Dagger & Deception

by Jeremy Dwyer

  The suns in the sky weren’t as bright as before, so the song that she sang to let them shine down had only a temporary effect, though it was a considerable effect at the time. Now, the suns gave some light and she could clearly see everything around her, but it wasn’t up to the level of brightness by which they had steered the ship.

  She remembered the others that she had traveled with and called out to find them – she yelled: “Daven! Captain Pradrock!” No one answered. However, she did not panic or feel abandoned. Rather than fear, she let curiosity take over. She wandered, hoping to learn.

  Then, Taesa banged her leg – in thin air. She cried out in pain and held the leg, and the pain passed after a few minutes. When it did, she reached out and felt something that she could not see. There was something physical here. She started walking, slowly and carefully, reaching out with her hand and running her fingers across the edge of something. All that she could see was the large circular clearing in the trees that were in the forest – the clearing on whose outer edge she was standing, next to a large physical object that she felt but could not see. She saw through the object, straight across to the far edge of the clearing. She walked around it, measuring the length by counting her carefully measured footsteps. She found that the invisible object, like the clearing, was circular. The object measured two thousand eight hundred twenty-six (2826) feet in circumference. She had studied enough in Emeth, and, though she was no mathematics student, she knew the one rule about the circumference of a circle, and mentally tried multiplying a few different numbers by three point one four (3.14) to reach the circumference. After a few tries, she concluded that the diameter of the circle which the large, solid – yet invisible – object occupied was around nine hundred (900) feet.

  Taesa was curious, and when there was something outside of her knowledge, or she sensed that there was, she pursued it. That was her way of living life, and she did not let the challenge discourage her. The fact that it was hidden did not ever lead her to believe that it should remain hidden. Knowledge for its own sake was what she sought. She was determined to find out what this object was, so she gave thought to how she might go about doing this.

  Words for a new song started coming together, along with recollections of what she had studied during her time in Emeth. She had learned many things about ancient songs – as well as intonation, tempo and melody – that could be used to imbue the songs with higher power. Of course, they had to be sung by a person who drank the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean – in a pure enough potion – in order to have much effect, if any. Fortunately, those are exactly the waters that she drank. Then, Taesa drank some of those same waters which she carried in the vial that she wore on the chain around her neck. She was energized, and her words and melodies now had their full power.

  Let me look and see,

  That which is hidden.

  Let me peer behind shadows.

  Let me find what I seek.

  When bright lights are shining,

  But magic conceals,

  My voice has the power,

  Beyond my eyes that are weak.

  (Refrain)

  Reveal to me...all the things beyond my sight.

  Give Greater vision...into the dark extend the light.

  I want to see everything,

  That can lead me to my goal.

  I want to see anything,

  That will help make me complete.

  Mysteries are all around.

  Powers great allow no view,

  Blinding me to my desires.

  My quest to find ends in defeat.

  (Refrain)

  Focus my vision,

  With this song of knowledge.

  Sharpen my senses,

  With the powers that flow.

  Open the closed gate.

  Remove the cloak and the veil.

  Show the secret location,

  So that I will know.

  (Refrain)

  I trust in the water,

  That quenches my thirst.

  Now I thirst for the answer,

  Yet with darkness I am cursed.

  May this song give me new eyes,

  To penetrate night,

  To discover my treasure,

  Grant me sight beyond sight.

  (Refrain)

  The power of the song was indeed great. It filled the area, and surrounded the large object. Slowly, something enormous began to appear in the place where she had felt an object but could not see it.

  There was a circular wall, with the appearance of obsidian, that was perhaps twelve (12) feet high, along the path where she had walked around, with the nine hundred (900) foot diameter, but the wall had several openings in it.

  Within the wall there were many towers, with a tapered obelisk shape. The nine (9) tallest towers each had a blue sapphire appearance, each rising six hundred thirty (630) feet into the sky. The twenty-four (24) shorter towers each had a yellow citrine appearance, each rising four hundred twenty (420) feet high. The thirty-seven (37) shortest towers each had a red ruby appearance, each rising two hundred ten (210) feet high. Taesa could not measure the heights using distances and angles, as she did not know trigonometry, but they were clearly several hundred feet tall, and came in three (3) different sizes and colors.

  Looking closely, Taesa could see inscriptions in the sides of the towers.

  In all, it was a small, walled city, hidden in the darkness, and now she could see it, and she approached, without fear. She entered into one of the openings in the wall to have a closer look at this previously hidden structure. She noticed that the buildings, now visible, actually cast a shadow, in which she stood.

  ~~~

  The enormous towers could be seen all over the island. The troops of the Jenaldej Empire, in the middle of the forest which was no longer as dense as it once was, noticed the shadow that was suddenly cast, and they looked up, and saw the towers.

  “Where did that come from?” Emerond asked.

  “I’ve traveled every ocean, and visited every continent, and have never seen such a thing,” Admiral Gavin said.

  “What exactly is it?” General Joshua asked.

  Lady Ismene was traveling with them, as were Romana and Judith.

  Lady Ismene knew of the spirit world, and the deities which inhabited it. She also knew that temples had been built to worship those deities. “It’s the Temple of the Sky’s Nine (9) Kings,” she said.

  Judith looked at the towers closely, and began drawing pictures of them in her book. She had heard of this so-called “Temple of the Sky’s Nine (9) Kings” but had never seen it. She was not sure if the identification was correct, but this towering structure was of interest, and merited a closer look.

  “How do you even know?” Emerond asked.

  “It’s a temple of sun worship. The nine (9) blue suns are called the sky’s nine (9) kings by many sun-worshippers. There are many songs that praise them, and call them by that title,” Lady Ismene said.

  “It’s demon worship,” Romana said.

  “Not necessarily. But it isn’t good, either,” Lady Ismene said.

  “When you worship something or someone other than the One True God, it’s demon worship, or idol worship at the very least, which leads to demon worship,” Romana said.

  “Let’s not have a religious war right here and now,” Emerond said.

  “I think we’re in the battlefield of a war between religions right here and now,” Romana said.

  Lady Ismene looked at Romana, not wanting to press their disagreement on religious views. However, she feared that Romana may be right about calling this a battlefield.

  “What makes you call this a battlefield?” Emerond asked.

  “No one builds a temple of that scale unless it represents a power that is very real,” Romana said.

  “That is true, my dear. There is real power here, and real danger,” Lady Ismene said.

  “I want to look at it more closely,” Judith said and began to w
alk in the direction of the temple.

  “Are you mad? There’s danger,” Lady Ismene asked.

  “No. She’s a Chronicler. It’s all about knowledge,” Romana said.

  Judith looked at the old woman, wondering why she would think that a Chronicler of the Oath would deliberately avoid a curiosity.

  “Let’s all go take a closer look,” Emerond said.

  “Your Majesty, our scouts have reported that we are not alone. Won’t this structure attract the other forces currently on this island? This could become a killing ground,” Admiral Gavin said.

  “We came here to confront our true enemy, not attack the armies of other empires. We will not initiate any attacks against them. However, we do need to know what events are occurring on this island. There is something of import going on here, and we need to know, not run from it,” Emerond said.

  “Perhaps we should send a smaller force ahead to scout,” Admiral Gavin said.

  Emerond considered this and said, “Very well. Send a group of dark scouts.”

  Among their ranks, four (4) dark scouts drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean that they carried with them, thereby becoming energized. They went under the cover of darkness as the water enabled them to do. They went ahead, quickly, toward the towers.

  Judith walked ahead, alone, without any cover.

  Romana felt concern for her friend, although not fear, as she knew that Judith was protected. Still, her own curiosity was stirred. “I believe that I should join her. We shouldn’t be the last to know what this is,” Romana said.

  “Learn what you can, scholar, but don’t think yourself a warrior,” Emerond said.

  Romana ran ahead to join Judith, and they walked together in the direction of the towers. Judith was pleased to have her join, although she did not show it.

  “I need to determine for myself, to see if it really is a sun-worshipper’s temple,” Romana said.

  Lady Ismene was concerned, agreeing with the earlier statement that it was likely very dangerous. Now that Romana and the Chronicler were approaching it, they might see something of great importance to her. Lady Ismene considered herself to be an expert in matters of the spirit world, and many of the deities that inhabited it, so she could not stand idly by while others learned of what was ahead. The old woman began walking ahead, and soon caught up with Romana and Judith. All of them stared up at the skyline, seeing the towers. As they got closer, they all noticed the inscriptions written on them. Judith began writing down the ones that she could make out.

  The dark scouts approached the towers, as well.

  ~~~

  The Ihalik Empire’s troops, most of whom were still under the command of General Serafina, also saw the towers appear.

  “What is this? And how did we not see it before? Was it covered in darkness?” General Serafina asked. She was directly commanding one of their divisions. However, none of her subordinate officers had any answers.

  “This could be the enemy’s stronghold. We cannot directly approach it, but must surround it. Send scouts to the other divisions, let them know to keep their distance, until further notice,” General Serafina said.

  Several scouts were dispatched, to find and meet with the other divisions.

  ~~~

  Lavakara looked and saw the towers. He was well aware of what they were, and the danger they represented. It was the Temple of the Sky’s Nine (9) Kings, and it housed fiery forces from the place where the realm of the suns met the spirit world. This was something of which to be wary. He was not afraid, but this merited utmost caution.

  Then, a thought occurred to him: not many will know what this temple is, and will be curious. When they approach, he can watch them from a distance, and search for his prize.

  Lavakara pointed the ruby dagger at an angle, directing his forces to a strategic location. They would be useful, not for direct conquest, but for applying pressure so as to put other forces into positions that were advantageous for him.

  ~~~

  Lady Onora and Caroline had been on the edge of Udovedaj-Pren Island, wondering exactly where they should search for Taesa. That is when the towers appeared on the skyline, from out of nowhere.

  Caroline’s face turned pale, and she was filled with a terrible fright. “What is that?”

  Lady Onora was deeply religious and holy. She knew the One True God, and was not filled with a spirit of fear. She also studied much, though she could not positively identify what it was. It appeared, however, to be a temple of some sort, dedicated to a false deity.

  “It’s a temple, but not to a true god,” Lady Onora said.

  “More religion. How much more do I have to endure?” Caroline asked.

  “A lot. And this one is cruel and dangerous,” Lady Onora said.

  “How are we going to find her?” Caroline asked, as her mind never left her daughter.

  Lady Onora was at a loss, and then she found the answer. She began to pray. “Dear God, One True Creator, One True Healer, One True Forgiver of evil, One True Finder of the lost, please guide us to your daughter, that she may be found safe.”

  Caroline listened, and found it bothersome that the woman would just say some prayers to an imaginary being without actually doing anything.

  “You don’t know how to find her, do you?” Caroline asked.

  “Not on my own. But the Creator will,” Lady Onora said.

  ~~~

  From on board the Meticulous, Pradrock, Claudia, Akylas and Akantha all saw the towers appear. Torin did not, because of his blindness.

  “What are those structures?” Pradrock asked.

  “It’s probably the stronghold of an enemy army. It was hidden in darkness, and then revealed. There’s going to be a war here. This place is a trap and we need to leave,” Claudia said.

  “How? We’ll get lost for a long time on that ocean,” Akylas said.

  “If we can hide out there on the waters, we’ll be better off,” Claudia said.

  “What are you talking about?” Torin asked.

  “There are tall crystal towers – blue, yellow and red – that just appeared in the forest. I think I know what they are,” Akantha said. She was in tune with the spirit world, and knew of deities that were within it.

  “And that would be?” Claudia asked.

  “It’s a temple of sun-worshippers. I’ve heard legends of it. It’s called the Temple of the Sky’s Nine (9) Kings. It refers to the nine (9) blue suns that dominate the sky,” Akantha said.

  “What does it signify?” Pradrock asked.

  “Dangerous power, like the suns themselves: it can warm and it can burn,” Akantha said.

  “Then we really should keep our distance,” Claudia said.

  “For now, I don’t think we should go anywhere. At least, not until we see something and gain more information. If we have to set sail, we’re here on the ship, and we will. I would just as soon not rush into any danger in any direction, whether out at sea or inland,” Pradrock said.

  Claudia considered this, and said: “Let’s make sure the ship is ready for a quick exit, if need be.”

  “Agreed. Let’s be prepared,” Pradrock said, and he and Akylas inspected the ship to be sure that the sails were properly rigged for an efficient departure.

  ~~~

  Brant, Zoe, Daven and Ovid left the estate, and immediately saw the relatively thinned out forest, and nine (9) tall blue towers, standing hundreds of feet high.

  “Those weren’t here before, were they? I thought we got rid of all the illusions,” Brant said.

  “I don’t think they’re illusions. They were hidden in darkness, and now they’re visible,” Zoe said.

  “But what are they?” Daven asked.

  “I don’t have the slightest idea!” Zoe said.

  Ovid did not know what they were, either, but he started sketching a picture of the towers in his book.

  “It could be a castle, but it’s a strange one. The blue towers are unlike any castle I’ve heard of,
” Daven said.

  “Where you find castles, you find kings and armies. That means a fight. Let’s go take a closer look,” Brant said, excited at the thought.

  “I don’t know that we want that large of a fight, right now,” Zoe said.

  “It could be Victoria’s castle. She hid it, and now we can see it, and get her,” Brant said.

  “It could be anybody’s castle. If they have a big enough army, we won’t live long enough to get anywhere near Victoria,” Zoe said.

  “Can you get a closer look?” Brant asked.

  Zoe drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean that she kept in a vial on a chain around her neck. She was energized again, and used her power to bend light so as to see over and around the trees. She could see a young woman standing by a circular wall that surrounded the towers. There were other towers, some red and some yellow, but not as tall as the blue ones. She could also see approaching figures from different sides of the wall, and she could see approaching armies.

  “There’s a circular wall at the base of the towers. Other towers – some red, some yellow – are there, but they’re not as tall. There are armies approaching those towers, and there’s a young woman standing by the wall, next to a man who appears to be dressed in yellow and red. There are approaching armies, as well, from different directions,” Zoe said.

  “What does the woman look like?” Daven asked, immediately thinking of Taesa.

  Zoe focused her eyes on the woman to perceive the finest details. “She has very short, light brown hair. She’s very thin, and wears a vial on a chain around her neck. The vial has the classical markings of music on it,” Zoe said.

  That sounded like Taesa, and Daven became sure it was her. “That could be Taesa,” Daven said.

  Ovid wrote down in his book what Zoe said, but did not write that he saw it, because he didn’t. He merely recorded her spoken description as a statement. That she said it was not in question. That she was correct, however, was in question, because Ovid did not have the power to see long distances. There were some capabilities – such as seeing fast moving objects appear to slow down – that were shared between those who drank the waters of the Lujladia Ocean, like Zoe did, and those who drank the waters of the Ursegan Ocean, like Ovid did. However, the same effect came about in different ways – the Ursegan Ocean waters allowed the drinker to slow down time, and the Lujladia Ocean waters allowed the drinker to bend light. There were other powers, such as long distance vision achieved by bending light, that were exclusive to those who drank the Lujladia waters, and long life achieved by slowing down time, that were exclusive to those who drank the Ursegan waters. Ovid knew these things, and realized his own limitations.