Architecture & Adversity

by Jeremy Dwyer

  After one (1) day of travel, Borislav approached Tikhon in the wheelhouse and asked: “Are we close, Tikhon?”

  “We are now traveling along the eastern coast of Meridianus. I’ve caught sight of a new port city – it must have been built very recently, as I am familiar with many of them, having read the maps in Emeth,” Tikhon said.

  “A new city needs to hear a new message – one that warns them of their transgressions and the Divine Wrath to be visited upon the unrepentant. Sail into that port and we will visit them. First, we will speak to the people. If they listen and heed the message, we will guide them along a better path to salvation. If they reject the warning, there will be much more suffering,” Borislav said.

  ~~~

  In the Pirovalen Ocean, on Modajatisk Island, Aura stood on a hilltop while holding her nineteen (19) month old son in her arms. She remembered her youth and the relationships she had with her three (3) sisters: Rivka, Lyssa and Kassia. She remembered how beautiful that Lyssa had been: every man, young and old, burned to be inside her. Aura recalled with disgust the many handsome visitors who came to the home they shared, ignoring her and Rivka – the ugly sisters – and finding their way into Lyssa’s sweet embrace. She remembered the cries of passion that were often heard from Lyssa’s bedroom, and the lonely nights that she yearned for a lover of her own. Those nights were painful from unfulfilled desire. No matter how much Aura had flirted, not even the men waiting in the reading room outside Lyssa’s bedroom for their turn at pleasure could be lured into her own bedroom for ecstasy. The only thing more boggling to Aura than her failure to attract them was the complete calm of their other sister, Kassia, who sat there in the reading room, actually reading, rather than attempting to win a lover from among the handsome men standing there.

  Night after night of rejection became so infuriating that Aura resented the beauty of her winsome sister. Rivka fared no better, and they met many nights to discuss the matter. They were in agreement that Lyssa had been given an unfair advantage by fate – actually, by the Trerada waters. Rivka had the power of spirit by the Zovvin waters, but it didn’t let her seduce the men, and risked summoning a spirit of pure lust to attack Rivka directly. Aura’s songs, enhanced by the Pirovalen waters, might have helped at seduction, but she wanted a man to genuinely desire her, and the water powers would fade in time, as would their effects.

  Aura had learned to cope, on occasion, with the loneliness, but that was by day. When the night returned, so did the cries of passion from Lyssa’s bed chamber, arousing her own desires, repeating the rejections she received from the latest male visitors, and reawakening her envy and resentment. This proved to be too much for both her and Rivka, so that Lyssa had to be dealt with. After poisoning her with the wrong water to bring crixalethicis, they watched her beauty melt away in minutes, as every organ within Lyssa’s body erupted from the exposure to a water that was not the same as her waterbinding. It was a satisfying victory over a superior rival, repeated by Aura alone against Rivka when, nearly two (2) decades later, Rivka had intimacy with King Xander even though he had rejected Aura.

  Except it wasn’t satisfying. Aura now deeply regretted murdering her own flesh and blood – both Lyssa and Rivka were her sisters. She hated herself more than she resented them. She hated herself completely. She hated her life. She hated her Pirovalen waterbinding. She hated her songs of enchantment. She hated everything she had ever done or been or had. She hated that she was a murderer who destroyed her own family. She hated that the other sister, Kassia, was long dead and gone. She came here to bask in the hatred. She came here because this was the island infamous for the only woman in history that could be more hated while she was still alive: it was well known that Taesa sang Sail to Me from this hilltop, summoning well over a hundred million (100000000) men to sail into the tempest and die. So many people in the world still wanted Taesa dead – her name was mentioned all over, along with oaths to kill her. Aura was hardly remembered – her songs of enchantment had been hypnotic, by design, and they were focused on King Xander. Aura had been a sweet voice at a distance, and she heard no one make mention of her. It felt almost relieving that another living female singer was hated the world over, but she was not. But if they had known Aura – if she had been caught in the act, or if her songs had left the listeners with a lasting impression of her – then she would have been hated as well. Still, Taesa was the enemy of the world, as far as the world knew.

  Aura realized the true problem: no one knew her. No one at all, it seemed. They didn’t know her to hate her. They didn’t know her to love her. And she wanted to be known and loved. And she wouldn’t be loved if they did know her…if they knew her past, anyway. She had suffered unjustly in that past: her father had compelled her Pirovalen waterbinding, depriving her of the benefits of the Trerada waters, which would have made her very desirable, and her nights very satisfying from endless intimacies with handsome men to fulfill her womanly needs. Her father was a selfish fool who didn’t give her the freedom she wanted or needed. If he had a soul, she hoped it was burning. She wondered what a soul even was – if it was anything at all. Of course, Rivka believed in them – she manipulated them, in fact, using the Zovvin waters. Souls were real…after all, they brought back King Xander’s soul into a body. Aura admitted that she had a soul, which was painful. The admission required her to wonder what would become of her own. After murdering both Lyssa and Rivka – because of jealousy over physical pleasure, a pleasure which was certainly enjoyable yet not worth murder – she had little hope.

  She looked at her young son, Arik, who was her only remaining family. He was a handsome boy…and she loved him. As she held him close, she wondered if he would love her. He couldn’t be allowed to find out about her past deeds. He couldn’t be allowed to become anything like her.

  Aura drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from her vial and was energized. She had the power of music and sound. She did not so much as make a sound, however: she merely listened to the ocean all around her, as ships passed to and fro.

  ~~~

  Fantine and Niven continued touring the Port of Reliance while collecting images in lightkeeper crystals – they were up to thirty-two (32) crystals and nearly completed. Ximenez walked with them, entering the various buildings and recording what he saw into his book. Still, he had every intention of obtaining copies of the lightkeeper crystals when the imaging process was completed.

  Finally, when they finished imaging a forty-eight (48) foot tall residential building’s interior and returned to the first floor, and after thirty-five (35) lightkeeper crystals had been used, Fantine said: “That’s it. We have it all. The rest of the city is symmetric to the sample of key locations we imaged. This has to be sufficient.”

  “Under the authority of the Chronicler’s Oath, I request a copy of these lightkeeper crystals,” Ximenez said.

  “Yes, please, make two (2) copies. I’ll pay for all of them. The central bank can have the original, the Chronicler will take his copy to Emeth, and I want a copy for myself to review,” Fantine said.

  Niven began copying the images within the lightkeeper crystals onto a set of thirty-five (35) blanks, and then onto another set, using the light of the many suns pouring through the windows as before. After he bundled up the sets into small leather pouches, Fantine paid him for all three (3) sets by writing him a financial transfer note from her own book in the amount of fifty-two thousand five hundred (52500) platinum coins, five hundred (500) per crystal, just as before.

  “Thank you. You still need to get paid, though. Let’s take care of that,” Niven said after looking at the note, satisfied with the amount.

  “I will take care of it. Soon, we’re going back to the central bank to submit a copy to them. First, take care of the Chronicler. Give him his copy,” Fantine said.

  Niven handed over to Ximenez a leather pouch containing a set of thirty-five (35) lightkeeper crystals. Ximenez looked into them, turning the crystals about quickly
, to see the city’s images recorded optically within.

  “The crystals are densely packed. Turn them slowly, or you’ll miss part of the image,” Niven said.

  Ximenez tapped his finger on his vial – marked with the classical symbols of time, and containing the waters of the Ursegan Ocean – to remind Niven of what he forgot.

  “Don’t worry. What’s fast for you is slow for him. The Ursegan waters let him slow time and see fast moving events go more slowly. It’s not just about living longer,” Fantine said.

  “You’re right. I should have remembered that. Lots of people – living in regular time – turn the lightkeeper crystals too quickly and they do miss things,” Niven said.

  “Let’s get going. There’s a payment to collect and more work to be done,” Fantine said. She was not impressed with his intelligence – he was more gifted with looks than logic. And she wasn’t interested in his looks…or anyone else’s. Still, Niven was good at what he did, and that was good enough to keep him around. If another woman came along and took him away, even better. But she realized it wasn’t likely: Niven, for whatever reason, was still infatuated with her. Fantine walked out through the main entrance of the building. Niven and Ximenez followed her as she walked toward the center of the port city.

  In the center of the port city, Lady Onora met with and greeted different visitors. She watched as hundreds upon hundreds and thousands upon thousands of people came to visit. They surveyed the vacant buildings, looking to determine whether this would be a viable city to establish a workplace or even a home. Onora knelt down and prayed in a center square which was bordered by several benches.

  Ximenez saw Onora and he was curious, so he went to speak with her. “What are you praying for?” he asked.

  “Kneel down and take my hand. Pray with me,” Lady Onora said.

  Ximenez knelt down, unsure of what was to come. Yet, he trusted this woman and wanted to know more. He held out his hands and Lady Onora took them in hers.

  “I pray to Thee, One True God, that this city, and all those who live, work and visit here, are protected by Your Grace, enlivened by Your Love, and uplifted by Your Wisdom. I pray that anyone in danger, near and far, will come to this city, and find refuge in Your Holy Blessings,” Lady Onora said. She then let go of the Chronicler’s hands and they both stood up.

  “You asked for a city, so I built you a city. Pray if you want, but there’s real work to be done to make this city a success. You can’t do that work on your knees,” Fantine said.

  “You’ve built all that you were asked to build, architect. Yet, no work is complete if it is only material, or only built with our own limited wisdom and ability. Achieving success requires faith in a greater power,” Lady Onora said.

  ~~~

  Inside a small shop within a mining village located along the northern coast of the continent of Ihalik where it met with the Kazofen Ocean, Emerond worked twelve (12) hours daily at purifying diamonds for use as sailing stones in airships. He drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial and was energized. There were seventy-six (76) small diamonds laid out on the wooden table in front of him. He molded each carefully, so as to hold solar energy or release it, depending on the orientation of the diamond, which was controlled by the pivoting masts and sails of the ships. These sailing stones sold for anywhere from five (5) to nine (9) platinum coins each, having cost him three (3) platinum coins for each of the raw diamonds. He would mold anywhere from one hundred ten (110) to one hundred ninety (190) on a typical day at a customary level of quality, according to demand. He could produce two hundred twenty (220) on a very busy day, but the competition from other crystal benders in the village spread out the work load. Cargo captains and their firsts mates came through the village and purchased large numbers of the sailing stones, as they expended them quickly traveling to and fro across the Kazofen Ocean.

  After finishing his work for the day, Emerond returned to the small wooden cottage in the village where he lived with Taesa, their two (2) year old son Trent, and Taesa’s mother, Caroline. He entered the front room, immediately closing the front door. As usual, the front room was furnished but unoccupied. He opened a door and went through a doorway to a back room where the curtains were closed, admitting only a dim light. Emerond quickly closed the door behind him for privacy. There, he found Taesa, who remained quiet while sitting on a wicker chair with thick cushions. She held their child in her lap as he repeatedly opened and closed a small book, not knowing what to make of it, but remaining endlessly curious. Emerond kissed Taesa on the head and she smiled. She held Trent up and Emerond took the boy and kissed his head as well. Caroline sat on a wicker couch with larger cushions and read through a book.

  Emerond did not mind his work – or the low level of stress it brought. The Kazofen waters flowed through him, and he was well-versed in using them. There were better crystal benders, but he was more than merely competent at the task, having a high innate potential for those waters. The work was routine, with little variability or excitement. He did not need any more excitement – ever. In fact, it would be dangerous to even have any attention. He knew, as did Taesa and Caroline, that Taesa was still a target for assassination. By extension, they were all in danger. He loved the young woman, and enjoyed raising the boy with her, but he did not want her to sing again. Caroline agreed, as did Taesa, so there were no waters of the Pirovalen Ocean to be found in their home. Taesa spoke little, and whispered when she did, opting for hand gestures or writing in books, so that no one could hear her voice from afar, by virtue of also drinking the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean to detect even faint sounds. Another risk was a telepath, because the Elanatin waters quenched the thirst of many a spy, letting them probe thoughts at great distances. By occupying her thoughts with the boy, and never going outside – the biologically necessary light of the many suns came in sufficiently through the curtained windows – Taesa had hoped to avoid any such encounters. For these past two (2) years, their low profile lifestyle had been sufficient to avoid notice.

  Emerond walked Trent around the room, holding his hand, occasionally lifting him up and then bringing him down quickly so that the boy laughed.

  After an hour of watching Emerond playing with his son, Caroline stood up and opened her arms to receive Trent. “You’ve had a long day of work. Relax,” she said.

  Emerond passed the boy to Caroline and then sat in a chair next to Taesa. He held her hand and rubbed it, and then he kissed her on the lips.

  Taesa accepted the kiss but did not reply with another. Instead, she looked at Emerond and thought about the life she had – and the life she wanted. She had planned on traveling the world and learning all that she could. Instead, she learned of people and things that were too terrible and destructive to exist, yet they existed. Worse, she had been drawn into their evil, being deceived and controlled, and now she was considered evil by the survivors of many innocent victims. She had wanted to sail across every ocean, not have the world sail into a storm by a song she was compelled to sing. Sail to Me was a lie – a lie she was tricked into composing in music and forced into performing in a trance. Yet, when King Xander ruled half the world, she spoke out against his deception – Lies of a False King freed many millions of people from captivity by that tyrant. This act – as necessary and beneficial as it was – did not vindicate her in the judgment of the world, however: so many people still hated her. Now, her life was quiet – too quiet. She loved her son. She loved Emerond. She loved her mother, Caroline. But she wanted more. Tragically, trying to have more would put them all in danger: if anyone heard her voice again, she would be found, and likely killed. A single exploration – just to see a bit more of the world – is all it would take. It might even be that telepaths would find her by her thoughts and then signal to assassins in the darkness who would kill her without warning – this had already been tried.

  Life offered Taesa modest pleasures, on occasion, but she was a curious young woman, and always would be
. Lovemaking was sweet at times, but she didn’t care to have another child, or care to surrender her thoughts to physical passion very often, because it was mostly a monotonous act. Raising a child was tiresome and intellectually unsatisfying. Emerond seemed content, and he was a very kind and loyal man. Caroline seemed content, as well, enjoying the time with her grandson. Taesa feared that, out of ethical responsibility and external dangers, she was trapped in this unfulfilling lifestyle.

  “What’s wrong?” Emerond asked.

  Taesa shook her head and smiled. There was nothing to say that would change anything for the better.

  “I love you. We’re all together. Just relax and enjoy what we have. It’s the simple things that mean the most,” Emerond said.

  “Let it go, Taesa. You need to learn to relax,” Caroline said. She knew her daughter’s disposition for travel and excitement. She didn’t approve at all, and never would. All that mattered was holding this little family together, quietly and safely.

  Taesa smiled again and held Emerond’s right hand with her left hand. She placed her right hand over her shirt, not sure if the discomfort she felt meant that their lovemaking had been a little too sweet, and a little too often. She closed her eyes and napped. Emerond kissed her on the lips again and then sat back in his chair, holding her hand as she slept.

  CHAPTER 35: Beliefs about Suffering and Salvation