Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “My lord, I have already sent alerts to the captains to prepare your soldiers against the enemy,” Fenella said.

  “I will remain close by, under the cover of darkness, to guard you, my lord,” Vadim said. He drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of darkness. He then vanished from sight.

  “My lord, your soldiers are well-trained. I do not expect anyone to breach this castle,” Massa said. He 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 concentrated to sense any hostile presence. “Nor do I detect malevolent spirits being sent to attack, my lord,” Massa said.

  “The enemy army is close enough that I have sensed the thoughts of their commanding officers, my lord. The soldiers are led by Countess Eurybia. Her brother, Captain Gennadios, has designed weapons from diamond and ruby – paired short swords – that are dangerously effective. Your soldiers, however, have long swords,” Fenella said.

  “How many enemy soldiers are there?” Duke Jovan asked.

  “Thirty-five thousand (35000) soldiers, my lord. I know this from reading their thoughts,” Fenella said.

  “I have two thousand one hundred (2100) soldiers,” Duke Jovan said.

  ~~~

  From under the cover of darkness, Vadim said: “Yes, that is correct, my lord.”

  ~~~

  “This is no contest. There is no room for doubt that the battle is already won,” Duke Jovan said. He stood up from his throne and exited the throne room. He walked through the castle hallways, climbed the stairs to the top level of the highest tower and looked down on the enemy army below.

  Massa, Fenella and Vadim followed Jovan up into the castle tower. Fenella knew what Jovan was thinking, but didn’t believe that any of them could survive the attack by the much larger army.

  ~~~

  Zoe and Brant disembarked from the riverboat and stepped onto a road leading southward. Zoe could see the army three (3) miles ahead of them, past a tree line. “I see them, three (3) miles ahead. Let’s not get any closer,” she said.

  ~~~

  The thirty-five thousand (35000) soldiers and their commanding officers moved into position, surrounding Duke Jovan’s castle, with a radius of one (1) mile.

  Countess Eurybia and Captain Gennadios stood just outside the perimeter.

  ~~~

  The two thousand one hundred (2100) soldiers of Duke Jovan’s army stood with their backs to the castle walls, seeing little point in fighting a battle that was almost certain to end with their total defeat and death. They each drank anew of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean from their vials to be energized with the powers of strength and speed. Then, they readied their long swords and prepared to fight and die valiantly.

  ~~~

  Duke Jovan drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power of sound and music. He began to sing:

  You wasted precious time and energy,

  In this rash attempt to invade my domain.

  Now you will find that I have no mercy,

  While I inflict upon you lethal pain.

  You actually thought that I would be your next conquest.

  Your brightest hope for the future is a quick demise.

  I will defeat your army; I am far better than your best.

  Prepare to die horribly like everyone else I despise.

  (Refrain)

  Your warriors are far too weak.

  Soon, both your army and your kingdom shall fall.

  Prosperity is not for the meek.

  By my power I shall take it all.

  Life is filled with fear and lies, followed only by death and pain.

  Those who are not strong enough, keep neither blood nor treasure.

  Your total loss is certain, and it will become my gain.

  Ending your inferior way of life will be my pleasure.

  I have every right to retaliate and plunder.

  The bitter truth is that the laws of life favor the bold.

  The feeble guided by the foolish will be torn asunder.

  As the superior claim their lives, land, gems and gold.

  (Refrain)

  I know the truth that you neither understand nor believe.

  I know that your weakness will inflict upon you a curse.

  I know how to plan battles; how to kill and deceive.

  My past is filled with pain, yet your future will be so much worse.

  These words of wisdom are found in history book pages:

  Advice that is heeded by the winner, yet ignored by the fool.

  These words will echo until all future ages:

  Victory belongs only to the cunning and the cruel.

  (Refrain)

  The song carried far, permeating the air and all the people who heard it, changing the sense of things. Fenella stood and waited by Jovan’s side. She drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from her vial to be energized with the powers of telepathy and empathy. Then, she probed the enemy soldiers, finding doubt and uncertainty, even in their commanding officers.

  ~~~

  From under the cover of darkness, Vadim asked: “How will that work, my lord?”

  ~~~

  “I wish you well, my lord. Be at peace so that your spirit may rise when the battle has ended,” Massa said. He did not have any hope of survival.

  “If you believe the song will work, then so do I, my lord,” Fenella said. She didn’t really believe it, but discouraging words were the last things Jovan needed to hear.

  ~~~

  The colonels and lieutenant colonels of Countess Eurybia’s army led their soldiers in a march toward the castle of Duke Jovan and they came into direct conflict with his army.

  Long swords did not clash with diamond-ruby short swords, but sliced into the hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders holding those short swords, severing the limbs of Eurybia’s soldiers. Short swords fell to the ground. Crossbows misfired when their wielders – lacking in confidence or hope of victory – could not focus and their aim became unsteady and untrue.

  Jovan’s army of two thousand one hundred (2100) soldiers marched forward, with heightened courage, slaughtering Eurybia’s army of thirty-five thousand (35000). Their commanders, unable to plan or execute a strategy, were disemboweled or beheaded by long swords going unblocked. More than seventy thousand (70000) short swords of diamond-ruby composite were scattered about the ground, covered in the blood of their former wielders.

  ~~~

  “He won. Totally. I don’t believe it. I heard it, I saw it, and I still don’t believe it,” Zoe said while watching the battle from three (3) miles away, hidden behind a tree line.

  “You mean the larger army lost completely?” Brant asked.

  “Yeah, and the smaller army didn’t suffer any losses. Thirty-five thousand (35000) against two thousand one hundred (2100). That song had power. There’s no other way. That song fought a whole war, and won,” Zoe said.

  “We’ve got to meet this singer. Nobody fights that good,” Brant said.

  “Let’s go meet him now,” Zoe said. She stepped out from behind the tree line, with Brant by her side, and they walked toward the battlefield.

  ~~~

  The spirits of Countess Eurybia, Captain Gennadios, Colonel Nekoda, Lieutenant Colonel Bricius and the spirits of their entire army appeared in a place of flames, confusion, chaos, blood, pain and darkness.

  “What is this place?” the spirit of Countess Eurybia asked.

  “Why am I here?” the spirit of Captain Gennadios asked.

  “Why did we lose?” the spirit of Colonel Nekoda asked.

  “Why am I not alive?” the spirit of Lieutenant Colonel Bricius asked.

  “This is the Maelstrom of Vengeance,” a deep and terrifying voice said.

  “Who are you?” the spirit of Countess Eurybia asked.

  “I am Gadamalto, the Master of Spirits in this realm. You ar
e here because of your murderous greed and violent oppression of the weak. You built weapons and raised armies, then used them to steal from anyone who lacked the strength to defend themselves. Your own future has been stolen from you, and here you will suffer, as will those who assisted you. They knew your plans for war, and so they share your guilt,” the deep and terrifying voice said. Gadamalto then burned, sliced and tormented each of their spirits, subjecting them to endless slashing and piercing with energies hotter than any fire and sharper than any blade against flesh.

  ~~~

  From under the cover of darkness, Vadim said: “You have achieved victory, my lord.”

  ~~~

  “I sense many spirits descending into a dark and terrifying spiritual region, my lord. They will suffer in the Maelstrom as punishment for their attempt to defeat you,” Massa said.

  Fenella forgot herself for a moment and kissed Duke Jovan in the way she truly wanted to. “You are the greatest, my lord. Forgive my passion. I needed a way to show you. Even words were not powerful enough to express my admiration,” she said.

  “Do you know what love is, Fenella?” Duke Jovan asked.

  “I know that I love you, my lord. Without limit, I love you,” Fenella said.

  “Let us return to my throne room and rest. Vadim, have my soldiers dispose of the bodies of the enemies. Take their weapons if you think they would be useful, not that we need them,” Duke Jovan said.

  ~~~

  From under the cover of darkness, Vadim said: “I will direct the soldiers to cleanse the land of our enemy, my lord. We will examine their weapons to see if they can be of service to us.”

  ~~~

  Zoe and Brant walked out of their hiding place behind the tree line and approached the castle. When they were only one (1) mile away, Zoe watched as the soldiers carried the bodies of the enemy soldiers to a nearby lake for disposal. The soldiers also picked up some of the fallen short swords and carried them back toward the castle. “They’re carrying away the dead bodies and dropping them into a lake. Then, they’re picking up the short swords that the enemy army brought,” Zoe said.

  “Why bother? The short swords didn’t win the battle. The fight song did that, right?” Brant asked.

  “Yeah, the music made the larger army too weak to fight. There’s no doubt about that. But why not take the weapons before somebody else does and starts trouble?” Zoe asked.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Brant said.

  ~~~

  Inside of his castle, Duke Jovan sat upon his throne, with Massa and Fenella standing beside him.

  Fenella telepathically detected a man and a woman approaching the castle. “I am sensing the thoughts of a man of strength and speed, and a woman of far sight, approaching your castle, my lord. They are still one (1) mile away. Their names are Brant and Zoe. They witnessed the conflict from afar and wish to meet you. It seems they had a dream of the battle and other events, concerning your past and future,” she said.

  “Let’s welcome these guests. I want to hear about their dream, and what it might mean,” Duke Jovan said.

  CHAPTER 15: Warriors of Mind and Machine

  In the Jeshirinko Barrier land bridge, within the newly constructed crystal city along the southern shore, Erlend continued his inspection work. He drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial and was energized with the powers of crystal and stone. He examined various parts of the city’s buildings, peering into the low-level structure of the crystal that comprised them in order to determine their integrity.

  Lieutenant Skender drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of telepathy and empathy. He then continued probing Erlend’s thoughts to look for fraud or uncertainty.

  Admiral Erisinni watched Erlend and said: “If anything is wrong, explain it to me in detail. I need to know, accurately, what did and did not work. If there is a flaw, we will work to correct it, but do not attempt to hide it from me.”

  “So far, based on sampling a few points, the city appears structurally sound. However, it’s still necessary to check the buildings at each corner and at several locations along each edge to be confident,” Erlend said.

  “He’s telling the truth, Admiral. Yet, he’s not telling you everything. The city can be deconstructed as quickly as it was constructed. The constructor operates in reverse, but he never considered telling you,” Lieutenant Skender said.

  “That is very interesting. Can it also deconstruct things it did not construct?” Admiral Erisinni asked.

  “Possibly. But it could be a violent process, and it might be incomplete. That was never tested,” Erlend said.

  “I accept that you don’t know all possibilities, because you haven’t tried all possibilities. Nor did you invent the constructor. Only Fantine has the fullest understanding of its workings. Yet, do not try to withhold what you do know. Lieutenant Skender – or another telepath – will probe your thoughts and find all that you know. Be forthright. If you know a thing, say it. If you theorize something, tell us as much. Your future will be considerably more favorable by cooperating,” Admiral Erisinni said.

  “I’ll tell you what I know. The constructor pulls in the water crystals and wraps them in packets of light, which is why the city has a blue radiance. The energy from the light is what holds the crystals in place. They are still water crystals, even though they resemble sapphires in many aspects, even at a low level,” Erlend said.

  “I’m listening. Get to the point,” Admiral Erisinni said.

  “Over time – I can’t calculate it for sure, I’m no mathematician – that radiated light will all be dissipated, so when the light packets are expended, the city will destabilize. It might happen first on the outside, since that’s where the exposed surfaces are, but it will eventually completely fail,” Erlend said.

  Lieutenant Skender probed Erlend’s thoughts again and found that he was not lying in any way. “He’s telling the truth, Admiral. He really doesn’t have an estimate, but he doesn’t think it’s a matter of centuries, more like decades before the city collapses,” he said.

  “Very well. Leave the mathematics to General Tiglath. He can make the estimate of the constructed city’s safe usable lifetime,” Admiral Erisinni said.

  Lieutenant Delfina recorded all of this into her book – both what she saw and the conversation. The low-level structure of the city was inscrutable to her, since she was not a Kazofen water drinker. However, the suggestion of the city suddenly collapsing at a time in the near future was not encouraging. She drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power to slow time around her. In the event that the collapse came too soon, for whatever reason, she needed to be able to escape.

  “Are you afraid, Lieutenant Delfina?” Lieutenant Skender asked.

  “I’m cautious, Lieutenant Skender. Without having a reliable estimate of the constructed city’s safe usable lifetime, I’d rather not see our personnel occupy this location,” Lieutenant Delfina said.

  “You are correct, Lieutenant Delfina. This is only a test. General Tiglath and I will be working with Erlend to conduct several more tests and learn the limits of this constructor. I’m not prepared to put our personnel or assets at risk. Let’s continue our inspection of the structure,” Admiral Erisinni said.

  For two (2) additional days, Erlend inspected the low-level structure of the crystal at key points at the corners and edges of the constructed city. Throughout this process, Lieutenant Skender probed his thoughts and Admiral Erisinni supervised. Lieutenant Delfina recorded everything visible to the unaided eye in her book.

  When the inspection was competed, they exited the constructed city and returned to the point along the shore where General Tiglath and his ninety (90) special operations troops were waiting.

  ~~~

  General Tiglath stood along the southern coast, outside of the constructed city, and waited for the inspection to be complete. His ninety (90) special opera
tions troops stood nearby, waiting for their orders. When Tiglath saw Admiral Erisinni and the others return, he prepared himself to make the most of their report. He drank anew of the waters of the Medathero Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power of calm, rational thought.

  “Well, Admiral?” General Tiglath asked.

  “The city appears solidly constructed, General…for the moment. This assessment is based on the architect inspecting the low-level structure of the key points of some of the crystal buildings that comprise it. Lieutenant Skender probed his thoughts to verify and to learn other details,” Admiral Erisinni said.

  “Other details, Admiral?” General Tiglath asked.

  “Yes. The constructor can operate in reverse, deconstructing what it has constructed, just as quickly,” Admiral Erisinni said.

  “That may actually be a useful vulnerability, Admiral. A city constructed for temporary use, but then dismantled so that it cannot be made to serve our adversaries,” General Tiglath said.

  “That would not be the only vulnerability, General. This architect explained that the city is held together by the packets of light that wrap around the water crystals. They are the source of the light that it radiates. He has a theory that the city will eventually exhaust its energy and the structure will collapse. However, he doesn’t know how to calculate an estimate of when this will occur,” Admiral Erisinni said.

  “I will calculate that. However, I am intrigued by that statement about these packets of light binding together the water crystals. The light obviously came from solar radiation charging the sapphires that sit atop the pillars. However, it was the Zovvin Ocean waters that were drawn up and bound together by these packets of light. Would they not confer their own properties and energies upon the structure? The central bank’s city was constructed in the Pirovalen Ocean. Would those waters not have affected the material properties of that city – the so-called Port of Illumination? And the song that warned the residents to evacuate? Could that music have been made more effective – to resonate farther, more clearly and more convincingly – due to the properties of those same water crystals wrapped in packets of light?” General Tiglath asked.