“That is not him,” said Seres. “It’s one of the women from the Red Cast.”
“Then take her down,” said Jordon. “Show us that you are the war hero we were looking for.”
“I need to know more before I send my men into a battle with an unknown force,” said Seres.
“It is one woman,” argued Jordon.
“With powerful arcan,” said Seres. “We got through Nikali’s army because they were untrained. The Red Cast is different. I’ve seen enough reports to know that.”
“You are afraid?” Jordon accused Seres.
“No,” said Seres.
“Then you are delaying retaliation because you are working for Emperor Nikali.”
“That’s absurd,” said Seres. “I would never join with him.”
“The company you keep begs to differ,” said Jordon looking over at Ellen.
Ellen snarled. She stood to her feet. Deep breaths broke through her silent ferocity. “You still think because I am Nikali’s mother that I will not go to war against him?”
“So far you have shown us nothing to prove otherwise,” said Jordon. “You brought us Farrah. For that we thank you. But now that the lines have been drawn you do not act. We wanted to wait, but unfortunately that is no longer an option. Nikali is here. Now is the time to strike at the Emperor. The Capitol is in disarray. We can show strength. The Royal Council is already cracking. They will either wither away under Nikali or find themselves another leader. That can be the Suraya. But that means we have to make it known that we can challenge Nikali. Not just stand up to him, but fight back. Even without Louson on our side.”
“It is not the time,” said Seres.
“It is the time,” said Jordon. “If not, then the rest of the Suraya will find another leader more willing to act.”
“There is no one else willing to challenge Nikali,” said Seres.
“Don’t be so sure,” said Jordon. “Quaet is handling things in the Capitol as we speak. Perhaps, he should handle things here as well?” answered Jordon.
Jordon smiled. “You’ve positioned yourself very well. But that does not mean we won’t go to him fully. Make a blow against Nikali or the Suraya will strike you down. Understood?”
“With what?” Seres called Jordon’s bluff. “I’ve seen your storage. You have food. You have blankets. But you do not have weapons. You came to me because you have no way to strike out at your enemy.”
Jordon was quiet at first. He looked away from Seres unable to confront the truth that Francesco was saying. “Then you can sleep soundly.”
“I plan to,” said Seres.
Then Jordon took a step back from Seres. He was through discussing the matter. The Suraya wanted results. That was all that mattered.
Seres fumed as he watched Jordon leave his quarters. He was growing tired of watching other less capable men lead him and his army around.
Chapter 62
The next morning, Francesco de Seres couldn’t hear the rumbling of the crowd outside of the Senate House, but he knew they were there. The view out of every window was the same. Angry Myrus citizens stood together in a massive protest despite the remaining swarms of Cate and Willem bugs still infesting the city.
The bugs created a white noise that dimmed the sound of voices and limited visibility all throughout Myrus. It was like living in a dense fog that also tickled across the skin. Even Seres was not immune to the infestation inside of the Senate House. The tiny dual bugs fluttered by his head. He swatted away the bugs that he could. His effort was futile, but he couldn’t help instinct. As quickly as the bugs dodged his hand they returned to their annoying presence.
By the afternoon, Seres could no longer put off talking to the people. He had to reassure them about the situation and that his men were solving the situation, even though he had no real course of action. How does an army fight against a swarm of insects?
Impatiently, Seres waited in the grand entrance of the Senate House. He sent a messenger earlier demanding to speak with Abigail. While he doubted that Abigail was responsible for the swarm of bugs Seres couldn’t help but feel there was a hint of truth to the matter. The Suraya were demanding answers, and so was Seres.
The crowd was beginning to grow louder. Voices were starting to break through the white noise of the Cate and Willem bugs. Seres peeked out the window to see the mob of people was growing.
“Sir,” interrupted one of the servants. Seres broke free from his gaze outside to address his messenger.
Odessa stood behind the servant. Seres did not bother to hide his dissatisfaction when he saw her and not Abigail.
“I sent for Farrah,” said Seres. “I’m through talking with you.”
“Too bad,” said Odessa.
“I want to speak with Farrah.”
“She is preoccupied,” said Odessa.
“I do not care,” said Seres. “There are more pressing matters at the moment. I need to show those people out there that Farrah did not cause this mess we are in. If she is by my side, the easier it will be to convince them.”
“Tell them Farrah is working on it,” said Odessa.
“That is not enough,” said Seres. “Not anymore.”
“And why is that?” Odessa asked.
“Because I do not believe it,” said Seres. “It’s time Farrah showed more than generosity. She needs to put on a display of power to quell the doubters out there. Half the people still think she’s the enemy. Nikali has people’s fear amped up across the empire worrying about remaining Tcher soldiers, and here is Farrah the granddaughter of the worst Tcher of them all. Now, a swarm of bugs infest our city lured in by a giant garden made by Farrah. People are starting to call for her head.”
“Then you can understand our hesitation to bring her out to the public,” said Odessa sternly.
“I thought Farrah’s stance was to not be afraid,” said Seres.
Odessa looked away from Seres as she spoke.
“This is what Nikali wants,” said Seres.
“It is Farrah’s decision to make,” argued Odessa.
“No, not anymore,” said Seres. “There is too much riding on this now. She cannot hide from the public. This is the time to show strength. Too many people are depending on Farrah’s leadership, including me. Myrus is the last stand against Nikali’s reign. If we fall then there is nothing to stop him from destroying everything that Eluan has built. He is a plague, and out there is what you will see across the empire if we do not stop him soon.”
The next words were hard for Odessa to get out, but after a bit of silence she found her courage. “I will do what I can. Farrah is hiding behind her fear. She is hesitant to attack Nikali. I do not know why.”
“How much do you know about Farrah’s past?” Seres asked.
“Enough,” said Odessa. “She’s mentioned her time at the Capitol, and living in the palace.”
“Of course,” said Seres. That was enough for Seres to pick up that Odessa did not know the entire story. He knew exactly why Abigail would not strike against Nikali. She still considered him a friend.
“If we are going to survive this then I need you on my side, Odessa,” continued Seres. “We are going to war. I’m sure you understand the gravity of the situation. We can’t beat Nikali without Farrah. She is the only way.”
“I know,” said Odessa.
“Then get on it,” said Seres.
Odessa nodded. It was time for her to be less kind with her commander and push Abigail into the forefront.
Seres turned his attention to the new task at hand. He had to address the people outside with or without Abigail.
The servants readied themselves at the double doors to the entrance of the house. Seres kept his pace quick. Just before hitting the doors they opened and closed just as quickly. The speed was ideal, but more bugs still managed to get inside the building.
Seres raised his hands to grab the attention of the people. He concentrated on not swiping at the bugs that surrounded h
im. He wanted to show the people outside that the bugs were irrelevant to him.
But the crowd did not settle down with Seres’ arrival. People began to shout louder than ever. They were calling for Abigail to leave Myrus.
Seres stood in silence. He let the crowd yell and shout their lungs out. Before long they began to quiet down and it allowed Seres the chance to finally speak.
“Please, allow me to explain the situation,” said Seres.
“She needs to go!” shouted a man in one of the first rows of the mob at the bottom of the steps. Seres acknowledged him with a head nod then continued talking.
“No,” said Seres. “This is what Emperor Nikali is after. He is trying to divide us. This is his work.”
“Farrah brought the bugs here. Not Nikali. It was her garden. She lured them here to harm us,” said another man in the crowd. Seres shook his head at the man in disagreement.
“As we speak, Farrah is working on solving the problem,” assured Seres.
“Or working on her next attack!” shouted a woman's voice in the crowd. Seres could not find the source of the words.
“Farrah means none of you any harm,” said Seres. “She is a champion of the people. Her work was destroyed by this infestation. It was short lived, but it brought beauty to Myrus that the city has never seen before. Emperor Nikali is the one that wants to see Myrus fall.”
“The Emperor hasn’t been anywhere near the city!” shouted another woman's voice from the crowd. Seres quickly scanned the area to find the source, but yet again the speaker’s identity was clouded in a sea of people and bugs.
“Tcher is attacking!” yelled a third faceless voice in the mob.
“No! No!” shouted Seres trying to calm down the crowd. “The threats of Tcher have been exaggerated. They are no longer a threat.”
“They’re going to burn the city to the ground!”
Seres scanned the crowd again. He could not find the people speaking in the crowd. Their words were short and nobody had the body language of having just spoken with a raised voice. Usually a person had an expression of excitement and energy as they waited for others to echo their claims. There was no such activity happening in the crowd. Whoever the people were that were speaking were smart enough to disappear into the mob.
The crowd was starting to grow restless. Their fears of Tcher were consuming their thoughts. They began to demand action from Seres.
“We will rid this city of the infestation,” said Seres. “Nikali will not break Myrus!”
“You’re lying!”
“It’s not Nikali!”
“You’re protecting a Tcher criminal!”
The last barrage of complaints riled up the crowd even more. Seres’ voice could no longer rise higher than theirs. More yelling and demands for Farrah to surrender herself were called for.
Then a man began to rush up the steps toward Seres. For a moment Seres was mesmerized by the man’s charge. His limbs flailed wildly. His arms dangled behind him as the man ran at top speed. Even the man’s feet appeared to barely touch the stone steps.
Seres reached for his sword, but held back. He couldn’t strike the man down, not in front of his citizens. Instead, Seres braced himself for impact. The man never slowed down. As he got closer Seres looked the man in the eyes. The man appeared uninterested, almost in a daze.
Then they collided. Seres never moved an inch. The man crumbled to the ground with a simple nudge of Seres’ shoulder. One look and Seres could tell the man was dead. His neck was broken.
Something was wrong. Seres did not know what, but the man should not have died, at least not by Seres’ hand. Unfortunately, Seres did not have the time to properly conclude on the situation. The death of the running man just made him a martyr.
The crowd stared in silence.
Seres had little choice. He had to lean into the events that were unfolding. If he didn’t claim responsibility, nobody would believe him anyway.
“There will be no action against, Farrah,” Seres scolded. “Or others will end up just like this man. He thought to challenge me. I suggest the rest of you think otherwise. Nikali is the enemy. Not her. Not me.”
Then Seres dismissed himself. He returned back inside to his bug infested home. Things were getting out of hand. The people didn’t understand. There was trickery all over.
Seres knew what arcan was capable of, but he was only now learning what Nikali and his agents were capable of.
Chapter 63
A starless sky hung over Myrus. Even the moon was no longer visible. Every night that Myrus did not deliver Abigail into the hands of Nikali and his allies the night grew darker and darker. There was never a cloud in the sky. The night sky would simply fade away until morning.
Like every night, just as night was taking hold, the lone lantern outside the gates of Myrus was struck. It was the one beacon of existence outside the borders of the city. Despite its welcoming presence the soldiers standing guard outside of Myrus were ordered to never approach it.
Until that night.
Seres readied one of his legions for an attack against the member of the Red Cast that was the lone soldier for Nikali. She was out in the open and vulnerable, Seres hoped, and his worries that Nikali was somewhere in hiding were mere paranoia, Seres hoped as well. A recent report came in from his spies in Eluan. Nikali was seen in the Capitol some days ago. Hopefully, timing was on Seres’ side. This mission was a gamble, but Seres needed to show the Suraya what Nikali's side was capable of.
Still, a nagging feeling wrestled with Seres’ thoughts. He had seen not only Nikali but the entire Eluan army jump across the sea in a single instant. How far could Nikali travel?
Odessa guided her horse next to Seres. She greeted him with the usual disinterest that she showed toward him. They were allies, but not friends.
“Is Farrah safe?” Seres asked.
“Yes,” said Odessa. “Paltro is guarding her.”
“Good,” said Seres. “You’ll ride with me. We’re in the rear.”
The legion moved quietly through the pitch black night. Once outside the city the only light available was the lone lantern held by the Red Cast member, Elia. It was simple enough to navigate: head towards the light.
There was no talking. Most of the soldiers were on foot, marching toward their enemy. Seres wanted the element of surprise. Even the soldiers’ breathing was light and shallow. Any little sound sent a startled soldiers’ eye darting in any direction. The darkness amplified the fear of the surrounding area. The lantern was their target, but what else was out there in the open fields of the night.
The legion was getting closer to the lantern. A lone dark figure was taking shape in its light. The small woman was draped underneath a cape that came near to the ground. The men on the front line could see the hint of red coming from her silhouette.
Seres looked out over his legion and at the distance toward the Red Cast member. At this point, he knew the area by heart. Every day Seres looked out at this open field during the day. The legion was now close enough to charge and Elia would not have a chance to escape. There was no place to run and hide. She was on her own.
“Hang back with me,” Seres whispered to Odessa.
Then Seres yelled out for his men to hear his commands. “Charge!”
The legion roared to life. They shouted and hollered at the top of their lungs for more motivation. Their silent marching erupted into a wave of dust as the earth shook under their feet. The legion was on a direct course for the lantern and their lone target from the Red Cast.
Odessa did as she was told. She slowed her horse and let the legion charge off without her or Seres.
“We should be in the battle,” said Odessa when she felt the presence of Seres join her side. It was too dark for them to actually see face to face.
“No,” said Seres. “We’re just here to observe. We need to know our enemy. What they are capable of.”
Then the open field erupted into flames. Soldiers throu
ghout the legion lit torches and began to spread the fire in the direction of a circle surrounding their enemy.
It was not long before a ring of fire surrounded Elia. The fire lit up the battlefield. Myrus soldiers kept the fire controlled and only let it consume inward toward their enemy.
Elia was fully visible. She stood still, unconcerned about the raging flames around her.
“I’ve seen arcan users manipulate fire,” Seres told Odessa. “But never this much and never with an army at its heels.”
“Do you think it will stop her then?” Odessa asked.
“In theory,” said Seres.
The fire was growing closer to Elia. It was getting dangerously close to completely consuming her, but she never faltered. The Myrus soldiers roared in triumph as they were ready to witness their enemy be burned alive. Their fears were for nothing.
The fire started to flicker. The air grew thick. It put pressure down on the flames. The fire that was once quickly spreading came to a halt. Elia was using her arcan to put out the Myrus attack.
“Sound the horns,” ordered Seres to his nearby men. “Order the soldiers to attack.”
The horns bellowed out into the night. Instinct kicked in for the legion. They heard the horns and immediately knew what to do. The fire had spread for several yards deep into the circle they had formed, but Elia’s arcan was weakening it, and they had their orders. Every man rushed forward into the flames and toward Elia.
The soldiers stormed through the fire surrounding Elia. Then the temperature dropped. The fire continued to burn, but every soldier could feel their limbs grow numb. Their breath steamed out of their mouths in awe.
“What is that?” Odessa asked.
“What we’re up against,” said Seres.
The fire at their feet burned, but the air above the soldiers’ heads was briskly cold. The chill went down their spine and they could feel the sweat on their skin begin to freeze. The two competing temperatures were so drastic the soldiers did not notice the effect from either side until it was too late.
Eluan Falls: A Whisper of Fate Page 30