by Jeremy Dwyer
“As well as cultivating trees, for big timber,” Laurentius said.
“Why did you come out here?” Governor Tenney asked.
“I heard – and saw – what was happening. I couldn’t stop it – the music would have overpowered the animals if I had called them sooner, and just made everything worse,” Laurentius said.
“It doesn’t get much worse,” Governor Tenney said. He was in pain, but surprisingly composed for a man whose eyes had been pierced and were still bleeding.
~~~
They soon caught up with Gisella – all six hundred twenty-one (621) of the disabled people, riding on the backs of four hundred seventeen (417) deer, one hundred twenty-eight (128) wolves and seventy-six (76) bears, with Laurentius leading them.
Giselle realized immediately by deduction that Laurentius had some kind of power over the animals, but there were multiple waters which granted that by different methods. Gradaken waters were the most likely, but Zovvin waters granted control over animal spirits and Elanatin waters granted power over animal emotions. There were other, somewhat less effective techniques offered by other waters, including Pirovalen waters giving music that can influence the animals.
“You are the man I saw hiding in the woods earlier. What is your name and what water do you drink?” Gisella asked.
“I am Laurentius, a shipbuilder. I drink of the Gradaken waters,” Laurentius said.
Gisella wrote down his response into her book.
“You are?” Laurentius asked.
“Gisella, Chronicler of six thousand eight hundred fifty nine (6859) years,” she said.
“I will take them back to Tultavik. They’ve all lost their vision, and some – many even – may not survive their other injuries,” Laurentius said.
“I will record what I have seen, and report it in Emeth,” Gisella said.
Laurentius continued walking, leading the animals who carried the disabled people. The trip was only two (2) days owing to the animals’ strength and speed. Laurentius walked briskly to match their pace.
Upon arriving in Tultavik, Laurentius led the animal caravan to the local physicians, who were overwhelmed. Gisella followed him, and then headed to the port near the shipyards, and Laurentius walked beside her.
They saw the wreckage of four (4) ships and one hundred fifteen (115) with torn sails. Nearby was a man who was busily attending to several ships, manipulating sailing crystals and selling them to the ships’ captains.
“Przemek, what happened?” Laurentius asked. He had worked with the crystal bender many times over the past decade, and trusted his words and his craft.
“A high-pitch sound cracked the sailing crystals and four (4) ships in airworthiness testing fell thirty (30) feet and were wrecked. Another one hundred fifteen (115) operating vessels had their sails torn by the cracked crystals woven into them,” Przemek said.
Gisella recorded what was said and drew sketches – she was quite good at making clear and vivid drawings – of the damage to the ships.
“’I’ve not seen this occur before – sailing crystals can crack if made poorly, but for a sound to do it, requires incredible power. A power which, unfortunately, I’ve just witnessed,” Laurentius said, putting it all together and realizing the connection with the earlier events.
“What have you witnessed? What are you talking about, Laurentius?” Przemek asked.
Gisella understood immediately and said: “I must go to Emeth immediately.”
“There are plenty of ships here. You’ll just need to find one that is undamaged,” Laurentius said.
“Laurentius, you said that you are a shipbuilder. Are you also a skilled captain?” Gisella asked.
“Unfortunately not. However, I do have completed ships available, assuming they are not also damaged,” Laurentius said.
“Then, under the authority of the Chronicler’s Oath, I insist that you lend a completed ship to a captain of a damaged ship, that I may go to Emeth. As the ship is your property, you have good cause to accompany me for the journey in that direction,” Gisella said.
“I’d like to go with you, too. I need to understand how these sailing crystals could crack by the power of sound – and how to prevent it. And to get an explanation of what you saw,” Przemek said.
A quick stroll through the docks allowed Laurentius to identify unsold and undamaged vessels he had built. The walk also brought them to an experienced captain named Karel on a damaged ship.
“Captain Karel: We have urgent need of your services. I see that your ship is damaged. I can lend a newly constructed ship – at my expense – in return for transport to Emeth for this Chronicler and myself, and this crystal bender,” Laurentius said.
“Under the authority of the Oath, if you are able, then I must insist,” Gisella said.
Captain Karel was a sixty-four (64) year old freighter captain with business on his mind, but he knew the law. His ship was damaged – but not ruined – and he didn’t want to abandon it or its cargo. However, he knew that the law favored the Chronicler. How this wasn’t interference – which was against the so-called Chronicler’s Oath – was beyond him. Yet, the Oath also compelled everyone to cooperate, so he would take the Chronicler to Emeth.
“I’ll take a skeleton crew of ten (10), if you have a vessel no more than one hundred twenty-two (122) feet long that they can handle. The rest of my crew will stay with this ship, and guard its cargo and oversee its repair,” Captain Karel said.
“I have a one hundred ten (110) foot schooner, just built nine (9) days ago,” Laurentius said.
“Let’s get this over with, then,” Captain Karel said, and he called his crew of ten (10) and went with the Chronicler Gisella, the crystal bender Przemek and the shipbuilder Laurentius. They boarded the newly constructed, unnamed schooner and set sail for Emeth.
CHAPTER 7: Secret Construction of the City of Light
Sebastian employed numerous personal guards who resided at his estate, all of them drinkers of various waters so as to protect him in multiple ways. Persephone – his pregnant, thirty-one (31) year old Elanatin Ocean water-drinking lover – was among them. Another was Espen – a thirty-two (32) year old man who drank of the Lujladia Ocean waters. Additionally there was Viveka, a twenty-five (25) year old woman who drank of the Ikkith Tar Ocean waters.
Espen used his powers of light – granted by the Lujladia waters he drank – to peer into the darkness as he walked around the perimeter of Sebastian’s mansion. He caught a glimpse of someone – a younger man – prowling about under the cloak of darkness. Espen did nothing at first, pretending to not even notice, although he observed every detail. The young man was using not the dark of twilight brought about by the partially eclipsed suns, but was in a deeper darkness only reachable by drinking the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean. Espen saw that the man was not muscular, and carried no significant weapon, if any at all.
~~~
From inside the mansion, in the study, Persephone was telepathically scanning the mind of Espen, so that she knew what he saw.
“There’s someone hiding in the darkness. Espen has sight of him – a younger man, who appears to be unarmed,” Persephone said.
Sebastian was poring over a number of books and maps situated upon a large table. Fantine and Cassius were there with him, mapping out the design for the city they planned to construct. Sebastian’s own mind – also enhanced by the Elanatin Ocean waters – was probing the thoughts of Cassius, discerning every bit of knowledge that he could about the constructor’s capabilities, and how far he thought he could scale it.
“Follow the path of Espen’s gaze, until you find the location of the one who is hiding in the darkness. Then, probe his thoughts,” Sebastian said.
“I know what to do…and how,” Persephone said.
Persephone then followed the path along with Espen was looking and located the other man, and started probing his mind. He was new to her, and she wanted to focus on his unfamiliar thought patterns, so she drank anew of the waters
of the Elanatin Ocean from her vial and was energized further. She was able to read the man more clearly now, and probed for relevant information.
“His name is Dawson. He is twenty-three (23) years old, and is in the employ of the bank, sent by Governors Sullivan and Parry, as well as the Duchess Uliana, to bring a report of your financing and construction of the city. They believe that you rejected the loan because you found another source of income,” Persephone said.
“Is he alone?” Sebastian asked.
“As far as he knows, he’s the only agent the bank has sent,” Persephone said.
“He will learn nothing until we are ready to reveal it,” Sebastian said.
“You don’t want to get rid of him?” Persephone asked.
“If we kill him, they will eventually send more to replace him. Far better that he should see our success when the rest of the world does, at the proper time,” Sebastian said.
“He has been given authority to intrude, and to read any documents he finds here,” Persephone said.
“If he intrudes, occupy his mind, mislead his eyes, whatever you need to do,” Sebastian said.
A woman appeared out of the darkness, having eased her powers to reveal herself.
“Viveka, make yourself useful and stand ready to conceal the contents of this room,” Persephone said.
Viveka glanced at Persephone with a small hint of resentment, which the telepath immediately sensed.
“Do you not agree with protecting confidential information belonging to your employer?” Persephone asked.
“I agree. I was only hoping to hear Sebastian’s instructions directly, rather than secondhand, so that I could do exactly what was required,” Viveka said.
“Do you not trust me to relay instructions correctly? Do you not trust my judgment or understanding of the matter?” Persephone asked.
“He’s right here with us, so it hardly seems necessary for you to speak for him,” Viveka said.
“I know what is required. You’re hardly more than a child, without the experience to handle complex matters. He is busy, and you should only concern yourself with excelling at what you are told to do,” Persephone said.
Viveka drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean from her vial and was energized. At this, she used her powers of darkness to hide from sight once again and positioned herself at the entrance to the study, so that even if there was a forced entry into the mansion, prying eyes could not see into the study.
Persephone read Viveka’s mind for a moment and realized that the younger woman was filled with envy that she had the affection of Sebastian and thus had access to his wealth. Viveka wasn’t personally attracted to him, but was willing to pretend affection to benefit from Sebastian’s influence, even if it meant bearing a child for him. Persephone disliked the young woman intensely, but accepted her presence as useful because Viveka was quite good at stealthy maneuvers and concealment due to her innate potentials for the ‘dark waters.’
Cassius drank anew of the waters of the Medathero Ocean from his vial and his mind was energized. He looked at the maps that were laid out on the table and made a number of complex calculations. He drew them out on large sheets of paper with a pen. Thereupon, he notated the measurements of various large structures as well as geometric drawings of diamonds cut with exotic angles.
Cassius then said: “We will need to build the pillars for the constructor at the corners of two (2) concentric hexagons. Those on the outer arrangement will each need to be ninety (90) feet in height, eighteen (18) feet in diameter and be spaced three hundred fifty (350) miles apart, to define the perimeter of the city wall. The inner arrangement will each need to be forty (40) feet in height, eight (8) feet in diameter and be spaced one hundred fifty-five point five six (155.56) feet apart to assist with the distribution of material across the interior.”
“How long will all of that take?” Sebastian asked.
Fantine considered what Cassius said and made a few calculations of her own, and said: “Four (4) months, unless we have assistance.”
“Then it will be four (4) months. It’s important not to give away too much information, just yet,” Sebastian said.
“If you are attempting to startle the financial markets or the construction industry, a rapid timeline would be more likely to achieve that affect,” Cassius said.
“The information is too valuable to be shared…just yet,” Sebastian said. His real reason was that he knew the danger which Cassius’ knowledge of the constructor represented – it could be used as a weapon almost as much as it could serve as a tool for construction, and Cassius had proved that in the Volaraden Desert. If the knowledge were released, there were interested groups who would use it as a weapon of war, and Sebastian believed that the governors of the central bank were among those groups.
“…or ever,” Persephone said.
“Never is a long time. Profitable opportunities to selectively share the knowledge – under carefully controlled conditions – may present themselves,” Cassius said.
“If this city wall offers defense against storms and intrusion, and the protected economy within is successful and sustainable, then the constructor will be considered a financial threat to some interests, and an opportunity to others, and we’re not looking to create conflict, or even to enable it, but to give an alternative. A large geographical area, enclosed and self-sustaining by having every industry within its borders, won’t depend on the uncertainties of the world around, or be at their mercy,” Sebastian said.
“This is assuming it works on a large scale. We have to be cautious that the constructor doesn’t make a fragile structure when operating at that magnitude,” Fantine said.
“Cassius is the expert on what it can do, no?” Sebastian asked.
“I have proven it at various sizes. The scale that is planned is theoretically possible, assuming that the numbers extrapolate and that the material does not become overextended and brittle. Yet, I am not an expert in the crystal properties themselves, so the physical limits will need to be tested,” Cassius said.
“We can test portions of it. Testing every square mile of it will be time-consuming,” Fantine said.
“Random sampling will be needed. That can be done, however, if we set our confidence levels appropriately,” Cassius said.
“What do you need to begin now?” Sebastian asked.
“Ships, concrete, and the crystals that will function at the top of the pillars,” Cassius said.
“How long will they take?” Sebastian asked.
“I can cut and bend those in twelve (12) days,” Fantine said.
“Let’s begin, shall we,” Sebastian said.
Fantine took one of the papers on which Cassius made notes – the one with the geometric designs of cut crystals – and she returned to the vaults where Sebastian kept some of his diamonds. Cassius went with her to supervise. There, she chose the uncut gems that had already been set aside when she and Cassius had examined the collection earlier. Many of the diamonds were of a poor quality to begin with – at least for the current purpose – but some were good and a few were excellent, with a rare few being near-perfect. Starting with those, she drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from her vial and was energized. She used the powers that the waters gave her and began manipulating the diamonds to the form required according to Cassius’ drawings. Day after day she did this, with Cassius reviewing each crystal, until enough properly cut diamonds were made to cap each of the twelve (12) pillars over twelve (12) days.
When this crystal bending work was completed, Fantine, Cassius and Sebastian went to one of his finest airships and traveled the interior of the continent of Baradaxa from north to south, east to west, over a period of four (4) months, purchasing concrete and shaping it to form the pillars. Local stone workers were hired – only if they were capable and quiet and didn’t ask questions. The scale and complexity mandated this much time, because constant checking of work quality was required.
/> ~~~
During the period that Sebastian was away, Persephone’s pregnancy made her more and more fatigued, as the baby grew within her. She was less able to supervise Espen and Viveka, and could only give them limited support.
The spy – the man named Dawson – made attempts to gather information, but he was distracted and kept away from the designs that Cassius had made, partly because of the powers of darkness used against him by Viveka and the illusory lights produced by Espen, and partly because the designs were not left in the study to begin with, but were kept with Fantine and Cassius. Dawson did not know where these were, and so he prowled the mansion, looking for what wasn’t there, playing a game he thought that he could win when the prize had been moved far from him.
Viveka and Espen and Persephone allowed him to move about freely, knowing that he was wasting his time.
~~~
A two thousand ninety-five (2095) year old Chronicler of the Oath named Silvius caught sight of the construction of one (1) of the pillars. As he was already nearing the end of his book which contained many other events of interest, he returned to Emeth to report the information, including the dimensions of the pillar and the description of the crystal that capped it. After this, he returned to Baradaxa to resume his recording of new events there.
~~~
Informants in the employ of the central bank were present in Emeth and one (1) of them brought this information back to Governors Sullivan and Parry and Duchess Uliana in Trading Center One on Haza’Kedro’Maral Island in the Pirovalen Ocean.
“Construction is underway in Baradaxa. Large pillars – appearing to be columns to support a border wall – are being erected. It appears that Sebastian is personally directing the efforts,” the informant said.
“Yet, Dawson has still not returned with a report. Unfortunate that he would have failed to notify us of this,” Duchess Uliana said.
“I am not optimistic about his future with this bank,” Governor Sullivan said.
“It is quite clear that he is neither prompt nor thorough,” Governor Parry said.
