Amethyst of the Gods

by Richard S. Tuttle

  At last the wagon broke through the last stand of trees, and Balamor gazed upon the beach and the large ship being built there. He nodded his approval at the progress that had been made since he had left to fetch the canvas.

  The ship was unlike any other that he had ever seen. Its three large masts were each equipped with hoisting spars as well as crossbeams for the sails. While it was not uncommon for a cargo ship to have a hoisting spar, Balamor had never seen a ship with more than one. He was intrigued with what their potential use would be. While Master Khatama had readily shared the diagrams for the ship, he had not commented upon the purpose for it. The ship was much larger than any needed strictly for transport over the sea. The demand for precision and tightness of fit was extreme. It was as if Master Khatama was expecting a horrendous storm to overtake them somewhere along their voyage. And those hoisting spars. Balamor's mind returned to the spars. Not only were there three of them, but they were unlike any others that he had ever seen. They were all designed for hoisting something below the level of the keel. It made no sense to Balamor.

  Master Khatama looked at up at the arrival of the wagonload of canvas. He waved impatiently for Balamor to deposit his cargo and return to supervising the construction of the ship. Balamor gathered up a few items that he had purchased in the town and jumped off the seat of the wagon. He walked over to the Mage.

  "I managed to purchase some charts of the area," announced Balamor as he reached the Mage.

  "Charts will not help where we are going," Boris shook his head.

  "Perhaps not," shrugged Balamor, "but they will certainly help with getting this large ship away from the coast of Cordonia. You obviously are not a nautical man. The coast of Cordonia is riddled with submerged rocks and sunken ships. Some sandbars extend for leagues offshore. We must navigate carefully if we are to safely reach deep water."

  Boris shrugged and shook his head as if he was preoccupied by some serious thought. "You acted wisely in procuring the charts," he finally said. "Your selection for this group was not by accident. I will defer to your knowledge of the sea for now."

  "Something is bothering you," Balamor stated with certainty. "What is it?"

  "We need to move faster with the construction of the ship," Master Khatama stated flatly. "There is little time left."

  "Faster?" echoed Balamor. "I have never seen a ship created so quickly. What is the rush?"

  "King Arik has left Tagaret," declared the Mage. "He cleverly tried to hide the fact that he was leaving on a long journey, but that is exactly what he is doing. He has begun the quest for the Amethyst of the Gods."

  "And this ship is meant to stop him?" questioned Balamor.

  "No," Boris shook his head, "but it is imperative that we beat him to our destination by a healthy margin. Everything depends upon it."

  "I do not see how we can build the ship any faster and still adhere to your construction tolerances," Balamor frowned. "Why must the ship be built so tightly?"

  "The tight fit is for your protection," answered the Mage. "If we must abandon those tolerances to facilitate leaving on schedule, then we shall, but I would prefer to offer you as much protection as possible. I have no desire to take your lives needlessly."

  Balamor's brow creased with concern. He looked over at the ship and the mages working to finish it. "How long do we have?" he asked the Mage.

  "Dusk tomorrow," Master Khatama replied. "We must leave by then."

  "What if King Arik's party were to be delayed?" asked Balamor.

  "No," Master Khatama shook his head. "I will not stand for any interference in their plans."

  "I was only thinking of an illusion," pleaded Balamor. "Nothing more."

  "Neither Jenneva nor Tanya would be fooled by an illusion," Boris shook his head. "We would gamble too much on hoping to delay them. Let us deal with our own schedule which we can easily affect."

  "As long as we are willing to forego our safety," Balamor frowned as he nodded. "Very well," he sighed, "I shall see to the work schedule. We shall set sail at dusk tomorrow."

  Balamor walked over to the ship and called for a meeting. Master Khatama sat on a large rock staring out at sea, but his hands were moving swiftly. As the mages gathered around to listen to Balamor, Podil stared at the Mage's hands.

  "The Mage has set our departure time at dusk tomorrow," Balamor stated.

  "Impossible," grumbled Mustar. "We still have several days of work left to finish this ship. What is the rush?"

  "Finished or not," shrugged Balamor, "we leave at dusk tomorrow. It is to our advantage to be as close to completion as possible. I suggest that we work through the night. I can pilot the ship on my own. The rest of you can sleep as soon as we set sail."

  "Our advantage?" questioned Kroto. "This ship is for the Mage. We are but slaves making it for him. How is it to our advantage?"

  "You do not understand," interjected Podil. "The ship that we are building is for our protection, not the Mage's. If we sail without it complete, we only endanger ourselves."

  "Then we shall work through the night," offered Galdan as he curiously watched Podil's fingers moving swiftly. "Is that how you communicate with him?"

  "Yes," nodded Podil. "Once he is enclosed in the glass coffin, we shall not be able to speak with him, not even with mind speech."

  "The glass is magically enhanced to allow nothing to pass through," explained Mustar, "not even thoughts."

  "Why you?" Doryelgar asked Podil.

  "The Mage has selected me to head this expedition," Podil declared. "Who can say why he chose me. I will relay his orders to the rest of you when he communicates with his hands. Balamor will captain the ship. That is all that I know."

  "Well," shrugged Doryelgar, "let us not waste time talking about this then. I will be done with my fittings in several hours time. I am willing to help out wherever I am needed."

  "The same goes for me," offered Galdan. "I am just about finished with the wood required for the ship."

  "Excellent," Balamor smiled thinly. "I will need a great deal of help with the final assembly, but I think that we can do this if we strive to."

  "I could use help with the glass coffin," Mustar shrugged resignedly.

  "I can help with that," offered Podil. "Tell me what you need."

  "Boris wants a rope to pass through the glass," explained Mustar, "the same rope that will be used to suspend the coffin over the deck. I could use some help in magically sealing the glass around the rope."

  "Let's go take a look," suggested Podil as she led Mustar away from the gathering.

  "What are these extra railings for?" Galdan asked as he pointed to the drawings that showed a series of railings along the port side of the ship.

  The drawing showed five u-shaped enclosures along the port railing and another one near the helm.

  "They are crew closets," frowned Balamor. "They are meant to help the crew when traveling in rough seas, when the movement of the ship might tend to send a sailor flying along the deck. It is very strange to see them here."

  "Why is it strange?" asked Doryelgar. "Everything points to this being a rough voyage. The Mage must know that there is danger awaiting us."

  "True," nodded Balamor, "but they are all on the port side. I have only heard of these closets being used on ships attempting to round the Horn of Lanoir, and I have never heard that they made any difference. The placement on the port side is the most puzzling of all to me though. Look at the one near the helm. It also protects, but only on the port side. There has been no attempt to secure anyone from harm on the starboard side of the ship. If the ship is being tossed about in a storm, there is as much of a chance of being tossed to one side as there is to the other."

  "Perhaps the Mage does not understand that," suggested Kroto. "I certainly would not think of such a thing."

  "The Mage is not a sailor," shrugged Balamor, "but I doubt that this is an oversight. These plans are extremely detailed. Perhaps we are bound for a land where the storms are a
lways from one direction only. I can only guess at this juncture."

  "Well," sighed Kroto, "if they are meant to protect us, I want to be sure that they are completed. Perhaps we can talk while we work. We do not have much time left."

  * * *

  Alex tapped Kaz gently, and the unicorn came to a halt on the road to Dalek. The rest of the Knights of Alcea halted behind him.

  "What is it?" asked Jenneva. "Black Devils?"

  "No," Alex shook his head. "A storm is coming. Can you feel it?"

  Jenneva gazed up at the gathering dark clouds in the western sky. She nodded her head.

  "We should find a cave to weather the storm, "Jenneva suggested.

  "The right approach," frowned Alex, "but the wrong place to suggest it. I know this area fairly well, and there are no caves about."

  "A farmhouse?" questioned Tanya. "Any kind of structure?"

  "I do not know of any within an hour's ride," Alex shook his head. "We are in the middle of nowhere."

  "Find a place to camp for the night," ordered Jenneva. "Tanya and I will keep up a physical shield during the storm. We can take turns holding it."

  "I can take a turn with the shield," offered Fredrik. "It is one of the spells that Podil taught me."

  "Excellent," nodded Alex. "Keep the party moving forward. I will go on ahead and find an appropriate place to spend the night."

  Alex tapped Kaz gently, and the unicorn raced along the road as the rest of the Knights of Alcea continued their previous pace. Fifteen minutes later, they caught up to Alex. He had already cleared away the debris in a roadside clearing. King Arik ordered a break for the night, and the campsite was set up.

  Jenneva and Bin-lu had just finished making and serving the evening meal when the first rains began to fall. Fredrik swiftly erected a physical shield to keep the campsite dry, and the campfire was extinguished.

  Alex, Prince Garong, and Prince Darok huddled at the edge of the clearing discussing battle strategies, as they had done the night before. Wylan and Sheri sat alone talking softly, and Niki curled up on the ground, resting her head against Fredrik. Bin-lu, Arik, and Tedi took to the practice field, while Jenneva cleaned up the campsite. Tanya walked over to the log that Natia was sitting on and sat down beside her.

  "Do you enjoy being married to Tedi?" Tanya asked casually.

  The gypsy princess looked curiously at Tanya before nodding. "I would not be married to him if I did not enjoy it," she said, "but that is not the real question you wish to ask, is it?"

  "I don't know what I want to ask," sighed Tanya. "I feel so confused about how I feel."

  "That is not abnormal," smiled Natia. "It is a big step to commit your life to another."

  "How did you know about Tedi?" Tanya inquired.

  "I am not sure that I can explain it," frowned Natia. "I do not think it was a conscious decision. One minute there was a basta in our camp, the next minute I was poisoning him so that he could not leave."

  "Poisoning him?" asked Tanya. "You don't mean that literally?"

  "But I do," Natia sighed with embarrassment. "It was irrational and foolish, but I was desperate that Tedi not be allowed to leave. I felt as if my life would end if he left the camp. Kind of a strange way to treat the one you love. I was fortunate that my tactics were discovered in time."

  "Indeed," Tanya nodded vigorously. "I could never imagine me poisoning…"

  "Arik?" finished Natia as her face broke into a grin. "Perhaps the old gypsy sayings have a bit of truth in them after all."

  "What old sayings?" questioned Tanya.

  "Only those hopelessly in love are kept ignorant of their own feelings," smiled Natia. "Everyone already knows that you love King Arik, yet you think that you are merely confused. If you were to see yourself as others see you, you would no longer be confused."

  Tanya frowned as she gazed at the king as he practiced his fighting skills. Her heart beat fast when her eyes locked onto him, but she soon turned away with disappointment.

  "I fear that I have given up any chance that I once had for marriage to Arik," Tanya said softly. "I refused his offer before he had even given it, and now he seeks the hand of someone else. There is nothing that I can do about it now."

  "Isn't there?" Natia asked mischievously. "If you were surrounded by a hundred goblins, would you surrender?"

  "Surrender?" Tanya echoed with a puzzled brow. "To goblins? Never. I would rather die fighting than give them the satisfaction of my surrender."

  "Yet you stand ready to surrender to this nameless woman?" pushed Natia. "I think you are deceiving yourself. King Arik could never hope to find a woman of your stature anywhere in the world. There is no doubt that you love him, so why accept defeat?"

  "I could not kill her just because I want the man she plans to wed," Tanya shook her head. "I could not do that."

  "Killing her would be admitting defeat," sighed Natia. "That is not what I meant. Find out more about her. Use your head to expose her weaknesses to the world. Intimidate her into fleeing from the king's side. Convince Arik that she would be a detriment to his rule over Alcea. Use your womanly cunning."

  "That does not sound like something I can do," Tanya shook her head. "I wish this woman no ill, nor do I wish Arik any harm of heart. The failing has been mine. I cannot blame others for my own shortcomings."

  Natia sighed in frustration. She vowed silently to herself to help Tanya with the things that the young mage did not feel comfortable doing on her own.

  Chapter 21

  Ship of Fools

  "It is near time," Master Khatama stated as he watched the sun lower towards the horizon. "Is the ship ready?"

  "Near enough," nodded Balamor. "There is still some work to be done on it, but by prioritizing our efforts, the only work left to be completed can be accomplished while we are at sea. I would prefer to leave as soon as possible so that I can make use of the light to avoid some obstacles close to shore."

  "You are the captain," smiled Boris. "There are two large boulders that Kroto has used to support the ship. Prepare them so that we may hoist them aboard after the dike is destroyed."

  "You mean to carry those boulders aboard the ship?" questioned Balamor. "There will be no room for the horses if we do that."

  "We will have no need of horses where we are going," retorted the Mage. "Use the hoisting spars on the forward and aft masts. The center one is reserved for me and my glass coffin."

  "It shall be as you wish," frowned Balamor. "We will be ready for boarding in a few minutes. Gather whatever you wish to take with us."

  Balamor turned and began shouting orders to the other mages. The magicians scurried with their final preparations. Podil released the horses and scattered them, while Mustar broke a small hole in the dike. The seawater began to flow through the hole in the dike, eroding the sand pillars that supported the ship.

  "Make the hole larger," Balamor called to Mustar. "The pillars must not collapse until there is sufficient water in here to float the ship."

  Mustar nodded and created another hole in the dike. He cast a spell to mound the sand before the pillars so that the seawater flowed around them rather than directly at them. Kroto and Doryelgar attached lines to the large boulders as Galdan gathered everyone's packs and tossed them aboard the ship. Within minutes, everyone was onboard as the dike crumbled from the onslaught of the sea.

  "Hold on," Balamor shouted. "This will be a little rough for a few minutes."

  The words were barely out of the captain's mouth when the sand pillars began to crumble. The port pillars collapsed first, causing the ship to lurch to one side, but the starboard pillars were not far behind. The ship rocked unsteadily from side to side for several moments before calming down.

  "Right," sighed Balamor. "Raise the boulders onboard. Bring them up together so we do not favor one side of the ship over the other."

  Kroto and Doryelgar manned the winches and raised the boulders smoothly, one on the starboard side and the other on the port si
de. The weight of the boulders strained the hoisting spars, but the dwarves worked perfectly in harmony with one another. The boulders were carefully lowered to the deck.

  "Find something to brace them with," called Balamor. "We cannot afford to have them rolling about the deck."

  Balamor looked around the ship for the Mage, but he could not see Boris anywhere.

  "He is below sleeping," Podil said softly as she stepped up next to the captain.

  "Already?" questioned Balamor. "We have barely begun the journey. Is he all right, Podil? He has slept most of the day today and yet he is asleep once again."

  "He is storing up his energy," frowned the elf mage. "Whatever awaits us will test his mettle for sure. He is very concerned with the outcome of whatever it is that is in his future."

  "And where am I supposed to sail to?" inquired Balamor. "I can clear the coastal obstructions, but then what?"

  "Sail into the setting sun," advised Podil. "Whatever our destination, it lies beyond the Isles of the Sea. Stay close to Cordonia as long as possible so we can prolong the time under clear skies before entering the Darkness."

  "Very well," nodded Balamor. "It will take us through the night to get to the Isles. Perhaps Master Khatama will be awake in the morning."

  "He will be awake whenever you need him," smiled Podil. "Do not think harshly of him. What he does, he does for the good of all mankind."

  "I know," Balamor sighed. "I sensed his good intentions the day I met him. I do not know how, but I have found nothing to alter my first impression of him. Is this to be the final voyage for all of us, Podil?"

  "I hope not," Podil shook her head. "The possibility does exist that none of us will return from this voyage, but I believe the Mage has made every effort to safeguard us as best he could. There can be little doubt though, that this is his last voyage. I can sense it every time that I talk with him. He sees no future for himself in this plane."

  "In what plane then can he exist?" questioned Balamor. "The Universes have been collapsed. There is no other plane."

  "That is a question for which I have no answer," Podil said sadly.