by Jeremy Dwyer
Unseen by them, the warrior angel Nalvorel stood in the city, and held back the waves, causing them to stop and become a wall of water surrounding the land bridge, rather than a flood.
Still, many screamed in terror, and others were silent in their fear, as the waves rose to hundreds of feet in height – far higher than any airship could ordinarily travel.
All the Chroniclers in the city, as well as the sages and Verifiers, saw these things. The Chroniclers recorded them, indicating only that the waters did not intrude upon the city.
Some Chroniclers were not drinkers of the Ursegan Ocean waters, so they were not long-lived. Instead, some of these drank the Lujladia Ocean waters, so they could see immense distances by their power to bend light, and they strained to see past the waves of water that assaulted the coast but never struck the land. Ordinarily, these “Far Sight Chroniclers” would be responsible for observing events from a distance without ever having to approach a situation up close, and could thereby record what they saw without having to enter into a confidence which would delay the release of their writings. On this occasion, they could not see far enough, as there were limits to just how far one could see, and how much light could be turned around corners and curves of the horizon, without the right conditions. The crashing waves, and the high walls of water, now made the difficult into the nearly impossible.
Drinkers of every ocean water were in Emeth, including those who drank of the Zovvin Ocean waters. The most powerful among these – having both the greatest innate potential and the purest water within them – could see clearly into the spirit world. They caught glimpses of something powerful, but were not sure what it was. It was thought that there may be a guardian angel among them, and the rumor of this spread, but they did not know who it was, and not everyone believed them.
Danek, upon hearing the rumors of a guardian angel, did believe them, however. He stood near the coast of the Emeth land bridge and watched the wall of water as it rose up high. He saw that the water was abruptly blocked from entering the City of Emeth.
Next to Danek stood the Chronicler named Silvius.
“There is a guardian angel of this city. That is why the tempest cannot strike here,” Danek said.
“I will record that you said there is a guardian angel. I will not record that there is one, however, as I do not see it myself,” Silvius said.
“There is no threat from these rising waters. However, other dangers may appear in time,” Danek said. He was still concerned about false recordings making their way into Emeth. Floods, however, were something he knew would not touch them.
CHAPTER 13: Retreat of the Advisors of Treachery
Cassius, going by the name Brynmor, and Liora, going by the name Tara, were present in the northern palace of the Ihalik Empire, because they had recently delivered additional supplies of their wares – the crystals for military use – to the empire.
A general asked him: “Master Brynmor, when will you be able to deliver your next shipment?”
Before Cassius/Brynmor could answer, a scout arrived with an urgent report.
“What is your report, officer?” the general asked.
“A tempest in the Trerada Ocean has driven the waters onto the land. Over one million (1000000) are estimated dead. Additionally, the waters have reached Meridianus, with an estimated additional one million (1000000) deaths. The surrounding land bridges were also affected,” the scout said, clearly distressed.
Hearing of the massive number, Cassius/Brynmor and Liora/Tara were both frightened.
“We will deliver as quickly as we can, provided that we can still have access to the materials we need,” Cassius/Brynmor said.
“I need to know where the enemy will strike next, or the supplies will be of no use to us. Do you have a way of seeing where she is going, Master Brynmor?” the general asked.
Cassius/Brynmor did not have a good answer, but his clever mind did suggest an answer that was more likely true than desirable, so he said: “If I had a weapon of great magnitude, but still not sufficient to eliminate my adversary in a single stroke, I would choose my targets seemingly at random. The element of surprise would stretch their defenses thin.”
“That’s nothing that a competent military strategist couldn’t realize for himself!” the general said, disappointed and angry at the lack of originality.
“But there’s nothing random about the placement of towns along the coasts. The enemy can be certain of where the target will be, but the reverse is not true, hence her greatest advantage,” Cassius/Brynmor said.
“What are you suggesting, Master Brynmor?” the general asked.
“Order everyone to abandon the coastal towns and move inland,” Cassius/Brynmor said.
“We need the coastal towns! That would be surrender!” the general said.
“To stay would be suicide. Frustrate the enemy with the lack of a target. They can return to the coast at a later time. Deny the enemy her target so that her powers and efforts are wasted,” Cassius/Brynmor said.
“That is far more difficult in practice than you might realize,” the general said.
“Every small defeat that can be delivered…” Cassius/Brynmor began to say.
“You have no good answers! Begone! I am done with you!” the general shouted.
~~~
At this, Cassius/Brynmor and Liora/Tara left the palace and made their way toward the inn at which they had been staying in the harbor town of Lahavinik. It was, remarkably, untouched, as the waters did not yet damage that part of the coast.
“If the Ahitan woman returns to strike again, this place may not be spared a second time,” Cassius said.
“Should we move further inland?” Liora asked, terribly frightened at the previous reports.
“Inland may be the only safe choice, for now,” Cassius said.
The two gathered up what supplies they had remaining in their room. These consisted of only a few dozen of each of the crystals and they kept them in small pouches in their cloaks. They left the inn and the harbor town and made their way inland. They traveled on foot and were able to find another town with another inn, and stayed there.
Once in their new room, Liora asked Cassius: “Do you believe that this empire can put an end to the attacks? How many more will die?” She asked this out of fear for herself primarily, but not without compassion for others. She knew that Cassius was a ruthless murderer, but she trusted his cleverness to discover an escape from the danger.
Cassius explained his thinking to Liora, thinking that she may yet be useful to him. He said: “The armies and navies of this empire – and of others – will be greatly stressed by this enemy. When the reports were first given of the tiara, I looked into the matter for myself. There are records of earlier sightings of it – or something that fits its description – that are most interesting. The item supposedly has great power over the very waters. The woman who has it – Victoria – is wielding it as a weapon. Yet, its destructive potential, I believe, is merely a byproduct of its primary function,” Cassius said.
“What is its primary function?” Liora asked.
“To explore the waters, to search their very depths. The probing of the waters requires moving them, and, in this, there is a dangerous chaos. Yet, the chaos is not the purpose,” Cassius said.
“What is being searched for?” Liora asked.
“Nothing. At least, not by Victoria. She is intent on killing as many people as she possibly can,” Cassius said.
“What did you mean by exploring the waters and searching their depths?” Liora asked, now confused.
“The original architect of the tiara had different intentions. A man named Serfex, over one hundred seventy (170) millennia ago, designed it. He was searching for a city – the existence of which was said to be only a myth,” Cassius said.
“What city?” Liora asked. She was impressed by how much Cassius seemed to know, so her confidence in him was growing, along with a sense of safety from being in his
presence. Yet, she knew that trusting him too much was also dangerous.
“The city was called by the name Thalkalana. It was said to be underground, or even under the oceans themselves,” Cassius said.
“But it was believed to be a myth?” Liora asked.
“It was said to be a myth. Some may have believed it to be only a myth, but others may have been lying to conceal something,” Cassius said.
“You think it’s real?” Liora asked.
“The oceans are immensely powerful – yet the tiara controls them. Anyone who could construct such a device likely has the intelligence to reason about evidence and make a determination of whether a purported artifact of history is likely to exist,” Cassius said.
“What are you saying?” Liora asked.
“Serfex believed that it existed. Based on indications I have of his intellect, I also believe, therefore, that the city exists,” Cassius said.
“Why is this city even important?” Liora asked.
“Because it may be the source of a great deal of lost knowledge – powerful knowledge that is not in Emeth,” Cassius said.
“It’s about the pursuit of power, then?” Liora asked, annoyed that this murderous old man seemed to be attracted to even more power.
“Everything is about power, my dear. If you doubt me, then ask yourself where you would be without your own powers to bend crystals? What would life have in store for you in that case?” Cassius asked.
“The ability to use the power of the ocean waters is in all of us,” Liora said.
“Not equally. Some have far more innate potential, and they are rewarded for it, if they use it properly,” Cassius said.
“You just have to find the right water. That’s what the waterbinding trials are for. They do work,” Liora said.
“That doesn’t change the most important fact – you only get to take one,” Cassius said.
“That’s just the way it is,” Liora said.
“That hasn’t stopped some from pursuing more. This city may hold secrets to untold power. Perhaps it is possible to live many years, like the drinkers of the Ursegan waters do, yet still have the other powers. Even drinking two (2) different ocean waters would be a great gain: long life eludes many, as they pursue control over the other elements,” Cassius said.
“Greed ruins many men,” Liora said.
“And many women. But, desire for more leads us to grow into our fullest potential,” Cassius said.
“Desire for too much leads us to steal from others,” Liora said.
“Ambition must be moderated, of course. Only a fool betrays his useful allies,” Cassius said.
Liora didn’t trust Cassius’ intentions, but she was curious about what was next, and about how much longer Cassius would find her to be useful.
“Do you think that Victoria is looking for the city?” Liora asked.
“I have my doubts that she is interested in anything other than recreating the old Ahitan Empire on the ruins of today’s society,” Cassius said.
“She has to be stopped. She’ll murder everyone. If she finds that city, she’ll misuse whatever is in it to murder even more,” Liora said.
“I do agree that she should be stopped – there is no bargaining with one such as her. The Ahitan way was merciless destruction. They did not seek alliances or trade agreements – only blood,” Cassius said. He shuddered at the thought of having his own spilled by those savages.
“How can she be stopped? Don’t these crystals have some use against her?” Liora asked, holding up one of them. She was frustrated that they didn’t bring an end to Victoria already in the hands of the Ihalik Empire.
“It will be immensely difficult, and many are going to perish against her. The tiara has a dangerous power – and it is most certainly in the wrong hands,” Cassius said, thinking that he should be in possession of it, or in control of whoever was.
~~~
Many people on the coasts of Ihalik had just barely escaped the waters of the tempest with their lives, avoiding both the storm surge and the toxic rain – toxic because it was of a water which was different from the one they drank, and they had to avoid ingesting it.
In far too many cases, their homes and places of work had been destroyed. Their families had even been lost. They left the coast and headed inland, looking to rebuild somewhere else. Although they had escaped the storm in the moment, there was no saying that it couldn’t suddenly move to strike somewhere else.
Some who traveled inland wandered through the forests and swamps. This included the area with the cave where Lycaon – former advisor to Emperor Brennius, subsequent ruler of the Ihalik Empire after both Brennius and his two sons were dead – was hiding.
From listening to passersby, Lycaon heard the terrible reports of over one million (1000000) dead along the coastal regions of this continent and as many more having been killed in the coastal regions of the continent of Meridianus – all by the powerful tempest in the Trerada Ocean.
Lycaon had been given a share of his former wealth and had used small portions of it to hire the services of passersby to bring him food, as he acted the part of a hermit in the swamp. He kept his appearance disheveled so that he would appear to be poor and uninteresting. It would not be wise, he thought, to spend his wealth to afford himself even a small castle. To do so, he reasoned, would suggest that he was wealthier than he was, and he might be forced to defend it against bandits and this would soon exhaust what treasure he had to hire guards.
Hearing the reports of the massive numbers of deaths only reassured him that he was wise not to invest too heavily in a fortified residence in this area – rather, he may want to move further inland to avoid the next attack. He was old and weak, but not poor, sick or foolish. He wished to live many more years, and believed that better days may come, if only he could survive the current perils.
It was time, he thought, to hire transport and move inland, to a region where his treasure would purchase much, and few questions would be asked, as long as he didn’t make a spectacle of his wealth.
When a group of five (5) travelers moved through the area quickly, he called to them, saying: “Bring a wagon and horse to an old man, for cost and profit, that he may be on his way.”
The travelers, young and afraid of the danger on the coast, looked at the old man, dressed in ragged clothing, and felt no pity for him. They said: “Old man, we have no time to bring you anything! Let the flood come and take you away like it did to all the people on the coast. You’re days are few, so why bother?”
Lycaon was furious and came running out of the cave, brandishing a walking stick that he had to keep up his appearance as a poor old hermit. He swung the walking stick back and forth, saying: “Have you no respect for an old man? I would have paid you the cost and more, young filth.”
The travelers were all young men, and they were not afraid of a crazy old hermit. One of them picked up a stone and threw it at Lycaon, striking him on the right arm, so that he dropped the walking stick. He screamed and held the injured arm with his left hand, and the young travelers laughed and walked away.
Lycaon returned to the cave, hoping to meet with a more congenial sort next time.
While waiting in his cave, he considered that matters were quite terrible. He was in no position to do anything, and spending his wealth too freely would have drawn dangerous attention to himself. He could not build an army or a navy to match the powers of an empire, much less the dangerous woman with the tiara. He suspected that she would kill again and again, and that he would have to live out his days as a recluse in the inland areas – dethroned and hidden away from the dangers around. This might be safe, but it was not the life he really wanted. Lycaon desired to return to the seat of power, if it still existed after Victoria was done striking the world with the raging waters.
CHAPTER 14: Lured by a Tempest of Beauty
On board the Tidal Sovereign, the light scouts – energized by the waters of the Lujladia Ocean which they d
rank – could see over great distances, even around the curve of the horizon. Thus, they had a clear view of the continents and most of the land bridges bordering the Trerada Ocean upon which the ship was floating, as the waters did not strike an obstacle and become walls to block their sight, but flooded the lands. They could even see the bodies of the masses of people being carried out to sea and drowned.
“To the south, the waves of water have struck at Meridianus, killing not less than one million (1000000) of the enemy there, drowning them,” one light scout reported to Victoria.
“To the northwest, the tempest has battered the coast of Ihalik, killing not less than one million (1000000) of the enemy there, as well, dragging their corpses into the ocean,” a second light scout reported to Victoria.
Victoria was pleased to hear this. “Excellent! Let the waves of water kill them all!”
“To the east, the storm has struck the Farmer’s Road, killing not less than three hundred twenty thousand (320000) of the enemy, and their bodies have been swept out to sea,” a third light scout said.
“To the southwest, the waters have battered the Admiral Ramalaxis Bridge, killing at least fifty-nine thousand (59000), and dragging their corpses into the oceans,” a fourth light scout said.
“To the north, the tempest has struck even the Glivoran Trail, killing at least three hundred forty-two thousand (342000) and washing the bodies of the enemy out to sea,” a fifth light scout said.
“The storm has struck even the ships in the sea, sinking no less than six hundred (600) of them, and killing at least one hundred eighty thousand (180000) of their crew,” a sixth light scout said.
“The masses shall die until the world belongs to us!” Victoria said.
However, a seventh light scout was also looking toward Emeth. This particular scout could see that the waters did not go any further than the coast, and simply halted there.
