Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  ~~~

  The spirits of the two hundred eighty-five (285) slain soldiers found themselves confined in a strange realm that was a deep shade of blue. They were weak and restful, having none of their former strength, speed or determination. Their energy nearly completely left them, and they did not have any understanding of what this meant.

  ~~~

  “The ritual is now complete, Governor. Please verify the results,” Jakov said.

  Governor Taulant peered into the low-level structure of the lapis lazuli and saw the energies flowing within it. “We have success. The crystal now glimmers with the vital energies of these warriors,” he said.

  “All that remains is for you to affix the crystal to the staff. Then, Dardana can prepare for battle,” Jakov said.

  Governor Taulant approached Dardana – the woman wearing chainmail armor. He touched the metal tip of her staff and altered its low-level structure to make it more malleable. He flexed it around the lapis lazuli containing the spirits of the two hundred eighty-five (285) slain warriors. Then, he solidified the tip of the staff to grasp the crystal.

  “Where is this battle you so desperately need me to win for you, Jakov?” Dardana asked. The twenty-nine (29) year old woman was fit and slender, having muscles toned and trained for battle.

  “The battlefield is in Waderav. There is a territory of immense value that we must seize and exploit. I will be going with you, so that we can increase our advantage,” Jakov said.

  “I am a trained warrior. If you want a bigger advantage in combat, send more warriors,” Dardana said.

  “That is exactly what we are doing. The spirits are the warriors,” Jakov said.

  “The lapis lazuli can encase untold thousands of spirits, depending on how carefully Jakov has performed the ritual, and how pure his Zovvin waters are,” Governor Taulant said.

  “I am precise in my command over the spirits and my waters are purified by trusted alchemists, including you. Do not call my proven powers into question, Governor. If you doubt the water purity, perhaps you should question your own focus,” Jakov said.

  “Every time I purified your waters, I had the benefit of no fewer than eleven (11) iterations of the virtuous cycle. You can be confident in my alchemy whenever I assist you,” Governor Taulant said.

  “Then we can be confident that the spirit warriors have been correctly summoned and encased, and they are ready for battle,” Jakov said.

  “I need true warriors. Ghosts are not like the living. You can’t rely on them to fight,” Dardana said.

  “You have a simple way about you, Dardana. You only trust in your own strength and speed,” Jakov said.

  “I’m trained with blades, crossbows, polearms and hand-to-hand combat,” Dardana said.

  “There are far greater powers within that crystal,” Jakov said.

  “If that’s all you need, then why did you bring me here?” Dardana asked.

  “Your mission is to protect that crystal, Dardana. The spirits within it will fight the main battle,” Jakov said.

  “I have confidence that your strength, speed and skill are more than a match for anyone who might try to take the crystal. Remember, you were trained by my officers. If anyone fails, it won’t be you, Dardana,” Governor Taulant said.

  “She doesn’t believe that this will work. She only believes that winning any battle requires more living warriors, who drink the Nabavodel waters, like she does,” Mergim said after probing Dardana’s thoughts.

  “As long as you follow the orders you have been given, using your powers to their fullest, our goals will be achieved. Warfare has many facets, not just strength and speed. You need to trust my plans, Dardana, not your limited experiences and powers,” Jakov said.

  “I’ve just dedicated two hundred eighty-five (285) of my soldiers to this cause. We must trust Jakov to use them well,” Governor Taulant said. He was not entirely convinced, however.

  “We will have that land, Governor, and the vast wealth underneath its soil,” Jakov said.

  ~~~

  Tidal waves struck the Cypress Advantage and rocked the ship violently. Captain Ibriy struggled to steer the ship carefully so as to prevent it from capsizing.

  ~~~

  Inside their cabin, Kastor and Erikkos were thrown to the floor and remained there while the ship rocked violently.

  “A storm?! Cannon fire from pirates?!” Kastor asked.

  “No! I hear something that is no storm. It’s definitely not a cannon, either. It sounds like large stones moving in the distance. Almost as if…,” Erikkos said.

  “As if what?” Kastor asked.

  “As if an entire mountain was moving through the ocean and pushing the water along with it,” Erikkos said.

  “I deeply fear what you’ve just said. I truly hope you are wrong,” Kastor said.

  ~~~

  Although Captain Ibriy maintained the vessel’s upright orientation, he sensed that it was pushed off course by quite a distance. He went out on deck and saw that all the sails had been torn. The ship would not be easy to steer and would move slowly.

  “We’ll find the nearest island and drop anchor to make repairs,” Captain Ibriy said to his crew.

  Ibriy then returned to the wheelhouse and drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to listen to the stars. He concentrated to learn their paths and positions and then charted out a course to a nearby island. He steered the Cypress Advantage carefully, and the ship proceeded slowly toward a small island. After arriving, he went out on deck again.

  “Drop the anchor and begin the sail repairs,” Captain Ibriy said to his crew.

  The crew members – both men and women, all under the age of thirty-five (35) – got to work. They dropped the anchor using a crank, pulled levers to pivot the masts and sails and started weaving patches into the sailcloth where they could.

  ~~~

  “Can you hear what’s going on?” Kastor asked.

  “Yes, the ship is damaged. The captain brought us to an island. He directed the crew to drop anchor and patch the sails,” Erikkos said.

  “Let’s find out where we are. This could be an opportunity to explore,” Kastor said. He opened the cabin door and went out on deck. Erikkos followed.

  Kastor approached Captain Ibriy and asked: “Captain, where are we? What island is this?”

  “It doesn’t have a known name. Don’t worry about it. We’re going to be sailing away from here and getting back on course after the sail repairs are done. Just wait in your cabin,” Captain Ibriy said.

  “I’d like to go ashore. I’ll be out of your way while you make the repairs,” Kastor said.

  “I’m not waiting for you. Be back before the ship is repaired or you’re going to be left behind. I have a schedule to keep,” Captain Ibriy said.

  “That’s my problem, Captain. Not yours,” Kastor said.

  “Lower the boarding ramp,” Captain Ibriy said and his crew obeyed.

  “Thank you, Captain,” Kastor said.

  “We have maybe five (5) hours before these sails are patched. If you’re smart, you’ll be back long before that,” Captain Ibriy said. He then walked across the deck to supervise his crew.

  ~~~

  Kastor and Erikkos walked down the boarding ramp and stepped onto the island, which was a wasteland of boulders, hills and valleys.

  “We do need to be quick. I don’t see any sign of a port city on this island, so it’s not like we can book passage on another ship anytime soon,” Erikkos said.

  Kastor opened the small satchel he carried and pulled out a book of maps and star charts. He then consulted the sky – looking at the red and blue suns, ignoring the unpredictable yellow suns – and began making mathematical calculations.

  “Where do you think we are?” Erikkos asked.

  “You are also an Explorer of the Quiet Sea, Erikkos. You should make your own determination. Then, compare it to mine. If we agree, we can both be more confide
nt of our location,” Kastor said.

  Erikkos opened up his backpack and took out a book containing many maps and star charts. He made a few quick calculations and said: “This might be Zerekamis Island, but these maps are old and I do not trust my mathematical skills.”

  “I’m sorry to hear of your low confidence in your mathematical skills – especially since you are correct. This is Zerekamis Island. It has few visitors, and with good reason,” Kastor said.

  “My book only indicates that the island used to belong to a stone worshipping cult. They made sacrifices to Rivixiled. That’s the same demon that the ‘stone father’ mentioned,” Erikkos said.

  “The temple is likely still here, even if the worshippers are not. And if the temple is here, the demon will guard it jealously,” Kastor said.

  “You want to get inside and see what it holds?” Erikkos asked.

  “Of course,” Kastor said.

  “That sounds interesting, but we do need to get back to the ship before long. More interesting things await us once we get off of this island,” Erikkos said.

  “You don’t know that for certain. Still, let’s not waste any time, so we can gain knowledge in every location we visit,” Kastor said. He drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power to slow time. He walked the rocky ground past the hills and Erikkos followed.

  After an hour of meandering through the island’s terrain, they caught sight of a doorway carved into the side of a large stone that was almost a small mountain. A pair of ornately carved purple crystal doors – each fifty-five (55) feet high and twenty-two (22) feet wide – adorned the mountainside. Five (5) pentagonal purple crystal windows – all measuring six (6) feet in diameter – were on each side of the doorway, centered vertically.

  “The doors to the temple will open – after we unlock them,” Kastor said.

  “And how will we do that? My book does not have any information regarding this temple,” Erikkos asked.

  “Mine does. The answer requires perfect timing and pitch,” Kastor said.

  “Music?” Erikkos asked.

  “Music alone will not be enough. A sound has shape and direction, but that has continuity to it, and we need to break that, and rearrange it,” Kastor said.

  “I can sing, then stop, then resume,” Erikkos said.

  “I need you to sing through the musical scales. I will adjust and rearrange the pitch for you, in a particular way. Prepare your voice,” Kastor said.

  Erikkos drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of music and sound. He began singing through the musical scales.

  Kastor altered the flow of time around Erikkos, so that the musical notes were interrupted and their pitch, tempo and volume changed in various ways.

  The doors to the temple appeared to turn to dust before their eyes.

  “Follow me. Move quickly, quietly, and touch nothing without my telling you,” Kastor said.

  Kastor walked through the temple doorway and Erikkos followed. With his first step, Kastor slowed the vertical passage of time, around himself and Erikkos, so that their boots never touched the temple floor, even though they moved forward. Kastor walked through the room, slightly elevated off of the ground, and pulled two (2) purple stones off of a pillar. He then turned and promptly exited the temple, with Erikkos following closely.

  Outside the temple, Kastor eased his powers over the flow of time so that the downward flow proceeded normally and they were standing on solid ground.

  “Do you know what these are?” Kastor asked while holding up the pair of purple stones.

  “Purple stones are usually amethysts,” Erikkos said.

  “Correct. Yet, these are not just any amethysts. By staring into their facets, they alter your eyes to give you the power to place others into a trance when they make eye contact with you. In that state of mind, they will obey your commands. You can show or hide the power so it only affects those you wish,” Kastor said.

  “This is different from telepathy, then?” Erikkos asked.

  “Yes, quite different. The amethysts do not allow you to read minds from afar, only to control thoughts,” Kastor said.

  “Could we use the power of these amethysts to take what we want from the Bazavadoran king?” Erikkos asked.

  “Almost certainly, because we can command him to tell us what he knows. Take this, gaze at it, and ignore the pain. If your vision seems to blur or darken, do not be afraid. Your eyes will fully adjust,” Kastor said as he handed an amethyst to Erikkos.

  Kastor stared into the amethyst he still held and endured the pain for two (2) minutes. Erikkos stared into the amethyst he held for only one (1) minute.

  “I feel like my eyes are going to bleed,” Erikkos said.

  “That may be enough to be effective,” Kastor said.

  Erikkos heard a sound and looked around to find the source, which was in the direction of the temple doorway. “The temple doorway sealed again. I heard the stone move,” he said.

  “Then our work here is done. Let’s return to the ship and continue our exploration,” Kastor said.

  Erikkos followed Kastor as he hiked across the island and returned to the Cypress Advantage. They boarded the vessel, which was only halfway repaired.

  “Let’s rest in our cabin until the repairs are complete,” Kastor said. He and Erikkos returned to their cabin and waited for the crew to fix the damage to the ship’s sails.

  CHAPTER 22: Costs of Living and Learning

  Judith booked passage – unpaid, as was customary for Chroniclers – on a ship leaving the Port of Reliance in eastern Meridianus and sailing northwestward across the Pirovalen Ocean. After one (1) day of travel she arrived in Emeth.

  She walked toward the Library of Tedorik and met Alyona, the Verifier.

  “Greetings, trustworthy Judith,” Alyona said.

  Judith turned in her book of events and said: “I await my next assignment.”

  Alyona examined Judith’s book and said: “Come with me. We have special instructions for you.”

  Judith followed Alyona into the Library of Tedorik and then into Danek’s private quarters.

  “Learned Master Danek, I have submitted my book to be verified. Alyona told me you have special instructions,” Judith said.

  “Yes. You are to pay close attention to the activities of the central bank. We have reason to believe they are both financially corrupt and involved in especially depraved activities,” Danek said.

  “What depraved activities?” Judith asked.

  “Their officers and agents have engaged in human sacrifice, possibly to gain the assistance of a spirit or demon,” Danek said.

  “May The One True God guide me to learn the horrid truth and speak against it,” Judith said.

  “God will guide you. However, you must understand that I cannot yet prove what I am claiming, because my informants – who are not Chroniclers of the Oath, suffice it to say – are known to be quite hasty in their own personal judgments. You must be patient and attentive to detail, rather than drawing any conclusions of your own,” Danek said.

  “I must adhere to the tenets of the Oath, in other words,” Judith said.

  “Exactly,” Danek said.

  “Also, I am not mathematically strong, so I cannot evaluate the pricing of goods, services, interest rates or bank lending practices as fair or unfair. The central bank is involved in all of these matters. How will I recognize financial corruption across an entire market?” Judith asked.

  “Record an abundance of observable financial facts, and leave it to me and to the Verifiers to analyze which of these indicates fraud or corruption. Even if the majority of what you record does not substantiate malfeasance, a few instances may suffice. The Oath forbids such an analysis on your part anyway, so I do not expect you to operate as an economist,” Danek said.

  “I understand the central bank’s price models, including the probability calculations they
use to evaluate risk and set interest rates and taxes across goods and services provided by the labor unions and guilds they manage. Some price adjustments are standard business practice; others are less than ethical. Our judgment, not yours, will be applied to classify the information,” Alyona said.

  “Unless you direct me otherwise, I will return to the Port of Reliance for now. The central bank is a majority owner of that city, which may afford me the opportunity to investigate them,” Judith said.

  “You’re returning because you love her,” Alyona said. She read the contents of Judith’s book so she knew of her acquaintances and experiences.

  “Yes…like a sister,” Judith said.

  “Do not allow your friendships to interfere with your focus on performing your duties under the Oath. I am not suggesting you forego friendship. I only mean to say that we are depending on you to observe and record events,” Danek said.

  “Returning to the Port of Reliance is also a strategic decision that would align with our present objectives. I am in favor of it, irrespective of her personal relationships,” Alyona said.

  “Then you should go back to the Port of Reliance immediately. From there, you are to follow any signs of activity related to the central bank, especially unusual behavior. Pass these special instructions on to other Chroniclers you meet, and do so privately,” Danek said.

  “I will leave at once and share these instructions as directed, Learned Master Danek,” Judith said.

  ~~~

  Judith left Danek’s quarters and exited the Library of Tedorik. From there, she headed to the fountains of Emeth to replenish her supply of Ursegan Ocean waters. She drank anew of the water from her vial to energize herself with the power to slow the passage of time, thus extending her own long life and enabling her to observe and record fast-moving events in detail. She then refilled her vial from the fountain to be ready for the journey ahead. Judith returned to the docks and booked passage on a ship – again, unpaid – leaving Emeth and sailing southeastward across the Pirovalen Ocean. After one (1) day of travel, she arrived in the Port of Reliance in eastern Meridianus. Upon arrival, she returned to the traveler’s lodge where she and Romana stayed together.