A crowd had formed down the street. Curiously, Nikali headed in that direction. He could hear the commotion coming from the crowd. They cheered in unison. Some kind of show was going on. Nikali caught glimpses of a man jumping about in the middle of his audience. It was unclear what he was doing.
Finally, Nikali breached the crowd. He wiggled his way through a number of people until he came into plain view of the show. A man, dressed in bright colors with a mask, was performing arcan for the people around him. Nearby him was a hood with money nestled in it and a sign that read, “Wilmont the Excellent.” He pranced around his open circle dragging along items behind him without actually holding them. He would send some of them flying into the air and then catch them behind his back. The crowd loved those moments. Nikali watched, slightly amused. He gave a soft clap every time the crowd cheered.
The man was good. Nikali would give him that. But he wasn’t that good. Levitation was a moderate trick. Anybody who got into arcan wanted to learn levitation. It made life simpler in many ways: They didn’t have to get up to grab something.
Wilmont the Excellent continued his show, but Nikali was growing bored. He watched Wilmont pull a barrel across the street. It was the same trick as before. Nikali decided to spice it up a bit. With a simple thought, Nikali caught the barrel on fire. Wilmont jumped back in terror. The barrel immediately stopped moving.
The crowd gasped. They took a few steps back in unison. Nikali stepped forward. He bowed to the audience and presented his trick of the burning barrel. Half the crowd applauded the other half mumbled questions to each other. Nobody understood what was going on.
Wilmont bowed his head humbly. “It would seem we have another showman in our midst,” he said to the crowd. “But tell me, how do you plan on putting it out?”
“I was going to let you worry about that one,” said Nikali. He wanted to see Wilmont the Excellent sweat. He never did care for these kinds of shows. There were much more useful things you could do with arcan than collecting money from an audience.
Wilmont was speechless. “Well... I... It is your handy work. You should put it out,” he managed to say.
“Then how will you ever learn?” said Nikali. He turned his back to Wilmont. He was done with the show. He began walking away. The people watched as he passed them then turned their attention back to the fire. Wilmont danced around its flames trying unsuccessfully to put it out with his feet.
Nikali turned a corner and left the people’s sight. He was relieved. Using all that arcan was exhausting. He took a moment to collect his thoughts. It was a shame because he was sober once again. All of his arcan was drained. His only triumph was the new high he had gotten from impressing the audience.
Chapter 5
The third night of the festival was in full swing. At this point, the majority of the city was on a nighttime schedule. The streets were empty during the day. Its only occupants were drunken fools who could not find their way home in their inebriated condition.
Despite the rest of the city’s activities, the palace was business as usual during the day. The rest of the Empire did not observe the festival of the Night’s Flower. Messages were still coming in during the day and people had to be there to answer them.
The Council room was brimming with activity. Heric and the rest of the Royal Council were gathering for their weekly meeting. The twelve of them sat in their seats chatting across the tables to each other.
Heric was being questioned by two older gentlemen about his upcoming trip. They were friends of his father. He tried not to be rude, but he found it difficult to display any enthusiasm for their conversation.
Over the years, Heric started to find these meetings tedious. Most of the issues that arose could have been solved at the most local level, but they were continually sent all the way to the capitol.
His attention was mostly on a new face in the Council room. Francesco de Seres sat on the other end of the table chatting with the men nearest him. He did not act out of place, even though he was not a member. The two men, Josaph Tenrill and Lenerd Paraf, continued to engage Seres like he was an old friend. Others around them did not notice the new addition to their group. Tenrill and Paraf formed a wall around him, blocking Seres from view of those nearby.
Heric quickly did a head count. There were only twelve of them in the room. He looked over all the faces. He recognized every one there, but then he noticed somebody was missing. General Kayl was not present. He and Seres lived in the same district. Heric knew this was no coincidence.
It was time to take control of the meeting. Heric stood up. He cleared his throat to put the attention on himself. The conversations ended. All eyes were on Heric.
“Good day, everyone. I know a lot of you must be tired. The festival is just too good to miss some nights,” he said. The crowd chuckled. “I’ll try and make this meeting go as painlessly as possible. There is one issue at hand that I need to address before we begin. We seem to have a new member joining us today.”
Heric looked directly at Seres. There was no mistaking Heric’s disdain of his presence. Seres stood up. He was elegant in his movement. There was no visual threat to him. He smiled, looking almost embarrassed that he was there.
“I apologize for my sudden appearance. General Kayl contacted me this morning. He has fallen ill and wished me to represent him here. We come from the same district. It seemed only natural that I could successfully follow his lead. I understand all of our problems and I can offer solutions to them as he would.”
“Your heart is in a good place, Seres,” said Heric. “But we do not appreciate surprises like this. The Royal Council is by invitation only- an invitation from the Emperor, not from another member. General Kayl should have contacted my father or me instead of going directly to you.”
Seres put up a finger to interrupt Heric. “Your father was not taking any messages at the time. Our messenger was swiftly turned away. We tried to contact you, but you were nowhere to be found. General Kayl wanted to be represented here. I told him I would go regardless. My duty is toward the Empire, and, if necessary, I will ruffle a few feathers if that means I can do my duty.”
The rest of the Royal Council began to warm up to Seres. Quiet encouragements came from Tenrill and Paraf. They were in full support of Seres.
Heric did not object right away. He thought back to earlier in the morning. He was with Abigail. There was no way for him to know if a messenger was really sent for him.
“Very well,” said Heric. “We’ll adjust our schedule a little. You’ve traveled all this way to say something, Seres. You may go ahead. I’m sorry, Council, this meeting will take a bit longer than necessary.” The members of the Royal Council grumbled. Their favor of Seres went down a bit. Heric wanted to make sure of that.
Seres straightened up. The Council members all turned their heads toward him. No one talked. They wouldn’t dare interrupt this development.
Seres began to speak. His tone indicated he had rehearsed much of it beforehand. “I realize as a whole the Eluan Empire is in a time of prosperity. We’ve had peace with the Tcher Islands, and there is no other true threat to our society.”
“With that being said, we still do have problems with crime,” continued Seres. “The Capitol forces cannot possibly watch over every inch of our territory. Myrus is experiencing certain hardships. Unfortunately, we cannot solve all of these problems under the current structure of law.”
“I presume you have a solution?” Heric asked.
“I have a number of strategies that I would like to run by you. We can obviously do this at a later date. I have many ideas,” Seres stressed. He sat just a bit straighter in his chair.
“What are the concerns in Myrus? I might have a few ideas of my own,” said Heric.
Seres was taken aback slightly. He was not prepared for Heric’s continued questioning. “As you wish, just understand that what I am about to say is a harsh truth, and maybe the Royal Council is not quite ready to hear it.�
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The Council members stirred in their seats. Whispering picked up for a moment, but Heric’s words hushed them once again.
“The Royal Council are all adults. If they have the childish thoughts that this Empire is roses and dandies then they are in the wrong room. We need to hear the truth as painful as it might be. The fact that you are being so delicate has me worried that you are not ready to be a true commander.”
Seres’ face went cold. He looked Heric directly in the eye. The rest of the Council was no longer their concern. They were the only two that mattered.
“There are many in Myrus that do not like the laws you have sent down. Many of them are traditionalists. Their families were around before Eluan control. Their ideals were passed down in their households. It would make a lot of them happy to hear that Eluan was gone from the city,” Seres said.
“I trust General Kayl represents the Eluan Empire with the greatest of respect. What could the problem be down there? The reports from Myrus have always been positive.”
“It has only recently come to our attention, protesters and citizens declaring themselves against the Eluan Empire. If we had more direct control we could have quelled this situation earlier.”
“Perhaps a higher degree of control from the local level can assure our commanders abroad,” said Alexus. Heric looked over at him, peeved at his slight agreement with Seres.
Alexus just shrugged it off, as he did any further attempt at commenting.
“Any person will wish for the old ways back. This is nothing new. Why are you so shocked?” Heric said, returning all his attention to Seres.
“Then you are not worried about disdain of the Empire?”
“As long as all they are doing is complaining, I welcome it. It’s the only way we know something is wrong. I will not run away from a challenge. There is a solution to give everybody a sense of content, at the very least.”
“If it goes any further than that, arrest them. It is our duty to keep the peace, not to shut people up. I agree with you. We need to restructure some things around the Empire. I will have the matter looked into at Myrus. They can reorganize as they see fit. Myrus is a great city. Its people will not give up on it so easily. It is a fortunate thing and I do not wish to destroy that.”
“Thank you, Heir Caning,” said Seres. “I will return to Myrus when I am done with my affairs here. We can certainly find a solution.”
“No need to worry,” said Heric. “You will not be leading the changing of the guard. I know other soldiers still in the city that would do the job well. I will send a messenger after this meeting. There is no need for you to rush your affairs here. Peace in Myrus is what is important after all, not our positions.”
Seres broke eye contract with Heric. He nodded his head in humble agreement with his debater. Seres looked to fight off saying something else. He held his mouth closed with a tight smile.
“I trust that will be all?” Heric asked. The Council turned their heads back to Seres.
“Thank you for your generosity, Heir Caning. You may continue with your meeting.” Seres saluted. Heric returned the sign. Seres walked out without another word. Heric did not take his eyes off of him until the doors closed.
Chapter 6
The final night of the festival had arrived. More lanterns had been put outside to aid in lighting the area. The Night’s Flowers would quickly die off on the last night leaving everyone in darkness. The party would continue until the last flower was extinguished.
This night included the closing ceremonies and a final word from Emperor Caning. This year was especially anticipated due to the recent events at the dinner. Discussions and bets were being made as to whether or not he would even appear. News of his absence at the dinner had quickly spread through the entire Capitol.
The other news spreading was that of the bridge being completed. Merchants and traders were eager to get on the road and cross the canyon. It meant new customers and fresh victims for some of the more sleazy businessmen. They looked forward to the time when the delegation would be returning from the Kingdom on the other side. The faster the trade negotiations went the faster all these merchants could rake in more money.
The crowd had gathered at the presentation garden. It was in the heart of the city near many of the businesses and main roads. Before the event started, the crowd was busy buying refreshments from the merchants nearby. Carts surrounded the area. They offered drinks, food, and some toys for the children. The last night of the festival always went out with a bang.
Heric, Forman, and the rest of the Royal Council were already present on stage. They watched the crowd as they loosened up from their drinks. It would be an easy crowd to please this year.
Abigail was off to the side in a section meant for the royal class. Their area was fenced off from the general access ground level. It was a raised area with access from the other end of the park. There were no guards to protect them. It was only there for show. Only the high-end merchants went up there. Their prices were high enough to keep a lot of the lower class down below by choice. You could see the difference in atmospheres between the sections.
Down below, Ellen and Seres were standing with the general public. They had not even attempted to enter the royal class section. They greeted and mingled with the soldiers standing alongside them.
When Nikali arrived his attention immediately went to his mother. He stared at her for a minute then she turned her head sensing eyes on her. Nikali quickly turned away already knowing he was spotted. He retreated, leaving the general attendance area. He begrudgingly went into the royal class section.
There were still many seats available. Nikali looked all around. Everywhere were people he did not want to talk to and they did not want to talk to him. He continued to walk around in order to make himself look busy. Once the speech started he could grab a seat with very little issue.
“Nikali, over here!” said a girl’s voice. Nikali looked over. Abigail was waving at him, signaling him to come over. A wave of relief and nausea hit him at once. Despite his discomfort, he walked over.
“How are you?” she asked Nikali when he arrived. “I saw you at the dinner party, but I wasn’t able to talk to you. You left so early afterward.”
Nikali sat down in the empty seat next to Abigail. “The party wasn’t for me. I’m doing alright. Haven’t been up to much since I left the palace. What about you? You’re heading to Louson. You’ve come a long way from that little shy girl walking around our classroom, sneaking a peek at our books.”
Abigail blushed a little. She still couldn’t fully comprehend the opportunity Alexus had given her. “Yes, I think it will be great. It will be nice to get away from the Capitol for a while. There are some people here who know too much history.”
“If anybody is giving you problems, I can take care of them,” said Nikali. He laughed after he said it. Abigail did the same.
“No need,” she said. “I’m a big girl, now. I can handle the ugly stares, and rude names.”
“You should think about moving away from the palace. Nobody would call you anything in The Talons,” said Nikali. “Well, nothing they wouldn’t call anybody else.”
“As much as that would please me, there are still some great things in the palace. I would never leave it,” said Abigail. She gave an involuntary glance toward Heric. She then compensated by looking at the rest of the Royal Council, hoping Nikali did not notice her misstep.
Across the crowd, Heric watched as Nikali talked with Abigail. He wished he could hear what they were saying. Abigail was laughing without a care in the world. He wondered if he made her laugh like that. He dismissed the idea. Abigail wouldn’t leave him for Nikali. Nikali was a good friend, but he was rough around the edges. Heric was the better choice. They were just old friends catching up.
Suddenly, the horns blared across the garden. It was the signal that the Emperor had arrived. The entire crowd jumped to attention. The chariot approached from down the street.
The horses pulling it were not guided by any driver. They were trained to navigate the Capitol on their own. The carriage stopped right at the entrance of the park. The crowd was separated to create a path by the guards.
Silence filled the air. There were still a few tiny bits of doubt that the Emperor was not really present. There was a hesitation from the carriage. The door remained closed, keeping everybody in suspense.
Then the door flew open. Emperor Cyrus Caning greeted his audience with open arms. The crowd cheered for their leader. He smiled back at them. As he walked down the aisle to the stage, Emperor Caning greeted many of the citizens. He tried to say a little something to everybody, but there were too many of them. His feet kept walking, and he would have to turn to somebody farther ahead.
Nikali watched as his uncle walked through the crowd. There was something odd about the way he moved. It was in the area of too elegant. His view was blocked by the crowd. He couldn’t get a complete look at Emperor Caning. The whole thing gnawed at Nikali’s thoughts.
The Emperor walked up the stairs to join the Royal Council. They shook hands with the Emperor, the crowd cheering the entire time. Finally, the Emperor stood tall looking over his audience. The crowd was signaled to quiet down. It was time to hear his address.
“Eluan, it is great to see all of you again!” Emperor Caning began. “I want to dispel any rumors that you may have heard the past week. I am not sick. As you can see here, I am present, and I am ready to continue leading you into another prosperous year.”
“Eluan has seen the best years in all its time. The alliance with the Islands of Tcher has created better trade than at any time. The entire empire is united. There are no longer any major threats to our way of life. I have given us peace. Wealth and prosperity for everybody is not far behind.”
Eluan Falls: The Inheritors of the World Page 4