by Jeremy Dwyer
“I will prepare to call to the spirits,” Rivka said. She drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial and was energized.
“We will leave at once,” King Xander said.
The Chronicler Gisella had recorded all of this into her book. She knew that this king was evil, and was troubled – but not afraid – at the thought of what he would do next. She had visited Waderav, and knew that they had troubles enough with the robber barons who ruled that land – it was not a prosperous region at all, and had little hope of becoming so, given the cruelty and selfishness that were endemic.
Gisella did not judge the economy of Waderav – the Chronicler’s Oath forbade that – but she felt that she understood it, and that there was a connection between the poverty and the crime: the latter caused the former, rather than the other way around, as some might assume. She drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from her vial and was energized, slowing down time within and around her, so that she could observe fast moving events slowly enough to record them all, and so that she could continue to extend her long life.
King Xander stood up from his throne and walked down the steps, followed by Aura and Rivka. The Chronicler Gisella stood up and went with them.
Together, they left the throne room, walked through the hallway, exited the palace and entered the courtyard. A small ship was waiting there, docked on the dry ground, and General Povaximus stood beside it.
“General Povaximus: come with us,” King Xander said, and he walked up the boarding ramp of the small ship, followed by General Povaximus, Aura and Rivka and the Chronicler Gisella.
“Take us to the fleet, that we may move against Waderav, expanding the kingdom into that continent,” King Xander said.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Your fleet awaits you,” General Povaximus said, and he converted the ship to an airship, elevated it to fifty (50) feet of altitude and they traveled a short distance to the eastern coast.
“We must be the light in this darkness, General. We will defeat those who resist, yet we will inspire, as before,” King Xander said.
“Yes, Your Majesty. We should sail west over the Trerada and Gradaken Oceans, and approach Waderav from the east,” General Povaximus said.
“Very well, General. Yet, the entire continent, east and west, north and south, must become mine. It is of little concern which part you take first,” King Xander said.
After their short trip to the eastern coast of Ihalik, they set down on dry land near the port where the Eminence of the Oceans was docked, with one hundred sixty-nine (169) other ships surrounding it.
King Xander left the small ship, walked down its boarding ramp, and approached his flagship – the Eminence of the Oceans – and boarded that, followed by General Povaximus, Rivka and Aura and the Chronicler Gisella.
“Are the sailors and soldiers ready, General?” King Xander asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty. They have been maintaining a state of readiness since we returned,” General Povaximus said.
“Excellent, General. Set sail at once for Waderav,” King Xander said.
General Povaximus started calling out instructions to the crew and then the Eminence of the Oceans – along with the fleet of one hundred sixty-nine (169) other ships in the king’s navy – sailed southwest across the Trerada Ocean for two (2) days, slowed by the difficulty of navigation under the darkened skies. They converted all the ships to airship configuration and briefly ascended to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude to cross over the Admiral Ramalaxis Bridge and then returned to sea level in the Gradaken Ocean, from where they continued on their westward journey.
~~~
Sedavidian Island in the Gradaken Ocean was replete with caves, hills and jungles as well as a desert, covering its two thousand five hundred eleven (2511) square miles. It teemed with wildlife – elephants, the much stronger and more useful oxiphants, pythons, alligators, hawks, spiders and scorpions – and all of it was threatening. The animals were able to thrive in this environment given its rich flora and fauna on which they could prey.
The tunnels underneath the island were home to sea serpents ranging up to one hundred twenty (120) feet in length, and they would wait for prey to approach and strike fiercely from their hiding spots.
Few people, however, were on the island, because of its remote location and dangerous creatures and lack of other worthwhile resources. The most profitable industry – that of extracting precious gems – had no stake in this island due to its estimated low concentration of minerals. The risk outweighed the reward, so the island was left for any willing takers.
A man of fifty-five (55) years who was wearing the military attire of a high ranking officer – and adorned with many medals along with his insignia – stood in the desert that was the northern shore of Sedavidian Island. Hundreds of spiders crawled over his boots and ran up his legs. A rattlesnake slithered toward him and the man reached down and put his hand on the snake’s head, yet the snake submitted to this. As the man did this, he was covered in spiders, and they crawled about him, yet he continued to hold his hand on the head of the rattlesnake as if to pet it.
Standing nearby the man was a woman of thirty-six (36) years dressed in a lower ranking military uniform. She stared out at the sea and spotted a number of distant ships. When she looked closely, she counted one hundred sixty-nine (169) smaller ships of various sizes accompanying a much larger vessel. “Colonel Lodokus, I see a fleet of one hundred seventy (170) ships – over one hundred twelve (112) miles to the north – and they are sailing due west,” the woman said after turning to the man.
“Continue tracking them, Lieutenant Mazavida,” Colonel Lodokus said.
Colonel Lodokus then spoke to the spiders and the snake, saying: “Troops! It is time for you to prepare for battle! Soon, you shall face the approaching enemy and eliminate them, to help defeat the source of the darkness and bring back the order of daylight.”
At this, Colonel Lodokus drank anew of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean from a canteen that he carried. He was energized by these and began walking toward the edge of the shore. He reached out into the water and – within moments – a sea serpent passed him by, and he touched it on the head. The sea serpent raised its enormous head – it belonged to a creature that was one hundred five (105) feet in length – and simply waited. The powers of the water that flowed through Colonel Lodokus enabled him to communicate with – and command – the creature. He sent it forth and the sea serpent swam quickly in the direction indicated. This happened six (6) more times, and Colonel Lodokus sent each of the creatures in the same northwesterly direction as the first.
“How many will you send, Colonel Lodokus?” Lieutenant Mazavida asked.
“Perhaps two hundred seventeen (217) or even more. Each of those seven (7) serpents will signal to two (2) more, as will the next serpents, and so on. All according to our standard procedure, of course,” Colonel Lodokus said.
“How were you able to recognize them as the enemy, Colonel?” Lieutenant Mazavida asked.
“We never can be too careful, Lieutenant Mazavida. We must assume that every unknown fleet is of the enemy. That is the danger – the very essence, even – of darkness: it hides the truth. Keep watching the seas, and, with your far seeing eyes, give a report of the ships, if they should change their course,” Colonel Lodokus said.
Lieutenant Mazavida drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her own canteen. She was energized, and looked far out to sea, watching the ships for any sign of a change.
~~~
After only two (2) hours, a swarm of sea serpents approached the fleet of vessels and leaped out of the water.
“Sea serpents! All around us! Your Majesty, we are under attack!” the first mate on board the Eminence of the Oceans shouted.
“Cut them down! Archers!” General Povaximus ordered, not waiting for the king to issue any commands. His orders were relayed to the other ships in the fleet using hand signals and generated light by his troop
s, and the dark skies made it even more crucial to communicate and to move quickly. The creatures were large, but difficult to see without the light.
A hailstorm of arrows came down on the sea serpents from the various ships in the king’s fleet. However, the creatures had fierce strength, speed and venom. They concentrated their attention on some of the smaller ships, devouring the crews of eleven (11) of the king’s ships, leaving the vessels abandoned.
Several sea serpents approached the Eminence of the Oceans and attacked some of the crew.
The Chronicler Gisella was protected by Ondothel – the Guardian Angel of the Chronicler’s Oath – so none of them came near her, however.
Rivka reached out to the spirits of the sea serpents – by the powers of the Zovvin Ocean waters flowing within her – and sent them away from the ship. Instead, the creatures then headed toward other ships, devouring the crew of three (3) more vessels in the king’s fleet.
Despite their speed, the Chronicler Gisella was able to record the creatures’ actions and document many of the losses, counting the number who fell as long as they were in the areas that were illuminated. She could see quick moving events due to the powers of the Ursegan Ocean waters within her – because they allowed her to slow down the flow of time through and around her – but she still could not see in the dark.
“Where is he? Has he chosen to forfeit the bargain?” King Xander screamed.
“I do not believe that he has betrayed us,” Rivka said. She sensed the presence of an evil spirit, but wondered why it didn’t stop these sea serpents.
“Where is who?” the Chronicler Gisella asked.
“The leader of my reinforcements,” King Xander said.
After the sea serpents each had their mouths filled with the bodies of the crew members from those ships, they swam away. Their skin was dotted with the scars from the arrows, but they continued unabated.
“They’ve had their fill of our soldiers and sailors, but now they’re gone,” Rivka said.
“How many did we lose?” King Xander asked.
“Fourteen (14) ships are now without crew, Your Majesty,” General Povaximus said.
“We have enough, do we not, for our objective?” King Xander asked.
“My song shall enchant them – that will be enough,” Aura said. She had stayed out of the way, and chose not to use her powers of music to tame the creatures. It might have worked, but Rivka had already moved before she could prepare a new song or even a chant.
“And I stand ready to lead the spirits,” Rivka said after drinking anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial.
“We have ample military might, Your Majesty. Our losses were considerably less than the size of our advantage,” General Povaximus said.
“Then we shall proceed as planned, General,” King Xander said.
The Eminence of the Oceans continued toward Waderav, voyaging another five (5) days before reaching its eastern shores. The Chronicler Gisella recorded all that had been said and seen during this entire journey into her book.
~~~
Two hundred seventeen (217) sea serpents arrived at the northern desert shore of Sedavidian Island, whereupon Colonel Lodokus said to the sea serpents: “I await your report!”
The sea serpents spit out the partially digested and heavily mangled bodies of some of the many sailors from the ships they had attacked – the sea serpents had actually swallowed most of their kill for themselves. These putrid remains then fell upon the sands of the shore.
“Excellent. Now, Lieutenant Mazavida, make sure that our other troops are fed,” Colonel Lodokus said.
Lieutenant Mazavida drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial and was energized. She then used her powers over light cast a bright and burning beam upon the remains, igniting the flesh. After a few moments, she broke pieces of flesh from one (1) of the baked bodies to test its readiness and said: “The meal is served, Colonel.”
Colonel Lodokus then directed the animals – the spiders and snakes under his command – to eat the cooked meat and they attacked it fiercely.
“With each victory, we come closer to eradicating the cause of the darkness,” Colonel Lodokus said.
“Yes, Colonel. We will defeat them, and restore the light, whatever it takes,” Lieutenant Mazavida said.
“It is unfortunate that the others did not join us, or they could be celebrating this victory, as well,” Colonel Lodokus said.
“Why did they refuse to help us, Colonel?” Lieutenant Mazavida asked.
“There can only be one (1) reason, Lieutenant: they are of the enemy and serve to spread the darkness,” Colonel Lodokus said.
“So few serve the just cause, Colonel. So few will enjoy the restoration of light and order,” Lieutenant Mazavida said.
“Serving the just cause is a long and lonely mission, Lieutenant. I would have preferred for them to join us,” Colonel Lodokus said.
“They were good companions, if only for their personalities. Their stories were quite interesting,” Lieutenant Mazavida said.
“I did enjoy the conversations. It was a shame that we had to eliminate them, as well,” Colonel Lodokus said.
“Now, all that we have are the memories,” Lieutenant Mazavida said, looking at the pile of charred bones and skulls behind them.
“They have only themselves to blame, Lieutenant,” Colonel Lodokus said.
~~~
When the Eminence of the Oceans and its fleet of one hundred fifty-five (155) ships arrived at the eastern coast Waderav, the soldiers and sailors moved onto the shore and created a perimeter of troops so that no enemy force could be directed back at King Xander or his principal officers and heralds.
Many people were to be seen in nearby villages – peasant farmers and crystal benders, mostly – and they looked at the new arrivals with their usual disdain, thinking them to be just more thieves and murderers from another land. However, these people had lived their entire lives under the oppression of their local robber barons, so it would be nothing new, or so they thought. They approached – over four hundred (400) of them – out of curiosity, but could not get through the wall of troops.
When the people approached, Aura and Rivka stepped down from the Eminence of the Oceans and stared bravely and confidently at them, radiating smiles.
Aura stepped forward, and she was lifted up onto a flat rock by the king’s soldiers, so that she was a full five (5) feet higher than the crowd.
Aura then addressed the crowd in a sing-song voice, saying: “Poor people of Waderav, your history is both ancient and sad. Your economic suffering is near legend, and still each day you toil. Such is your spirit and strength. Yet, the greed of the robber barons denies you the wealth you have worked so hard to earn. Were it not for their lies and poor leadership, you would be the shining gems of the world, for work makes you free. That is why I, Aura, invite you to learn of King Xander the Unfailing. He will lead you righteously. He will turn your toil into treasure, and your poverty into prosperity.”
“How can we believe?” one (1) of the men in the crowd asked.
“We’ve heard this before,” one (1) of the women in the crowd said.
“Don’t lie to us. We’ve had enough,” another woman in the crowd said.
“We do our best. We toil, and then they steal from us more than half,” another man in the crowd said.
“That’s how it’s always been…and always will be,” another woman in the crowd said.
“Things can and do change…for the better. We bring a new message. It’s a message of hope – true hope – and love for each of you. Go and gather your friends and family and bring them here. In ten (10) days, we will make an announcement to each of you, and invite you into the kingdom, where you will prosper,” Aura said.
The Chronicler Giselle recorded all that was said, including Aura’s speech and the crowd’s replies.
However, the crowd dispersed and the rumors spread about this king.
~~~
After ten (10) days had passed, a new crowd had gathered – this one having over four hundred thousand (400000) people – and they watched and waited.
Aura drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from her vial and was energized. She began to sing, and the song carried far:
This is your day.
Leave the darkness behind you.
Partake of the brilliant shine of a new sky.
This the place,
Where a bright star awaits you.
Come into his kingdom and live forever on high.
(Refrain)
Into a world of amazing prosperity,
Where the riches extend beyond farthest sight.
Into a world of joyous serenity,
Where the wise king shall make all things right.
These are your fields.
Leave the wastelands behind you.
Partake of the rich harvest of a new land.
This is the place,
Where a great feast awaits you.
Come into his kingdom and live forever grand.
(Refrain)
This is your fortune.
Leave poverty behind you.
Partake of the wealth of a new king rich and bold.
This is the place,
Where a great treasure awaits you.
Come into his kingdom and live forever in gems and gold.
(Refrain)
These are your waters.
Leave dry deserts behind you.
Partake of the drink of a new oasis.
This is the place,
Where a great ocean awaits you.
