Architecture & Adversity

by Jeremy Dwyer

  Skylla was used to getting her way with men, given her Trerada-enhanced beauty and willingness to do what they wanted: she enjoyed the act, of course, but it was most often a tool of control. Yet, she still needed money to acquire the material goods she needed, even if ocean travel was often provided freely, along with private dinner with many a captain.

  Money was essential because it allowed her to purchase books, or weapons, or fresh clothing, or services she couldn’t obtain by exchanging intimacy. All these things were the keys to knowledge, and knowledge was the true goal. She traveled the world, exploring wherever she could, in pursuit of it. Exploring a lord’s castle in Waderav while his guards were out fighting fires qualified as at least having potential for knowledge, and high potential for acquiring wealth. She was thankful to whomever started the fire, of course.

  ~~~

  Duchess Sarita and Count Terzo obliged the king – and each other – by consummating their marriage, taking pleasure in each other’s physical form. After spending the night fulfilling the desire for intimacy, they needed rest. They dressed and decided to spend time to speak with one another.

  “What did you do before we were married? What kind of life did you have?” Count Terzo asked.

  “Study, whatever I wanted. I have access to the king’s library, so I read his books. Some interesting things are there, and they’re definitely worth reading,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “Have you ever been to Emeth? It is vast – a city of knowledge from ages ago, across all subjects,” Count Terzo asked.

  “No, I haven’t been allowed to leave this castle, not to go that far, anyway. But I don’t need to. There’s much more here than you think. And the king’s library has knowledge going back much further in the past than anything in Emeth,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “Older than the knowledge in Emeth? In what subjects?” Count Terzo asked.

  “Yes, older than Emeth, very ancient. The library has the history of different regions of the world, along with knowledge of the ocean waters and techniques for working with gemstones. I can tell you all this because we’re married, of course,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “Yes, the secret is safe with me,” Count Terzo said.

  “Good. So, do you have any secrets to share with me, now that we’re married?” Duchess Sarita asked.

  “It’s not really a secret, but I’d rather be married to you, here in this castle, than be back there, in Waderav, dealing with those problems,” Count Terzo said.

  “Of course you would! Here, we just make love, and more love. Who would want to do anything else?” Duchess Sarita asked.

  “We need our marriage to be that and so much more, of course,” Count Terzo said.

  “I think that will happen when the children come along. There’s nothing to say we can’t have several. I’ve always dreamed of having a daughter and a son,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “That would be a much sweeter life. I don’t want them to have to endure Waderav, though. It’s horrible. It’s definitely a bad influence on anyone. Children should be raised somewhere else, with peaceful lives. Being a count – or any kind of lord – is not a job I would wish on any decent person,” Count Terzo said.

  “The king has given his orders – which we must obey – that the children will be raised here at first, so there is no need to worry about the problems in Waderav for quite a while. When the children get old enough, if things are still as bad as you say, then they need to be fixed, and the king has a plan for doing that,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “It does need to be fixed, but that will take a lot of time. I drink the Nabavodel Ocean waters – for strength, for speed,” Count Terzo said.

  “Now that explains how you are such a powerful lover! Mmm!” Duchess Sarita said, remembering their passion and longing for more.

  “That’s the best reason I can think of for drinking them, but they are all about fighting, and commanding respect from my guards and soldiers, in a vicious world. My point is that I won’t live for ages to fix all those problems, like you will when you drink the Ursegan waters,” Count Terzo said.

  “I haven’t taken them…yet,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “Take them. That’s what the king ordered. You already said we have to obey the king, and we accepted his authority,” Count Terzo said.

  “I will. Don’t worry. Besides, I want to live long enough to see if the king’s idea works. And to have time to read everything in his library,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “Speaking of the king’s library, since we are married, do you also have permission to take me there?” Count Terzo asked.

  “I have permission. But why do you want to go? Ask me a question – I might already know the answer, and can save us some time, for more enjoyable activities,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “I want to know more about my past…about this Count Pietro-Terzo that was a friend of the king. Since he was my ancestor, learning about him – his successes and failures – might teach me about leadership. Pure strength is not sufficient to lead. The waters of the Nabavodel Ocean are called the ‘tiger waters’ for good reason, but an actual tiger is a lone hunter, not a leader,” Count Terzo said.

  “I think ‘tiger’ is a perfect description. Be my tiger, and then I’ll take you where you want to go, all night long,” Duchess Sarita said. She felt desire for her new husband’s physique supplant her earlier curiosity about the contents of books. The passion surprised even her, and she liked it.

  “You are a wonderful woman, and I want to make our marriage a good one, where we grow and learn together. And teach our children. What truly makes you happy?” Count Terzo asked.

  “Drink up, ‘tiger’” Duchess Sarita said.

  Count Terzo drank anew of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean and was energized. His strength and speed were enhanced, as well as his vigor. He embraced Duchess Sarita, and they both disrobed. She received him intimately, embraced him passionately, and refused to let go as he made love to her again and again.

  ~~~

  The Sky Lion arrived in Emeth and Gisella disembarked.

  As Gisella stepped onto the boarding ramp, Stafford said: “Come to think of it, I haven’t been to Emeth in a while. I’ll visit for now, and catch up on some news of the world.”

  “I’m leaving now, under orders from His Majesty, King Hamza Bazavador, obliging me to return you to where you needed to be. This is your chance to go back to Oxatrissa on this ship. Otherwise, you’ll have to arrange transport for yourself,” Captain Lusala said.

  “Thank you, Captain, but I consider you having met that obligation. I can arrange for my own transport back to Oxatrissa when the time arrives,” Stafford said. He followed Gisella down the boarding ramp and onto the pier.

  ~~~

  Captain Lusala then steered the Sky Lion out of the port and sailed southeast across the Ursegan Ocean to return to the Bazavadoran Isthmus land bridge the way he came. He relied on his navigator, Uzoma, to listen to the stars and make any adjustments to their course. Once they reached the land bridge, the ship was converted to its airship configuration and elevated to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude to travel over land, near the castle of King Hamza Bazavador. The ship was then landed on the ground, close to the castle, to be ready to serve the king at a moment’s notice.

  ~~~

  “You have business in Emeth?” Gisella asked.

  “Being a commodities trader, the news of the world and its markets is of interest to me. Occasional visits to Emeth are necessary…and desirable,” Stafford said.

  “Does that make you successful in your business?” Gisella asked.

  “Occasionally more so, if I happen upon useful market information. Oxatrissa is a busy enough port, but not all goods travel through there. Variety carries a premium, and gives a bonus,” Stafford said.

  “I need to submit my book to the Verifiers of the Oath. Then, I want you take me on a dinner date,” Gisella said.

  “A date with a Chronicler?” Staff
ord asked, surprised.

  “Why not? Being a Chronicler is a job, but I do have a personal life. I think we might just be compatible, and we should get to know each other better,” Gisella said.

  “You know I drink the Lujladia waters, of course. If we become good friends – or more – you can’t exactly spend the next thousand years with me,” Stafford said.

  “I live each day as it comes. There’s no reason for us not to both enjoy it,” Gisella said, holding out her hand. They walked hand in hand toward the Library of Tedorik. There, Gisella handed in her book to a Verifier and was given a new one. The Verifier left, then returned twenty (20) minutes later to say: “Gisella, your book of chronicles has been verified.”

  “I know a nice place for us to eat,” Gisella said, and she took Stafford by the hand once again, leading him through Emeth, away from the halls of knowledge and toward the bustling city that surrounded them, which was filled with craft shops of every sort as well as establishments that served good foods suited to almost every taste around the world.

  “Do you like to play games or sports when you are not working?” Gisella asked on their stroll.

  “When am I not working? It’s a demanding profession. But an occasional card game is a way to relax,” Stafford asked.

  “Good. I like to enjoy life. There’s more to it than this,” Gisella said, holding up her new book, yet to be filled with chronicles of events.

  CHAPTER 29: Betrayal of Marriage and Mystery

  Skylla positioned the lifeless body – she counted thirty-two (32) of them already – of the latest guard she had seduced and murdered. He was satisfying, like all the rest, but she was getting bored with the constant activity. These men were heavy, and carrying them into the side room was tiring. The Trerada waters did a great deal for her looks and her health, but not for her strength. Some of these men weighed twice what she did: that was great for the heat of passion, but not great for corpse disposal.

  She wandered the castle and found the treasure room, having taken the keys from the guards after eliminating them. She found piles of gold and gems – mostly emeralds and rubies – and began placing theses into a leather pouch she kept in her jacket. One hundred seventy-one (171) emeralds, eighty-five (85) rubies and sixty-three (63) gold coins was the limit of the pouch, and it was far too large to place in her jacket without revealing a large bulge. She tucked the pouch into her jacket as best she could, but its prominence would be a risk for robbers. Waderav was rough all over – she knew it as well as anyone. She wanted more loot than this, and plundering the castle was the key to financing her life’s goals of pursuing knowledge; however, she had to get back to the entrance again, because there might be more guards arriving, so she needed to charm the boys before any of them got startled at her intrusion and decided to hit first. Drinking the Nabavodel waters made them ferociously good lovers, but it also made them ferociously aggressive attackers, ready to pounce in a way that wouldn’t be enjoyable for anyone. Getting impaled with a sword or arrow might slow down her search for knowledge. The Trerada waters could heal most injuries, except instant kill strikes to the heart, brain or spinal cord; nor could they cure the disease caused by drinking the wrong waters, of course. Trerada waters couldn’t bring back the dead…even though they could perfectly heal the very nearly dead.

  ~~~

  Duchess Sarita was more than satisfied with her husband’s fierce lovemaking – she was actually delightfully tired by it – so she kissed him when it ended. After they dressed themselves, she said: “Now, let’s go for a little walk through the castle. I’ll take you to the library. You said you were interested in that.” She kissed him and then took his hand, leading him out of their room and through the halls of the castle, toward another tower.

  “Count Pietro-Terzo lived one thousand seven hundred ninety-eight (1798) years ago, if I remember the king’s words correctly,” Count Terzo said.

  “You do pay attention to what people say. Just make sure to pay attention to me. Promise?” Duchess Sarita asked.

  “I promise. We are married. We are in this together. Let’s learn together,” Count Terzo said.

  “The history of Waderav is higher up in this tower. Let me show you,” Duchess Sarita said. She led Count Terzo up a set of spiral stairs, winding around the walls of the tower, going up three (3) floors. They entered a door toward the tower’s interior, and books filled shelves along the walls, up to a height of eleven (11) feet. The circular floor between the shelves was twenty-two (22) feet across.

  “You said these books go back in time further than the records in Emeth? This library is certainly large, but that is quite a lot of information to place in a single room of books,” Count Terzo said.

  “Yes, they do. Open any of the books and you’ll understand,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “How are they organized? I don’t want information on all of Waderav, just the region where I live – where Count Pietro-Terzo lived nearly eighteen (18) centuries ago,” Count Terzo said.

  Duchess Sarita led Count Terzo across the room as she scanned the shelves, which were marked with different numbers. “Here, this book should have it,” Duchess Sarita said, taking the book off of the shelf and handing it to Count Terzo. She smiled, awaiting his surprise.

  Count Terzo opened the book and he instantly understood how so much knowledge was recorded in the books. “It’s filled with lightkeeper crystals, showing images upon images of pages of so many other books. My eyes will take time to absorb it all,” Count Terzo said.

  “Rotate the lightkeepers crystals, slowly, and see even more,” Duchess Sarita said.

  Count Terzo took a lightkeeper crystal out of the book – actually, the book was a box of lightkeeper crystals, and the box had a lid that was a book cover with a title – and he rotated the lightkeeper in his hand, slowly, staring at the images within. He could see page after page, of book after book, but he had to focus his vision to read some of the books, which appeared farther away in the depths of the crystal facets.

  “Did you find anything interesting?” Duchess Sarita asked.

  “Yes, but I’m looking for the answer to my specific question. There’s too much here – far too much,” Count Terzo said.

  “Now listen to me! Never tell anyone, especially not a Chronicler, about this library. Never! They would all descend on this place like vultures. They would learn things here they aren’t supposed to know,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “It speaks highly of you that the king would grant you access to this vast library,” Count Terzo said.

  “It speaks highly of you that I would share that access. But I trust my husband, because His Majesty, King Hamza Bazavador, selected you personally. The knowledge here is dangerous, and its revelation could lead to many wars,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “I want peace…in my land, in my lifetime,” Count Terzo said.

  “Then don’t ever speak of this place, except in private with me, within these castle walls,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “I promise to keep quiet about it, Sarita,” Count Terzo said.

  “It will cost us both our lives if you do. That’s not even the worst of it,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “You said the knowledge kept here would lead to wars if it were revealed. I certainly don’t want that for anyone. But what exactly is in this library that is so dangerous?” Count Terzo asked.

  “I haven’t found the answer…yet. And I’m thankful for that, because I haven’t looked for it. All I know is that there’s a deep secret, about this world, and that it has to stay a secret. Even the king doesn’t know which book has the details of it, and he doesn’t want to know. Its existence scares him and the possibility of revealing it terrifies him, but he won’t say why. He once told me that he would burn this castle and the library to the ground if he weren’t afraid of looters coming and finding the book before all of them were destroyed. As unlikely as it is for anyone to find the unknown book, the king said he still had to keep the library intact,” D
uchess Sarita said.

  “So the king doesn’t know what book has the secret, but he knows that it’s written in detail in some book, somewhere in the library, and he knows that it’s bad?” Count Terzo asked.

  “Yes,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “How does he know it’s bad without knowing its details?” Count Terzo asked.

  “I’ve told you all that I can about it. Just find what you want about your family history and close the book. Then, we can go back to our room and relax for a while,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “What if I happen to have the book with this terrible secret, and I happen to read it?” Count Terzo asked.

  “I’d see it in your eyes and face. You would turn pale, for fear of it,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “How do you know? I don’t scare that easily. Do you know the secret? Is this a test?” Count Terzo asked.

  “No, I don’t know the secret at all. I just trust the king’s judgment that it’s terrible. Everything in life is a test. It’s just that you need to pass this particular test, on your first try,” Duchess Sarita said.

  Count Terzo looked through the lightkeeper crystal in his hand and then looked in another, and then another, replacing each one back in its book/box when he was done. After looking at thirteen (13) of these – having spent over six (6) hours of scanning the crystals and summarily dismissing each one when he found it didn’t cover anything of interest, he stumbled across a seemingly irrelevant piece of information regarding something outside of Waderav. The particular lightkeeper crystal contained an image of several pages of a book related to the Glivoran Trail. A specific location along that land bridge was the supposed site of a set of stone tablets which were inscribed with information that revealed the location of a place known as the Citadel of Greater Fortunes. The Citadel stood in the beginning of the first age, over four million two hundred thousand (4200000) years ago. Those who lived in the Citadel drank a unified ocean water that gave all powers. It was nonsense, of course: there was no ‘unified ocean’, despite what that mad King Xander had so fanatically searched for, subjugating half the world to find it. Except, if this were true, this had to be the secret – the biggest secret. And he had to learn more about it. How could he have found this so quickly and so easily? This was the wildest sort of luck, he thought. He memorized the information about the Glivoran Trail location and then placed the crystal back, looking at the next one.