by Jeremy Dwyer
Polyxene glided back across the crystal floor and worked carefully to repair the fractures in the three (3) smoky quartz domes. She formed a momentary aperture in the diamond-covering around her mouth and drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from her vial, so as to be energized fully for this work. Shen then closed the aperture and molded the quartz on each of the domes to seal the breaches, but she realized that they were thinner now, and would have less containment of the energy. This was visually obvious, because the once dim violet light within them was noticeably brighter. She would need more quartz, and modifying the spare crystal material she had in order to fully transmute it into quartz was not practical, even with her masterful skills.
She would need to send out more ships, and so she glided back over to the first ruby spire and said: “Evethixomar! Dispatch these ships to the Glivoran Trail. There, I will have a new shipment of stones – quartz – that you will receive into the cargo holds of the galleons. Make haste – this is your only focus, so I have no need of new ships at the moment.”
The swirling blackness in the first ruby spire came to a standstill in response to her words.
“I will send them at once,” the voice of Evethixomar said, vibrating through the first ruby spire.
Polyxene then glided across the crystal floor to the fortress wall and modified the crystal structure to make an opening large enough for the ships to sail through.
Captain Sjaak felt the foreign spirit within him force his hand, crushing any will he had to resist. He steered the frigate, which was followed by the thirty (30) other frigates and sixty-eight (68) galleons, through the opening in the fortress wall, sailing out onto the waters of the Kazofen Ocean.
Polyxene altered the fortress wall once again, sealing the opening. She then glided across the crystal floor to the second ruby spire.
“Rivixiled! Stand at attention!” Polyxene said.
The swirling blackness in the second ruby spire came to a standstill in response to her words.
“I have a new mission for you,” Polyxene said.
“In what new way can I please you, my beloved?” the voice of Rivixiled asked through the second ruby spire.
“You shall command the stone worshippers who live in the mountains of the Glivoran Trail. They are now tasked with extracting quartz of the highest quality, in great quantities. They will bring it to the western coast, awaiting the ships that I have sent,” Polyxene said.
“I shall delight in satisfying your every longing,” the voice of Rivixiled said through the second ruby spire, still attempting to win her affection. Rivixiled then reached out through the spirit world and commanded subordinate spirits to make contact with the same civilization of stone worshippers living in the mountains of the Glivoran Trail. Those lesser spirits directed the stone worshippers to extract quartz instead of diamond, and to bring it to the ships.
Polyxene then glided across the crystal floor to the depression, where she examined the experimental results. She saw a thick, yellow liquid which was similar to the waste product of her earlier experiments. She also looked at the fingers of her diamond-covering and saw a small amount of residual crystal dust. This meant damage had been done and she would soon need to replace it. And the thick, yellow liquid was even more toxic waste she would have to dispose of.
~~~
On Ixilonotu Island in the Kazofen Ocean, Pelathata drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial and was energized. By her far sight, she looked out hundreds of miles across the sea and watched as ninety-nine (99) ships suddenly appeared out of the same thin air as ninety-nine (99) ships had previously disappeared into, one hundred fifty (150) miles to the northwest. The ships were now sailing eastward. She was alarmed in a different way, suspecting that there was some sort of conspiracy: were these pirate ships entering and leaving a hideout? By what magic power were they hidden? Her powers of light did not perceive a cloak of darkness, so there was some other method of concealment.
She turned to Haltavna’Sytoris – who had waited with her during this time – and said: “Before, ninety-nine (99) ships disappeared into thin air. Now, ninety-nine (99) ships have reappeared. They may be the same ones, and they are sailing eastward.”
“This is altogether bizarre. I do not understand any of it. Even so, I will communicate with the others and tell them,” Haltavna’Sytoris said. She drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial and was energized. She then sent a message through the red suns, relaying this news to Farovaxen.
~~~
On board the Amber Lantern, Farovaxen received the message and said: “Haltavna’Sytoris has sent me yet another message. The ninety-nine (99) ships that disappeared into thin air have reappeared. They are sailing eastward.”
“These could be pirate ships – entering and leaving their hideaway. That is only one possibility, but it is feasible,” Father Isaac said.
“This is no war ship. I can’t fight a battle,” Neva’Raka said.
“I know that. We will have to be watchful and learn what is occurring,” Father Isaac said.
“I will keep watch for them,” Va’Qileren said. He drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from his vial and was energized. He looked out at sea in various directions for over one hundred fifty (150) miles, scanning for a group of ninety-nine (99) ships. He saw groups of various other sizes and kept watch as the Amber Lantern sailed west.
“And I will listen for the unusual star sounds,” Farovaxen said. He drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial and was energized. “I detect them faintly, and they are growing stronger as we travel. Our course is correct,” Farovaxen said.
~~~
An aurora swirled about over the Kazofen Ocean, moving to and fro in every direction, at times covering ships; at other times, passing over mountains or even islands, including Ixilonotu Island.
“What is this colorful haze? An aurora? How has it moved so quickly and appeared so suddenly?” Pelathata asked.
“I cannot be certain, although it appears to be like an aurora. I can’t hear the sounds of the stars clearly, anymore,” Haltavna’Sytoris said.
“I can’t see through this aurora – or whatever it is. If star sounds cannot be heard, and the view is not clear for those of us with far sight, then ships will be lost at sea. What other effective means of navigation would they have?” Pelathata asked.
“Nothing reliable,” Haltavna’Sytoris said.
~~~
Soon, the aurora passed over the area of the ocean where the Amber Lantern was sailing.
“I cannot see through this aurora by the powers of light,” Va’Qileren said.
“Neither can I. Our far sight powers are of no use,” Neva’Raka said.
“I cannot sense the star sounds clearly – it is all a haze. The aurora – if that is in fact what it is – now confuses all our senses,” Farovaxen said.
“We may all be in far more danger than I previously suspected,” Father Isaac said.
Daven had a thought and drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from his vial. He was energized with the power of sound so he could hear sounds very precisely, including the directions and distances to their sources. “I’ve never seen an aurora before, or been in the middle of one, but not all my senses are confused. I can hear the sounds of the flowing ocean waters, and the sounds of the movements of ships nearby,” he said.
“Can you guide us at sea by this?” Father Isaac asked.
“I believe I can. The loudest sounds should be those of water crashing against the largest objects, such as a mountain or an island. We can learn what is around us, and how far way it is,” Daven said. He listened carefully and pointed the way.
Neva’Raka steered the Amber Lantern according to Daven’s guidance.
~~~
A half day later, the colorful, chaotic aurora still surrounded Ixilonotu Island, due to its vast size.
Haltavna’Sytoris drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean
from her vial and was energized again. She concentrated to get a clearer reading of the sounds of the stars, and it was still just an indecipherable noise.
“I still cannot sense the stars clearly,” Haltavna’Sytoris said.
“We are in grave danger, as are all the ships at sea around us – the ships we are sworn to guide on their travels when they need our assistance,” Pelathata said.
“Wait, now I am hearing something…” Haltavna’Sytoris said.
Pelathata drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial and was energized. She looked out as far as she could in every direction – north, south, east and west – and still could not see clearly. Then, she gazed upward and saw the limits of the aurora, above which the sky was clear.
“The aurora is not very high, extending perhaps five (5) miles upward, and then I can see the sky,” Pelathata said.
“I believe the edges of it are not far away, and it is moving about. The sounds of the stars are coming back into focus,” Haltavna’Sytoris said.
~~~
The next day, the aurora moved away from the Amber Lantern and Va’Qileren said: “Now that the aurora is gone, I can see that we are close to the Redfire Sentinel outpost on Ixilonotu Island.”
“Farovaxen, guide us to the center of where the unusual star sounds are located…or where you think the center is,” Father Isaac said.
Farovaxen drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial to be further energized. He then concentrated and listened. There were still three (3) unfamiliar solar sounds – all of them weaker than what he had detected a day earlier, despite having traveled in their direction – yet they were definitely present, and distinctly different from the sounds of the red, yellow or blue suns.
Farovaxen directed Neva’Raka, who sailed the ship in the direction he estimated to be toward the center of the unfamiliar sounds.
“This is one of many possible locations. The star sounds are not so pronounced as before, and less clear, but they are definitely the sounds of stars, while being different from those of the blue, yellow or red suns,” Farovaxen said.
“Ahead is a dense mountain range. I can see around some of them, but it is like a maze, and I have limits to how many turns my sight can take to find a clear path through it,” Va’Qileren said.
~~~
The aurora also moved away from Ixilonotu Island. When it did, Pelathata drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial and was energized. She looked out over the Kazofen Ocean and spotted the Amber Lantern.
“Now that the aurora is gone, I can see the Amber Lantern – to the north, one hundred seventy-three (173) miles,” Pelathata said.
“What else do you see?” Haltavna’Sytoris asked.
“I see the edge of the aurora, which is moving away toward the north. There is nothing else unusual within sight. But we know something is wrong because of the ships that disappeared and reappeared…so there is something hidden by a power other than darkness,” Pelathata said.
~~~
“Was that aurora part of what you were sensing was unusual about the stars? Can you give me any more detail or insight? The more that I understand, the more help I can give you,” Daven said.
“Daven, you have already helped us to such an extent that I now believe every Redfire Sentinel outpost should include a musician. Now, they will tell you all that they can,” Father Isaac said.
“The sounds of three (3) unusual stars – I believe they are stars – have been detected, but they are weak. They do not seem to be coming from the sky, but from somewhere in this area, at the level of the sea,” Farovaxen said.
“Which is why I have some doubt about them being stars. It may very well have been the aurora that caused the perception. Still, what you said is conceivable,” Father Isaac said.
“The sounds are different from the red, yellow or blue suns, and they are much weaker than before, despite the fact that we have been traveling toward them,” Farovaxen said.
“There are numerous stories – unproven, possibly mythical, but often repeated – suggesting that the sky was filled with many more suns in the distant past. The other suns disappeared in the first age, after periods of darkness, according to some of the accounts. I’m sure you’ve heard of them, as many Atrejan water drinkers have. Just be careful that you don’t make assumptions based on those unverified stories,” Father Isaac said.
“I’ve heard of those vanishing star stories, and I’m starting to believe that they are more than myths, based on the star sounds I heard before, and what I’m hearing now, even though it’s faint,” Farovaxen said.
“Yet, we are here to investigate the present day truth. Myth and legend can inform us, but we must not rely upon them, or let them bias our thinking. Of how much are you confident?” Father Isaac asked.
“I am certain that these are the sounds of stars, that they are different from the ordinary red, yellow and blue suns, and that they are nearby. Also, the sounds are growing weaker. How much longer I’ll be able to hear them, and where they are precisely, is not certain,” Farovaxen said.
“If we are at the limits of your certainty, then this is the time for even more of Daven’s assistance,” Father Isaac said.
“I’ve been thinking about this. Everything that you’ve said about ships disappearing and reappearing, along with the confusion of the aurora that came and went, and the unfamiliar star sounds that have increased and faded, all those mysteries created a set of questions. Now I believe I have a melody, and the lyrics I need, to ask those questions, and seek the answers,” Daven said. He then drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from his vial and was energized. He began to sing:
I listen now for sounds...of that which I could never hear.
There are riddles all around us...things we cannot yet understand.
I seek the place where voices...suddenly just disappear.
Many perils now surround us...in sky and sea and land.
I look now for sights...of that which I could never see.
There are secrets that confound us...things we would never believe.
I seek the source of discord...the stars in disharmony.
Great powers dazzle and astound us…evil works meant to deceive.
(Refrain)
What are the mysteries of the suns that blaze?
Where is the symphony that has vanished from the sky?
What evil lies at the heart of this ocean maze?
If it can be found at last, will it haunt and horrify?
I listen now for sounds...of that which brings torment and fear.
There are riddles all around us...things we cannot yet understand.
I seek the place where peace and love...suddenly just disappear.
Many perils now surround us...in sky and sea and land.
I look now for sights...of that which brings perplexity.
There are secrets that confound us...things we would never believe.
I seek the source of chaos...the stars in disharmony.
Great powers dazzle and astound us…evil works meant to deceive.
(Refrain)
I listen now for sounds...of that which is insincere.
There are riddles all around us...things we cannot yet understand.
I seek the place where honest truths...suddenly just disappear.
Many perils now surround us...in sky and sea and land.
I look now for sights...of that which is calamity.
There are secrets that confound us...things we would never believe.
I seek the source of anguish...the stars in disharmony.
Great powers dazzle and astound us…evil works meant to deceive.
(Refrain)
“I’m beginning to see something in the distance, behind the mountains, over one hundred fifty (150) miles away. It’s coming into focus: a crystal structure – I can only see its outlines, but it is vast, with a base like that of a mountain. It’s becoming clearer still! Now, I see
that it is the size of a mountain, in fact!” Va’Qileren said.
“Va’Qileren, note the precise vector from our location toward this crystal structure you see. Farovaxen, chart this location precisely. It is almost certainly a place of great danger and deceit, and we cannot investigate it ourselves without considerable reinforcement. Communicate with Haltavna’Sytoris, that she may also know the location and vector, so we can return to it at a later time,” Father Isaac said.
Va’Qileren noted the precise vector, writing this into a book he kept; he also indicated this to Farovaxen. In turn, Farovaxen noted the precise position where they were, based on the positions of the stars above, along with the resultant position of the crystal structure determined by adding the vector. He made a chart in a book for his own records. After this, he sent a message through the red suns to Haltavna’Sytoris so that she would also know this information.
“The crystal structure is fading,” Va’Qileren said.
“The power of song fades soon after the music ends,” Daven said.
“The sight of it is now gone entirely,” Va’Qileren said a minute later.
“We have the position of this crystal structure – that much is clear,” Farovaxen said.
“Daven, you need to return to Emeth. The Redfire Sentinels must return to their posts and warn ships away from this area, because it is likely a den of pirates, or even something worse,” Father Isaac said.
Neva’Raka then sailed the Amber Lantern back to Emeth, returning Daven to his position there. Before disembarking, Father Isaac paid him the balance of the promised money. After this, Neva’Raka returned Father Isaac, Va’Qileren and Farovaxen to their outpost on Loravixian Island in the Ikkith Tar Ocean.
~~~
Polyxene sensed slight vibrations in the crystal structure of her fortress. She glided across the crystal floor toward a wall, which she touched through her diamond-covering, and detected the precise movements in the low-level crystal structure. She was able to interpret these movements and infer that sounds had reached outside wall of the fortress, vibrating it at different frequencies. After analyzing the vibrations further, she found that the sounds were parts of a song, and was able to discern the lyrics and the melody. Polyxene gave it little thought, and did not believe that it represented any threat to her or to the crystal fortress she had assembled. Even if the echo of the sound waves of the music disclosed her location, she was more than prepared to avoid or eliminate any intruders.
