Eluan Falls: A Whisper of Fate

by Dane G. Kroll

  “I doubt they have the strength for that,” said Quaet.

  “Do not underestimate your enemy,” said Nikali. “Now, how do we break them once and for all?”

  The Royal Council was quiet. They did not have the answers for a war they had little interest in.

  “This is why we are failing,” said Nikali. “All of you are worthless!”

  Nikali slammed his hands onto the table, followed by his head. When he came back up blood trickled down his forehead. Nikali brushed his hands through his hair to tidy it up a little and in the process smear the blood over the top of his face.

  “I have every right to see you all executed for obstruction,” said Nikali. “I’m starting to believe that your mediocrity and shortcomings are deliberate in order to deface my reign as Emperor.”

  “That-” Quaet tried to say before Nikali cut him off.

  “No, I can do it!” Nikali said. “I can.”

  Deathly silence filled the council room.

  “But really how will that get us anywhere?” Nikali shrugged.

  A small sigh of relief came over the rest of the Council.

  “So I had a different idea,” revealed Nikali.

  “Nikali, if I may?” said Quaet.

  “No,” said Nikali. “You may not. I have a different plan. I need your loyalty. Your guaranteed, absolute, loyalty. I know you are not my men. Perhaps one day I will make my own Council, but for now you will have to do. So, that means that you are now all my loyal servants. Pledge your allegiance now or I will hunt down every last one of your family members and have them killed.”

  “You wouldn’t,” said Marais.

  “I would,” said Nikali. “Every one of them. Mother, father, sister, brother, your distant cousin that only writes looking for money. That whore you slept with and you paid off to bare her child in another city. I will find her and I will find that child. I will kill them all. I will eliminate your bloodline from the passages of Eluan. How many people ride on the shoulders of your names?”

  Nikali got to his feet, and continued to go higher. He stepped on the seat of the throne and propped himself up on to the council table. Nikali looked down from the top of the table onto the remaining councilmen.

  “Bow to your knees or run out of this room,” said Nikali. “Those are your choices. I am Eluan’s Emperor. I am Eluan’s army. I am Eluan’s god. I am everywhere. I am everything. And I am tired of this game. Myrus will fall by my hand, now, and my hand alone. I wanted to spare their lives, but their time is up. The sun is cool. The cattle are lost.”

  Nikali looked down at the quivering men that considered themselves the most powerful in the empire. They could not look Nikali directly in the eye.

  “What say you?” Nikali asked his councilmen.

  Quaet was the first to get out of his seat and take a knee.

  Then General Twell joined Quaet on the floor.

  Colonel Palin and Marais were quick to follow.

  The four remaining members of the Royal Council were on their knees bowing to their Emperor.

  “In your honor, Nikali Caning II,” said Quaet. The other three men repeated his words.

  “Good,” said Nikali. “Soon others will follow. Eluan will be whole again soon. That I promise, so says Charos.”

  “So says Charos,” echoed the Royal Council.

  Chapter 69

  “Nikali is our only salvation!” yelled one of the many protesters standing outside of the Myrus Senate House. Rashes of the Tcher Touch covered his skin, and many of those who had joined the protest. The mob of protesters was surrounded by a cloud of Cate and Willem bugs. But despite their distractions they were not disturbed from their mission. They knew the only hope for any kind of relief was through Emperor Nikali.

  “Farrah has done this to us!” continued the man yelling at others on the street. “She has brought the plagues of Tcher down onto our city, and still people go to her for help. We need to end this. We need to bring her to our Emperor. Only he will save us with the power of Charos. A sacrifice has to be made. Emperor Nikali demands it! If the people of Myrus join together we can defeat Farrah and her band of followers. We can end our plight!”

  Francesco de Seres listened to the man’s words from the top of the steps of the Senate House. He and his guards all kept their distance from the protesters. The isolation of the Senate House from the rest of the city helped prevent the Tcher Touch from reaching most of its inhabitants. Once the infection had spread wide enough nobody left the Senate House, but every day more and more of the infected arrived at their doorstep demanding for Seres to do something.

  Jordon accompanied Seres at the entrance of the Senate House to also listen to the protesters. He had been unable to leave the Senate since his latest visit due to the infection. He dared not risk making contact with the disease. For the moment Seres was stuck with Jordon at his side.

  “Tell them that Farrah is not the threat,” Jordon instructed.

  “I have,” said Seres.

  “Then tell them again.”

  Seres rolled his eyes. Jordon knew nothing about politics. Jordon and Abigail wanted to play fair with the people. They wanted to give them honesty. Honesty was not going to beat Nikali.

  Seres took several steps down the Senate entrance. He raised his arms and cleared his throat. It was enough to get the attention of many of the protesters. Seres waited for the area to grow quieter before he spoke.

  “Please, listen to me,” said Seres. “Farrah is not the threat. Nikali is the cause of all of this. It is he to blame for the plagues that have gripped our city.”

  “Farrah is the granddaughter of Aldrin the Ageless,” shouted a man from the crowd. “She brought the Tcher Touch with her!”

  Much of the crowd agreed with the man and shouted their approval of his words.

  “Nikali wants to free us!” shouted a woman. “The Canings have never let us down before. It’s you and the rest of your ilk destroying our cities.”

  Seres took in a deep breath. He wasn’t going to be able to reason with the people. Not anymore. With only a few words, Nikali was able to turn Seres’ people against him.

  “Look at him,” the woman continued to shout. “Look at all of them up there! They aren’t infected. They don’t know what it is like out here on the streets!”

  The crowd roared with anger. The people were growing restless. Feet began to inch forward. Jordon could see the movement of the crowd from the top of the steps. He slowly took several steps back. He was ready to run at a moment’s notice. The guards stood up straighter to attention, waiting for their commands. Seres did not budge. He would not give the protesters any more ground.

  “Strike them down,” Seres said, only loud enough for his soldiers to hear.

  There was a pause in the soldiers. Seres turned around when he saw that nobody was moving. He rushed forward and got into the face of the commanding officer.

  “I said go down there and execute them all,” said Seres.

  “They’re infected, sir,” said the commanding officer.

  “Then kill them with the tip of your sword,” suggested Seres. He was done arguing with his soldier and walked forward past his men back toward the entrance of the Senate House.

  Seres could hear his commanding officer call out the orders and then the steps roared to life with the sound of charging feet.

  “That is how you quell the disobedient,” said Seres as he approached Jordon. “I’ll have this city under my control again shortly. Backing Farrah was a fool’s errand.”

  Seres left Jordon to watch the Myrus soldiers slaughter the protesters at the bottom of the steps. The cries for help were short lived as very few of them escaped the soldiers’ wrath.

  Seres marched through the Senate House, ignoring anyone that approached him. He was not in the mood to deal with any issues at the moment. His destination was his personal quarters. He had instructed the servants of the house to no longer disturb his room under any circumstances. If Ser
es needed anything he would get it himself. Even the guards were missing outside of his room. Seres pulled out his key and unlocked the door.

  Seres did not need the help of anybody. He didn’t need servants. He didn’t need guards. He didn’t need the Suraya. He didn’t need anything. But there was one thing he wanted. And that was in jeopardy.

  “What happened out there?” Ellen asked as Seres entered their quarters. She was dressed in a silk robe that covered her entire body. Seres admired the way the dress draped over her figure. For a moment he was taken away from the problems that surrounded him and he remembered why he loved the woman standing in front of him.

  “It’s getting worse,” said Seres. “Nikali’s words are stuck in their heads. They will not trust Abigail.”

  “Were you attacked?” Ellen asked.

  “No,” said Seres. “I left before anybody could get close to me.”

  “Good,” said Ellen.

  “I had to sacrifice some soldiers though,” said Seres. “They will keep guard outside the Senate House from now on. It’ll leave us weaker inside, but we should suffice.”

  “Is the Suraya ready to mobilize yet?” Ellen asked.

  “I doubt it,” said Seres.

  “They are proving to be ineffective,” said Ellen.

  “They are leaderless,” said Seres. “They never knew the whole plan. That was for Alexus to know, and the fool, Quaet. I thought I could take that role, but they just want me to be their tool and nothing more.”

  “We are running out of time,” said Ellen. “We need to do something to change the situation or we will lose flat out.” Her words were broken by bouts of pain. Her body wavered, but Ellen was able to hold strong and stay standing.

  “How are you doing?” Seres asked his lover.

  “It is getting worse,” said Ellen. “I can’t hold it back much longer.”

  She untied her robe and pulled it back to reveal her naked stomach and chest to Francesco. The Tcher Touch was spreading down her ribs and beginning to reach onto her hips.

  “I’m going out tonight to get more Tamor Blood,” said Ellen. “Maybe they can show me more on how to use it. If Abigail can heal the Tcher Touch then it is possible to learn it. I can heal myself and then save the city. Then we won’t need Abigail or the Suraya.”

  “And what if you can’t?” Seres asked.

  “Then I will do whatever it takes,” said Ellen.

  Chapter 70

  Ellen was covered by a cape and cowl as she walked through the depressing streets of Myrus. She kept her head down in order to not be noticed by anybody as she walked past them. She didn’t count on anybody from the streets recognizing her, but she had to be cautious. Nobody could know what she was doing out of the Senate House and nobody could know she had the Tcher Touch.

  The burn was beginning to reach up her shoulders and around her neck. What little arcan Ellen had was no longer enough to hold back the infection.

  It was a risk to seek Abigail’s help. The Suraya were watching the Senate House. If they saw Ellen there they would learn of her secret ventures.

  Instead, Ellen stayed the course. The Blood Beauties had been generous so far. They showed her how to channel her arcan. They were impressed with the ease she was controlling it. Ellen wasn’t surprised. She was always a gifted student and a quick learner.

  But it was time to move on to the next level. The pain of the Tcher Touch was growing to be unbearable. Ellen needed a solution soon, and the only people she knew that could help were the Blood Beauties.

  Ellen came up to the usual alley behind the rundown bar that housed the deals the Blood Beauties made. It was a pleasant change from the rest of the city. The infestation of insects was less abundant. It even felt like the burning of Ellen’s infection was numbing.

  “Welcome back,” whispered the Blood Beauties. Their voices were intimate in Ellen’s ear, but they were nowhere to be seen.

  “I need your help,” said Ellen. “I can’t hold back the infection much longer. It hurts so much.”

  “Yes, of course,” whispered the Blood Beauties. “Please, come closer.”

  Ellen stepped further into the alleyway. She could see the shadows of men and women lying in garbage and in piles of one another. Nobody stirred as she made her approach.

  “Can you help me grow stronger?” Ellen asked.

  “It will take time,” whispered the Blood Beauties. “Your body is frail.”

  “I am not frail,” said Ellen.

  “Your mind is strong,” said the Blood Beauties. “But you cannot argue for the body.”

  Ellen kept quiet as she continued walking deeper into the alley than she had ever been before. Usually, the Blood Beauties appeared before this. They were letting her get deeper into their lair.

  “I do not have time,” said Ellen. As she spoke she could feel a surge of pain come from her infection. It pulsed with fire then diminished yet again.

  “Then you have few options left,” said the Blood Beauty as she appeared out of the shadows from behind Ellen. She was quickly followed by the other two.

  “Show me what to do,” said Ellen. She stood her ground. She wasn’t going to let three whores scare her, even with their powers Ellen was still the former Empress of Eluan and arguably still one of the most powerful people in all of the empire.

  “We do not have the power to cure you,” said the Blood Beauties.

  “Then what have we been doing?” Ellen demanded to know.

  “Guiding you,” said the Blood Beauties.

  “I can’t hold it back any longer,” said Ellen. “I need more Tamor Blood. I need something stronger.”

  “You are growing stronger,” said the Blood Beauties. “But this infection is stronger still. Only one person can save you, now.”

  “I cannot go to Farrah,” said Ellen. “They could learn about my connection here. I cannot have that.”

  “Then it is good that Farrah is not the one we speak of,” said the Blood Beauties.

  “Who?” Ellen asked.

  “Nikali has the power to save you,” chuckled the Blood Beauties.

  “No,” said Ellen. “I will not go to him.”

  “Nikali has the power of Charos. He will tame your infection. It is the only way.”

  “There has to be another way,” said Ellen.

  “You wait, and grow stronger. You can beat the infection if the infection doesn’t kill you first,” said the Blood Beauties.

  The pain returned to Ellen’s skin. She could feel the burning sensation wrap around her body.

  Mareen stepped forward. In her hand was a flask of more Tamor Blood. She handed it to Ellen.

  “This is stronger than the last batch,” said the Blood Beauty. “Your body can take it.”

  Ellen took the flask in her hand. Without a hesitation she began to gulp down the entire container of Tamor Blood to fulfill her thirst.

  “Feel the infection,” instructed Mareen. “And tear it from your skin. Rip it apart with your arcan.”

  Ellen felt her spine tingle. She pushed her arcan through her body and felt for the burning infection. The arcan cooled her skin and soothed away the pain. She looked down at her chest. The infection was receding.

  “I can do this,” proclaimed Ellen.

  The Blood Beauties smiled at Ellen. They nodded their heads in acknowledgement of her power.

  Then the infection began to break out back across her skin. It stretched out farther than it had before Ellen treated it.

  “No!” Ellen shouted. The pain was stronger than before. The infection was growing in strength.

  Ellen looked up for further guidance, but the Blood Beauties were gone. They had left her to her fate.

  “You are strong,” whispered the Blood Beauties. “But Nikali is stronger.”

  Then the Blood Beauties’ presences were gone. Ellen was truly alone in the alley with dozens of strangers passed out from the comforting effects of Tamor Blood.

  Chapter 71


  Abigail’s room pulsed with energy. Cracks spread across the walls inch by inch each time Abigail surged the arcan out of her body. Every time Abigail’s released her powers the air grew heavy. A stack of books crumbled under the invisible weight. Abigail’s chair splintered into pieces. She would bring the whole room down around her if that's what it took to rid her body of the poison that Grifith had given her.

  She hid her pain from the others. Abigail could not let the others know of the doubt and fear that was coursing through her thoughts. She knew there would be suffering, sacrifice, and sorrow. Abigail thought she could move forward and make it to the end. But the course that destiny was taking was now too much.

  The look on Grifith’s face was enough to say it all. He had been obedient to Abigail since the moment he laid eyes on her. He was transfixed by her power and it had finally gone too far.

  Abigail could feel it now. She could feel the corruption in her heart that the Blood Beauties had placed inside of her. Their power was blinding, especially for Abigail, who despite her abilities, was still a novice in arcan. But now that the truth was out Abigail felt shame for being so foolish.

  Another surge of arcan raged out of Abigail. This time the ground beneath her feet shook. The Senate House shifted in its foundation. When her latest blast of energy subsided Abigail could hear the sounds of feet shuttling across the floor, and worried conversations spark up.

  But Abigail was not to be disturbed. Not until she was free from the tainting of the Blood Beauties.

  “You must be careful, Abigail,” whispered into Abigail’s ear.

  Abigail turned her head to see who was talking, but there was no one else in the room. She was alone with nothing but her thoughts and the voices in her head.

  “You can’t get rid of us, Abigail,” whispered the Blood Beauties. Their voices echoed in Abigail’s mind. They spoke with her memories. When the Blood Beauties spoke Abigail heard the sound of Alexus’ voice. It was comforting, but Abigail knew it wasn’t right. Despite the voice she knew it was the Blood Beauties that were talking.