Dagger & Deception

by Jeremy Dwyer

  She was now in one of the so-called “maze waters,” because the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean were the ones that gave the powers of darkness to those who drank of them. However, even when not consumed, they had an impact, and the light from the suns above was distorted around her by the water upon which her fleet sailed. She could not see the islands around her, as they were concealed in darkness and confusion. It was as if the air around her became filled with a thin film of soot or black smoke, and it shimmered, so that navigation was no longer certain. Many ships had been misdirected or sunk here over the millennia, as even the finest navigators could become lost or confused, landing on the wrong island, crashing into islands or other ships, or circling through the ocean aimlessly. Escape was not as difficult, because a ship could turn to an airship and sometimes rise high enough to diminish the effects of visual distortion and just sail away, if it had enough energy. However, it was often of importance to find some island in the waters, at sea level, and that is where the difficulty was at its greatest. Fallavakara knew about where the oceans were on the world map, but not about what the oceans were by their very nature. For days, her fleet sailed the Ikkith Tar Ocean aimlessly, searching for Udovedaj-Pren Island. She didn’t dare admit to herself that her old master, Lavakara, may have been quite right about the powers of the waters, and that her failure to understand and appreciate them was the reason she had so little power, despite actually drinking the same Zovvin waters that he did.

  CHAPTER 19: Desires of the Advisor

  On the continent of Ihalik, the empire under Lycaon had grown slowly but steadily over the years. The empire was once under Emperor Brennius, father of Imperial Princes Octavian and Leonides. When Brennius died, the empire was split between Octavian, who was advised by Cassius and Leonides, who was advised by Lycaon. However, Lycaon desired power for himself, and so he conspired with his lower-ranking assistant advisors and poisoned Imperial Prince Leonides by giving him the incorrect water to drink, causing him to die of crixalethicis.

  Lycaon was sixty-seven (67) years old now and quite clever. He was a drinker of the waters of the Medathero Ocean, which multiplied his natural cleverness, and he was a devious schemer to this day. He desired only power and wealth and comfort, and would do anything to anyone in order to get it and keep it.

  Lycaon knew very well of the events of the day, having dispatched spies to different empires, kingdoms, major towns and cities of the world.

  Lycaon was aware of Captain Pradrock’s command of the ghost fleet under the ghost of Captain Tychon, and ordered an assassination of Captain Pradrock. Lycaon was afraid that a mortal man in command of a ghost fleet could be used against his empire, and ghosts could wield physical force, and yet not be injured in return. However, the assassination attempt failed.

  Lycaon was also aware of the rumors and warnings of the woman known as Victoria, who was of the Ahitan bloodline. They were famous for performing ritual sacrifices of men after using them to bear children. They received their powers from evil spirits, and were responsible for immense destruction. Lycaon knew enough of the history to realize that the Ahitan Empire brought only ruin and must be stopped, and could not be allied with. What troubled him, more, were the tales of this tiara of power. If it could control the oceans, and a bloodthirsty woman were to have use of it when its power was active, then the world would be brought to utter ruin.

  Lycaon murdered and stole without pity, for sure, be he was calculated. He did not murder useful people, because then they could not serve him. He did not steal everything, because utter poverty would disable the useful people. Instead, he took his percentage – a full third (1/3) of the wealth of his subjects – but no more. The farmers needed to eat, and for that they needed land, and work animals. The diamond miners needed their tools, and the ability to keep some of their find to sell for food so that they could eat, and continue working. These things he did not steal, but carefully measured what he took. Lycaon was quite greedy, as some rulers took only a fifth (1/5), and that was not enough to satisfy his material desires. However, he also knew that this could be taken too far numerically by actually destroying growth opportunities. That could be seen by analogy with the fishery business: if one caught and ate all the fish in a lake, there would be no new fish to catch and eat soon thereafter – enough must be left behind to replenish the supply.

  Lycaon applied a similar logic to the local banking industry: all loans represented some risk on the part of the lender, so there must be profit in making the loan. That profit – the interest – had to be high enough to cover the cost of servicing the loans that defaulted, as well as the ones that were repaid in full, so he did not overtax them. If he did, the banks would have passed on the costs to the borrowers, raising interest rates to where many could not afford to borrow, and collapsing the industry. However, this did not apply to the central banks: they defined their own tax liability and interest rates, and a web of complex banking laws dating from ancient times limited what he could do without creating a web of trade wars.

  Lycaon was gravely concerned about this tiara of power being in the hands of the demented cult known as the Ahitan Empire, and thought that it would be profitable and good for him to obtain the object instead. If he could control the oceans, then all ships that sailed the seas would be subject to him. Perhaps, even those who drank the waters of the oceans for their powers would be unable to do so without his permission, which was to be had after payment of a tax, of course. The tiara would be dreadful in the hands of the Ahitan woman, yet it would be a great advantage if Lycaon had use of it.

  While seated upon his throne in his northern palace, Lycaon decided to assemble forces to hunt down the Ahitan woman. He would have Victoria killed and take her tiara. Then, he would rule the oceans, and, thereby, the world. He summoned his top military officer, the twenty-nine (29) year old General Serafina, who previously served under Imperial Prince Octavian in his military.

  “What is it you command, My Enlightened Leader?” General Serafina asked. She was at least as bloodthirsty as any man. Her strength and speed were from drinking the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean, multiplying her innate potential. She was fearsome in combat, and had fine leadership qualities. That is, if one considered vicious beatings of new recruits to be leadership. The military was strong under her, and delivered many small victories, preserving Lycaon’s hold over much of the continent, and expanding the borders of the empire, albeit slowly. Because of Serafina, Lycaon controlled more than half of the continent of Ihalik, and there were no great threats to his empire that he could detect through his network of spies.

  “The Ahitan woman – the one known as Victoria – must die. Of this, there is no question. Even if we must render assistance to our rivals, her removal is urgent and necessary,” Lycaon said.

  “Indeed. She is no ally, and we cannot build the empire if she strikes at us,” General Serafina said.

  “The tiara, however, must not fall into their hands. It is to be taken, and made to serve us,” Lycaon said.

  “It would be my honor to take the tiara, and bring its power to you, My Enlightened Leader,” General Serafina said.

  Serafina considered Lycaon to be quite clever, and enlightened. She had come to his side three (3) years ago, when Imperial Prince Octavian’s empire fell. Lycaon convinced her, through arguments that even her violent mind could understand, that sometimes gentleness is strength. He said to her, “One does not burn the fields and have them grow wheat, nor does one beat a pregnant woman and have her give birth to a healthy future soldier.” This, even Serafina understood, and mitigated her violent tactics, under some situations. She could see how clever Lycaon was, and he made her less foolish by his instruction. Still, her greatest skills were in physical combat.

  “Others will have the same intentions. You must be furtive, and find the proper moment. The tiara will not have the power to rule until the solar alignment ends and the world cools. Now is the time to find her, preferably without help, thoug
h with it if you must. The tiara must be ours, or it must be destroyed. It is too great a threat if another empire should command its powers,” Lycaon said.

  “I shall bring you the tiara, or report of its destruction, My Enlightened Leader,” General Serafina said.

  “Excellent. Now, take with you ten thousand (10000) combat troops. With them, take four (4) of our finest spies, drinkers of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean, who can hide in the deep darkness. You will need them to approach the Ahitan woman without being seen and take the tiara. Take with you, also, two (2) of our finest navigators, who are star-readers, and can follow the paths of the suns by drinking of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean. You will need that guidance to find the Udovedaj-Pren Island. In the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean, ordinary navigation will not be of much use, and ships will likely be lost. Take fifty (50) of our warships, that you may properly carry our troops. Do not initiate a battle with other empires, General. This is not an ordinary mission. If you encounter our rivals, make it clear that you seek only to prevent the Ahitan woman from rebuilding her empire with the tiara. Seek alliances of mutual interest and convenience,” Lycaon said.

  “What if they attack us?” General Serafina asked.

  “You are to escape, not fight, unless cornered. Their attack is unlikely, however, if you order your troops to remain calm,” Lycaon said.

  “If you don’t want a war, why are you sending so many troops?” General Serafina asked.

  Lycaon considered this, and felt that her question had at least some merit. Serafina was notoriously violent, and he was sending her to a distant land with a sizable combat force. However, he had a good reason.

  “The large presence gives a threat of force from us, and this will discourage our rivals from attempting to remove our influence,” Lycaon said.

  “The large presence is best for killing our rivals,” General Serafina said. She was thrilled to be getting her orders to march with troops, and could barely contain the desire to kill, removing limbs with swords, or even her bare hands or teeth.

  “Furthermore, if we send too few troops, they may be seen as vulnerable and be attacked. Also, we will not be able to take possession of the tiara, because our presence will not be sufficient to claim it, should its location become known,” Lycaon said.

  “As you command, My Enlightened Leader. I shall not begin any attack, only kill the woman and take the tiara,” General Serafina said.

  “Excellent. You are to begin the deployment process immediately,” Lycaon said.

  General Serafina began ordering her troops to arrange themselves and drink of their own waters. As ordered, she did call in two (2) navigators, who drank the waters of the Atrejan Ocean, so that they could hear the paths of the suns and thereby guide the fleet. However, most of the troops drank the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean – and used them to energize their bodies. Their strength and speed, and overall combat prowess, would be multiplied greatly. They were called the “tiger waters” with good reason. She herself took a fresh drink of those same Nabavodel waters from the vial she wore on the chain around her neck. Serafina was now energized, and was ready and eager to utterly destroy someone by sword or fist or foot or even a block of stone or setting them on fire or pushing them over a cliff or drowning them or strangling them until they breathed their last. There were so many wonderful ways that Serafina knew of killing her enemies. Yet, she was under orders to save all the killing for just one – the Ahitan woman whose name was Victoria.

  CHAPTER 20: Confusion in Darkness

  Sebastian boarded his own ship, docked in the Port of Kemalorin along the southwestern coast of the continent of Baradaxa. On board, he had a number of his own guards to protect him. He also had a star-reader – a man named Kohaku – who drank the waters of the Atrejan Ocean. Kohaku was forty-eight (48) years old, and an expert navigator.

  “Kohaku, please chart a course for the Udovedaj-Pren Island,” Sebastian said.

  “As you request, so I shall do,” Kohaku said.

  Kohaku had made the trip several times before, and it was very difficult, but he was quite clever. He knew how to accommodate for the distortions caused by the “dark waters” – also known as the “shadow waters” or “maze waters”, although “maze waters” could also refer to the waters of the Lujladia Ocean, which added light, rather than taking it way, to cause visual distortions. The “shadow waters” and “dark waters” uniquely referred to the Ikkith Tar Ocean’s waters. Kohaku knew about the three (3) red sun configuration that made Udovedaj-Pren Island visible, and so he planned ahead for it. Kohaku then took a fresh drink of the Atrejan waters from the vial he carried on the chain around his neck. He was energized, and listened to the suns above. He plotted a course, to carry him through the various parts of the Ikkith Tar Ocean, so that the suns could be followed visually, because that is how navigation is actually done. The sun movements and positions, which are perceived by the power of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean, must be adjusted to correspond to the sun movements and positions that are seen, so that a ship can actually be steered.

  Sebastian’s crew converted the ship to an airship flying at low altitude. Like most ships in recent times, they had crystal structures on the deck of the ship, serving as shelters from the many aligned suns. These were the same ones designed by Fantine – some even having been built by her personally – and highly effective. This enabled them to travel without concern for the solar alignment and the intense heat and light, known as the inferno, that they caused. They traveled to the northwest over the continent of Baradaxa, and then returned to sea level in the Ikkith Tar Ocean.

  Sebastian drank deeply of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean that he kept in a vial he wore on a chain around his neck. He was now energized, and could feel emotions and thoughts of those around him. He attuned himself to search for a particular personality, and waited to sense that personality.

  Navigation was difficult on the Ikkith Tar Ocean, and his expert navigator, Kohaku, expended all of his energy to approach the island as closely as he did. Kohaku’s skill brought them as close to the island as he safely and certainly could, but it was impossible to see the island clearly unless you were positioned perfectly correctly with respect to the red suns, and this was not a simple maneuver, despite his skill. However, Sebastian was able to find the personality he was searching for by reaching out and feeling it in the distance. He could feel her hate and loathing, her greed and madness and dishonesty…and her grief and shame. The emotions emanated from her with sickening intensity. He followed these emotions, pointing the way for the navigator to steer the ship over the final stretch of the ocean and reach the island. The ship entered a small inlet where it was anchored. Sebastian stepped off the vessel and onto the shore of Udovedaj-Pren Island. From there, he entered into the lavish estate that belonged to Madeline.

  ~~~

  Brant and Zoe had traveled to the ancient city of Emeth, thinking that they could find information about how to travel to the Udovedaj-Pren Island. They knew that many travelers, including sea captains of high skill and vast experience, visited Emeth, and figured that one of them could possibly provide passage to the island. There were thousands (1000) upon thousands (1000) of people in Emeth, and dozens of ships coming and going. Yet, it was difficult to find someone interested, for the right price.

  In their search, they encountered a Chronicler of the Oath, by the name of Ovid. He overheard them asking about the Udovedaj-Pren Island, and approached them.

  “As you have interest in traveling to the Udovedaj-Pren Island, I wish to accompany you on your travels. My name is Ovid. I am a Chronicler of the Oath, and under the authority of that same Oath, I will observe, but not interfere,” Ovid said.

  Zoe knew what this was about, and asked of Ovid: “So you’re going to follow us and write down everything we do?”

  “That is correct. I will also write down what you say. And what others around you do and say,” Ovid answered.

  “Not everything we
do should be written down. Some of it’s a little bit…rough,” Brant said.

  “I do not judge, or interfere. I have seen many things, of various sorts, in my eight hundred thirty-two (832) years. Fear not for my sake,” Ovid said.

  “Can we suggest that you follow somebody else? We have work to do,” Brant said.

  “You can suggest it, and I still choose to follow you, precisely because your work may be of historical interest,” Ovid said.

  Brant threw up his arms in disgust, annoyed at the thought of being followed and closely watched.

  Zoe smiled and said: “Think of all the things he’ll be able to write down about you. It’ll make quite a story.”

  Brant thought about this, and said: “You know, you’re right. Every time we smash in the head of some scum, we’re just adding to our legend. We’ll be the heroes of storybooks.” Then, he was happy at the thought of being immortalized as some sort of hero.

  A thin man approached them and said: “Travel doesn’t have to be expensive. One (1) platinum coin each.”

  “Sounds good, maybe, but who are you?” Zoe asked.

  “I’m Rayner. Captain. Navigator. Wherever you want to go,” Rayner said.

  “So, does that include Udovedaj-Pren Island?” Zoe asked.

  “Yes,” Rayner said.

  “That’s in the Ikkith Tar Ocean – the dark waters – you know, right?” Zoe asked.

  “I know. I can navigate any waters,” Rayner said.

  “You can? Have you actually navigated those waters?” Zoe asked.

  “Yes, I have. Many times,” Rayner said.