Chapter 16
The night became relatively calm after Grifith announced that Abigail would not see anybody until the next day. There were several hundred people angry and disappointed that they were not able to see Abigail then, but their feelings moved on as food started to come out, and the doctors that were present tried to treat the wounds and ailments of the people in the area.
Abigail slept. She was asleep before Grifith was able to fully put her to bed, and she had been asleep since.
The innkeeper was making his rounds around his establishment. He wanted to check up on the building and the people inside of it. He found that sometimes Grifith overlooked things, and he could take care of a situation pretty quickly if needed. Usually it was just the simple case of more blankets or pillows for one of his tenants.
He made it through several rooms as he went down the hall of the inn. So far everything was settled. Then the innkeeper came to the last door down the hall. He did his customary knock and greeting to not disturb his guests too much. Hospitality was not something he was used to doing in the past, but it was a good time for a change.
There was no answer. Usually whoever was in the room spoke up or answered the door. The innkeeper knocked again, this time a little louder. There was still no answer.
The innkeeper rolled his eyes at Grifith. They had left a room empty. It was too late now to bother getting somebody else in the room. He would let it go.
The door opened as suspected. Nobody was inside to lock the door. The innkeeper looked inside to see the state of the room. Then he peered behind the door. There was the strange man still sitting in the front corner of the room.
“What are you doing here?” asked the innkeeper. “Are you supposed to be here?”
The man looked up from his long distant stare and smiled back at the innkeeper. “Just waiting. You smell nice.”
Then the stranger lunged forward, faster than the elderly innkeeper was anticipating. The stranger pulled the innkeeper into the room and shut the door behind him.
The other tenants never heard the screams.
“Have you seen the innkeeper?” Darden asked Grifith while they were outside passing out food.
“I think he’s making his rounds,” said Grifith.
“I’ll check it out,” said Darden. He put down his basket of bread and headed inside. Another of the travelers just passed Darden some coins while he was handing out food. It wasn’t like Darden to refuse payment. He wanted to get it passed off to the innkeeper so they could divvy it up later, and also talk about the coins. They were from the Capitol.
The worry of the Capitol getting involved was becoming all the more of a reality. Darden needed to start making plans for Abigail and Grifith if they were to keep this new gig of theirs going. There was plenty of money now to fund their journey. He had thoughts of going to Myrus. Thousands of people were already starting to flock to the rising city after the Tcher invasion. They might be more welcoming of Abigail and her acts of generosity.
Darden walked through the halls keeping an eye out for the innkeeper. When he made the turn around the corner into the hallway he saw the door at the end of the hall was ajar. Darden picked up his pace to meet up with the innkeeper and discuss the future.
He got to the door and looked inside the room. Before Darden saw anything he heard the sounds of somebody chewing with their mouth opened. Then he looked behind him in the corner where the sound was coming from. The stranger was eating the innkeeper’s heart like an animal.
Darden yelled as loud as he could.
The stranger looked up at Darden while he continued to enjoy his delicacy. Then he smiled through blood covered teeth.
Darden did not wait for any kind of reasoning or explanation. He made a run for it while screaming for any kind of help.
“Help! Help!” he screamed. “Farrah! Farrah!”
The stranger scurried out of the hallway after Darden. The stranger started on the floor. He ran on his hands and feet after his new prey. Then he shifted his body. The man started to run on the balls of his feet. He hugged the wall of the hallway. His right foot stayed on the ground while his left foot pushed off of the wall. Every step forward kicked him higher into the air.
Doors started to open as people staying in the inn were drawn out from the calls for help. Heads turned as Darden and the stranger whisked past them. They were closely followed by screams of terror.
Abigail woke up from her slumber. She was feeling better. Her memories were starting to make more sense. Things were beginning to fall into place. She reached out and grabbed a cup from her nightstand. The Tamor Blood cut off the edge of drowsiness that was left over. She found herself drinking more each day. It gave her a clearer head.
Then she started to register the screams she was hearing. Darden was calling out her name.
Abigail opened the door. People were already out in the halls. There was a commotion up ahead. Abigail couldn’t make it out. Several people were crowding the hallways. Abigail was quick to grab her robe and head out to see what was going on.
But before Abigail could get anywhere the screams and panic came to her. The crowd suddenly shifted their movement and attention, and the crowd went running in her direction. Abigail remained still and let the crowd rush right past her like she was not even there.
Then the hallway cleared and everything was visible. The stranger from the room at the end of the hall had Darden cornered. The deranged stranger had Darden pinned against the wall with his leg stretched all the way up and his foot crushing Darden’s neck.
Nobody wanted to get close to the situation. Nobody wanted to be the next victim on the stranger’s list. Abigail stepped forward. She began to approach the stranger and her hostage, Darden.
After only a few feet the stranger turned his attention to Abigail. He looked at her with a crazed smile.
“There you are,” said the stranger. “You smell refreshed. Even sweeter than before.”
“Let him go,” said Abigail.
The man chuckled. He licked Darden across the cheek. Then he flicked his tongue between his lips with a bitter expression.
“Then come with me,” said the stranger. “There are others that want to meet you. They can show you what real power is.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Abigail.
The man growled his dissatisfaction.
“Who wants to see me?” Abigail asked.
“The Blood Beauties,” said the stranger. “They regret letting you slip through their fingers before. They never realized what you were capable of.”
A chill ran down everybody’s spine in the hallway at the mention of the Blood Beauties. They were focused in the Capitol, but their tales were spreading. People flocked out of the city just to be away from the Talons and the threat the Blood Beauties were posing. The worst of it was the Emperor never seemed to care, Heric or Nikali.
Grifith broke through the crowd. He had a cleaver in his hand. It was the closest weapon he could find.
“Let him go!” Grifith demanded. Then he ran forward without a second thought. He held his knife high and charged at the stranger holding his friend by the throat.
The red mouthed man pressed hard against Darden’s throat then kicked off and charged forward to meet Grifith head on. The two men collided with great force. Grifith hit the ground, but was able to drive the blade of his cleaver into the man’s chest before he fell.
The man staggered. He pulled the cleaver out and tossed the blade aside. Blood seeped out of him and stained his already ratty clothes. He locked eyes with Abigail. As he stepped forward he smeared blood all over his hands and licked it up.
Then Abigail felt a flurry of courage run past her. Guests at the inn, people she had healed, ran forward to tackle the stranger. Half a dozen men and women filled the hallway and brought the man down onto his back. They were not going to let him touch Abigail, their miracle.
The stranger started to laugh. His laugh carried through the in
n. He couldn’t fight back against his six opponents. They had him pinned to the ground. One man was striking blows across the stranger’s face.
Then the room began to heat up. Nobody noticed it at first, but shortly into the rumble sweat started to drip down everybody’s face in the pile on the floor. They assumed it was exertion and continued with the beat down of the crazed man.
But the man’s skin began to turn red. His body burned to the touch for the people that were holding him down. His laugh grew even louder.
Then his body erupted into fire. It startled everybody in the mob pinning him down, but they were not fast enough to escape the flames.
Abigail watched in horror as people she hardly knew began to burn alive before her very eyes.
The fire started to spread. The stranger looked up at Abigail with his usual bloody smile through the pile of bodies forming around him. “They’re coming for you.”
Then he died. Burnt alive by his own flames.
“Everybody out, now!” Abigail shouted to the rest of the people around her. Her words didn’t even need to be said. People were already making a run for their lives to escape the soon to be fiery inn.
Abigail hurried around the body of the stranger to tend to Darden and Grifith. She gave a quick glance at the wounds as she helped them to her feet.
“Thank you,” she said.
Darden could not talk. His throat was bruised from the stranger’s foot grip. He merely nodded his head.
Grifith took one arm of Darden’s and Abigail took the other. Together the three of them shuffled out of the inn before the fire had a chance to spread too much farther.
They were the last ones out of the inn. People were standing outside waiting for her. As soon as she emerged unharmed the people rushed to greet Abigail.
They were thankful she was still alive. She was their savior, and people already proved they would give their life for her. Those who survived owed debts of gratitude to those who sacrificed themselves to save Abigail.
The group pulled Abigail away from the inn as the fire began to rage harder. It lit up the sky and soon consumed the entire inn and tavern.
Abigail looked on in silence. She looked at the people around her. They were all in danger. She was being hunted now. The Blood Beauties were after her, and now she had no place to stay. They were going to be out on their own against the world.
Chapter 17
Nikali spit out the latest batch of Tamor Blood. He followed that by dumping out the entire barrel of liquid onto the floor. It spread and pooled around the room joining the massing flood of older Tamor Blood that Nikali had discarded earlier. The floor and walls of the Emperor’s private chambers were stained red from all the disarray.
“More!” Nikali yelled. He threw his cup across the room. It slammed against the wall and crashed to the floor spilling what was left inside the cup.
“More is not the answer,” said Cassandra. She and the Red Cast watched as Nikali sunk further and further into his disgust at his situation.
“Do you have an answer then?” Nikali growled. “You don’t understand what it’s like. You’re fine. You’re not rejecting the arcan.”
“I’m not overusing it,” said Cassandra.
Nikali glared at his friend and confidant. “I’m doing what has to be done.”
“No,” said Cassandra. “You’re wasting your abilities trying to bring Heric back. That is what is causing this.”
“No,” said Nikali. “I should just be able to drink more and get my powers back. It’s how I’ve always done it.”
“We are using arcan like we’ve never used it before. We don’t know anything, Nikali. We need to finish these translations. Maybe there is more in it than just techniques. Maybe it explains what is going on,” suggested Cassandra. She pointed at the books still mostly unread. Every new trick Nikali learned delayed their translations another few days. He would wander off and learn the ability and then try to use it against one of the council members or anybody he could latch on to. He was wasting time.
“I know what is going on!” Nikali yelled. “This stuff is worthless!” He bent down and scooped up some Tamor Blood from a puddle on the floor. Loudly, he sipped the drink from his hands. “Nothing!”
“Then why isn’t it happening to me?” Cassandra asked calmly.
“Because I am more powerful than you,” Nikali said with a hint of obviousness.
Cassandra held her tongue for a moment. She let the insult slide over her. One of them needed to remain calm.
Out of curiosity and stubbornness, Cassandra knelt down and took a handful of the same Tamor Blood from the ground. She took a drink. Immediately, she felt the usual tingle of power welcome itself.
“It’s fine,” said Cassandra. “You are over tasking yourself.”
“We need more powerful stuff,” repeated Nikali. He paced around the room. Frustration flowed through him, and he could not settle down.
“All of our plans,” continued Nikali. “We won’t be able to accomplish a thing if I can’t use my arcan.”
“You’ve been toying with the council for weeks now. What were you expecting?”
“I was expecting to wipe the floor with them because I am more powerful than them!”
“So what do we do now?” Cassandra asked.
“We find more power,” said Nikali.
“Where are we going to get more power?” Cassandra asked. “Aside from you eating the plants straight up, we have tried everything.”
“That doesn’t work either,” Nikali admitted.
Cassandra rubbed her temples. She was running out of patience with Nikali.
“I know where I can find more power,” Nikali suddenly revealed. He had a small twinkle in his eye. He drifted off for a second lost in his own thoughts.
Cassandra could not wait for Nikali to come back to her. “Nikali!” she shouted. “What is it?”
“The Blood Beauties have more power,” said Nikali. He couldn’t contain his smile. It was the widest Cassandra had ever seen it.
“No,” said Cassandra. “They are the problem.”
“Until they are our ally,” said Nikali.
“They are not like us,” said Cassandra. “They cut into our thoughts with ease last time we confronted them.”
“Your thoughts,” brushed off Nikali. “But that’s why they are the answer. Not the problem. The council is the problem. They are doing something differently. They have raw power we have not seen anywhere else. We need them.”
“No, said Cassandra again. “We have the books. We can look in there for answers.”
“It’s not in there,” said Nikali. “More power is just across the city. It’s so simple. Then when I’m back to full strength we will once again take full control of Eluan. Just like before. Don’t you want that?”
“Yes, Nikali, I do,” said Cassandra. “But we cannot trust the Blood Beauties. They are not one of us.”
“It’s the only way,” said Nikali. “I will wake Heric up. Then I will rip this city apart until I extinguish Mother, Seres, Quaet, Marina, and anybody else that wants to challenge me. I will show everybody why they should not forsake their god.”
Chapter 18
It was night. The moon was tucked away behind the clouds. The only available light was from torches and lanterns strung throughout the Capitol. While much of the Capitol slept, the Talons was still active as ever, even if it had less people in it. Despite all the workers and their family’s flocking to the palace, drunkards were still stumbling around looking for their next drink, and corner performances were still going on in the Talons. As long as the Tamor Blood was flowing the Talons would never really shut down.
Nikali walked through the crowded streets surrounded by the Red Cast. Cassandra refused to join him on this mission. Nikali was on his way to meet with the Blood Beauties. Cassandra’s first encounter with them was enough for her.
Nikali kept his head down and his hood up to keep his identity a secret. Nikali
did not want to risk any of the Council discovering his actions. He was tired of dealing with the old men and the righteous thinkers. They didn’t see the scope that Nikali saw. They were too afraid to discover Eluan’s true potential and power.
The crowd thinned out the closer they got to their destination. The blocks surrounding the brothel were all but empty. The only people left in the area were poor strangers passed out on the streets with no home to go to. Merchants and other residents had long since moved away from the area.
When they arrived at the former brothel, Nikali instructed the Red Cast to wait outside. None of the women argued with their emperor. There were only a few people near the doorway. A group of men and women with stained red chins and ragged clothes were sitting against the wall of the rundown brothel. The Red Cast stood guard outside the entrance of the building. They kept their attention on the group to the left of them on the other side of the doorway.
Nikali dismissed the people that were huddled throughout the building. He could see their heads turning as he walked past them. Nikali smiled. The Blood Beauties were trying to keep an eye on him. Nikali did not allow that. He reached out with his arcan. He felt the thoughts of the people in the building. They cried out for more. They wanted more arcan. They wanted more power. They wanted everything.
Then Nikali gave them one more thing to want. They wanted their sight back. Nikali had clouded their eyes. He enveloped their sight in darkness. As Nikali walked he could tell everybody was struggling to regain their vision and composure. They were no longer looking at Nikali. They were looking at oblivion. They felt around their face for any reason their sight could be gone. Nikali was no longer their concern.
Nikali stepped over several bodies that were crawling across the floor. They moaned in agony and begged for help. In the back of their thoughts there was the screaming of anger and displeasure. They could not escape it.
Nikali caught a sense of the anger filling the building, but he pushed it aside. He would deal with the situation soon enough. When he was at the top floor Nikali did not stop. He remembered which doorway to enter.
Eluan Falls: A Whisper of Fate Page 9