“You sold your stock the way you saw fit at the time,” Heric scolded. “You choose poorly on your buyer, but it is nobody’s concern but your own. You are owed nothing. That will be all.”
Heric waved the man off. The guards approached him, but there was no need. The man stood up and walked out on his own, unhappy that his emperor had not seen in his favor. He scolded Heric under his breath. Heric heard a bit of what came out of the man’s mouth. He was meant to. There would be no repercussions. Heric did not care about the man and his problems.
Forman came to stand behind Heric. He whispered to him when the others in the room were out of earshot.
“Be kinder,” said Forman. “That’s the seventh man you’ve nearly berated.
“I shouldn’t be here,” said Heric.
“This is exactly where you should be. The army is near the shore. There will be a report in a couple of days. There is nothing you can do about it until then. You must continue with your duties here at the Capitol.”
“The full force of Eluan should be headed to the shores, not just an army.”
“And guarantee a war?” concerned Forman.
“If it means we are victorious, yes,” said Heric.
“Sending even close to the entire Eluan Empire to battle is what got us in trouble the last time,” said Forman. “The Capitol was left near defenseless against the avadon hordes. That cannot happen again.”
“You do not have to continue to remind me,” said Heric.
“Then stop fighting your role as Emperor, or give it up.”
Heric remained quiet. He looked Forman straight in the eye. Forman did not budge. He towered over the sitting Heric, even in the throne.
“Next,” yelled out Heric. He did not look at the entrance to the room; instead he continued to stare down his confidant, Forman. Nobody would take away Heric’s duties. They were his burden and his alone.
Outside the grand hall, a line of people stood ready at the door. The guards manned their posts only letting one in at a time. The line stretched from the doors of the grand hall all the way outside the palace and around the corner. It had been a bad year for Eluan.
Approaching from down the hall was Nikali. He bypassed the entire line. Nobody said a word. The fury arck walked beside his master. It stuck its tongue out at all the people it passed. Everybody they passed all had needles run down their spine. The torches that hung on the wall wivered in his presence. For the first time in years he was dressed in gowns suited for the royal class. His dark black hair was pulled back into a ponytail. He walked straight up to the guards nearly ignoring them.
The guards put their hands up to physically stop Nikali from going any further. The line of people grumbled under their breath. Then sudden pains caught in their throats and they all silenced.
“Step aside. I’m here to see the Emperor,” Nikali ordered. The guards did not budge.
“The Emperor is already engaged with somebody else. Get in line. Maybe he will get to you,” said one of the guards.
“He will see me,” said Nikali. He used his arcan to shake the doors. They rattled in their hinges but did not move. The two guards turned to find the cause of the disturbance with no result.
“My name is Nikali Caning II. I have every right to see the Emperor,” said Nikali.
“There are no other Canings,” scoffed one of the guards. Nikali frowned on the man’s ignorance. The fury arck snapped its jaws at the guard. The doors shook violently. They nearly bounced out of their frame.
The two guards jumped at the animal. They pulled out their weapons. The crowd stepped aside giving the fury arck more space.
“Let me through,” said Nikali.
The guards held their stance.
“Very well,” said Nikali. Suddenly the guard closest to the door reached out for the handle. The guard looked stunned at his own actions. His hand shook in resistance, but it continued its journey to the door.
“Don’t give in to him,” yelled the other guard.
“He sees the error of his ways,” said Nikali. “As should you.”
The other guard immediately dropped his sword. His fingers remained stretched out. His control was gone. The fury arck stuck out its head toward the man’s hand. It licked his fingers, giving each one a little nibble.
“Feed in the water. The ants walk in line,” mused Nikali.
Then the door to the great hall opened behind them. Nikali looked up with a smile on his face.
“Forman, wonderful to see you,” he said.
Forman drew his sword without hesitation. “Guards,” he yelled inside the grand hall.
Nikali did not move. He merely turned his attention to his cousin’s confidant. Forman could feel the pressure building around his body. The weight grew on his back, but it did not stop him. He charged toward Nikali.
The door opened wide as more guards entered the hallway. Nikali’s power stretched further. Forman continued his pursuit. His knees shook under him, but he came face to face with Nikali.
“Impressive,” said Nikali.
“Never again,” Forman replied.
Forman grabbed Nikali’s throat. Oxygen was cut off. Nikali struggled to fight back, but Forman would not let go. He could feel the pressure start to relieve around his body.
“Nikali Canning II, you are under arrest for the abandonment of the empire in time of war. You will be held in the dungeons until your punishment is issued.”
Nikali’s eyes rolled behind his head. He tried to fight the lack of oxygen. He pushed his arcan further. Blood began to tear out of his eye. Forman did not let go despite the weight crushing his body. Finally, Nikali passed out as the guards swarmed him.
Chapter 20
The footsteps echoed across the bowels of the palace. Heric walked briskly through the damp tunnels. Up above, the palace was a symbol of beauty and royalty, but below held the rougher sides of the empire. Prisoners of importance could be held below indefinitely. Many traitors of the empire had spent the remaining years of their lives in chambers deeper down. It kept Eluan’s enemies close at hand, and the palace was always guarded.
The palace dungeons had a new resident that day. Nikali was alone in his cell. He sat on a chair in the middle of the empty room. The only light came from the torches in the hallway. It sneaked in through the view hole in the door. Nikali’s hands were chained to the ground before him. He kept his head down, his eyes never left the sight of his restraints. His hair hung down across his face. It swayed back and forth to the music in his head.
Heric rounded the corner to Nikali’s cell. Forman hurried to keep up with him. Heric had not said a word since hearing of the news that Forman had arrested Nikali. Heric’s anger worried him. Forman had never seen him so furious. He tried to explain his actions.
“He is a threat,” he said to his emperor.
“He is my cousin. He saved our lives,” said Heric.
“From a danger he very well may have put us in to begin with,” argued Forman. “You’ve seen what he can do. That level of arcan is unprecedented. Then he abandoned us in our time of need. We cannot let him roam around the empire anymore. It is my duty to protect you and this empire. He is your cousin, but Nikali needs to be contained.”
Heric stopped suddenly to turn and face Forman. They stared coldly at each other; neither man willing to budge to the other’s wishes.
“Forman, please go see to the guards that Nikali attacked and to the rest of the people waiting to present to me. Tell them the rest of the day is canceled. I will speak to Nikali alone. Thank you.”
“I highly advise against that, sir,” said Forman.
“Understood, but you have your orders.”
Forman turned around without another word. It was rare that Heric would pull rank on Forman like he did. They always considered themselves near equals. But Forman knew when he had to back down. Family came first.
Heric waited until Forman was gone from the palace dungeons. Then he approached Ni
kali’s cell. He peered through the view hole in the door. Nikali sat quietly with his head down swaying back and forth. He found it to be an odd sight. Nikali was dressed as nice as any royalty he had ever seen, his bright clothes clashed against the dank cell walls.
“I picked out the outfit just for the occasion,” said Nikali. Heric tipped back on his feet. He didn’t know Nikali was aware of his presence.
“This was the outfit my father wore when he returned from the battle at Staul,” Nikali continued. “Upon his return, his brother, your father, welcomed him with open arms. The Capitol feasted for four days after that.” Nikali’s chains jingled against the cold ground. He was holding in his laughter.
“They knew he was returning,” said Heric.
Nikali reared his head toward Heric. It hung off his shoulders sideways. “Were you not expecting me?”
“Where have you been, Nikali?” Heric asked.
Nikali bounced up and down in his chair. He bat his feet against the ground several times. “Nowhere,” he giggled.
“Forman’s claims for your arrest are not unfounded. You need to start talking. I want to help you.”
“Like you helped Abigail?” Nikali hissed. He stopped moving. His eyes burned into Heric.
“What do you know of it?” Heric gnarled. “You were gone before she was.”
“So she is missing,” stated Nikali. “You were supposed to protect her.”
“She was under the care of the Empress and the royal house.”
“I warned you not to trust the Arraws. They tried to kill us.”
“I know nothing of that, Nikali. Only a dead man will vouch for you now.”
“Dark skies blanket the desert. Turtles swim in the clouds,” mumbled Nikali.
“Enough with your ramblings,” ordered Heric. “It does not matter. Your warning came too late. Abigail went missing during the battle at the Capitol. Just as you did. You were too late.”
“There was nothing this city could offer me. I left,” said Nikali.
“You abandoned us. You abandoned her. If you knew the Arraws were dangerous you should have told me sooner. You should not have left Abigail in the care of Marina.”
Nikali was silent.
“What have you heard?” Heric asked. “I have had men searching for her since the day I discovered her missing. They have only found clues, whispers amongst people in the Talons. Where is she, Nikali? Do you know?”
Nikali’s head dropped between his legs. He let out a yell of anger and pain. “The Talons,” he said.
“What about it?”
“There is a new gang in the Talons. They take body parts. One of their trophies is the orange eyes of a Prial.”
“No,” said Heric.
“She is dead, Heric. Marina had something to do with it. I know it,” said Nikali.
“No,” said Heric. He braced himself up against the door. His hopes crashing at his feet. “I said I would protect her. We were going to be together. I loved her.”
“Heric,” Nikali yelled to get the attention of his cousin back. “Heric, I swear to you I will get vengeance on the group that hurt her. Let me go and I will stop at nothing. I will carve a path of destruction through the Talons and any other shithole in this empire that I have to to avenge Abigail. For you. For me. For the both of us.”
“No,” said Heric. He continued after a moment. “No, I will handle this. I am the Emperor. It was my duty to protect her. I cannot have you attacking everybody in the Talons because of Abigail. She would not want that.”
“Let me free, Heric,” said Nikali.
“Forman says you attacked him when you saw him. You used your arcan to crush him to the ground.”
“He stood his ground,” said Nikali.
“Then you’ve used up a lot of your power,” said Heric.
“Don’t do this, Heric,” Nikali begged.
“Forman is right. You are too dangerous to have roam free right now.”
“No.”
“Stay here, Nikali. Calm down. Abigail is gone. She was your friend. But she was my lover. I will avenge her. Then we will find a way to move on.”
Heric walked away from the door. “I will be back, Nikali.”
“Don’t do this, Heric,” Nikali screamed. “I can help you. I can help you!”
Heric did not listen. He continued walking. Nikali was left alone screaming into the shadows.
Chapter 21
The sun dipped down below the sea’s horizon. Aldrin found himself looking out to the west more often than ever before. New enemies lay out there. They were the next great challenge for his men. He would be sure to deliver it to them.
Aldrin returned to the hull of his ship. At his side were Eviton and Genom. They were the deadliest warriors he had. They acted as statues beside the entrance to his quarters. They would not say a word or move unless ordered or provoked. He was proud of them.
Aldrin sat and enjoyed his meal. Since returning to the mainland Aldrin was able to enjoy delicacies that he had been without for many years.
Then his meal was disturbed by the sound of knocking on the door. His two guards readied themselves for attack. The door cracked open. A hand appeared, signaling the guards to yield. They were friendly. Falon walked in unalarmed by Eviton and Genom around him with their swords at the ready. He walked straight to his leader to address him.
“Greetings, Father Aldrin,” said Falon. “You have a visitor.”
Aldrin tore himself from the sight of the sun in the west. Falon’s announcement intrigued him. “I said not to disturb me.”
“Their credentials prove worthy,” said Falon.
“Kill them,” said Aldrin, cutting off Falon. He had no further concerns. Eviton and Genom pulled out their swords and turned to the exit.
“She demands to speak to you,” said Falon. “She says she has a gift you have asked for.”
Aldrin threw his hands up. He stopped his two soldiers. “She? Very well. Send them in.”
Falon retreated outside. Shortly after, he returned with his three guests; Empress Marina, Kastor, and Tyeche. The two Louson guards dragged in the trunk they had been traveling with.
“Greetings, Aldrin,” said Marina. “Thank you for seeing us.”
“Marina,” said Aldrin. “You’re early. You were supposed to stay at the Capitol.”
Kastor and Tyeche blocked the paths of Eviton and Genom from getting to the Empress. Only Falon could make a move. Marina kept her eyes on Aldrin.
“Heric has grown wary of me. I had to move quickly,” she said. “He is a fool.”
“Indeed,” Aldrin agreed. “Heric has not yet learned his place in this world. I intend to show him that he bows to me.”
“Then I am here to honor our bargain,” said Marina. “I apologize for the suddenness of it all, but Heric did not leave me much choice.”
“In the trunk?” Aldrin asked, nearly disgusted.
“Yes,” said Marina. “And I will accompany you to the forest. There we will meet the rest of my party. Together we will slay the avadons and show the worlds who their true masters are. Louson and Tcher will reign supreme.”
“Open the trunk,” said Aldrin.
Marina snapped her fingers. Tyeche bent down and released the lock. The lid popped open. There was a quick gasp of air. Then limbs shot out of the trunk fighting for freedom. Tyeche held down the arms and legs. He wrapped his arms around their captive and pulled her out.
He dropped her to her knees in front of Aldrin. The Ageless leaned forward to get a closer look. The girl looked up at him. Her orange eyes met his.
“Hello, Abigail,” said Aldrin. “It is good to see you again.”
Abigail looked at him in stunned silence. She cowered into the fetal position afraid of all those around her. She had been gone for over a year, hidden away, hurt and abused. Now, Aldrin the Ageless sat before her and knew her name.
“What is wrong with her?” Aldrin asked Marina.
“Nothing serious,” she
said. “I had to have her out of the picture. She was getting too close to Heric.”
“She is hurt,” argued Aldrin.
“She deserved it,” said Marina. “The Eluans hate her, and I see why.”
Aldrin nodded toward Eviton. His guard in turn shoved past Kastor with ease. His speed was surprising for a man his size and age. He charged Marina and struck her across the face. Kastor was too slow to stop it.
Tyeche drew his weapon. Eviton backed up and returned to his spot. Kastor stood guard next to Marina. She was bent over in pain from the strike to her face.
“Put your weapon away,” Aldrin told Tyeche. “You will only get yourself hurt.”
“How dare you,” said Marina. “You have no right to strike me.”
“No,” said Aldrin. “My granddaughter was to not be harmed. That was the agreement with Alexus and will always be with anybody in this alliance. You will never again lay a hand on Abigail or you will be killed. I do not care what family you come from or who you are married to. I will outlast them all in the pages of history.”
Marina stood up straight. A bruise was already forming on her cheek. She wore it like a badge. “I understand.”
“Good,” said Aldrin. “Falon, take my granddaughter away. Make sure she is comfy and cannot escape. Prepare the ships, and alert the soldiers. We are ready to move forward.”
Falon grabbed hold of Abigail. He hoisted her over his shoulder. Abigail did not resist. She was too stunned at the past few minutes. Her whole world had utterly changed. As Falon left the tent her last sight was of her grandfather, Aldrin the Ageless.
Chapter 22
His newest record was five minutes. Heric could not hold his breath any longer. Sediment and dirt drifted past Heric. He watched if float by. It helped him ignore the pain in his lungs.
The water was bitter cold. He had his servants make sure of that. They had done a wonderful job. Heric shivered, submerged to the bottom of the pool in the palace bathhouse. Goosebumps spread across his body. He had been under for four minutes. He could go another two.
He held his hand as steady as he could. His lungs began to catch fire. He stayed under. Then Heric began waving his arm from side to side; the motions in sword fighting. The water resisted but Heric fought through it. He forced his arms through the cold bath as hard and as fast as he could. The surface rippled with his motions.
Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing Page 7