Chapter 49
The tree line rustled against the wind. The carriages approaching were the only sound in the entire area. Birds had left their homes in the trees months ago. The rodents that scurried across the forest ground were nowhere to be seen. The Cylo Forest was dormant, waiting for its next visitors.
Five carriages pulled up along the road that lead into the forest. The head carriage stopped at the line where the shadow of the trees met the road. None of the horses settled down. Their feat trotted in place as if waiting for the chance to take off.
Nikali and Cassandra were the first to step out of their carriage. They were in the front. They stood alone outside before they gave the signal. Then Nikali’s legion of twenty three stepped out of the last four carriages.
Nikali had not slept in days. He was consumed with the books that were left for him. The entire carriage ride to the Cylo Forest was all time dedicated to reading through the books.
First, he looked over every page. Drawings depicted abilities he had never fathomed could be possible. The creators of the books were powerful people.
A page that caught his interest showed one person seeing through the eyes of another. Nikali immediately thought back to the Blood Beauties. All those people had been watching Cassandra and him leave. Without reading the instructions, Nikali attempted to use his arcan to see through Cassandra’s eyes. It resulted in Nikali blinding himself for the rest of that day.
After he recovered he spent the rest of the trip going through the first book page by page. He translated the passages as best he could. It was difficult because he only had a basic knowledge of the Louson language, mostly in spoken form, and the book had an older form than he was taught. Each page was gruelingly slow and incomplete.
Regardless, Nikali was sending his team into the forest for one thing. They needed to bring down the avadons.
Heric issued armor for every one of Nikali’s soldiers. None of them wore it except for Aul. Instead, members of the legion had their own attire. Many of them wore outfits from plays and shows they had performed in their past.
Raphaiel and his troop donned costumes from a play about a young girl who was lost at sea. She grew up on a mysterious island raised by men that were half man half bird and protected by a giant sea monster. Feathers traced along the arms and across the back of their clothing. They wore masks that had beaks extending a foot out from their face. The only items they did keep from Heric’s generosity were the weapons. Knives and swords hung from their belts and strapped behind their backs. Bottles of Tamor Blood were also included in their packages.
The ladies Cassandra brought were dressed in all red. It was a signal for the rest of society that these girls were not to be bothered with. They were the Red Cast.
Nikali turned to his followers. First his body lined up with them then his head followed. He kept his smile as he looked at his new legion.
“As I’m told, it’s good luck for a speech to begin the inauguration of a new legion. We have been named the Royal Tamors,” Nikali nodded toward Raphaiel and his friends, acknowledging their choice of dress. “Emperor Caning wants us to go into the forest and rescue his beloved. Along with her is our enemy, a man so vile even monsters do not want him. Find those two and protect them. We want a word with them. It will be such a sweet night. The moon turns red. A pale tiger eats her children.”
Nikali did not say another word. He turned around. His step had a little hop in it when he started on his path into the Cylo Forest.
The dungeons in the Capitol were cold and dank. Forman’s time there passed slowly. His head still hurt from the attack by Quaet and his soldiers. His first true visitor finally arrived. It was exactly who he expected it to be, his emperor, Heric Caning.
“Are you going to let me out?” Forman asked.
“Quaet is right,” said Heric. “I do not like it, but we are at war. If Tcher gets a hold of you the Capitol is in trouble.”
“I would die before I told them anything,” said Forman.
“What can I trust from you anymore?”
Out of frustration, Forman struck the door keeping him in the cell. “You can always trust me!”
“You turned your back on me because of a decision I made,” said Heric. “You were never supposed to do that.”
“Giving Nikali more power is a dangerous game,” said Forman. “You are putting too much trust in him and not enough in me.”
“Nikali is the key to winning this war.”
“Then you are afraid,” said Forman.
“The Tcher soldiers will slaughter the Eluan army,” confessed Heric. “I barely survived. You barely survived. I can throw more and more men at them, but the Tcher army keeps advancing. Every time we win a battle we lose more men than Tcher.
“I will not give in to Aldrin, but I am running out of options. Quaet doesn’t want Nikali around either. He wants to find peace with Tcher once again.”
“Maybe that is for the best,” said Forman.
“You claim Nikali is uncontrollable, but you want me to work with a madman. Nikali will do this empire some good. I will see to that.”
“Just be careful when you do,” said Forman. “He will become stronger than we have already witnessed. Keep an eye on him. Be with him when he is let loose.”
“It is too late,” said Heric. “Aldrin has been found in the Cylo Forest. I have sent Nikali to retrieve him.”
“On his own?” Forman asked.
“He has his team,” said Heric.
“I wish the best for you then,” said Forman. “You were proving to be a great leader. Do not forget that.”
Forman turned away from the cell door. He didn’t want to look at his former friend any longer. The news of Nikali’s release scared him. Everything he had dreamed about was falling apart, and he was responsible for it.
Chapter 50
Hilldad was an isolated life from the rest of the empire. Its neighbor enjoyed the same benefits deeper in the forest. Very few new people came to their area. News of the developments in the rest of the empire was always late, but it did not matter. They were rarely concerned with what happened outside the forest. They made their own food, their own clothes, entertainment, and even their own currency to trade between the two towns. The empire’s occupation of the area was reluctantly dealt with. In a short time the soldiers stationed at the towns realized they were not needed or wanted. Eventually the town’s people stayed out of their way and the soldiers did the same. There was no need for help from the outside world. Until today.
Nikali and his legion arrived at the perimeter of the town the following night. The trees blanketed the sky. It was difficult to see beyond a few yards. Then something was heard before it was seen. A woman’s cries for help reigned down through the area.
They kept to the shadows and hid behind heavy brush. Raphaiel and two others were sent to circle the town. Nikali wanted a clear view of what had happened in the past year.
They quietly broke through the final layer of tree and bushes. Buildings and houses were out in the open surrounded by the entire forest. Much to Nikali’s and the other’s surprise the town was as alive as ever.
Torches lit up the town. There were workers picking from the garden. Kids were running around and playing. Laundry was put out to dry. People were walking around like it was any other night.
“What is going on?” Cassandra whispered.
“Let’s find out,” said Nikali. He abandoned his earlier plan. Nikali waltzed out of the sanctuary of the bushes and headed straight for the town. Cassandra followed. She signaled her Red Cast to do the same.
As they walked through the town the citizens stopped and glared at the strangers. Nikali felt their eyes follow his group until they were out of sight. They continued walking deeper into the heart of the town. Then the cries for help broke out once again. The woman sounded as if she was struggling for every word.
The Eluan legion emerged at the town center. It was vast contrast from the out
skirts of the town. The area was destroyed. Garbage and debris littered the streets. Bones were sprinkled across the ground; many of them animals, some human. The hides of fury arcks hung from lines over the street. Nikali’s own arck snorted as if in disgust.
People were crowded in a group. They were all looking toward the center of their circle. It was the same spot the pleas for help were coming from.
In the center of the ring two women were fighting. They both had shaved heads and their breasts were cut off. They were bloodied and bruised. One was on the ground. Her left arm was badly cut and would no longer work. The other woman stood her ground with a sword in hand. She was ready to make the final blow.
Nikali scoped the area quickly. Then he saw the prize of the day. A cage was set up outside the group of people. The structure was small. Nobody could stand inside of it. It sunk into the muddy ground. A handful of people were scrunched in the cage. They were disheveled. Many of them stared at the ground unaware of the situation around them. Nikali recognized many of the faces; Marina, Kastor and Tyeche.
The group of townspeople had yet to see Nikali and the others. They were too enthralled with the entertainment in the center of the circle.
Cassandra turned her back to the group. She noticed more citizens coming up from behind them. They were being surrounded. The Red Cast turned to face their new adversaries.
“We best say hello,” said Nikali.
But before he had a chance, a man approached Nikali holding a long staff. The man held it in defense against the Eluan strangers.
“Get out,” the man yelled. “Leave now.”
Nikali brushed the staff out of his face. “Absolutely not. I’ve just arrived. I’m looking for some people. And, oh, I believe I’ve found them.” Nikali gestured to the captives in the cage.
“They belong to us,” said the man. “They invaded us. We do not take kindly to strangers.” He put the staff back in Nikali’s face.
“You don’t take kindly to cleanliness either,” said Nikali. He could smell the man from a yard away. “Let me smell your breath.” Nikali grabbed the man by his collar and drew him close. He smelled the man’s breath before knocked him back.
“Sober as a baby,” said Nikali. “You poor thing.”
The commotion Nikali was making started to spread to the others. The group watching the fight between Rilla and Serean was losing their interest. Rilla was on the ground with her final breaths. Serean had cut her throat. Blood gushed out of the wound.
Over in the cages, Abigail stirred from her trance. She had regressed back into a state of comatose during their captivity in the forest. She had been there before during the last year. Her strength was gone. Her desire to continue on was waning. Her throat ached from lack of water. The food was scarce. Their cages had been treated as toilets and trash bins. Every night one of them was picked to be taken by the men. Marina was the constant choice. Her prestige was well known by the local area. Others were picked on various occasions. Tyeche had been a popular choice on more than one night.
The end was drawing near. Abigail could feel it. Their thirst for blood was growing stronger. All she could do now was sit and wait for the end.
“Where are the avadons?” Nikali asked the man in front of him. He brushed the staff out of his face one more time.
“They are everywhere. They watch over us,” said the man. He put the staff back in front of Nikali. At this point the entire crowd now had their full attention on Nikali and the legion behind him. They started to circle the Eluan force.
Raphaiel and his troupe came out from their hiding spots on the other side of the town. They lined up along the street behind the crowd. They were ready to attack on Nikali’s orders.
“Bring all the men you want,” said Nikali. “I am leaving with the Empress and the old man. Give them to me and we will leave. You can continue living. Fight me, and I will drown you in fire.”
Nikali grabbed the staff that hung in his face. He pulled it out of the man’s hands with ease. Before the man could react, Nikali was behind him with the staff pressed up against his neck.
“Are they watching now?” Nikali yelled. “Do they protect you? Did they save the day when Aldrin came charging in to your town? I want to see them. I want to see the monsters that are everywhere.”
The crowd was quiet. They all looked wide eyed in every direction. What few people were talking during Nikali’s exchange had hushed. They waited for a response from their gods.
The fires in the torch light began to waver. Then the flames enlarged. The air grew denser. It became a burden on the backs of the people in the town. Emotions spiked. The men grew restless. Nikali felt his sense of thrill rise. His thoughts grew scattered. He could smell the arcan rising.
The forest came to life with the sound of thunder. The tops of the trees shook violently. Then out of the sky came the avadons. They crashed into the town. Footprints remained where they landed. Each landing was signaled with a loud thud. Nikali counted twenty of them.
He and the others remained still. They did not show the fear that was rising in them. Nikali smiled at the sight of the avadons. He was no longer afraid.
The avadons towered over the rest of the citizens. They walked through the sea of people with ease. Everyone they passed lowered their head and moved aside.
The lead avadon approached Nikali. It was bigger than the others in the group. Its arms stretched out to claw like nails. Around the avadon’s neck was a necklace decorated with the mandibles ripped off of human skulls.
The avadon grunted and barked at Nikali. It beat its chest and extended his arm to present the town to Nikali. This was its territory.
“Do you remember me?” Nikali asked.
The avadon looked at Nikali in silence.
“I’ve killed so many of you,” continued Nikali. “Your brethren ran from me in fear. I destroyed your chance at returning home. I am your death.”
The avadon roared. It was followed by the other avadons roaring throughout the town.
Nikali reached down for his bottle of Tamor Blood. The liquid swirled around in his hand. He let the bottle touch his lips. Then he threw it directly at the avadon’s face.
The bottle shattered. Pieces cut into the avadon’s skin. The Tamor Blood spilled all over the monster man. It roared in anger. Then it coughed in pain.
The avadon froze. It clutched at its heart. The manbeast began to spasm. Its chest jumped forward no longer controlled by the body. Skin began to tear. Then its heart burst out.
Nikali put his hand out. The avadon’s still beating heart flew over to Nikali. The lead avadon crumbled to the ground.
The bleeding heart held tightly in Nikali’s hand. The blood drained down Nikali’s arm. He held it high above his head for all to see. He moved the bloody heart directly above his head. Drops of blood started dripping down into Nikali’s mouth.
He licked his lips when he was finished. “Charos is very disappointed in all of you,” he said.
A cold sweat came over every one surrounding Nikali. The citizens of the town could feel every ache in their body amplify. Itches that had gone ignored were now spreading all across their body.
The avadons hesitated in their approach. Nikali stared at every single one of them in the crowd. He smiled wide. Blood drooled out of his mouth and onto the ground.
“Slaughter them all,” he ordered. “So says Charos.”
The town erupted into panic. Nikali and his legion began their attack on the avadon town. Many of the citizens succumbed to their fears and ran. They crashed under the weight of the atmosphere and crawled their way to a safer haven. Others remained and defended their town and their new masters.
The Tcher captives found their second wind. They tried to break free from their constraints to no avail. They could only wait for someone to save them.
Abigail was once again regaining control of herself. She watched as the battle raged on right beside the cages. Then she saw the familiar face of her childho
od friend, Nikali. It was the first time since being taken that she felt like her life was going to return to the way it was.
Aldrin kept to the corner of the cage. He had not spoken since being taken by the avadons. He wallowed in his defeat. Genom and Falon sat in front of him to protect him. He was still their master.
Serean was chained to the ground in the makeshift arena. She struck at the chains with her weapon, but the metal would not give. The will to fight surged through her.
Rarian waited at the exit. He was eager to get out and fight. His leader, Prince Arraw, sat back against the cage. There was still too much at stake for him to get involved.
On the other end of the cage, Marina sat with her two guards. She did not struggle. Her will had been broken. Kastor and Tyeche watched in horror as their nightmares were coming true. Very few men had ventured into the Avadon Forest on the other side of the canyon. If this was a taste of things over there then they never wished to return.
Nikali’s fury arck pounced on an avadon’s back. It stumbled to the ground where the arck was able to bite into the jugular of its prey.
Nikali held off a group of people trying to attack him. He never lifted a finger. The men’s weapons could not be lifted. Then one by one their throats were cut by an invisible force.
Raphaiel danced with the avadons. His grace sidestepped the attacks from the monsters. They each floated along the wind like leaves.
Cassandra and the Red Cast were armed with daggers and swords. They stuck to a group. As citizens and avadons passed them they struck out their blades. None passed without a puncture. Their allure was too tempting. They were sugar to flies. Many of the men had the urge to charge them down, but the only embrace they found was that of the swords sticking through them.
Aul walked into the arena floor where Serean was being held. She held her blade back, but at the ready. Aul came right up to her. He smelled her before looking her in the eye.
“You’re not afraid,” he said.
“Let me loose and I will show you why,” she answered.
Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing Page 20
