by Jeremy Dwyer
“She will help you. Soon, too, will many others. I will command them, and they will come in my name,” Prince Kirdothet said.
~~~
Prince Kirdothet then surrounded himself in many flames and streaked away to a nearby village that was not affected by the storm. He set fiery foot on ground and spoke to the people there: “That the suns may be served, and your village may stand, you will send your strongest from this place and serve where I direct you. You will rebuild their fallen village, and then they will be your allies, and both your villages will stand, and I will be your master.”
The people trembled and one asked: “Where do we go? What do we take?”
“Take what you have to spare for building and follow the light that I am,” Prince Kirdothet said.
“Who are you?” another one asked.
“I am Prince Kirdothet. My fire burns forever, and my reign shall last forever. My command has been given,” Prince Kirdothet said.
“What gives you the right to command these people? You are not fit to be their ruler,” one finely-dressed man asked. He was much wealthier in appearance than the others, and wore a ten (10)-sided medallion with gold coins at the corners and a carving of a key in the center.
“My power and my wisdom are more than enough to rule these mortals,” Prince Kirdothet said.
“Only one (1) is great enough to rule. The Unfailing King will lead them to peace and prosperity. When they turn to him, he will build a greater kingdom in which they will flourish,” the finely-dressed man said.
Prince Kirdothet was ancient beyond any mortal, and knew of many kings from long ago. He did not wish to have these people bow before any of them, but only himself. He held out a fiery hand and sent flames that burned the finely-dressed man to ash.
“Follow no mortal king, who will lead you into slavery and poverty by his foolish mortal mind. Better that mortal kings be crushed so that your eyes can see true majesty. The fire of the suns is eternal, and my reign will not end like that of mortals. Obey me, and I will light your way!” Prince Kirdothet said.
The people were afraid of the power of Prince Kirdothet, and saw that the finely-dressed man had no chance to fight back.
Again, Prince Kirdothet held out a hand of his fiery form. This time, he sent a flame that dissipated in heat with distance. He did this so that the light could be seen along the road leading to the other village, but that the fire would not destroy.
The path of fiery illumination floated there several feet above the ground, stretching for miles.
~~~
In the ruined village on the coast, Nadzieja saw a light approach and she was frightened. She wondered if it was the fiery creature returning, but the light just hovered there. She looked but did not see anything else, and Prince Kirdothet did not arrive. Others in the village looked at this, but did not know what to make of it. They returned to salvaging the wreckage, trying to build frames for new dwellings.
~~~
In the inland village, Prince Kirdothet spoke to the people: “Follow the path I have set before you, and serve as directed by those you find. Tell them that Prince Kirdothet has sent you to rebuild, or there will be destruction, and you will know that I have sent the fire to destroy.”
One hundred fifty-three (153) people left that inland village, with spare cloth, wood, hammers and nails, saws and wagons to carry the supplies. They moved quickly alongside the fiery trail and arrived within twelve (12) hours at the village on the coast that was twenty (20) miles away.
~~~
Near the coastal village, Nerine was busily rebuilding and Aleksy was helping her. They were half a mile along the waterline toward the limestone filter, having patched the missing parts and left the intact parts alone.
Soon, a large caravan of people could be seen approaching the coastal village. They had wagons and supplies with them.
‘Who are you?” Nadzieja asked the people at the head of the caravan.
“We are from a village twelve (12) hours south of here. We were sent to help you – sent by a man of fire who calls himself Prince Kirdothet,” one (1) of the men from the caravan said.
“His anger is terrible against kings and those who speak well of them. We saw him burn such a man to ash,” another man from the caravan said.
“Then, he sent a light to guide us on the way here to assist you. He cares for the people,” a woman from the caravan said.
“He spoke the truth!” Nadzieja said. She was astonished, thinking that the creature of fire was a deceiver. Yet, this so-called Prince Kirdothet truly sent the help that he promised, and did so very quickly.
~~~
Prince Kirdothet traveled the continent of Waderav, looking in various coastal towns for signs of ruin, and summoning others in undamaged towns further inland to help them, and they were to go in the name of Prince Kirdothet. He did this hundreds of times, so that his own name was spread far and wide.
~~~
After three (3) days of backbreaking work by Nerine and Aleksy, who were helped by two (2) men from the inland town who joined them, the waterline was completed.
They returned to the coast and began speaking. Everyone spoke of Prince Kirdothet. At first, the mentions were in fear, and then with appreciation for what he had done. Soon, it turned to admiration, especially when Nerine told her tale.
Some of the young men had their eyes on Nerine, but she told them that her love was Prince Kirdothet. Inside, however, Nerine was troubled. She wished that she could live forever, but knew that, as a mere mortal, she could not. She drank the wrong water for that. And there was no song that could fix it.
CHAPTER 24: Promise of Knowledge of Immortality
In the Crypt Trail, Pandaros and Abrax were silently meditating inside the mausoleum.
“We must leave this place, before the Chronicler’s book leads others here,” Pandaros said.
“Where should we go that he will not find us, and that we can continue in our ways?” Abrax asked.
“To a vast land of corruption, where there is no unity or strength to rise up against thieves and murderers, who rule. There, we may hide, for the poor have no strength to find us, as their wealth has been taken, and with it, their hope and freedom,” Pandaros said.
“Waderav is a vast and treacherous land of corruption, ruled by robber barons,” Abrax said after a moment of consideration.
“That is correct, Abrax. To there we must travel,” Pandaros said. He picked up the candelabra where the three (3) onyx luminary candles burned and held it close to him. He then gathered up more vials of Zovvin Ocean water that he kept in the mausoleum’s rooms.
Abrax gathered several vials of Ikkith Tar Ocean water that he kept in the mausoleum.
Pandaros took some of the bones in the room from earlier sacrifices and oriented them in a certain way – it was in the shape of a symbol that was part of a secret code.
Abrax saw the symbol Pandaros had made from the bones and knew what it meant. He said: “The other explorers will know where to find us when they see that.”
“I must travel in the darkness, while you travel in the light, so that the luminaries remain safe,” Pandaros said.
The pair left the mausoleum behind and made their way to a small port on the western coast of the Crypt Trail.
Abrax drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean from his vial and was energized. He used the power to create a cloak of darkness only around Pandaros, who held the candelabra closely. Then, Abrax booked passage on a ship to Waderav, and Pandaros stayed close by and hidden.
The ship traveled across the Nabavodel Ocean, sailing around the southwestern coast of the continent of Volaraden. Then, the ship changed direction and sailed northeast. After a day, they arrived at a port on the northeastern coast of the continent of Waderav. After crossing through the port town, they found a ruined village nearby, with many people struggling to rebuild their tempest-ravaged homes.
Upon seeing this, Pandaros whispered to Abrax: “They are h
omeless, and will be easy prey. We shall make our sanctuary nearby. Conceal yourself, as well, so that we are not noticed.”
Abrax drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean from his vial and was energized. He extended the cloak of darkness over himself, and continued the concealment of Pandaros, so that they could move about unnoticed. He and Pandaros moved swiftly and found a small cave in a nearby swamp surrounded by trees that obscured its opening and which afforded them privacy. Once inside, Pandaros stepped out of the cloak of darkness. On the floor of the cave, he placed the candelabra which held the luminaries.
“You are to remain here and guard the luminaries. The spiral dagger is yours, to use as you see fit. However, you are to strike swiftly, and allow no one to approach. Conceal the victims, so that a trail does not lead here. If you are found and cannot fight, then take the luminaries and cloak yourself and return to the port where we arrived, waiting for me,” Pandaros said. He handed over the spiral dagger to Abrax.
“Where will you go now?” Abrax asked.
“I will return to the ruined village so as to find a suitable vessel for our ceremonial needs,” Pandaros said.
~~~
Pandaros then left the cave and returned to the ruined village where many people were hard at work rebuilding. They were scouring the wreckage for good material, building wooden working tables, and using those to build frames for new houses. He saw them as determined, but weak. He knew that the hard work was tiring, and that they would soon look for an easy way, as so many eventually did.
A somewhat attractive young woman was hard at work, learning the carpentry trade from some older men. Alongside her were some young men, who looked more interested in learning about the young woman.
As they were cutting and hammering to build a wall frame for a house, one of the young men asked: “Nerine, what did you do before this? You didn’t grow up as a carpenter, did you?”
“I was a singer. I traveled around parts of Waderav and sang at parties, or for nobles. Sometimes I got paid, sometimes they just gave me food and sent me away. It’s a hard living…but it can be enjoyable,” Nerine said.
“You shouldn’t be doing this. You should sing,” the young man said.
“Now’s not the time. Everyone here needs a place to live. We’ve got to work hard and get them all back in homes. That’s the right thing to do,” Nerine said.
“All work and no fun…” the young man began.
“Is how the job gets done,” an older man interrupted.
“We can’t do this forever. People get tired, they rest, and then they work again. All work without rest is going to kill us,” the young man said.
“If you’re tired, take an hour break, and come back. This is no time for parties and songs,” the older man said.
“We can celebrate later, when it’s all done,” Nerine said.
The young man just got back to work, not really being tired, and only interested in having Nerine sing and, he hoped, become a little romantic.
Pandaros approached and picked up one of the ends of a wooden beam that Nerine was holding and he joined it to another beam, and began hammering nails to join them at the corners to make a frame. He knew how to build houses and other structures, only because he gathered much knowledge and many skills in his explorations.
“Thank you,” Nerine said, not knowing him from the next man.
“You work hard. You’ve earned your rest: at the end of the day, of course,” Pandaros said, while continuing to work. He sawed an uneven edge of yet another beam and then nailed it to the ones he already worked on to help build a wall frame.
“I rest, a little,” Nerine said, continuing to work furiously.
As the day turned to dusk, Nerine headed off toward a tent where she had been spending the night. There were men and women there.
Pandaros said: “Be careful. Some of these men don’t have much respect. Not even for a respectable woman. You may find yourself in a bad situation by spending the night too close to them.”
“I’m working hard, but I can only work with what I have, and hope for the best. Besides, I don’t love them. Nothing’s going to happen. I love someone else,” Nerine said.
“Whom do you love? You should be with him,” Pandaros asked.
“The Prince,” Nerine said.
“Prince? What prince?” Pandaros asked.
“Prince Kirdothet,” Nerine said.
Pandaros knew instantly who that was. He heard the accounts of the creature of fire who came down from the sky, as many of his fellow explorers had spread the word of it. He knew that name, and he knew that the yellow suns were alive. The creature was not an illusion as some had suspected.
“How can you love a yellow sun? He is of fire, and you are of flesh,” Pandaros asked.
“He saved me from the bandits. This is a land of thieves and murderers, and they were going to rob me and kill me for the little that I earned from my singing,” Nerine said.
“You just told me ‘why’ you love him. But not ‘how’ you love him. He is fire, you are flesh. He is immortal, and you are not,” Pandaros said.
“Why do you trouble me? Don’t you think I know this? Don’t you think it pains me to love someone I cannot have forever, but who will live forever without me?” Nerine asked, furious at the question, and more furious at the harsh reality.
“I don’t want to trouble you. I want to help you,” Pandaros said.
“Help me? How can you help me? I drink the wrong water. Pirovalen waters let me sing. Ursegan waters are what I need, to live long enough, longer than just this one (1) lifetime,” Nerine said.
“What if singing is the way? What if the right words, and the right music, could give you a way to be with him forever?” Pandaros asked.
Nerine then remembered the Count the Days song she sang for Countess Genevieve. But that only reversed aging – the woman looked younger, but that didn’t mean she would live for centuries.
“Music’s not that powerful. It can do a lot, but it can’t do everything,” Nerine said.
“You don’t know all possible songs. So how can you be sure about a limit on the power of music? Did you ever wonder why mathematicians trouble themselves with proof? It’s so that they can be sure that a theorem is correct for all possible numbers that might be substituted into its variables. Without that, they cannot know if some combination of numbers which they have not used will make the statement of the theorem false. Yet, there is no such way of proving something about all music,” Pandaros said.
“Do you believe that you can find the music to grant long life? What makes you think you can?” Nerine asked, skeptically. However, the man’s argument did seem interesting.
“I am an explorer, and have traveled the world for many years, gathering much knowledge. Not all knowledge can be found in Emeth, though I have spent many years there and learned a great deal. Yet, there is more outside of its halls. It is my life’s mission to gather what I can,” Pandaros said.
“What did you see? Did you find something that made you believe that it’s possible?” Nerine asked.
“Yes. I did,” Pandaros said, and he drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial. These connected him to the spirit world.
“What did you find? Can I see it?” Nerine asked, now curious.
Pandaros reached into his backpack and pulled out a book, opening it to a page with a song called Fascinate Me.
He held the book out to her and she began to read its words.
“This is a frightening song. The words are dangerous,” Nerine said, taken aback.
“Fear is a rejection of the unknown. Yet, you know what you have. It is the unknown that contains what you do not have, which is immortality,” Pandaros said.
“I also don’t have sickness, yet this song invites it,” Nerine said.
“In time you will age, and with age, comes sickness,” Pandaros said.
“But not today. I need today to go well, and tomorrow, so that I ca
n help these people,” Nerine said.
“With each day you spend here, you have one (1) less day to spend with your love. And your days are numbered, as are mine, to a mere century, without the Ursegan waters, of course,” Pandaros said.
“If I get sick today, how many days will I have with him? Or to help these people?” Nerine asked.
“In the face of eternity, what are finite numbers of days? One (1) more or (1) one less is nothingness when compared to the infinite. You must be bold to live forever. The meek run in fear from distant possibilities, even the possibility of everlasting life. Fear is the ultimate murderer, more than any bandit,” Pandaros said.
“If I sing this song, and I become ill right away, will you stay and help these people when I cannot?” Nerine asked.
“As I already have, before your very eyes, I will continue to do so,” Pandaros said.
“And if become ill from singing this song, will you protect my honor from these young men, that they do not violate me while I rest in my sickness?” Nerine asked.
“If they attempt an act of disrespect, I shall serve to them justice such that they cannot violate you or any other,” Pandaros said.
Nerine looked in his eyes, wondering if she could trust him. Yet, the lyrics of the song beckoned her.
“Not tonight,” Nerine said.
“Consider it for tomorrow. I will stand watch, that you may remain pure,” Pandaros said.
Nerine went into the tent and slept, and was untouched that night.
The following day, Pandaros worked with her, continuing to help rebuild the village. He was as productive as many of the other men half his age, being physically fit from his travels and well-versed in many skills.
Late that evening, when almost everyone was asleep, Pandaros approached Nerine again and asked: “How much longer do you wish to work and wait? With each day here, that is a day taken from your opportunity to be with your love.”
“What keeps you here? Why are you so interested in helping me to achieve endless life, when your own life is also limited?” Nerine asked.
“I cannot sing, yet you can. If you can help yourself, then, almost certainly, you can help me,” Pandaros said.
