Architecture & Adversity

by Jeremy Dwyer

  She held Count Terzo tightly, and then tighter, making love to him again until the man was exhausted and fell soundly asleep. She contemplated killing him to protect the prize for herself, but then decided that the man’s memory might still be of use, until she could prove that it wasn’t.

  CHAPTER 30: Citadel of Powers and Temptations

  Prince Marku was walking through the hallways of the Citadel when he suddenly sensed the thoughts of unfamiliar minds nearby. He telepathically probed the thoughts of these minds, and learned that there were three (3) people standing outside the Citadel, and they were able to see it, despite the darkness that had concealed it for ages. He turned to Princess Rodica, who stood beside him, and said: “We have three (3) potential guests approaching. I sense their thoughts even now.” Marku then continued reading the thoughts of the people approaching.

  Princess Rodica then peered into Marku’s thoughts, thereby learning what he was sensing in greater detail. She indirectly learned that there was a man named Drystan and a woman named Indigo who were lovers. The third person was another woman named Amaltheia who had a daughter with another man – she is not sure, because she had two (2) lovers – but then gave the child up to be free. Amaltheia was disfigured by experiments she performed on the Dead Waters, and her unsightly appearance prevented her from taking another lover. Yet, she wanted this man named Drystan, and was planning to win him away from Indigo by whatever means she could.

  Prince Marku probed the thoughts of the woman named Indigo more closely: he learned that she was guarding a dangerous secret. Indigo carried with her ten (10) objects called luminaries: onyx candles which, when lit, caused the suns to become darker. She was being instructed by a ghost to gather these luminaries and ensure they were never lit again. Marku also found that Indigo was tired of this demanding life, and considered her love affair with Drystan as her payment for her hard work. She feared Amaltheia’s intentions, seeing as the woman was trying to incite an argument by revealing the secret of the luminaries, which Indigo had withheld from Drystan.

  Princess Rodica followed Marku’s thoughts and found the whole matter alarming. She also found that Drystan was beginning to distrust Indigo, and was considering breaking off their relationship because of her lack of openness about her work at collecting the luminaries, as revealed by Amaltheia. What was also interesting – and most alarming – was that the Citadel had been revealed to them by a blue beam of light suddenly crossing the Javanda forest. The intensity must have been tremendous to penetrate the cloak of magical darkness around the Citadel.

  ~~~

  Amaltheia moved toward the walled city, curious as to whether it contained anything of value. She was filled with optimism, if only because she was desperate not to go on living as a disfigured and unwanted woman. Perhaps the walled city contained a secret of some value that she could use to bargain for love. Or, perhaps the people within would accept her and give her the intimate attention she longed to have once again. At worst, they would kill her, and end her misery. “Come on, don’t be so afraid,” Amaltheia said to Indigo, who hesitated and to Drystan, who waited with her, trying to encourage her.

  “This is not a good idea. This is really not a good idea,” Indigo said. She still feared the consequences of losing the luminaries.

  “The world is dangerous. The more we know about it, the better our chances of dealing with it, together, trusting each other,” Drystan said.

  “That is not true – that is not how things work. Some mysteries are more dangerous when they’re revealed. Secrets can save us,” Indigo said.

  “You’ll never know if you don’t ask questions. Learn to be bold,” Amaltheia said.

  ~~~

  “The guests are approaching, Rodica. We must welcome them,” Prince Marku said.

  “We must also protect the Citadel, now that it is no longer hidden,” Princess Rodica said.

  “There is no one else around, or I would have sensed their thoughts,” Prince Marku said.

  “No one nearby, Marku. What about far away, beyond your telepathy? What if more people see the Citadel?” Princess Rodica asked.

  “We have considerable defenses, when we need them,” Prince Marku said.

  “I know, Marku. Yet, the exposure is still a danger to us. We need to conceal the Citadel once again,” Rodica said.

  “I will work to make that happen, soon enough, Rodica. First, we should come to know our guests, and become familiar with them and their tastes,” Prince Marku said.

  “Are you going to allow them to enter the gates now?” Princes Rodica asked.

  “Yes, and so much more,” Prince Marku said.

  Prince Marku then touched the wall and concentrated, applying his powers over stone. He reached into the low-level structure of the wall, manipulating it in subtle ways. This power sent ripples and shockwaves throughout the structure of the entire Citadel, out into the surrounding wall that was connected through bridges and archways. The form of that outer wall changed, creating an opening. “I have opened the gate to them,” Prince Marku said.

  “Then I suppose I should greet them, and lead them here,” Princess Rodica said. She concentrated and applied her powers over sound, projecting her voice such that it carried outside, but it remained soft.

  ~~~

  Amaltheia watched as an aperture in the city wall opened before her eyes. It was as if someone had drunk the Kazofen waters and altered the stone. Yet, she saw no one standing on either side of the wall to do this. Of course, they could be hiding under the cloak of darkness extended by someone else, who drank the Ikkith Tar waters. Still, nothing harmful happened…yet.

  “Come on. Come on. There’s an open gate in the city wall,” she said, waving to Indigo and Drystan to approach.

  Drystan moved toward Amaltheia, tugging on Indigo’s arm while he said: “We have to discover the truth, not run from it. I’m not afraid.”

  “If you were thinking smart, you would be,” Indigo said.

  “I may not be as smart as you, but that doesn’t mean I’m a fool for anybody,” Drystan said.

  “Then why are you following her? I’m the woman who loves you. She’s playing games, teasing and tempting you,” Indigo asked.

  “I want to know more. You need to tell me more, so I can help you,” Drystan said.

  “You’re mine,” Indigo said.

  “I know. Now, treat me like I’m yours. Tell me what I need to know,” Drystan said.

  “You need to know we’re all in danger, and you’re being tricked. By her,” Indigo said.

  Amaltheia beckoned to them again and said: “Enough! Here’s our chance to learn something new.”

  “How do you know you’re not being tricked by whoever it is that’s been leading you to collect these luminaries? What if he’s just going to take them all and kill you when he has what he wants? Why do you trust him, whoever he is?” Drystan asked.

  “What he says makes sense. That’s why I trust him,” Indigo said.

  “Half-truths are worse than lies. You don’t know the whole story, either, do you?” Drystan asked.

  “Have a little trust in my judgment. Please!” Indigo said.

  “Have a little trust in mine. Please,” Drystan said.

  Amaltheia reached out – tenderly – to Drystan, taking his right hand, while he pulled on Indigo with his left hand.

  “Come on. We’re all together. This is interesting,” Amaltheia said, pulling them to the point just outside the newly formed city gate. She then stepped through the gate. Drystan and Indigo followed, joining hands.

  “Welcome to the Citadel. Come in to our kingdom,” a soft female voice said, but there was no visible woman speaking it.

  “Who is that?” Indigo asked.

  “What kingdom is this? Who are you? Do you have names?” Amaltheia asked.

  “Come and be our guests, and we will share in our luxuries,” the soft female voice said.

  “Where are you?” Drystan asked.

  “They�
��re hiding in the darkness. They’re going to kill us!” Indigo said.

  “They could have done that by now if they wanted to. Stop being so afraid. You’ll never enjoy life,” Amaltheia said.

  “Come this way,” the soft female voice said, seemingly from a different location.

  “She’s over this way,” Amaltheia said, walking toward where she thought the voice was coming from.

  ~~~

  “They’re through the gate and inside the wall. I can hear them approaching,” Princess Rodica said.

  “I shall close the gate then,” Prince Marku said. He applied his powers over stone once again, sealing the aperture in the wall of the Citadel.

  ~~~

  Indigo heard a sound of moving stones and looked around. She immediately noticed that the opening in the wall was no more. “They’ve sealed us in! The wall is closed! It is a trap!” she said.

  Amaltheia looked and saw that the wall was closed. She considered this and said: “It’s their city defense. They’re just protecting against intruders. We’re guests. Relax.”

  “I’ll relax when were out of here, alive, with everything we brought in,” Indigo said.

  “The city appears to be a very large building, or lots of little ones all joined together,” Amaltheia said.

  “Do you think that’s important?” Drystan asked.

  “I work with crystals and stones – you know, by drinking the Kazofen waters – so I know a bit about architecture, and the cultural function of it. Cities with lots of little buildings tend to have a different kind of government, and the political power is spread out, between mayors, merchant guilds and others. Cities with a single building are usually under some kind of central power, like a baron or a king or a high priest,” Amaltheia said.

  “You seem to know a lot about history. Did you spend a lot of time in Emeth – studying, not picking up boyfriends, I mean?” Indigo asked.

  “No. I just like smart men. The kind of men who collect lots of books, which I do get around to reading…after I’m done taking a closer look at the men, of course,” Amaltheia said.

  “You think this is more of a castle, or a temple, then?” Indigo asked, beginning to take Amaltheia seriously.

  “Come closer,” the soft female voice said.

  “Or a palace, with some kind of royalty,” Amaltheia said, continuing to follow the voice.

  Indigo and Drystan continued to follow Amaltheia, seeing no alternative.

  ~~~

  “They’re almost here. The sounds of their voices are much closer now,” Princess Rodica said.

  “Then I will open the Citadel itself,” Prince Marku said. He applied his powers over stone yet again, transmitting the structural changes through the interior wall so that an opening formed in the exterior of the citadel.

  ~~~

  “Look. The city entrance is opened,” Amaltheia said. She approached the singular, large structure that was the citadel and entered. Drystan hurried after her, with Indigo following closely, still joining hands with Drystan.

  “They are here,” Princess Rodica said.

  “I will seal the Citadel,” Prince Marku said. Again, he applied his powers over stone: this time, to seal the opening formed in the exterior of the citadel.

  “Then, we must work to conceal the Citadel from the sight of all others,” Princess Rodica said.

  “First, we must greet our guests,” Prince Marku said.

  ~~~

  Amaltheia, Drystan and Indigo walked through the marble halls, seeing many bronze doors with silver carvings upon them.

  A man and a woman, dressed in regal attire – flowing purple robes, encrusted with diamonds – approached them.

  “Welcome to the Citadel. I am Prince Marku,” the man said.

  “I am Princess Rodica,” the woman said.

  “Thank you for having us. We are honored,” Amaltheia said.

  “Thank you for your visit. We are delighted to have guests. It has been far too long,” Prince Marku said. He touched Amaltheia’s scar with his finger and said: “You are a beautiful woman. Never doubt that. So beautiful.”

  “Thank you, Your Royal Highness,” Amaltheia said.

  “We were traveling through the Javanda forest when we saw this walled city appear…after a blue beam of light appeared to strike it. Actually, we were on our way out of the forest. She wanted to visit,” Indigo said.

  “I like to explore the world and learn what I can,” Amaltheia said.

  “We like to explore as well. First, drink up. We have much to show you,” Princess Rodica said, pointing to Drystan.

  Drystan obliged, drinking of the waters of the Trerada Ocean from his vial to become energized. They had their usual effect, enhancing both his vitality and his appearance.

  “You are a handsome man. Very handsome. It is so good to have you. What is your name?” Princess Rodica asked. She knew his name from the shared telepathy, but wanted to converse with the guests normally.

  “My name is Drystan,” he said.

  “I am Indigo,” she said.

  “I am Amaltheia,” she said.

  “I wish to get to know you better. Come, follow me, and we can relax,” Princess Rodica said.

  Prince Marku took both Amaltheia and Indigo by their hands, gently leading them along the hallway toward one of the many rooms with bronze doors and silver carvings.

  Princess Rodica unlocked the doors to the room and opened them, revealing fine couches and rugs. Several young men and women were resting upon them.

  “Please, be our guests. Do not mind our other visitors. They are resting after a fine meal. They’ll wake soon enough,” Princess Rodica said, leading Drystan in.

  “Be so kind as to sit right there, on that couch,” Prince Marku said, guiding Indigo and Amaltheia into the room.

  “We appreciate your hospitality, of course. But we have no real right to be here. I apologize for the intrusion,” Indigo said.

  “You are not intruding at all,” Prince Marku said.

  “I’m just glad to visit such a beautiful palace – if you don’t mind me calling it that,” Amaltheia said.

  “I thank you for having such good taste and appreciating our Citadel. We take pride in beautiful things. And having beautiful guests,” Prince Marku said.

  “And handsome guests,” Princess Rodica said. She rubbed her hand on Drystan’s cheeks, caressing him down to his chest, hinting at going further.

  Prince Marku nodded toward Princess Rodica and they concentrated, applying their telepathy on their new guests.

  Amaltheia felt a powerful mental presence enter her thoughts, compelling her to do what she wanted to do anyway. She began to reveal herself, bit by bit, until she was undressed. Moments later, Prince Marku was also disrobed and he became intimate with her.

  Indigo was terrified as she watched this, but then the mental presence entered her own thoughts, compelling her to unleash her intimate desires. Prince Marku then had his way with her, penetrating her physique and satisfying her most carnal desires, now that her rational will and sense of responsibility were weakened.

  Princess Rodica compelled Drystan to have thoughts of intimacy. He could not resist the urge to undress. Princess Rodica removed her flowing robes and then embraced Drystan, drawing him into her body for passion, bringing them both utmost pleasures.

  When the telepathically compelled lovemaking was ended, Prince Marku and Princess Rodica used their mental powers to compel Indigo, Drystan and Amaltheia to fall into a deep sleep.

  Prince Marku dressed again, and Princess Rodica also put her clothes on, both satisfied with their new sensual servants.

  Prince Marku then took the long chain under Indigo’s shirt where she kept the luminaries and said: “These luminaries are exceedingly dangerous: their wicks must never be lit and they must never leave this Citadel.”

  “Yes, Marku. I agree. But do not forget the other matter. The Citadel has been exposed to light, and must be hidden again,” Princess Rodica sa
id.

  “I will attend to that soon enough,” Prince Marku said.

  ~~~

  A lesser spirit who was following and observing Indigo saw what had happened and reported its message to the demon named Matatirot.

  “The girl holding the luminaries has been captured and seduced, then placed into a deep sleep. The luminaries are now held by her captors, in a Citadel within Javanda,” the voice of Matatirot said through the fifth ruby spire.

  Polyxene heard this and asked: “Do these captors know what the luminaries are?”

  “They know that the luminaries are dangerous and their wicks must never be lit,” the voice of Matatirot said through the fifth ruby spire.

  Polyxene considered the costs, risks and benefits of pursuing them immediately and decided that the matter was not urgent. “I will reclaim my luminaries in good time, when I need them,” she said.

  “Have I served you well?” the voice of Matatirot asked through the fifth ruby spire.

  “You have only just begun to repay your debts to me, Matatirot. Demons such as you have a great many debts, and I forgive nothing that is owed to me,” Polyxene said.

  “Exactly how large is this debt on which you are collecting payment from me? How many tasks must I perform to repay it?” the voice of Matatirot asked through the fifth ruby spire.

  “Your debt is staggering. Just remember the immense pain and suffering I rescued you from and be grateful for this opportunity,” Polyxene said.

  CHAPTER 31: Warriors in Mind and Body

  Pasha drank anew of the waters of the Medathero Ocean from her vial and was energized. She carefully noted the glimmering crystal structure around her in the Port of Reliance as she toured the city. When she arrived in the city’s center, she saw a gathering around an older woman – a music instructor from Emeth known as Lady Onora. Pasha disliked the woman because of her superstitious beliefs and so-called faith. However, she paid little mind to that musician and scanned the crowd for the most important person. Soon, she caught sight of that architect and approached.