by Jeremy Dwyer
“The stars are too large and numerous for such powers to work on all of them. The suddenness is a mystery, but I don’t think those waters could give the power to work on the entire sky,” En’Leva said.
“The mystery is more than curiosity. I do not want our child to be welcomed by a world covered in darkness,” Wavel’Josek said.
“This is a mystery that someone else will need to solve. I want you to stay with me. We are a family now, and this island is where will work and live, always. I love you,” En’Leva said.
Wavel’Josek put his arms around En’Leva, who sat upon a comfortable wooden chair with satin pillows, positioned on the hill – thirty-four (34) feet above sea level – from which they often watched the sea. Nearby was a small lighthouse – standing sixty-three (63) feet tall – which they called home.
~~~
On Loravixian Island in the Ikkith Tar Ocean was yet another outpost of Redfire Sentinels.
Va’Qileren drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from his vial and was energized. He saw the reduction in the darkness yet again.
“Whatever the trouble in the skies, it is not a constant. It has subsided, then returned, then subsided again…for the moment,” Va’Qileren said.
“Stars do not change so suddenly. They give light – in varying measure – as they move about. Even with all the many suns in motion, each change is quite gradual. This is extraordinary, and not explained by their usual orbits,” Farovaxen said.
“Can you sense the stars enough to learn why?” Va’Qileren asked.
“Any contact with the stars brings pain, without useful knowledge, so there would be no good purpose to it,” Farovaxen said.
“I would sing to bring back the light, but I do not believe that it would last. The light from the music would last only a short while,” Railia – a young woman of nineteen (19) – said, having overheard them.
“There are powers at work that few singers could abate. You are a valuable member of the Redfire Sentinels, but your powers of music are not yet strong enough to achieve such a feat. Great training is needed in song, as it is the most complex and versatile of all powers,” another man said while approaching.
“Father Isaac!” Farovaxen said as he began walking to approach the much older man, who wore the rich robes of a banker and had a full gray beard and mustache, and appeared to be nearly seventy (70) years of age.
“Our esteemed benefactor,” Va’Qileren said, without taking his eyes off of the ocean, but began walking towards the older man all the same.
Isaac had just come to visit this outpost, as it was the largest and most populated of all – every ocean had one (1) outpost situated upon a carefully chosen island. Loravixian Island was also the island where new recruits to the Order of Redfire Sentinels were first brought before being sent to other outposts, so it had several who were waiting assignment. This was not an arbitrary decision – the Ikkith Tar Ocean was the darkest, and needed a greater number of watchers to guide ships who sailed upon its waters.
Isaac looked at these men and women and said to them: “The power that brings the darkness is known, but why it is now active is not.”
“What power is this that brings darkness to every sun? It is not known to us,” Farovaxen asked.
“In ancient times – long before even me, and I have seen seven hundred thirty-four (734) millennia – there was the myth of the luminaries. These were said to be candles – made of cold black onyx – that bring darkness when their wicks are aflame. I did not believe the account, but chose to study it when I was a mere child of only eight thousand three hundred twenty-six (8326) years. What I found was disturbing, but I learned that the luminaries were not myth. They did exist, and had been hidden – given to anonymous protectors so that they would never be lit again. Yet, someone is finding and lighting them, intent on bringing back the total darkness,” Isaac said.
“This happened before?” Railia asked, shocked.
“Many times. And the darkness was complete. This is but an evening sky…” Isaac said.
“I sense there must be a nefarious reason why it would be so dark,” Va’Qileren said.
“After each period of darkness, there were fewer stars in the sky, so that when the daylight returned, it was less than before. Entire colors of suns have been taken, never seen since. Some were higher than the blue suns that now give the greatest of all lights,” Isaac said.
“How did you learn these things, Father Isaac?” Railia asked.
“I know these things – and worse – from my journeys and meetings with beings of great mystery. They were from the first age and lived even until recently – perhaps still today. There is even more that I know because of what they shared with me, but now is not the time,” Isaac said.
“What are we to do now? I cannot hear the sounds of the stars by which I can know their positions and movement. Thus, I cannot serve to guide ships,” Farovaxen said.
“The luminaries must be found, and their flames extinguished. Yet, that is not a task for the Redfire Sentinels. We must prepare to guide people to the light,” Isaac said.
“To the light? Those of us who drink the Lujladia Ocean waters – members of the Redfire Sentinels or otherwise – lead by that light. Where, then, shall we lead them?” Va’Qileren asked.
“In the northeast, there is a great and glowing city within a wall, which surrounds all of the continent of Baradaxa. We will lead people there. Send their ships to that place, so that they can be shielded and thrive for a time, until the darkness has abated,” Isaac said.
“What if they need to go elsewhere?” Farovaxen asked.
“We help them get to their destination safely. We don’t choose their purposes,” Va’Qileren said.
“There is more you should know. If you have not heard already, then I am surprised, but you must hear it now. In the south, in Meridianus and Ihalik, the king has returned yet again. This time, he is called by the name Xander. That man is the greatest scourge, and he makes demons act as his servants. His power will soon expand to all the world, as it did before,” Isaac said.
“Father Isaac, this sounds horrible! What scares me more is that you said ‘returned yet again.’ How many times has he been here? Why don’t we even hear about him, if he takes over the whole world – more than once, even?” Railia asked.
“This king – a king of lies – is from the middle of the first age. This is his ninth arrival, and he brings conquest and deception each time. He will ensnare nearly every people by deceiving them with illusions and emotional powers as well as songs. They will be enslaved on a fruitless task,” Isaac said.
“What makes him leave each time?” Va’Qileren asked.
“He takes on mortal bodies, and they eventually die, but not before causing great harm,” Isaac said.
“You say much of great importance, yet all of it begs many more questions. Why do we not know of this king if he returns again and again?” Farovaxen asked.
“His web of illusions is always an elaborate and widespread deception, and all of his prior visits were before the building of Emeth. Now, the record of his existence has been captured in its halls, and so the world will be aware. There may be a way to make this incarnation his last, because he has still another planned for a later age,” Isaac said.
“You said that people would be enslaved on a fruitless task. What did you mean?” Va’Qileren asked, still looking out to sea, as was his duty.
“There is a myth of the unified ocean – an ocean whose waters gave all powers – and he still searches for it, but he needs all people to work under him to find it,” Isaac said.
“Is this the sort of myth that is shown to be true, like that of the luminaries?” Farovaxen asked.
“I have found no reason to believe it is true,” Isaac said.
“You are thorough, and your knowledge transcends any limits we can fathom, which makes me doubt such an ocean exists,” Va’Qileren said.
“Yet, there is no conclus
ive proof that it is false,” Isaac said.
“If this unified ocean exists, and he finds it, the havoc he could wreak would be too great to endure,” Farovaxen said.
“He already has a waterbinding, so he will not be able to take the unified water in this life. He will have to die, and then return. And he is not the only one who would abuse its varied powers. He knows this, as well. That is why his true intention is to have his slaves find it, and then murder most of the world, so that they cannot take the waters of the unified ocean before he can return to have it for himself,” Isaac said.
~~~
On Haza’Kedro’Maral Island in the Pirovalen Ocean, Duchess Uliana stood at the edge of the construction site of the Temple of the Sky’s Nine (9) Kings. She looked to the sky and saw the sudden lessening of the darkness.
Standing nearby were the Torches of Majesty – Blazer Endrit, Blazer Darakizar and Blazer Luken – and they noticed the change as well.
“There is a war for the sky, duchess. The darkness has lessened…for the moment,” Blazer Endrit said.
“We must see to it that the suns win that war. Can you find the rest of them?” Duchess Uliana asked.
“I know not where to look, or I would have sought them already,” Blazer Endrit said.
~~~
Still in his rented room, Mercator was now filled with fear. He lit the wick of the black onyx candle yet again, not even looking as he did so, but watching the sky. Suddenly, it became darker again. He was now convinced of the power he held, and stood in awe of it – fearful awe. He simply stared out into the twilight darkness of the evening sky, and began to wonder about its meaning. He then extinguished the flame and the darkness lessened once more, but it was still an evening sky. It occurred to him that there may be other such objects – many of which still had the flames lit on their wicks – which were giving this darkness, which was most unnatural.
In his musings – which were a mixture of curiosity and fear – he did not notice the approaching sounds of footsteps.
~~~
Outside of Mercator’s rented room, Pandaros drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial and was energized.
Seleukos drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from his vial and was energized. He looked into the keyhole of the door and was able to see the tumbler positions by bending light throughout the locking mechanism. He placed a small pick into the lock and easily opened the door.
The door to the room then burst open – someone had picked the lock – and Mercator’s musings were then interrupted by a sudden sharp pain, and not the kind that the Trerada waters could heal. A blade cut through his spinal cord and severed his head, killing him instantly, plunging him into another darkness.
“This appears to be a luminary,” Pandaros said, picking up the black onyx candle that was near the hand of Mercator’s lifeless body.
“We should prove or disprove it at once, as we’ve come all this way,” Seleukos said.
“Indeed. I agree,” Pandaros said. He then lit the wick of the black onyx candle from the ordinary candle on the wall in the room and the sky darkened yet again.
“Proven,” Seleukos then said, seeing the sky darken outside the window.
“Before we return, we must dedicate this killing to pay our debt,” Pandaros said. He called out to the spirit world and said: “Now, spirit, accept the blood of the merchant for the knowledge you have given.”
A voice spoke into Pandaros’ spirit such that only he could hear, saying: “The blood isss the priccce, and one (1) ssshare of thisss sssecret knowledge isss now purchasssed. Ssstill, twelve (12) sssharesss of the payment are owed. Remember your debtsss: they mussst be paid in full.”
“We should return with this at once. For now, its light shall be put out, so as not to attract notice on our voyage,” Pandaros said, extinguishing the flame of the luminary, yet again.
Pandaros and Seleukos then hurried back to the Port of Gabrielle and then hired transport for the return voyage to the Colossal March Warpath. From there, they found the cave again, and saw that there were now two (2) candelabras: the first had twelve (12) of its thirteen (13) holders filled with burning luminaries, and the other candelabra had only one (1) of its twelve (12) thus filled.
“You’ve returned with another luminary; yet, is it a true one? While you were gone, Erikkos and I obtained the one that you could not,” Amaltheia said, intending to irritate Pandaros.
“By song I brought a storm in the desert, and the city fell,” Erikkos said.
“That must have been an impressive sight. This one is true – we have proven it already,” Seleukos said.
Pandaros then lit this most recent luminary by a torch on the wall of their cave and placed it into the open holder on the first candelabra, filling it out to thirteen (13) burning candles. Now, a total of fourteen (14) luminaries were lit – also counting the one (1) in the second candelabra – and giving off their combined darkness.
From under the cover of darkness, Abrax continued to watch over the candelabras and the luminaries within them.
“Now, the sky shall stay as dark,” Pandaros said.
Seleukos looked out of the cave and said: “Until we make it even darker.”
“And colder,” Amaltheia said from within the cave. The air had a chill, as the unnatural night set in.
~~~
In the walled city that was the continent of Baradaxa, many hundreds stood outside on the grounds of Sebastian’s large estate in the north.
Sebastian, Fantine and Cassius, Persephone while she held the baby – along with many hundreds of other people – now looked up to the sky. Even Ryan and Liora were nearby, startled at the many fluctuations in the sky that had recently occurred.
“Which is it to be? Dark, or darker?” Persephone asked.
“It changes too quickly to make any clear sense. Stars do not move that rapidly to explain the fluctuations in the light,” Ryan said.
“The powers of the Ikkith Tar Ocean waters give darkness that can be suddenly advanced or retreated, but I don’t know that they can be enough to cover the sky, not even if millions of people gather together to use them,” Fantine said.
“What if the powers of the Lujladia Ocean waters were gathered – with millions of people? Could we bring back the light?” Liora asked.
“We don’t need it. This city shines brightly – there is light within its walls,” Sebastian said.
“And it reflects the light,” Fantine said.
“That is by my design,” Cassius said.
CHAPTER 26: Telling the Tale of the Island of Crossings
On board the Resolute Traverser, Massimo continued to watch the sky, looking for signs that it would change yet again. He drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from his vial, energizing him so that he could continue to generate a guiding light for their ship to sail by.
“The sky seems to have settled – now it is merely darker, rather than fluctuating in darkness,” Massimo said.
“That doesn’t sound as if it is due to the movement of the stars – if it were, the variations in the light levels would be gradual, rather than changing instantaneously, even when several of them are moving in complex patterns,” Captain Pradrock said.
“That’s because it isn’t due to the star movements. Even during the inferno, the heat and light levels dropped fairly smoothly. The directions of sun movements can change quickly – especially the yellow suns – but the actual movements don’t do that – they take time,” Akylas said.
“If a million people got together and used dark powers – from Ikkith Tar – could they make the sky dark, then not dark?” Torin asked.
“Excellent question, Torin. The answer is no, however. The range of darkness does not match the range of light. They have equal speeds, but dark power dissipates much more quickly over distance, so they couldn’t reach the suns,” Pradrock said.
“Ghosts? Demons?” Akylas asked.
“Nope. There’s no way
they’re going to do that – ghosts can’t do anything to the stars directly, or they would have. That goes double for demons – you think they’d miss out on a chance to kill us all. What about mass hypnosis from telepathy?” Akantha said.
“No – some telepaths could make you believe that something the size of a sun has disappeared. But they couldn’t do it to all of us,” Jolene said.
“And the light is cutting through the darkness. Telepathic control would not allow you to see that, because it’s based on belief, not optics,” Pradrock said.
As if to reinforce Pradrock’s argument, Massimo directed the light around them to be brighter, by applying his powers in a different direction.
“Could someone build a structure to block out the suns?” Torin asked.
“How could they build it large enough? Or put it into position to block the suns? More people drink Kazofen Ocean waters than just about any other, but it’s still not enough,” Fritz said.
“Could the stars be in the process of dying?” Luuk / Tallak asked.
“Individually, perhaps. But for all of them to die at once is improbable. These questions are good, but we can’t answer every one of them just yet, or without help. And Tychon is still out there, which requires us to give some thought to dealing with him,” Pradrock said.
Niels recorded this conversation into his book and had nothing to offer, even if he were allowed. The light that Massimo provided helped him to write, but he did not need to see what he was writing to do so. All Chroniclers of the Oath were tested for their ability to properly record, even in low lighting conditions. Careful knowledge of the shorthand language enabled them to be quick and precise. Drawing diagrams was another matter: his skills were reasonable in that regard, though not every Chronicler was adept in that way.
“We’re almost to the southern tip,” Massimo said.
“Prepare to switch to airship mode. Head north along the land bridge,” Pradrock said.
“We can’t stay aloft for long. The sailing crystals are taking on less of a charge in the darkness,” Fritz said.