by Jeremy Dwyer
~~~
Victoria, her two (2) guards and Taesa walked to the Armada Room, then down the staircase, through the tunnel and to the Tidal Sovereign on the lake in the underground cavern.
Taesa looked around and saw no exit. “How did this ship even get in here?” Taesa asked. She had seen this place before on her return from Thalkalana, but was suddenly curious about it now. She was also slightly anxious, as well as curious, about what was to come.
“Sometimes, you should just wait and watch and take in all the wonders,” Victoria said, smiling at the thoughts of the awesome power that was to be put on display very soon.
The demon, Matatirot, sensed their presence on the waters and opened a portal, pushing the Tidal Sovereign through it. Taesa only saw blackness envelop the ship and she screamed: “What is this?” Taesa had been on voyages like this before – both arriving in, and returning from, Thalkalana – but she was acutely aware of it now.
The portal opened onto the Pirovalen Ocean and the Tidal Sovereign suddenly appeared on the waters of that ocean.
“Do you see? There was nothing to fear,” Victoria said gently, to reassure Taesa.
“Where are we now?” Taesa asked.
“On the song waters – the very ones from which you drink,” Victoria said.
“How did we get here?” Taesa asked.
“My master rules the seas, and through him, I am free to travel to every ocean!” Victoria said.
“How is that possible?” Taesa asked.
“Not all things are for you to understand…not yet, anyway,” Victoria said.
~~~
Tak’Tarian saw the appearance of a ship in the distance, and the woman standing on its deck. He knew that this was the enemy.
“En’Leva, the Ahitan woman is here,” Tak’Tarian said.
En’Leva drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial and was energized. She reached out to the red suns and sent forth her message of warning, and the message passed to all the red suns, and down to the other Redfire Sentinels who were listening.
~~~
On board the Everlasting Pain, Farovaxen received a message from the red suns.
“She is upon the Pirovalen Ocean,” Farovaxen said.
“Setting our course, due southeast,” Pradrock said, and he steered the ship himself, with the ghost of Captain Tychon no longer in his service.
~~~
On board the Persistent, Joshua saw that the glowing blue lines on the Spirit Sword started to move and take on a direction.
“The glowing lines give direction. To the southeast,” Joshua said.
“Set a course, due southeast,” Emerond ordered.
The crew of the Persistent steered the ship and began making their way.
~~~
On board the Tidal Sovereign, Victoria said: “Set your course for Modajatisk Island.”
The crew of the Tidal Sovereign began steering the ship.
The Tidal Sovereign soon arrived at the mountainous Modajatisk Island and docked at its coast.
Victoria and four (4) of her guards escorted Taesa onto the island and up to the top of a hill.
“Here is where you will wait for him. First, however, you must be at your best,” Victoria said.
“What of the dream? Does it concern you?” Taesa asked.
“Do not speak of it,” Victoria said, distantly. She didn’t want to be reminded, but she was still afraid of Taesa’s dream, despite the old woman’s rebuke.
“I worry about you. Please know – I love you. You’re the closest I have to a sister. Seeing you hurt like this sickens me. It worries me. I don’t want to lose you,” Taesa said, staring at the cuts and burns on Victoria, which had only grown in number.
“I love you as well. Do not be afraid,” Victoria said and hugged her close, more sincerely than she had ever hugged the old woman. She truly loved Taesa as a dear adopted sister, and hoped to see her again. Yet, she didn’t know for sure what might occur next, or if the girl would come to harm or even be killed.
“Your burns and scars are real! How can I not be afraid?” Taesa asked, almost crying.
“Fear is to guide us back to our proper course when something would steer us wrong. When fear gets in the way of what we must do, then it serves no good purpose,” Victoria said. She was afraid of the old woman even more than she was of the dream. She also put her confidence in the master.
“What is that proper course?” Taesa asked.
“Drink anew and I will tell you,” Victoria said.
Taesa drank of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from the vial she had been given. They were very pure and she was highly energized.
“Now, look at me, and don’t be afraid,” Victoria said.
Taesa looked and she saw Victoria now had violet eyes. Taesa was instantly in the trance.
“I will return to my ship. You will wait here. When you see the ship move out, that is the time for you to sing. I won’t go far. I just don’t want to be in the way. No matter what you see or hear, just sing,” Victoria said.
“Yes. I will wait and then sing,” Taesa said.
Victoria and her four (4) guards returned to the Tidal Sovereign and Victoria held out her arms. The blue diamonds in the tiara glowed and the still air turned to a breeze and then to a strong wind and then to a dangerous gale. The calm seas began to ripple and then larger and larger waves began to form. The tempest had begun. It was all around the ocean, except for the calm center where the Tidal Sovereign and Modajatisk Island were.
A light scout said: “To the east, the tempest is striking at the Scholar’s Path, yet, I see no one being carried by the waves. They are inland, and avoiding the coast.”
A second light scout said: “To the west, the storm has battered the Farmer’s Road. I see no bodies being washed out to sea. They are in the hills and mountains, avoiding the edge of the water.”
A third light scout said: “To the southwest, the waves of water have crashed upon the shores of Meridianus. Still, I see no corpses being swept away. They are avoiding the shores.”
A fourth light scout said: “To the north, the waters are forming a high wall, but not striking at Emeth.”
Once again, unseen by anyone who lacked a clear view of the spirit world, the Guardian Angel Nalvorel guarded the city of Emeth, protecting the truth it held and those who were in the city.
A fifth light scout said: “All around us, I see no ships being struck. They have not come out to sail upon the sea.”
“Move the ship out a short distance,” Victoria said.
The crew moved the Tidal Sovereign out only a quarter mile from the island.
~~~
Taesa looked down and saw the ship move out, and then she felt compelled to sing, as she had been ordered by the woman with the violet eyes:
Sail to me,
I will be your distant shore,
Hear me call across the ocean,
I'm the one you're searching for.
The many waves...they suddenly
Crash your ships...with deadly force.
The rain and wind...strike ceaselessly,
And move you off your chosen course.
Sail to me,
Do not delay any more.
Full speed ahead,
My heart is now an open door.
Everywhere...you try to go, you lose your way and your hope dies.
Anywhere...you look you see, the rough seas and the stormy skies.
Every time...you feel pain, you think you still have strength to fight.
Any time...you see the suns, you think it's day, it's really night.
Sail to me,
My voice will reach into your core.
Come closer still,
I'm the one that you adore.
Oceans wide, with powers great,
Waters far beyond what you can understand.
The journey's end is up to fate,
Mortal eyes do not see the distant land.
Sail to me.
Trust no star to guide your way.
My voice is true,
From my path you must not stray.
Never will you live in dark.
Never will you suffer the tempest.
For certain will you reach the end,
Forever will you be at rest.
My love will complete your quest.
Victoria used the powers of the tiara to channel the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean to their utmost. The song that Taesa sang carried across the Pirovalen Ocean in every direction, to every island, and hundreds of miles inland on the continent of Meridianus and the land bridges around the ocean.
The call of the Sail to Me song was powerful, enchanting and irresistible. Ships set sail in great number: by the tens, by the hundreds, by the thousands, by the tens of thousands, by the hundreds of thousands.
~~~
On Yapazatoc Island, Fantine and Admiral Gavin and Nathan saw the waves of water from the tempest battering the crystal defense tower, yet they were safe.
“The tempest has begun!” Admiral Gavin said.
And then they heard a voice out over the distance, and it grew louder, closer and clearer.
“What is this? Who is singing?” Fantine asked.
“That is the most beautiful voice I have ever heard. Such a song is beyond any…” Admiral Gavin said, enchanted by the music.
“This is quite beyond ordinary musical talent. Far beyond…” Nathan said.
Admiral Gavin started walking down the steps of the tower, and Nathan started to follow him, as did the crystal benders who had worked with Fantine.
“No! No! No! Stay here! Stay out of the water! Stay out of the storm! Don’t sail into it!” Fantine screamed, and she ran in front of them.
Admiral Gavin pushed Fantine out of the way and made his way down the steps. The crystal benders went with him.
“She says Sail to Me!” Admiral Gavin said, clearly captivated.
Fantine grabbed Nathan’s arm and his small stature made his strength less than a match for hers. It was not that she was strong, but his life was that of the mind, and he focused on logic rather than physical strength. The Medathero Ocean waters that he drank granted him clear and calm reason to concentrate on mathematics, not on might.
“Don’t follow them! You’ll die! They’re going to die!” Fantine screamed while holding his arm.
Nathan was still caught in the song’s enchantment, and continued to try to pull away.
Fantine used her powers from the Kazofen Ocean waters that she drank and was able to reach out with one hand and bend crystal and thereby mold the crystal walls, thus sealing off the exit of the tower. Nathan was now unable to escape, and Fantine did not have to depend on her tenuous hold on him.
However, Admiral Gavin and the crystal benders had already escaped the crystal defense tower, boarded the Resource Surveyor Three and set their course for where they thought the song was coming from, and the tempest engulfed and destroyed the ship, killing them all.
Fantine watched in horror as she looked down and saw the Resource Surveyor Three’s destruction, and Nathan was still under the enchantment from the song, but was trapped in the tower, and safe from the storm.
“Don’t you see?! They died! The song is a lie!” Fantine screamed.
“It’s a beautiful song. Her voice is powerful and rich like a symphony orchestra,” Nathan said, still enchanted by the power of it. His ordinarily highly logical mind was unable to resist the call of the Sail to Me song. Yet, he was fortunate that his escape from the tower was now prevented by Fantine’s awareness, determination and her powers over the structure.
~~~
On Riquivindi Island, Lady Onora and Captain Guillermo stood on the hilltop and saw the waves of water come crashing down on the shores. However, the tempest did not strike where they stood.
Unseen by either of them, a Guardian Angel named Trinakorel was standing nearby and deflecting all the waves, protecting Lady Onora, and by extension, Captain Guillermo, who was by her side.
“The tempest is mighty indeed! It will be remembered for all time, as a legend,” Captain Guillermo said.
“This tempest is brought by an evil you could not imagine,” Lady Onora said.
Soon, a beautiful singing voice was heard all around them.
“Who is that singing? That is the most enchanting voice I have ever heard. I must know who it is,” Guillermo said. He moved to make his way toward his ship.
“No! Captain, do not be lured into the storm! There is an immense evil power at work!” Lady Onora said.
“Who could not appreciate the beauty of such a voice as that?” Guillermo asked, captivated by the Sail to Me song.
“You must not be fooled! I pray to the One True God that you are not taken by this lie!” Lady Onora said.
A power overtook Guillermo and he fell to the ground, unable to move his legs. He was unsure of what happened, because his health was good. He was at a loss for words due to the surprise, but he stayed near the hilltop next to Lady Onora.
~~~
On Cradana Island, Tak’Tarian saw the waves of water, but Redfire Sentinels always made a point of building their dwellings high up in the hills and the mountains of their island outposts. There was no danger from the tempest.
Then, he heard the singing of the Sail to Me song.
“Such a voice is greater than any I have ever heard!” Tak’Tarian said.
“Whoever is singing is a rival to the voice of any of the singers of our order,” En’Leva said.
“I must know who is singing it. I must see her. I must be closer,” Tak’Tarian said and he began walking down the hill toward one of the ships he had kept.
“No! Not into the storm!” En’Leva said to him, grabbing his arm.
“It’s too beautiful. Please, let me be closer to it,” Tak’Tarian said.
“No! The tempest! Look at the waves crashing onto the shore down below! We’re supposed to save ships from this! Not sail into it!” En’Leva said.
“She says ‘Sail to Me!’ I must,” Tak’Tarian said, pulling away. He walked down the hill and went onto one of his boats, sailing into the storm, and to his death.
All that En’Leva could do was watch his death, and scream and cry. Then, she screamed and cried even more. She knew the stories of Tak’Tarian’s generosity, and thought it a great and sad loss that such a kind man would have met such a dreadful fate before her very eyes.
~~~
The Everlasting Pain quickly made its way to the northeastern coast of the Farmer’s Road land bridge where all the crew could see the tempest now rising in the Pirovalen Ocean. Now, they were at the edge of the deadly storm.
“We can’t go any further! We can’t meet her,” Akantha said.
“At least we’re not in the middle of it,” Akylas said.
“We were too slow arriving. The tempest is far too powerful to enter,” Farovaxen said.
“Stopping Victoria is going to be nearly impossible while the tempest rages. But it won’t last. When she can do no more, she will end it and leave, in search of another location,” Pradrock said.
“The killing goes on and on, and there’s just one storm after another,” Caroline said.
“These are her storms – remember that! It will go on and on until we can kill her, or get that tiara off of her head,” Akantha said.
“These storms are too powerful. How could we even believe it’s some tiara that causes them? The heat of the suns from before must have boiled the oceans to stir up these storms,” Caroline said.
“I believe it is the tiara. This world has many bizarre powers,” Akylas said.
“If you think this is bizarre, you should take a look into the spirit world some time,” Akantha said.
Then, they heard the singing of the Sail to Me song.
“This song is like no other,” Torin said.
“She has a gifted voice – truly gifted,” Akylas said.
“I’ve known many singers of the Re
dfire Sentinels over the years, yet none had a voice such as this,” Va’Qileren said.
“That voice could guide ships through any storm,” Farovaxen said.
“That voice is stunning. This is beyond any song I’ve ever heard,” Pradrock said.
At this, he began steering the Everlasting Pain into the storm.
Akantha and Caroline looked at each other and each grabbed one of Pradrock’s arms and tried to pull him away. Claudia grabbed him from behind and threw him down onto the deck of the ship with speed and ease – she had to hold herself back to avoid actually snapping his neck and killing him in the process.
“Not going to happen! We’re staying right here! Song or no song!” Claudia said.
“What is happening?” Akantha asked.
Caroline’s ears seemed to be deceiving her, but then, she thought, she should trust them.
“No! It can’t be true,” Caroline said.
“What can’t be true?” Claudia asked, still holding Pradrock as he now sat on the deck of the ship, startled but uninjured.
“That sounds like her voice. No! It can’t be her! It can’t be her!” Caroline said.
~~~
On board the Persistent, all the crew could see the tempest in the Pirovalen Ocean. They were at the edge of it, over the southeastern coast of the Farmer’s Road land bridge.
“We’re too late. The tempest is already too powerful to enter. We can’t get close enough,” Emerond said.
“We will have to wait until she expends herself, or decides to strike elsewhere. Many have abandoned the coast lines so as to be away from the tempest. This will deny her the advantage,” Joshua said.
“No. They’re going into the sea! They’re sailing into the tempest,” Zoe said, pointing at ships around her. Several ships were mysteriously traveling into the storm.
Suddenly, they heard the singing of the Sail to Me song, as well.
“What is that voice? That absolutely enchanting voice? Yet, I’ve heard it before…” Emerond asked.
“A voice gifted beyond ordinary, drinking the purest water,” Joshua said.
“She does have a nice voice!” Brant said.
“I would like to meet the one with that voice,” Xal’Kativok/Xavier said, feeling drawn and filled with desire to be closer to the singer.
