Architecture & Adversity

by Jeremy Dwyer

  Romana had faith more than fear, but she was concerned for everyone else.

  Taesa was frightened but angry and ready to confront the danger. She drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from her vial and was energized.

  “Taesa! Wait!” Emerond said.

  “No! We can’t live our lives on the run! We can’t hide anymore! We can’t be slaves to everyone else’s beliefs and hate! This has to end!” Taesa said. Lyrics quickly came to her, along with a powerful melody. She began to sing:

  Can we finally keep our freedom?

  Do we always have to fight and defend?

  Can we ever live in a lasting peace?

  Will the battle for truth never end?

  Our search for truth will not be denied.

  We pursue knowledge through all revelation.

  That is what the selfish always try to hide.

  Trust in myth is their proclamation.

  (Refrain)

  Build no temple of hate and lies!

  No one tells us what to love or believe!

  Worship neither seas nor skies!

  In your blind faith you kill and deceive!

  Can we finally keep our freedom?

  Do we always have to rise up and resist?

  Can we ever live in a lasting peace?

  Will the enemies of truth never desist?

  Our search for truth will not be denied.

  We pursue knowledge through all understanding.

  That is what the selfish always try to hide.

  Trust in fables is what they are commanding.

  (Refrain)

  Can we finally keep our freedom?

  Do we always have to plan and wage war?

  Can we ever live in a lasting peace?

  Will true victory never endure?

  Our search for truth will not be denied.

  We pursue knowledge through every connection.

  That is what the selfish always try to hide.

  Trust in legend is their dictated direction.

  (Refrain)

  The power of the song reverberated throughout the triangular valley formed by the violet crystal walls. The walls themselves began to shake, along with the three (3) violet spires in the center and the six (6) crystal pillars of the constructor.

  ~~~

  Sections of the violet crystal triangular wall began to crumble and fall. The three (3) violet crystal spires teetered, twisted and broke. Sections of the wall then shattered, piercing through Saverio, Uberto, Ines and Chiarina, striking them all dead. The spirits that Ines had summoned disappeared immediately after she died.

  Under the cover of darkness, not even Velia, Tiziano or Noemi were safe, as shards of the violet crystal wall pierced through them and killed them. The darkness around them vanished immediately after Velia died.

  The eighty-one (81) children were untouched, however. They watched as the remainder of the large violet crystal walls broke apart and allowed them to see a way out.

  ~~~

  “The wall and the spires crumbled. All of it was destroyed!” Massimo said.

  “What happened? What was that? The sun priests are all dead. How?” Jolene asked, having sensed the permanent end of their thoughts through telepathy.

  “And the spirits look like they’re gone – if they’re still here, they’re not visible,” Pradrock said.

  “Was it the song?” Emerond asked.

  “It was the power of prayer…to the One True God. False gods will always fail and their temples will crumble to dust,” Romana said.

  “You don’t believe in the power of the music, given by the ocean?” Taesa asked.

  “I do. You just don’t believe that God gives the power to the ocean of music, and to all of the oceans,” Romana said.

  ~~~

  Each of them – Saverio, Ines, Uberto, Velia, Chiarina, Tiziano and Noemi – felt their spirits descend into a place of darkness, pain and confusion.

  Therein, they heard a frightening and deep voice speak to them, saying: “Here is your destiny. You shall burn for eternity.”

  “Who are you? What is this place?” each of their spirits asked.

  “I am Gadamalto, Master of Spirits in this, the Maelstrom of Vengeance. You gave your souls over to your sun gods. That means that your souls belong to me. The eternal fire shall burn and consume you, and there is no escape,” the deep and frightening voice said.

  ~~~

  “I don’t know what to believe. I’ve seen too much. I don’t know what it all means, or what I should even do,” Jolene said.

  “Have faith in the One True God. Then, ask Him for guidance,” Romana said.

  CHAPTER 41: Surrounded by Corruption and Peril

  In southeastern Waderav, the Duchy of Yutaka was among the most prosperous in the continent. The one thousand seven hundred sixty-three (1763) square miles of territory – extending forty-three (43) miles from north to south and forty-one (41) miles from east to west – consisted of almost nothing but fertile farmland and profitable quarries yielding rubies and emeralds. The duchy was ruled from the castle at the center of the northern border, lorded over by Duke Kenrick and his sister, Duchess Keeva. The only imperfection in the land – though all too obvious – was the two hundred fifty-three (253) foot wide Pika Huojin Lava River flowing from east to west across the center of the territory, and then veering northwest, extending deep into the heart of the continent. At various points along its path through the duchy, fifteen (15) stone bridges – all thirty (30) feet high and twenty-one (21) feet wide – spanned the deadly river of molten rock.

  Baron Paavali and his ten thousand four hundred thirteen (10413) followers stood just north of the lava river, facing the direction of the castle, only nineteen (19) miles to the north. Paavali was a Gradaken water drinker, and he had plans to cultivate this land for his own wealth. All he needed to do was put an end to the current Duke and Duchess, who were not as smart as they thought, as far as he was concerned. Paavali knew that Duke Kenrick and Duchess Keeva drank the Medathero waters and were good planners, as they hired many farm laborers who drank the Gradaken waters and produced a rich harvest. He was also aware that the Duke and Duchess hired miners who drank the Kazofen waters to extract gemstones of various sorts. Their entire yield of gemstones, and ninety-five (95) percent of their harvest, was sold to merchants and to other nobles at high prices, all carefully negotiated. The one thing Kenrick and Keeva failed to do, Paavali noted, was pay for an army to defend themselves and their holdings. That was where they went wrong, and Baron Paavali’s community – which was also his army – was going to seize the opportunity created by the poor investment decision made by the Duke and Duchess.

  Among the five thousand two hundred ninety-four (5294) men and five thousand one hundred nineteen (5119) women in Paavali’s community, there were divisions and arrangements by waterbinding. At the front were four thousand three hundred twelve (4312) drinkers of the Nabavodel waters, all trained in sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat. Behind them were three thousand nine hundred eighty-seven (3987) drinkers of the Kazofen waters, all trained to mine the land but also to sharpen blades for combat by manipulating their low-level structure. Behind all of these were two thousand fifty-five (2055) drinkers of the Gradaken waters, all trained in farming. They were meant to work the land, but they carried daggers and were given enough training to use them, if only to be a nuisance to any attacker. Surrounding all of these were fifty-nine (59) drinkers of the Lujladia waters, each adept at far sight out to as much as thirty-five (35) miles, and they probed for threats in all directions.

  Baron Paavali had no intention of allowing this rich territory to elude his grasp any longer. He was fifty-three (53) years old, and not above working as a farmer, but too much of Waderav was rocky soil or even toxic, with little affinity for good crops. Granted, drinking the Gradaken waters energized a man so that when he planted seeds, they made for a rich harvest in even the worst soil, but the best farmland was usually scattered, and
didn’t support large communities in a single area. That meant that strength in numbers was diminished when your people were not in close proximity to one another, making them easier to divide and conquer. The Lujladia waters gave far sight to some of his people, so that they had advance warning of attacks, but their range of vision was nowhere near the best. Paavali was a shrewd man and carefully managed his people and their waterbindings, and he knew their strengths and weaknesses. He also knew that they deserved better, but had limited time to travel the continent and find available territory. Paavali decided that now was the time he was going to seize this valuable land from the wealthy Duke and Duchess and give it to his own people.

  It was dusk, so the tens of thousands of farmers and miners working for Duke Kenrick and Duchess Keeva had already retired from the fields and quarries and gone into their cottages. Paavali doubted that these laborers were aware of his presence, but he suspected that the Duke and Duchess – if they weren’t complete fools – had at least one (1) spy who was aware. He was certain that it wouldn’t be long before the Duke and Duchess would be forced to surrender, knowing that an army was coming against them. The only reason Baron Paavali failed to take this duchy earlier was the competition: he needed large enough numbers to hold the land, not just seize it. There were other lords in Waderav eagerly awaiting the chance to have their share of the Duchy of Yutaka.

  ~~~

  Aislinn drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial and was energized. She served as a spy, since she could bend light to see around corners as well as out to great distances. From her vantage point behind a high, tree-covered hill which stood near the castle of Duke Kenrick and Duchess Keeva, she saw that an army had gathered nineteen (19) miles to the south. She counted them and found their number to be ten thousand four hundred thirteen (10413) plus a leader, whom she recognized, seeing his face clearly. She also counted four thousand three hundred twelve (4312) persons among that total armed with swords. Aislinn was immediately worried that Baron Paavali’s numbers made their attack strength nearly unstoppable, but she didn’t know for sure just how strong the defenses were, because much was kept secret in the castle. She was twenty-six (26) years old, but very practical and cynical – she understood the need to keep secrets, especially if a telepath were to probe her thoughts and learn too much. It was best if the size and location of the duchy’s defenses was kept concealed from any would-be attacker until too late. She hurried away from the hill and into the castle through a side door for which she had a key, closing and locking it behind her. Aislinn went through a winding passage and entered the throne room, where she knelt before the lord and lady of the castle.

  “Aislinn, do you bring an urgent report?” Duchess Keeva asked.

  “Is it Baron Paavali?” Duke Kenrick asked.

  “Yes, my lord, my lady,” Aislinn said.

  “You may stand, Aislinn Give us details, please,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “My lord, my lady, Baron Paavali has ten thousand four hundred thirteen (10413) persons assembled with him, and they are nineteen (19) miles to the south, facing this castle. I fear they are preparing to march against us,” Aislinn said.

  “We knew this night was coming. We knew his greed and his impatience would eventually drive him to attack our land,” Duke Kenrick said.

  “It will be his first attack against us, but not the first time we were attacked. We have defended this land before, with great difficulty,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “And with great losses to our community. As many as thirty-two thousand seven hundred eighty-five (32785) farmers and miners perished. We have kept careful records of the horrors,” Duke Kenrick said.

  “These people work hard, and deserve good lands. They deserve better lives, where they are not surrounded by the corruption and peril in Waderav,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “They deserve an army to rise up and fight against the robber barons,” Aislinn said.

  “Mind your manners and morals, young lady. Raising an army is not the answer. To give in to the murderous aggression by becoming another murderous aggressor is not the answer. It is to be defeated. The evil of Waderav surrounds us, but we must not let that evil penetrate into our souls,” Duke Kenrick said.

  “I apologize my lord, my lady. It is only that I wish to see justice and peace,” Aislinn said.

  “You will not have either if you allow yourself to transform into a warrior. The beating heart of a warrior wishes to stop the heart that beats within another. Yet, the first warrior will also die, with much blood on his hands. All will answer to God for murder, and all will be judged. Do not go before God with blood-stained hands,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “I don’t understand, my lord, my lady. Why doesn’t Baron Paavali worry about his own hands being blood-stained? He will come and kill us, will he not?” Aislinn asked.

  “If we are here, perhaps he will,” Duke Kenrick said.

  “If we are elsewhere, perhaps he will not,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “But if you are not here, then Baron Paavali will take this land without resistance, and his murderous aggression will be rewarded with our rich lands. Evil will prosper. Others will learn of this, and also choose evil, thinking it will make them prosper,” Aislinn said.

  “Young lady, evil shall not prosper for long. For God has written into the hearts of all that murder is wrong, and those who do not listen have a false, and temporary victory,” Duke Kenrick said.

  “And their punishment will be true and eternal,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “Is killing for self-defense the same as murder? Is that the law of God?” Aislinn asked.

  “When there is another way, then yes, it is wrong,” Duke Kenrick said.

  “By the Grace of God, we will take these people away from here, far away, to better lands,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “How? Where? When? My lord, my lady, forgive me, but I must know,” Aislinn asked.

  “When the time is right, Aislinn, we will go,” Duke Kenrick said.

  “My lord, my lady, the time is almost certainly right. Baron Paavali’s army is great in number. I counted four-thousand three hundred twelve (4312) among them brandishing swords,” Aislinn said.

  “The sword of God’s Word is more powerful than any number you can count, young lady,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “God will protect us,” Duke Kenrick said.

  “My lord, my lady, why did God not protect those farmers and miners when this territory was attacked in the past? Why did tens of thousands perish?” Aislinn asked.

  “When God chooses to protect, there is protection. When he chooses to allow suffering and death, there is suffering and death. Sin is punished by God, and this judgment comes down against all sides, according to His Will. His Plan is greater than our minds, and we cannot expect to know all things,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “My lord, my lady, what makes some worthy of God’s protection, and others unworthy? If God allowed so much death in the past, will He not allow much death now? Is God not waiting for you to act? Or is God judging you, forgive me for asking?” Aislinn asked.

  “Aislinn, we must pray for answers. In prior times, when this territory came under siege, we were not among the faithful. We did not believe in God. Then, we were visited, by a wise young man, who told us of God’s Plan, and His Love for us, and we came to believe. Now, we are more mature, wiser, for that visit. Our faith in God is that wisdom, and it is the road to wisdom, which comes from God,” Duke Kenrick said.

  “My lord, my lady, what are you going to do? And when? Are you going to leave? Or are you going to have faith in God to protect you here?” Aislinn asked.

  “We will pray. Join us, Aislinn,” Duchess Keeva said. She reached out her hands and Duke Kenrick took her right hand.

  “My lord, my lady, I will obey, but I do not believe. Nothing I have seen in life allows me to believe,” Aislinn said.

  “Join us, and let us share our faith,” Duke Kenrick said.

  Aislinn joine
d hands with the Duke and the Duchess.

  “Dear God, we pray to Thee, to share with us Your Divine Will, for our enemies are planning a siege against us,” Duchess Keeva said.

  “Dear God, we pray to Thee for Your Guidance, Your Protection, Your Wisdom, for the danger is great,” Duke Kenrick said.

  ~~~

  Zoe drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial and was energized. She watched from inside a barn, just south of the Pika Huojin Lava River. She saw the gathering army of Baron Amidio, hidden in the darkness. Brant stood next to her, and she tapped on her vial, signaling to him to drink from his. Brant drank anew of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean from his vial and was energized, ready to fight.

  “Who? How many? Where?” Brant whispered in her ear.

  “Baron Amidio, twelve thousand three hundred (12300), in the dark,” Zoe whispered back into his ear.

  Brant pointed to his sword, held up a single finger on his left hand and all the fingers on his right hand, making a quizzical look.

  Zoe saw this and realized that Brant was signaling to express the obvious – that they were badly outnumbered. She looked out at Baron Amidio’s army, hidden in the darkness, and scanned the area around them. She saw what she hoped to see, and smiled as the army started to march just where she hoped that they would.

  “What?” Brant mouthed.

  Zoe saw this and whispered: “He’s not alone. Baron Paavali is just a mile ahead, on the other side of the lava river, and he has ten thousand four hundred thirteen (10413) people with him.”

  “And you’re smiling?” Brant whispered back, more baffled than before. He was no genius, but he roughly added the numbers Zoe quoted and realized they had more than twenty-two thousand (22000) enemies. This was impossible, even for them.

  “Relax,” Zoe whispered.

  “Why?” Brant whispered back.

  “Just wait,” Zoe whispered.

  Zoe looked through a gap in the barn door and watched as Baron Amidio’s army marched, under the cover of a magical darkness, across the bridge spanning the lava river and toward Baron Paavali’s position. She knew that it was going to be a slaughter, even if Paavali had a few Lujladia drinkers to peer into the darkness, because Amidio’s army was all sword fighters except for every fifteenth man who was a shadow guard. They drank the Ikkith Tar waters to create that shadowy cover so that Baron Amidio’s army was completely hidden. Once Baron Paavali’s few Lujladia drinkers went down – and Amidio would target them if he could – it would be lights out for Paavali and his entire group.