Dagger & Deception

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “Have you ever been to that island?” Zoe asked.

  “Once,” Rayner said.

  “Did you get lucky and find it, or were you trying?” Brant asked, doubting him.

  “Relax, I meant to go there. The other one – Av’Tovenka Island – is where I usually travel, for the land dealers. I’ve been there seven (7) times. I never miss,” Rayner said.

  Zoe and Brant now both felt a little bit better, since this Rayner could at least repeatedly get to one of the islands in that ocean, though only once to the island they had in mind.

  “If you want to pay more, and get less, go with one of the other captains. Not everyone can find that island. Some of them do depend on luck. Not me,” Rayner said.

  “Then ask a higher price if you’re so good,” Brant said.

  “No. You don’t get it, do you? The higher price is to set aside money to pay for their mistakes, in case the ship crashes, you break your neck and end up living as a cripple. Who’s going to take care of you then? That gets expensive,” Rayner said.

  Zoe disliked the answer as much as she liked it. This Rayner was sure of himself, and a little nasty.

  “This guy here needs to travel with us, write down everything. I’ve got the three (3) platinum coins,” Brant said.

  “Just two (2). Chroniclers don’t pay for travel. Keep your last coin,” Rayner said.

  “All right, then. Let’s go, shall we?” Brant said.

  Zoe, Brant and Ovid followed Rayner to his ship, and they set sail.

  Ovid wrote down all that he saw and heard of the entire transaction into his book that he carried along for the journey. He also drank deep of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean that he kept in a vial that he wore on a chain around his neck. These waters energized him, enabling him to slow down the flow of time through his body, giving him his long life. They also enabled him to perceive fast moving events around him at a pace slow enough that it could all be written down. He kept extra vials of water with him, to renew his energy later.

  Another Chronicler of the Oath remained at the docks and wrote down the transaction for purchasing travel, and put it into the log books.

  Rayner, Zoe, Brant and Ovid sailed northeast over the Medathero Ocean. Then, the ship was converted to an airship to travel north over the continent of Revod. Then, they returned to sea level in the Ikkith Tar Ocean.

  Navigation was not so easy, however. Rayner found this to be harder than usual, and they wandered the sea. He remained cool and calm, but the technical challenge was high. He had found the Udovedaj-Pren Island before, but he didn’t know everything about these waters, and they could surprise even the most experienced navigator. He drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial to be energized. He could thereby hear the sounds of the many suns and know their positions and paths. He also knew how to adjust the solar information to visual positions and paths by which he could steer, but the dark waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean distorted visuals to a significant extent, meaning that there was a wide margin for error.

  “What’s wrong?” Zoe asked, noticing how they were traveling in a roundabout path – it was not a visual cue but a sense of constantly turning in the same direction that tipped her off.

  “I thought you could find anything,” Brant said.

  “Success does not rule out the occasional difficulty, nor is it immediate,” Rayner said.

  “I guess this is the real price of getting a good price,” Brant said.

  Zoe looked at Brant, and her eyes told him that she actually agreed with his criticisms of their navigator-captain.

  Ovid was recording all of this into his book.

  ~~~

  The witch, Fallavakara, had a fleet of ships, and an undead army under her command. The ruby dagger that she held directed them, and she was in charge. But she could not lead, and did not know how to find the Udovedaj-Pren Island. Sailing around the Ikkith Tar Ocean was no way to travel, and she was uneducated in any navigation of any sea, even the more straightforward ones. None of her undead army could offer guidance to her, either – they were not lacking in intelligence, only the will to resist her, as their spirits were suppressed. The problem was that none of them was an expert navigator – not even the ones who were sailors were sufficiently expert for these waters. Also, none drank the waters of the Atrejan Ocean, which would have given them the ability to hear the movements of the suns, by which they could also navigate. That was not considered a very valuable power, and this was because navigators were generally not paid very well, nor were astronomers. There were no other reasons to listen to the stars, so there were no other reasons to drink the waters of the Atrejan Ocean.

  ~~~

  The fleet under General Serafina, from the Ihalik Empire under Lycaon, had also made its way to the Ikkith Tar Ocean from their home continent of Ihalik. They had traveled northwest from Ihalik, sailing over the Zovvin Ocean until reaching the Jeshirinko Barrier land bridge. They converted the ships to airship mode and traveled north over the land bridge, returning to sea level in the Lujladia Ocean. They then sailed northeast until reaching the Wandering of Shadows land bridge. They converted the ships to airship mode once again, sailing over the land bridge and returning to sea level in the Ikkith Tar Ocean. From there, they sailed east to make their way to the Udovedaj-Pren Island. However, they did not find it, and wandered aimlessly. Their navigators – star-readers who drank the waters of the Atrejan Ocean so that they could hear the positions and movements of the suns – were able to convert those solar measurements into visual ones by which they could steer. However, the visual distortions of the Ikkith Tar Ocean’s dark waters gave rise to many errors in steering.

  ~~~

  On board the Meticulous, Captain Pradrock, Claudia, Torin, Akylas and Akantha had made their way to the Ikkith Tar Ocean. Akylas knew how to navigate, and was prepared to find Udovedaj-Pren Island. They had a map of the stars, but it had been adjusted to match what they saw with their eyes. Steering was always by eye, and the dark waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean deceived the eye. The large body of water affected the air above it, for everyone who sailed across it. The light that passed through the air became distorted, and misdirected the vision. No matter how good a captain or navigator was, this was incredibly difficult, and subject to error. Sometimes, fatal error.

  Akylas was an excellent star-reader, due to the Atrejan waters that he drank. Pradrock was a clever captain, due to the Medathero waters that he drank. Neither was beyond error, and they knew it. This was not a good day for them, as the visual distortions were particularly bad. They varied by hour and location, seemingly randomly. It was chaos, and their eyes saw things in the wrong place. Everyone sailing the Ikkith Tar Ocean was affected, in one way or another.

  ~~~

  Captain Guillermo had a difficult time navigating, but he was calm and collected, and believed that all things would work out for the best. Caroline had not often traveled by sea, but knew it was taking a while to locate the island. Lady Onora had traveled the seas many times, and sensed something was awry.

  “Is there a difficulty, captain?” Lady Onora asked him.

  “Nothing unexpected, I assure you. These dark waters have a strange way about them. One must approach navigation here as if solving a puzzle. I enjoy the challenge,” Captain Guillermo said. If he was scared, he wasn’t showing it. And he wasn’t scared…not even a little. Everything always worked out for him, for some reason or another. Fear was not a concept in his character. And the mystery of the dark waters – where he might end up, and what he might find – was alluring.

  CHAPTER 21: Clarity in Song

  Taesa and Daven had traveled with Captain Lyle and arrived in the Ikkith Tar Ocean. The ship sailed to and fro as the captain was busily searching for Udovedaj-Pren Island. Captain Lyle had the same bad luck as many others, being surrounded in the darkness caused by the waters. Despite careful navigation, they were lost at sea, unable to identify the location of the island.

  Taesa, howev
er, considered the situation from a different angle.

  “What are we searching for?” Taesa asked Daven.

  “The island,” Daven said, wondering why she felt the need to ask. He was unhappy about all of this. His parents were gone, and so was his security and comfort in life. Confronting this situation was unpleasant, and he didn’t think too deeply about it. His deepest thoughts were given to music, and pleasant music at that. His whole life had been centered on using music to bring joy to others, because his own life had already been given a firm grounding. In his youth, the wealth of his parents had afforded him a comfortable lifestyle where he could focus exclusively on studying music to achieve mastery. The small fortune they had given Daven enabled him to continue his work independently into his adulthood, traveling to wherever he was needed throughout the world, giving hope and encouragement to those in desperate situations and teaching a few others to do the same. Yet, the small fortune was not unlimited and he feared that, without additional financial support from his parents, soon he would be unable to continue his travels to give inspiration to others.

  “That’s a place. What are the things we’re searching for? The reason?” Taesa asked.

  “Answers to our questions. We want to know where my parents went, and if someone stole all their money, who was it?” Daven said.

  “Right. We want answers. We want clarity. There isn’t any…yet. Not even on this ocean,” Taesa said.

  “You want clarity? Why not just look for joy?” Daven asked.

  “What do you mean? We’re faced with a lot of unknowns. Is now even the right time to be joyful? How can it help us answer our questions?” Taesa asked.

  “Joyful energy inspires us to find answers to questions and create solutions for problems. When you have so much joy that it overflows, and you can share it with others, they can do the same and improve their own lives. Music can help bring that joy,” Daven said.

  “Clarity has to come first. Without that, you can have joy in the wrong things – the road to ruin, filled with drunkenness and careless actions, can be overflowing with joy, until you reach the destination, and realize, way too late, that you’ve been wrong,” Taesa said.

  “You’re all grown up now. You don’t need me,” Daven said.

  “I don’t think I’ll ever be all grown up. I just paid close attention to the boys my age. I’ve watched a lot of them go down bad roads, along with their girlfriends. Their lives were so empty and their minds were so empty, they became destructive to the people around them,” Taesa said.

  “What do you think was missing from their lives and their minds?” Daven asked.

  “Clarity – the same thing we all need. I need clarity. So do you. Not everyone has the desire to find it,” Taesa said.

  “Maybe they don’t have the ability or knowledge to find it. Some things in life are very complicated. Just look around us – even the waters give off darkness so it’s hard to see clearly,” Daven said.

  “Sometimes we have to ask for help,” Taesa said.

  “These waters make the darkness, and we don’t drink the waters that make light. Who do we ask for help?” Daven asked.

  Taesa then drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from the vial she carried on the chain around her neck. She was energized and words started to flow to her and through her. She began to sing:

  Let many suns shine down,

  On the path we're going.

  Let the waves of water take us,

  To the hidden land we seek.

  Upon the darkest sea we voyage,

  We are now lost without a guide,

  We are at the mercy of the tide,

  We are travelers so small and weak.

  Let many suns shine down,

  So that when we look ahead,

  We can clearly view,

  Through the shadows and the mist,

  The new land that we're going to,

  And the proper course on which to sail.

  These waters have the greatest

  Of all the powers in the world,

  They quench the burning thirst,

  Of those, with secrets, who exist

  In the darkness, underneath the veil.

  Let many suns shine down,

  Pierce the darkness with their light,

  Work in our favor, not in spite,

  And bring us to the destination where,

  The secrets that elude us,

  Can be unburied and made known.

  The pain itself is more than enough,

  The mystery is far too much to bear.

  Let many suns shine down,

  To illuminate and clarify,

  Pour out the light that's held within the sky,

  Upon this land of pain that makes us cry.

  We must see who has truly hurt us,

  Who has cut us to the bone.

  Our heavy hearts now need to find,

  The hidden truth of wrongs for which,

  No one can ever hope to atone.

  Let many suns shine down,

  And tame the power of the sea,

  For just a little while,

  For our journey's thousandth mile,

  So that we can complete our sojourn,

  To find the hidden, missing pieces,

  Of our confusing, broken lives,

  And for a fleeting moment,

  Allow us to take hold,

  Of the truth for which we yearn.

  Taesa’s voice was magical, and it was heard, high above the ground. The very suns in the sky heard her, and one of them even listened.

  ~~~

  Prince Kirdothet was the master of the medium, warm yellow suns, and thus a prince among all the suns. The large, hot blue suns were the Sky’s Nine (9) Kings, being the largest and the hottest. The yellow suns were chaotic, and their paths could not be traced by mathematical means. Only a drinker of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean could hope to know where they were going, as they were too random. Yet they were not random, there were simply following a will of their own. Prince Kirdothet was that will. He heard the most beautiful voice in the world once again. It was the same voice that had sung Praise Every Sun Upon the Sea just a few years ago. She had given him worship with a voice worthy of the sky, and he longed for her. With this new song, Taesa was calling him down to her, and Prince Kirdothet burned with passion and fire for the girl.

  The sky lit up, and two (2) of the twenty-four (24) yellow suns burned brighter, clearing the darkness for hundreds of thousands of square miles, so that many who sailed the Ikkith Tar Ocean could now see clearly. The visual distortions caused by the dark waters were dispelled for a time. Then, another yellow sun streaked down from the sky with a trail of fire, which dissipated shortly thereafter.

  Unbeknownst to the mortals who sailed the sea – who had only seen the streak of fire and bright suns lighting their way – Prince Kirdothet then set foot in a dark place on the Udovedaj-Pren Island. He was awaiting the girl with the beautiful voice, whom he planned to take as his own.

  ~~~

  Daven was astonished. “What did you just do? What just happened?” he asked.

  “I called for the suns to shine down,” Taesa said, also startled.

  “You lit the sky on fire! That song had power!” Daven said.

  From the wheelhouse of the ship, Captain Lyle had heard Taesa’s song, had seen the sky light up, and now he could navigate. The events in the sky were utterly shocking to him, and he simultaneously accepted and denied what he saw. Captain Lyle fixed the ship’s course and then he went out on deck. The captain approached Taesa and said: “Those two (2) yellow suns are bright enough now, so the way to the island is clear. I can see the island like never before, and we’re going to approach it. I think I’ve seen and heard too much, and I can’t explain any of it.”

  “Neither can I,” Taesa said.

  “I still don’t know what happened,” Daven said.

  “Maybe it was some sort of strange coincidence. Maybe it has t
o do with the inferno. Maybe I’ve just disoriented from the dark waters,” Captain Lyle said.

  “I only sang to ask for help,” Taesa said.

  “It looks like we got that help,” Captain Lyle said.

  “The sky is very bright. That is a lot of help,” Daven said.

  Captain Lyle, Taesa and Daven then continued sailing toward Udovedaj-Pren Island.

  ~~~

  Fallavakara saw the bright events in the sky, and thought them to be some sort of omens, but for ill or good she did not know. For her, however, good and ill were often the reverse of what they meant for everyone else. She hoped for ill for the world, which meant good for her, if the logic could be reversed that way. She led her fleet toward Udovedaj-Pren by the light of the two (2) yellow suns that now burned brighter.

  ~~~

  Akylas and Torin, on board the Meticulous with Pradrock, Claudia and Akantha, felt something strange. Akylas concentrated, and then his face turned white. “There’s one (1) less sun in the sky,” Akylas said.

  “Count carefully,” Pradrock said, finding this news immensely alarming. He, too, had seen the bright lights in the sky, and the clear path ahead to Udovedaj-Pren Island. The idea that a sun was missing from the sky strained credibility, however.

  “I’ll count again,” Akylas said.

  “So will I,” Torin said.

  “There are only twenty-three (23) yellow suns. There were twenty-four (24),” Akylas said.

  “I agree. This is beyond unbelievable,” Torin said.

  “Yes. I still don’t believe it. What I do believe is that you have visual distortion sickness from the dark waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean. It can confuse the senses. The lights in the sky are unusual, as was the streak of fire. However, they could be explained as an extreme case of the same visual distortions from the dark waters. They twist and bend darkness and light, and I think that just occurred on a very large scale,” Pradrock said.

  Akantha felt the tug of intuition, and drank the waters of the Zovvin Ocean that she kept in a vial she wore on a chain around her neck. She was energized, and concentrated on the spirit world, connecting to it. She felt something strange, something new and evil and twisted. “No. I think they’re right. This an ill omen, and even the spirit world was affected,” Akantha said.