“Then I am going to need your help,” said Aldrin. “I have gotten word that Eluan is approaching the islands.”
Farrah grew wide eyed. She was shocked at the news. “They are coming for you.”
“For us,” corrected Aldrin.
“Heric is stubborn,” said Farrah. “He will not give up until he gets what he wants.”
“Then what do you propose we do?” Aldrin asked. “They have a recon boat to check out our island. We spotted it in the distance. We could destroy it or we could let it go.”
“If you destroy it then Heric will send out another. He will not stop. The recon will only get bigger until he sends out the entire army.”
“And if I let it go?”
“The recon will report your armada defending the islands.”
“Will Heric attack it?” Aldrin wondered.
“Yes,” said Farrah. “He does not give up. He will send out his army immediately. We escaped and your army destroyed half of the Capitol. He will not take that lightly.”
“Then how do we defeat him?”
Farrah stayed quiet for a moment. She contemplated the answer. It all came down to Heric. Then finally, “Let the recon go. Heric will send his army with little preparation. He is a wonderful improviser, but Tcher is strong. Eluan will not get past the armada. He will sail right into failure.”
Aldrin smiled at his granddaughter. “Thank you. I will give the orders. You may return to your quarters. This Tcher victory will be because of you, Farrah. Do not forget that.”
Farrah bowed her head in acceptance. She said thank you and good-bye. Then before she knew it she was back on the beach looking up at the stars.
Chapter 58
“We can break through their defenses,” declared Seres. He was standing in front of several commanders of the Eluan legions, and their emperor, Heric Caning.
The report had come in earlier about Tcher’s armada surrounding the islands. The recon ship was never detected they reported. Eluan still had the element of surprise.
“We will attack at night,” said Seres. “We will hide our ships under the darkness. Our recon ship got close without being noticed. We can do the same for our navy. The ships will cut right through the unsuspecting Tcher blockade. Then once our army is on land we will have the advantage. We will destroy their island just as they did the Capitol.”
“Every ship must have a warning system,” spoke up one of the commanders. “Once the attack begins all of the islands will know we are there.”
“We will attack the main island first,” said Heric. “That is where the citadel is, and where Aldrin will be. When we beach we need to make our way for the citadel first. When we take it we will use it as our stronghold. There are nine other smaller islands stretching out from the main one, plus the ships surrounding the islands. It is unclear how many people are on each. It does not matter. The citadel can be defended with a small amount of people if they are ready. When we are in the citadel the rest of Tcher will come our way. Capturing Aldrin and his granddaughter are the second important things to do after securing the defenses of the fortress. He can order his men to back off or they can all see him executed. Without a leader Tcher will grow rabid. We hit them harder than ever. There ferocity will not hold. They need a leader. Without one they will eventually burn out and turn on each other. From that moment we will wait them out.”
Suddenly, clapping echoed through the tent. The commanders looked behind them to see the source of the disturbance. Nikali was walking forward. His back was arched backward so his head looked directly at the ceiling as he clapped. He then shot forward and eyed down Heric.
“You really think that will work?” he asked his cousin. “Send your men at night. What a total difference in strategy!”
“The Tcher ships were ready for an attack the last time we used ships. This time they will not be. We will have the upper-hand and will slip by them easier,” said Seres.
“You weren’t even there,” laughed Nikali.
“Neither were you,” Heric said to Nikali. Then he looked up to address his men again. “The Tcher fire takes time for the soldiers to prepare. Men have to ready their hoses, another has to release it. Then it has to transfer from the container through the hose. Caught off guard, any number of those steps could go wrong. Tcher will not be able to use their fire as effectively as before. In the ensuing chaos they will more than likely burn down their own ships than ours in such close quarters. When that happens more of our Eluan ships can break through.”
“The sea will burn tonight,” said Nikali. “And your men will swim in flames.”
“Your opinion does not matter here,” said Seres. “You do not even have a right to be in this tent. Your councilship was revoked.”
“Would you like to make me leave?” Nikali tested.
“That is enough, Nikali!” Heric yelled. “This is the plan. The navy will depart after nightfall. You all will be given your instructions momentarily.” Heric looked at Nikali. “Please leave us. This does not concern you. We will not need your services.”
Nikali balled his hand into a fist. The tent rattled against a sudden gust of wind that whirled around the inside. Then the dust settled and Nikali turned to leave.
Outside the tent, a group of soldiers were clustered by the door. They were all trying to listen in on the plans for the coming night. Nikali burst through the men. He knocked several down in his anger as he left.
“Get out of my way,” he growled as he shoved one man to the side. The man did as he was told. He was worried for a second he would be recognized by Nikali. They had seen each other recently at the Cylo Forest.
But Falon’s fears were quickly put away. This was actually the third time he and Nikali had run into each other at the camp. The first time was when Nikali and his legion first arrived. A group of soldiers went down to confront them. Falon joined along to see what the commotion was about. Nikali made his own camp outside the perimeter of the Eluan army. They refused to move. The soldiers got agitated and walked right in to Nikali’s camp. Falon followed. Nikali scared them all away without making a physical move. Falon watched as the men that towered over him cowered in fear. Falon could feel it himself. It was the same feeling he had felt while in the forest. He was prepared for it this time. The others ran away scared. Then Nikali came face to face with Falon. There was no sense of recognition. Falon left before there was.
After that Falon kept close to the commander’s quarters. He listened in on all of the meetings. He wanted to know what was going on at all times. It was there he ran into Nikali a second time. Nikali had caught him listening in. Nikali was not angry. Instead he kneeled down to listen in as well. Falon did not stay long. He left Nikali to continue, but he went back to the crowd of soldiers nearby. He had safety in numbers.
From then on he kept his head down. None of the other Eluan soldiers suspected him. He did his part. Falon helped with the chores. He did his training. It was no problem for him. Tcher had trained him well.
Chapter 59
The night of the attack the sea burned. The fire could be seen all the way on the mainland. The smoke blocked out the stars in the sky. There were times that many of the soldiers on the beach believed they could hear the screams of the fallen rolling along with the waves.
Heric and Seres watched the flames from high up on the cliffs near the beach. Neither said a word. The truth hung in the air. The Eluan navy had failed at breaching the Tcher barricade. They sent their men into a trap. Tcher was proving once again that they were dominant, and Eluan did not stand a chance against them.
The flames lit up the Tcher Islands as if it was day. The soldiers on the main island dined on the beaches that night by the light of the fire on the ocean.
Aldrin, Farrah, and Genom ate at the head table. They overlooked their soldiers. The men chatted and laughed at the misfortune of the Eluan army.
“They never had a chance.”
“Burned them alive.”
; “They can drown for the rest of time.”
One voice was louder than the others. It carried all the way to the head table. “Eluan is weak. They always have been. Their new Emperor is a child playing with toys. I hope he was on those ships.”
Farrah stood up to respond to the man’s words. She demanded attention. “Quiet!” she yelled.
The Tcher soldiers looked in her direction. They were all surprised at her outburst.
“Enjoy your dinner,” said Farrah. “The men on our ships have given us a victory. But do not for one second underestimate the Eluan Empire. I have seen the power they are capable of. Heric Caning is not a stupid man. This failure tonight will only fuel his rage. He will throw more soldiers at us in the next few days. They will attack us with powers that only people beyond the map have seen. There are stories of gods and demons. Eluan has conquered them. Do not kid yourself. We are no different. You must all be ready to do your part. We can defend these islands, but Heric will not stop until there is nothing left of either us or them.”
Farrah sat back down. The soldiers stayed hushed. They ate their food in silence. Aldrin looked at her and smiled.
“They are listening to you,” said Aldrin. “You are a true leader. Alexus taught you well.”
The fire raged harder than ever. The Tcher barricade continued pouring more fuel on the flames. Despite the Eluan ships being long gone; submerged under the icy waters, they kept the flames going. It was a sign for the mainland. Tcher would not fall.
Chapter 60
The next night followed with the same results. Then the night after that. Eluan could not break through the Tcher defenses. Every night the sky burned, and every morning the ocean greeted the Eluan troops with the remains of their navy that was sent to attack. Burned wreckage and bodies washed ashore. It was only a fraction. The rest were at the bottom of the sea.
The commanders were meeting with Heric after the fourth night of no result. Their army was dwindling. They could not risk another attack like before.
“Tcher has not attacked us,” said a commander. “We should consider heading back to the Capitol. Maybe a truce is in order.”
“A truce will never happen,” said another. “They have hurt us. We can not stand for that.”
“Emperor Cyrus was able to form a truce with Aldrin. We can surely come to an agreement on another one.”
“There will be no truce,” Heric cut them off. “Aldrin prospered because my father sat on the sidelines while he was able to build up his army. Those defenses that we can not get past are up because my father made a truce with him.”
“We can not attack Tcher the same way. Our ships can not get past the barricade. We need a new plan.”
“We are working on one,” said Heric. “The barricade is not as strong on the other side of the islands. If we can have our ships attack from the east we may have a chance of getting through.”
“Tcher will see our ships before we have a chance to attack. They will be ready for us,” argued a commander.
“We can not risk the supplies for a campaign that long. If it fails we have lost a lot for nothing.”
“It will not be for nothing,” said Heric. “We are trying to defeat our enemy.”
“What about the legion outside our camp?” asked a soldier at the back of the tent. “I heard they stopped Aldrin before. Why don’t we send them in?”
“Nikali will not be heading into battle,” said Heric.
“Why not?” said another commander. “If they were the ones to capture Aldrin the first time why can’t they do it again?”
Another soldier spoke up, “He knew our attack wouldn’t work. We should have listened to him.”
“Nikali is not a soldier,” said Heric. “None of you can give him orders. I encouraged Nikali to start this because I thought we could use him. He proved useful for a time, but I was ultimately wrong. He can not be controlled. That is not something we need for our army. He only does what he wants, not what his leaders want.”
“But what if I want to be lead?” said Nikali. He entered the tent. All the commanders looked at him with unease. They had been talking about him and now he appeared as if out of thin air.
“You are fighting Tcher on their terms,” said Nikali. “Spiders break from the ground. The bird flies over the mountain. You will never win if you can not form a new strategy to get on the island.”
“We are working on one,” said Heric. “There are plenty of ideas on how to break through the defenses.”
“Yet, night after night, you try the same one,” said Nikali. “The fires have continually burned. How many more will you send into the flames?”
“Nikali is right!” shouted a commander. “We are pushing into a suicide mission. We can not keep sending soldiers out to die without a chance of victory.”
“We should listen to Nikali!” yelled someone in the crowd. Others started agreeing. They shouted and cheered for Nikali to be heard.
The smile on Nikali’s face grew larger as the crowd got behind him. Seres stayed quiet. He looked on at Nikali in disgust. Heric looked over his people. He had to listen to them.
“What do you propose, Nikali?” he asked.
The crowd quieted down with a hand stroke from Nikali. He paused, giving himself the time to soak in the moment.
“You do not need to send a whole army through the Tcher armada,” began Nikali. “All you need is to get one man to the island.”
“How is one man going to defeat the entire Tcher army?” Heric asked.
“He cannot,” said Nikali. “But one man can get the rest of the army onto the island with my help.”
“Are you going to be that one man?” Heric asked.
“No,” said Nikali. “I would never make it. You can choose who and how you do it. All I need to know is when. Then you will have your victory over Tcher.”
The crowd roared back to life. Nikali spoke with such confidence everybody that heard him believed victory was at hand.
“There is no way we can get one man onto the island,” said Heric. “None of the ships have made it past the barricade. How will we get anybody past it?”
“Then I offer my legion at your service,” said Nikali. “They can fight off a great deal of danger before they fall. I swear I and the Red Cast will break through the barricade before your men do.”
“And when they are through?” Heric asked.
“They will lead the rest of the Eluan army to the island, of course. From there you can destroy and pillage all you want.”
The crowd cheered again. Heric contemplated the proposal for a moment as the soldiers eagerly awaited his answer. Then Heric looked at Nikali. He looked at the other commanders in the tent. “No. Your services are not needed. The Royal Tamors will stay on the mainland. We will set out tomorrow night. Eluan will attack from the east.” Then Heric added, “Spare no one. There will not be a third war.”
The crowd roared with disapproval louder than ever. They could taste the victory when Nikali spoke. Heric had denied them their filling. The soldiers were growing outraged. They yelled, complained, and argued so loud they had not noticed another new face in the crowd. He walked through the soldiers until he got into clear view of the Emperor.
“May I make a suggestion?” Falon said. He lifted his head. His arms were spread wide. It was a gesture to show he was defenseless. Then he dropped to his knees.
Heric recognized him immediately. “Arrest him. He is a Tcher soldier!” Heric ordered. The nearest commanders were on top of Falon in a heartbeat. Falon did not resist. He allowed himself to be tied up and presented to Emperor Caning.
Heric stood over the Tcher soldier. His sword was put to Falon’s neck. “I should kill you right now,” said Heric. “You are one of the Elite Guard. You are far from home.”
“I live where I want to be,” said Falon.
“Not for much longer,” said Heric.
“That is fine. I have only revealed myself to help another. Your pompous attitud
e will only see the deaths of innocents.”
Heric steadied his blade. It dug into Falon’s neck. Trickles of blood began to leak out.
“There are no innocents on Tcher,” said Heric.
“There is one,” said Falon. “I will tell you how to get onto the island. But you must promise me that you will spare one life.”
“Do not listen to him,” said Seres. “We can get to the island without him.”
“I am talking to the Emperor,” said Falon. He glared at Seres.
Nikali kneeled down to come face to face with Falon. He sniffed the prisoner.
“You don’t fear?” Nikali said. “That is comforting.”
“I do not fear amateurs,” said Falon.
“Liar,” said Nikali. “I am not an amateur. I am a creator.”
Falon turned away from Nikali and brushed him off of his shoulder. He looked back at Heric.
“Who do you want protected?” Heric asked.
“Aldrin’s granddaughter, Farrah,” said Falon. “I surrender my life and the lives of all those on Tcher as long as she remains safe.”
“I promise you she will not be harmed,” said Heric. “Now, tell me how I get on the island.”
“The armada sits on the ocean above a coral reef. If the ships do not burn you down you will tear your ship apart trying to get to the island through the reef system unless you know the path. That is why you will never get to the island using your ships. But if you want one person to do it then you must swim to the shore.”
“They will be seen if they get to the beach,” said Heric.
“There is a cave system,” said Falon. “It is used to dispense of dead bodies out into the ocean. But someone could go from the outside in as well. It will lead them safely onto the island. No one will suspect an invasion from there.”
“How far is it?” Heric asked.
“Someone will have to swim under the water for nearly eight minutes. They must go under the ships, into the cave, and through the system to reach the other end for air.”
Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing Page 25
