by Jeremy Dwyer
Zoe had left the rented room to travel about in the port town, listening for news of where this new king was going, and to learn if there was a place that was safe. She heard of this announcement from the couriers of the king and found it to be a sign of danger and aggression. The waters of the Lujladia Ocean flowed through her and enabled her to see through the darkness and bend light around corners. Yet, she could not see all things in all places – no one could do that – especially not in the minds of these people or of the king. She wondered if this message was all a giant lie – the king who took Revod was now inviting them to come closer and even join him on a quest for a water that gave all powers. It was preposterous, of course – especially since there was no reason to believe that such an all-powerful water even existed.
After her foray into the port town, she returned to the rented room and was met with inquisitive looks about what she had heard and where they should go.
“So, where is this king now? Where can we go?” Brant asked when Zoe entered.
Taesa was awake now, sitting in bed and nursing the baby, listening to what was said, but also focusing her thoughts on the boy. Caroline sat nearby, waiting for her to hand the child off after getting tired.
“He’s still in Revod, from what I heard. And he wants us all to come to him,” Zoe said.
“Not going to happen!” Brant said.
“That’s insane! Why would we go to him?” Caroline asked.
“I agree – we don’t have a military force behind us, as if that would even be sufficient,” Emerond said.
“This king sent out a message – he’s looking for some new kind of water, that gives all powers to those who drink of it. He wants us to help him find it, so we can all be wealthy,” Zoe said.
“That’s unbelievable for many reasons. This is most likely just a deception to conquer without combat,” Emerond said.
“Is one (1) of those reasons that this all powerful water doesn’t even exist?” Zoe asked.
“I’ve never heard anything to suggest that it does – or that it’s even possible. It’s not that no one has ever looked,” Emerond said.
“I’ve always wished there was a way to have the powers of more than one (1) water. Even if you could only have two (2). If my father could have had the Trerada waters for his health, he would have recovered from the cancer, and still have been able to drink the Medathero waters to have a deeper understanding of everything that he read,” Taesa said.
“Healing sick people isn’t what this king cares about, is it? This other water sounds just like what a megalomaniac would want – all powers,” Caroline said.
“You’re right about that – anyone who wants to be king is a megalomaniac. Even barons and dukes and all that noble garbage want way too much, and they take it from the weak,” Zoe said.
“We’ve fought with that bunch over and over. They’ll kill anybody who won’t pay their giant taxes, or they’ll turn the people into slaves if they can’t pay,” Brant said.
“Wanting to control and abuse people is what makes them evil. Wanting more out of life isn’t wrong, though. Those are completely different things,” Taesa said.
“Fair point. But we’re dealing with a despotic king, who used a singer to enchant people with music and trick them into serving him. He needs to have less power, not more. I hope this all powerful water doesn’t even exist,” Emerond said.
“But if it does exist, and anyone has ever found it, they’re probably going to keep it a secret,” Caroline said.
“Right. A tyrant would keep it secret to grow his own power. A cynic would keep it secret so a tyrant doesn’t find it and wreck the world. A fool, however, would share the secret,” Zoe said.
“I doubt this king is that kind of fool – more likely a liar,” Emerond said.
“A fool would believe this king’s offer to join him and help find this stuff,” Brant said.
“We’re not going to believe the lies of a false king, but we can’t stop searching for the answers to life’s mysteries, or believing that better things exist,” Taesa said.
“Haven’t you gotten tired of seeking out answers? We’ve got to get away from this king, to some safer place. Wherever we go, you’re still going to have a lot of people after you, who want you dead. Don’t ever forget that. And they won’t spare your kid, sorry to say. A little less ambition on your part might be a good idea,” Zoe said.
“We can’t save your father, Taesa. I know you want the answers – so do I – but it’s too late for him. You’re still young enough to enjoy life – a simple life. We’re a family now – you, the baby, Emerond and me – and that’s what matters. Life’s not about trying to learn everything there is, but trying to enjoy everyone you already have, and who loves you,” Caroline said.
“Yeah. You need to live a real simple life…simple and quiet,” Zoe said.
“Like the simple and quiet life we still don’t have,” Brant said.
Judith recorded all of this in her book, but doubted very much that any such all-powerful water existed. That didn’t stop her from wanting to find it – out of pure curiosity. If it required a waterbinding, it wouldn’t do her any good, however, since she already drank the Ursegan waters.
~~~
The message of the king’s offer spread to many other places throughout the world, however, and some did respond to his invitation, hoping to find a water that gave all powers. Over fifty-seven million (57000000) people came to join him, although others rejected this message for various reasons. Some even sent back harsh words, defying the king.
Several of his couriers returned from their mission and came back to the shores of Revod, where the Eminence of the Oceans was anchored. King Xander stood on the deck, awaiting their report.
The couriers first spoke with each other and then prepared a single message for the king. A woman was chosen to deliver the message – a woman whose voice was sweet music, owing to the Pirovalen Ocean waters she drank. This woman said: “We bring you news both good and ill, Your Majesty. Multitudes have said yes, and will come to you. Others have cursed your name, refusing to serve you, and doubting your promise.”
Aura and Rivka, as well as General Povaximus, stood near to King Xander. They braced themselves for his response.
“We will accept the service of those who accepted us, and then we will accept the deaths of those who rejected us. The time of their ruin is fast approaching,” King Xander said.
CHAPTER 45: Haunts and Ruins in a World of Darkness
Claudia and Yared traveled upstream through the dark tunnel on a riverboat with tattered sails for a period of three (3) days. At the end of their journey, they had hoped to emerge into light. Instead, they found themselves at the bottom of a set of stairs with scant light from above.
“Scant light is better than none,” Yared said.
“Maybe. Depends on what we see in it,” Claudia said. She drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from her vial and was energized. She probed for thoughts of any living being nearby, but found none. “I don’t sense any thoughts…nasty or otherwise,” Claudia said.
They climbed the steps and found themselves inside of a cave, facing a statue that had features of both a serpent and a jaguar.
“Not too pleasant, but it’s just a statue – probably a primitive jungle tribe’s deity,” Yared said.
“Let’s not run into the primitives who worship this thing,” Claudia said.
Yared then drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from his own vial, so that he was energized as well. He began to probe for thoughts of any adversary, but found none – he only sensed animals, not people.
“It’s a jungle out there – wild animals are nearby, but no people,” Yared said.
“Animals usually know where they’re going, we can follow them,” Claudia said.
Claudia and Yared both left the cave and found themselves in a jungle under a greatly darkened sky – it appeared to be the end of twilight and the onset of night.
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p; “Night time in the jungle – it’s not going to be easy to get through. Follow the thoughts of the reptiles, before they follow the scent of us,” Yared said.
Claudia could sense the thoughts of movement of various creatures, but none of them gave any signs of heading their way. Still, she telepathically watched for a radius around them.
Yared did the same, looking for any kind of creature that would attack, as well as any kind that could lead them out of the jungle. They did, in fact, meet many creatures that had designs on using them for food, but they were able to control and dispel these creatures telepathically. Berries were generally not safe as food, but there were some fresh fruits and coconuts that made for adequate nourishment. The animals led them to these foods and they took what they could.
They wandered this way for week after week – nearly two (2) months – while resting in shifts, until they found the western edge of the jungle which led to a desert.
“I know where we are. This is the Citrine Desert, in Volaraden,” Claudia said.
Rather than probing her thoughts – which he could – Yared asked: “How do you know?”
“There’s a Jenaldej city in this desert. It’s a mining town and I’ve been to it – and to this area – before. I recognize the color of the sands. We can get there, if we can get past the scorpions,” Claudia said.
“After all that, and we’re still not out of danger? There were so many creatures in that jungle that were planning on making meals of us,” Yared asked, disappointed but not surprised.
“It’s always meal time in the jungle. Don’t worry too much about the desert. There aren’t too many scorpions. Just a few really big ones,” Claudia said.
“Reassuring, very reassuring,” Yared said, not entirely meaning it.
Claudia and Yared continued wandering, for an additional month, which would have been fatal in a hot desert, but the dark skies made for mercifully cool temperatures. They each had ample water, which preserved them. There was very little to eat – a few pieces of fruit left over from the jungle trek – which made travel increasingly difficult, however.
They stumbled onto an abandoned sand ship – thirty-four (34) feet in length – in the middle of the desert and both of them probed it telepathically, but found nothing, so they climbed its boarding ramp.
“I see a crew of three (3) – all dead,” Yared said, looking around.
“The ship looks intact, which may be enough so that we don’t meet the same end,” Claudia said.
“If it can still sail. There’s not much sunlight up there to charge the crystals for air travel,” Yared said.
Claudia pulled a lever at the ship’s controls and the sails pivoted just enough that the sail crystals should have begun releasing their stored solar energy. However, the ship did not take to the air.
“As I was afraid,” Yared said.
“You underestimate the Jendaldej Empire. They always keep extra,” Claudia said. She then climbed through an opening in the deck, walked down the steps and opened a storage box below deck. Not seeing what she was holding, she rummaged around until she felt something sharp – several somethings. Claudia took these in hand and climbed back up the steps and said: “See?” She held out four (4) crystals to show to Yared.
“I hope there are more – that won’t be enough,” Yared said.
“There are, in a box below deck. Go get them and help me,” Claudia said. She then pulled the control lever in a different direction so that the masts pivoted sideways and the sails swept inward where she could reach them. She began plucking the old sailing crystals out of the sailcloth and replacing them with the new ones. She would not have been adequately skilled to do this on most ships. However, she could make the replacements on this small Jenaldej Empire vessel because the mounts for the crystals were standardized and the crystals snapped into place. Not only did this make for easy replacement but also for easy loss when they occasionally slipped out of place. Claudia knew, from probing the right minds and asking questions, that this risk was considered an acceptable tradeoff to enable anyone to operate small ships and replace their sailing crystals without having specially trained sail weavers dedicated to the task of embedding the crystals into the cloth. It was no secret that a person with high manual dexterity was more profitably employed in the Jenaldej Empire by giving them a Kazofen waterbinding to manipulate crystals and work in industry.
Yared joined her and, within only an hour, all the sailing crystals were replaced.
Claudia then turned the control lever again to pivot the sails and the crystals lit up and emitted their energy. By this, they created a spherical aura to surround the ship and lift it into the air.
“The ship sails, which is fortunate. We’re going to need to navigate, however, and this darkness is no ally to that end. I hope there are enough living creatures in this desert – who have a good enough sense of direction – that we can follow them,” Yared said.
“We’ll have to travel slowly, at a low altitude – maybe twenty-five (25) feet above ground level – and search their thoughts,” Claudia said.
Both Claudia and Yared peered into the thoughts of the few desert creatures around them, but the animals were moving in different directions instead of with a singular purposeful direction.
~~~
From the spirit world, Lavakara was watching them, being with them the entire time. He found it interesting to watch a pair of telepaths wander through a jungle and a desert in the darkness. They were preserved, in part, by their telepathic powers that the Elanatin waters gave them. They were preserved, in part, by sensible judgment. They were also preserved, in part, by the stroke of good luck this ship represented.
The entire time, Lavakara had stayed out of sight, and drank the Nabavodel Ocean waters from his ornate vial. He was thus energized with its powers of strength and speed, as well as the powers of spirit, which were endowed to the water by the ornate vial’s unusual design.
He easily outpaced the creatures of the wild, securing food for himself. Rest was easy – he only needed to rest himself while the telepaths did, since they slept in shifts.
Lavakara had been to the jungle in the past, and was disappointed with the weakness of the adversaries he had met there. He was hoping to have his own good luck after escaping this desert. Allowing the telepaths to endure the hardships gave him time to form his own strategies.
~~~
Genevieve, Nerine, Tomiko and his companions were still in Waderav, in the vicinity of Genevieve’s former castle.
“They’re getting closer,” Carter said.
“The spirits, you mean?” Tomiko asked.
“Yes. We need to do all that we can to steer clear of them,” Carter said.
“Are they after us specifically?” Tomiko asked.
“No. I don’t think so. But they are definitely angry, and we don’t want to be caught up in their rampage,” Carter said.
“So, the world is dark and haunted, we can’t steer, and a lunatic king is taking over the world, after it’s already been whipped by storms,” Nina said.
“And burned by a fallen star,” Genevieve said.
“He’s gone now. I don’t think I’ll ever see him again,” Nerine said.
“Sounds personal,” Nina said.
“Yes. You do seem sad about that,” Genevieve said.
“He rescued me from death – you know how bad that Waderav is, with the roaming thieves and murderers,” Nerine said.
“I know. But being saved from murderers by another murderer doesn’t make the rescuer into a hero,” Genevieve said.
“Who are these spirits angry at? Is there a way to bring them peace?” Stephan asked.
“We might not want to wait around to find out,” Carter said.
“And we might not want to wait around in the darkness, in Waderav. It is dangerous, and we do have to be careful about the robber barons and the bandits,” Genevieve said.
“North of here, across the Nabavodel Ocean, is Volaraden. Th
e western region is a desert. The sands can be used to make more crystals – highly luminous ones,” Tristan said.
“I’ll second that vote, as long as we can get there,” Tomiko said.
“Let’s find a ship,” Alistair said.
“Should be easy, right? Just like navigation, old man,” Nina said.
“We have to try something, no? I’ve seen a few ghosts, and the encounters are not usually very pleasant – once in a while, maybe – but we do need to get moving,” Alistair said.
“You’ll have to tell me about the good encounters some time,” Carter said.
“Let’s be on our way,” Tomiko said.
The Chronicler Ovid continued recording their words into his book, but did not see the spirits for himself, and could only write what Carter had said about them approaching.
The group traveled by foot toward the nearest sea port on the northern coast of Waderav, at the edge of the Nabavodel Ocean.
Unfortunately, none of the ships were sailing, and the people were busily laboring, digging into the ground, searching for the king’s prize.
“It seems they’re still searching for the supposed ‘unified’ waters,” Genevieve said.
“Although I can’t guarantee it, there is almost certainly no such water that gives all powers, so they can keep searching,” Tristan said.
“If only there were, death could be put off for a long time,” Nerine said.
“Don’t worry. You’ll find another boyfriend, soon enough. Plus, it’s so dark all the time, that it won’t even matter if he’s good looking,” Nina said.
“These people are truly in a trance. They don’t even seem to notice us,” Tomiko said, looking at the busy laborers.
“We can just borrow one (1) of these ships to sail, if they don’t have any objections,” Alistair said.
“I think you’re right, old man,” Nina said.
“They’re here!” Carter said.
Spirits appeared around them, swarming and shrieking in the twilight darkness.
“Choose a ship! Fast!” Nina said.
“That one!” Tomiko said, pointing to a forty-eight (48) foot long vessel with two (2) pairs of twenty-four (24) foot tall pivot-enabled double masts. The ship was in apparently good condition.
