Luminaries & Lies

by Jeremy Dwyer

  Ovid followed Danek and they began to leisurely walk through the City of Emeth while discussing the assignment.

  “I would like for you to become familiar with Waderav,” Danek said.

  “It is a vast and populous continent, bordered by the Nabavodel Ocean on the northwest, the Ursegan Ocean on the southwest and the Gradaken Ocean on the east. Where should I begin chronicling?” Ovid asked. This was an interesting assignment, given the tremendous area and population.

  “I would like for you to begin in the north, following the coast of the Nabavodel Ocean, events permitting. You are to pay particular attention to the level of violence and extortion, as well as the economic status and productivity. Make the most precise measurements you can of all relevant factors in each area you visit. My interest is in a detailed tabulation of trade in each industry, including construction, fishing, farming, transportation and the extortion that occurs. You will become knowledgeable of the perpetrators and know their wealth and what portions they take,” Danek said.

  Ovid recognized this as an attempt to scientifically measure the effects of crime in an economy known to be depressed. While this was going to be somber at times, he hoped that it would shed light on how and why matters became so bad in Waderav, not to say that he had been around long enough to see them as ever having been good.

  “Am I to follow the events of greatest economic change, or of greatest criminal severity? A substantial financial gain from a large harvest may entail a larger economic variation than a small band of thieves extorting only ten (10) percent,” Ovid asked.

  “That is a fair question, trustworthy Chronicler. You are to follow the events of greatest economic change. I do not wish to bias the records with a presumption that it is crime that has the greatest impact,” Danek said.

  Ovid and Danek had walked among the many smaller buildings of Emeth during their conversation. Emeth was known for its enormous halls, which were miles long and contained vast archives of hundreds of millennia of knowledge. Yet, these smaller buildings provided temporary residence for visitors and work areas for the artisans and craft workers who met the needs of the city, including ship repair workers and a small number of construction workers, as well as clothiers, bankers, alchemists, farmers, gardeners, architects and many others.

  Almost all professions were represented in Emeth, including archaic ones kept for historical reasons. There had been very little need, for example, of manual sail weavers for the last ninety-three (93) millennia, as sails were made on enormous looms which mechanized the work, greatly accelerating it and producing stronger sails, yet there were sail weavers working in Emeth. The skill of manually repairing sails was still in demand, but that was only for patchwork repair, not for making entire sails. The craft of making full sails by hand was deemed to be of historical significance, and so the training continued to the present day. Many other outdated skills were also continued, and they constituted a learning opportunity for many. Chroniclers would occasionally watch what they did, if only to practice giving greater attention to intricate details.

  Both Ovid and Danek were surprised, then, when they saw a man flung through the air and then land, bloodied and beaten. Another man, dressed as a warrior, came walking behind him, determined, yet calm and cool.

  Being a Chronicler, Ovid merely wrote these things into his book, and was not pleased to see it. According to the Chronicler’s Oath, he was not allowed to judge events, but personal approval of violence was not something he felt, either.

  An attractive woman followed behind the warrior, and she also carried a book and was writing in it. Danek immediately recognized the woman as Tofa, another Chronicler, who was significantly more experienced than Ovid.

  Ovid recognized the warrior as the one known as Lavakara and the man who had been beaten and bloodied as Xavier.

  Danek did not recognize either of the two (2) combatants, but waited to see what would happen. It was not his place to interfere, as he was partially, though not totally, bound by the Chronicler’s Oath. He directed Chroniclers, and, sometimes, he merely had to watch.

  Lavakara approached Xavier and picked him up by the neck and said: “Your earlier demonstration of combat abilities was only slightly more impressive. You disappoint me more each time I see you. This has to stop. When will you learn? Be on your way. The next time that I see you, please have something more to show me.”

  Xal’Kativok/Xavier realized he was even less prepared than he thought and wondered what Lavakara expected him to do. He ran around the corner of a building, and Tofa followed. Lavakara walked slowly, as if to give the man time to prepare a response.

  Danek and Ovid also followed Lavakara, who realized it, but did nothing to change his actions. He knew that they were bound to observe. Emeth was the city of truth, and the truth was that violence existed. Lavakara wasn’t ashamed of his actions in the slightest.

  ~~~

  Xal’Kativok/Xavier rounded the corner and found himself in another alley way, and then another. He saw another woman, fairly attractive but a little less feminine than the other he had sought to seduce.

  The other woman looked directly at him and, unbeknownst to him, she looked into his mind. She realized that he had carnal interest in her, and decided to take the opportunity.

  “Hello, stranger,” the woman said.

  “Hello, miss,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said, casually wiping the blood off of his face.

  “I missed a good fight. Too bad,” the woman said, coyly.

  “There are more interesting things to do…and people to meet,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said, thinking of using this woman for his needs.

  “You are?” the woman asked, probing his mind for the name, and finding something unusual there.

  “Xavier. What is your name?” Xal’Kativok/Xavier asked.

  “Claudia,” the woman said. She then drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from the vial she kept in her belt. She kept other things there, as well, including daggers and throwing stars and unspeakable devices meant to influence the outcome of a battle.

  “Delighted to meet you, Claudia,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.

  Claudia probed deeper into Xavier’s mind and found that he was lying about his name – it was Xal’Kativok – and that he knew surprisingly little about the ocean water and was collecting it to learn more. She wasn’t surprised that he didn’t know his way around Emeth, however, as many never get to visit this city.

  “This city has a number of interesting points. Is there anything here you’d like for me to show you?” Claudia asked.

  “You’re the first person who asked. Perhaps you could tell me a little about the magnificent fountains that grace the city’s center,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.

  “Let’s take a walk there, shall we, and I can tell you a bit about them, and a few other things, as well,” Claudia said.

  Claudia probed further into Xal’Kativok/Xavier’s mind and learned that he was a trained warrior skilled in weapons and poisons, but, by the look of him, he ran into someone much more powerful. She realized he had a great deal of mental conditioning and it was difficult to probe deeper into his mind without getting him to let down his guard.

  Claudia then held his hand, applying a little feminine charm and flirtation.

  Xal’Kativok/Xavier felt this and responded in kind, savoring – and even lusting – for her. He hadn’t forgotten his battle, but he knew that life was short, and had to have a few other thrills, as well, for variety.

  Claudia read his mind further, and realized that it was still intense, but changing in focus, and Xal’Kativok/Xavier was becoming more and more interested in having relations with her by the moment.

  “Why did you come to this city?” Claudia asked.

  “Scholarship, to broaden my knowledge of science and culture,’ Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.

  “Good. I like a curious man. Knowledge makes a man complex and capable,” Claudia said.

  “To live is to learn,” Xa
l’Kativok/Xavier said.

  “You should keep learning, of course. I’m sure you have already learned quite a lot,” Claudia said.

  “I’ve learned many things, in different fields of study,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.

  “So, tell me something interesting. Here’s your chance to impress me,” Claudia said, smiling, letting her eyes promise what he wasn’t going to be receiving. Claudia was reading his mind further, looking for a weakening in his resolve, and it was definitely occurring. She would have to work harder, however.

  Xal’Kativok/Xavier did not want to speak to reveal his knowledge of killing, such as the chemistry of poisons – he didn’t realize she already knew that from telepathy, however. His knowledge of geography was of his own world, and not of this one, so that would be a most unsuitable discussion point. He considered these things, and decided that mathematics, of which he knew some, was a more suitable and universal topic. There was an awkward pause while he did this.

  Claudia, however, was probing even his thought process. She now knew that Xal’Kativok/Xavier was not of this world. She needed to know why he was here, and had to press for more details.

  “Then, let me tell you something interesting. Or, better yet, show you,” Claudia said. She leaned in and kissed him, passionately. She kissed his neck and lips, pushing him against the wall of the building in the alley they had wandered into. She sought to arouse him, and it worked. She probed his mind and found that lust was primary, and that his defensive mental wall was now nearly gone. Xal’Kativok/Xavier was here on a scouting mission to study the waters and bring them back to his home world, which was one of many worlds collectively known as the Caval’Rukero’Nyptic Empire. The leader was a man named Admiral Quin’Va’Pitar. The admiral had has sights on this world – which they knew by the name Thalariveth – for a hostile takeover.

  Claudia had him vulnerable and she let him know it. Two (2) well-placed knives made sure that Xal’Kativok/Xavier wasn’t going to move a muscle, and she was now in control.

  “Where exactly is your home world, Xal’Kativok?” Claudia asked.

  “Two hundred ten thousand (210000) lightyears away,” Xal’Kativok said, knowing that she had penetrated his ruse, and that resistance to her questioning would have been too costly.

  As she held him, four (4) people came around the corner – Lavakara, Ovid, Tofa and Danek.

  Lavakara saw that Claudia had this man named Xavier in a most compromising hold, and was immensely disappointed in the man’s failure. It seemed to him that a failed seduction had taken place.

  Ovid saw what was occurring and recorded all of it into his book, even the awkward placement of the knives. He did not know what led to it, but wasn’t sure if the woman had been defending herself against an aggressor, or if she was the aggressor, given that the man was already bested in combat.

  Tofa saw what was occurring and recorded all of into her book, and took no small satisfaction in what this man was going through. She secretly hoped that the woman would finish the job, even though the Chronicler’s Oath forbade judgment. Tofa had felt violated and very much preferred that it not happen again – to her or to any woman.

  “How disappointing! You haven’t improved a bit. Now, a female warrior has bested you,” Lavakara said condescendingly toward the man he knew as Xavier.

  Danek merely watched and was intrigued, waiting for the facts to emerge.

  CHAPTER 26: Revelation of an Underground City and Beyond

  Claudia was well aware of who was around her, but she was so alarmed by what she had learned that her focus was on Xal’Kativok.

  “You’re not the warrior you made yourself out to be. You’re just a combat-trained scout. You want our water, Xal’Kativok. Or, should I say, your empire wants our water. And our world,” Claudia said.

  Ovid and Tofa recorded the woman’s statements into their books, but did not quite understand. Danek was alarmed, because he did understand. Lavakara also suspected that this was leading to something far larger.

  “What empire is it that you are from? What world, even, as it is clearly not this one?” Lavakara asked, finding this matter to have changed in focus. Ordinarily, combat was his primary concern. Yet, this was an unexpected turn of events. If there were other worlds that could reach this one, then he might have a far larger supply of adversaries. Hopefully, Lavakara thought, they would not prove to be such disappointments.

  “I am from the Caval’Rukero’Nyptic Empire. I was dispatched by Admiral Quin’Va’Pitar to scout this world, draw samples of its waters, and assess its defenses,” Xal’Kativok said, knowing he had little choice if he wanted to continue his existence or avoid being maimed.

  “How did you arrive here?” Claudia asked. She still pressed on the man and Lavakara watched for any sign of a weakening grip. He did not care for female warriors, but he realized that she had a firm hold of this apparent weakling. Claudia increased the pressure a bit, and Xal’Kativok winced.

  “There is a way to travel great distances, as far as one needs, in nearly an instant,” Xal’Kativok said.

  “What is that way?” Claudia asked.

  Danek listened intently.

  Ovid and Tofa did, as well, recording dutifully in their books.

  Lavakara also found it intriguing. He had ways to travel quickly, but there were limits to the distances, and it wasn’t instantly.

  “A powerful fire can burn through the space between locations, and create a path that can be traveled, no matter how long, in a mere moment,” Xal’Kativok said.

  “How is such a fire started?” Lavakara asked, interrupting because of his own interest.

  “The physics is complex, and we don’t understand it, but we can control it with crystals,” Xal’Kativok said.

  “Did you come alone or were there others?” Lavakara asked.

  “I came alone,” Xal’Kativok said.

  “We found you on the Ixilonotu Island. I remember that being our first encounter. Is that where the path of fire brought you?” Lavakara asked.

  “No. I first arrived in an underground city, in the middle of an ocean. I traveled across it on a vessel that moved on its own, and then up through a tunnel to the surface by way of another vessel,” Xal’Kativok said. He was clearly in pain, and Claudia had masterful control over him. She focused on the hold – and reading his mind for lies – and allowed Lavakara to interrogate this outsider.

  “Take us to this city. I should very much like to see it,” Lavakara said.

  Ovid and Tofa both recorded all of these notes into their books and Danek pondered the meaning of it all.

  “Yes. Take us. I will accompany you. Tofa, you will come to Chronicle our findings,” Danek said.

  “Ovid, you shall continue on your assignment to Waderav,” Danek then said to the more junior Chronicler.

  Lavakara then drank anew of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean from his own ornate vial, giving him strength and speed, as well as the powers of the Zovvin Ocean waters, because of the vial’s unusual nature. At this point, he took one of Xal’Kativok’s arms and broke it, and then broke the other. Then, he broke both the man’s legs. With each injury, Xal’Kativok screamed, and Tofa recorded this with a secret glee – this crude man from another world wouldn’t assault another woman for quite some time.

  “We can’t trouble ourselves with you escaping, or trying to fight back,” Lavakara said.

  Ovid, before he left, recorded all of this as well, understanding the need for constraining the man, albeit with violence. Then, he departed the group to make his way to the docks and book passage to Waderav.

  “Let’s not waste any time,” Claudia said.

  Claudia then lifted Xal’Kativok by his right arm and Lavakara lifted him by his left arm and they began walking toward the docks.

  Danek and Tofa followed and joined them when they booked passage to Ixilonotu Island in the Kazofen Ocean.

  They traveled half a day on board a passenger ship, making a small part of
the journey as an airship departing west from Emeth over the Glivoran Trail land bridge. On the other side, they returned to sea level in the Kazofen Ocean and sailed across those waters until they arrived at the island. They departed the ship, which then continued on its way.

  Claudia drank anew of the Elanatin Ocean waters from her vial to be energized again. Then, she probed Xal’Kativok’s mind further. She found that he had arrived in a cave on the south side of the island.

  “There’s a cave on the south side of the island. He came through there,” Claudia said.

  “So, is it easier to read his mind or to ask him directly,” Lavakara asked, realizing that he was with a telepath, and he was now troubled. He didn’t know how much she had read him, but he utilized his spirit powers – which were imbued into the waters he drank by the ornate vial in which they were contained – and used them to call upon a spirit of chaos to shield his mind from interlopers. He hoped that the telepath hadn’t extracted his most crucial secrets already, and that she couldn’t read through the chaos.

  “Directional knowledge is easier to read, as are names, Lavakara,” Claudia said. She had picked up his name, it seems. But that didn’t prove she had read his mind – she may have heard it from someone else. It also didn’t prove the depth of her probing, even if she had begun reading his mind. Some secrets were deep within his mental recesses, and did not immediately present themselves.

  “You are the infamous warrior and thief, then,” Danek said, recognizing the legendary name.

  “There are worse troubles at hand than your qualms about my way of life,” Lavakara said.

  They proceeded to enter the cave and saw that there was a river that led through a dark tunnel. However, there was no boat on which to travel.

  “A river without a boat is no way to travel,” Claudia said.

  “No doubt a finely trained combatant such as you would be fit for a swim,” Lavakara said, meaning only to mock her.

  “I’ll save my energy for more pressing matters,” Claudia said.