Eluan Falls: The Inheritors of the World Read online

  Eluan Falls

  The Inheritors of the World

  Book One

  by

  Dane G. Kroll

  Cover Art by

  Michelangelo Rocha

  Dedicated to

  Chris and Whitney

  This book would not exist without their friendships

  “There will always come a time when every historian, philosopher, educator can look back at and say, ‘This is where it began.’

  Every civilization’s fall began with one single moment.

  That moment can be an assassination, the birth of a child, the first words of a revolt, or in the case of the Eluan Empire,

  a dinner party.”

  -Matton

  To the Skies, He Went

  Chapter 1

  Evening was beginning. The sun had finally set. The torches lit up the capitol from the palace all the way down to the slums. The streets were busier than usual. It was the first day for the blooming of the Night’s Flower.

  These flowers only bloomed for one week every year. At night they would light up, giving people the ability to see in the night. Businesses would stay open later, children would be out in the parks and alleys playing games, and everybody else would be celebrating. It became the tradition to stay up all night and sleep during the day just to experience the wonderful phenomenon.

  The palace was also busier than usual. The first day of the Night’s Flower meant Emperor Cyrus Caning was hosting his grand dinner party. The Royal Council, military generals, honored soldiers, and the rest of the royal class would all be in attendance for this night. Everybody would talk about the affairs of the world, share war stories, and continue to spread the most current gossip.

  The ballroom was decorated with Night’s Flowers. They lit up the ceiling, and spiraled down columns up against the walls. There were also several petals laid out across the table. The flowers supplemented the lights from the lanterns creating a soft, pleasant glow for all the guests.

  The hall was beginning to fill up. The guests arrived in carriages. Each one was announced to the room as they entered. Most of the crowd did not bother to acknowledge the announcements. In many people’s minds the only attendants that mattered were themselves and the Caning family.

  The members in the crowd spoke amongst themselves. They chatted with friends, and made introductions to new faces. Every so often someone would look around the room. There was so far no sign of any of the royal family. Neither the Emperor nor his son, Heric, had arrived yet.

  Off at a table near the bar, Nikali Caning, II sat back in his chair. He sat quietly, starring disinterestedly into the crowd. He stirred his drink with his finger. The astonishing part being, his finger was an inch away from the liquid. Nobody paid him any attention. He was barely dressed for the occasion. His robe had been bought years ago by his uncle, the Emperor. Nikali never got a new one, despite this one coming apart at the seams. His black hair was let down as to cover his eyes and block his mind out of the event. He did not like being there. He’d rather be down in the slums, or the Talons, as they had come to be known. The arcan users lived there.

  Arcan was detested in much of the royal community. The crazed attitudes the users got were enough to put down many of them. There were short-term desires that could be met with arcan, but used too often or too long, arcan users became unruly. They could spend fortunes in a night or completely destroy their homes, pushing the boundaries of their thoughts and dreams. The upper class only played with what they knew was real, and what they knew they could get back in return.

  Despite having the name Caning, Nikali was nothing to this crowd. He was the, “Would Have Been Future Emperor.” His father’s untimely death meant the crown went to his Uncle Cyrus, and the inherited title passed down to Heric. Nikali was now just an afterthought. The royal society did not care of his presence and he did not want to be a part of their world. But despite all that, his loyalty to his uncle meant he would make an appearance, as bored as he was.

  “The moon is full. A jackal laughs at a boy,” said the seductive voice of Cassandra. She sat down next to Nikali. He chuckled at what she had said.

  “A lion runs. The night is cold,” Nikali responded. He perked up in his seat. He couldn’t help but notice she was dressed up far more than usual. Her blonde hair was in the usual tail in the back, but the strands were capped off with metal tips. They rarely jingled, showing off her proper posture and graceful movements.

  Cassandra was finally a bright spot to the night. Nikali only knew of one other person who hated the activities of the royal class as much as he did, and it was her.

  Cassandra, though, reveled in it. She was one of the most prominent escorts to the royal class. Her knowledge of every high ranking official rivaled that of the Council. She had the choice of any man in the room. They all came calling for her eventually; to this event, she came alone. It was the start of a new year. She wanted a fresh eye on new prospects, and to give them a taste of what she could provide, if necessary.

  She came in close to Nikali to whisper in his ear. “The hills run with leaves. Can a boy fly?” She pointed to a general in his later years flirting with a group of young hand-maidens. Nikali and Cassandra shared a laugh at the joke.

  “What are you drinking?” Cassandra asked. It was time to switch back to the traditional Eluan language. They could have talked in proverbs the entire night, but if any of the rest of the crowd caught on, it would be a blemish on both their images. Not that Nikali cared, but Cassandra still had to play her part. Arcan users and the Talons spoke in proverbs. It was considered disrespectful to do it in the palace, but it was fun to share inside jokes and stories that only they could understand.

  “Tamor Blood,” answered Nikali. It was a drink more popular in the slums of the Capitol. It was a mix of berries, crushed leaves, and a dash of minerals that helped process arcan in a human body. It got its name from the blood red coloring it settled in. Tamor Blood was the current trend for the recreational arcan users. They could get a strong enough dose to expand their mental abilities and mind reaching, while ditching the bitter tasting drinks that had preceded it. It was the perfect recipe.

  “They’re not actually serving that here, are they?”

  “Absolutely not, I had to bring my own. Would you like some?” Nikali handed her his mug.

  “No, thank you. I’m sure what the Emperor is serving will be fine. I’d put down the mug. If you keep waving it around people will smell it.”

  “These people have no idea what Tamor Blood smells like. I doubt any of them have heard of it. It’s hilarious how much they don’t know about their own damn city,” Nikali complained.

  “Watch your words,” said Cassandra. “They don’t need to know everything to know how to ruin your life.”

  “I would like to see them try,” replied Nikali. Cassandra smiled then got up from her seat. She brushed her hand through his long black hair.

  “Enjoy the party. I’ll be around. I must mingle. Meet me later?”

  “The rocks are wise. Lizards sit down,” answered Nikali. Cassandra smiled. She walked off, disappearing into the crowd. Nikali sat back in his chair. He propped up his feet on the table. His smile never left him.

  On the other side of the palace were located the living quarters. Heric Caning was there. He lay in bed next to a young servant girl, Abigail. From the window, they could hear the crowd out on the street celebrating the night away.

  “You really should be going, Heric,” said Abigail. “They’re expecting you. The party has already started.”

  “That’s not where I want to be,” Heric responded. He pulled Abigail in closer to him,
comforted by her warmth.

  “It’s not about where you want to be all the time. You have to present yourself to the audience,” she said.

  “You sound just like Alexus,” said Heric. He began to mock many of the sayings of his teacher. “Confidence is in your posture. Listen to the crowd, but do not necessarily believe them. Mistakes are made in order to discover how not to do something.”

  “That’s enough,” Abigail said, stopping him. She put her finger up to his mouth. She then brushed her hand up against Heric’s goatee to soothe him. “He is still my keeper. He means well. You just hated having lessons all those years.”

  “They would have been better had you been there,” said Heric. He kissed Abigail after that.

  They shared a few more moments of passion before a knock on the door interrupted them. Abigail recoiled into the sheets. Her breath stopped as she looked at the door. Heric rolled his eyes. He immediately knew who it was.

  “What do you want, Forman?” Heric asked. He didn’t bother to move from his bed.

  Forman spoke through the door. “You’re late!”

  “It’s just a party. We’re not meeting about battle plans or the capitol guard. I think I can arrive whenever I like.”

  “There are dozens of guests down there that think it’s more than just a party. You are insulting them by not being there already.”

  “Alright!” Heric said, finally giving in. “Between the two of you, you’d think I couldn’t pick out my own clothes.”

  “Speaking of which, wear your royal gown, not the general’s gown,” said Abigail. She relaxed knowing it was Forman behind the door.

  “I am a general in the Eluan Army. It’s the proper uniform,” Heric defended.

  “You are also Heir to the Empire,” said Abigail. “You said so yourself, you are not going to a battle meeting. These people are expecting royalty. Play to the audience.”

  “There are too many rules,” muttered Heric.

  “Are you moving!” yelled Forman through the door.

  “Yes, yes,” answered Heric.

  He turned to Abigail. “Will you be at the party?”

  “Yes, Alexus secured me a seat at the table. There is supposed to be an announcement tonight. He wanted me to hear it.”

  “Good,” said Heric. He bent down and kissed her one last time. “I’ll see you there.”

  Heric dressed in his royal gown, and opened the door to see an annoyed Forman. His broad body nearly blocked the entire exit.

  “About time, they’re getting antsy down there. I’m tired of fielding questions,” said Forman.

  “You should never have become my confidant then,” Heric goaded him.

  Abigail waved warmly at Forman from the bed. “Hello, Forman.”

  “Hi,” he said. He didn’t return the wave. Heric finished dressing and he and Forman were off after that.

  Most of the guests had arrived for the party by then. Each conversation tried to carry over to another. A string quintet played quietly in the corner. Their music lifted into the air and could be heard from anywhere in the room.

  Heric and Forman approached the entrance to the great hall. The door keeper jumped to attention at the first sight of him. Heric pretended not to notice.

  “Heir Heric Caning and General Forman,” the door keeper proclaimed. The crowd continued talking. It was a game for most of them. Nobody wanted to appear too eager to race for the attention of Heric. Despite the conversations rolling on, people’s stares found their way to Heric as he walked through the crowd.

  Heric smiled and nodded at the faces he recognized. He only knew the names of a handful of them. They were just faces in a crowd that wanted nothing more than to have the privilege he was born into.

  “Alexus,” Heric said. He walked over to his teacher. The mob of people followed.

  “Heric, you’ve arrived!” Alexus replied. He was dressed unlike the rest of the royal class. His robes came from foreign lands. His attire looked odd in the room, but Alexus wore them proudly. Anyone who knew of Alexus knew of his travels across the Empire, and beyond. He had journeyed to other civilizations as an ambassador for Emperor Cyrus Caning and his brother before that, Emperor Nikali Caning.

  “Yes, got caught up in the training quarters,” said Heric weakly. His relationship with Abigail was still a secret to most in the palace. Nobody would approve of it, especially Alexus and Emperor Cyrus.

  “You should be more careful about that. Your time for battles is coming to an end. This is your arena now,” said Alexus. He gestured to all the people surrounding them.

  “This party is still only once a year?” Heric joked.

  “It will be this time again before you know it. This year is going to be quite interesting,” Alexus said.

  “I understand there is an announcement for tonight. Does it have anything to do with this year?” Heric asked.

  “Who told you that?”

  “You can never stop a rumor, Alexus. You should know that. I’m the Heir after all. I can find out anything.”

  “Your father wants the announcement to be revealed to everybody at once. Do not mention it any further. Enjoy the dinner,” Alexus said. He bowed and then walked away. The crowd was eager to let him leave, giving them more room to approach Heric.

  Nikali remained in his seat. He watched Heric as he walked through the mob of guests. Heric looked over. They made eye contact with each other. Nikali smiled. He nodded hello to Heric then stretched out his arms, taunting him with all the freedom he had. Heric rolled his eyes dramatically. It was always the same joke between them. Heric would get bombarded with responsibility and Nikali would ridicule it all. He would let his cousin win this round.

  From the service door, Abigail made her entrance. Alexus had gotten her a dress from one of the more upscale shops in the Capitol. She was still a tad underdressed compared to the royal class, but it would be sufficient. She had learned years ago to not draw attention to herself. She was not Eluan. Abigail was from the former society of Prial. She was collateral damage from a war between her people and the Tcher Islands. Eluan got involved towards the end. Alexus was kind enough to take her in after her family and her people were slaughtered and scattered into the lands beyond the Eluan territory. Her presence only concerned those from the military. They were the ones who knew first-hand that her people had orange eyes. The soldiers had developed a lot of hatred for the Prials because of the war. The rest of the Eluans had no idea of that detail and wouldn’t have been able to pick her out of a group. Despite all that, Abigail was happy to be at the party. Alexus had trained her how to act around the royal class. The soldiers would not have a problem with her, because they would not even realize she was there.

  She could tell all the attention was on Heric at the moment. It allowed her to slip in and disappear into the crowd. It would only cause trouble if she tried to get close to him then.

  A new couple walked up to the entrance of the hall. The few people they passed turned their heads to get a better look at them. The man wore military robes. He was young, but had many battle scars already. One scar was prominent across the back of his neck. He always wore low cut neck robes to display the scar. It was his way of showing how much he would sacrifice for Eluan.

  His date was an older woman. She looked straight ahead, not bothered by the people around her and the looks they gave her. She held on to the man’s arm with pride. Her dress was from one of the most expensive shops in the entire Empire. It was a shop reserved for the Emperor himself, and his family. The tiara on her head shimmered against the light of the Night’s Flower. It was eye catching, almost like an Emperor’s crown.

  The host official stuttered as he said hello to the couple. He had to clear his throat to ready himself for the proper announcement.

  “Lieutenant Francesco de Seres and... Ellen Caning,” he announced to the crowd.

  The crowd was suddenly silent.

  Every head turned to see the entrance of the arriving couple. It
was silent. Then there was a chuckle from the crowd. Then just as quickly they roared back to life acting like they had not seen who had arrived. The couple ignored the crowd’s reaction and continued walking in like they owned the place.

  Heric continued to look on. He weaved around the crowd to get a better look at Seres and Ellen Caning.

  Nikali sat up in his chair. He tried to conceal the amazement on his face as best he could, but there were only so many emotions he could go through at the sight of Ellen. They were summed up into one word from him:

  “Mother?”

  Nikali looked around in panic. He caught sight of Cassandra. She was looking back at him in kind. They proceeded to have a voiceless conversation across the room.

  “Your mother?” she mouthed. Her eyes gestured over to them.

  “I know,” Nikali replied. He over exaggerated his shoulders to indicate he had no idea about her presence.

  Heric broke up their conversation. He stood directly in the line of sight between Nikali and Cassandra. Forman blocked off the crowd from approaching the two. Heric wanted this conversation under wraps as best he could.

  “What’s she doing here?” he asked Nikali.

  “Your guess is as good as mine. I haven’t spoken to her in over a year. She’s been traveling. I suppose we can guess where, now,” said Nikali.

  “Seres has been down in Myrus handling the guard. That was a cushy promotion after the Tcher raids in New Salid. He’s got to be an idiot arriving with your mother. It’s political suicide,” said Heric.

  “What happened to the last guy she was with? Where did he end up?” Nikali asked.

  “Father has him guarding a post at the edge of the territory. We correspond with him once a year.”

  “Well, mother got over him easily enough.”

  “Seres is a good soldier. He can be promoted easily. I’d hate to see him get the same treatment as her last companion. You need to talk to your mother.”

  “Why? I have no reason to. I don’t care what happens to Seres. If he wants to try to get with my mother, that’s his problem.”