by Jeremy Dwyer
“Thank you. We would be delighted,” Pradrock said.
Then the tall man walked ahead, leaving the doors open behind him, revealing a grand staircase in the distance, which led up to a large dining room.
“So she’s going to poison us,” Torin said, sarcastically.
“We are guests here. That is no way to speak of our hosts, and is likely to create animosity where there was none,” Pradrock said.
“No. He’s right to suspect it. Let’s talk a while with our host, before we eat,” Claudia said.
They walked through the doors, up the stairs and made their way into a large dining room. There was a table in the middle, with bread and fruit and other foods upon it, served before the main meal.
A beautiful woman, looking to be about forty (40) years old, with dark hair and a thin face, greeted them with a smile.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Madeline. For many years, I have tended to this island, preserving its natural beauty, all the while entertaining guests in need of rest and relaxation from their heavy burdens. It is my family tradition,” Madeline said.
Claudia tried to read Madeline’s precise thoughts, but she was unable to, for some reason. There appeared to be a telepathic shield around the woman’s mind.
“I could use some relaxation,” Akylas said.
Pradrock looked at him, wondering if the star-reader was tiring so young in life, or if he was just testing the woman’s claims.
“I am Captain Pradrock. These are my crew,” he said, pointing to Akylas, Akantha and Torin.
“I am Claudia, one of his passengers,” she said.
“Please to meet you. I am Daven,” he said.
“I’m Taesa. Your house is so beautiful, as is the island. I could see this being a wonderful place to rest and relax,” she said. She immediately thought of the Madeline whose name appeared in the records she had found in Emeth. She was suspicious of this woman, but not afraid of her.
“Why thank you, my dear,” Madeline said.
Madeline saw the fine apparel that Daven wore, and assumed him to be the rich one of whom Sebastian spoke. Of course, she was right about this.
“Please do tell me, from what heavy burdens do you seek rest?” Madeline asked of Daven.
“I am a musician, and a scholar of the arts,” Daven said.
“Your mind must be very tired, from all your creative endeavors. Resting here will renew you. After a fine meal, of course,” Madeline said.
“That does sound nice,” Daven said.
“This is not the easiest place to find, in the middle of this ocean. After getting here, a person would need to relax,” Akylas said.
“Did you have difficulties navigating the dark waters?” Madeline asked. She had not seen or been made aware of the change in the sky, with the streak of fire or the suns shining through, that made it far easier than ordinary for them to find the island.
“Oh, just a bit,” Akylas said.
“You deserve your rest, then,” Madeline said.
“And what of your family, please do tell me, Daven?” Madeline asked of him. She wanted to gauge his wealth, and asked of his family, in case the money was inherited.
“My parents are gone now, for nearly a year. I wish I knew where they were,” Daven said.
“I’m so sorry to hear this unfortunate news. What was their family business?” Madeline asked.
“They were business land developers. They would purchase large plots of land and build towns on coasts or inland for trading and banking, selling the developed land at a reduced price, and taking in a share of the profits.” Daven said.
“That is an excellent business model,” Madeline said, anticipating considerable wealth, if only that which this man had inherited.
“I always turned to them for advice and guidance. They were my joy, and without them, I feel a little bit lost,” Daven said.
Claudia immediately thought the worst: the parents were murdered for their money, and this spoiled rich man was now cut off from the money, so that is why he felt lost. Cynicism was another of her talents. Unfortunately, she was right on all counts in this situation.
“They’ll always be with you. Don’t let sadness take away your joy,” Madeline said.
“Sometimes, we have to accept the loss of the ones we love, and go on anyway. I lost my father,” Taesa said.
“I’m so sorry, my dear. Be thankful that you still have your mother,” Madeline said, assuming that the girl would have mentioned her mother’s death had it been so.
“I think I’m losing her, as well,” Taesa said.
“What do you mean?” Madeline asked.
“We are not on good terms. Her friend is not a good man,” Taesa said.
~~~
Sebastian was sensing the thoughts of those in the room that he could sense. He knew that Taesa was referring to him. He had been blocking access to Madeline’s mind, using his own powers to create a telepathic shield around her, so that no one could read her precise thoughts, and learn of the murders she had committed. He also created a telepathic shield around himself.
Sebastian realized that the one woman, Claudia – whose name he knew only because it had been spoken – had the power to read minds, which meant that she drank the Elanatin waters, like him. That much was readily deduced, as he could not read her mind, much as she could not read his.
~~~
Claudia could feel a mind attempting to probe her thoughts and emotions. She could not reach into it, and it could not reach into her mind. Yet, they were aware of each other’s presence. This was a time to observe, without acting rashly. The fact that she was detected was not, in and of itself, a cause to strike or assume adversity, as there may be a valid reason for caution on the other side. It called for heightened awareness, however.
“That’s unfortunate you think that. Do you have proof of his wrongdoing?” Madeline asked.
“I have evidence. I’m looking for the proof, and the search led me here,” Taesa said.
Claudia found this to be strange. If the girl was looking for proof against her mother’s friend – whoever that was – why would she reveal the suspicion and search to a perfect stranger? For all she knew, this Madeline could be an accomplice to this so-called friend. Especially since the search led her here. Again, Claudia was right, without knowing it.
“What evidence do you have? It is easy to misinterpret things, especially in such a complex world as this,” Madeline asked. She was now worried, because this young woman seemed to have a tenacious way about her.
“Large financial transactions, in different banks, that made their way to people who I believe are his parents – his deceased parents,” Taesa said. She did not mention that Madeline’s name also appeared, as a relative of another woman, Angela, who had received considerable amounts of money.
“That is not altogether strange or uncommon. Many of the wealthy have their accounts in a family name, long after their relatives have passed on,” Madeline said. Madeline realized that his girl knew something dangerous, and wanted her to entertain some doubts.
“I thought this was about rest and relaxation. Let’s not allow too many of our outside difficulties enter here and spoil the ambience,” Pradrock said.
“Yes. We should enjoy a fine meal together. Please, help yourselves to these refreshments while the main meal is being prepared,” Madeline said and left the room.
~~~
Madeline went to her servant and asked him to prepare the main meal. She went to the library and looked for a financial transfer document, which she would use her illusions to disguise as a business proposition. She intended to offer something to Daven, in exchange for all the wealth he had. She needed to make the offer look appealing, so she drank deep of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean she kept in a vial that she wore on a chain around her neck. She was now energized, and was ready for the show to begin.
~~~
“Let’s not spoil a fine meal with unpleasant talk. It’s good to
make friends and allies, and that’s best done with pleasant conversation, at least to start,” Pradrock said.
“I’m not here for the food. I want the truth,” Taesa said.
“A narrow and winding road, not always a wide and straight one, can sometimes be the right road to take in search of what you seek,” Pradrock said.
“Something is wrong here. There’s anger from restless spirits, but it’s unclear,” Akantha said.
“What does that even mean?” Claudia asked.
“It means that someone was murdered here, and their spirit lingers. I just can’t make out what the spirit is trying to tell me,” Akantha said.
~~~
Sebastian knew that the spirit-reader felt something unclear, and was afraid that it would become clear. He was not clouding Akantha’s senses, but someone or something was. If the spirit of the victims could speak to this spirit-reader, and Akantha learned from them the name of the murderer, then things could become dangerous. Considering Claudia, whose telepathic and empathic powers were highly developed, Sebastian had not quite met his match, but he would have a far more difficult time gaining or keeping control of the situation by using his own telepathic and empathic powers.
He reached out with his mind, and found Madeline. Then, he approached her in person in the library, saying: “My sweet love, your new guests are unfriendly. Their wealth may not be worth suffering their ill manners. They know something, and are about to learn more. Perhaps it is time that they left.”
“I will show them the way out. Soon, we can be alone again, lost in each other’s love,” Madeline said.
“Excellent,” Sebastian said, and he returned to another room, to wait out the danger.
Madeline had a terrible plan. She was going to frighten, confuse and kill them.
~~~
“There’s danger! Hate! I can feel it. We need to get out, now!” Claudia said. Despite the telepathic shield which prevented a precise read of Madeline’s thoughts, the magnitude of hate shone through, and Claudia was aware of it.
“What are you talking about?” Pradrock asked.
The walls of the room were a rich brown wood, but they turned to blood red - flowing blood red. There was a portrait on the wall of a beautiful woman, and the face in it turned to that of a demon. Then, snakes entered the room, along with spiders and scorpions.
Taesa screamed, as did Akantha.
Daven found this to be terrifying, and backed against a wall.
Akylas was much more frightened by what he had earlier seen in the skies. This was only a mildly anxiety-inducing experience for him. But being bitten by a snake was not appealing.
Pradrock was mildly alarmed, but had seen strange and dangerous things in his life, and was not frightened. He knew how to avoid snakes by not threatening them.
One of the snakes was near Torin, and the young man, blind as he was, walked right through it, but nothing happened.
Claudia saw this and immediately realized what was going on, as did Pradrock.
“Close your eyes! All of you,” Claudia said.
“Already there. I’m one step ahead of you,” Torin said, making humor from his own blindness.
“Should we close our eyes after we get out or before?” Akylas asked.
“Now would be good! None of this is real. It’s all illusions,” Claudia said.
“Disbelieve your eyes,” Pradrock said.
“Mine aren’t telling me anything,” Torin said.
“Good. Then you see better than the rest of us. Lead the way out,” Pradrock said.
“I don’t see that well,” Torin said.
“Use the methods you’ve been practicing,” Pradrock said.
“I’ve been reaching out for the walls, for furniture, for doorways. And I’ve been remembering which way I walked, step by step,” Torin said.
“Then that’s what you should do, and the rest of us should follow. Open your eyes only to look at the back of Torin’s head. Not at the illusions,” Pradrock said.
Torin carefully made his way back toward the entrance to the room, and then the others followed, with Pradrock next to last, and Claudia behind him.
False walls and doors appeared before them, and Pradrock knew, intellectually, that they were false, and had to overcome the temptation to want to go through them. They were meant to trap and kill and mislead. Yet, Torin didn’t see them, because of his blindness, so he used his walking memory of the true way to get into the house, and reversed it accurately.
They worked their way out of the room and down the stairs. Horrifying images – those of flames and demons, snakes and spiders and scorpions – filled the halls, yet nothing had any burn or sting, because it was all illusions.
Torin led the way, blind to all the illusions of evil. By following him, they found the front door, and made their way out.
~~~
Sebastian returned to find Madeline, and said to her: “They’re gone. The less they know, the better.”
“I was hoping to frighten them to death. Somehow, they saw through it and survived. Will they become a danger to us later?” Madeline asked.
“Not if they can’t prove anything. They didn’t stay very long and you didn’t reveal any secrets. I wouldn’t worry.”
CHAPTER 24: Sword and Quest
A Jenaldej Fleet of seventy-nine (79) ships, consisting of seventy (70) warships, eight (8) scout ships and one (1) flagship – the Perspicacious – under the command of Admiral Gavin, sailed out of a port in Revod and headed southeast over the Medathero Ocean until reaching the Crypt Trail land bridge. Then, they converted to airships and traveled southeast over the land bridge, returning to sea level in the Dead Waters Ocean. From there, they made their way to Athekriptole Island.
“Have the empathic scouts renew themselves with the Elanatin waters, then scout by thought and emotion, for any signs of this Ahitan woman, Victoria,” Admiral Gavin said to the captains of the other ships, who had joined him on the Perspicacious.
“If they detect anything of interest, report it at once for further orders. If they detect nothing, examine the island more closely,” Admiral Gavin said.
“Yes sir, Admiral,” the captains all said.
“To examine the island more closely, call the light scouts to action. If they detect nothing, deploy the combat troops along with the dark scouts. If they detect anything of interest, report it at once for further orders,” Admiral Gavin said.
“Yes sir, Admiral,” the captains all said.
“Divide your forces into twelve (12) divisions – three (3) at each of the primary compass points, spaced evenly. Each division shall be led by its scouts and consist of two thousand (2000) combat troops, in the event of deployment,” Admiral Gavin said.
“Yes sir, Admiral,” the captains all said.
“Before you go, there is one more matter. Alert all personnel, and warn them to expect unpleasant things. If the Ahitan woman, Victoria, was here, and our troops met their end, it will have been quite savage,” Admiral Gavin said.
“Yes sir, Admiral,” the captains all said.
The captains then left at once for their own ships, and positioned their ships around the island, and gave their orders, including the warning.
The empathic scouts – there were twelve (12) of them – each drank the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from their vials and thereby became energized. They stood on the decks of their ships, at various points around the perimeter of the island, and reached out across the island with their ability to sense thoughts and feelings, but found nothing. The island was thirteen (13) miles wide, and, although the clarity of empathic powers dissipated over distance depending on the purity of the water that a person drank and the innate potential of the drinker, they had good reason to think they would have detected someone if they were present. They made their reports to their respective captains, who then readied the light scouts.
The light scouts then drank the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from their vials and thereby bec
ame energized. They could bend light and even see around corners or observe fast-moving objects as if they were moving slowly. Their eyes swept the island, but found nothing. They could not see through solid objects, but could find gaps between them. They could see several miles into the island, and found nothing. They made their reports to their respective captains, who then readied the dark scouts and the combat troops.
The combat troops scoured the island, high and low. They found evidence of the former slaughter, in the wetlands and the highlands. They also found the temple, wherein they found General Cassandra’s headless body alongside her severed head. They also found the mutilated body of Colonel Tyler, which had clearly met with a terrible end – the wounds were not straight lines, but jagged cuts, and all of his blood had been drained. He clearly suffered horrendously. The troops, and the scouts with them who had found the temple, were disgusted by what they saw, even though they had been warned.
The troops and scouts reported back to their captains, who reported back to Admiral Gavin.
“All were lost, more than fifteen thousand (15000) troops had been sent, not counting crew for the ships, which were also lost,” one of the captains said to Admiral Gavin.
“They were not prepared and did not have a competent plan – that is the most likely explanation, unfortunately. Let this be a lesson in preparedness and planning,” Admiral Gavin said. He felt that there was only one way to approach military failure – learn, if you’re among the survivors. The alternative was to die, horribly, next time.
The fleet returned to Revod, and Admiral Gavin reported back to Imperial Prince Emerond, in the military academy.
“Your Majesty, there were no signs of the Ahitan woman, Victoria, on the island. However, our forces did, in fact, arrive there,” Admiral Gavin said.
“They were slaughtered. They were not prepared to face her, and they were completely defeated,” Emerond said, assuming the conclusion.
“Unfortunately true, Your Majesty,” Admiral Gavin said.
“General Cassandra did not prepare adequately for her missions. It cost many lives over her short career. We must have less tolerance for failure, decreasing up the ranks, to nearly zero at the level of General,” Emerond said.
