“And I cannot give it. I do not want to see those avadons any more. I still don’t understand what I was doing out there. Those memories overwhelm me. They consume my every thought. I do not need more of them. What you are asking of me is too much.”
“I saw what you did out there.”
“But you have no idea the toll it took.” Nikali glared at Heric.
“I am a soldier. Every battle takes a toll.”
“I am not a soldier!” Nikali yelled.
Heric paused. “I guess I forget that sometimes. I’m sorry.”
Nikali did not reply.
“I shouldn’t waste any more of your time. We leave tomorrow morning. If you change your mind, you will be welcomed. I’ll look for you.”
“Don’t bother,” growled Nikali.
“I will anyway,” said Heric. He got up to leave. Nikali didn’t move. Without another word, Heric left Nikali’s house.
When he was gone, Cassandra entered the room. She had been listening from the next room.
“What’s happening to you?” she asked him.
“I’m sleeping more,” said Nikali. “And every time it’s filled with horrible dreams. I can’t look away. Something in the dark is calling to me. Ravens flock to the water. The moon does not shine.”
Abigail was returning to her quarters in the palace. Her work with the soldiers had finally finished. Kastor and Tyeche could teach nothing more to the Eluan soldiers. She was exhausted. Her Louson was basic at best. She struggled much of the time to sort through Kastor and Tyeche’s accents and slurs to translate properly what they were trying to say. It was mentally exhausting. She longed for her room and a nice place to lie down.
When she reached her quarters, she found that Marina had been waiting for her. Immediately, she jumped up to greet her confidant. Abigail straightened up and tried to catch her second wind.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” said Marina. “I have been cooped-up here all day.”
“In Eluan,” said Abigail. Marina shrugged, but gave in. She repeated what she had said in Eluan.
“You could have gone out without me,” said Abigail.
“And done what?” Marina asked. “You’ve shown me so much, but I still do not know where I am going in the city. I do not know anybody. I would have been lost.”
“I’m sorry,” said Abigail. “But it’s over now. The soldiers will be leaving tomorrow. Tyeche and Kastor will be returning to you along with myself.”
“Good, what should we plan for tomorrow?”
“I was rather hoping to rest. This battle preparation has put everybody on edge. We all need a break.”
“I have been curbed since the avadons were found. I want to go back out. I want to learn more,” said Marina.
“Alright,” Abigail obliged. “You’re Eluan has gotten better. I’ll start introducing you to the royal class. It will only be a select few people for now. Heric wants to wait to announce you officially to the people himself.”
“Why all this waiting?” Marina wanted to know.
“War is a tricky thing. You can’t send out your men to fight at the same time you parade the good fortunes in your life.”
“He is taking as much a risk as anyone, if not more,” said Marina. “Why should he not announce his happiness at the same time? I am a reason for him to come home. That should be enough of a reason for the entire army.”
“Yes, Heric is risking everything. That’s the way he is. He makes the sacrifices so others may not have to. We have a lot of tough decisions coming ahead of us. You can only be sparingly selfish.”
“Your people should know the burden that leading takes on a soldier. We should be as happy as possible at all times. It’s what leads to great leadership.”
“Some don’t see it like that,” said Abigail. “Leadership is an illusion. It’s a party trick. You can be happy, but you can’t let others see it. They want to think you are suffering just as much as they are. If you aren’t they will make sure you are.”
“All this deception, it’s a horrible habit. Down the line you’ll never be able to tell who is friend and who is enemy.”
“It comes down to trust, and self-reliance,” said Abigail. “You should always be prepared for the fall.”
“Does that mean I should be preparing for the worst?” Marina asked.
“That’s up to you,” said Abigail. “You’ve already left your home with nothing. You are brave. I am sure very little can hurt you.”
“But I have more to lose here. If Heric had not come along, my father would have married me off to one of his friends. I would have sat at home and become some old man’s play thing. Heric gave me a chance at life. I lost nothing in leaving Louson. I do not miss home.”
“There will be nothing you can lose here,” assured Abigail. “Once this war is over everything will be back on-track.”
Chapter 44
The army gathered together at dawn. By the time the sun was completely over the horizon the army was massed together in formation. Only half the army was making their way to Myrus. Heric ordered every city to hold back reserves. He did not want to leave any city unprotected. Even with only half the forces from each city, Heric still lead the largest movement of soldiers in Eluan history.
He and Forman were at the head of the line on their horses. They inspected their men. All of them looked ready for battle. Heric had mixed the new recruits and experienced soldiers. Everyone everywhere would be pulling their weight. There would be no weak spots. They could not let the avadons spread further through the Empire.
“You don’t have to go, Heric,” Forman said.
“I’m going,” he answered.
“Then I have to protest that you don’t go to the front line. You must stay toward the rear of the battles or close by.”
“I never said I was going to do that.”
“But you were thinking it,” said Forman. “They have already seen you in battle. That is enough. Putting yourself in direct contact will only get you killed.”
“I am a better warrior than most of these men.”
“We still don’t know what to expect when we get to Myrus. You can’t just go walking in there with your head up your ass. You need to take precautions. You are not your father’s little soldier anymore. You are the future Emperor of Eluan. You are going to rule these people. Make sure you are alive to do it.”
“Fine,” said Heric. “I’ll hold back.”
“Thank you,” said Forman.
The two men continued their final inspections. Their army was ready. Heric ordered the messengers and standard bearers out ahead of them. They were to meet up with the other city divisions and coordinate for the final march into Myrus.
The messengers were well beyond the horizon. Heric looked out. He remained quiet. Forman was sitting next to him on his horse, waiting.
“Whenever you’re ready,” said Forman.
Heric continued looking. He stared at the gates of the Eluan Capitol. Nikali was not coming. He waited another precious few minutes. Time began to reach to a crawl for Forman.
“He’s not coming,” Forman told his friend.
“He’ll be here,” said Heric.
“No, he will not. He’s not coming. He’s done with all this. He’s never cared about fighting. We don’t need him anymore.”
“He cares about me,” said Heric.
“He cares about himself, and whatever can help him. Going to war is not going to help him. He’s not coming. We have to go.”
Heric hesitated. His eyes never left the gates. Finally, Heric gave in to Forman’s side. Without a word Heric turned around, his eyes straight ahead. He faced the open terrain in the direction of Myrus.
“Let’s move out men,” he ordered. The ground rumbled and the army began marching on its way. He would fight the avadons without Nikali.
Chapter 45
Nikali stepped through the night. Every few feet new features would define themselves. He walked through the forest
barefoot. The leaves crunched between his toes. In the distance more footsteps could be heard. Leaves and branches fell from the trees. Nikali was never startled by them despite the fact that he was being hunted.
He could feel the eyes on him at all times. Every way he looked he knew he was being watched. He continued to make his way through the forest.
Rain started to fall. The tree line offered no sanctuary from the downpour. Nikali forced his way forward. Water reached to his knees. He kept walking. Before realizing it, he was swimming through the forest. The branches all around him crashed into the water.
The ground hit him like a wall. He came up to a bank and crawled for distance. Ahead was an inn. Its light was on. There was smoke coming out of the chimney. In his filthy and exhausted state, Nikali made his way to the house. He was shivering and cold.
Before he could knock on the door, it opened. There to greet him was his father. Before Nikali could say anything, he was welcomed inside. The fire felt warm against his soggy clothes. They walked through the empty room blocked by a tribe of avadons circling them.
Nikali waded through the hands reaching out to him. Each avadon called out his name. They gestured for him to come with them. Instead, he followed his father through the house. Every second his father got farther and farther away.
The house rumbled. It began to tear itself apart. The floor cracked from wall to wall. A crater formed and began to widen. The avadons lost their footing. They began to fall into the pit below them. Nikali remained where he was in the room. He could only watch as the avadons- horrified at their fate- fell into oblivion. They cried out for help, but Nikali could do nothing.
He looked across the room. His father was hanging on to the edge of the floor. He looked over at his son before falling into the canyon below.
Nikali woke up screaming. He was drenched in sweat. His hair stuck to his face. He had to brush it out of his way to breathe properly. Cassandra sat up next to him. She wrapped her arms around Nikali, trying to pull him back to reality.
His breathing slowed down. After a couple of minutes, Nikali was calm again. He remained in Cassandra’s arms.
“They’re getting worse,” said Cassandra. “What happened this time?”
“My father was there,” said Nikali.
“What did he look like?”
“I don’t know. Like me. He kept changing. He was my mother at one point. But it was my father.”
“And the avadons?”
“They were there, like always. They keep following me. They are begging to me to help them. Then they fall into the canyon.”
“That is just guilt,” said Cassandra.
“This isn’t just guilt. What is down there? I sent dozens of avadons to their death, maybe. They say that canyon has no bottom. What if those things are just falling, falling for the rest of time? I sent them there.”
“You did the right thing. They are plaguing our lands. They needed to be stopped.”
“In Louson they speak of gods: Beings that created this world and then left it. They did not die. They just left. What if we can do that too? I saw my father with those avadons. What if there is something more out there? What if my father is with the avadons?”
“Your father is dead. Those avadons are dead, Nikali.”
“How can we be sure? Maybe that canyon goes to another world.”
“Maybe you should stop drinking the Louson Tamor Blood,” Cassandra suggested.
“No,” Nikali scolded. “It’s not the Tamor Blood. That’s the only thing helping me get past these dreams.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” said Cassandra, meekly.
“I need to do something though. I’m running out of Alexus’ stash. I don’t think it’s going to get me through this. I need more powerful stuff. Something that I can handle. I’m not going into this without a clear head anymore. Those avadons are not going to consume me.”
“Why are you afraid of them?” Cassandra asked cautiously.
“I finally remembered everything that happened the first time I consumed their blood. I was out of control. I will not let that happen again. Their blood had a hold of me. It should be the other way around.”
Chapter 46
The entire army of Eluan was joined together. Never before had the Empire moved such large forces. In their past these armies would have been enemies meeting on the battlefield. It was only Eluan’s reign that brought them together. They all followed one flag and Heric was the first ever to call upon this assembled army.
Myrus was only a half day’s journey away at this point. The men were stopped for the night. When they arrived at the city the next day, Heric wanted his men ready for battle. He did not want to give the avadons any more of a notice than necessary for their arrival. His men knew the territory. They did not need to prepare. All they needed to know was how many avadons they had to strike down.
Heric took it upon himself to scout-out that information. He and Forman left on their own. They traveled ahead to the outskirts of Myrus. Their generals would arrive mid-day, ready to receive their instructions.
Once again, Forman had objected to Heric putting himself in the direct line of danger, but there was no fighting it. Heric would find a way to put himself in the action. Forman was just there to make sure he did not start the battle all on his own.
Before nightfall, they reached a ridge overlooking Myrus. It was a common retreat for lovers to look out over their city. This day it was meant for battle preparation.
From their vantage spot, they could see thousands of avadons walking the streets of Myrus. Fires still raged on in many of the buildings. Torn and crumpled bodies of Myrus citizens lay scattered across the ground.
“They’re pretty well embedded in the city,” said Forman. “It’s going to be a long battle. We’re going to have to fight in every street.”
“Then we fight in every street. We take back Myrus building by building,” said Heric.
“Is it really worth it?”
“There are thousands of people lost now because of what these avadons have done. We need to find a way to help the survivors. The best way is to get what remains of their homes back.”
“Heric,” said Forman, “We traveled here on the main road from the Capitol. I know you’ve been thinking it. I have too, and I’m going to say it. We did not see any Myrus citizens. They could all be dead.”
“There were hundreds of thousands of people packed into Myrus. They can not all be dead.”
“Then where are they? I see plenty of avadons down there, and I see plenty of destruction. The avadons could have very well killed all those people.”
“Then we’ll avenge their deaths. I’m not going to let this slide, either way. If the citizens of Myrus are in there, dead or alive, we’re going to find them.”
“I don’t like this,” said Forman. “Something is wrong. There should be more bodies.”
“Then they ran,” said Heric.
“But where are they? Why is everybody missing?”
“We’ll find them. One thing at a time, Forman. We need to get rid of these things first.”
“What if this isn’t all of them?” asked Forman.
“Let’s hope its most of them. We can pick off the rest as time goes on. It won’t be enough for them to destroy a city any more.”
“They were following us, Heric.”
“I know.”
“They followed us to the bridge. They followed us to Myrus.”
“But they stopped,” said Heric. “They were not on the main road anymore. That’s the way we took to the Capitol. If they were still following us we would have run into them on our way here. They have stopped at Myrus. Most, if not all, of them are there. We take them down here and now, we win this war.”
“I’m starting to regret this whole Louson diplomatic mission,” said Forman.
“It’s certainly been more trouble than we planned,” agreed Heric.
“Let’s just get through this,” said
Forman. “Then we’ll relax in the palace for the rest of our years: peace in the land, and women in our arms.”
“Then you better make sure I don’t do anything stupid,” said Heric.
“It gets harder every day.”
“That’s why I keep you around.”
The two friends laughed for the last time that day. The time for jokes was over. War would fill their hearts all too soon.
Chapter 47
The corridors echoed with Nikali’s screaming voice. He was yelling at the guards to let him through. He was demanding to see the Emperor. The commotion had caused a stir with the others nearby. In under a minute, Nikali had drawn a crowd.
“Who are you?” one of the guards asked. Nikali glared in frustration. He had already answered the question.
“I am Nikali Caning, II. I am the nephew of the Emperor. I wish to speak with him now.”
“I’ve never heard of you,” said the guard.
Nikali cracked his neck in frustration. He held back many words he wished to yell at the guard. He knew he needed to keep his anger in check.
“Then maybe you should read a book about the history of your Empire,” said Nikali. “Or can you read at all?”
The guard did not take too kindly to Nikali’s words. He reached for his sword, but was unable to bring it out. It stayed in place by some unknown force.
“I am aware I do not come around here as often as I should. But I aim to fix that. My uncle is in the other room. I would really like to speak with him. He is nearly all of the family that I have left.”
“The Emperor is not seeing anyone right now,” said the guard. He continued to try and break his sword free.
“He will make an exception for me,” said Nikali. The crowd waited to hear the guard’s reaction.
“Somebody needs to vouch for you,” said the guard.
Nikali looked all around him. He was surrounded by unfamiliar faces. They were members of the royal class whom he had mocked in years past.
“I will vouch for him,” said a woman’s voice. Nikali looked over even though he did not need to. He knew his mother’s voice all too well.
Eluan Falls: The Inheritors of the World Page 24