by C. Litka
05
Within a round we had lost sight of DeAjen's Islands, leaving behind its Dragon-people, its dragons, birds, beetles, and the shadow of legends. Once more we were alone in the empty sky, with only the rhythmic beat and the rustle of the wind to break the silence of the great wide-sea. The soul stone fever had passed, but not the memory of them. Little was spoken about them, or the rush of events that led to the death of 18 members of the expedition, but both were on everyone's mind.
I had held off saying much about the fate of the mutineers to the surviving crew until the Captain had recovered and we were well on our way. In part, so I needed to tell the tale only once, and in part to assemble my arguments for letting the lost island of the Dragon-people remain lost. It was, and is, I'm convinced, absolutely vital that the secret of those islands be returned, unopened, back to legend. So it was only after we had put the islands well behind us that I told my story after the main meal.
I began at what I considered the beginning - with Glen Colin's stories of the great ships of the Dragon Kings that were said to be large enough to brush islands aside, and then on to my two encounters with the Dragon-people with the soul stone collars, and how it affected me then. I told them about seeing the two ancient ships, small and large, driven by forces I could not name. Only after that did I tell them about the metal mountain and then in great detail, the current that drew me to the great cavern, the smashed soul stone "throne" and what I saw going on below and around me.
I then mentioned finding the little soul stone...
'You found a soul stone, and didn't bring it with you?' exclaimed ValDare, his mouth agape. 'You had to known the value of even a small one!'
I shrugged. 'Yes, but having just witnessed its dreadful power over people, and from my personal experiences with the Dragon-people, I really didn't feel like having one of those things around me.'
'They're harmless - unless, I guess, you know how to use them. Why if you didn't want it about, you could've sold it and gotten wealthy - perhaps even richer than myself. Or you could've given it to me,' he added, half seriously.
'Dare, I'm a fairly wealthy fellow, back in my home islands. And all those coins haven't done me a bit of good. No amount of coins would've kept you or anyone else from dancing that dance of death, if you'd gone with the mutineers. I didn't feel comfortable bringing something like that back. And well, I hesitate to say this, knowing my reputation, but that wasn't the first soul stone I held. I once had a soul stone - we call them darq gems - tucked away in my sock drawer for thousands of rounds, before I arrived here...'
The Captain rolled her eyes.
ValDare snorted. 'Really?'
'Really...' I replied, and spun a brief tale of Captain Miccall's ring, and its eerie effect when viewed. 'So you see, soul stones have some sort of power, or perhaps the more correct word is "function." And I think that function is somehow connected to the Dragon Kings. And that island - well it might actually be a Dragon Kings' ship?' And went on to describe my theory.
'Your greatest yet,' muttered the Captain. But we were friends, so it didn't bother me.
'Oh, I can't prove it - it may be the ruins of a base or a city, but since it fits the description of a Dragon King's ship, I willing to bet that it's the wreck of one. But that's not important. What is, is the soul stones and how they can be used. We've seen how they can take control of people, and we already know that they have some effects even without someone using them deliberately. With so many available, we need to consider all the threats they present, should this find become known - as it will, unless we're all in agreement.'
'What threat?' demanded ValDare.
'Well, let's just consider what impact that many soul stones would have on the Saraime. First of all, their prices would likely collapse under the weight of that many stones coming to market. But more importantly, if they do have some sort of narcotic or hypnotic power, what would that many soul stones, in the hands of many people, do to the entire population. If they have the power to command, control, and manipulate people, as they seem to do, how might they be used by those who own them? Picture what effects they could have on the social order of the Saraime if they were held by ambitious people.'
'But can they be used in that way? They may well have that effect on an individual, but there is no evidence that they could be used on a massive scale. Indeed, not only have some people possessed them for thousands and thousands of rounds, but you, yourself, claimed to have owned one with no ill effects,' said ValDare.
'Single stones have their effects. I couldn't bear to look at mine. And I gather the effects are much more marked on our feathered kind. But now we're talking a hundred thousand of them. What I saw in the mountain could only be explained by some extremely powerful force that had dead men dancing about like puppets. I have to believe that it was an effect of the thousands of stones linked, somehow, together with thousands of the Dragon-people, though I can't offer any explanation for how this could be brought about. But I know what I experienced when I met the soul stone wearing Dragon-people on my own. You can believe my tale or not, but how do you explain the fact that our shipmates simply walked into what was obviously some sort of trap? They had to be under the thrall of the stones as soon they left the ship. Clearly soul stones open an avenue into our brains which can allow others to take control of it. I don't think it would be wise to have them about.'
'Even if you're right, the incident you witnessed involved many thousands of them in one place with many thousands of Dragon-people possibly involved in using them. Single ones don't seem to have any marked effect beyond unease or a certain minor enthrallment. You lived in proximity of one for thousands of rounds without ill effects,' he replied.
'But who's to say the effects need be that obvious to be dangerous? Who's to say, knowing what we know now, they can't be harnessed? But there's some more things to be considered,' I paused to marshal my thoughts, to say what I believed as clearly as I could.
'I've been giving this a lot of thought, and I've come to suspect that the true purpose of soul stones is communication - mind to mind communication over vast distances. I will admit that I have no direct evidence to support this theory, but I've asked myself over and over again, what possible use could that sphere of soul stones have? We know they can be harnessed to project a sort of telepathic power, and we know some dragons, at least, are telepathic. I suspect that soul stones are some sort of device that transmits thoughts - or orders. Perhaps each stone is unique, "tuned", as it where, to an individual, so that each crew member had their own soul stone that tied them to the ship and the Dragon King who controlled them. A ship the size of the island could easily accommodate tens of thousands of crew - the Scarlet Guard I encountered had a stone that may have controlled them and certainly controlled me. I admit that this is just speculation on my part. But it is, I think, at least one possible explanation.
'What we need to consider, if I'm right, is that these soul stones are linked to the Dragon Kings. Between the Dragon-people's legendary links to the fabled Dragon Kings, and the likelihood that their island is the wreckage of a vast ship, I think it would be hard to argue otherwise. And when you consider that I may have seen the true Scarlet Guard in action, you can't dismiss the Dragon Kings to the ancient past. I know there's an underlying feeling in Cimmadar that it would be wise to avoid calling themselves to the attention of these mythical Dragon Kings. Just why, I don't know, but they have chosen to be a hermit kingdom. There are likely several good reasons for that, but it is whispered that some hidden knowledge of the Dragon Kings may account for at least one of them. I can't say this for certain because I've never been to Cimmadar.'
Captain KimTara rolled her eyes again.
'I haven't been everywhere,' I said.
'It just seems like that,' she said softly.
I ignored her and continued, 'So what I'm going to suggest is that we have, on the Dragon-people's Island, a hundred thousand links to either the Dragon Kings o
r some very advanced civilization. They may be links to beings dead for millions of rounds, but that's not a given. One has to wonder if some disruption caused by looting the soul stones would register on something, somewhere beyond the Endless Seas. What sort of attention might that attract? Do you want to attract the attention of the builders of a 15-kilometer-long great ship?'
'I'd suggest, Chief, that the legends of the Dragon Kings show that they already know about the Saraime,' said ValDare. 'What harm would gathering the stones do?'
'You may be right. The Principalities are a drop of water in a vast lake. It may've been forgotten. But, on the other hand, who knows what they'd do if they learned of their existence through the soul stones? Safety first has always been my motto. (Not that it seemed to matter.) So my inclination is to not take chances. And even if we discount the Dragon Kings, the soul stones are dark in so many ways - in their thrall you can dance even when dead. I think they're best left alone.'
The conversation about the soul stones went on for hours after that, and for days, and weeks as we sailed through the empty sky. In the end, I doubted that I had succeeded in talking would-be seekers of soul stones out of a return quest. It may be up to the Scarlet Guard - or the trackless Endless Sea - to protect the secret of the soul stones.
