by Jeremy Dwyer
“No, Breixo. Stay on course. Your anxieties are getting the better of you,” Captain Vanadour said.
Breixo continued sailing the Seasonable Profits southwestward across the Zovvin Ocean, following the western coastline of the Road of Kovoxotu land bridge. The other forty (40) ships in the fleet followed, and they rapidly approached the source of the flashing light that was sending a distress signal.
~~~
In the swamps of Lemikozen Island in the Gradaken Ocean, Erikkos and Kastor continued hiding under the shade of trees.
“It’s quiet now, except for the animals moving about,” Erikkos said.
“How certain are you?” Kastor asked.
“I don’t hear the sounds of any human heartbeats,” Erikkos said.
“How far away can you hear such faint noises?” Kastor asked.
“About a half (1/2) mile,” Erikkos said.
“A Lujladia drinker can see for fifty (50) miles, at least, and the sharper ones can see for one hundred fifty (150) miles,” Kastor said.
“This swamp is dense. Anyone that far away couldn’t see around all the trees and spot us,” Erikkos said.
“If you listen to the waters, how far away is the nearest coastline of this island?” Kastor asked.
“About three point seven (3.7) miles,” Erikkos said.
“Then we may have just enough cover,” Kastor said.
“We’re safe, unless something here bites us, but I’ve been keeping the animals away with high frequency sounds…too high for most people to hear,” Erikkos said.
“Those remarkable yellow-green gems are still in our possession,” Kastor said.
“You mean the ones that we think can split the Dead Waters?” Erikkos asked.
“Yes, and I believe this swamp is of Dead Waters,” Kastor said.
“You’re no alchemist. How can you be sure?” Erikkos asked.
“I’m also not an arborist or horticulturist, but these trees and the foliage around them look to be rotted. If this swamp were of Gradaken Waters, the plant life would be much more vibrant and this would be profitable farmland for timber or food or some other crop,” Kastor said.
“What you’re saying may be true, but I wouldn’t take a chance by drinking it, no matter how thirsty I was,” Erikkos said.
“We may be able to split it with these gems, if we can figure out the alchemical process to apply,” Kastor said.
“When we found these gems in that hidden citadel, they were encased in a cylinder on the tiny island in the middle of the giant pool,” Erikkos said.
“Yes, I remember,” Kastor said.
“Maybe that was to protect them from getting wet until they were needed. If we just place them into the water, that might be enough…assuming it really is Dead Water,” Erikkos said.
“I suggest we look for higher ground to stand on. Then, throw a gem into a moist area and watch,” Kastor said.
“Over there,” Erikkos said. He started walking uphill through the swamp, with Kastor following closely. They stepped over fallen trees and avoided spider webs along the way until reaching a patch of dry land twenty-three (23) feet higher than before.
“We can throw the gems there,” Erikkos said, pointing toward a moist area of the swamp down below.
“I was able to recover thirteen (13) of the gems,” Kastor said after reaching into a pocket in his robes and counting them.
“I have fifteen (15) of them,” Erikkos said after reaching into his jacket pocket and taking five (5) of the yellow-green gems.
“Wait! Do not throw them yet,” Kastor said. He 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 exercised this power both to slow time within himself – thereby continuing his long life – and to create a field of slowed time ahead.
“What are we waiting for?” Erikkos asked.
“We don’t know what to expect when the gems meet the water. If you remember, there was a mist in that room, and it gave us the many powers. For water to become water vapor, heat is required. This might be a dangerous process. I’ve slowed time ahead of us, so that we are not immediately harmed,” Kastor said.
“Tell me when I should throw them,” Erikkos said.
“Throw them toward the moist patch you pointed at. They will land slowly, because of the delayed time. They will seem to fall even slower, because the light reflecting off of them will return slowly,” Kastor said.
Erikkos threw five (5) of his yellow-green gems toward the moist patch and watched them float through the air as if they were leaves. They descended slowly and gently into the water.
A bright light flashed, followed by popping and snapping sounds.
Erikkos and Kastor stepped backwards and watched as trees fell in front of them.
“That’s not what I was hoping to see. Good that you took some precautions,” Erikkos said.
“There may be more to this process than placing the yellow-green gems into the Dead Water,” Kastor said.
“Again, assuming that’s even Dead Water,” Erikkos said.
Another bright light flashed, followed by more popping and snapping sounds.
As additional trees fell, Kastor and Erikkos reflexively moved away quickly. Their brisk walk turned into a run down the hill and toward another area of the swamp.
More bright lights flashed behind them, with subsequent popping and snapping sounds accompanying them.
Erikkos and Kastor ran toward a clearing, away from any tall trees which could topple onto them. Within the clearing, they stopped and rested, surrounded by stones that jutted out of the ground.
“We took another dangerous risk,” Kastor said.
“I suppose you think this is my fault, since I tossed the gems into the water,” Erikkos said.
“And you also suggested taking the chance without researching the alchemy, don’t forget. However, I must admit that we share the blame for this mishap. I reminded you of our interest in testing the yellow-green gems and suggested that these were likely Dead Waters that could be split,” Kastor said.
“Perhaps we should travel to Emeth and do research before our next experiment,” Erikkos said.
“I would like to agree with you. However, if that Chronicler gave her report, we may be recognized and have enemies looking for us,” Kastor said.
“Even if we can’t go to Emeth, I don’t think we should stay here. After all that running, we’re less than a mile from the island’s western coast. We can signal a ship,” Erikkos said and walked across the clearing, weaving in between the stones.
Kastor followed and said: “Wait!”
“For what? We can’t risk those explosions getting close to us,” Erikkos said.
“Do you still hear them?” Kastor asked.
“No, but they were unpredictable. I don’t want to be close enough if another one surprises us,” Erikkos said.
“If you hear nothing, the reaction has likely come to an end. However, I may have found something of interest. That is why I told you to wait. These are gravestones. I’m deciphering the epitaphs now,” Kastor said.
“Do you know the names of the dead?” Erikkos asked.
“Assuming that I have correctly interpreted this third age language, it was Major General Ortigern, along with a division of eighteen thousand (18000) soldiers,” Kastor said.
“He was Major General of what nation’s army?” Erikkos asked.
“His nation of birth is not indicated on his gravestone. However, during the third age, King Xander – also known as Mazlaran – had returned from the grave and conquered the entire world. Every continent and land bridge fell under his dominion. He was, just as always, seeking the mythical unified ocean. Major General Ortigern assembled an army from the remnants of many nations and defeated the tyrant,” Kastor said.
“This is somewhat interesting. I’d like to know how he defeated Xander,” Erikkos said.
“The details of the battle are not given here. What
is clear is that we are looking at more than a cemetery. The inscriptions on his gravestone point to an underground mausoleum nearby. It can be entered through a tunnel carved into that tree,” Kastor said as he pointed.
Erikkos looked where Kastor pointed and said: “That tree doesn’t appear to have anything carved into it. I don’t see a hole.”
“Let’s look more closely,” Kastor said and he walked toward the tree, followed by Erikkos. They circled the tree and found no sign of an entryway.
“If that gravestone was inscribed in the third age, the information might be inaccurate, or your translation could be in error,” Erikkos.
The ground beneath them began to descend, taking them one hundred sixty-four (164) feet down into a circular chamber. The room was six hundred twelve (612) feet in diameter, and there were six (6) levels of platforms, each connected by ladders. On the walls at each level were thousands of weapons, including swords, crossbows, maces, battleaxes, polearms, flails and daggers.
“Or not,” Kastor said as they reached the floor of the chamber. Four (4) large tables covered with maps surrounded them.
“That was an accurate translation. I must commend you, Kastor. Your classical language skills are quite sharp,” Erikkos said.
“No, but they are considerable. The language in the third age was very complex, and the alphabet included symbols designed to obscure the true meaning of words. I know very little about that epoch, especially toward the end. I’ve had to piece together what little knowledge I do have from conversations and making some deductions of my own,” Kastor said.
“We should try to deduce what’s on these maps. I recognize the geography, and the ocean names, but not the names on the land,” Erikkos said as he walked past the tables.
“Nations of the third age were different, and so were the names given to the land bridges, although the continents had the same names. That epoch began three million six hundred fifty thousand (3650000) years ago, and many empires and kingdoms rose and fell since then,” Kastor said. He examined the markings on the maps closely.
“This chamber was hidden, so there is likely something of value here, especially considering the connection to this major general, and the arsenal mounted on these walls,” Erikkos said.
“These maps describe battle plans. Major General Ortigern was planning a war,” Kastor said.
“Is this the war against King Xander?” Erikkos asked.
“No, this came later. And it seemed that Major General Ortigern agreed with King Xander. He believed that the unified waters were reality, not myth,” Kastor said. He continued reading over the maps as he spoke.
“Ortigern wanted them for himself,” Erikkos said.
“Of course he did. After deposing King Xander, Major General Ortigern had nearly unlimited trust and good will from much of the world. Every nation was indebted to him, and his army remained loyal. To prevent a return of tyranny, he created a network of spies. He deployed them to all continents, land bridges and islands. His agents even spied on the central bank,” Kastor said. He continued reading the markings on the maps. He walked among the tables, piecing together disparate information and Erikkos followed.
“The central bank is powerful. They spy on everyone else,” Erikkos said.
“Major General Ortigern had the advantage after his victory. His spies gathered essential information on some of the Premier Governors, who rule the central bank. At least one of them has been in control since the first age. However, several of them have access to the method to split the Dead Waters and yield all powers, by using a yellow-green gem known as saraphakadite. It has to be crafted and manipulated in very particular ways. Done improperly, it is volatile. Done properly, it is extremely volatile. Either way, the gems must be handled delicately,” Kastor said.
“Then the gems we have are likely saraphakadite,” Erikkos said.
“Yes, we obviously manipulated the gems incorrectly, or we would have regained the many powers. However, there is a chemical formula here describing what to do. We will need Gradaken drinkers to alter the gems precisely, so that they can split the Dead Waters, because the gems are made from an organic substance. Although, the notes mention that a skilled Kazofen drinker can, with great difficulty, achieve the same effect,” Kastor said.
“What is the organic substance?” Erikkos asked.
“The sap from the kaiyoyad tree has to be baked in the uniquely energetic steam from an active volcano in Cinder Valley, in the continent of Waderav,” Kastor said.
“Where can we get kaiyoyad trees?” Erikkos asked.
“There are seeds stored in numerous vaults around the world. One of these is located in the Barony of Irsushin, in western Waderav, just outside Cinder Valley. The Irsushin bloodline extends back to the first age, and the family is renowned for shrewd financial dealings. Their territory is large, and they have considerable wealth and resources, including a large army, along with many farmers and miners, who are well-treated,” Kastor said.
“That information is from the third age, isn’t it? Does Baron Irsushin have living descendants today?” Erikkos asked.
“Yes. I’ve come across that name. However, the current heir is not nearly as wealthy or influential. The family has lost much of its land and fortune to rival robber barons. Waderav is a cruel land to call home, and power changes suddenly and violently. This is no secret,” Kastor said.
“We need to get kaiyoyad seeds from the vault on Baron Irsushin’s territory, grow them into full trees, drain the sap, and take it into Cinder Valley to bake it inside of a volcanic mountain, which will produce saraphakadite gems. Then, we need to have a Gradaken drinker manipulate the gems so that they can be used to split Dead Waters. That splitting will yield all powers. Do I understand this correctly?” Erikkos asked.
“Yes, which means we need Gradaken drinking farmers to plant and harvest the kaiyoyad seeds quickly. But there’s still more to this. These battle maps reveal a hidden network of tunnels leading from the baron’s quarries into the mountainside, where the tree sap can be baked in the magma chambers,” Kastor said. He removed a pen and a book from a pocket in his robes and then transcribed the maps and notes into it.
“After the trees are fully grown and the sap is extracted,” Erikkos said.
“Yes, of course,” Kastor said.
“I’m only slightly worried about slipping past the baron’s army and getting into the mountains through the hidden tunnels. I’m more concerned with keeping out of sight of the baron’s army long enough to plant and harvest the kaiyoyad trees and drain their sap. Gradaken waters make seeds grow fast, but not instantly,” Erikkos said.
“The Gradaken waters are quite effective at speeding up the harvest so that months become days. We only need cooperative farmers. Do not worry about that. Together, we can devise a way to evade the baron’s notice for as long as necessary. We’ve gotten past other defenses,” Kastor said.
“If these maps have the battle plans of Major General Ortigern, how did he intend to go about it?” Erikkos asked.
“Ortigern planned to poison the baron’s army with a powerful toxin used in the first age. He came here to hire a master herbalist, who could formulate the toxin from nerium oleander and the venom of spiders, snakes and other creatures,” Kastor said.
“We’ve already seen the difficulties that causes. I don’t think we want to even try to use that tactic again,” Erikkos said.
“Correct. We must learn from failures – our own as well as the mistakes made by others – and not repeat them,” Kastor said.
“Dealing with an entire army is going to take a different approach. I can try to control them with a song, but that isn’t the same as controlling animals. People are much more intelligent and have stronger wills. Even if I succeed, the effect won’t last for long,” Erikkos said.
“I don’t suggest that we try to control an army of trained and battle-hardened warriors. Like you said, the effect won’t last for long. When the power of the song fa
des, they’ll regain self-control and turn their combat skills and weapons against us. Instead, I suggest we control the farmers and miners who work the land. We can hide among them, and command them to do our bidding. The song should build their confidence – make them believe they are stronger and the enemy is weaker. Then, whenever we meet resistance from true soldiers, these peasants will be bold and take the risks of confronting our adversaries, shielding us from the dangers of combat,” Kastor said.
“Confidence is not enough – they will need a true advantage to go against soldiers. And even though a song can increase their fighting skills temporarily, these farmers and miners will need weapons to actually win a battle,” Erikkos said.
“I agree, and we will prepare by commanding the miners to cut the stones in the quarry and use them to forge weapons stronger than metal. These can overwhelm ordinary swords and shields. When the battle has ended, the surviving laborers will plant and harvest the seeds, drain the sap from the trees after they’re grown, and perform the necessary manipulations on the saraphakadite gems after they’re baked. When the musical enchantment ends, they will revert to their normally passive ways, working the fields and quarries. We can slip away without any confrontation,” Kastor said.
“If that’s the way we’re going to approach it, I’ll start working on a song. I’ll need to adjust the melody and tempo to control the human mind, and make it obedient for a long enough time,” Erikkos said. He drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of music and song. Melody structures and lyrics began to form in his thoughts, and he worked to compose something new and powerful.
“Let’s leave this place and find a ship to take us to Waderav. Think about your song on the way. Follow me closely. Step where I step,” Kastor said. He walked across the room, and Erikkos followed. They returned to the point at which they descended. The floor beneath them lifted up, ascended past the armory and returned them to the swamp.
“The coast is that way, to the west. Ships are passing by,” Erikkos said and pointed. He and Kastor walked out of the swamp and found a fifty-eight (58) foot long fishing boat – with non-pivoting masts and sails – anchored just off the shore.
