“We’re training,” said Nikali.
“No, you are all resting,” said Forman. “You were told to train them. You are going against your cousin's wishes.”
“Heric wants me to create a squad of arcan fighters. What he gave me were a bunch of soldiers.”
“They are some of the best.”
“Exactly,” said Nikali. “They have already been trained. They use arcan like it is something they can use on a whim.”
“I do not see the problem.”
“You do not use arcan. You are arcan. It consumes you. It fuels you. It chases the oxygen you breathe. It runs from the spine all the way to the tips of your fingers. When was the last time you were consumed by an idea, Forman?”
“I cannot recall,” Forman lied. He preferred not to discuss his life with Nikali.
“Of course not.” Nikali smiled. “The men Heric chose are worthless. Your plans are even more worthless. Arcan cannot be controlled. I tried. Dear me, I tried. You have to have it in your heart. You have to push yourself to want nothing else. Then, maybe then, can arcan consume you. It fills a void that nothing else will. Soldiers no longer have that.”
“Nonsense,” said Forman. “You are not trying hard enough, if you are even trying. My patience is lost, Nikali. You need to create progress. If not, I will throw you into the dungeon myself. You are taking advantage of Heric. He sees a chance of redemption for you, but all I see is a parasite. It has been like that since you were a boy. Emperor Cyrus gave you anything you wanted, and Heric is following his lead. I will not stand by it, and as long as I am the Emperor Present you will not take advantage of your family.”
“The mouse runs to hide. Darkness strikes the rain,” said Nikali.
“Do not take me lightly, Nikali,” said Forman.
“Do you wish to try for another round,” said Nikali. “Your soldiers could not possibly have prepared you for what I can do.”
“Then prove it to me,” said Forman. “Create a team that will destroy me.”
Forman walked away. He did not care for Nikali’s idle threats. As he reached the door of the room Nikali spoke up one last time.
“For what it’s worth Aul is making progress.”
Forman looked at Nikali then over at Aul. The other soldiers did the same. Aul looked just as surprised. Since the first training session the team of soldiers had spent most of their time sitting in chairs and looking at Nikali. Aul was unaware he was making better progress than the others.
Forman nodded his head and continued on. He had an empire to oversee. Soon there would be more reports from Omye Beach.
Chapter 37
To the Capitol-
“There is nothing left. We thought Tcher did not even notice the town, but we were wrong. There is nothing left here. Everybody is dead. There is no sign of Tcher. They have already advanced with not a care in the world about New Salid. The city meant nothing to them. There was no value to its capture or its destruction. What are we up against?”
Captain Wilsen
The guard headed straight for the council room. He walked with a purpose. The bag in his hand was all he needed to get through each door. He walked past each guard leaving dribbles of blood behind him.
Every message from the beach had been the same for weeks. The Tcher ships were not moving.
But on this day several new messages came in. The Royal Council was assembled to discuss the new developments.
The Tcher ships had destroyed the Eluan fleet. They touched shore for the first time.
Aldrin had escaped into the forest. The search continued, but he had disappeared into the mainland. Forman ordered more men to the roads. The Empress was still with them. She was high priority to the Royal Council.
The last news to come in dealt a swift blow to Forman. Heric was badly injured. It sent commotion through the Royal Council. They threw blame at anybody but themselves. But Forman knew the truth. It was Heric’s fault alone for getting caught up in his own strength and desire for revenge.
Forman spoke to the soldier that had brought them the messages. “Keep expanding the search perimeters. Every day we lose Aldrin he is further gone from our grasps. We do not know where he is headed or why.”
Then the doors to the council room opened and an unannounced guest entered. Forman was about to get more answers.
The soldier carrying the bloody bag rushed over to the table. He dropped the bag down. It rolled forward. Blood stained against the stone table top.
“What is the meaning of this?” asked Forman. Soldiers in the council came to their feet. Their swords were ready to be drawn.
“Forgive me, Emperor Present,” said the guard. “This has come for you. They said you would want to be aware of the situation immediately.”
“What is it?” Forman asked.
The guard tipped over the bag. A male’s head rolled out onto the table. A piece of parchment was jammed into its mouth.
The council all stood up. Confusion and discussion set in.
“Why would you bring this here?” Forman fumed at the guard.
“It was meant to be delivered to the Emperor Present directly. It comes all the way from New Salid.”
“From who?”
“Aldrin the Ageless,” said the guard.
Forman walked over to the head. He picked it up by its hair. A bloody trail was left as it was lifted over the table. Forman grabbed the note from its mouth. Blood, saliva, and vomit covered the note. Teeth marks had punctured holes in the paper. It was jammed into the man’s mouth before his head was cut off.
Forman kept his composure while he read the message. It was from Aldrin himself.
“We are far more dangerous than savages. This is my land. I will fight for it.”
Forman crumpled up the note. He directed his attention back to his council.
“What is the word from New Salid? When did a report come in last?”
“They are just now coming in,” said Quaet.
“Then this has happened recently. Send more men down there, now. Spread the word to stay away from New Salid until we can secure the area west of there. They are sticking to Majon River. Tcher can not advance further.
“I want Emperor Heric Caning back at the Capitol as soon as possible. His safety is the number one priority, now. If Aldrin decides to attack the Emperor again then he will have to go through the Capitol defenses to do it. This meeting is over. Get to work.”
Forman did not wait for the others in the Royal Council. He left through his personal door on the left. He had his duties.
Across the Eluan Empire a town stood in ruins. New Salid, a once thriving community was once again thrown into turmoil. It sat near the beaches of the End Sea. The waves crashing to shore could be heard from any point in the town. A huge population of seabirds nested in the area. There were four birds for every person.
Originally, Salid was a trading village between the Tcher Islands and the mainland. People from Eluan, Prial, and Myrus flocked to the coastal town to barter for goods from across the sea. Salid continued to grow each year.
Then the Prial War began. The Tcher Islands raged across the mainland toward their target, Prial. Salid was their first mark of destruction. The small city burned for days by the hands of Aldrin the Ageless and his men. Only a hundred people escaped the first night. The rest were slaughtered.
But Salid did not die that night. The remaining survivors returned after the war. They rebuilt their homes in the area. New Salid was raised. It was said, “Salid will not die as long as the seabirds soar.”
New Salid no longer traded with any other town in the Eluan Empire. They prided themselves on their own self reliance. They would not be beaten away from their homes. The sea called to them and the birds protected them.
Today, New Salid was debris. There was no fire. There was no warning. The attack came at night and ended before the sun set again. It took days before the first guards along the road came to find the massacre.
Th
ere was no sign of any living soul. Silence carried through the winds. The skies were empty. The birds were gone. Every building lay splintered across the ground. It was as if nature itself ripped through the coastal town.
Down on the beach was another story. Dozens of wooden poles stood in columns in blood soaked sands. Each pillar had a body hanging from the top. All of the bodies looked out of place. They were mangled and ripped.
Then on closer inspection from the guards the scene was made clear. The bodies were not original. Each body hanging on a pillar had been ripped apart and put back together. They all had the heads of children. It was the sign of the Ageless.
Chapter 38
-To the Eluan Capitol
“I have never seen such desire in any soldier. The ships rolled onto the beach and the men jumped out. They charged right through the sand and water like it was nothing.
As soon as the men were free the Tcher ships retreated back to the sea. They left their men to fight or die.
Their forces are unimaginable. They fight like a mighty river breaking new ground. They passed our defenses on the beach. We could not hold them.
My men have fallen. Two Tcher soldiers came from behind. They were dressed as Eluan men. Nobody suspected them until it was too late. They had gotten close to the commanders on the field. Their deaths caused a panic in the men. They could not stop the oncoming flood of Tcher soldiers.
Prepare the armies. Tcher is advancing.”
Colonel Seirth
“When does the land become the horizon?” Nikali asked. “It’s an unreachable point that you must grab hold of.”
The trainees sat on the floor cross legged. Nikali paced back and forth from either end of the group. He looked down on the soldiers he was tutoring.
Captain Lucas stared sternly at his commander, Nikali. Their training had not progressed. Very little development had occurred since Nikali took over. Lucas was not impressed.
“Excuse me, sir,” Remy said. It stopped Nikali’s rambling. He twitched his face in Remy’s direction.
“What?”
“How is this helping us?” Remy questioned.
Nikali blinked repeatedly. Then he said, “I am training you.”
“I am aware of that,” said Remy. “I just do not see how listening to you talk about landscapes and field rats is helping us use our arcan.”
“What did you expect?” Nikali inquired.
“I should be able to project objects at my opponents,” said Remy. “Destroy structures with my thoughts. That is what you can do.”
“Hmmm,” said Nikali. “I can do that.”
Captain Lucas stood up to defend his comrade, “Then teach us how to do it as well.”
Barret got to his feet. He stood with his fellow men. “The Emperor wants us to be his greatest soldiers. You are treating us as children.”
Lin and Aul stood up last. They remained quiet. Nikali waited to hear from them, but they never spoke up.
Nikali stepped back. His body arched, exaggerated, back in a sign of surprise. “You must all be very angry,” Nikali exclaimed. “I have been a terrible teacher.”
Then Nikali stood straight up. His expression left his face. He stared back at the men coldly. “Very well,” he said. His hair dropped over his face. It blocked his view of the soldiers.
“Officer Barret,” Nikali began. “Do you dream?”
“I said I wanted to train, none of this bullshit,” said Barret.
“Captain Lucas, how many men have you lost on the battlefield?” Nikali continued.
“Seventy two,” said the captain.
“You know them all?” Nikali asked.
“All of them. They were under my care,” he said.
“Run through their names in your head,” said Nikali. “Think about how they died on the battlefield.”
“What does it matter?” said Lucas.
“Because you have already started,” answered Nikali. “Aul, please remember back to a day of travel, the day after Myrus burned.”
Aul began to think back to the grueling march home.
Nikali watched as his men stood in contemplation. They all looked at him uneasily. He teetered on the balls of his feet. The smile returned to Nikali’s face.
“Death is the end of us all,” Nikali said. “Will you ride into oblivion only to want to return?”
Captain Lucas’ eyes grew heavy. His body began to ache. His feet strained under his own weight. Every one of his men he lost continued to run through his thoughts.
Barret began to slouch. His shoulders drooped lower and lower. Remy shifted his feet over and over again. Nothing left him comfortable. Lin lost all composure. He dropped to the ground with a thud. There was no strength to get back up.
“What are you doing?” Lucas asked Nikali.
Nikali jumped to attention. “Nothing.”
Lucas charged his trainer. His hand wrapped around Nikali’s throat. Nikali’s face froze into a silent laugh, his eyes wide in excitement.
“You are just toying with us,” said Lucas. “This is no training. This is a joke. Emperor Caning is a fool to think you can help us.”
His hand squeezed tighter around Nikali’s neck. “You should be sent to the dungeon. You are filth to the Em-” His final words were cut off. He started to cough uncontrollably. No matter how hard Lucas tried he could not catch his breath.
He shoved Nikali away from him. Nikali slammed back into the wall. Lucas cried out in pain. The back of his head grew sore.
He looked over at Nikali. There was still a smile on his face. Then Lucas pounced on his commander. Nikali did nothing to defend himself. He kept his arms at his side.
Lucas punched wildly. His fists struck Nikali all over his body. Nikali looked unfazed. He took every hit with a smile.
Lucas screamed out in pain as he attacked Nikali. His body ached in pain all over his body. He could feel blood trickling down his arm, but he could see nothing at a glance. Rage fueled him further. He continued striking Nikali with blows to the chest. Lucas’ breathing got harder. His ribs burned in his chest. Finally, Lucas struck Nikali across the chin. Nikali’s head bounced against the wall. He slumped down completely against the ground.
Lucas felt his head crack open. He couldn’t move without pain coursing through his body. His feet wobbled. He collapsed to his knees next to Nikali. His breath began to return to him. Nikali looked over at Lucas, his smile never faltering.
Nikali fought his way back to his feet. His left arm dangled by his side. Blood dripped from his fingers.
“Your problem, Captain Lucas, is that you are a soldier,” scolded Nikali. “You think of yourself as a tool. You are a weapon that strikes what is in front of it. That is your failure. All tools break down.”
Nikali screamed at all of the men. “This is not about using weapons to defeat your enemy. This is about turning your enemy into a weapon. They will defeat themselves if you will them to.”
Nikali spit out blood from his mouth. “Keep marching, Aul,” he ordered.
Aul continued his mantra. He lightly stepped back and forth. The arcan flowed through him. His past marches skipped through his head. He remembered every step. The sun beat down. The rain pelted his armor.
Lucas went into spasm. He could not concentrate. Pain continued to surge through his body from the feet up. His mouth was growing dry. In a matter of seconds his stomach sunk in. It was as if he hadn’t eaten in days.
Nikali watched the soldier cry out in pain. Then the other three soldiers fell to the floor while Aul continued his marching orders.
Remy reached out for comfort. He felt his hands grow stiff. His fingers curled in to grasp at air. Barret soiled himself. Then he crumbled to the floor in his own stool. He was too weak to move away. Lin merely fell to the ground and never moved again.
“You will never be strong,” Nikali told the fallen soldiers. “You are given power, but true power is not given. It is taken. It is taken by those that are tired of being weak.
All there is left to do is march to the next life.”
Lucas tried to say something to Nikali, but no words could come out of his mouth. He gasped for air. Finally, he went still. Remy and Barret were soon to follow.
“Very good, Aul,” said Nikali. “You are dismissed.”
Aul stopped marching. He stood frozen in place. The four dead soldiers lay between Nikali and him.
“Before you go, Aul,” said Nikali. “Take these away.” Nikali shook his hands at the dead bodies unmoved that they were living men just a few minutes ago.
Chapter 39
To the Capitol-
“Tcher ships have been advancing down the river. Foot soldiers walked along with the ship. They leave behind a scorched shoreline. Our defenses have slowed them down, but it does not stop them. Nado will have to hold off the Tcher forces. They are the last major defense before the Capitol itself.
I am requesting you send more men immediately. The forces at Nado will not be enough. The men are brave, but they are young. They have never seen anything like the Tcher army. I have never seen anything like the Tcher army.
Each soldier cuts through our men. They fight rabidly. They maim a soldier then move on to another. Many men have died on the battlefield because they could not get out of harms way after they were wounded. The Tcher army never relented. They kept pushing forward until they overcame the entire battlefield. The Eluan army has had to retreat time and time again. I am sorry.”
Captain Syd
The soldiers of the Eluan defense stood at attention. They were shoulder to shoulder from the front gates to the Capitol Palace. They all wore their presentation uniforms. There was no battle to prepare for yet. The caravan on the horizon was the returning Emperor Caning.
Forman and the rest in the Royal Council stood at the end of the parade line on the steps of the palace waiting to greet their leader. Nikali was the only member absent from the event.
Guards were sent to find Nikali. He was still a member of the Royal Council whether Forman agreed with it or not. He should be present when Heric returned. Nobody was able to gain access to the training chamber since Forman and Nikali’s last argument. There was no word from any of the soldiers. Every now and then Aul would be seen, but he would disappear as soon as he was spotted. Nikali and his team were like the wind.
Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing Page 14
