Castle & Conceit

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “Yes, Your Imperial Majesty,” Nikolai said. He then drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial and was energized again. He touched the tip of the scepter – where the mount was located – and adjusted its structure to hold the diamond, fusing them together. Nikolai then handed the diamond-tipped scepter over to Octavian and said: “It is my greatest pleasure to present this to you.”

  Octavian received the scepter and admired it. He then stood up from his throne and wielded the scepter upright. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his reflection clearly in the diamond at its tip.

  “Now, Your Imperial Majesty, as you look about, all of your subjects can gaze upon your handsome face and give you the admiration which you so deserve,” Gregory said, wishing to take credit for the idea that Cassius had.

  “Indeed, they shall,” Octavian said.

  “Yet, we come to tell you even more good news – that of our latest success,” Cassius said.

  “Is it news of an even more magnificent castle that you have constructed for me?” Octavian asked.

  “We will build another, greater castle in due time, Your Imperial Majesty,” Nikolai said.

  “And it will be an even greater sight to behold, reflecting your perfection more clearly, for all to see and admire,” Gregory said.

  “I do look forward to a far greater castle, so that all the people of the world will come to its gates and pay tribute to me,” Octavian said.

  “As expected, there was resistance to paying tribute to you in the gemstones you required. Yet, the enemy’s remains lie before us, turned to ash. Their vast wealth – measured in diamonds – is waiting in a city to the east,” Cassius said.

  “Yes! Victory! Wealth! Bring to me the greatest of their diamonds, and the best of these will be placed upon this scepter,” Octavian said delightedly, triumphantly.

  “We shall do exactly that, Your Imperial Majesty,” Nikolai said.

  “It is time to take our winnings and return home, and to prepare for even greater glory. We should call for more ships: treasure galleons, as well as warships to defend them,” Cassius said.

  Octavian then ordered one of his lower-ranking advisors, saying: “Marcus: Send one (1) ship of the fleet back to Ihalik, and have it return with three (3) warships, along with four (4) treasure galleons.”

  “Yes, Your Imperial Majesty,” Marcus said.

  “Be cautious when crossing the desert sands. There are other dangers besides scorpions,” Cassius said to Marcus before he left.

  ~~~

  Marcus left the castle of glass, escorted by ten (10) troops and two (2) animal controllers who drank the waters of the Gradaken Ocean. By their power to control animals, they deftly avoided the snakes and scorpions indigenous to the Citrine Desert. The group proceeded to the western coast of the continent of Volaraden and Marcus relayed Imperial Prince Octavian’s orders to the fleet, from which one (1) ship was chosen to make the return trip across the oceans, back to their home continent of Ihalik.

  Marcus also relayed Octavian’s orders to bring the greatest of the diamonds, so more troops were dispatched to begin bringing the diamonds from the mining town and placing them on ships bound for Ihalik. The troops met no further resistance and the wealth of Octavian’s empire grew.

  Some of the finest and clearest diamonds were handpicked from among these to give to Octavian personally. Nikolai took the best diamond and – by the powers of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean – he molded it to be even clearer and placed it upon the tip of Octavian’s scepter, replacing the earlier diamond.

  Octavian held the scepter upright at all times, staring into the diamond at its tip. Although his gaze was now forward – instead of looking downward into a diamond held in his hands – he still only noticed his reflection and dismissed nearly everything else.

  ~~~

  The Obscure Watcher named Yasushi knew that it was time to give a report, so he began his journey to Emeth. He traveled from the Citrine Desert battlefield, first by foot to the sand dunes, and – when they gave him sufficient cover – he dug out his very small scout airship from under the sand, hidden in a carefully chosen location.

  Yasushi eased his powers and returned to the light from the darkness, no longer needing its cover. As his scout airship was powered by the suns – with diamonds embedded in its sailcloth to collect their light energy – he traveled quickly at a low altitude above the desert sands toward the northern coast of Volaraden, where it met the Dead Waters Ocean.

  The waters of the Dead Waters Ocean gave no power at all to those who drank of them, and quenched their thirst only in the most basic sense. As there was no opportunity for the crew members on board the ships that sailed across that ocean to use its waters to recharge their powers, they had to renew their supplies from afar, adding to the cost of giving transport, and to the fares they charged to passengers.

  Yasushi paid two (2) platinum coins to a freighter captain – for a brief voyage that would have cost only one (1) gold coin on most other oceans – for transport across a short stretch of the Dead Waters Ocean.

  On the southwestern edge of the Dead Waters Ocean, the freighter arrived at an eastern port of a narrow land bridge known as the Crypt Trail, which extended from the northwestern corner of the continent of Volaraden to the southern tip of the continent of Baradaxa. The freighter went no further, not being equipped to convert to an airship for travel over land.

  Yasushi was familiar with the Crypt Trail, as it was a well-named stretch of land, filled with swamps and graves and spirits. It was infamous as a place where depravities were committed involving human sacrifice and commune with demonic entities. Yasushi paid three (3) gold coins for transport on a small riverboat, traveling two (2) days along a meandering river to the northwestern coast of the Crypt Trail, where it met with the eastern edge of the Medathero Ocean.

  From there, Yasushi went into a small port and paid two (2) platinum coins to another freighter captain for travel southwest over the Medathero Ocean.

  After two (2) days of travel, Yasushi reached Emeth and gave his report, which was outside any confidence protected by the Chronicler’s Oath and without any delay that the Oath would demand. He was met by a Verifier, who assessed the details of the report that the Obscure Watcher gave and assigned a level of confidence to it.

  ~~~

  Also present at Emeth at the time was a twenty-nine (29) year old scholar from the Jenaldej Empire named Romana, who was one of their brightest young minds. Romana regularly spent one sixth (1/6) of every year in studies at Emeth, walking its many halls to learn from the writings therein – both ancient and modern – as much valuable historical and scientific knowledge as possible.

  Romana would organize this knowledge into modern books of wisdom and craft, and disseminate these throughout the Jenaldej Empire, enriching the minds of its citizens, who were under direct imperial orders to study and master that which she and the other scholars wrote.

  Romana learned of the battle, of the castle in the Citrine Desert and the bright beams of light that burned to death twenty thousand (20000) soldiers of the Jenaldej Empire and the castle of glass that trapped, and presumably killed, eighty thousand (80000) more. She also learned how Imperial Prince Octavian of Ihalik was the leader of this assault, advised by a man named Cassius, who was a drinker of the waters of the Medathero Ocean.

  Romana considered the severity of the situation, yet she had no appropriate response. She went to her private room in a large building known as the Scholar’s Hall, wherein many resident and visiting scholars stayed during their time of study in Emeth. She knelt and prayed, saying: “I pray to Thee, One True God, to have mercy upon the souls of those who died in battle – to end their pain, to forgive their sins, and bring them home to You, their Loving Creator.”

  Romana then left the Scholar’s Hall and went to the Ninth (9th) Hall, another enormous building, which contained hundreds of millennia of knowledge regarding the nature of plants and animals. There w
ere also living and dead specimens of many species of creatures, gardens, several aquariums, several aviaries and many terrariums. She drank anew of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean from her vial and was energized. After this, she planted seeds of several different flowering plants and watched them begin to grow within a few hours. The waters of the Gradaken Ocean changed her, so that the seeds she touched grew more quickly. She studied their growth patterns, and noted how some seeds were affected differently.

  ~~~

  The spies for the Jenaldej Empire quickly made their way from the Citrine Desert battlefield back to Admiral Cassandra, and then eased their powers and returned from the darkness to the light. One of the spies reported to her, saying: “Our troops have fallen, to the man, as well as General Ptolemy. The pillars around the castle of glass were topped with crystals, which put forth beams of intense light and power, burning through our soldiers. Those inside did not emerge. At the beginning of the battle, we entered the castle unseen, and saw its interior reconfigure, the glass crystal melting and reforming, entrapping our soldiers in its maze. We exited to the outer perimeter, to ensure that a report could be made. That is when the exterior weapons atop the pillars were utilized, striking down the remaining twenty thousand (20000) troops.”

  Admiral Cassandra was greatly troubled by this report, at the boldness of this foreign power, and at its immense capability. Such sophistication and effectiveness, she felt, was too dangerous to be in the hands of a people so ferocious, and so intellectually empty, as those from the land of Ihalik. She knew that many in Ihalik were drinkers of the waters of the Trerada Ocean for its gifts of health and beauty, of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean for its endowments of strength and speed and of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean for its powers over crystal and stone. Some more were drinkers of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean for its powers over plants and animals. A few drank of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean for its powers to connect to the spirit world.

  Cassandra was familiar with all of the waters and their powers, and their significance. The Kazofen Ocean waters were always a sensible choice, for they enabled the purification of crystals for the gemstone markets, which were the largest in the world, second only to the market for the purified waters themselves. They also enabled the manipulation of other stones in construction.

  Admiral Cassandra knew well enough that Armies and navies had many differences, yet soldiers and sailors had something crucial in common: they needed to be well fed. The Gradaken Ocean waters were a valuable choice for farmers to increase their crop yields, as well as to control the animals for service. Not enough people drank these waters, in her opinion. In the Jenaldej Empire, the choice of waters was dictated by the results of the waterbinding trials, which tested innate potential for use of each of the waters. Thus, which water you would drink was not a matter of personal choice. However, in most other places, it was a choice, and she suspected that the Gradaken Ocean waters were often ignored because farmers were poorly paid.

  However, the Zovvin Ocean waters were dangerous, giving a connection to spirits, who were never to be trusted. In fact, Admiral Cassandra remembered the legend – not myth, for it was all too true – of Admiral Gabrielle Ramalaxis, who ordered her subordinates to drink those waters and then to commune with spirits, summoning them to fight a war for her. The results of that gambit were considered victory by some, but the spirits haunted Admiral Ramalaxis for the rest of her life. Admiral Cassandra – and a great many others who sailed the oceans – swore never to employ such a tactic.

  Cassandra recognized that the Nabavodel Ocean waters were the first choice of warriors – they were Cassandra’s own choice, so she had no criticism of them, of course. They enabled peak performance in battle and readiness for defense. They also enabled heavy lifting for mundane tasks and endurance for travel and surveying of land. These were the staples of military service and construction, and many in the Jenaldej Empire were found to be a good fit when tested during the waterbinding trials.

  However, Admiral Cassandra also knew that the Trerada Ocean waters were the first choice of those who valued nothing other than physical beauty. Both men and women were known to drink of those waters for glamorous good looks, tempting each other and indulging in sensual pleasures all the days of their lives, producing nothing of value. The Trerada Ocean waters did give good health, as well, and could cure disabling injuries and diseases, if not preventing them outright. However, this was not the best choice for most. The overriding cultural preference for the Trerada Ocean waters was what defined the shallowness of the people in Ihalik. Now, she realized, they were led by a man who was even emptier, in the person of Imperial Prince Octavian. Many, including Cassandra, knew of the large statues that he commissioned, and the wealth that he wasted on them to glorify his own person.

  Admiral Cassandra considered strategy and tactics. Sending in more troops against the castle of glass – only to face the same defeat – was out of the question. A new plan was required – one that would trap Octavian’s forces – and she was beginning to plan something suitable, but would need reinforcements from the homeland. She commanded the captain of her flagship, the Vigilant, to set sail for the continent of Revod, homeland of the Jenaldej Empire. They traveled southwest across the Dead Waters Ocean, and then converted to an airship over the Crypt Trail land bridge, returning to sea level at the southeastern edge of the Medathero Ocean.

  The Vigilant then traveled northwest across the Medathero Ocean, arriving at the northeastern shores of the continent of Revod after two (2) days.

  Revod was a large continent, with significant volcanic regions as well as large areas consisting of plains, deserts, forests, marshes and grasslands. Along Revod’s northern coast, it met with the Ikkith Tar Ocean. Along the continent’s eastern coast, it met with the Medathero Ocean. The southern coast met with the Kazofen Ocean and the southwestern coast met with the Zovvin Ocean. A small portion of the northwestern coast met with the Lujladia Ocean.

  The Wandering of Shadows land bridge extended in a northeasterly direction from the northwestern corner of Revod, and it separated the Ikkith Tar Ocean from the Lujladia Ocean and Atrejan Ocean. The Jeshirinko Barrier extended westward from Revod’s western coast, and it separated the Lujladia Ocean from the Zovvin Ocean. The Road of Kovoxotu land bridge extended in a southwesterly direction from the southwestern corner of Revod and it separated the Zovvin Ocean from the Kazofen Ocean. The Glivoran Trail land bridge extended in a southwesterly direction from the southeastern corner of Revod and it separated the Kazofen Ocean from the Medathero Ocean and Trerada Ocean. The Prince Jalvin’s Crossroads land bridge was a curved landmass on the northeastern corner of Revod, dividing it from the continent of Baradaxa and separating the Ikkith Tar Ocean from the Medathero Ocean.

  Admiral Cassandra left the ship, accompanied by the spies who brought the report, and approached the academy taught and presided over by Imperial Prince Emerond. It was a Jenaldej law that Imperial Princes must be clever and wise, and must mentor students, so as to pass on what they knew. They did not live in opulent palaces to glorify the egos of the vain; instead, they lived in residence at great learning institutions, and the title of prince was not given by royal bloodlines, but earned by merit.

  “Your Imperial Majesty, I apologize, but I bring ill news to you,” Admiral Cassandra said, bowing down before him in his office in the academy.

  “What is your report, Admiral Cassandra?” Emerond asked.

  Admiral Cassandra stood up, and began recounting to him the events, according to what the spies reported to her.

  “In the Citrine Desert in Volaraden, a company of troops arrived in the mining town and delivered a decree from Imperial Prince Octavian of Ihalik. They demanded a tribute of diamonds to be paid to them in their castle. A scout was dispatched and discovered a castle made of glass and having enormous proportions – thirty-six thousand (36000) feet in diameter – and so our troops were dispatched,” Admiral Cassandra said.

  �
��Such proportions make the structure more of a city than a castle. How would such as structure come to be – it would have been readily noticed when the location was selected for our mining town, would it not?” Emerond asked.

  “We believe the structure was made by a machine that turned the desert sands into glass – at great speed. Ten (10) divisions of ten thousand (10000) troops were sent, led by General Ptolemy. Two (2) of those divisions remained outside the castle, and eight (8) divisions entered to launch an attack. Spies followed them into the castle,” Admiral Cassandra said.

  “This was a questionable maneuver, Admiral. Why did you believe that it would be adequate, when such a large castle – if that is what it truly was – may have the capacity for an army of a much larger size and armaments far beyond those carried by our own troops?” Emerond asked.

  “We had little time, and it was necessary to make a credible response, Your Imperial Majesty. Our spies reported back to us, however, that the castle within began to alter its structure, entrapping and killing our troops. Outside, there was a series of pillars – which we believe were part of the machine that constructed the castle – and atop these pillars were crystals. From those crystals, intense beams of light were shone that burned the two (2) divisions of troops that had remained outside the castle,” Admiral Cassandra said.

  “That was failure on such a large scale that I cannot readily pardon it. These were not pieces on a game board, Admiral. They were our citizens, and the maneuver cost them their lives in great numbers. Yet, to not respond may have also been a poor choice. Far better that we should have employed a small number of spies to learn of the peril than launching an assault with insufficient information. I must call into question your judgment, Admiral, and review your decisions before any high risk actions are taken,” Emerond said.

  “I have learned much based on the results of this battle, Your Imperial Majesty, and I have a plan to entrap Octavian,” Admiral Cassandra said.