Eluan Falls: The Tides of Utter Undoing

by Dane G. Kroll

  “That’s impossible,” said Seres. “This man is giving us nothing. The deal is off.”

  “Quiet,” said Heric. “The deal is still on. In two days we will send out our one man to the island. From there Nikali will get the rest to follow. When we are on the island the granddaughter is not to be touched. She is protected under the security of the Eluan Emperor. This war ends soon.”

  Chapter 61

  All of the preparations made the next two days fly by. Now, Heric and Nikali stood on the beach. Beside them was a door. The frame stood on its own. It looked toward the sea and the Tcher Islands just out of the distance on the horizon.

  A boat sat in the water. Seres watched over a tied up Falon. They waited for Heric to join them. As they waited Seres grew curious about their prisoner. He sat quietly in the boat looking out to the sea. Nothing seemed to bother him.

  “Why did you do it?” Seres finally asked.

  “What?” asked Falon, just coming back to attention.

  “You are one of the highest ranking citizens of Tcher. Why would you betray them like this?” Seres asked again.

  “Aldrin trained his people to survive,” said Falon. “I am a survivor. I have seen what Nikali can do. The people were rallying behind him. Emperor Caning would have eventually allowed Nikali to join the raid thus showing his weakness. No leader should be allowed to be swayed so badly by his people. Nikali would have gained a following.

  “Then the Emperor would attack from the east. The defenses are weaker out there. It could work and Nikali would have left nothing alive, much to the joy of all of Eluan. This way Nikali stays out of the battle like he originally proposed. My betrayal saved the life of at least one person and kept your emperor in power. With him in power I still have a chance at living.”

  “You do not trust, Nikali?”

  “I do not trust a madman,” said Falon. “Emperor Caning can be reasoned with when he is victorious, as all leaders can. I doubt that about the other. I chose to support the winning side of this war. Nikali altered the balance to Eluan, but the Emperor needs to stay to keep it that way.”

  “And if Eluan still loses, at least Tcher can come and rescue you,” said Seres.

  “There is that,” mused Falon. He turned back to look at the water, no longer interested in the conversation with Seres.

  Over at the doorway, Nikali was giving Heric his instructions. He handed his cousin a bag of wood. Heric slung it around his back. It weighed him down, but it wasn’t going to stop him.

  “When you reach the other side, construct the door in a secure location,” said Nikali. “The pieces will snap in place. You should not have a problem. Just do not lose anything. The connection needs to be complete.”

  “I understand,” said Heric.

  “Next,” said Nikali. He handed Heric a bottle of Tamor Blood. “If you get into any problems this will help get you back. You will need to drink this before opening the door. Think about the beach and where this door is.”

  “I will wait for my men,” said Heric.

  “As you wish,” said Nikali. “This is a very powerful dosage. You have never used arcan before. It has to be for something this powerful. You can handle it.”

  “Thank you,” said Heric. “When this is over I would like to talk to you again about the council-ship. I may have been wrong.”

  “I have a lot of ideas, Heric. We will talk about them all,” said Nikali.

  The two cousins shook hands. Then Heric went to the boat waiting for him. Nikali watched as the three men took to the sea. He returned to his camp. It would be a little while before Heric was ready with the second door. As Nikali walked along the beach his footprints disappeared behind him leaving no trace of his presence.

  It was cold over the ocean. The boat rocked back and forth as the three men made their way closer to the Tcher Islands. The fires had dissipated and the skies were clear again. Falon could easily navigate them to their destination using the stars alone. Despite his helpfulness he was still tied up and placed near the edge of the boat. Any wrong move and he could be knocked out and left to drown.

  They were fast approaching the armada of Tcher ships. The boat rocked in a silent slumber. Voices of men carried over the sea and through the night sky. Watchmen were on the lookout for any enemy ships.

  Falon looked at Heric and Seres. He tried to signal for them to be quiet, but his hands were tied behind his back. Instead he curled his lips inside his mouth and slowly shook his head with wide eyes. The two Eluan soldiers got the message.

  Falon pointed his head in the direction he wanted them to go. Seres followed his direction. They floated parallel to the ships staying just out of the light of the ship’s torches.

  Finally, Falon signaled them to stop. They were in front of two ships. Rocks jutted out of the ocean behind them. The path reached all the way out to the island behind them.

  “The cave is here,” whispered Falon. “It is below these ships.”

  “How far?” Heric asked.

  “About thirty feet,” said Falon.

  “Sir,” said Seres. “Please let me do this. You do not need to risk your life like this.”

  “No,” said Heric. “I am the only one that can do this. I can hold my breath long enough to make it across.”

  “There are others,” said Seres.

  “None that I trust,” said Heric.

  “Falon,” said Heric, “I promise you the granddaughter will survive this.”

  “Thank you,” said Falon.

  “If he doesn’t return I will kill you myself,” Seres told Falon.

  “Then I better hope he does,” said Falon. “It is a good thing I have been telling him the truth.”

  Heric readjusted the bag around his back. Then he slipped into the icy water. Little pins and needles stuck all across his body. He forced his teeth not to chatter. He did not want to make any unnecessary noise.

  Silently, Heric made is way closer to the ships. Any noticeable noise and he could have fire rained down upon him.

  Seres and Falon began their return to the mainland. They could not chance being noticed either. Heric was on his own.

  He continued paddling closer to the ships. He got as close as he dared to the light from the torches. Then he stopped. He took one last moment to ready himself.

  This war had destroyed his home. His wife had killed his one true love. His cousin was a dangerous man that he was trying to tame. There was only one thing in Heric’s control. It was himself. He took a deep breath and submerged.

  The ocean’s cold embrace surrounded Heric. He forced his eyes open. The ships were blurry shadows in the water. Torches lit above the surface were his only light. He began swimming as deep as he could go. He needed to get past the ships quickly.

  Pressure started to close in on Heric. He felt his brain throb against his skull. His ears cried out to release pressure. He kept going.

  Soon the cold went away. He swam harder. The bag of wood weighed him down. He used it to keep him below the ships. The rocks started to appear in the distance of the water. Heric continued pushing forward. The ships had not noticed him. They remained lifeless. He was in the clear.

  Heric swam through the rocks and the coral reef. Ahead was a darker spot in the earth, even deeper than he had gone yet. It succumbed into pure black. Heric swam for it.

  He could feel the current pushing water out of the cave. He did not hesitate. He swam into the cavern. Heric had to swim even harder than before to fight his way deeper into the island.

  His lungs were on fire. They burned his chest. His toes and fingers were numb. As he swam up the cave he could feel his hand scrape against the cave walls. It never hurt. He only felt the resistance of the wall.

  The walls felt like they were closing in on him. He stuck to one side of the cave to keep his direction. There was no light in the submerged tunnel.

  His mouth urged to open and breathe in air. Heric had to control himself. He forced air out of his lungs steadily. H
e kept his mind from thinking about the pain. His head was growing dizzy. He tried to concentrate on one thing at a time.

  Then for the first time in minutes he saw the slight movement of his hand. Heric looked ahead. There was a light. It glistened at the water’s edge. He swam faster. Harder. The wood was his burden that he would not let go of.

  His lungs begged for oxygen. He wanted to give in to them, but not yet. He reached out for the surface, but his hand only grabbed water. His vision was going dark. The pain in his head grew stronger. There was no more air left in his lungs.

  Then his hands felt the cool touch of open air. His face broke the surface of the water. Air rushed into his lungs. He hurriedly climbed over the edge. Then Heric collapsed on solid ground.

  His body was numb. It shook involuntarily. He was so cold, but his body was on fire.

  Heric only took a moment. There was still more to do. He forced himself to his feet. His vision had not completely come back. There was still a blurry spot in the center of his eye-line. Heric ignored it. He turned his head in order to look directly ahead of him.

  He was in a small ceremonial room. He could see the doorway out of the corner of his eye. It led to the outside.

  The ocean roared nearby. Heric stumbled as he walked. His head remained in pain. His eyelid twitched uncontrollably. It did not stop him.

  The door was simple enough to construct. Nikali had designed it like that. Heric snapped the pieces together. It stood on the beach waiting for its passengers.

  Another shot of pain hit Heric down the spine. He fell to the ground. He vomited everything from his stomach then kept dry heaving. His head beat down even more.

  The door beckoned for him. Heric could hear the swishing of the Tamor Blood in his container. He could take a drink and return home. Then he looked out ahead of him. The citadel towered out in the distance.

  Heric refused to let it end in retreat. He would finish what he started. His body ached and groaned in defiance as he came to his feet.

  Then Heric began his trek to meet the master of the Tcher Islands, Aldrin the Ageless, at his home in the citadel.

  Chapter 62

  Every few minutes Nikali knocked on the door. After each knock he would wait several minutes with his ear right up next to the wood. Then he would knock again.

  The Eluan army stood at attention along the beach. Francesco de Seres had returned. He stood at the frontline near the doorway. Seres waited for Nikali to do his part before he made the order to move. Every minute he grew more impatient. Their Emperor had gone on a suicide mission to build a door on the island. That left Nikali to stand around their door and touch it for what seemed like hours. Heric was alone on the island. They needed to get there to save him. Seres did not want to be responsible for the death of the Emperor.

  Nikali began opening and closing the door rapidly. The sound of the door slamming carried down the beach. Nikali would peak his head through the doorway. He’d see the same beach, the same army behind him. Then he’d close the door and try again.

  Seres was growing furious. Heric put his trust in Nikali. The fool was wasting their time. He began to devise contingency plans. They still had a few ships left to get to the island. The armada would still be there, but maybe he could lead them through. He had the determination to do it.

  Nikali continued his routine with the door. Then there was a gust of wind, and the smell of fresher air carried along with it. It came from the doorway. Nikali paused. He had shut the door so fast because of reflex. Seres stiffened up.

  Nikali looked up at Seres. He grinned from ear to ear. Without looking Nikali grabbed the doorknob and turned. The door opened slowly. The sound of the ocean amplified. It was off rhythm. Seres could hear two oceans crashing against the beach.

  He peered through the door. There was a completely different landscape through the frame. He was no longer looking at the beach that surrounded the area. In the distance through the door he could see the citadel of the Tcher main island.

  Nikali stepped out of the way of the door. He bowed presenting the entryway to Seres.

  Seres turned to address his men. “Through the doorway in pairs. When you are on the other side there will be no prisoners. Tcher has seen its last day.”

  The men charged as they were instructed. Seres was the first one through. Then two by two the Eluan army slipped through the doorway. They entered on the beach of the mainland and exited on the beach of the Tcher Island. None of them paused to take in the moment. They continued on their mission. Vengeance filled their hearts and minds. Tcher needed to be put down.

  The Eluan army stormed across Tcher. There were no prisoners, just as Seres ordered. The Eluan soldiers cut down any opposition they ran across. Nobody on Tcher was prepared for the attack. The first leg of the battle was easy pickings for Eluan. The army continued to pour out through the door. They spread out through the island undetected.

  Seres lead a group of his men straight toward the citadel. The scar on the back of his neck tinged in anticipation. He had his own revenge to offer to Aldrin the Ageless.

  Up ahead, Heric had already arrived at the citadel. Every step was a struggle. His body cried out in pain. Sweat dripped from his pours. He could feel his skin tingle.

  Heric kept to the shadows on his journey to the citadel. He passed the unsuspecting guards with ease. Getting into the building was going to be a problem. There were guards at the entrance he found. But he would not stop. He had come so far.

  Heric forced himself to walk straight. He blocked the pain out of his thoughts. He relied on his training and his own discipline. He tried to rest his mind. His practice of sleeping with his eyes open helped him block out the pain. He could break his mind away from everything but the task at hand.

  The two guards saw Heric slowly approaching. They looked confused. Heric was a stranger on the island. They drew their weapons as Heric got closer.

  “Who are you?” one of the guards asked.

  Heric did not answer. He swiftly drew his sword and struck down both guards. His rapid movement sent shockwaves of pain through his head.

  Out in the distance he could hear the rumbling of foot soldiers. The Eluan army had arrived. They were making there way through the island. He would meet them later. For now, Heric continued into the citadel to look for Aldrin.

  Eluan had gone undetected for long enough. It was only a matter of time before a Tcher soldier would make the discovery. The horns started blaring throughout the island.

  Tcher soldiers began rushing out of their bunks. Many of them were met with a swift death. Eluan now changed their tactics. Their presence was no longer a surprise. They started setting fire to the buildings all over the island.

  As soon as the alarm was heard, Genom raced out to battle. He ran head first into the Eluan army. Blood covered his red skin unnoticeably. Eluan men to the left and right of him fell before his sword. He was the deadliest warrior on the island and he was going to show it.

  Aul charged with his men across the beach. They killed every Tcher soldier they could find guarding the beaches. Their footsteps were hidden within the sound of the waves. Nobody had suspected until the warning horns screamed across the night sky.

  Aul looked out at the ships on the ocean. He saw movement. More soldiers were coming out toward the island. Soon they would be overrun with Tcher soldiers.

  Aul broke free from his men. He approached the shoreline. The water covered his feet. Then it came up to his knees. Aul stopped and watched the approaching army.

  Another Eluan soldier caught sight of Aul. He came up to him. “Let’s move,” he ordered Aul. “They know we are here. We have to be ready.”

  “Look at all those people on the boats,” Aul said. The Tcher soldiers were packed on the ships. More and more kept arriving out from the lower decks. They jumped onto row boats and began their trek to the island.

  “I see them,” said the other soldier. “They are going to kill us if we don’t get with our men.”<
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  “How many do you think die everyday on those ships?” Aul asked.

  “I don’t care,” said the soldier.

  Aul knelt down. He dipped his hand into the water. He could feel the sand between his fingers. Then he reached out with his arcan. He felt the ocean floor.

  “There are so many of you,” said Aul. “March.”

  The Tcher soldiers made their way through the open water. Many of them were in boats. Many more swam freely. The soldiers were filling the ocean. They came from every ship. Then one by one they started to slip under the water.

  Tcher soldiers were being pulled down, never to return to the surface. Their cries for help lost to the water filling their lungs. Many of the Tcher soldiers started to swim faster afraid of the unknown assailant below the surface. Their attempts at escape did them no good. They felt a boney hand wrap around their ankles. Then there was no hope. They were pulled under.

  The men on the boats kept going. They tried to pull up whoever was near. Many boats capsized from too much weight and panic.

  Then the terrors in the deep started to ascend out of the water. Rotting corpses and skeletons of long dead Tcher citizens reached out for the boats on the water’s surface.

  The skeletons climbed on board to attack the Tcher soldiers. The boats sunk under the weight. The Tcher soldiers tried to fight them off, but they were not alive. There was nothing to strike fear over, nothing to hurt, and nothing to kill.

  Aul did not move. He held his concentration. He steadied his thoughts on all of the bodies he was puppeteering. He was a foot soldier. All he ever did was think about moving.

  The attack began to spread. The new corpses started to move. They were stronger. They glided toward the ships. All the dead soldiers that had left the ships were now returning. Their bodies could make the climb up the tall ships.

  The still living Tcher soldiers began to fight off their former comrades. Limbs fell to the ground, but the bodies kept moving forward. The corpses fell apart, but every piece kept marching forward.

  Body parts and skeletons climbed up the hulls of the ships. The men on deck tried to fight them off. Then in a moment of panic for one Tcher soldier the fires started. The Tcher fire was turned on their own dead men. The fire erupted over the ship. It sprayed out to the ocean. The night illuminated into day.