Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “Shall I chart a new course, away from here?” the woman kneeling in front of the ship’s wheel asked.

  “Do not be hasty, Allegria. Be calm,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “Be at ease, Allegria, my love,” Duke Rowan said as he massaged her shoulders and stroked her hair.

  “I do very much need your love, my lord, Duke Rowan. I am honored that you give me your words and gestures of comfort as I kneel here,” Allegria – the woman kneeling in front of the ship’s wheel – said.

  “Of course, Allegria. You just need to remain on your knees so that your fear does not become aggression. Calm your fears so that you can think of my love,” Duke Rowan said.

  “You are learning well, Allegria. I have taught my son to be a kind caregiver and protector of women, so that he knows how to still their fears. So long as you listen to him and heed his instructions, you will find peace,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “Was the attack by the central bank?” Duke Rowan asked.

  “I don’t believe so. They crew of the frigates was possessed by spirits and turned against one another. That is not a tactic I’ve ever seen the central bank use. They have other methods, all quite devious, of course,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “If we are not leaving now, what are we waiting for?” Duke Rowan asked.

  “I want this enemy to move away from here, so I can be sure they don’t attempt to follow us by using spirit powers or any other means. They need to believe we have vanished and then travel in a different direction,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “Shall I watch for the enemy ship?” Consolata asked.

  “Yes, Consolata. Keep your eyes on them, and take comfort as they recede into the distance. They will depart, soon enough, when they realize we have vanished from plain sight,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  Duke Rowan continued giving physical comfort to Allegria, rubbing her shoulders and playing with her hair. He closed his eyes and kissed her.

  “You have such beautiful eyes, my lord, Duke Rowan. Why do you close them when you kiss?” Consolata asked. She was watching Duke Rowan’s every movement and was envious of his attention.

  “I know I am aging, my loving lord, but I hope the sight of me still pleases you,” Allegria said.

  “You are an attractive woman, Allegria. Do not trouble yourself with doubts. You will lose your calm if you believe otherwise,” Duke Rowan said.

  “I beseech you, my loving lord, to let me see your splendid eyes when you kiss me. They sparkle and give me joy,” Allegria said.

  “Please be grateful for the affections I do give you, Allegria. I do my best. Closing my eyes gives me peace of mind,” Duke Rowan said.

  “Your mind is going elsewhere, my son. Forget Judith. She is not worthy of your love. She refused to kneel and be calmed by your words and gestures. Instead, she insisted on traveling the world, and troubling herself to be a Chronicler. You were even there to calm her when the Temple of Mev’Kna collapsed around her. Judith was an anxious woman, more curious than clever. Her emotions were uncontrolled, making her completely unfit for travel and especially ill-suited for witnessing hardship and going on misguided adventures. Yet, she refused to listen to reason and settle down with you to receive the peace and gentleness that you could provide,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  Allegria began to cry bitterly. She was certain that Rowan was still thinking of Judith while he was kissing her.

  “Be at peace, my love,” Duke Rowan said. He continued massaging Allegria’s shoulders and stroking her hair as she sobbed.

  “You must let go of the past, my son. Allegria is a more suitable woman who has learned the lessons we taught her. Reward her good behavior with attentiveness,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “You are correct, father, of course,” Duke Rowan said.

  “I also wish to be a suitable woman for you, my lord,” Consolata said.

  “You are learning, Consolata, but you are still not calm enough. My son’s efforts to train you have just begun. You have been with him only two (2) years. Allegria has had eight (8) years of discipline,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “Please think…think…of me, my…my…loving…lord,” Allegria said through tears.

  “I do, Allegria. Be calm. My thoughts are with you,” Duke Rowan said. He leaned in, with his eyes open, and kissed her lips.

  Allegria smiled, her flow of tears ended and her eyes began to dry. “You are my peace, my calm, my loving lord,” she said.

  ~~~

  On board the Staunch Carriage Five, Razmig sensed that the work of capturing spirits had been completed. He exited the wheelhouse and went out on deck to meet Kobus, who was still standing there and holding the staff.

  “It is done, Kobus. There are no more spirits to capture. Summon the swarm back to the staff,” Razmig said.

  Kobus called to the spirits he sent forth and said “Return!” He then twirled the staff and the swarm of spirits returned to it.

  Razmig communicated with the spirit world and received a message. “Master Besattoken is pleased. We have done well,” he said.

  Kobus looked out at the ships and noticed something odd. “Only the frigates remain. There was a galleon. We should have plundered its cargo after the crew on the frigates was captured and their souls placed into the staff,” he said.

  “That is of no concern to Master Besattoken,” Razmig said.

  “Yet, it is important to us. I am here to make a profit,” Kobus said.

  “We’ll have to find another ship to plunder its crew of their very souls,” Razmig said.

  “I’m ready to plunder a ship of its cargo,” Kobus said. He returned to the wheelhouse and Razmig followed.

  Kobus took the wheel of the Staunch Carriage Five and began sailing eastward.

  “Where are we going, Kobus?” Razmig asked.

  “We’re sailing east, to the richest shipping lanes, in the Kazofen Ocean,” Kobus said.

  ~~~

  Nina slept soundly and awakened only when she was ready. She exited her cabin and went out on deck, where she found Tomiko discussing options with the rest of the crew. The Chronicler Silvius was there, recording everything into his book.

  “Seventeen (17) miles northwest of here was the best path into the island. The land sloped downward toward the coast, so if there is any lava flow, it would go out into the ocean,” Tristan said. He pointed at spot on a map that he made when they were circumnavigating the island.

  “And toward the ship. We’ll have to be careful where we drop anchor,” Nina said as she looked at the map.

  The Chronicler Silvius looked at that same point on the map and transcribed it into his own book.

  “Actually, Nina, I think it would be best if you stayed on board the Escapade along with Yared. You can maneuver the ship if there are any problems. Yared can maintain a telepathic connection with us to be sure we can find you quickly in an emergency,” Tomiko said.

  “I like the sound of this,” Nina said.

  “Stephan will come with us to listen for sounds of flowing magma. Carter will watch for any sign of hostile spirits. Tristan will identify and extract crystals. Genevieve and Gabrielle will work with me to gather the rubies and bring them back to the ship,” Tomiko said.

  “Under the authority of the Oath, I will go onto the island with you,” the Chronicler Silvius said.

  “I’m ready to get going if everyone else is,” Tomiko said.

  “I’ll steer the ship to that point so you can get to work,” Nina said.

  ~~~

  Nina walked toward the wheelhouse, followed by Yared.

  Once inside, Nina pulled a lever to raise the anchor. She drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial and was energized with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars. She concentrated to learn their paths and positions. She used this information to chart a course to the designated location on Tristan’s map. At that point, she pulled levers to drop the anchor and extend the boarding ramp.

 
; Yared drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of telepathy and empathy. “I’ll listen for any signs they need help, and help them find the ship quickly,” he said.

  ~~~

  Tomiko walked down the boarding ramp of the Escapade and stepped on the shores of Endarinik Island. Tristan, Carter, Stephan, Genevieve and Gabrielle Ramalaxis all followed him. The Chronicler Silvius followed them as they walked up a winding road toward a cave.

  Tristan drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to manipulate crystal and stone.

  Carter drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to connect to the spirit world. He concentrated to remain aware of his surroundings and detect any signs of hostile spirits.

  Stephan drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of music and sound. He listened for sounds of moving magma.

  Genevieve drank anew of the waters of the Trerada Ocean from her vial to be energized with the powers of health, vitality and beauty. She was primarily concerned with maintaining her health, in the event of any geological difficulties.

  Gabrielle Ramalaxis drank anew of the waters of the Medathero Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power of calm, rational thought. Tomiko did likewise.

  The Chronicler Silvius drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to slow the passage of time. He thus maintained his own youth despite his age and also made himself able to perceive slow-moving events no matter how quickly they occurred.

  Tomiko entered the mouth of the cave first and then stopped, turned around and faced his crew to be sure they were still with him.

  “Let’s start off with a little bit of light,” Tristan said. He removed a diamond from his coat pocket and made alterations to its structure so that it released light. He placed it on the floor of the cave and said: “I’ve been charging these on board the ship. I’ve got plenty more, something for everyone.” He then removed more diamonds from his coat pocket, altered each until it emitted light and provided one (1) each to Tomiko, Carter, Stephan, Genevieve, Gabrielle Ramalaxis and the Chronicler Silvius. He then prepared a light-emitting gem for himself and said: “And I’ve got spares, for if and when we need them. Caves have plenty of dark corners.”

  “Nice work, Tristan. If everybody’s ready, let’s go,” Tomiko said. He then turned around and entered the cave, which was illuminated by the gems he and the others held.

  After walking over three hundred fifty (350) feet forward, they found a mine cart on rails running perpendicular to the tunnel they entered. Tomiko examined the cart and found it to be empty. He pushed it back and forth and found it to move easily. “It’s empty, so we can use it to move the rubies we find,” he said.

  Gabrielle Ramalaxis walked forward, examined the mine cart and said: “That should make this whole job faster. That cart is about five (5) feet long, two (2) feet wide and three (3) feet deep. That’s fifty-one thousand eight hundred forty (51840) cubic inches. We can estimate our profits by how full it is, multiplied by the average value of the rubies we extract.”

  “Value depends on market price as much as on gem quality, and I can only adjust for quality,” Tristan said.

  “Timing our sales is how we adjust for market prices. Leave that to me,” Tomiko said.

  The Chronicler Silvius recorded all of this into his book, including measuring the exact dimensions of the mine cart.

  Tomiko started pushing the mine cart along the rails, through the tunnel heading south, while everyone followed him.

  “This tunnel is gently descending,” Gabrielle Ramalaxis said.

  “Which means more heavy lifting to push the cart up and out of here. That’s going to limit how much we can bring in a single trip,” Tristan said.

  After walking for four thousand nine hundred thirty-seven (4937) feet through the tunnel, they entered a large chamber filled with ruby stalactites and stalagmites.

  Gabrielle Ramalaxis visually probed the room and made a quick calculation of its size. “This room alone holds enough ruby to fill the mine cart twenty-five thousand six hundred eighty-nine (25689) times over,” she said.

  “Can we get to work here, Tristan?” Tomiko asked.

  “Is it safe?” Gabrielle Ramalaxis asked.

  Stephan walked toward the center of the chamber. Once there, he concentrated and listened for the sound of flowing magma or steam but detected nothing. “I don’t hear the sounds of magma or steam. Everything’s fine here. Nature is at peace,” he said.

  Carter moved to stand near Stephan’s side. He then reached out to detect signs of hostile spirits but found nothing. “There’s no threat to us from spirits. This mine – this part of it, at least – is not haunted. I’m actually surprised, given the danger of mining work,” he said.

  “Let me get to work,” Tristan said. He began altering the low-level structures of the ruby stalagmites to remove their purest fragments.

  ~~~

  Inside of her crystal fortress, Polyxene approached the depression in the floor where she had mixed the nine (9) altered yellow-green gems with the Dead Waters. The waters bubbled and a mist rose from them. She created an aperture in her diamond armor around her left hand and held it over the mist. Instantly, she felt power like she never felt before. It permeated her body and felt exhilarating. She altered the diamond armor to expand the aperture, exposing her entire left arm and the mist simultaneously soothed and energized her. She felt the powers of light and darkness enter her, and she projected shadows and a beam of light from her left hand. Polyxene was now convinced that she had expanded her powers, so she created apertures in the armor over her right arm and hand and then over her torso and head, so that the mist could fully penetrate her upper body. As she did, her power grew. She could hear the sounds of the stars of the sky. She could also feel her health and vitality increase, such that even her aches and pains faded and her skin cleared of all blemishes. With that renewed vitality, desire also reawakened within her – a lust to have relations with a man, a pleasure that she had not felt in eons. She could sense spirits around her, even though they were encased in the ruby spires. Time remained slow in its passage according to her will, even though the upper portion of her body was not covered in the diamond armor.

  Polyxene wondered how long these powers would last, but she was now convinced that she had deciphered the secret to the ultimate power – the combination of most or all of the ocean water powers. Tests would be required to measure the results, but this was a successful experiment unlike any she had conducted before. She flexed the unfamiliar powers and wove darkness and light into shadows. She concentrated to hear the sounds of the stars, and even the violet stellar cores were detectable, along with the blue, yellow and red suns.

  ~~~

  Tomiko, Genevieve and Gabrielle Ramalaxis filled the mine cart with the ruby fragments that Tristan had removed.

  Carter and Stephan continued monitoring their surroundings for signs of danger.

  The Chronicler Silvius recorded a count of the ruby fragments and drew sketches of each of them as they were placed into the mine cart. He stopped to examine a few of them closely.

  Tomiko examined a few of the same ruby fragments and saw a swirling darkness within them. “Tristan, what is this impurity in this ruby?” he asked.

  Tristan stood up and stepped away from the ruby stalagmite he was working on and approached. He examined the ruby and saw the swirling blackness within it. “It could be volcanic ash, Ikkith Tar waters, or even just mud,” he said.

  “Can that be fixed before we try to sell it?” Tomiko asked.

  “Probably. Let me try to fix this ruby now to find out,” Tristan said. He drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers to manipulate crystal and stone. He examined the ruby fragment’s low-level structure to sense what t
he impurity truly was and then created a fissure to release the murky fluid. “It’s volcanic ash,” he said.

  The Chronicler Silvius watched what Tristan did and drew a sketch of it into his book, even though he could not see the alterations to the ruby’s low-level structure. The fissure in the ruby’s high-level structure – and the drainage of the volcanic ash from within it – were visible.

  Gabrielle Ramalaxis walked across the chamber – which was five hundred eighteen (518) feet from east to west, three hundred sixty-two (362) feet from north to south and two hundred forty-seven (247) feet high – toward a large ruby stalagmite standing next to the western wall. She examined it and found the shape to be highly regular – it was a spire that was nine (9) feet in diameter at the base, thirty-nine (39) feet in height, and three (3) feet in diameter at the top. There was a swirling blackness within it. “This is an exquisite looking ruby. It’s very regular, like it was carefully carved and likely not a natural formation. But it has a similar impurity in it – a swirling black fluid,” she said.

  Tristan and Tomiko both approached the ruby spire to look more closely. The Chronicler Silvius followed them. When they got close enough to touch the spire, Stephan – who was still standing at the center of the chamber – said: “I hear something moving below us. I think it might be magma.”

  “Let’s get moving out of here, and quickly. Nothing’s worth getting burnt,” Gabrielle Ramalaxis said.

  Tomiko, Tristan, Gabrielle Ramalaxis and the Chronicler Silvius all turned away from the ruby spire and walked back toward the mining cart but the ground split in front of them. Within seconds, a lava stream bubbled up through the fissure and formed a lava pool eighteen (18) feet wide and spanning the chamber from north to south.

  Genevieve, Carter and Stephan were on the opposite side of the lava pool, closer to the ruby-filled mine cart.

  “Tristan, can you do something to the lava to make it safe to cross?” Tomiko asked.

  “Let me think,” Tristan said.

  While standing on the opposite side of the lava pool, Genevieve looked closely at the mine cart, its wheels and the track. She saw that the track spanned the lava pool and was only partially submerged. She mustered her strength and pushed the mine cart along the track as it passed through the lava pool, which was only five (5) inches deep. She received severe burns on her legs but reached the other side safely. “Hop in,” she said.