by Jeremy Dwyer
“That could be a problem – if the tiara is what we have been led to believe,” Emerond said.
Ovid was recording all of these statements into his book, in confidence, as that allowed him the right of attending this private military meeting, according to the Chronicler’s Oath.
“You don’t believe it, do you?” Romana asked.
“The oceans are the greatest powers in the world. The singing girl – Taesa – used one of them for its musical powers to call the suns down from the sky, albeit unintentionally. The older man – Daven – told me of his song that called the waves of water to strike at the sunfire creature out at sea. These powers – great as we know them to be, and probably even greater – are not likely subject to the influence of a small crown, like that worn by a princess or duchess,” Emerond said.
“A lot of power can be found in a small object. You remember the ruby dagger?” Romana asked.
“That dagger controlled people – not the oceans,” Emerond said.
“We have reports from the city of Emeth – from their sages and scholars and Chroniclers – that this tiara is dangerous. You doubt them?” Romana asked.
“The truth is not the same thing as the whole truth. Emeth is a source of much knowledge, but that doesn’t prove that it all fits together to make a larger truth. If I tell you ten (10) true things that are unrelated, I haven’t lied, but you might infer – improperly – that they are somehow related and combine to form a larger truth, when really they are separate matters,” Emerond said.
Joshua and Romana both looked at him with puzzled expressions.
“What are you talking about?” Joshua asked.
“Yes, please explain more clearly,” Romana asked. She had a mathematical mind, yet Emerond sounded to her like he was spouting vague philosophy.
Emerond paced around the room, looking at the maps and globes and the shelves with vials of water as he did so. He then started explaining, saying: “Here are the verifiable facts as we’ve been told. The tiara exists. It has thirteen (13) blue diamonds. It is now in the possession of the Ahitan woman known as Victoria. Approximately one hundred (100) millennia ago, the Ahitan Empire waged war on the empires of the land – including the early Jenaldej Empire – and ruled the world for twenty-one hundred (2100) years, attacking the land after waves of waters struck.”
“You are disregarding the powers of the tiara,” Romana said.
“The Ahitan rule of the world was not purported to be due to any tiara. No one is saying that they had it then,” Emerond said.
“That is true – they aren’t saying it – but that doesn’t deny the power of the tiara,” Romana said.
“It calls it into question – if they could control the oceans without the tiara, then why do they want the tiara?” Emerond asked.
“And how could they control the oceans at all to make the wave of waters strike the land in those ancient battles, seeing as how powerful that the oceans are?” Joshua asked.
“Excellent question, General. The answer I now suggest is that the Ahitan Empire did not control the oceans. Rather, there were naturally occurring storms and they knew how to predict them accurately. It is theoretically possible that they had a particularly clever light bender – drinking the Lujladia Ocean waters – who could see the currents of the water from afar, anticipate the water movements, and inform the Ahitan navy of where they should travel. They would follow behind the wave of destruction and plunder the flooded villages when the storm ended,” Emerond said.
“A clever hypothesis, admittedly, but this is pure conjecture on your part,” Romana said.
“If they had the power to actually control the oceans, where did it go? Why haven’t they used it to attack so ferociously for the last one hundred (100) millennia? Did they suddenly become more compassionate and cease their attacks? No, I think that those particular oceanic conditions ended, and so the water currents calmed, and deprived them of their strategic and tactical advantage,” Emerond said.
“Powers can rise and fall for other reasons besides changing environmental conditions. The favor of demons comes and goes, and they may have had it for only a short while,” Romana said.
“If they had the favor of a demon, did they suddenly repent of their evil ways and lose the demon’s favor? If so, where is the evidence of their repentance?” Emerond asked.
“They may have failed some unseen objective demanded by the demon,” Romana said.
“That sounds like far-reaching conjecture to me. No one has shown me good reason to believe that the tiara was ever the source of their power, rather than some other source,” Emerond said.
“Is the factual testimony of Chroniclers and the derived wisdom of sages from Emeth not good enough reason to believe? If they were mistaken, the Verifiers would have corrected them,” Romana said.
Ovid considered what was being said – yet he knew that it was not the job of a Chronicler to do anything more than record facts truthfully, without judgment and without drawing any logical conclusions or seeking patterns. In that factual reporting, the testimony of Chroniclers could be trusted. The Verifiers would subject their books of recorded facts to further scrutiny before allowing them to be recorded in Emeth. However, even when a pattern in those facts might seem obvious, the Oath specifically forbade analysis by Chroniclers. Ovid said nothing, but merely considered that Prince Emerond appeared to doubt something that he need not doubt. The conclusions about the danger of the tiara – as reported by the sages, based on facts reported by Chroniclers and tested by Verifiers – should suffice, he thought. Yet, it was not his place to try to convince them, either.
“I don’t deny there’s some form of elevated danger – I believe there is solid evidence they are preparing an attack. The news of the tiara may be a rumor that was spread to distract us. That is a strong indicator of an impending large-scale military action on their part, possibly using a similar technique as they did before. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t have authorized the construction of the new fleets of ships. Or of the ship we’re going to be on…” Emerond said
“What ship is that?” Joshua asked.
“I’ll show you. First, however, I want to invite someone else along, who may be able to turn the tide in our favor, literally,” Emerond said. Then, Emerond opened the door to his office and ordered a guard to bring him one of the guests. A few minutes later, Daven arrived, having been quartered in the castle.
“Daven, here, is a highly experienced and skilled cantor. He told me of his own encounter with the sunfire creature, and how his song was used to repel it during a battle at sea. He has agreed to lend his services to us. We’ve provided him with some of the purest Pirovalen Ocean waters we have, to prepare his songs against whatever we might face,” Emerond said.
“So, you are now admitting that someone actually can control the oceans?” Romana asked, directing the comment toward Emerond and Daven.
“Not the whole ocean – not all at once. Just enough to chase away a fire,” Daven said.
“We still need to put out that fire,” Joshua said.
“Yes, we do. That may have to wait until after we deal with Victoria, however,” Emerond said.
“Troubles come when they will,” Joshua said.
“We will prepare to respond should it return,” Emerond said.
“I would like to see this ship you mentioned,” Joshua said.
“Follow me, General,” Emerond said, and he left his office and then the castle and made his way to one of the small airships docked outside on dry ground with its sailwings extended. Romana, General Joshua and Daven all followed Emerond. Ovid – under the authority of the Chronicler’s Oath – also followed.
Joshua had with him the Spirit Sword, in the event that it proved to be useful. It was better to have it, and not need it, than the other way around. He wasn’t sure what to believe about the Spirit Sword with regards to Victoria – the fact that it had worked against the sunfire creature was another matter enti
rely, and there was no saying that he wouldn’t reappear. Joshua also carried with him an ordinary steel sword that was heavily weighted for maximum cutting power against flesh and blood adversaries.
They boarded the small airship and traveled in it toward the eastern coast until they arrived at the shipyards. From the fifty (50) feet of altitude at which they traveled, they saw many warships present in the waters below, some in the later stages of construction, but one vessel stood out as having a different design that was also much smaller than the others.
“The Persistent was designed and constructed especially for us. It is a one hundred ninety (190) foot long scouting warship, with forty (40) cannons, four (4) pairs of pivot-enabled masts instead of the usual three (3) for added speed and reliability in case of damage. The masts are sixty (60) feet in height instead of the usual ninety (90) feet. It holds a crew of one hundred fifty (150), which includes us,” Emerond said.
“When do we leave?” Joshua asked.
“Where do we go?” Romana asked.
“Do we wait for her to see us?” Daven asked.
“We leave now. We scout the borders of Revod. Unfortunately, we wait, but until we see her, not the other way around,” Emerond said, answering their questions in order.
Emerond landed the airship in a field a short distance from the shipyard and the others followed him as he walked to the Persistent and boarded it.
Ovid took out a small scope from his robes and walked the docks near the ship and began measuring it, seeing if it matched the description that Emerond had given, and it did. Ovid then wrote all of these things into his book, and boarded the Persistent to observe what events may come. He did not want to be in a war – he only wanted to keep the Oath that required him to observe and tell all truth. Unfortunately, the obvious truth was that they were soon going to be in a war.
CHAPTER 5: Guided from Temple to Tower
In the time period ninety (90) millennia ago, a young mathematician named Nov’Talod left the Jenadlej Empire.
Nov’Talod had spent his youth in careful study of mathematics and had a deep understanding of concepts of function, set and number, as well as shape and angle. He knew many ways of counting and measuring and could prove many theorems.
Traditionally, at the age of twenty-three (23), all citizens of the Jenaldej Empire were subject to the waterbinding trials, in which a person’s strongest innate potential was identified and a proper waterbinding was chosen that would be in agreement with it to maximize one’s performance. Because of his innate mathematical ability, Nov’Talod suspected that he would be identified for the waters of the Medathero Ocean, which would greatly multiply the performance of his already strongly logical mind. However, he did not want this choice forced upon him, so he surrendered his citizenship and left the Jenaldej Empire’s home continent of Revod at the age of twenty-one (21).
Nov’Talod traveled the world, seeking answers and studying the structures of buildings and reading what he could of the recorded knowledge in the already ancient city of Emeth. He found many mathematical writings on all subjects, including the waters, from times long ago, and he pondered the meaning of it all. He discovered that many had already gone in pursuit of a goal generally thought to be unobtainable – multiple waterbindings. It was generally understood that no one could have the power of more than one (1) ocean water – if they tried, and crossed the waters of two (2) or more oceans within their bodies, they would suffer the horrific and fatal disease known as crixalethicis. There was no record of even partial success in this pursuit.
Further, he found that a small number of others had tried to break a waterbinding they already had, so as to take a new one, and have a more varied set of powers in life. This, too, resulted in failure, as a waterbinding was permanent. This seemed to him like a less worthwhile pursuit, since it was only supporting indecision: if one could take a waterbinding, he thought, and then break it and replace it with another, not much would be accomplished, and it would only be a marginal victory: you would have two (2) different powers, but not at the same time.
Nov’Talod spent the next eight (8) years studying in Emeth and around the world, collecting knowledge of different cultures and sciences and engineering disciplines and recording it in his own personal journal. Different readings led him to take a more philosophical approach, and pursue the origins of the world and of people and of the oceans themselves. These questions were fascinating, and yet there were so many things that could distract him. He vowed never to have a family, or even a love interest, or become consumed with wealth, as those would all distract from the pursuit of pure knowledge and understanding thereof, which were his true goals.
Upon turning twenty-nine (29), he chose to drink of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean. This would give him ample time to research all those things of interest to him. He felt that his own innate potential for logic would be sufficient to achieve understanding, given enough time to gather knowledge and analyze it. This is time which he now had, anticipating a life that spanned many millennia as a result of the powers of the Ursegan Ocean waters that he now regularly drank. They slowed down the passage of time through him, so that he would age extremely slowly.
Soon after his waterbinding, Nov’Talod decided to go to the Temple of Quiet Purity, famous as a source of inspiration for great thinkers. The temple was located in the mountains of the land bridge known as The Way of Raza’Deptorum, which extended north from the northwestern corner of the continent of Ihalik. There it joined with the Jeshirinko Barrier land bridge, which extended west from the western portion of the continent of Revod. In the temple, he could focus his mind on matters of interest.
The Temple of Quiet Purity was a maze-like arrangement of stone walls, all thirty (30) feet in height, and covering a square area that was two hundred ten (210) feet on a side. A gently-sloped stone roof covered them at a height of forty-one (41) feet, supported by one hundred twenty-one (121) stone pillars, making for an open structure that still provided shielding from the seventy (70) suns. The entire temple was located on an octagonal island surrounded by a lake of dead water. There was no boat, so the prospective student would have to discover his or her own way across a three hundred forty-three (343) foot wide expanse of water.
Nov’Talod approached the edge of the lake and looked toward the temple. He could see, in the distance, that there were several monks looking out over the lake, hoping to see what the next onlooker would decide to do. Most merely gazed. Some brought – or even built – small rafts and traveled across. Others, with strong physiques – no doubt enhanced by the powers of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean which they drank – simply swam the distance. A few, having more money than ability, simply purchased airship transport across the water, which was considered by the monks to be a sign of an unworthy mind.
Nov’Talod, however, drank some of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from the vial he wore on a chain around his neck. He was energized and felt a strong surge of the ocean’s power flow within him. Time slowed down, and he exercised his technique – which he had been developing carefully ever since his waterbinding. By this, he selectively slowed down time around him in particular directions, such that he walked across the surface of the water. He was actually falling into the water, but very slowly – much more slowly than he was proceeding to walk across it. His mastery of this use of the time slowing powers of the Ursegan Ocean waters was unique, as it took incredible precision to execute correctly for every single footstep. Yet, his keen mind conceived of this technique and allowed him to become proficient at it very quickly.
There were many onlookers who saw what he did and stared in disbelief – they did not know by what power that he achieved such things, even though they knew the ocean waters were powerful. The waters were all plentiful – there were literally oceans filled with them – yet the innate potential to use them was uncommon at higher levels, and the extreme precision to use the waters in such innovative ways was rare. Even the monks were impressed by t
he water-walking feat, which they saw as he approached, thinking that he might be a new master instructor, rather than a prospective student. They decided to question him more thoroughly.
There were thirteen (13) monks at the shore of the island ready to meet him, and perhaps a hundred (100) students around them, waiting for instructions. Many more monks and students were within the temple.
“You have found a new way to reach the Temple of Quiet Purity. By what name are you known?” one monk asked. He was a stout man with a gray beard and mustache and a bald head. He appeared to be over fifty (50) years of age.
“I am Nov’Talod,” he answered.
“What is it you wish to contemplate while you are here?” the monk asked.
“Number, set and function,” Nov’Talod answered him.
“Are these things that you do not yet understand?” the monk asked him.
“I can only begin to understand them: there is always more to learn,” Nov’Talod asked.
“Always more? How can you be so certain?” the monk asked him.
“To every number, I can always add one (1) to produce a new number. Thus, the numbers are endless. To every set, I can always insert a new number to produce a new set. Thus, the sets are endless. Between any two non-empty sets, I can always produce at least one function from one set to the other. Thus, the functions are endless. Consequently, then, there will always be more to study,” Nov’Talod answered.
“Your thoughts, then, turn to endless things. Is there quiet within you, or is there an endless flow of thoughts of these endless things?” the monk asked.
“There is an approaching quiet,” Nov’Talod asked.
“When will it arrive?” the monk asked.
