by Jeremy Dwyer
When they reached the bottom, Gabrielle Ramalaxis was already loading the yellow-green gems into her pockets, and the four (4) of them were able to load up their jacket pockets with one hundred thirty (130) gems each.
When they climbed back up, Tomiko, Stephan and Gabrielle Ramalaxis transferred the yellow-green gems they carried over to Tristan, Yared and Carter. Nina held onto hers, and remained at the top while Tomiko, Gabrielle Ramalaxis and Stephan went back down for another batch, bringing up another one hundred thirty (130) yellow-green gems each. At the end, they had a grand total of nine hundred thirteen (913) such gems – the seven (7) batches of one hundred thirty (130) yellow-green gems and the initial three (3).
Niels followed them up when they were done, recording their work into his book.
“Back to the ship. If these are worth anything, we’ll come back for the rest. Otherwise, we call it a learning experience,” Tomiko said. He led the way down the temple steps and they carefully trekked through the jungle, to return to the Escapade.
“Find something valuable?” Genevieve asked.
“We found something interesting. Whether it’s valuable remains to be seen,” Tristan said.
“When things get interesting is when things get dangerous,” Nerine said.
“When things get interesting is when we learn. That’s how we grow,” Genevieve said.
CHAPTER 39: Endangered by Hate and Pride
Taesa and Emerond, along with Caroline – who was carrying Trent and his bag of clothes – signed the document that Counselor Teague presented them with. They used a bank account number, not their actual names, and then left his office. They walked through the center of the Port of Reliance and approached a six (6) story building – which was a light shade of blue, like many of the buildings around them – and went up to the top floor. They found their suite, which consisted of a primary room with a pair of windows and two (2) side rooms, each with their own windows.
“I don’t like being this high up. If we need to leave in a hurry, it won’t be easy,” Caroline said.
“We’re less likely to be noticed here,” Emerond said.
“If we stay indoors the whole time, maybe we won’t be noticed at all. It’s a busy city, though,” Taesa said.
“Being in a small mining village didn’t keep us from being found,” Emerond said.
“That worked well enough for the last two (2) years. Nothing’s permanent. If something happens here, we just need to find somewhere else that’s out of the way for a little while,” Caroline said.
“We’re under a contract to live and work here. If we break that contract before our term is up, we have to pay a fee. We can’t really afford that,” Emerond said.
“We’ll be safe. I won’t sing. I won’t even go outside. I accept that now, for his sake,” Taesa said. She went to Caroline and took Trent from her, then held the boy close.
“I’ll go into town and purchase a few things to make this place feel like home: some chairs, mattresses, sheets and blankets. Give me a couple of hours,” Caroline said.
Emerond reached into his jacket pocket and gave fourteen (14) silver coins to Caroline to pay for the furnishings for their new home. Caroline then left the room, went down the stairs and out into the center of the city to shop.
~~~
Captain Arata sailed the Sandstone Cutter northwest across the Pirovalen Ocean toward Emeth.
Once the ship was docked at the City of Emeth, Fantine looked to Captain Arata and said: “I want to return to the Port of Kemalorin. I’ve got some more design work to do, and I need to look for other construction projects and clients.”
“I can help you find other clients. I do business with a lot of different merchants, and they have connections,” Niven said. This was true, but his motivation was to ingratiate himself with her and spend more time together.
“Good. So do I. We’ll have to talk about that and make some arrangements,” Fantine said.
Captain Arata looked to the Chronicler Ximenez and said: “I know you have to submit your book. We can wait if you’re looking for transport with us.”
“No, I will not be going to Baradaxa at this time. Do not wait for me,” Ximenez said. He then left the ship and headed into the city.
“Can we leave now, Captain?” Fantine asked.
“Certainly,” Captain Arata said. He drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial and was energized. He listened to the sounds of the stars to learn their positions and movements and thereby charted a course to Baradaxa. He converted the Sandstone Cutter to its airship configuration, raised it to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude and traveled north over Emeth. He then returned the ship to sea level in the Medathero Ocean and sailed northeast toward the southwestern coast of Baradaxa, where he docked at the Port of Kemalorin. From there, Fantine and Niven both returned to her workshop and began discussing potential business arrangements with the merchants they knew.
~~~
The Chronicler Ximenez returned to the Library of Tedorik and submitted his book along with the thirty-five (35) lightkeeper gems he had been given to the Verifier named Alyona. He waited outside while Alyona went into the Library of Tedorik with the materials.
~~~
Alyona took the book and the lightkeeper crystals into her study room and reviewed the materials carefully. She turned the lightkeeper gems slowly, noticing that many images of the newly constructed city were embedded within it, and the slightest rotation revealed another set of images. She was intrigued by what she saw and assigned to it a high confidence rating of zero point nine one (0.91). That was not all, however. Alyona went to the office of Danek and handed the materials over to him.
“What is it, Alyona?” Danek asked.
“Ximenez chronicled Fantine’s latest work in eastern Meridianus. She designed and built a city – the Port of Reliance – with a number of innovations in both the constructor and the city’s design. It was funded ninety (90) percent by the central bank and ten (10) percent by the Jenaldej Empire, sharing costs, revenues and liabilities,” Alyona said.
Danek looked over the book and peered into the lightkeeper crystals, turning them rapidly to reveal the many images embedded within. By the Ursegan waters he drank, he also had quick sight, so he was able to notice the information no matter how fast it was presented.
“This is impressive. Yet, why did you bring it to me?” Danek asked.
“Because I think it’s dangerous. This constructor is becoming more powerful, and it could also be used as a weapon, in various ways,” Alyona said.
“Do you recommend a course of action? We have more freedom than the Chroniclers, but our options are limited,” Danek asked.
“I recommend that Ximenez be assigned to watch Fantine personally, reporting back to us frequently. We need to know what she is about to design or build,” Alyona said.
“Agreed. Give him his assignment, then,” Danek said.
~~~
Alyona went back outside and handed a blank book to Ximenez.
“Your new assignment is to personally monitor Fantine, reporting back on what she is designing or building,” Alyona said.
Ximenez took the blank book he was given and returned to the docks. He was not surprised that the Sandstone Cutter was already gone, as he had dismissed them, thinking he would be returning to the Port of Reliance. Instead, he walked the docks looking for a captain of a ship who was available to travel to the Port of Kemalorin in Baradaxa. He soon found a cargo captain already planning to sail there, so he used his authority under the Chronicler’s Oath to secure free transport, heading northeast across the Medathero Ocean.
~~~
The Resolute Traverser arrived in the Port of Kemalorin in southwestern Baradaxa.
“We’ll take the gems we have to Fantine for her to evaluate their quality,” Captain Pradrock said while pushing a metal box that was propped up on a wheeled cart and filled with several gemstones that they had acquired. He then said: “Fri
tz and Massimo, please take up these gem boxes and come with me.”
Fritz and Massimo each followed Captain Pradrock’s example and pushed gem boxes on wheeled carts down the boarding ramp of the ship.
“I’m coming with you,” Jolene said. Torin stood beside her but she went ahead without him.
Akylas, Akantha and Torin all remained on the Resolute Traverser.
~~~
Jolene drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from her vial and was energized. She walked through the port town alongside Fritz, Massimo and Captain Pradrock while probing the thoughts of the people around them. Their cargo was valuable and she needed to know if they were in danger of attack by thieves.
They soon arrived at the workshop of Fantine, whose door was open. Therein, they saw Fantine and Niven, discussing business.
“Captain Pradrock, good to see you,” Fantine said.
“We have some high precision gems for you to evaluate,” Captain Pradrock said, pulling the cart beside him into the workshop.
“We adhered to your criteria as best we could. I believe they will be significantly higher quality than ordinary,” Fritz said, pulling in his own cart.
“I examined them myself. They have the correct optical properties,” Massimo said, pulling in the third cart.
“Thank you. I’ll examine them closely in a moment and pay accordingly,” Fantine said.
“You must be busy. Everyone wants you to design and construct something for them. I’d love to be there for your next project,” Jolene said. Her enthusiasm and admiration were apparent to everyone. Even Fantine noticed, but she didn’t really care about personal admiration. She cared about the work itself.
A familiar Chronicler of the Oath entered the workshop just then. He announced himself for all present, although Fantine already knew him, by saying: “I am Ximenez, Chronicler of four thousand seven hundred twenty-five (4725) years. I have been assigned to observe you and your work.”
“Apparently, I have an audience. Now, all that I need is to arrange a new construction project,” Fantine said.
“We’ll have a new project soon,” Niven said, certain that someone he or Fantine knew would have connections to someone wealthy enough to finance the project.
Captain Pradrock, Fritz and Massimo each opened up their boxes of precious gems.
Fantine walked over to examine the gems. She drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from her vial – a potion that she had purified highly through the virtuous cycle – and was energized. By her initial inspection, she concluded that a high quality gem selection had been brought, and she was able to count one thousand three hundred twenty (1320) gems total.
“These gems definitely satisfy my requirements. Let me pay you for them,” Fantine said. She took a page out of her book and began writing a financial transfer document, for a total of five hundred ninety-four thousand (594000) platinum coins, naming Captain Pradrock as the recipient. She hand this over to the captain.
Captain Pradrock reviewed the financial transfer document and said: “Thank you. We’ll allocate time in our travels to acquiring and refining more of these gems to your requirements.”
“It wasn’t easy to refine these gems, and several had to be set aside for other purposes, because they would have required too many modifications to meet the criteria,” Fritz said.
“I was able to inspect them closely with the powers of light and determine which ones did not have the correct clarity,” Massimo said.
“Excellent. I’m glad you were thorough. Perhaps I should hire someone like you to work for me. Having a Lujladia water drinker might accelerate the design process,” Fantine said.
“You’re a perfectionist. That’s why you’re able to do the amazing things you do,” Jolene said. Although she could read Fantine’s thoughts, she didn’t yet understand the woman.
“No, I’m not a perfectionist. That was my mistake when I was younger. Instead, I learned to focus on experimentation and learning from my mistakes. That’s how I discovered things I never would have found by being afraid of failure and doing things only in the ordinary ways,” Fantine said.
Jolene probed Fantine’s thoughts further, finding only elaborate designs for new and experimental structures. They were intriguing, and she was impressed.
“My parents wanted perfection, and taught me to never take risks. I was good at working with every kind of crystal, but doing the same things that everyone else did could only take me so far. I got the same results; they were useful, of course, but nothing new or interesting happened. I started spending more time with the crystals, and more time in Emeth to learn about the great architects and crystal benders, like Duke Hagan. He introduced new patterns into the world, and other architects followed his designs. But they didn’t follow his example of innovation: they just copied the specific designs he developed. I wanted to follow his example, and try every new thing I could. It didn’t always work out, but when it did, the results were worth it and I was able to move forward. Each new design enabled more, especially in new combinations,” Fantine said. Her enthusiasm was clear.
Jolene continued probing Fantine’s thoughts, finding deep enthusiasm and curiosity. What she didn’t find, however, was love. Instead, she found something that was almost unnatural: Fantine never had a lover, and never wanted one. The man standing next to her, Niven, was seen by her as a useful pest who was eager to form a romantic bond that could never be. His lightkeeper crystals were a valuable asset which she planned to continue to purchase, and his business connections might enable Fantine to find a new construction project. She didn’t believe in any other purpose in life except for design and construction. There was nothing else. She had no friends, and would have turned them away if she did, other than to do business with them. Fantine was an emotional corpse with the best of intentions – no anger, no attachment, no desire except to be an architect of innovative and useful structures. Jolene’s heart sank in her chest – she wanted to befriend this woman whom she practically idolized. Now that she had examined Fantine’s thoughts, she wasn’t convinced that Fantine was even truly alive.
Fantine was not aware of the probing of her thoughts, however. She continued speaking: “Now, with the constructor, I know what it takes to plan and assemble each new project. Yes, I’m very particular about the crystal density, clarity, cut angles, purity and size. Those are the absolutely necessary parameters that allow me to attempt new designs, and every iteration either gets me closer to the design goal or helps me to discover flaws that need correction. By the time that I go on site, the crystals and constructor have been refined to the point that they’re ready.”
“Now that we know that we’re able to adhere to those criteria, we can get back to work,” Fritz said. He was worried that Fantine would be impossible to please. Instead, he was pleased with himself that he could do the crystal bending work to her specifications.
“Fantine, you said that you needed to arrange a new construction project. What was your most recent project?” Captain Pradrock asked.
“The Port of Reliance in eastern Meridianus. I modified the constructor’s design to build that city using smaller control crystals, which are less expensive and quicker to cut. The city itself has a number of innovations, using a three (3) level pier design that has a better spacing than ordinary, to make for safer airship docking,” Fantine said.
“I’d like to visit that city, and have a closer look,” Pradrock said.
“I look forward to seeing this city. We could learn a lot by observation,” Massimo said.
“That would be interesting. I’d like to examine it closely,” Fritz said.
“There’s nothing else for us here – we’ve clearly overstayed our welcome. I guess we should go,” Jolene said.
“What are you talking about?” Massimo asked.
“I don’t understand,” Fritz said.
Jolene ignored them, turned to Captain Pradrock and said: “Captain, I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Yes, we have to be getting back to work,” Fantine said.
“Let’s unload these gem boxes and take the carts back to the ship,” Captain Pradrock said. He, Massimo and Fritz moved the boxes of gems off of the carts and onto the floor of Fantine’s workshop. Then, he led the way back to the Resolute Traverser, followed by Fritz, Massimo and Jolene.
On board the Resolute Traverser, Captain Pradrock returned to the wheelhouse. There, he met with Akylas, and told him: “Akylas, I need you to chart a course to eastern Meridianus. We’re looking for a new city – the Port of Reliance – that Fantine has recently constructed.”
“Without exact coordinates, I can chart a course to the coast and follow it to look for the city,” Akylas said.
“That’s what I need you to do,” Captain Pradrock said
Akylas drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial and was energized. He listened to the sounds of the stars to learn their positions and movements. From this information, he plotted a course and began sailing the Resolute Traverser southwest across the Medathero Ocean until reaching Emeth. From there, he converted the ship to its airship configuration, raised the vessel to one hundred twenty (120) feet of altitude, traveled south over Emeth and returned to sea level in the Pirovalen Ocean. From there, he sailed southeast toward the eastern coast of Meridianus.
~~~
During their voyage, Fritz and Massimo approached Jolene on deck.
“What was that about? Why are you so angry?” Fritz asked.
“Something happened there. I could tell by the tone of your voice, but I didn’t see anything,” Massimo said.
Akantha overheard this and approached.
“There was nothing to be seen. Just emptiness…nothing there,” Jolene said.
“What does that even mean?” Fritz asked.
“She’s empty. She’s dead inside. There’s nothing there at all: just a heartless woman,” Jolene said.
“Who are you talking about?” Akantha asked.
“We met Fantine and sold her the refined gems,” Fritz said.