Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  Captain Ibriy stood on deck and waited for Erikkos and Kastor to come aboard. Judith stepped on deck a moment later.

  Kastor exerted the power of his violet eyes, looked in Captain Ibriy’s eyes and said: “Captain Ibriy, chart a course and travel to the Crypt Trail.”

  Erikkos and Kastor followed Captain Ibriy as he returned to the wheelhouse. Judith went along with them to observe and record.

  Captain Ibriy drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars. He concentrated to learn their paths and positions. He then used this information to chart a course to the Crypt Trail land bridge. He pulled levers to retract the boarding ramp, raise the anchor and pivot the sails and the masts to the sides of the Cypress Advantage. He then pulled a lever to elevate the ship to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude and steered the vessel eastward across the Bazavadoran Isthmus land bridge, returning it to sea level in the Nabavodel Ocean. From there, he sailed the ship northeastward until reaching the Crypt Trail land bridge.

  “He didn’t so much as try to resist your commands. The violet eyes are still effective,” Erikkos said.

  “They will be for a time, but I will soon have to renew the power,” Kastor said.

  ~~~

  The Sky Lion touched down in the clearing outside of the castle of King Hamza Bazavador. Inside the wheelhouse, Uzoma pulled a lever to lower the boarding ramp. Captain Lusala waited with him.

  Captain Duvall bound Goyo in chains and escorted him down the boarding ramp and toward the castle, which was clearly heavily damaged, although most of its towers were still standing. “The castle was attacked, and more than a third of it – maybe as much as half of it – was destroyed!” he said.

  “I had nothing to do with this!” Goyo said.

  “Would Baron Amidio have sent someone ahead of you? Could he have?” Captain Duvall asked.

  “No and no. Baron Amidio would not go to all this trouble of sending a messenger and then sending an army in advance. He’s not going to waste his resources. The baron meant what he said about not wanting to attack the king,” Goyo said.

  Captain Duvall drank anew of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of strength and speed. While still escorting and restraining Goyo, Duvall entered the castle through the main gate and saw the bodies of guards and servants scattered throughout the hallways, some covered with fallen rubble.

  ~~~

  Duchess Sarita drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power to slow the passage of time. She carefully traversed the halls of the castle, stepping gently over the fallen guards and servants. She climbed stairs to reach the upper levels of the castle towers, until reaching the library, where she found the slain King Hamza Bazavador. Sarita saw that the contents of the room had been disturbed and she noticed which boxes of lightkeeper crystals were out of place. She reached between boxes to find a sentinel lightkeeper crystal mounted on a wall and pulled it out. She looked into its facets to see images of two (2) men and a woman – a Chronicler – who had been in the library recently.

  In this sentinel lightkeeper crystal, Duchess Sarita also caught a glimpse of the murder of the king by one of the men. She further noticed which lightkeeper crystals they had been looking at, so she knew what they had discovered about the poison. She exited the library, climbed down the tower stairs and walked through the hallways. She heard voices and movement, so she exerted her powers to slow time, giving her ample opportunity to react to any aggressor.

  ~~~

  Captain Duvall heard the sound of movement and gestured toward Goyo to remain silent. Duvall drew his sword and prepared to strike as he stepped forward along the castle hallway. He soon saw a young woman he recognized and said: “Duchess Sarita!”

  “Captain Duvall, we have an extremely dangerous situation, even worse than it looks. I will explain, quickly, so listen to me carefully. The castle was breached by powerful music that tore down parts of the walls. I survived by drinking Ursegan waters so I could slow time and react. However, King Hamza Bazavador has been slain. I know the men who murdered him, by looking into this sentinel lightkeeper crystal that I kept hidden in the library,” Duchess Sarita said. She held out the sentinel lightkeeper and Captain Duvall looked into its facets to see the images of the murder scene.

  “However, there is worse news and it is urgent. The men who murdered the king were looking for our secret knowledge. They peered into some of the library’s archival lightkeeper crystals and discovered a formula for an exceptionally deadly poison. I see the image of the formula, so I know the ingredients they will have to collect. One of these is a plant – the nerium oleander – found mainly in swampland. The other ingredients are venom extracts from scorpions, spiders, the asilidae and sea serpents. However, the process of mixing the ingredients will require an expert herbalist. That level of skill is only to be found in the Provincial Isles in the Gradaken Ocean,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “With the king dead, authority passes to you. What services do you need from me, Duchess Sarita?” Captain Duvall asked.

  “We need to get to the Provincial Isles and look for those men who murdered the king. We may need to have them killed. This is not an act of revenge, Captain Duvall. This is to prevent these men from creating and unleashing a poison with the power to kill hundreds of millions, if not billions of people. Only Trerada water drinkers would be safe. Ursegan water drinkers like myself can slow time to delay the poison, but only by perpetual concentration. We would never be truly cured,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “Please come with me back to the Sky Lion. We will go on this mission immediately,” Captain Duvall said. He escorted Goyo and Duchess Sarita through the castle’s hallways and back to the main gate. They exited the castle and returned to the Sky Lion. Once on board, they went to the wheelhouse.

  “Duchess Sarita! What happened to the castle? I can see the damage from here,” Captain Lusala said.

  “Captain Lusala, King Hamza Bazavador has been murdered. The killers breached the castle walls with powerful music and then entered our library where they learned secret knowledge about how to create a deadly poison. They can collect the ingredients but they’ll need an expert herbalist to mix them. We need to go to the Provincial Isles in the Gradaken Ocean to intercept them. We might have to kill these men before they make a poison that can murder billions. I have the proof of the murder here,” Duchess Sarita said. She held out the sentinel lightkeeper crystal and showed it to Captain Lusala. He gazed into its facets to see the murder scene.

  “Uzoma, chart a course for the Provincial Isles,” Captain Lusala said.

  “Yes, Captain,” Uzoma said and he drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars. He concentrated to learn their paths and positions and used this information to chart a course. He pulled levers to retract the boarding ramp and elevated the Sky Lion to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude. Uzoma steered the ship eastward across the Bazavadoran Isthmus land bridge and returned it to sea level in the Nabavodel Ocean.

  “Captain Duvall, who is this man?” Duchess Sarita asked, looking at Goyo.

  “This is Goyo. He was sent by Baron Amidio in Waderav to counterfeit land ownership records in the central bank. When he learned that the land belonged to King Hamza Bazavador, he attempted to assassinate him from under the cover of darkness. A man from Ihalik – spy named Derek – was investigating the central bank for fraud against their clients and he tracked Goyo to the castle. Derek foiled the assassination and went with me and Goyo to visit Baron Amidio and warn him that we were aware of his schemes, along with demanding a promise not to act against the king again. We returned with the baron’s written promise, and now we find ourselves in a far larger difficulty than I ever imagined,” Captain Duvall said.

  “Your hands have been cut off,” Duchess Sarita said.<
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  “I did that as a warning, and to control him. It’s better than he deserves, and he cannot return to Baron Amidio, who will destroy him if he does,” Captain Duvall said.

  “You are a fool, Goyo. Yet, despite your attempt on the king’s life, he was murdered by a different enemy. You may be able to help us. A great many lives are at risk. The tempests that raged across every ocean brought death and destruction to every shore, but the lethality of this poison will far exceed them,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “I wouldn’t trust him, Duchess. His intentions are evil, even if he failed,” Captain Duvall said.

  “Nor would I. Yet, as the king is dead, Duchess Sarita has authority,” Captain Lusala said.

  “I don’t trust Goyo. I never will trust him. But that doesn’t make him useless,” Duchess Sarita said.

  “What do you mean?” Captain Duvall asked.

  “You said he worked under the cover of darkness. Now, you have him bound in chains, so he cannot move his arms freely. He cannot wield a blade without hands. Yet, the power of darkness may enable him to serve as an unseen obstacle. For now, we should let him live,” Duchess Sarita said.

  Uzoma sailed the Sky Lion southeast, then northeast, across the Nabavodel Ocean until reaching the Uplifter’s Trail land bridge. From there, he pulled levers to pivot the masts and the sails to the sides of the ship and elevated it to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude. He steered the vessel eastward across the land bridge and returned it to sea level in the Gradaken Ocean. Uzoma then sailed the ship southeastward, heading toward the Provincial Isles.

  ~~~

  As Nina steered the Escapade eastward across the Kazofen Ocean, Carter sensed a malevolent spirit approaching the ship. Then, he sensed another, and another, until there were nine (9) in rapid succession. They became material and took hold of the ship’s wheel, steering it southward, then westward.

  “Carter! Get rid of them! I can’t control the ship!” Nina screamed.

  Carter exercised his powers over spirits and attempted to dispel the ghosts but they were too strong and numerous. He drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial to be further energized with power to connect to the spirit world, but even this was not enough.

  “Lower the sails! If you can’t sail, let the ship sit still!” Gabrielle Ramalaxis yelled.

  Nina pulled levers to lower the sails but instead, the spirits pulled the levers in a different direction to pivot the masts and the sails to the sides of the ship and elevated it to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude. The Escapade sailed through the air, southwestward across the Kazofen Ocean, and rapidly approached the eastern coastline of the Road of Kovoxotu land bridge.

  Try as he might, Carter still could not banish the nine (9) malevolent spirits, but they left on their own after the ship was already sent careening toward the land bridge.

  Nina struggled to regain control of the Escapade, and only barely succeeded, pulling on levers to pivot the masts and the sails to gently decrease altitude while steering toward a safe spot on the eastern coast. The ship’s forward motion was so fast, however, that she could not return to sea level along its eastern coast safely. The ship overshot the Road of Kovoxotu and returned to sea level in the Zovvin Ocean with a violent descent, knocking everyone to the ground. A violent cracking sound was heard.

  “That wasn’t good! That wasn’t good!” Nina said.

  “Something snapped. I heard that,” Stephan said.

  “We’re sinking. I can feel it. The hull cracked,” Nina said.

  “Get out on deck. Tristan can shape a crystal to send a distress signal. Another ship will rescue us,” Tomiko said. He ran out on deck and everyone followed.

  Tristan drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to manipulate crystal and stone. He took a diamond from his coat pocket and began to mold it to be clearly reflective over long distances. He pivoted the crystal to flash light and send a signal.

  “I see a ship!” Nina said.

  “So do I,” Tomiko said.

  The other ship approached quickly, moving alongside the Escapade and then slowing down.

  “That’s not a ship we want to get on. There’s something evil on board,” Carter said.

  “We don’t need more ghosts. But we don’t need to drown, either,” Nina said.

  “Agreed,” Tomiko said. He walked to the edge of the deck of the Escapade and stepped onto the deck of the other ship. Carter, Tristan, Stephan, Yared, Nina, Gabrielle Ramalaxis and Genevieve all followed. The Chronicler Silvius went last, recording the damage he could see into his book, along with a description of the new ship.

  “Do you still sense something negative, Carter?” Tomiko asked.

  “Very much so,” Carter said.

  “Let’s meet the captain of this vessel. At least we’re not drowning in the ocean,” Tomiko said. He walked across the deck to the wheelhouse and found it empty. His crew followed, accompanied by the Chronicler Silvius.

  “The ship is steered by some power in the spirit world,” Carter said.

  “The ship isn’t moving now,” Tomiko said.

  “What’s in the captain’s log book?” Gabrielle Ramalaxis asked.

  Tomiko opened the captain’s log book, reviewed several pages of it and said: “This ship is named My Soul to Sin. It was built in the first age. Supposedly it was cursed, condemned to sail the Zovvin Ocean for eons, and everyone who ever served as captain or crew died by their own hands.”

  The Chronicler Silvius looked at the captain’s log book and transcribed all of its pages into his own book. He read the contents and found them unpleasant, but it was no threat to him, personally.

  “I’ve heard that ship name,” Gabrielle Ramalaxis said.

  “I haven’t,” Carter said.

  “Why is this important? We’re not the captain or crew of this ship, even if there is a curse,” Yared asked.

  “There are spirits here, but they’re not trying to attack us. Not yet, anyway. They’re on a mission,” Carter said.

  “What mission?” Tomiko asked.

  “To end the curse. The ship was used in the first age to deliver a deadly poison to every shore, in an attempt to murder the world in sacrifice to a demon named Ralithos, Eternal King of Mountains and Stones,” Carter said.

  “Who put the curse on the ship?” Tomiko asked.

  “I don’t know, but the ship’s original crew is still trapped here, in spirit form, until they serve a good cause and can be forgiven their murders,” Carter said.

  “What’s the danger to us, then?” Tomiko asked.

  “Some of the crew still serve the demon, and don’t want to betray him, so they’re at war with each other. This ship is a battlefield between the spirits,” Carter said.

  “Who’s a good swimmer?” Gabrielle Ramalaxis asked.

  “There’s no good answer to that question. Nina, don’t even think about trying,” Yared said.

  “I’m in good shape. Why not? It’s better than waiting to be attacked by ghosts or demons,” Nina said.

  “Music can bring peace, even to spirits,” Stephan said.

  “I’m not worried about spirits,” Genevieve said.

  “You should be. They will attack, eventually,” Carter said.

  “We’re going to starve, eventually. We have to get back to land. We can’t just wait here. Tristan should try to signal another ship,” Genevieve said.

  “Let me get to work on that,” Tristan said. He went out on deck and pointed his signaling crystal in different directions, reflecting light to flash a signal and thereby catch the attention of another ship.

  The Chronicler Silvius recorded all of this conversation into his book, along with notes about everything that happened.

  CHAPTER 37: Entrapped by Stone and Crystal

  Odhran drank anew of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power over animals and plants. The other fifty-six (56) farmers did likewi
se. They reached into the stream of Dead Waters meandering westward across the desert and removed some red, green and brown plants, leaving others behind. “The red plants are dulse and hypnea. The green plants are chlorella and sea grapes. The brown plants are ecklonia cava, kombu, sea palm and sargassum. They’re the edible forms of algae,” he said, handing the stems and leaves to his traveling companions, starting with his wife.

  Elise ate some of the plants of each type – which were moist and dripping with Dead Waters – and said: “God provides both food and water in great abundance and variety.”

  Sophie ate some of the dulse and said: “You call this edible? I want to gag everything in my stomach.”

  Ciaran ate some plants of each type and said: “The brown are better, but they’re all edible.”

  Ruth ate a little of each kind of plant and said: “At least it’s not more berries. The red algae taste better than the rest.”

  Molly ate a lot of each kind of plant and said: “This is fantastic! I never had anything this good before.”

  Sean ate his fill of each kind of plant and said: “Definitely much better than berries. And much better than anything we had back in town, under Baron Vizakrid.”

  “Don’t say that bastard’s name ever again, Sean!” Sophie said.

  “Relax, Sophie. He’s a long way from here,” Sean said.

  “A long way if you walk. He has ships,” Sophie said.

  “Forget him. We’re not worth his time,” Patrick said. He sampled each kind of plant and said: “The kombu and sargassum are very good, like I remember. I’ve eaten them before, when I traveled the river network with different merchants. The other species of algae are fine, of course, and it’s good to try a little bit of each.”

  “They all have nutritional value. Even the algae that aren’t your favorite offer something good,” Odhran said.

  “This is worse than just not being my favorite. I don’t think I can take another bite,” Sophie said.

  “You only tried one kind, Sophie. Try everything,” Sean said.

  Sophie tried the other red algae species – hypnea – spit it out and said: “At least I don’t want to gag up my stomach on that.”