Architecture & Adversity

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “From time to time, there is a mention made of hearing their sounds. Millennia pass in between, yet someone always senses them eventually. The violet suns still burn…somewhere. We need to be attentive, and willing to believe and to follow them, even at the slightest hint,” Saverio said.

  “I need more to go on, lest we expend our limited energies too readily,” Ines said.

  “Faith is about readiness,” Saverio said.

  “Not readiness to follow a deception or a delusion. We must be ready to meet the truth,” Ines said.

  “Perhaps I can help,” Uberto said.

  “How so?” Saverio asked.

  Uberto was a twenty-nine (29) year old man who drank the waters of the Kazofen Ocean. He drank anew of those waters from his vial and was energized. He then took a small diamond out of a pouch that he carried and began to manipulate its low-level structure very carefully.

  “Diamonds are hard. Yet, after the alterations I have just made, this diamond is now delicate. Slight changes around us – be they sounds or lights – can impress upon its malleable structure. If something unusual occurs, we may learn something of it by the diamond,” Uberto said.

  “If we speak, will that change it? That would be too sensitive, Uberto,” Ines asked.

  “Would you prefer it be insensitive, and miss that which was true?” Uberto asked.

  “Is that unusual star sound still noticeable?” Ines asked.

  “Only slightly,” Saverio asked.

  “Does your delicate diamond show anything, Uberto?” Ines asked.

  Uberto looked carefully into the diamond and noticed many things about it. There were ripples – no doubt due to the sounds of the people speaking, and moving about. There was also a dark stain on the diamond, like that of a shadow. Nothing indicated to him that there was a star – much less a violet star – shining anywhere.

  “I see something interesting. A darkness,” Uberto said.

  “Please tell me that the skies are not darkening again,” Ines said.

  “No, they’re not. I would hear that, like before. And feel the intensity of the pain,” Saverio said.

  “I see no stars in the low-level crystal structure. However, Velia needs to be more careful. Hiding in the darkness conceals her from your eyes, but not from this diamond, for it has captured her shadow,” Uberto said.

  Uberto felt a powerful hand swipe past his and the diamond suddenly disappeared from his hand, falling into darkness.

  A shadowy female figure suddenly appeared out of the darkness as Chiarina shone her light upon the area. “Are you ashamed that a crystal-bender found you, Velia?” Chiarina asked sarcastically.

  Velia was a twenty-five (25) year old, slender-yet-muscular woman who drank the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean. She was angry at the taunting, but angrier that Uberto had been able to detect her.

  “Do not cut diamonds this way ever again! If someone finds this, they’ll use it to find me. Since I’m your cover in a crowd, they’ll find you, too,” Velia said.

  “She’s right, Uberto. You’re a virtuoso at bending diamonds; but it is also possible to architect your own destruction. You didn’t find any violet stars with your gem work, but you did find a new way for us to fail,” Ines said.

  “Change this diamond so that it no longer works! Now!” Velia said as shoved the diamond back into Uberto’s hand.

  “Better, I will change it so that it reveals what we want to see, and not what we don’t,” Uberto said.

  Uberto began manipulating the low-level structure of the diamond once again, designing a pattern that might be more useful.

  ~~~

  As the diamond-covered figure, Polyxene was able to safely pursue her true goal, which was to manipulate every ocean water completely, and thus obtain all of their powers. Yet, this was impossible, because she had been bound to the waters of the Kazofen Ocean. To drink another meant she would suffer from crixalethicis – a horrid disease that brings a quick, yet grisly death. This was clearly not an option. Yet, she held on to the goal, and believed it could be reached along a different path. The Dead Waters Ocean held a liquid which, like all other ocean waters, could quench the thirst of whoever drank it. Unlike the others waters, it gave no power and caused no waterbinding.

  Given her great age – she was among the first women created on this world, and had been watching, from a distance, ever since – she was keenly aware of both myth and theory relating to the Dead Waters Ocean. Some people believed that the Dead Waters were actually the combination of the powers of all the other twelve (12) ocean waters, but in a form such that they neutralized each other. This suggested that the powers could be released, and controlled, by someone who drank those Dead Waters, regardless of what waterbinding they already had. Some observations would seem to support this: the tiara, when worn by Victoria, did yield a variety of powers; the Society of the Dead Waters was, on occasion, capable of yielding powers from mixtures and potions they produced using light and sound to perturb the waters; the ornate vials conferred the power of a different water in addition to the power of the water they held. All these processes and mechanisms had flaws, however: the tiara only worked when near to the waters, and only for a drinker without a waterbinding; the ornate vials eventually failed and could not be repaired, so few, if any, remained usable; the experiments by the Society were toxic and explosive, much like the ones she conducted.

  Polyxene considered a great many different possible approaches, based on what she learned from the failures of others and her own missteps. The results of the experimental designs were always failure, but in different ways, allowing her to develop a deeper understanding of the Dead Waters. Unfortunately, they also generated a powerful blast along with some form of toxic waste byproduct, of which she occasionally had to dispose. Her recent experiments had produced a considerable quantity of toxins, so she would have to rid herself of it soon, before it interfered with her work or posed a risk to her own safety or the integrity of the fortress. Her determination was unwavering, because the goal of controlling the powers of all ocean waters was of supreme importance. Until then, however, she needed to continue to maintain her age-defying, blast-resisting covering of special diamonds.

  She knew that she could not live long outside of the diamond-covering she wore. It was not always pleasant, but it was effective. The low-level structure was made of intricately winding, immensely thin pathways that defied the skill of even her dexterous fingers after drinking highly purified waters of the Kazofen Ocean. That was the reason for the multiple crystals – including the quartz domes – being chained together to route the light of the three (3) violet suns she had captured in the first age. The Thalkalana machine was entirely of her devising, as well, and it was necessary to extract the stellar cores. The machine was complex enough and took years to design, and even that was not enough. She could not direct it to follow the suns – for that, she needed a drinker of the Atrejan Ocean waters. He needed to be easily manipulated, and he was, with promises of her love, which she amicably pretended.

  Once the machine was constructed, the other suns were quickly brought to ruin – the orange, green and indigo stars were drained of their energy and ceased to exist. Yet, these losses were not in vain – they powered the machine for its most useful service of all: that of capturing the violet suns, the true powers of the sky. The onyx luminaries – which she found naturally occurring and then altered, carefully, by an exceedingly dangerous process she did not care to repeat – gave off the flames of darkness when lit. The energies they emitted, when focused by the Thalkalana machine, permitted the extraction and containment of the violet stellar cores, which were readily stored in the quartz domes within her fortress.

  With the violet stellar cores captured, Polyxene was able to use the Thalkalana machine to gradually drain those cores and burn the intricate pathways into her diamond-covering, allowing the slowing of time around her. And slow time it did – in every direction she chose, and not in those directions s
he didn’t. Her thoughts were quick, yet her mind was aging slowly, because of her precise control. Her precision didn’t stop there, and neither did her use for the violet stellar cores. Having all three (3) presented quite the opportunity – she could apply their energies in other ways, so as to alter the walls of her fortress to be undetectable by light or darkness, by telepathy or sound, and to be impenetrable by even spirits, unless she altered it to allow detection or penetration. She was a master at manipulating crystals in so many ways, and was always at work discovering more.

  She occasionally – through her four million three hundred thousand (4300000) years of existence – gave in to anger over the need for the choice of waters: of the twelve (12) great oceans, she could only have a single waterbinding, and the Kazofen Ocean waters were her irrevocable decision. The Ursegan Ocean waters would have granted her great age, but not crystal manipulation or the ability to bend darkness or light, so that she could not be an effective architect or alchemist. She reviled the very notion of having to choose – she uttered curses against the unknown creator of the world’s oceans for tempting her with the powers and refusing to let her have more than she did. She also began to deny there was a creator – believing that existence was all a chance occurrence, or a natural process that was inevitable due to the mindless laws of physics and magic. None of this anger was of any use, so she soon returned, after a few minutes – or after eleven (11) centuries of a particularly bad tantrum – to her work.

  Polyxene drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from her vial through a momentary aperture she formed in her diamond-covering. She was thereby energized and began to consider a new design approach that might just be substantially more powerful than any tried previously. She needed more pure diamonds to implement this – crystals not already altered for other tasks in the way those diamonds comprising the spires of her fortress were changed. To obtain them, she repeated her previous tactic and captured a small fleet of twenty-six (26) galleons and eight (8) frigates, killing the crew with the stalactites she formed by manipulating the crystal structure within her fortress. The new, high quality, pure diamonds they carried were then placed over top of another of the three (3) quartz domes – also containing a violet stellar core – where she began to make initial manipulations to their low-level structure for her innovative design. She was also able to connect the new diamonds into a fabric, to quickly manipulate them all at once, and move them over the high dome by touching only the edge of the crystal fabric while standing on the fortress floor.

  She then activated the machine in the underground cavern known as Thalkalana, to begin the process of extracting some of the energy of the violet stellar core. The violet light was emitted and burned through the quartz dome and then through the newly acquired diamonds, etching into them the completed pattern. She looked into their low-level structure and was pleased. She began to remove them from atop the dome to be formed into a useful structure that would be subjected to many rigorous tests of its time-slowing effects before trusting her longevity to it. It would also, she believed, better withstand the explosive impact of her experiments with manipulating the Dead Waters.

  ~~~

  “I sense the sound again! It is much more powerful than before!” Saverio said.

  “You sense it. I see it. The sky – to the southeast – it’s swirling colors, like there’s an aurora,” Chiarina said.

  A violet haze moved through the air, swirling about, and soon become noticeable even over the Atrejan Ocean. Everyone on board the Unbroken Amethyst could soon see it.

  “The evidence has become quite strong. It may just be time to make preparations,” Ines said.

  “What do you need from us?” another member of the crew asked. Tiziano was a thirty-six (36) year old man with more muscle than he needed. He drank the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean for strength and speed and was a formidable warrior. He was trained in various weapons, not the least of which were his fists.

  “If this is truly the light of a violet sun, then that violet sun must be given our worship and love. The ritual of adoration will require sacrifice of the young and healthy to praise them. We will need to capture the sacrificial victims: by clever words, by strength and speed, even by stealth. We will also need to construct a temple, wherein the ritual can be performed,” Ines said.

  “I will prepare a design for the temple. Yet, the proper location must be chosen,” Uberto said.

  “It should be at the fallen Temple of Mev’Kna – where the worshippers of the blue suns committed their acts of idolatry by worshipping the lesser blue flames instead of the greater violet fires. We will give proper honor to the truly greatest suns, not the lesser fires,” Saverio said.

  “There are many weak, desperate and poor people in the Solkidian Trail, and in Waderav. I can break them, and take them captive,” Tiziano said.

  “I can make them want to come with us, and even thank us for the honor of giving adoration to the violet fire. They will think and believe what we command them,” another woman said. Noemi was a forty-three (43) year old woman who drank the waters of the Elanatin Ocean to enable her to manipulate thoughts and emotions.

  “We will need each of you to make preparations. We must not hesitate, lest the opportunity pass us by. Saverio, set a course for the Solkidian Trail, so that we may gather the sacrificial victims. The youngest and purest are the choicest offerings. We will kill only those who resist or stand in the way; we will hide from the watchful; we will convince the weak-minded,” Ines said.

  Saverio drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial and was energized. He concentrated to listen to the sounds of the red, yellow and blue suns, learning their positions and movements. He used this information to chart a course heading west across the Atrejan Ocean toward the Solkidian Trail land bridge, and then steered the Unbroken Amethyst accordingly.

  CHAPTER 6: Tales of Battles and Treasures

  Admiral Gabrielle Ramalaxis studied the writings in the Eighth Hall of Emeth, researching the nature of spirits, like those which she had her crew call upon to fight her final naval battle. Things went terribly wrong, as she had told the Chroniclers when she first arrived here, two (2) years ago. The summoned spirits turned against her and her crew; yet, she wasn’t sure why. She knew that they drank the waters of the Zovvin Ocean, so they should have been able to control those same spirits they summoned. Yet, after defeating the pirates, the ghosts became uncontrollable and attacked Gabrielle and her crew fiercely. Somehow, she escaped: perhaps, she thought, it was because the ghosts became preoccupied by the spirit powers wielded by her crew.

  While roaming the corridors of the Eighth Hall, Gabrielle Ramalaxis looked for information about the region of the Zovvin Ocean in which she traveled, and worked to correlate that with known sightings of other spirits, who may have arrived uninvited. The so-called ‘ghost waters’ – as the Zovvin Ocean was also known – had more than its fair share of occurrences of hauntings of the involuntary sort, so she considered that the attack may have been brought about by a force external to the ghosts which had been summoned by her crew to give her aid in battle.

  The Eighth Hall was, like the other halls of Emeth, an enormous physical structure, miles in length and hundreds of feet high. It contained a tremendous store of information about spirits of the unrestful dead – many of whom had their births and deaths recorded in the Fifteenth Hall as well many who did not have any records documenting their mortal existence, suggesting they lived prior to the construction of Emeth, or, more frighteningly, that they had never lived. Gabrielle Ramalaxis was not here to answer all questions, and many were certainly beyond her understanding, as she drank only the waters of the Medathero Ocean, so that the spirit world was truly beyond her. Rather, she wanted to understand what might have gone wrong, and how it could have been prevented. She was – not counting her millennia lost in hibernation – only fifty-eight (58) years old. She had no intention of going into battle again. However, she believed that i
t would be better to have an understanding of – and closure to – the events of so long ago rather than to merely forget about them or dwell upon them.

  Her readings of the information in the hall led her to other areas within the hall and, eventually, to realize that she needed more geographic and navigational precision.

  ~~~

  Nerine walked through the Twelfth Hall of Emeth, studying the classical musical writings and seeking to improve her own abilities. Returning to Waderav, she thought, could wait. It could wait indefinitely, in fact, since it was far too dangerous and she could earn more here as an intermediate music instructor. Her innate potential and experience in song were considerable, though she was nowhere near the equal of master musicians such as Daven or Lady Onora. Still, they appreciated her finely tuned skillset, and encouraged her to study more to grow in ability. That, she hoped, would lead to greater attainments by her students, a growing reputation for herself, and more students. That, ultimately, would lead to better payment – given either by the master instructors or directly by her students – and she could finally afford to have a family: children were part of her plan, but her life savings was meager and some had been lost or stolen by pickpockets or bandits in Waderav. Raising children in poverty was not a desirable lifestyle, so she was careful not to get involved in any serious relationships unless the man was personally reliable and financially successful. So far, no man who was interested in her satisfied both of those requirements.

  She did not specialize in the use of any of the instruments – the lyre offered sophisticated control over the melody, the flute was barely suitable and the cymbals were the cause of so much noise of little interest to her. The waters of the Pirovalen Ocean gave her all the control over melody that she needed, as they did for other musicians. Yet, some singers augmented their performances with these instruments, and were able to create complex symphonies. The power of the music to achieve the greater effects was also enhanced, but those effects had dangers, as the world had too often seen. Music for artistic and entertainment purposes was her goal, and teaching it for those purposes to her young students did not require her to utilize these instruments. She did, however, teach them methods of modulating their voices. Thoughtless vocalization – even with, or especially with, the Pirovalen waters – could have effects ranging from artistically embarrassing to dangerous. The shaping of the sounds still required planning and effort, and the Pirovalen waters supernaturally multiplied the results, good or bad.