Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing

by Dane G. Kroll

  “Where did he go?” Heric yelled.

  “She does not know,” said the soldier.

  “And what about his legion?” Heric asked.

  “They are in the Talons. Getting drunk.”

  “Leave me,” Heric ordered. “Find Nikali!”

  Heric was furious. Their one great victory over Tcher was now gone. Everything they had fought for was done with in one night.

  Eluan was going to save the Capitol but at the cost of half his men. Another attack by Tcher and they would be finished. Nikali was his only hope now and he was nowhere to be found.

  Aldrin and his men arrived at the river. The sound of battle could be heard in the distance. They climbed over the rubble of the destroyed aqueducts. Down on the water, two boats were waiting for them.

  Aldrin and Genom stepped in. Abigail hesitated on the rocks. She looked back at the city toward the palace. Falon stepped in close to her.

  “You must go, Farrah,” he said. “Aldrin will protect you.”

  “So will Heric,” said Abigail.

  “The Emperor has ordered your execution. You are now an enemy of the Empire, no matter what your past was.”

  She only needed one moment of hesitation. Then Abigail took her first step onto the boat. Aldrin helped her keep her balance as she got on board.

  “You will be safe with us,” said Aldrin. “The Tcher Islands will be your home. Eventually they will be yours completely, Farrah.”

  Falon kneeled down. He pushed the boat off of the rocks.

  “Wait,” said Abigail. “Aren’t you coming?”

  Falon stood back up on the rocks as the boat inched away. “I will make sure you have safe passage back to the ships. Nobody will pass me.” He began waving good-bye.

  “Will you join us later?” Abigail cried out.

  “Eventually,” said Falon. “I have always wanted to see the Night’s Flower.”

  Then the boat was off. Abigail watched as Falon disappeared into the shadows. A few minutes later and they were in the clear. They could not even hear the battle anymore. Abigail sat back in the boat to comfort herself. She took the time to come to terms with her destiny as, Farrah, the granddaughter of Aldrin the Ageless, and the inheritor of the Tcher Islands.

  Chapter 55

  From the distance the grand Capitol of Eluan looked no different. The fires were put out days ago. The bodies of the fallen had been collected and burned; their ashes taken to the wind.

  It was the worst attack the Capitol had ever seen. An enemy had never breached the Capitol walls until that night. The death toll was high for both the soldiers and the citizens. There was still fear that many Tcher soldiers were hiding out in the city. The Eluan army had slain many of them, but there was still much confusion between the legions and the Royal Council. The entire city was hit hard and it would take time to rebuild and discover the truths about the night of the escape.

  There were very few people heading toward the Capitol. Most of the people on the road were on their way out. Word had spread there was better fortune at Myrus. The Capitol was in shambles. There was little future for many of the poorer and the refugees in the city. Myrus was already rebuilding. The chance of security and survival was better there.

  A lone horse and rider ventured toward the city. Behind them a pile of wood was being dragged. Eventually the horse and rider had to start grazing through the line of people trying to leave the city. The bundles in the wood kicked around getting in the way of all those around them. The people grunted and moaned at the inconvenience, but they were too concerned with getting out of there than they were at dealing with the stranger. Nikali did not pay the people any mind.

  As he got closer to the city the destruction was becoming clearer. The fields were trampled on. The walls were covered in scorch marks. The massive gates to the Capitol walls were broken. Tcher had disabled the hinges meaning the doors would no longer close. Nikali brisked on by. He sat up as straight as victory.

  Inside the city, the streets were still covered in debris. People’s possessions were broken and scattered around the ground. Piles of splinters resided where shacks used to be. Many vendors and shops were opened, but their shelves were near empty. Much of their merchandise had been trampled or stolen during the battle.

  Nikali plowed through the crowds. He led his horse over the debris. He paid no attention to the world around him. The only thing in his sights was the tattered appearance of the Capitol Palace. The Eluan flag was still flying as high as ever.

  Nobody stopped Nikali from walking through the palace. He had been a member of the Royal Council long enough that the guards recognized him now. He never once had to explain himself, or force his way through a door. He missed that.

  The sounds of arguments and other conversations could be heard outside the doors of the war room. Nikali skipped in. He was thrilled to see his cousin.

  “Heric,” Nikali called out, “The call of the bird lies. Grass still grows.”

  Heric turned around from the table with the miniature display of the empire. The man he was talking to turned to look at Nikali, as well. He was immediately recognized at Francesco de Seres.

  “What is he doing here?” Nikali asked, swiftly changing the subject and his mood. His eyes darted all around the room. He glanced at each and every face until he saw what he was dreading. Ellen Caning was breaking through the crowd toward her son.

  “He’s here to help, Nikali,” said Ellen.

  “Myrus has the only major military force left. Tcher has cut through much of every other city’s, including the Capitol,” said Seres. “I am here to help the empire. More than I can say for you.”

  Nikali stood frozen in loathing. He looked over at Heric choosing to simply ignore his mother and her lover.

  “What?” Nikali simply asked.

  “Where were you, Nikali?” Heric asked him.

  “I was away,” said Nikali. “I was busy.”

  “Tcher invaded the city,” scolded Heric. “Aldrin got away. Our prisoners got away. They destroyed half the city. Did you not see it on your way to the palace? We needed you, Nikali.”

  Nikali took a step back. He was caught off guard by Heric’s near yelling. He turned around to look behind him as if the room he was in represented the entire city. He did not see anything different with the area. He looked back at Heric confused as ever.

  “We needed you,” repeated Heric. “You promised you would be there for me. You failed. Eluan is crumbling. We are lucky Tcher has retreated back down the river. It looks like they are heading back to the islands. If they had decided to stay the Capitol would fall.”

  Nikali leaned to the right to try and peer out the window. Heric leaned with him to block his view. “Are you listening, Nikali?” he asked his cousin.

  “Well, everything looks fine,” said Nikali. “You didn’t need me after all.”

  “And we will no longer be needing you,” said Heric. “You are dismissed from the Royal Council.”

  “Absolutely not,” said Nikali. “My legion and I are still at your service. The next time Tcher comes we will destroy them. They will feel pain as if they are newborn babies.”

  “No,” said Heric. “If that battle has shown anything it is that Eluan can defeat Tcher without your help. Our resources are being pulled as we speak. You are out of the equation.”

  “Then what do you plan on doing?” scowled Nikali. “My work is erased in one night because your men couldn’t hold Aldrin in a prison cell. We did your dirty work and you waved us off like it was nothing. My legion went into the Cylo Forest for Aldrin and Marina. My legion suffered casualties against the avadons. My legion did it all, and you got the credit. Now, because I was not there to clean up your mess again I am being punished.”

  “You are not being punished… yet,” said Heric. “There have been many reservations regarding your status. It is time I listened to them. You are unreliable, and uncontrollable. There is no place for you in the Royal Council. I am sorry, b
ut that is my decision. Leave now. Do whatever you want, but stay out of my way.”

  “This is wrong,” argued Nikali. “If Tcher comes back you will be begging for me to return.”

  “We are not waiting for Tcher to return,” said Heric. “Eluan is going to them. We are going to invade the islands and defeat them once and for all.”

  Seres stepped in between the two cousins. He pushed Nikali back a few steps. “That is enough. We still need to talk strategy, and Nikali, you are no longer welcome in the war room. Please leave.”

  Nikali stared Seres down. He walked backwards, never taking his eyes off of the captain.

  “My son, a council member. I knew it was too good to be true,” said Ellen. She then quietly laughed at her own joke. Nikali turned around and left. He no longer wanted any part with them.

  Heric watched Nikali walk away. He then shrugged off his old feelings and returned to the task at hand. He and Seres had to lead the remains of the Eluan armies to the Tcher Islands for one final push into war.

  Abigail could not believe the luxuries on the Tcher Islands. Since arriving, she had been pampered like royalty. All of her needs were taken care of. Her food was delicious. She was allowed to bath in the hot springs near the citadel. The island was a warworld, but her quarters were paradise.

  She was free to venture anywhere on the island. Nobody bothered her. Nobody touched her. She had a reputation. She was the granddaughter of their master, Aldrin the Ageless. Soldiers bowed when she walked by. They addressed her as Farrah.

  At night, she started walking along the beach. The stars were always brightest there. She always kept her eye toward the mainland. One day she hoped a boat would hit shore and Falon would return to her. Farrah found that she missed him.

  Chapter 56

  The soldiers of the Eluan Empire basked in the morning sun. They stood in rows outside the walls of the Capitol. The soldiers had been reorganized. The Myrus army contained the bulk of their military, but they had been split up and sprinkled with the remaining armies that had survived the war throughout the empire. None of their armor matched, but their flags all rose for Eluan.

  Heric sat on his horse at the front line. He let the sun rise a little higher in the sky. The men were still waking up from their pre-dawn call to arms.

  When the sun was over the horizon, Heric ordered the men to march out. They were the last defense for the Eluan Empire. If they were unsuccessful in the east their way of life was over.

  Heric called for every soldier to join them. He left his Capitol protected by volunteers and a small amount of city guards to watch over them.

  Out in the distance, the Eluan army was being watched by Nikali and his remaining legion of arcan users consisting of the Red Cast. Aul had been officially redrafted into the army as a foot soldier. Nikali could see his former apprentice in the ranks of the other soldiers. He may have been a foot soldier again, but Aul’s heart still belonged to Nikali. He would rejoin them soon.

  “It’s time to move out,” said Nikali.

  Cassandra came to his side. “We’ll have to keep our distance. If Heric sees we are following him then it’s all over.”

  “He won’t touch us,” defied Nikali. “He says he doesn’t need us, but he’ll realize he is mistaken. This group was his idea. He won’t let it go that easily.”

  “Why are you doing this for him?”

  “I am doing this for us,” said Nikali. “We need that spot on the council back. Without it the arcan will not taste as sweet.”

  “Then let’s move out,” said Cassandra. She turned back to her ladies dressed in red. They saddled onto their horses and headed out east, following the trail of the Eluan army.

  The marching soldiers could be seen from many of the rooms in the palace of the Capitol. Empress Marina Caning could see the view clearly from her locked room. Her lip involuntarily quivered at the sight of Heric leading his men to Tcher. That man once promised her a grand life away from the dangers of the avadons. Instead she was shoved to the side for a servant girl. She had been hurt and violated. Now, she was imprisoned for trying to take what was rightfully hers.

  A faint knocking on her door drew her attention away from the window. It wasn’t the usual sound of her door porthole opening to offer her food for the day.

  Marina walked cautiously to the door. The knocking continued. It remained soft as if not to draw any more attention then what it already had.

  “What?” Marina shouted through the door.

  “My Empress, it is Quaet,” he answered. The porthole opened. He was bowing on his knees while looking through the window into Marina’s room.

  “Go away,” Marina demanded.

  “I have come to reassure you that you still have supporters in the Capitol,” he said. “You have been locked up for so long. I wanted you to know we are trying to convince Heric to let you free.”

  “Heric is gone now,” said Marina. “Let me out. The Royal Council is in control of the Capitol. I am the Empress. I give you the authority to do so.” The words came out of her with a sense of urgency. Every day her room grew smaller.

  “It is not that simple,” said Quaet. “There is only one key for this door. It is with Heric.”

  “He is going to war!” Marina screamed.

  “Hope that he returns,” said Quaet.

  “I hope that his body returns,” scorned Marina. “He can not do this to me. I am the Empress.”

  “I will make sure you are comfortable,” said Quaet.

  “Thank you, Quaet,” said Marina. “Your allegiance is now known. I will remember this when our day comes.”

  “Of course,” said Quaet. “You are strong. You will survive this. Cyrus chose you as Empress for a reason. He believed your union with Heric would quell his unsettled heart. I think you still can. He will see that.”

  “Heric refuses,” said Marina.

  “Then he is blind,” said Quaet. “You were able to work with Aldrin. Heric pushed the empire into war instead. There is too much defiance in him. You need to stomp that out. Then you may rule once again.”

  “You are a treasure,” said Marina. “When this is over you will be rewarded for your duties.” Quaet’s courage had steadied her voice.

  “I appreciate that, my Empress,” said Quaet. “I must go. The guards will be back shortly. Please remain strong.”

  Quaet closed the porthole without another word. He walked away as quickly and quietly as he could. Marina was left alone to dwell in her anger and contemplate on the future of her empire.

  Chapter 57

  The day the Eluan army arrived on the beaches the sun was nearing the horizon on the west. It would be night soon, and Heric wanted to hurry.

  All of the Tcher ships were gone. Where the horizon was once blanketed in Tcher ships all along the coast, now only water met the sky. The messages had been true. Tcher had completely retreated back to the islands.

  This was Eluan’s time to act. He needed to move fast if they were to have any form of upper hand in the coming battle. He called out for Francesco de Seres. When the Captain arrived at Heric’s side he was given his orders.

  “Send out a small boat to the islands,” said Heric. “Get them out now. It’ll be night by the time they get there. They can do recon undetected. I want to know what is waiting for us on the islands.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Seres. He rushed back to his men.

  Heric turned to address his soldiers. He stood up on a boulder to be seen clearly by everybody. When he had their attention he began to speak.

  “Tcher has returned to their home,” said Heric. “Aldrin believes that we are defeated. He thinks he can wait us out. According to him, Eluan is weak. We will crumble under our own weight. Then years from now when he has had a chance to rebuild he will return, and dig through our remains, finally able to claim our lands.

  “I disagree,” Heric continued. “We are stronger than ever. You are all survivors. You have seen Tcher in action. You will no longer fear
them. No. Instead they will fear you. They know that you will not go down without a fight. Aldrin boasted that a Tcher soldier can kill five Eluan soldiers before death. That means we are braver for charging in to such odds. Eluan is not running away. Tcher is the one that has returned home. Aldrin thinks he is safe on his island. He is ageless and he is untouchable. I say nay to both. When we touch land on that island I will show you how weak Tcher really is, and I will show you that even the Ageless can die.”

  The Eluan army cheered for their Emperor. They were ready to avenge their fallen brethren and the destruction of their home.

  Heric then ordered his men to set up camp. They would have to wait until their reconnaissance was finished before they made their next move.

  The night sky was clear over the Tcher Islands. Every star shined as bright as the other. Farrah could not get over how clear the sky was. It wasn’t the same back on the mainland. She couldn’t take her eyes off of them, even while walking to the citadel. Genom lead her to the tower. Aldrin had asked for her.

  When they arrived, Aldrin was staring out the window to the ocean. From the citadel he could see his ships guarding the island. They completely encircled the Tcher Islands. The west side was the heaviest defended. The ships were banded together, not allowing any passage beyond their point.

  Much of the population resided on the ships now. Bunched as one, the ships were a manmade island, self-sustaining and big enough to house thousands of people. It cleared up space on the real islands for the highest ranking citizens of Tcher.

  “Have you become acquainted with the islands, Farrah?” Aldrin asked after Genom closed the door behind them.

  “Yes,” she said, “They are lovely.”

  “I’m glad you think that,” said Aldrin. He turned around to face her and his last remaining member of the Elite Guard. “They are yours now. You are my granddaughter and you are now a master of the Tcher Islands.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I am honored with your gifts. You have welcomed me to a home like no one has.”