Luminaries & Lies

by Jeremy Dwyer

“You know how picky I am,” Akantha said.

  Akylas, Akantha and Torin began touring the nearby port town, looking to see who might be available for work.

  ~~~

  Pradrock followed the ship’s builder into a trading depot – a large, low building made of stone, because wood and metal were needed for ships. There, they could draw up a contract for the ship’s purchase and negotiate the terms. Inside the trading depot were hundreds of merchants selling wares at tables, as well as bankers making loans and notaries drawing up contracts.

  The ship’s builder went to an available notary and asked for a contract to be prepared for the purchase of a ship. The notary was paid the customary fee of four (4) platinum coins for the recording service, and began writing the description of the ship that the ship’s builder gave. Pradrock listened as he did so. Also, another person was nearby and listening, and writing into a book.

  At the end of giving the ship’s description, the ship’s builder stated the price, saying: “For a price of eight million two hundred thousand (8200000) platinum coins, paid in full, this aforementioned vessel shall be sold.”

  Pradrock was not pleased at the cost, but the ship was warranted to withstand considerable damage, and it was, in fact, a double vessel.

  Pradrock then asked the ship’s builder: “Is this cost elevated because the vessel is two (2) components? Is it possible to purchase a single one (1) of them?” He doubted that the man would say yes, but he also realized that the answer could be affirmative, yet the builder wasn’t going to say anything unless asked.

  “This particular vessel is for sale in its entirety, not separately, as one essential feature is the consolidation. Additionally, I have for sale components which can be inserted at the consolidation point of vessels of this class, so as to increase their cargo capacity. When these are used, both separable ship units are necessary to carry the cargo extension,” the ship’s builder said.

  Pradrock considered that last bit, thinking it to be a worthwhile future possibility. He then looked over the sales contract document which the notary had drawn up. After he satisfied himself with its details, he then took from his coat pockets numerous notes containing several account numbers in various banks among which he kept his profits divided. The notes were declared to be worth various amounts of money, which the banks certified were currently held. He attached these bank account notes to the sales document until the balances of those accounts added up to the eight million two hundred thousand (8200000) platinum coin price of the vessel listed on the contract. Pradrock wrote markings on these bank notes to indicate his signature, denoting a financial transfer. He also wrote an indication of his own name on the sale document, signifying agreement.

  The ship’s builder then marked the sales contract document with his own name, which was Laurentius. He made several markings next to it, signifying agreement. He also wrote his name on the bank notes, accepting ownership of their funds.

  “The transaction is settled, therefore, and the ship is now the property of Captain Pradrock,” the notary said.

  The other person – who had been writing in his own book – approached and reviewed the sales contract document. He was clearly a Chronicler of the Oath, whose responsibilities included recording even the mundane details of life, which were oftentimes about business. He copied this document into his book, quickly, in every detail, using the shorthand customary for Chroniclers.

  “One matter remains to complete the transaction, however, and that is the naming of the vessel, so that it may be legally recorded,” the notary said.

  Pradrock thought about this for a moment, and then said: “The Resolute Traverser.” The name was chosen because of his interest in expanding his business service area to some of the more difficult-to-reach but worthwhile regions. Many of the land bridges, and various areas of the continents, were challenging to traverse, and nearly impossible to reach by remaining at sea-level.

  The notary recorded the ship’s name, as did the Chronicler.

  The notary then handed Pradrock the deed to the vessel, which was a page from the contract that had been written, and Pradrock then left the trading depot. The Chronicler followed him as he went to the newly purchased ship.

  Pradrock noted the Chronicler’s presence and said: “My crew will be returning shortly, having been sent out to recruit additional members.”

  The Chronicler recorded this statement and went with Pradrock, following him as he boarded the Resolute Traverser and began to inspect the vessel.

  CHAPTER 21: Recruitment of Crew and Capabilities

  In the port town of Tultavik, Akylas and Akantha, along with Torin, made their way from one saloon to another, and from one street market to another, looking for suitable additions to their crew.

  “He said we need a light bender and a crystal bender,” Akylas said.

  “Hiring crew isn’t like buying a ship. There’s negotiation, and there’s seeing through the attempts at deception,” Akantha said.

  “You can’t read minds, can you?” Torin asked.

  “No. Whatever made you think I could?” Akantha asked.

  “Nothing. I was just thinking that maybe we should have held onto her,” Torin said.

  “You mean Claudia? I had enough of her. She could read minds, and she could fight, but her mouth was a bit too much,” Akylas said.

  “I thought you kind of liked her,” Akantha said.

  “No. I liked that she got the job done. I didn’t like her, at all,” Akylas said.

  “Maybe you’ll like that,” Akantha said, pointing toward the street show that suddenly unfolded before them.

  A young man in his thirties – with a dark goatee, a thick head of hair, a skinny face and a thin build – was busy juggling. He had three (3), then four (4), and more, up to ten (10) delicate vases spinning in front of him, each of which seemed to be filled with water; yet, they never spilled, even when the vases flipped over completely at the top of the juggling arc. Dozens of passersby paused to watch the act, interested to see what new and interesting bit might be there. It was not terribly impressive to the crowd, as many had seen it before.

  Suddenly, one vase slipped from the juggler’s hand, fell to the ground and shattered. People started laughing and walking away.

  “Nice. But you need practice,” Akylas said.

  The shattered pieces disappeared from the ground. The man continued juggling the other nine (9) and looked with one of his eyes at the ground where the shattered pieces were and then looked at Akylas as if to ask: “do you see something?”

  Then, the man was juggling ten (10) vases again. The sleight of hand was interesting, and people started returning, to see what he would do next.

  The vases started getting larger, and became fewer in number, as if he were merging them. Akylas wondered what sort of magic was being used, because there were a few different tricks that could be at work.

  A few people tossed cheap coins – electrum ones – at the man’s feet. What he did wasn’t worth much, but entertainment was worth something, and they felt pity, or guilt, which motivated them.

  Akantha looked at the pittance the man received – eight (8) electrum coins – and thought the guy looked like he had potential but not much opportunity. It wasn’t clear what he was doing, but he was good at something.

  “Need a real job?” Akantha asked.

  The juggling man looked at her as if to fend off the seeming insult while expressing interest in a more lucrative possibility. He worked his way closer, but continued juggling.

  “They real?” Akantha asked.

  The juggling man then asked: “what is real? And what is not?”

  “You’re either putting on a light show, or you’re melting the glass. Either way, we’ve got work for you,” Akantha said.

  “So which is it?” Akylas asked, still not sure.

  One by one, the vases disappeared until there were none.

  “We need a crew for our ship, soon,” Akantha said.
/>   The juggling ended and the man approached them more closely.

  “I am Massimo. I look forward to lighting the way on your journey,” the previously juggling man said.

  “The Lujladia waters, then?” Akylas asked.

  “Indeed, the waters of light,” Massimo said.

  “Wish I could have seen it. But now we need to hire the other one,” Torin said.

  Massimo looked at the young man, wondering what he meant.

  “This is Torin. Crazy people shattered crystal in his eyes,” Akantha said.

  “He can fix sailcloth like nobody I’ve ever seen,” Akylas said.

  “He’s right. We’re not done hiring, yet,” Akantha said.

  “Also, I’m Akylas. This is my sister, Akantha,” Akylas said.

  “Who else do you need to hire? Perhaps I can lead you to the right someone,” Massimo asked, with a tone of voice that was as much pleasure as business, and eyes that stared directly into Akantha’s. She was an attractive young woman, despite the hardships she endured at sea, and Massimo has designs on charming her.

  “The right someone can bend stone and crystal, so it isn’t you,” Akantha said, adding the last bit to fend off the advances she saw him planning.

  “No one has the power of two (2) waters, that is true,” Massimo said.

  “Wouldn’t a crystal bender work at a sail crystal foundry or repair shop? That’s where to go,” Torin said.

  “If they’ve already got a good job, why come with us? We’re looking for somebody who’s out of work,” Akylas said.

  “Somebody just hired won’t get paid well. We still might be able to offer them better pay,” Torin said.

  “If they don’t mind the travel,” Akylas said.

  The small crew – Akylas, Akantha, Torin and Massimo – continued their search through the port town, looking for signs of a crystal bender who was looking for a job. They had little luck so they decided to return to find Captain Pradrock at the shipyards and tell him about their partial success.

  “I should stop to get pure waters, for our journey,” Massimo said.

  “You’re right. We all should,” Torin said.

  The group stopped into an alchemist’s shop and saw two (2) men, the older of which was standing behind the counter. One of them, however, was familiar, and he was sitting rather than standing, while mixing waters in a large flask.

  “Fritz! How’d you find your way here?” Akylas asked.

  “Akylas. Akantha. It’s a pleasure to see you again. What brings you to Javanda?” Fritz asked.

  “Time for a new ship. And a new crew, a bit bigger this time,” Akylas said.

  “How do you know them?” the other, even older alchemist – who was standing behind the counter – then asked, in a scornful tone of voice.

  “We sailed together for a short while,” Fritz said.

  “You sailed with this trash?” the other alchemist asked. He saw that Akylas and Akantha were both rough around the edges, and the girl looked a bit indecent – there was something about her he found just wrong. The alchemist had been raised by a strict father and an even stricter mother. They warned him about temptresses and told him about what to look for. He saw all of it in Akantha, who walked and dressed in a way that matched what his mother called ‘un-lady-like,’ even though none of what she wore was revealing.

  “Who are you calling trash? Who do you think you are? We don’t have to put up with this!” Akylas said.

  “Perhaps you could tell us what troubles you. Not all is as it seems,” Massimo said.

  “You’re right. These lowlifes aren’t what they seem. She’s a low class girl who tempts men into lives of ruin. And that guy’s a thief who will cut your throat for what’s in your back pocket. Find new friends, or you can’t shop here. You’ve been warned, boy,” the older alchemist said.

  “I’ve had enough of this. The best ships are built here…along with the worst people,” Akantha said. She did not need to be insulted. She never was, and never would be, a woman of low morals. She didn’t have the money for fancy dress, and worked alongside many men. But she never worked in the way he was suggesting, and found the man excruciatingly arrogant.

  “There are other alchemists. A purer water can be found, no doubt,” Massimo said.

  Akantha turned around and walked out of the alchemist’s shop and Massimo walked after her.

  ~~~

  Outside the alchemist’s shop, Massimo approached Akantha, to be close enough to comfort her. “Some older men, once they have achieved success in their business, think themselves to be all-knowing. They become arrogant and judge others, but have little understanding. I do not believe what he says; nor should you,” Massimo said.

  “I don’t believe it. But I still had to hear it! I am not that kind of girl!” Akantha said, furious.

  “I know. He may be fool enough to believe his own judgments, and unable to learn anything new. In his mind, he is right about everything, even things he never tried to learn,” Massimo said.

  ~~~

  Inside the alchemist’s shop, Akylas approached the older alchemist, who was still standing behind the counter. With some effort, he could have reached across the counter and punched the old guy hard enough to floor him, but he thought better of it.

  “You’re not going to have customers talking to people like that. One of these days, somebody’s going to live down to your expectations, and put a knife in your back, or cut your tongue right off,” Akylas said.

  “Why argue? He hates us, and we’re short on time,” Torin said.

  “You’re right. Too bad you had to hear all that,” Akylas said.

  Torin and Akylas walked out of the alchemist’s shop in disgust.

  ~~~

  The older alchemist looked to Fritz and said: “She’s trouble. Their money would be dirty, so I’d rather not have their business. And you said you sailed with them?”

  “For a while, I did. But I didn’t see either of them doing anything wrong. They just worked as deck hands and he was our navigator,” Fritz said.

  “I know a dirty, immoral woman when I see one. She’ll destroy a man, body and soul,” the older alchemist said.

  “Of all the people I’ve worked with, they were the kindest and most trustworthy. Why do you believe these things? Where’s the evidence?” Fritz asked.

  “If you don’t see the filth, then you’re just as bad as them. No wonder you’re a cripple – you got what you deserve associating with these low lives! Your mind is rotten from whatever sickness you picked up in their company! Get out! You can’t work for me anymore!” the older alchemist said.

  ~~~

  Fritz used a pair of crutches to walk due to his spinal injury. He would swing his body a bit to give himself momentum, but he had recovered just enough control to not need a wheelchair. In this way he left the alchemist’s shop, never to return to that man again. He moved as quickly as he could to catch up to Akylas and Akantha.

  “Don’t apologize for him! There’s nothing you can say,” Akylas said to Fritz.

  “His mind is made up, and each of us has been judged according to the illusions that he chooses to see,” Massimo said.

  “He disapproves of most people who aren’t rich, or who don’t look and dress a certain way. By extension, he doesn’t approve of their former colleagues, either,” Fritz said.

  “Well, if you’re looking for a new job, Fritz, I’ve got one in mind,” Akylas said.

  “Who is the captain?” Fritz asked.

  “Captain Pradrock. He decided to buy a new ship,” Akylas said.

  “That sounds like business is good,” Fritz said.

  “Better than it will be here, especially for mister wonderful,” Torin said.

  “You better believe it. And I’m not that kind of girl. Not at all,” Akantha said.

  “Believe me, Akantha, I know that,” Fritz said.

  “He’s accusing me of being the kind of garbage he is on the inside,” Akantha said.

/>   “He needs to change his outlook and his assumptions…before someone does it for him,” Akylas said.

  “Now, it’s time for me to make a change, and get away from here,” Fritz said.

  “It’s time for all of us to get out of here. I don’t want to be within a thousand (1000) miles of him ever again,” Akantha said.

  The now larger crew – Akylas, Akantha, Torin, Massimo and Fritz – all headed to the edge of the town and toward the shipyards, where they saw that Pradrock was standing on the deck of the new ship and working at preparing it for travel.

  As the crew boarded the vessel, Pradrock said: “Welcome aboard the Resolute Traverser.” They also saw a man standing next to the captain, who was watching them closely, and recording everything into a book.

  “I am Niels, Chronicler of two thousand nine hundred fifty-seven (2957) years,” the man with the book then said to all of them.

  “This is Massimo, our new light bender,” Akylas said.

  “Pleased to have you aboard, Massimo. I don’t always have a light bender on my crew, but it’s always preferable, good weather or bad,” Pradrock said.

  “This world always has bad weather…or bad something,” Akantha said.

  “At least this ship isn’t haunted…is it?” Torin asked.

  “No, Torin. I don’t sense any spirits here,” Akantha said. The Zovvin Ocean waters were still within her, so she would have been able to detect if there was any significant spiritual presence.

  “You’re right that there’s always bad something. It isn’t any better up there, yet, either. In fact, it’s even worse. Even my eyes are beginning to see it,” Akylas said. He drank a steady stream of the Atrejan Ocean waters from his vial and was attuned to the sounds of the stars. And they were not good: something was up there with them – something dark.

  “I think I know what you mean. It feels like there are more than just the stars,” Torin said. He, too, drank the Atrejan waters. However, he could sense the stars only by the powers that the waters gave him. He couldn’t see the visual signs.

  “What are you talking about?” Fritz asked.

  “Oh. And this is Fritz. He’s an old shipmate, and a fine alchemist,” Akantha said.