by Jeremy Dwyer
“We could cut northeast over the junction between northwestern Ihalik and the southern tip of the Way of Raza’Deptorum, then set down in the Zovvin Ocean,” Pradrock said.
“If we want to deal with more ghosts, sure. That sea is Tychon’s favorite,” Akantha said.
“We want to deal with fewer sudden losses of altitude. I’m not confident in the charge that these crystals are getting. I can tell by looking at them that they’re not getting the light exposure they need,” Fritz said.
“The severity of damage to the ship if we can’t stay aloft will be too great, and leave us with no alternatives. We’ll have to return to sea level in the Zovvin Ocean very quickly, rather than airship traveling a long distance over the land bridge,” Pradrock said.
“Setting our course,” Akylas said. He switched the levers necessary and the double-masted pivoting sails turned to the side of the ship, and they rose to one hundred twenty (120) feet above sea level. Akylas then steered the Resolute Traverser and Massimo guided him by light.
After a very brief passage over the junction of the continent and the land bridge, the ship returned to sea level in the Zovvin Ocean.
“Stay near the coast, and we’ll minimize our probability of encountering any other obstacles,” Pradrock said.
Within a day of travel, they reached a familiar point along the Way of Raza’Deptorum – familiar to Pradrock, Akylas and Akantha. Torin hadn’t seen it, despite being there, due to his loss of vision. Fritz, Massimo and Jolene had never been there.
A cannonball shot across the ship.
“Did we do something wrong?” Akylas asked.
“I don’t think so. She just has a different idea of good manners. Now I know we’re close,” Akantha said.
“Let’s anchor the ship and take a lifeboat ashore. Luuk, Akantha, Torin and I will go ashore. Massimo should remain on the lookout, Akylas should stay at the wheel, and Jolene should watch for any other unexpected approaches,” Pradrock said.
“I’ll go, but what do you need me for?” Torin asked.
“What you don’t see is as important as what you do see. Just listen carefully, and work to record every detail,” Pradrock said.
“By the authority of the Oath, I will follow you ashore,” Niels said.
“By the time we get back, Fritz, can you purify some of the Zovvin waters for me? After all, we’re here,” Akantha asked.
“I have sufficient supplies of all waters in stock on board the ship,” Pradrock said.
“Tychon has sufficient supplies of nasty on board his rotten, murderous, scheming, twisted soul. And he’ll never run out, so neither should we,” Akantha said.
“I’ll get a you fresh supply,” Fritz said and he lowered two (2) buckets on ropes to collect the Zovvin Ocean waters below, then drew them back up to begin the purification process. He drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his own vial to enable him to manipulate the water crystals and separate the impurities – like salt – from the Zovvin waters.
~~~
Pradrock, Torin, Akantha, Luuk / Tallak and Niels all got into the lifeboat and Akylas turned a crank to lower the cables holding that lifeboat until it touched down on the Zovvin Ocean water.
The sixteen (16) foot long lifeboat was equipped with a crank based propeller, a pair of twelve (12) foot masts holding small sails, and six (6) oars. Additionally, there were foot pedals that could also drive the propeller. Another lever controlled the rudder.
“Torin, you and I will manually drive the lifeboat. Akantha, please position the rudder, and direct the sails,” Pradrock said. He then detached the cables that were used to lower the lifeboat so that they could begin moving.
“I will help with the sails,” Luuk / Tallak said. He was a passenger, rather than crew, but he knew his way around a ship and didn’t like being idle.
Niels observed and recorded many details about the lifeboat, as well as the orders given. He did nothing to help with the ship – but he made sure that he knew how, just in case everyone on board was killed or otherwise unavailable.
After only twenty (20) minutes of hard work, the lifeboat reached the shore and they set foot on dry ground. Pradrock then lowered the anchor on the lifeboat.
Akantha then drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial and was energized. “I know where she is – I can sense her,” Akantha said, leading the way as the group walked inland. Mountains and hills made up the landscape, and they walked for over two (2) hours.
“What do you know of this Baroness Irina?” Niels asked.
“She and her husband – Baron Volker – were land pirates. They set up large cannons on their estate and fired on ships at sea to take their cargo, and they robbed the travelers on land, as well. Tychon murdered her husband, and then she died some years later. She wants revenge on Tychon, even though they’re both ghosts,” Akantha said.
“Do you have reason to believe that she actually can help you?” Niels asked.
“She’s rich – didn’t earn a bit of it, but still, she’s rich – so she might have picked up something useful,” Akantha said.
~~~
More cannon fire crossed over the Resolute Traverser and Massimo got nervous.
“I can see more coming! We need to maneuver the ship, to avoid it,” Massimo said.
“Point the way!” Akylas said, and he followed Massimo’s beam of light to dodge the occasional cannonball coming from inland.
“How many ships does this baroness have?” Massimo asked.
“I don’t know if she has any – but she has a slew of cannons right next to her mansion,” Akylas said.
“This is getting weirder, and more dangerous, all the time,” Jolene said.
“She was actually pretty nice after we talked to her for a while,” Akylas said.
“Does that mean the cannon fire will stop?” Fritz asked.
“Yeah. It’s gonna’ be fine. I trust my sister to handle this,” Akylas said.
~~~
After walking past a hill, just a few hundred yards ahead, Pradrock could see a large mansion.
“Does she live there? In that mansion, with the cannons in front of it?” Luuk / Tallak asked, astonished.
“That is correct,” Pradrock said.
“And we’re asking her for help?” Luuk / Tallak asked.
“Just think: if we ask for her help to get rid of Tychon, she’ll take out her anger on him, not us,” Akantha said.
A spirit appeared on the land directly in front of the mansion – it was that of a woman dressed as a corsair.
“Captain Pradrock! You’re back. Where is he? Where is Tychon? You didn’t bring him?” the spirit asked.
“Baroness Irina! Tychon left – he was let go,” Akantha said.
“You let him go? Why? It could have been fun to have you torment him. I would have paid you well for commanding him into humiliation,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“Victoria took control of our thoughts, and commanded Captain Pradrock to release Tychon into her binding. Then, she ordered him to haunt the world and torment all others. When she died, the binding ended,” Akantha said.
“Then why did you come back? I’ve got no use for you!” the ghost of Baroness Irina asked.
“We need your help to bring an end to Tychon. He’s free to attack as he pleases, and the threat is growing. The dark skies only work to his advantage and not ours,” Pradrock said.
“I’ve been meaning to get rid of him for centuries. I would have done it already if I could,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“Perhaps you have knowledge of use, baroness,” Pradrock said.
“Of course I have knowledge, but not necessarily of use. What of this one?” the ghost of Baroness Irina said, looking to Luuk / Tallak.
“I am Luuk, of King Xander’ navy, but I am also Tallak, whose spirit sleeps within me,” Luuk / Tallak said.
“King Xander – is he the great spirit of lies I have been sensing?” the ghost of
Baroness Irina asked.
“The king is mysterious, yet he brought me back. Long before I inhabited the body of Tallak, when I was my original self, I briefly sailed on board a cursed ship, My Soul to Sin,” Luuk / Tallak said.
“You sailed My Soul to Sin! Say no more. That is how your life as Luuk ended. A voice commanded you to kill yourself, did it not?” the ghost of Baroness Irina asked.
“Yes. After horrid dreams, I awoke and killed my two (2) brothers, who sailed with me, and then myself,” Luuk / Tallak said.
“You have been given a second chance, but you are two (2) souls in one (1) body – I can sense that now,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“Where is this getting us?” Torin asked.
“Even Tychon fears that ship, as do I,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“Then, can we use it against him?” Torin asked.
“That ship does whatever it pleases – you can’t use it: it will use you,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“What can we use against him? Can we trap him somewhere? Trick him?” Torin asked.
“You want to trap a ghost? Even if I knew how, I wouldn’t tell, because then you’d trap me, too, and every other ghost!” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“If we could stop Tychon, what would that be worth to you?” Pradrock asked.
“That depends on how you did it,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“We’re not after you, baroness. We want to stop Tychon. Can you give us something?” Akantha asked.
“Like I said, if I knew how, I still wouldn’t tell. And I don’t know. Some of us are confined to one place or another, but we’re free to move about within it. Some have more freedom than others,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“What is the power that confines them?” Pradrock asked.
“You think I know? What keeps the suns in the skies? What makes the ocean waters wet or gives their powers? Some things just are, and the cause can’t be seen,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“The ocean waters each do one thing or another, but you can only pick one, and you can never cross them within you. We’re each confined by that choice, and we can describe it, even if we can’t understand its source or inner workings. If we want to escape those limitations, we have to collaborate with others, who have the other water powers,” Pradrock said.
“Tychon has been tricked before – with the wager over the game. Perhaps we can get the best of him again,” Akantha said.
“Without Victoria to get in the way,” Torin said.
“You want to be rid of Tychon, don’t you?” Akantha asked, looking to the ghost of Baroness Irina.
“We’re here to accomplish that goal,” Pradrock said.
“I want him to suffer, but not if I have to suffer along with him. I want to like you – I want to trust you – but I can’t take big chances. You’re all a little too good-natured, and you’ll set your sights on bringing me to justice one of these days, so I can’t help you find some cure for ghosts, since I am also a ghost,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“We might need all the waters together in a tight space. Slow him down, shine a light on him, even fight his spirit, like Akantha does,” Torin said.
“We have all the waters, but we don’t have enough crew to use all those waters,” Pradrock said.
“There is a place that has all the waters, and you don’t need anyone to use them: they just do things on their own,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“What place?” Akantha asked.
“Belorakanis Island: the island of crossings – it’s got every kind of water, running over waterfalls. I can tell you where it is,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“Why did you tell us at all? Aren’t you still afraid that we’ll use it against you?” Akantha asked.
“Because it’s a place I can’t go, so I’m not worried. I wish you luck, but it’s a longshot,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said.
“Where is this island?” Niels asked. He had been recording all of this conversation, watching the movements and words of the ghost of the female corsair.
The ghost of Baroness Irina became material for a moment and said: “Give me a page from your book.”
“The book of a Chronicler – and any page of it – cannot be given to anyone other than a Verifier,” Niels said.
Pradrock kept a small notebook and a pencil in his coat pocket, so he took them out and handed them over.
The ghost of Baroness Irina then began drawing in the notebook and writing some bearings. Then, she handed the notebook and pencil back to Pradrock, saying: “Good luck finding it in the dark.” At this, she became immaterial again.
“Thank you. We’ll find it,” Pradrock said.
Niels looked at the notebook that Pradrock had and began copying the page – and all other pages – into his own book. It was done quite rapidly, owing to both the shorthand code of the Chroniclers and the slowing of time through him by the Ursegan Ocean waters that he drank.
“Also, could you point the cannons somewhere else? Just for a little while?” Akantha asked.
“After you – if you – find a way to beat him…come back and tell me,” the ghost of Baroness Irina said. Then she gestured toward the many ghosts that were firing the cannons from the grounds of her estate, and they ceased fire.
“As soon as we can,” Pradrock said.
“Time to head back?” Torin asked.
“Back to the ship, then to Belorakanis Island,” Pradrock said.
“I’ve heard of this Belorakanis Island – it’s hard to find, and people have gotten in trouble there, even lost,” Luuk / Tallak said.
“Is it as bad as that cursed ship?” Akantha asked.
“The most interesting stories haven’t found their way to me. We’ll have to visit to find out,” Luuk / Tallak said.
The group went back to the shore and saw that the ship had been moved out of sight.
~~~
On board the Resolute Traverser, Massimo looked out into the distance and saw Captain Pradrock standing on the shore.
“They’re back, and the cannon fire seems to have ended,” Massimo said.
“Perfect timing,” Akylas said.
“It’s safe to return now,” Massimo said.
Akylas then steered the ship back towards the shore and was soon within sight.
~~~
“There’s the ship,” Pradrock said. Then he got back in the lifeboat, along with Luuk / Tallak, Torin, Akantha and Niels. They rowed the lifeboat to the side of the Resolute Traverser, reattached the cables to the lifeboat and were lifted up by Akylas, who was turning the crank in reverse to bring them back on board.
“Was that worth our time?” Akylas asked.
“And worth getting shot at?” Jolene asked.
“Were the sails damaged?” Torin asked.
“I don’t think so. Massimo and Akylas managed to outmaneuver the cannon fire,” Fritz said.
“Perhaps it was worth it. We learned the location of an unusual island,” Pradrock said.
“Belorakanis Island,” Akantha said.
“It’s the island of crossings – every water is there, in a waterfall,” Torin said.
“It’s hard to find, and it can be hard to escape,” Luuk / Tallak said.
“And this is going to help against a ghost?” Jolene asked.
“We’re going to have to be careful – waterfalls can produce a powerful mist, and if the vapors of the waters cross in the air, it could be lethal,” Fritz asked.
“We will observe from a distance before going ashore. Here are the coordinates, Akylas. Set our course,” Pradrock said.
Akylas looked at the book with the bearings written in it by the ghost of Baroness Irina. He took the ship’s wheel and steered accordingly.
CHAPTER 27: Knowledge of the Evils of Ancient Times
In the Eleventh Hall of Emeth, Przemek continued reading the historical records which were carved into the m
any walls and panels, studying the different architectural notes regarding techniques for properly molding sailing crystals.
“There are hundreds of millennia of knowledge, yet the same twenty-four (24) crystal patterns keep repeating, some more than others,” Przemek said.
“Are they the patterns of usable crystal geometries?” Laurentius asked.
“It appears that way. Time and time again, these are the patterns that have been proven effective at storing energy and giving lift to airships under various lighting conditions. Other patterns have occurred, but they were given as counterexamples,” Przemek said.
“They failed because…?” Laurentius asked.
“They failed to hold the energy charge, or they decayed too quickly,” Przemek said.
“Was there any note about cracking due to a sound – or a song?” Laurentius asked.
“No…not yet. But I am scanning what I can, as quickly as I can. With a thousand (1000) lifetimes, there still wouldn’t be enough time to research everything in just this hall,” Przemek said.
“The Twelfth Hall is the archive of music. An answer might be there,” Laurentius said.
“We might just have to go there, but we’re far from done here,” Przemek said. He then walked away from the inscribed knowledge on the walls and approached some of the architectural replicas out on the floor. Entire sailing ships were to be found in this hall – exact full-scale copies that were seaworthy, and even airworthy – along with the crystals embedded in their sails, and Przemek studied several of them.
Laurentius followed him and said: “I would think that the use of high pitched sounds that could shatter sailing crystals would have been tried before. And, that someone would have worked on designing a crystal structure that was resistant. There should be some record of either effort.”
“Perhaps all that research was done, but that doesn’t mean it was well-known or even recorded here at all. I’m not sure where to look, but it may be quite difficult to find quickly,” Przemek said.
~~~
In the Fifteenth Hall of Emeth, Portia and Anan headed to the most ancient areas of the building, looking at histories of births, deaths and marriages going back three hundred fifty (350) millennia or further. They were followed by Desmond, Celio, Lady Ismene, Romana, Lady Onora and Jaguar. Accompanying them was the Chronicler Alonso.
