Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “Sussman, remain on deck, and watch when the sails are raised again. Be sure that the crystals don’t fall out or get scratched in the process,” Captain Fausto said.

  “Yes, Captain,” Sussman said.

  ~~~

  Captain Fausto returned to the wheel house and said: “Janne, raise the sails and continue our journey.”

  Janne pulled levers to pivot the sails and masts outward, then upward, to normal sailing position and then the Calibrated Provisions began sailing southward again.

  ~~~

  Under the cover of darkness, Laudine and Innokenti watched the crew and Captain Fausto. Laudine drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean from her vial to energize her powers of darkness and maintain her cover and to continue extending it over Innokenti. At the same time, Innokenti drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from his own vial to energize his powers of telepathy and empathy and thereby read the thoughts of the crew and the captain. This time, he learned even more of Captain Fausto’s plans. Apparently, his crew member named Sussman was a master crystal bender and was manipulating special crystals that would conceal the vessel while quickly and quietly propelling it, so that their journey through Waderav would not be easily detected through sight or sound. He telepathically shared this knowledge with Laudine, and they agreed to wait and observe.

  ~~~

  Janne continued sailing the Calibrated Provisions southward until reaching the eastern tip of the continent of Volaraden. At that point, she pulled the levers to pivot the masts and sails to the sides of the vessel and then elevate it to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude. She steered the ship to travel south above the land and then returned the Calibrated Provisions to sea level in the Gradaken Ocean. From there, Janne continued sailing southward, staying close to the eastern coast of the Uplifter’s Trail land bridge. She followed that until reaching the eastern coast of the continent of Waderav, which bulged much further eastward until curving back toward the west the further south she sailed. Captain Fausto periodically relieved her to take over the steering, because she left a written start chart for him to sail by.

  After three (3) days of travel, the Calibrated Provisions arrived at the middle of the eastern coast of Waderav. This section was notably concave and practically qualified as a bay, though it was not named as such.

  Captain Fausto handed the ship’s wheel over to Janne for her navigational expertise. “Janne, you can steer us the rest of the way,” he said.

  “Yes, Captain,” Janne said. She steered the Calibrated Provisions toward the charted point on the eastern coast of Waderav and then pulled levers to pivot the vessel’s eight (8) masts and sails to the sides of the ship, elevate it to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude and sail over a small hill, returning to water level in a river on the opposite side. She then pulled levers to pivot the masts and sails at a particular angle that was neither conventionally upright for water level travel nor conventionally sideways for airship travel. The vessel moved forward much more quickly than normal.

  ~~~

  On the deck of the Calibrated Provisions, Sussman watched as the ship traveled rapidly along the river, passing other vessels, which didn’t move out of the way. This meant, he rightly assumed, that they could not see the ship. The white-blue crystals bent light in such a way that light wrapped around it: anyone staring at the vessel from any angle would see what was on the opposite side, as the rerouted beams of light would propagate the image on the far side. This was a difficult effect to achieve, and would fail completely if the crystals were imperfect in anyway, or if the masts and sails were not pivoted at the appropriate angle.

  Sussman further assumed that the sound dampening crystals – prepared and positioned earlier – were also perfectly flawless, because fast-moving ships would certainly produce audible sounds as they approached.

  ~~~

  Inside the wheelhouse of the Calibrated Provisions, Janne drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial to be energized further with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars. She concentrated to get more precise readings of their paths and positions and used this information to chart a course along the river toward the destination. Again, she copied the charted course into the next blank page of the captain’s log book. This was actually the more difficult portion of the trip for her, because of the meandering path of the river, and it forked several times.

  Janne steered the Calibrated Provisions along the river, precisely and skillfully, following the forks westward, toward the center of Waderav. The river narrowed in parts, and a section was thick with mud, slowing ordinary travel. A much smaller vessel was struggling to sail through the muddy river water, and it entered into the path along which Janne was steering. She was annoyed by the intrusion, but she knew that the crew of the other vessel couldn’t possibly see or easily hear the approach of the Calibrated Provisions due to the concealment and sound dampening crystals. The consequences were unsurprising.

  ~~~

  Patrick felt the riverboat collide with something and reflexively steered away, but the impact was too quick and powerful so the riverboat was rammed into the trunk of a large tree in the swamp through which the river passed. The riverboat was twisted sideways and the hull was split open.

  “Out! Now! Get close to the other trees! Out of the river!” Patrick screamed. He, Sophie, Molly, Ruth, Sean, Ciaran, Elise, Odhran and the fifty-six (56) other farmers hurried out of the ruins of the riverboat and climbed up the muddy slopes to take hold of tree branches.

  “What hit us?” Ruth asked.

  “I hear a ship, but I don’t see it. It sounds like it’s going westward…fast,” Elise said.

  “Is this your God’s way of setting us free?” Sophie asked.

  “I don’t know what’s happening or why. Don’t blame God. People did this,” Elise said.

  “Why didn’t you see it, Patrick? What kind of a navigator are you?” Sophie asked.

  “Did anybody see it? I didn’t see it! I still don’t see it!” Patrick said.

  Sophie was furious and threw a punch at Patrick, but Ciaran caught her fist and gently pulled her closer.

  “Enough! Sophie, calm down. We’re together. We’re going to find our way through. This wasn’t his fault. Whatever hit our ship was hidden in some kind of darkness. Nobody here can see in the dark, even if Elise can hear movements. Instead of being angry, we can work together,” Ciaran said.

  “Where’s that going to get us? We’re just runaway slaves without a ship,” Sophie said.

  “Animals know where food is…they migrate toward it, and some of them leave signs for others. Let’s follow them,” Odhran said. The waters of the Gradaken Ocean still flowed through him and he led the way through the swamp, looking for small creatures. Snakes, lizards and various insects moved about, and did nothing to threaten Odhran or the other farmers, all of whom drank the same Gradaken waters.

  “Is this going to lead us out of the swamp?” Ruth asked.

  “Yes. Snakes show up on the farms, along with field mice, and they come from the swamps. Elise can keep listening for signs of movement or people talking, and let us know if we are getting closer,” Odhran said.

  “How sure are you? This is not a safe place to be. The snakes might not bite you, but I don’t drink the same waters, so I can’t control them. What can I do to stay safe?” Molly asked.

  “She’s right. We drink Kazofen waters. We can’t control these snakes. We’re in a mess,” Sophie said.

  “It’s not looking too good. It’s pretty bad, even. But don’t worry, Molly. It can’t get much worse,” Sean said.

  “Never say that, Sean. It’s like asking for bad luck. We just deal with everything as it comes,” Ruth said.

  “Stay in the middle of me and the other farmers. The snakes and swamp critters won’t bother us,” Odhran said.

  “Sounds like a plan,” Ruth said. She, Sophie, Patrick, Molly, Sean, Ciaran and Elise all migrated toward the center of the
crowd, with Odhran and the other fifty-six (56) farmers on the outside. They worked their way through the swamp, following the movements of the various creatures – both predators and prey – hoping to find a way out quickly.

  ~~~

  After three (3) days of sailing along the forking river, Janne brought the Calibrated Provisions to a stop near a mountain which impeded further travel.

  “Janne, wait here until the gateway opens. Remain ready at the ship’s wheel. Then, sail through quickly, and the gateway will close behind us. I will make the preparations,” Captain Fausto said.

  ~~~

  Captain Fausto left the wheelhouse and walked across the deck of the ship to the door of another cabin. He unlocked and opened the door, then entered the cabin, closing and locking the door behind him.

  Two (2) women – both obviously pregnant – were resting on beds inside the cabin.

  “Saraid, how do you feel?” Captain Fausto asked.

  “A bit tired, a bit overheated, and a lot hungry. I’m seven (7) months along,” the first woman – Saraid – answered. She was twenty-nine (29) years old and this was her first child. The father was a soldier who worked for the central bank. Sometimes he sailed this ship as part of a defensive unit; other times, he remained in the Solkidian Trail to protect the central bank’s assets there. Saraid drank anew of the waters of the Trerada Ocean from her vial to be energized with the powers of health and beauty, and she felt even better. Her work on this ship was meal preparation, and it was best if a perpetually healthy person took on that task, so as not to pass on any illnesses to the crew.

  “Can you feel the baby kicking?” Captain Fausto asked.

  “Yeah. A lot,” Saraid said. She held her hand over her belly and could feel the baby even now.

  “And you, Saibh, how do you feel?” Captain Fausto asked.

  “Not as good as my sister. Baby’s been kicking, off and on. Not as much lately, though. I’m worried. I don’t want another miscarriage,” the second woman – Saibh – said. She was thirty (30) years old and she hoped this would be her first, after the last two (2) pregnancies both ended in miscarriages. The father was a farmer who worked in the Solkidian Trail at all times. She drank anew of the water of the Gradaken Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power to control plants and animals. It did little, if anything, for her health. However, it made her effective in case of an encounter with sea serpents or other poisonous fish that sometimes attacked the crew, since she could brew herbal potions to cure them.

  “You need some fresh air, then. Come out and take a walk with me on deck,” Captain Fausto said. He offered his hand to Saibh, who took it. Fausto unlocked and opened the cabin door, led Saibh outside, and then closed and locked the door behind him.

  ~~~

  “It feels good to walk outside the cabin. Maybe Saraid should do it, too,” Saibh said.

  “She will, a little bit later. I want you first, since you’re not feeling as well. It might help the baby,” Captain Fausto said. He walked Saibh around the ship twice and then took her back to his own cabin, unlocked and opened the door, then escorted the pregnant woman in. Fausto closed and locked the door behind him. There was a large and comfortable-looking bed, a maple desk with many drawers and a chair made of redwood.

  “Sit down on the bed,” Captain Fausto said.

  Saibh sat down on the bed, but she was nervous, thinking that the captain was going to have his way with her. She wasn’t worried about getting pregnant, but she didn’t care to be used for the pleasure of someone she didn’t love but who controlled her salary. Saibh loved her boyfriend and wanted to deliver his baby. She wanted to be with him, living and working together, but the only decent job she could find was on this ship, and they needed both incomes.

  “Why are we here, Captain?” Saibh asked.

  “I want your baby to live longer,” Captain Fausto said.

  “So do I. More than anyone knows. I still don’t understand why we’re here. Shouldn’t we be walking out on deck, then? That did feel good. You were right about that,” Saibh said.

  Captain Fausto drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power to connect to the spirit world. He then removed a small dagger from a drawer in the desk and said: “Ralithos, Eternal King of All Mountains and Stones, I pray to you, move the mountain and open the gateway before us. Please, Mighty and Gracious King, accept these two (2) sacrifices as my offering.” He then plunged the dagger into Saibh repeatedly, killing her and the unborn child before the young mother-to-be could let out a single scream. After this, he returned the bloody dagger to the drawer in his desk.

  ~~~

  From under the cover of darkness, Laudine and Innokenti watched the sacrifice in horror. Laudine wanted to stop it, and she had a concealed blade that could be used to kill this vile captain. However, Innokenti read her thoughts and directed her not to interfere…yet. As Obscure Watchers, they did not have a strict Oath to prevent them from changing the course of events, and sometimes interference was necessary. However, they needed to know what was next. From his earlier telepathic reading, Innokenti knew that this sacrificial ritual was necessary to goad the demon into using his spirit minions to open the mountain. The secrets contained therein needed to be revealed, so smaller evils had to be endured along the way. Still, Innokenti bitterly hated this wicked captain, and considered assassinating him later.

  ~~~

  Janne watched as an opening formed in the side of the mountain. The movement of the stone was loud and unmistakable, and very familiar while still being impressive. She pulled levers to position the ship’s sails and masts for movement, then she steered the Calibrated Provisions through the opening. She heard the movement of stone behind her as the opening disappeared and the mountain was sealed. She pulled more levers and halted the movement of the ship, which was now inside of a cavern which admitted light from an opening more than three thousand five hundred (3500) feet above. Aside from the river on which the ship now floated in place, the cavern was filled with rivers of magma flowing around rocks. At this point in the mission, all she had to do was wait for Captain Fausto’s orders to leave.

  Waiting was not easy, however. The difficulty for Janne was that she had to not pass out from the heat. The magma rivers that covered most of the area inside the cavern bubbled and exuded thermal energy so that even her eyes started to sting a bit. This was despite the fact that she was on board the ship, inside the wheelhouse, floating on a river of actual water, and perhaps one hundred (100) to one hundred fifty (150) feet away from the molten rock.

  ~~~

  Inside his cabin, Captain Fausto took a small leather satchel from another drawer in his desk and then carried it over his shoulder. He rolled the woman’s corpse off the top of the bed and pushed it underneath, where it fell through a gap in the floorboards into a dumping chamber below deck to be disposed of out at sea.

  He then unlocked and opened the cabin door, exited the cabin and closed and locked the door behind him. Once out on deck, he directed his crew to take the barrels of sap and place them inside the cavern and to pour the sap onto the rocks that jutted out above the magma. Additionally, there were hundreds of yellow-green gems atop many of those same rocks, and the best of these had to be taken.

  Captain Fausto walked out onto the rocks to personally count and gather the best of these shiny baubles. He knew what to look for: the brighter, the better. He didn’t need any particular waterbinding to see or evaluate that, and he had enough basic intelligence to count: there were nine hundred eighty-three (983) yellow-green gems, so he picked the top twenty (20) percent of them, which was one hundred ninety-six (196). Any captain who couldn’t do basic division – even without drinking the Medathero waters to be some kind of mathematician – had little hope of success sailing these oceans. Fausto gathered these yellow-green gems into his satchel and then walked along the rocks – carefully stepping to avoid falling into the magma below – to return to the Calibra
ted Provisions.

  The crew finished pouring the sap onto the remaining rocks as Captain Fausto watched from the deck of the Calibrated Provisions. He knew the bubbles of magma could be dangerous, but he never once saw them rise high enough to kill his crew, although they let off considerable heat and there were a few burns to lower legs and feet. Despite this, his crew always survived to do the job again, so he figured it wasn’t all that bad. He guessed that over a couple of years, the heat buildup inside the cavern must be what baked the sap to form the yellow-green gems. Whatever was happening during that baking process, and whatever use the yellow-green gems had, he still didn’t know, but it wasn’t his job to know.

  ~~~

  When the sap was all placed on the rocks and the crew members were all back on board the Calibrated Provisions, Captain Fausto returned to his own cabin. He unlocked and opened the door to enter, then closed and locked it behind him. He then placed the satchel containing the one hundred ninety-six (196) yellow-green gems into a drawer in his desk. It was time to turn his attention to a different matter, however. He unlocked and opened his cabin door, exited the cabin and then closed and locked the door behind him. He walked across the deck toward the cabin where the other pregnant sister was still waiting.

  ~~~

  Saraid began to wonder where her sister went so she stood up and reached out to open the cabin door, but found it was locked. She knew why – the captain always said to be careful of the men on his crew, because they didn’t always have respect for a woman’s virtue, especially a woman as stunningly good looking as her. Their desires had a way of making them ornery, and the captain was sometimes heard complaining about female crew members getting pregnant when he needed them working. The locked door was for her protection.

  She heard a key turn, saw the door open and then stepped back as Captain Fausto entered.

  “Captain, I was just coming to see you. How is Saibh? Where is she?” Saraid asked.