by Jeremy Dwyer
“Money won’t save us,” Zoe said.
“Only prayer can do that,” Romana said.
Daven drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from a vial he carried. He was energized and prepared with a song against another storm. “If there is another tempest, I have an answer,” Daven said.
“Good to know,” Emerond said.
“What does the Spirit Sword now show?” Ovid asked, looking to Joshua.
Joshua looked at it, and the blue lines on it pointed in various directions rather than a particular one.
“The blue lines give no direction,” Joshua said.
“What does that even mean?” Emerond asked.
“Either she is nearby, or the Spirit Sword cannot find her at all,” Joshua said.
Judith and Ovid recorded all these things in their books.
“Set your course for that island,” Emerond said.
“Do not forget that Victoria is the minion of a demon and is likely to use deception,” Judith said.
“We expect tricks and we’ve got our eyes open – I can see pretty far,” Zoe said.
“Are you thinking of something specific?” Joshua asked.
“If she has the power to start the tempest, she has the power to stop it, and then to start it again, with us in the middle. Get to the island quickly, so that we’re not caught in the center of it. When we arrive, position the ship between the mountains as a guard against a sudden storm,” Judith said.
“Your thinking is correct, trustworthy Chronicler. The warning is duly noted,” Emerond said.
“Steer to position us between the mountains,” Emerond ordered the crew.
The crew of the Persistent set their course and headed toward Ixilonotu Island.
CHAPTER 43: Escaping from an Island of Stone
On board the Everlasting Pain, in the waters just off the coast of Ixilonotu Island, Pradrock, Akylas and Akantha surveyed the damage to the ship.
“I see three (3) sections on the right side sailwing with heavy damage,” Akantha said.
“Nothing on the left, fortunately,” Akylas said.
“There doesn’t seem to be any other damage. Although, that is enough,” Pradrock said.
“We do have spare sailcloth, I hope,” Akylas said.
Pradrock opened an old wooden chest on the deck of the ship and revealed large swaths of sailcloth rolled up. “There’s additional sailcloth below deck. This should be more than enough – there’s four hundred (400) square feet,” Pradrock said.
Pradrock handed Torin a string tied to the sailcloth so that he could draw out what he needed.
“Let’s take him out,” Akylas said.
Akylas and Akantha took Torin by the arms and the trio walked out onto the sideways-pivoted mast that was the right side sailwing. They then sat down near the damaged areas so that Torin could work.
Torin started pulling on the string and unrolling the sailcloth from the roll that Pradrock still had on deck. The other end was secured to a dowel in the wooded chest so that it didn’t come all at once. He took out the knife he had used against Victoria and went to put it to its original use – cutting sections of sailcloth.
“No! Wait! That knife has Victoria’s blood on it. Take this one, instead. I can’t have you cursing the ship’s sails with the blood of that demon-worshipper,” Akantha said. She handed Torin a new knife and took the one he had and threw it into the sea.
Torin traced his fingers around the damaged areas and cut the fresh sailcloth to the appropriate size and shape with the new knife. Akylas and Akantha both held on to him so that he didn’t tip over and fall into the water below. It would not have been particularly dangerous, but it would have cost them time that they didn’t believe that they had.
Torin expertly shaped the sailcloth and stitched it with a metal pin. It was faster for him to do the work and have them to act as harnesses than for them to do it. They could fix mechanical failures like broken or bent pivot masts or rudders, but it took a certain manual dexterity to fix sailcloth that they had little patience for, and usually did very slowly. Torin, however, proved to be both quick and precise, even without the ability to see what he was doing.
In under an hour, he had fixed all three (3) torn sections. The trio then walked back onto deck.
“One hour. That was very efficient,” Pradrock said.
“It would have taken me four (4) hours. And you, probably six (6) hours,” Akantha said to her brother, Akylas.
“Which means that it would have taken two point four (2.4) hours if the pair of you had worked together, in perfect cooperation,” Pradrock said.
“I don’t know where that number comes from, but you can explain it later,” Akylas said.
“In this case, the mathematics instruction can wait, although it is something you should understand,” Pradrock said.
“Now that the ship is repaired, where do we go?” Torin asked.
“I have no word of the location of the Ahitan woman. No message has come to me from the other Redfire Sentinels,” Farovaxen said.
“Then we need to travel to the central Glivoran Trail. It’s close to Emeth, and gives us ready access to three (3) oceans,” Pradrock said.
“Are we just going to wait?” Claudia asked.
“Yes. We are going to wait. Position and information can be our advantages. When another tempest strikes, we do not want to be in the middle of it and lose the ship,” Pradrock said.
At this, Pradrock set the course and steered the Everlasting Pain eastward toward the land bridge known as the Glivoran Trail.
~~~
Many colossal stone statues had been disturbed by the powers of the tiara when Victoria used them to strike at the ships. The powers of the Kazofen Ocean waters had been channeled and all stones around had been affected, making them fluid and mobile.
This included a small mass of stone which melted away, revealing a long held secret captive: a man made of diamond.
Zalaxadin the Eighth had been a spirit encased in diamond by Duke Hagan over twelve thousand (12000) years ago. He had wandered the world for some time, chronicling the events he witnessed and cataloging the objects he saw. Eleven thousand (11000) years ago, his search had led him to come to Ixilonotu Island. And his search, for some reason, came to an abrupt end. He had been encased in stone by some means, for some unknown reason, and had not been able to move since. His spirit was awake, but his diamond body was immobile and he waited.
Now, his day of escape had come, and so he moved about freely, if it could be said that a spirit trapped inside of a body of diamond was truly free. He walked about the island, instantly recording all that he saw in his body of diamond.
Zalaxadin the Eighth found his way to a cave in a mountainside, and there he passed by a man waiting in the cave, who appeared to be hiding. It was a curiosity for him, as was all of life. There was nothing else for him to do but to follow his original directive of recording and to make the most of an existence that was better than the anguish he had been in – and deserved – for a life of evil that he had lived while in the flesh. Being a living spirit encased inside a body of diamond, forced to travel the world and record what he saw, wasn’t the worst fate that could have befallen him.
~~~
Xal’Kativok saw a strange creature made of crystal suddenly enter the cave and walk past him. He said nothing, unsure if the creature had noticed him in the low light.
He watched as the crystal creature walked toward the boat and got into it, and then saw that the boat started moving rapidly along the river heading downstream – much more rapidly than it had traveled upstream to bring him here. The boat soon disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel through which the river flowed.
~~~
Zalaxadin the Eighth had briefly noticed a man crouched in the low lighting, and captured the man’s image into his diamond body. However, he now found himself traveling in the darkness, quite rapidly downstream in the boat. He had no notion of where it was taking
him, but felt compelled to discover the mysteries ahead.
~~~
Xal’Kativok then left the cave inside the mountain and returned to the coast. The ships that had been there earlier were no longer visible, but he kept his weapon ready. They may have the power to conceal themselves, he reasoned, by using the powers of the waters of this world for which he had come. He did not have the advantage of those powers, but he expected to face those who did.
~~~
The Persistent arrived at Ixilonotu Island and traveled as an airship over the mountainous terrain. Below they saw the colossal stone statues and the wreckages of ships.
“Colossal statues always have their arms at their sides. These statues have their arms outstretched, as if to strike something,” Emerond said.
Judith and Ovid both recorded what was seen. It was outside their own experiences, as well.
“She manipulated the stone. The powers of the Kazofen Ocean waters let her do that, through the tiara,” Romana said.
“So she brought the statues to life and knocked down all those ships?” Rayner asked.
“Not to life. Only God gives life. But she almost certainly did turn them into weapons,” Romana said.
“If we could turn them on her, that would be something!” Brant said.
“Sure. But ‘if’ doesn’t do us any good,” Rayner said.
“You drink Kazofen. Could you do it?” Romana asked, looking to Emerond.
“Perhaps. To one (1) of them. Not on this scale,” Emerond said.
“That I’d like to see!” Brant said.
“I can see that someone’s still here!” Zoe said. She pointed out to the coast of the island.
“Where?” Emerond asked.
“Who?” Joshua asked.
“Possibly a survivor of the tempest. This person could know something,” Zoe said.
“That’s a stretch,” Emerond said.
“Move the ship closer. He’s by the cave in the mountain, around the corner,” Zoe said.
“No wonder we can’t see him,” Rayner said.
“A little caution might be wise. Let’s proceed, slowly,” Emerond said.
“A big blade is even better,” Brant said, holding up one of the swords.
“Don’t start a fight,” Rayner said.
“No. I just finish fights,” Brant said, holding up the second sword as well.
“There’s no need to make an enemy of a potential ally,” Daven said, always preferring a more peaceful solution. He never assumed evil intentions on the part of anyone – they had to prove themselves an enemy.
The Persistent was moving around the side of the mountain at a slow pace.
~~~
Xal’Kativok saw a ship moving through the air and approaching him. He was ready to return fire, but would not initiate a strike. His restraint was not born of nobility, but practicality. It was better to secure cooperation and achieve his goals with little resistance at the moment.
Xal’Kativok kept close to the mouth of the cave in the mountainside in case he needed to hide quickly.
~~~
“That’s him,” Zoe said.
“I see him now. Go to sea level,” Emerond said.
“Joshua should stay here. I recommend that you meet him,” Romana said to Emerond.
“I will join you, under the authority of the Oath,” Judith said.
“Stay with them, just in case,” Romana said to Brant.
After sheathing one of the swords to free up a hand, Brant drank anew of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean from his vial and was energized, and ready for a fight.
“Keep your sights on him,” Romana said to Zoe.
Zoe readied her bow and kept a close watch on the man on the coast.
The crew of the Persistent lowered the ship to sea level. Then, Emerond, Brant and Judith walked down the boarding ramp of the ship onto the coast.
~~~
Xal’Kativok saw the ship landing in the water and watched as some people on board came onto the island. He decided that it was best to be diplomatic and approach them.
Of course, diplomacy was about lying, so he would begin with one. He had chosen a name that would be more familiar to people of this world – Xavier – rather than giving his true name. He had conceived of other lies, as well.
Xal’Kativok/Xavier approached the three (3) people he saw.
“My ship crashed on the coast in a small storm. I didn’t expect to be found so quickly,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said. He didn’t know about the tempests – he merely invented the tale of the storm as it was probable.
“The storms are everywhere. They are most certainly not small, however,” Emerond said.
“Who might you be?” Judith asked him.
“I am Xavier,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier answered.
“I am Judith, Chronicler of twelve hundred forty-two (1242) years,” Judith said.
Xal’Kativok/Xavier had been trained in many disciplines, including technical and military, diplomatic and intimate, philosophical and metaphysical. He was astonished to hear her age, but did not let his facial expression reveal his surprise. The woman was apparently young – between forty (40) and fifty (50) years of age by his estimation.
“I am Emerond, commander of this vessel,” Emerond said.
“I’m Brant, here to break your neck if you’re on her side,” Brant said.
At this, Xal’Kativok/Xavier wanted to laugh to mock the big brute holding the sword and boasting of his own strength. However, he couldn’t be sure just how much power was behind the lumbering physique, although boasting was a typical sign of the incompetent.
“Whose side?” Xal’Kativok/Xavier asked.
“You haven’t heard? How long were you on this island?” Brant asked.
“A woman named Victoria, of a rival empire of old, has declared war on all of us. Warnings have been sent across the world. She holds the power to bring tempests to each of the seas. That you are still alive after one of them is remarkable,” Emerond said.
“Why bring storms? What is the cause of this war?” Xal’Kativok/Xavier asked. He didn’t really care about the ‘why’ – it was the ‘how’ that he wanted to know. The power to bring a storm would be a power to subjugate and achieve his goals. But he couldn’t start with that question.
“She has more than enough hatred for all people, and more than enough greed to take what they have,” Emerond said.
“She is a minion of a demonic being. There is no ethic in her, and no courtesy due to be given her,” Judith said.
“I can’t say I wanted to be stranded by a storm. If I have this Victoria to thank for it, then that would make her no friend of mine, to say the least,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.
“Did you see anything during the storm?” Judith asked.
“There were two (2) ships. On one of them there was a woman with scars and burns on her,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said. He did not, in fact, see Victoria that close as to observe her previous injuries, but assumed that she would have such scars and burns after having used his light beam weapon on her. He didn’t want to reveal what weapons he had, however, so he suggested that they were already present on her.
“That is likely Victoria,” Judith said.
“Some of her guards fired arrows at me. I hid in the cave,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.
“I don’t see a scratch on you,” Brant said.
“Then you move quickly if you can avoid archers,” Emerond said.
“What else occurred?” Judith asked.
“Somebody hit this Victoria and she screamed, and then her ship disappeared,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.
“Who hit her?” Judith asked.
“I’m not sure. I saw her move as if a blade or arrow struck her, but my view was not clear enough to say the source of it – it must have come from the far side of her,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.
“If her ship disappeared, she is likely moving to her next target. It’s time to go,” Emerond said and turned to w
alk back to the Persistent.
“Could I secure transport with you?” Xal’Kativok/Xavier asked.
“I’m sorry, but we’re in the middle of a war. We have to prepare for what’s next. There’s no time to take you anywhere, or to protect you,” Emerond said, stopping to look back.
“You’ll be safer here than out there,” Brant said.
“I’m trained in combat. I’ve every reason to fight against someone who fired upon me first,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.
“Prove it,” Brant said.
In the blink of an eye, Xal’Kativok/Xavier was on the other side of Brant, holding the sword that Brant held a split-second ago. Brant should have been fast enough and strong enough to stop it, having recently drunk of the Nabavodel Ocean waters that he carried in his vial.
“Fine blade, in need of a better grip,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said, waving the sword back and forth and admiring the sharp edge.
Brant held out his hand and Xal’Kativok/Xavier reached out to hand the sword to him. Brant put his hand around Xal’Kativok/Xavier’s hand, which still held the sword, and Brant clenched it tight, lifting him up five (5) feet off of the ground.
“With strength like yours, I should have been unable to take the sword,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said, quite calmly, merely assessing Brant’s musculature.
“With speed like yours, you drink the Nabavodel water, don’t you?” Brant asked.
“No. I have undergone intensive combat training,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said, still in the air. This was a gain – now he knew the name of the water that gave speed.
Brant lowered him and released his grip.
Xal’Kativok/Xavier handed the sword over to Brant, who accepted it this time.
“So what do you drink?” Brant asked.
“Plain water,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.
“Then how are you so fast?” Brant asked.
“When the strong fail to perceive the ways of the weak, then the weak become strong…and fast. You must be more perceptive,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said.
“We need strength, speed and perception to go against her,” Emerond said.
