Luminaries & Lies

by Jeremy Dwyer

  From there, they sailed to Matrivilix Island, which was the largest seaport in the Zovvin Ocean. It was a major seaport, with reliable business – in fact, it had more demand than supply of willing cargo captains. Their voyage to this point took them only a single day.

  When they arrived, Abrax asked him: “Why did we not directly travel to our destination?”

  “Many ship captains dislike these waters, for they are, in truth, haunted. For the unprepared, there are elevated risks. Many of those captains who do brave this ocean still steer clear of Nalhayadin Island. It’s an even greater risk,” Pandaros said.

  “Who’s going to take us then?” Abrax asked.

  “A greedy fool, of course,” Pandaros said, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out more platinum coins.

  It wasn’t long before they found such a fool, who accepted a payment of fifty four (54) platinum coins for the trouble to take them to Nalhayadin Island.

  ~~~

  On board the Resolute Traverser, Pradrock made plans to get back to the shipping business, because that was how he built his wealth to begin with. He knew the major seaports and many of the minor ones around the world. Pradrock was familiar with the rising and falling patterns of commerce in each of them, as he could only get shipping contracts at certain times, and not others, depending on which seaport it was and which commodity was in greatest demand.

  “Navigation being what it is, where would you have us go, captain?” Akylas asked.

  “Taking business contract availability into consideration, we’re going to start at the seaport in Matrivilix Island,” Pradrock said.

  “Oh! Please not there! Don’t you have any better options?” Akantha asked.

  “What’s the matter with that one?” Massimo asked.

  “There’s a reason almost nobody wants to go there,” Akantha said.

  “It’s a little bit haunted, that’s all,” Akylas said, remembering the times that he and his sister had visited that seaport in the past.

  “That entire ocean is haunted. I know, I drink those waters, so you’d think I’d be fine with it. But the spirits are still dangerous. Strange things happen,” Akantha said.

  “That’s why I hired you, Akantha. We have to build the business by taking on some challenging contracts. I’m not suggesting anything that you haven’t already done,” Pradrock said.

  “It’s a gamble, captain, and the dice don’t always land on the winning numbers,” Akantha said.

  “Every other seaport has its own share of troubles – and there are risks of loss everywhere. Preparation is essential, and that requires extra work, which is factored into the pricing,” Pradrock said.

  “I guess if I want a job at sea, I’ll just have to drink a lot more,” Akantha said.

  “It all comes down to what you drink, so you know which way is up,” Akylas said.

  “This coming from the guy who can’t hear the stars like he used to,” Akantha said.

  “It’s not my fault. Things keep changing,” Akylas said.

  “You’re still my brother. That doesn’t change,” Akantha said.

  “You still worry too much. That doesn’t change, either,” Akylas said.

  “I guess I’m glad to be an only child,” Torin said.

  “It’s not all bad to have a sibling,” Akantha said.

  “Worry doesn’t produce results or savings that you can live on. And neither does frustration. Let’s chart a course, adjusting for the difficulties in navigation,” Pradrock said.

  Akylas drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean and was energized. He concentrated and was able to hear some signals from the stars despite the noise, but it was only enough to discern a rough path toward the southwest. However, he had to resort to trigonometric calculations that he wrote down on paper to check his bearings. He charted out what he had and showed it to Pradrock.

  Niels was still watching and recording all that was said and done. He looked to the chart that Akylas had made and copied it into his book. His experience at sea and familiarity with geography enabled him to see that the path was likely correct, but he could not put his inferences into the book – only directly observed facts.

  Massimo drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from his own vial and was energized. He used his powers of light – giving him far sight and the power to penetrate darkness – to guide them away from the shipyards of Javanda, and across the darkness of the Ikkith Tar Ocean. They sailed like this for one (1) day, until reaching the northern coast of the continent of Revod.

  At that point, they converted the Resolute Traverser to its airship configuration, elevated it to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude and traveled southwest over Revod for only a few hours at airship speeds, and then returned to sea level in the Zovvin Ocean.

  Akantha drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial when they landed in that actual ocean. She was energized and began listening for troubles – any spirits that might have ill intentions toward them. There was chaos in the spirit world, but nothing new, and nothing directed at them...just yet.

  They sailed another (2) days across the Zovvin Ocean, making constant adjustments, because they had to steer primarily by the chart that Akylas had made.

  Massimo’s far sight also enabled them to see Matrivilix Island as they approached it but when they were still one hundred eighty-three (183) miles away.

  “I see the island ahead, captain,” Massimo said.

  “I will defer to you for fine adjustments to our course from this point,” Pradrock said.

  CHAPTER 39: Pursuits of Hate and Darkness

  “Must be nice to see far ahead,” Torin said.

  “We see what we focus on intently. Eyes alone do not make for focus, and they can be distracted,” Massimo said.

  “I’d just as soon have my sight back,” Torin said.

  “Not if you could see what I see,” Akantha said.

  “What is it?” Pradrock asked.

  “Look! There! It’s him!” Akantha said, pointing toward the south.

  Pradrock looked out and saw another ship, but it was not significant to him.

  “I see a ship. Is that the cause of your alarm?” Pradrock asked.

  “Tychon’s on board that ship. I can feel his spirit – all the hate – even here,” Akantha said.

  “I’ve seen him a few too many times in my day. We should probably change course, captain, just so we’re not caught at a disadvantage,” Fritz said.

  “Is evasion the only alternative? And is it even viable?” Pradrock asked.

  “What were you thinking?” Akantha asked.

  “Use what you know about spirits to send him away, so that we can stay on our course,” Pradrock said.

  “I’ll try, but he’s going to attack. He has nothing but hate…and a lot of it is directed at you,” Akantha said. She drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial to be energized yet again in preparation for the conflict.

  “With everything you know about ghosts, that’s the best you can do?” Akylas asked, directing his question to both Akantha and Pradrock. Even though the captain didn’t have Akantha’s Zovvin-water-based power to control spirits, he was clever enough to have dealt with the ghost of Captain Tychon in the past.

  “I know they’re hard to handle, dear brother – especially Tychon,” Akantha said.

  “If you’re going to confront Tychon, rather than avoiding him, you’re going to need to outwit him. You’re too much of a planner to settle for a simple option, especially one that you can’t control, captain. Don’t you have something more strategic in mind?” Fritz asked.

  “Akylas, remain at your position and steer the ship,” Pradrock said.

  “I don’t know what you have planned, captain. Tychon’s ghost is much more dangerous now – his powers aren’t restrained like before. This isn’t going to be easy, and I can’t guarantee I have the power to hold him off for long,” Akantha said.

  “You won’t need to d
eal with him for long,” Pradrock said. He then walked to the other end of the Resolute Traverser and took the other steering control.

  Fritz saw this and suspected that he knew what was going to happen.

  ~~~

  On board the Obliteration, the ghost of Captain Tychon saw a large ship only a few hundred yards to the north.

  “Ram them!” the ghost of Captain Tychon ordered his ghost crew and they set sail at full speed toward the other ship.

  ~~~

  On board the Resolute Traverser, Akantha looked out and saw what was happening before anyone else did, because she sensed the intentions of Tychon’s spirit. “Tychon’s heading straight for us!” she yelled.

  “This isn’t good!” Massimo said. He watched the other ship carefully, noting as it changed course toward them and sped up, but only after Akantha had said it. He was impressed, however, that she was able to detect a spirit’s decisions before they acted. The powers of far sight given by the Lujladia Ocean waters he drank could give advance notice of a distant enemy’s actions, but they actually had to act, even if concealed in the darkness. Akantha knew before it happened, which meant that she was effectively a telepath, but only when it came to ghosts.

  “It’s good for him. It’s just not good for us,” Akylas said.

  “He’s the worst that ever sailed the seas! He hates everyone!” Akantha said.

  “Is he really the worst that ever sailed?” Torin asked.

  “Believe me, he is,” Akylas said.

  “I’m older than either of them, and Tychon’s among the worst I’ve seen, anyway,” Fritz said.

  Niels recorded Akantha’s seemingly prescient statement into his book – she did, in fact, state the actions of the ghost of Captain Tychon before he executed the maneuver with his vessel. That much was observable, regardless of how she accomplished it.

  ~~~

  The ghost of Captain Tychon savored the moment when the Obliteration – with its unusually strong hull – would break the other ship into pieces upon collision. Regarding those who didn’t die on impact, he planned to decapitate them, and then spill their cargo. The corpses floating on the water would be the prizes to him.

  The Obliteration closed in on the other ship, aiming for its center.

  ~~~

  On board the Resolute Traverser, Pradrock used another set of controls and separated the ship into two (2) halves moments before the collision by the other ship. The front section of the Resolute Traverser pulled away from the tail section, creating two (2) independent ships.

  The Obliteration passed between the separated vessels and the ghost of Captain Tychon could be heard shrieking in anger as he passed by them.

  Akantha was concentrating her own powers and attempted to repel Tychon’s spirit, and she did manage to push the ferocious old ghost of a pirate to sail away from them.

  “That worked…just in time,” Massimo said.

  “He timed it…a little too close for my liking,” Akylas said.

  “What did he time?” Torin asked.

  “He separated the ship into halves, and Tychon’s ship ran between them. He was going to ram us with his ship to destroy this one,” Akantha said.

  “His timing was precise, but that doesn’t mean we’re out of danger. I’ve seen Tychon before, and he doesn’t give up too easily,” Fritz said.

  “Now what do we do?” Akylas asked.

  “We wait a moment. The captain’s returning the other part of the ship,” Massimo said, pointing in that direction.

  Minutes later, Pradrock had brought the tail section of the Resolute Traverser back into its connection with the front section and the ship was whole again. He then returned to the front section with his crew.

  “Nice trick, but we’re just going to make him madder. I can feel it already,” Akantha said.

  Niels recorded the maneuver of splitting the ship, including the fact that Tychon’s own ship had passed between the two (2) sections of the Resolute Traverser while attempting a ramming attack. He was relieved that Pradrock had succeeded. Niels found the man to be calm and logical, and such an act of daring was surprising. Yet, he wondered if Pradrock was simply a man who saw everything as a calculated risk for benefit, rather than as a stunt for show. He couldn’t write his suppositions into his book, as Chroniclers were forbidden to write anything other than directly observed facts. Yet, he formulated his own ideas for himself.

  “Let’s bring the ship closer to the island. We have work to do, and we’ll deal with him later as necessary,” Pradrock said.

  After another hour of travel, the Resolute Traverser approached an island and they could all see it.

  Pradrock, however, recognized that the island was not Matrivilix Island. Niels recognized the fact, as well, but he wasn’t permitted to say anything that might constitute interference.

  “There seems to have been a navigational error,” Pradrock said.

  “Are you sure?” Akylas asked.

  “That’s not Matrivilix Island. There should be a trading center and a small port town. That is a deserted island beset with shipwrecks,” Pradrock said.

  “I see the shipwrecks. But it’s not deserted, let me tell you that much,” Akantha said.

  “What are you saying?” Massimo asked.

  “That island is as haunted as they get,” Akantha said, sensing a swarm of ghosts ahead.

  “That’s Nalhayadin Island. It’s infamous for the wreckage of ships and the loss of valuable cargo,” Pradrock said.

  “We don’t want to go there,” Akantha said.

  “We might just have to,” Massimo said.

  “What?” Akantha asked.

  “Look!” Massimo said, pointing in a new direction.

  “He’s coming back! There’s so many ghosts here, I couldn’t feel his, but Tychon’s coming back!” Akantha said after looking in the direction that Massimo was pointing.

  “Take the ship around the island so we can go ashore,” Pradrock said.

  “Go ashore?” Akantha asked.

  Akylas steered the Resolute Traverser to a point on the island’s coast away from the approaching ship of the ghost of Captain Tychon. Akylas then brought the ship close enough to land and the boarding ramp was lowered.

  “Ready?” Pradrock asked.

  “Why are we going there?” Akantha asked.

  “The ghost of Tychon sails the seas. Land is not where he prefers to make his attacks. In time, he’ll leave in search of another target,” Pradrock said.

  “How much time do you think you can wait? He can wait a while. He’s dead, remember?” Akantha asked.

  “Even he is subject to the passage of time,” Pradrock said.

  “That’s a risky game to play with ghosts. You’ve taken chances before. You might not win again,” Akantha said.

  “I have a different tactic this time,” Pradrock said, walking down the ramp onto the shore of the island.

  Akantha and Akylas and Massimo followed him. Fritz and Torin waited on board the Resolute Traverser.

  Crates and barrels and bits and pieces of wood by the tens of thousands (10000) were scattered on the shore before them. The junk pile appeared to be dozens of feet in height and thickness and hundreds of feet in length.

  “Shipwrecks, you said? There’s so much lost cargo here, it’s got to be worth a fortune,” Akylas said.

  “It is. Sometimes, ships are brought here to recover it in hopes of claiming the lost valuables of others. Without preparation, many of them meet the same fate as the original ship that lost the cargo,” Pradrock said.

  “We’re going to meet a bad fate if we stay. This island is teeming with ghosts,” Akantha said.

  Massimo used his powers of light to see around corners, and into every single crate and barrel, and he saw gold coins and platinum coins, diamonds and rubies and all of it was a feast for his eyes.

  “If we can escape, we will be rich. Diamonds and rubies, gold and platinum are here in great quantities. These containers have many
lifetimes of wealth, more than I have ever seen at once,” Massimo said.

  “Right. We’ll be rich…if we can escape,” Akantha said. She was looking into the spiritual distance at things they could not see.

  Massimo continued looking around and spotted something that he didn’t see before – something dark among the bright rubies and diamonds and shining coins. He began walking over to it and Akantha yelled: “Wait! Don’t get too far apart from us!”

  Massimo reached into one (1) of the crates and found something that was cold to the touch – it was black, like onyx, and his powers of light could not see through it. It had a cylindrical shape and had what looked like a candle wick protruding from it. He picked it up and brought it back to the others and said: “This is most unusual. All the others – the rubies and the diamonds – I could see through. This, however, I cannot. And it is cold to the touch.”

  Pradrock looked at the item that Massimo was holding and tried to determine what it was.

  “It has the shape of a candle, albeit made of a dark material. Perhaps Fritz will be able to examine it more closely,” Pradrock said.

  “It is cold to the touch,” Massimo said.

  “If we don’t get out of here, real soon, we’re going to be cold…like corpses,” Akantha said.

  ~~~

  Under the cover of darkness, generated by the powers he received by drinking the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean, Abrax was watching this new group that came onto the island. The darkness extended over Pandaros, as well. They carefully stood out of the way of the gaze of Massimo, and he did not look in the right place at the right time to penetrate the darkness with his powers of light, so he remained unaware of them.

  Neither Pandaros nor Abrax said a word, but they listened and observed. They both realized that the luminary had been found due to some strange good fortune by this other crew. They realized that this other group came with an intact ship rather than in a shipwreck, and that they apparently had encounters with irksome spirits.

  Pandaros took Abrax’s hand and made a gesture toward the other group’s ship. Then, Pandaros drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean and was energized. He marshalled the spirits that inhabited the island and they swarmed toward the other group.