. The dance began again. Heric kept to the outside. Jasper followed along with Heric. They never left face to face. Heric needed to find Jasper’s weakness. All of that chain-mail was protecting something, Heric believed. He just needed to find it.

  The ship was almost clear of any Tcher soldiers. Mallison watched as his men finished off the remaining few. They had successfully taken the ship. He looked out to the others along the sea. The other Eluan ships were enthralled in their own battles. The fires smothered the skies with smoke. It created difficult visibility. Mallison looked out for details. He was unable to communicate with the other ships in these conditions. He could only hope the others were up to the challenge his men were.

  Then he saw the movement in the distance. Ships were coming in from behind the Eluan leagues. Mallison realized too late they were being flanked.

  Jasper appeared invincible. The behemoth of metal would not waiver. Heric’s strategies were waning. He was slowing down. His time was running out for the fight.

  Jasper rushed Heric. Heric could not move in time. He tripped over his own feet. Jasper collided with his opponent. His arms wrapped around Heric’s raggedy body. Jasper clinched his arms together in a bear hug. Heric flailed his arms in defiance and pain. His right arm hung nearly limp by his side. The wind was being crushed out of him.

  Heric struck Jasper in the face several times. His knuckles turned bloody as Jasper’s helmet became a tinted red. Jasper did not let up. He held tightly to Heric.

  Heric flopped down across Jasper’s shoulder. His energy was almost gone. As he grew still only their breathing could be heard.

  The Tcher guards readied themselves. They would attack if any Eluan officer interfered with the combat.

  As Heric
laid there he could hear the feint sound of air exhaling. It was coming from behind Jasper. He turned to look at the hump on Jasper’s left shoulder blade. It was covered in chain-mail like the rest of his body, but underneath was a layer of cloth unlike what else Jasper was wearing.

  Heric watched it, mesmerized. The cloth lifted slightly into the air with the sound of exhalation. He reached over with his left arm and tapped the hump.

  Jasper ruffled. He shook Heric violently. For a brief second the pressure was relieved from Heric’s chest. He struck the hump again. Jasper cried out in pain. The hump made its own noise. It was a high pitched scream.

  Heric was thrown to the ground. He watched as Jasper protected his left side. A second wind emerged in Heric. He rose to his feet. Jasper turned to his side. He kept his right side facing Heric. He swung widely out of desperation to keep the distance from the Emperor. For the first time Heric saw fear in his eyes.

  The Tcher guards grew antsy as they watched their comrade lose his ground. Aldrin held them steady.

  Abigail could not look away. She was no longer fighting against Kastor for the moment. She could only concentrate on Heric.

  Heric rushed Jasper. He feinted a step to Jasper’s left. Jasper swung wide trying to swat away Heric. Instead, Heric turned to the right. He was able to swing around and come up behind Jasper. He stuck his sword into the armor at the hump. The little scream broke out again.

  Jasper fell to the ground on his stomach. Heric stumbled over to him. The shriek would not stop.

  Heric picked at the armor and chain-mail until he revealed the cloth over the hump. He ruffled over the shrieking noise. Underneath the cloth revealed a tiny deformed face. It cried out in pain. Drool spilled out of the deformed mouth. Pupil-less eyes rolled back in their sockets.

  Heric raised his sword. The blade was brought down onto the crying face. It went silent in death.

  Jasper spasmed. Heric twisted the blade. Then Jasper went still. Heric had won.

  He turned to Aldrin. “Surrender.”

  “Kill him,” said Aldrin.

  Mallison watched as the Tcher ships created a lake of fire with the Eluan ships in the center. Men jumped overboard but found no relief. The waters boiled under the Tcher Fire.

  He was powerless to stop the attack. His ship was stuck in the hull of the Tcher vessel they had boarded.

  He looked over to the other side of the ship. More Tcher ships were inbound. It was too late to do anything. The fire surrounded their ship. They could not swim to the shore. He realized they were an easy target. The ships surrounded Mallison and his men. No Tcher soldier tried to board.

  The ships groaned as the steam rose out of the towers. Fire spewed from the hoses. Mallison and the others were consumed in the flames. The entire ship cried out then succumbed to the waves below.

  Heric grew motionless. His right arm was dead weight. Dizziness set in. His sight had doubled. Falling over would offer the only comfort.

  The Tcher guards advanced. They drew their weapons out in unison. The Eluan army raced toward their emperor. Tcher picked up the pace. Serean of Tcher ran ahead of the group. She reached Heric first.

  A swift kick to the knees toppled over the Eluan Emperor. Serean caught him before he hit the ground. Then she propped her sword in front of him. The handle of the sword balanced on the ground while the blade held up against Heric’s chest. From behind, Serean kept him steady. She balanced him on the tip of the sword, one fall away from death. “One more move and I drop him on the blade,” Serean declared.

  The Eluan army held off their attack. The archers came to the front of the line. Their arrows all pointed at Serean.

  She stood her ground. Heric was no longer conscious. His weight sunk into the tip of the blade. It cut into his skin towards his heart.

  Abigail fought to break free from Kastor’s grip. The more she struggled the tighter he held her.

  Marina approached the door to the carriage. She watched in anticipation as Serean held Heric hostage against the sword. The other Tcher Guard joined her. They circled her in a defensive position.

  “If this goes wrong be prepared to strike down any that return,” she told Tyeche. “Start with her.”

  Abigail fought even harder at Marina’s words. She dug her nails into Kastor, but it did not faze him. Her body raged violently. Kastor struggled to hold her down. She struck out with every part of her body.

  Then Abigail found what she was looking for. Her hand brushed up against the dinner knife she had tucked away by her side. Kastor did not know she had a second weapon. She felt little pain as her hand wrapped around part of the blade of the knife.

  She drove the knife toward Kastor. It broke through his cheek and cut open his tongue. Blood poured out of his mouth. He let go of Abigail to tend to his wound.

  Finally released, Abigail dashed out of the carriage. She grabbed hold of her new knife that was discarded on the carriage floor. Aldrin was not far away. She rushed up behind him, and pulled his head back by the hair with one hand and held the sharp knife against his neck with the other.

  “Stop,” she yelled.

  The Tcher Guards looked back at Abigail. Aldrin stood still against the cold blade. Blood trickled down his neck, most of it not his. It came from Abigail's bloody palm.

  “Release Emperor Caning,” Abigail ordered.

  The soldiers were frozen in place. Hesitation held their weapons at the ready.

  Abigail whispered in her grandfather’s ear. “Order your men to release Heric.”

  “Your blade is worthless,” said Aldrin. “I will not die.”

  “Then why are you afraid?”

  Aldrin did not reply.

  “The Eluan army is to back away,” Abigail yelled out. “Am I understood?”

  Nobody moved.

  “Back away, or we all die,” she shouted.

  Then the Eluan army did as they were told. Slowly they backed away from the Tcher guard and Heric. The Eluan guards blocking the road cleared a path.

  “Retrieve your men,” Abigail told Aldrin. “Get in the carriage and you will continue your trek.”

  “Our trek,” said Aldrin.

  “Let Heric go first.”

  Aldrin clapped his hands together as a signal to draw back his men. “Back to the carriage,” he grumbled.

  Together, the Tcher guard did as they were told. They walked back maintaining their formation. Serean grabbed her sword. Heric lurched forward but she held tightly to him. Rilla helped hold him up. They dragged him back toward the carriage within the circle. Serean’s sword never left Heric’s neck.

  They reached the carriage. Abigail stared down the entire guard. She did not let go of their master, Aldrin.

  “We are leaving,” Aldrin told his men.

  The guard began getting inside the carriage. Kastor sat in the corner holding his jaw together. Falon smirked when he saw what happened.

  Serean was the last to go inside. She held Heric against her sword. Abigail and her hostage met her gaze.

  “Drop Heric,” she ordered Serean.

  “Release our master,” Serean countered.

  “Not until Heric is safe,” said Abigail. “You drop Heric and get in the carriage. Aldrin and I will follow.”

  Serean looked at her master. He nodded his head.

  The Tcher guard spread out her arms. Heric lifelessly toppled to the ground. Then Serean hurried into the carriage.

  The Eluan army was already moving forward. The Tcher leverage was gone.

  Abigail released Aldrin. He hurried into the carriage, followed by Abigail. Luca jumped to the driver’s seat of the carriage. He whipped the horses into action.

  Before everybody had settled the carriage was moving. They would be in the forest in a moment, and be lost to the Eluan Empire shortly after.

  “She ruined everything,” Marina cried out. “She should be dead.” Aldrin and his guards looked at her. Kastor’s blood had been spilled all over the carriage floor.

 
“Defend or descend,” decreed Aldrin. “Your man is lucky to not be dead. Tend to his wounds. My order still stands. No harm will come to Farrah.”

  The carriage dropped into silence. Abigail looked out the veiled window. She saw the Eluan army carry away their emperor. Abigail had saved their lives, but Tcher had left their message. The Eluan force could not match that of Tcher.

  Chapter 36

  To my wife-

  “I do not know when this letter will reach you. Please be safe. Take the children to the Capitol if you can. Tcher is coming.

  I made it through the first day. Tcher stormed the beach while many of the men were still recovering from their run down the river. Our defenses have held. The attack stopped shortly after the water’s edge.

  More ships are coming in. Each one holds wave after wave of the enemy. They set fire to the beach. Percy was killed during the first wave. Please tell his wife.

  I do not know when I will be able to write again. I will hold off the army with all my strength if it means you will be safe.”

  -Edios

  The reports and letters started to come in from Omye Beach. Forman had been anticipating the battle notices for days. His time as Emperor Present was minimal at best. He tried to keep the Capitol running in its day to day operations. That meant he had to listen to all of the complaints from the royal class and the rest of the citizens in the area. He had watched Heric do it time and time again since Emperor Cyrus was still in control. He slipped in to the roll with ease.

  The throne remained empty. His seat was placed closer up in the grand hall. Forman was afraid of the reaction if he had gone and taken the throne itself.

  To keep himself busy, Forman kept an eye on Nikali. Lucas and the others demanded Nikali be hanged for his actions during their training sessions. Forman did not disagree, but that was not Heric’s wishes. Nikali was chosen to weaponize the arcan abilities. There was no one else.

  In curiosity of the development, Forman went to speak with Nikali. Progress could not be made if Nikali was not doing as he was told.

  “What are you all doing?” Forman asked Nikali at the next session. Nikali and his team were all sitting in chairs staring at each other. When Forman barged in it looked like they were in a heated staring contest.