by Jeremy Dwyer
Victoria was very disturbed to hear this. She knew that powerful deities – like Matatirot – were real. “What do you believe?” Victoria asked.
“I believe that I’m still searching. I’m not sure if there is a God, but I’m not sure that there isn’t one, either. I just don’t know what God looks like: whoever it is may be hidden in the darkness,” Taesa said.
“Hidden, yes, for the right eyes and way of looking. Maybe yours, if you keep searching,” Victoria said. She was referring to a being she thought of as right and good – but it most certainly wasn’t the One True God.
“What do you know of God?” Taesa asked.
“We are not our own creators. We come from the waters. That is where to find the ultimate power,” Victoria said.
“How do you know?” Taesa asked.
“Because – with some things – you just know. And the power of the water is amazing: it can do nearly anything,” Victoria said.
“Which one do you drink?” Taesa asked.
“I don’t drink of one,” Victoria said.
“Then you’ve only seen the waters’ powers – you’ve never felt it by binding to one. How can you know they have the ultimate power? That seems mysterious to me,” Taesa said.
“I could ask you the same. How do you know much about boys if you’ve never been with one steadily – and bound yourself to him?” Victoria asked.
“You keep coming back to that. Why? Besides, I was told that you hated men and want to murder them all,” Taesa.
“That is not true. I love men very much. I desire them, even,” Victoria said.
“Then what of these things that I heard?” Taesa asked.
“These are lies told by my enemies. They made war against my ancestors, and stole our land and spread lies so that the world would distrust us. The Jenaldej Empire of old was clever and twisted and evil. That is why they are so wealthy, because of their deceptions,” Victoria said.
“Do you have a boyfriend or a husband?” Taesa asked.
“No. I wish to, but I had a difficulty,” Victoria said.
Taesa was curious at the risk of being impolite and asked: “Is it something you can tell me?”
“I cannot have children, and so I would be a disappointment to many good men, who should have children. The men who were not good men would also not be good husbands, so I will not be with them, either,” Victoria said.
“You said the Jenaldej Empire was evil and stole your land,” Taesa said, not wishing to get too personal, and risk offending Victoria with more talk about such an uncomfortable subject as infertility.
“Yes. They were corrupt, and gathered much wealth and land. That is why they are so rich today. They are no longer the belligerent creatures they once were – over the generations, their philosophies changed, and traditions over the world changed, as well. They realized they couldn’t get away with what they once could, and had to trade fairly, rather than steal. Still, much of their vast fortune is an inheritance from thieves. It gives them a better life than they deserve,” Victoria said.
“The past can’t be fixed. We can only live to find – or build – a better future. ” Taesa said.
“That is very true. Still, lies are told to spread hate against me, so that I can never regain my rightful inheritance, and have to live without my own territory and wealth. My life should be a peaceful and prosperous one, instead of living in hiding. They fear me, that one day I will be able to prove they stole, and be able to take it back,” Victoria said.
“Do you plan to take it back?” Taesa asked.
“I plan to tell the truth, when I have the opportunity to speak, without being hunted,” Victoria said.
“I heard the wise people at Emeth speak of a tiara – one that that commands the oceans,” Taesa said.
“There is no such power in my tiara – it is the one treasure that they haven’t stolen yet, and they want it, because they believe it has immense value. The entire story they are telling is a ridiculous fable, to scare the world into submission and cooperation to help them to steal it and put me into abject poverty. They would steal you, too, because you are a treasure,” Victoria said.
“What do you mean?” Taesa asked.
“Your voice is precious. The songs you sing have such immense power. We know it. They know it, too. Your songs have healed the sick – I remember that. They can also reveal the hidden – like your song that uncovered the temple in the darkness,” Victoria said. She now understood why the girl was powerful – it was more than a fluke – Taesa knew how to find and make sense of the ancient song techniques, and could almost certainly turn them to even greater purposes.
Taesa simply listened.
“If the world’s empires learn of your uniquely high ability to look into the darkness by your songs, then they will covet you and your musical powers, and use them to discover the hidden treasures of others and steal them. Remember why the Jenaldej Empire is so wealthy – they stole much of the wealth, and have many of their citizens mine for diamonds to add to it. Still, they want more, as greed does not die. They are too weak in battle to outright take the treasures of others using military force. They have been defeated easily in recent times when they came under attack by another empire in its own greed. If they cannot defend their own wealth, how can they have the strength to steal more? They want to go about their business covertly, and take what they can. Your music reveals what is hidden in the darkness – and they will come for you, and lie to you,” Victoria said.
“I’m not the only person who can sing. And no one has approached me to force me to do anything, except that fire creature,” Taesa said.
“That sunfire creature is only one of your enemies; there are others, waiting for the proper moment. I must protect you from their abuses. Please stay here with me,” Victoria said.
Taesa was moved at this, thinking Victoria to be a good and kind friend.
Victoria watched her facial expressions, looking for the signs of belief. She chose not to use her persuasive magic – that of the violet eyes. It would be better if the girl acted of her own accord, so that her passion would be at its fullest, and not be the mindless obedience that the hypnosis brought on, which diminished the true powers of a subject.
Taesa thought back to the battle in the desert in Volaraden, when the sand castle of Prince Octavian was used to crush the Jenaldej army. None of Octavian’s troops was needed in that battle – the castle had all the power, and the Jenalej Empire was unprepared. This made Victoria’s claims seem even more believable about their weakness.
“I wish to protect you, very much. Please, stay with us, and you will be loved, like a cherished daughter,” Victoria said.
“What of my own mother?” Taesa asked.
“Does she believe in you and the powers that you have because of the water?” Victoria asked.
Taesa thought about this, and said: “No. She doesn’t believe.”
“Then she won’t protect you. The danger is very real, more than you might be willing to admit to yourself,” Victoria said.
Taesa pondered this and started crying terribly, thinking of how she wished she had a better relationship with her mother.
Victoria hugged her and held her close, saying: “You are loved, Taesa. And I believe in you completely.”
After Taesa settled down, Victoria took a small pin and pricked her own finger, drawing blood.
“Why did you do that?” Taesa asked.
“Here,” Victoria said, and gave her the pin.
“What are you doing?” Taesa asked.
“I want to show you how much you mean to me. I want you to be one with me, of my blood. Gently, prick your own finger, so that my blood can flow within you. It’s the blood that I am willing to shed for you to protect you from the murderous thieves,” Victoria said.
Taesa pricked her finger with this pin, and a trace amount of Victoria’s blood now flowed through Taesa’s veins.
CHAPTER 9: Faith and Burning
/> On the continent of Meridianus, a twenty (20) year old dark-skinned girl by the name of Sethunya continued to live, working the farm lands and practicing her faith daily – praying to the One True God while living a moral and ethical life in service to others. She was previously the student of the Jenaldej scholar, Romana, and had dutifully done as Romana instructed.
Sethunya was a drinker of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean and she masterfully cultivated the fields. The waters changed her, and she thereby changed the seeds and the soil, so that the food crops that grew were of a higher quality and gave greater sustenance to those who ate of them, both in her own village and those nearby.
~~~
In an eastern harbor town – the same one in which Taesa previously lived -- was a large sundial. The sundial was a circular arrangement of thirty (30) stones, each twenty-eight (28) feet high, such that the total height if they were laid end to end would have been eight hundred forty (840) feet. This number was chosen as it was divisible by both seventy (70) – which was the number of suns in the sky – and the number twelve (12) – which was the number of great oceans, not counting the Dead Waters Ocean.
Sundials were used to keep proper track of time of day and seasons for farming and commerce purposes, and the standard number of stones was, indeed, thirty (30). However, the standard height was forty (40) feet. The reason for the twenty-eight (28) foot stones was numerological: specifically, to give worship to the suns themselves by producing the total of eight hundred forty (840) with its divisibility by seventy (70). The people in this town – and other towns in various parts of the world – chose similar dimensions, with the cross-sections of the stones being seven (7) feet by seven (7) feet, and the total inside diameter of the circular arrangement was three hundred fifty (350) feet across.
There were seventy (70) persons present and giving worship to the suns: these were both men and women, farmers and miners and cooks and tailors and stonecutters and hunters and ironsmiths and members of other professions. Of these, nine (9) wore blue colored robes, twenty-four (24) wore yellow colored robes and thirty-seven (37) wore red colored robes. These corresponded to the number of suns of each color that were in the sky. However, that was before the falling of a yellow sun. None of these people was a drinker of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean, or even a mathematically-minded astronomer, and merely had superstitious beliefs about the suns, rather than any true understanding.
They called out: “Seventy fires in the sky, shine down up on us, to give us life and reason why. Your everlasting light of love, nothing else can be above.”
~~~
Their calls did not go unheard. Prince Kirdothet – ever hungry for worship – felt the call and raced across the world by the power of his flames. A fire was seen streaking across the sky by many travelers at sea, who wondered if it was another ill omen.
~~~
Kirdothet then appeared before these people, burning in glorious yellow fire. The people, not understanding what he was, stood back in awe. They knelt to the ground. One of them called out: “The fire is alive, it has come to bring us into its kingdom.”
“Give me praise, creatures of the land. Give me song,” Kirdothet said to them.
The people looked at each other, frantically. One the men wearing blue robes called out: “Please bring forth a singer from among us.”
None appeared, as none of them drank the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean, or even trained in customary music, so they could not sing properly.
“Have you no song for me? Let your pitiful worship continue, that I may let you live. Yet, no blessings shall be given without proper song,” Kirdothet said, angrily.
“In a circle, we shall give worship,” the man wearing the blue robes said. The seventy (70) people gathered around in a circle – about one hundred eleven (111) feet in diameter and three hundred fifty (350) feet in circumference – and repeatedly bowed down to Kirdothet, calling out after the one man’s lead: “Fire from the sky, shine upon us, warm us, illuminate us.”
Kirdothet enjoyed this, but wanted song.
~~~
Sethunya visited the harbor town hoping to purchase more vials of the Gradaken Ocean waters from the sea travelers who visited the port to deliver distant waters.
~~~
The Pirovalen Ocean was to the north and the east of the continent of Meridianus, and the Trerada Ocean was to its north. These oceans were separated by the mountainous Farmer’s Road land bridge, which extended in a northeasterly direction from the northern coast of Meridianus toward the land bridge containing the City of Emeth. Extending from the northwestern coast of Meridianus was the mountainous land bridge known as the Admiral Ramalaxis Bridge, which reached to the southern coast of the continent of Ihalik. That land bridge separated the Trerada Ocean from the Gradaken Ocean, which met with the western coast of Meridianus. Any ship captain carrying a supply of the Gradaken waters from the west would have to either pass his cargo to merchants who traveled over land, or would have to convert a sea ship to an airship and travel over those mountainous land bridges toward eastern Meridianus. However, because of the generally low energy from the mostly red suns that shone down on Meridianus, this approach was more difficult, less profitable and somewhat infrequent.
The usual course was for water gatherers to collect Gradaken Ocean waters from off of the southern shores of Ihalik and then airship transport them over the northern extent of the Admiral Ramalaxis Bridge – which had far better exposure to the more energetic blue and yellow suns which could power the airships. Thus, they could reach the Trerada Ocean and return to sea level there. Then, the collected Gradaken Ocean waters would be transported over that sea, with a brief airship journey over the Farmer’s Road land bridge, followed by a return to sea level in the Pirovalen Ocean. From there, they would reach the eastern harbor town in Meridianus.
~~~
Sethunya came into the eastern harbor town and witnessed the circular gathering of the people where she saw what looked like a bonfire in the middle of them. She approached, due to her curiosity, and heard the words of worship of the people, and saw that the fire was not a bonfire, but a creature with a human shape, yet made of flames.
She was stunned – and disgusted – that people would worship a creature of fire, which must surely be evil, she thought.
“I am the flame of life, your life. Praise me – I am the sun upon the sea. I am your Prince, and you are my people, however weak you are,” Kirdothet said to the people worshipping him.
Sethunya was not afraid – because she put her faith in the ultimate power – and she spoke up, asking the people: “To whom do you give worship?”
“They worship me, little girl! Now, kneel and do the same, so that you might live,” Kirdothet said.
The people were afraid to stop worshipping Kirdothet, but they turned their heads and eyes, slightly, to see who it was who was speaking. One of them, wearing a blue robe, spoke to her: “Kneel, child, and give him worship, so that you may live.”
“Are you the One True God?” Sethunya asked, knowing full well that the answer was a negative.
“I am Prince Kirdothet, from the kingdom of the sky. Even the flames of the suns obey me! I can call down fires to turn you into ash. Do you seek proof?” Kirdothet asked.
“You speak not of love, nor of salvation or law. Only worship. Do you have love for us?” Sethunya asked.
“Do you have love for your own life?” Kirdothet asked.
“I would gladly give my life to prevent a soul from being lost by worshipping a false being as if it were the One True God,” Sethunya said.
Kirdothet was angry, and he reached out both of his fiery hands, sending forth flames from the center of the worship circle toward Sethunya.
The flames encircled the girl, but never touched her skin, nor did she feel their heat. What she could not see – and neither could the sun worshipper’s or even Kirdothet himself – was a Guardian Angel named Ultrael, who stood in the way, carrying a sword and a sh
ield, which caused the flames to completely divert around Sethunya.
“What is this outrage?!” Kirdothet shouted.
“You are not true,” Sethunya said.
“The girl stood against the flames!” several people in the circle said.
“She is of a higher power,” others said.
“How dare you give her notice! Worship me in order to live!” Kirdothet said.
“How does she stand against you? She is a greater power, or she stands for one!” one of them said.
“She is of the power of a demon! I am true. I am life!” Kirdothet said.
“I will teach you of the One True God. Follow not this Prince of evil. He will lead you to eternal suffering with his lies,” Sethunya said.
“We will follow the greater power,” several of them said. There were twenty-three (23) of the seventy (70) who said this. They stopped praising Kirdothet and began walking toward Sethunya.
Kirdothet then reached out and sent flames at all of them, burning them horribly. The burns would have been fatal, but the sword and shield of the Guardian Angel Ultrael diminished this, so that they survived. Again, the flames that would have touched Sethunya were diverted completely away from her, and she was entirely unscathed.
Kirdothet was surprised, again, at her avoidance of his powers. He was also surprised that the flames didn’t kill the others, but only burned them. He turned himself into a streak of fire and left the continent, soaring across the sky.
“Why were we burnt? We stopped worshipping him, but we were not protected, like you?” one of the converts asked.
“You had faith in the fire creature from the kingdom of the sky. Thus, you gave him power over you. Give up that faith, completely. Yet, do not have faith in me, either. Instead, you need to grow in faith in the One True God, who is the actual power. You have turned from your former ways, but you must walk along a new road, and it may be long and narrow,” Sethunya said.
