by Jeremy Dwyer
After several minutes of this process, Polyxene felt a hint of the time flow she had long escaped now encroaching upon her. She did not want to age, for she was not immortal and absolutely dreaded death. She dreaded death more than anyone could imagine. She more than feared it – she knew it would be worse for her than if she faced oblivion, because of dangerous things she had done. She had taken many risks – and went against what many would consider to be the standards of ethics or decency – in order to achieve her goals. So she used her powers over crystal to alter the newly etched diamonds covering the smoky quartz dome, peeling them away to rebuild her diamond-covering, and applying it to herself, hiding her flesh completely. She thus became the diamond-covered figure once again.
Time now slowed for Polyxene. She did not age, as the etched diamonds were fresh and their structure was well-formed. She would be fine for a while, but she needed to be ready when the diamond-covering weakened yet again, due to the rigors of the flow of time, and of her dangerous experiments.
CHAPTER 4: Sounds of Pain and Suffering
On Ixilonotu Island in the Kazofen Ocean, the fifty-seven (57) year old woman named Haltavna’Sytoris stood along the coastline to observe the movements and positions of the many suns by listening to their sounds. Her duties as a Redfire Sentinel never ended, so she maintained constant awareness, which enabled her to provide navigational guidance to sailors at any time should they visit the island and seek directions. She now sensed something unusual in the suns: it was an unfamiliar feeling that piqued her curiosity. She drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial and became fully energized. She then concentrated intensely and listened for the positions and movements of the red, yellow and blue suns. They were not darkened at all – there was no indication of a return of the eclipse that had ended nearly two (2) years ago and made the stellar sounds painful for her to hear. Yet, the sound was not like that of the familiar red, yellow or blue suns. And it was a sound of pain, though not for her.
~~~
In the lantern room of the lighthouse on the island’s highest hill, which also served as the dwelling for the resident Redfire Sentinels, the sixty-one (61) year old woman named Pelathata drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial. She was energized and could see far, and around some of the mountains that rose up above the surface of the ocean. Pelathata was friends with many of the travelers at sea, having done business with them or their relatives. She kept everything strictly business: there were men who wanted something more intimate, but she provided illumination and navigation services in exchange for monetary pay – which she received from the benefactor, Father Isaac – and there was nothing more promised or given in the transactions she had with sailors. Personally, she felt that that forming a family was not good for her career, and that the men she met were not necessarily desirable companions, despite their commercial success. There were attractive young sailors, of course, but their mannerisms were crude, overriding any sense of desire she might have had. The only man who had come close to being her lover revealed himself as far too arrogant, so she remained single. Loneliness was occasionally a burden, but her regular payments for her navigational guidance, coupled the benefit of living on this island without payment, made good sense. Sailors occasionally visited for the conversation, and she did talk to Haltavna, however strange that woman could sometimes be, so life was not empty or unpleasant. Yet, Pelathata knew that she was past the age of child bearing, so that opportunity was lost. She also noticed that men didn’t look at her the way they did even ten (10) years ago, which bothered her a little more than she expected.
Pelathata glanced in various directions, looking out hundreds of miles, where she saw various ships traveling to and fro across the Kazofen Ocean. They were gathering and purifying the waters, visiting islands to extract gemstones and heading to distant ports. This was business as usual…until it wasn’t. Suddenly, she lost sight of a ship one hundred fifty (150) miles to the northwest, and not because it moved out of the range of her far sight. Soon, a second ship disappeared in the same way. Moments later, a third vanished. She became alarmed and drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial, concentrating more intensely than before. She looked for any signs of what might be the cause of the disappearance of those ships, but saw nothing that could explain any of it – not even a cloud of darkness, which would have suggested the powers given to a drinker of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean, as some pirates were known to use and abuse. Pelathata was deeply troubled by this, so she hurried down the stairs, exited the lighthouse and went down the hill to meet her companion.
~~~
Haltavna’Sytoris felt close to the red suns, as if they were her friends. She respected and admired the blue suns, who were more powerful. The yellow suns seemed deceptive: while she could communicate with them, she didn’t trust them, as if they were always trying to mislead her, going in wily ways, unlike the fixed orbits of the red and blue suns. She heard an account of the incident where a particular yellow sun came down to the land as a living being and caused destruction, but then was sent away, restoring the suns of the sky. This only reinforced her distrust of them, but she did not cease listening to their sounds, and they could be useful for some navigation along less traveled routes, because the yellow suns went where they pleased, shining down on all islands and parts of continents. The blue suns moved slowly, and she often used them as fixed reference points during navigation. The red suns were the regular, reliable travelers, moving quickly enough to lead the way for navigation nearly anywhere. Furthermore, the red suns carried messages to other Redfire Sentinels who also drank the waters of the Atrejan Ocean waters and practiced that communication technique. Those waters were good for more than listening to the positions and movements of the suns, as most people seemed to think, but the drinker had to have the right innate potential and willingness to learn the subtle techniques necessary, which could be exceedingly difficult. There were also other powers – such as the ability to seemingly turn water into fire, as demonstrated by the Torches of Majesty. This was incredibly difficult and dangerous…and impressive to her.
However, Haltavna’Sytoris wasn’t hearing the sounds of pain from the red, yellow or blue suns. She was hearing these sounds from something else: a sun that was different, and that was in the wrong place. She concentrated even more intensely, not understanding why the sound of a sun would be coming from all around her, but not above her. She also wondered what color it might be. In her listening, she counted and all known suns were present in the sky above: the nine (9) large, hot blue suns; the twenty-four (24) medium, warm yellow suns and the thirty-seven (37) small, cool red suns. This was definitely something different, and outside of any expected orbit; yet, it was most certainly a type of sun, because it was more like the known suns than it was different from them.
~~~
“Haltavna!” Pelathata yelled as she approached.
Haltavna’Sytoris lost her concentration at the interruption and looked up to see her companion approach. “What is it, Pelathata?” she asked.
“While I was watching the ships at sea, three (3) ships disappeared from my sight. They were not out of range, and I saw no darkness, yet they vanished completely and quickly,” Pelathata said.
“That sounds very dangerous – as well as strange. And it is not the only irregular matter, I’m afraid. I have heard an unusual sound of a sun – unlike the blue, yellow or red suns. They are all present, moving about in their ordinary ways. This other sound is like that of a sun, but different from those regular ones, and it is a sound of pain,” Haltavna’Sytoris said.
Pelathata suddenly understood – or thought that she did. “Is this the return of the darkness, when you felt pain when you listened to the stars? That might explain the disappearance!” she asked.
“No, there is no darkness upon the ordinary suns – their brightness is full, and their positions are high above us, as is proper. Rather, this sound would suggest
that another sun is present, and all around us, which is not a proper place for a sun. Also, there is no pain for me to hear this new sound; rather, it is a sound of pain, as if a hidden star were crying out,” Haltavna’Sytoris said.
“You are speaking in your usual strange ways, Haltavna, as if these suns were alive, which I still do not believe. Yet, this unusual sound you hear may still be of importance, if it is unlike the known sounds of the suns, and there is no darkness,” Pelathata said.
“I don’t know whether it is related to the disappearance of the ships. It could be a different and unrelated matter,” Haltavna’Sytoris said.
“Contact our benefactor. Father Isaac should be made aware of these things. Certainly, he would be alarmed by the disappearance of the ships, and all Redfire Sentinels should be made aware,” Pelathata said.
“Agreed,” Haltavna’Sytoris said. She drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial and was energized. She then reached out to the red suns above her and sent a message, which was carried to the other red suns, and heard by Redfire Sentinels the world over who drank those same Atrejan waters.
~~~
The Resolute Traverser sailed northeast across the Medathero Ocean from Emeth toward Baradaxa. The ship was carrying a cargo of various purified waters as well as gemstones of various qualities and values.
Captain Pradrock stood on deck next to his crew members: Akylas, his sister Akantha, Jolene, Massimo, Fritz and Torin.
“What was that? That doesn’t make sense!” Akylas asked, sensing a strange sound.
“What was what?” Akantha asked.
“Please explain, Akylas,” Pradrock said.
“I heard a strange sound – like a sun, but not like the others,” Akylas said.
“Let me try to listen,” Torin said and he drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial, becoming energized.
“I need to listen closely for more detail,” Akylas said as he drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his own vial, becoming energized.
“No! Wait!” Jolene said.
“Remember the darkness! The star sounds were dangerous!” Akantha yelled.
“Yes. Be cautious. At the slightest indication of discomfort, stop,” Pradrock said.
Torin and Akylas both reached out to hear the sounds of the suns and sensed the unusual pattern and it was like that of a sun, but not the ordinary suns. And it was an unpleasant sound – not a piercing sound that caused pain to the listener, but because it was a sound emitted by someone, or something, in pain.
Torin began counting the known suns and found them complete. “This is different. The nine (9) blue suns, the twenty-four (24) yellow suns and thirty-seven (37) red suns are all there. No darkness,” Torin said.
“It’s a sound of pain – not painful for me to hear it. But whatever it making the sound would have to be in pain,” Akylas said.
“Do you mean like a sunfire creature?” Pradrock asked.
“Maybe. I really don’t know. But that thing was a yellow sun, wasn’t it? This isn’t yellow – they’re all still up in the sky, where they should be. This thing – if it’s a sun at all – is down here, all around us,” Akylas said.
“What would it be, if it’s not a sun?” Akantha asked.
“Not a clue. Ghost, maybe? That’s your thing,” Akylas said.
Akantha drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial and was energized. She concentrated to listen for the presence of spirits, but nothing was nearby, and even the ones far away did not account for any strange sounds.
“It’s not spirits making any strange noises – not that I suspected anything,” Akantha said.
“Can you still navigate by the sounds of the suns? Are they clear?” Pradrock asked.
“Yes, they’re clear,” Akylas said.
“Akylas, I want you keep drinking the Atrejan waters. Torin, I want you to drink only Dead Waters to quench your thirst, so as to let the sun-reading powers fade. That way, we can compare your sensations over time,” Pradrock said.
“Well of course he won’t hear it if he stops drinking the Atrejan waters. I don’t understand this experiment,” Akantha said.
Jolene, however, recently drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean and didn’t hesitate to read the captain’s mind. She knew what he was planning.
“My question is whether the Atrejan waters are responsible for enabling you to hear the sound. There is another possibility,” Pradrock said.
“I’m curious,” Torin said.
“So am I,” Akantha said.
“I still hear it, but I don’t know what it is,” Akylas said.
“I still hear it, too. The powers haven’t faded yet,” Torin said.
“You likely have the ability to hear high pitch sounds – of the ordinary variety – that are not audible to me. If this is an acoustic phenomenon, and not the sounds of a sun, then your youthful hearing could pick that up while mine cannot. Both you and Akylas are young, and you also both drink the Atrejan waters, so this is the most scientific comparison I can make with such a small sample size, but it may still serve as an indicator,” Pradrock said.
“That makes sense. I’m beginning to understand you,” Akylas said.
“By that logic, if I still hear it and Torin doesn’t after his powers fade, then it’s likely a sound of the suns. If we both hear it, it’s probably a high pitch regular sound,” Akylas said.
“Correct. Of course, there is also the possibility that you both stop hearing it,” Pradrock said.
“What would that mean?” Torin asked.
“That we need more information. This is not a comprehensive study, nor do we have time for such a study at the moment. There are customers in need of the purified waters and gemstones we are carrying, and their needs outweigh speculative matters,” Pradrock said.
“I’ll purify some Dead Waters for Torin and some more Atrejan waters for Akylas,” Fritz said. He went to his quarters on board the ship and drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean, to be energized with the power to manipulate stone and crystal. Then, he took a vial of the Kazofen waters from the stock that was carried in various barrels and began to separate the water crystals from the other impurities, making a purer potion of Kazofen waters, which would give a greater degree of power. He drank these and was further energized, to a higher level because of the increased purity. This was the virtuous cycle, although he then carried this process out three (3) steps further, so that a small quantity of the Kazofen waters were highly purified, and he drank them again.
Fritz then carried out the purification process on a quantity of Atrejan waters, which would make Akylas more sensitive to the sounds of the suns. Fritz also carried out the purification process on a quantity of Dead Waters, which would better quench Torin’s thirst, but give him no powers, letting his current powers fade. The Atrejan waters were poured into a fresh vial with the classical symbol of stars carved into it, indicating the water’s power in simple terms. The Dead Waters were placed into a fresh vial with the classical symbol of a water droplet carved into it – this was the polite symbol, whereas many pirates and other more macabre personalities and traditions preferred the symbol of a skull or a tombstone to indicate death. Fritz found that symbolism to be unnecessarily dramatic, since the Dead Waters simply gave no power, and caused no harm. Of course, if you needed power to get out of a difficult situation beyond merely being thirsty, the name might fit after all.
A few minutes later, Fritz returned and gave these vials to Akylas and Torin. “These are of a higher purity,” Fritz said.
Akylas and Torin drank anew from the indicate vials to be energized.
Akylas returned to his navigational duties, listening to the sounds of the stars, to hear their positions and movements, and to keep the Resolute Traverser on course. He also listened to the unusual sounds – of unknown origin and position – while he did this.
Akantha stood by her brother’s side, as he was her home
and family, and she was endlessly loyal to him. If he felt the slightest pain, she would be there by his side to comfort him.
“Massimo, I need you to serve as a backup navigator for Akylas, in case his concentration is interrupted by the unusual sound. Also, we still have some more ports to visit to ensure we have purchased enough high quality gemstones, so we can’t take a direct route to Baradaxa. You’ll need to find a route to each of them,” Pradrock said.
“Yes, captain,” Massimo said. He drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from his vial and was energized. He used his powers of light to plot out a course ahead, looking for islands and other ships to use as reference points in their travels. He would see immediately if they were veering off course and be able to make the correction. Massimo also kept a lookout for pirates, who could be hiding on the far side of an island or around a mountain, and he thereby avoided them on more than a few prior occasions.
“I’ll purify some more Lujladia waters for him,” Fritz said and briefly returned to his cabin to repeat the process, this time for the waters that gave the power of light. These were placed into a vial that was carved with the classical symbol indicating rays of light. He soon returned and gave this to Massimo, who refreshed himself with the higher purity water, enhancing his powers of far sight and seeing around corners.
“So I just wait around and listen?” Torin asked.
“Yes. You’ve kept our sails in fine shape with your weaving skills, so I don’t have any immediate tasks for you. Pay attention to see if you hear that same sound as before, while also losing your sense of the ordinary suns,” Pradrock said.