Luminaries & Lies

by Jeremy Dwyer

Seeing his victims gathered before him, Pandaros drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial to be energized yet again. He called out: “Havatissa, with these libations, be pleased.”

  Then, Pandaros took his machete and decapitated each of the thirteen (13) people in turn, peeling the flesh from their skulls and drinking the blood from inside of it.

  At the end of the ritual, a voice from the spirit world spoke: “Pleasssed I am. In the desssert, it isss the ruler you mussst ssseek. In the diamond cccity, in hisss cassstle, he hidesss the luminary.”

  Pandaros then said: “I will take the luminary. Both of you shall remain here and guard those we now have.”

  ~~~

  Pandaros gathered up some platinum coins into a small box which he then placed into his backpack. He left the cave and made his way to the seaport where he booked passage on a ship heading southwest across the Nabavodel Ocean. The vessel took him to the southwestern corner of the continent of Volaraden. Once he disembarked from the ship, he traveled for two (2) days by foot and by hired transport on a riverboat until he reached the desert region. From there, he paid for transport on a sandship to take him to a point near the city wherein diamonds were mined.

  He entered the city and made his way to the castle where he had been told by the spirit that he could find the luminary. A guard met him as he approached.

  “Identify yourself, that I may announce you to the Baron,” the guard said.

  “My name is Pandaros,” he said, not wishing to create yet another false identity. This name was not his true one, so he had no reason to fabricate another at this time.

  “Please describe your purpose and justify your use of the Baron’s time,” the guard said.

  “I wish to purchase from the Baron something that he has of great value. Tell him that I am willing to pay above-market prices, so this conversation will be well-worth his time,” Pandaros said.

  “What is it you wish to purchase?” the guard asked.

  “A rare crystal,” Pandaros said.

  ~~~

  The guard momentarily left Pandaros waiting at the castle gate and relayed the message to a courier inside. Then, the guard returned and stood outside the castle gate with Pandaros.

  ~~~

  The courier walked through the halls of the castle and went into the study of Baron Ottokar. When he entered, he said: “Baron: A man by the name of Pandaros – who is a traveler of the wilderness – has arrived. He wishes to discuss the purchase of a rare crystal, and is willing to pay above-market prices.”

  Baron Ottokar found this to be preposterous – and suspect – given that no one deals with him in this way. Letters must be sent, with offers for quantities of diamond or other crystals, at market prices, and then he must calculate the appropriate saleable amount, according to the schedule of rationing provided by the resource coordinators. No one, in short, shows up in person to directly purchase a single rare crystal. No one, of course, except for trouble of the worst sort.

  The baron told the courier: “Call the captain of the guards. Gather two thousand (2000) troops into the great hall around the trading table. There, I will be waiting. Then, when they are assembled, invite our guest in and direct him there.”

  ~~~

  Baron Ottokar made his way to the great hall, but on his way, he met with Elsa, who looked at him and saw the deep concern in his face. She asked: “What is it? Please tell me, for I see fear in you like I have never seen. My love for you is great and everlasting, such that it deserves an entire truth, no matter how awful.”

  He thought about this for a moment and then took her to a private room and closed the door. Therein, he said to her: “My dear Elsa, look to the skies. There, you will see a darkness. It is brought by an evil – a light that burns to bring the night. There are many such as these. A man of darkness has come here that he should find another such light, and murder the day, and silence the world in a cloak of night everlasting.”

  Elsa was stunned – she had never heard him speak so intensely of such terrible things since the recent tempest; even then, he was a man in charge and directed the residents of the city with confidence to protect them. Now, he was a man in fear.

  “Is such a light of darkness here? Please tell me,” Elsa asked.

  “Not in this room. Nor shall this man have it this day,” Baron Ottokar said.

  “What am I to do? How may I give proper service to you? If wickedness lies in waiting, I am still yours. Thank you for the truth, that you should not be troubled alone, and that I can carry this burden with you,” Elsa said.

  “Wait in this room,” Baron Ottokar said, and he left and went to the great hall.

  ~~~

  Baron Ottokar went to the great hall and sat at the table, surrounded by two thousand (2000) of his armed guards. A courier was sent to the entrance to the castle, where Pandaros was waiting with a guard.

  ~~~

  “The Baron will see him now…in the great hall,” the courier said to the guard.

  “The Baron will see you now,” the guard said to Pandaros, and escorted him to the great hall.

  Pandaros entered a room that was four hundred (400) feet on a side and ninety (90) feet in height. He did not know the purpose for the height of the room, but the thousands of armed guards in the room explained its width and length.

  In the center was a table where a man dressed as a noble was sitting in a fine silver-trimmed mahogany chair that denoted authority.

  “You may approach the Baron,” the escorting guard said.

  Pandaros walked forward, surrounded on all sides by the guards, who seemed to be crowding him, and their sharp daggers, swords and, in some cases, muskets, were waiting. This was an important man, it seemed. Pandaros doubted that this man could be intimidated, and he didn’t so much as move a hand toward his machete, knowing that it would be futile. He planned on waging his war with money.

  “I am told that your name is Pandaros, and that you wish to purchase a rare crystal from me,” Baron Ottokar said.

  “Indeed, that is what I seek, Baron,” Pandaros said.

  “This is a city of diamond miners. Nothing here is rare, except certain cuts of stone, but the crystal benders can change that, by the Kazofen waters they drink. You must understand that,” Baron Ottokar said.

  “I do. Yet, I have come to understand that you have the greatest likelihood of anyone around of possessing a certain crystal of exceeding rarity, and that it is unlike any that are mined here,” Pandaros said.

  “How do you come to understand such a thing?” Baron Ottokar asked. He was well-guarded, but not without anxiety.

  “I am a collector of rare crystals. I travel the world – temples and jungles and caves, hills and valleys and mountains, lakes and oceans and islands – to find them. If, however, you already have what I seek, I would just as soon pay you for it. I prosper by the destination, not the journey, so the time which you spare me will be well compensated, Baron,” Pandaros said.

  “Why do you think that I have any rare crystal?” Baron Ottokar asked.

  “Your vast resources give you coverage. You clearly have armies at your disposal, which afford you access to many of the riches of this region. Why should I discount these things, and seek out a lesser man, expecting him to hold a thing of great value, when it is clearly you who would be its keeper?” Pandaros asked.

  “What is this rare crystal you seek?” Baron Ottokar asked.

  “An onyx. A stone that is black, with a narrow cylindrical form,” Pandaros said.

  Baron Ottokar knew immediately that this man was someone whom he feared and sought what he did not want to give.

  “Black onyx is rare in some places; yet, in others, it is plentiful,” Baron Ottokar said.

  “The cut is unusual and gives it great value,” Pandaros said.

  “I may have a piece that is of value to you, but my time is valuable, so the price will be high. I will not negotiate. You are to make me a single offer – your very best – and
I will know your character by your offer. First, however, allow me to show you the piece,” Baron Ottokar said.

  Then, Baron Ottokar unlocked and opened a metal box that he had on the table and pulled a black onyx out of it. He had specially prepared this stone for this time.

  Pandaros looked at the object and was pleased. It was cylindrical and the same size as the others, with a small wick protruding from it, like that of a candle.

  “Thirty-five thousand (35000) platinum coins,” Pandaros said. He knew the value of uncut onyx in some markets, and chose a value that was three (3) times what that onyx would be worth on average.

  Baron Ottokar then considered what might be signified by this offer. The man had to be wealthy, but he had to be more than capable of speaking a large number.

  “Do you have this money with you?” Baron Ottokar asked.

  “Indeed, Baron,” Pandaros said. He reached into his backpack and opened a small box. From that box, he pulled out three hundred fifty (350) coins each worth one hundred (100) single platinum coins, placing each on the table in front of the baron.

  Baron Ottokar counted these coins and then handed over the black onyx to Pandaros.

  “Your offer has been accepted. I, however, am a busy man with no further time for such exchanges. Henceforth, you shall follow standard procedures and send letters of offer, that I may not be interrupted from my regular duties,” Baron Ottokar said.

  “This is most gracious of you, Baron,” Pandaros said.

  The guard then escorted Pandaros out of the castle.

  ~~~

  From there, Pandaros made his way to the nearest seaport and returned to Waderav the way that he came.

  He returned to the secluded cave and held the black onyx up to a torch, which lit the wick. He then placed the lit luminary into the candelabra, along with the other five (5).

  “We must look at the sky and see what is to be seen,” Pandaros said.

  He, Abrax and Hesperos went outside the cave and saw nothing they hadn’t already seen.

  Pandaros became extremely angry and Hesperos could sense it by reading his thoughts.

  Pandaros did not want to waste his time on revenge – the baron commanded an army, after all, and clearly had suspected something by fabricating such a perfect fraud of a distinctive object – so Pandaros knew that he would have to apply a different tactic.

  “Will you seek revenge for this fraud?” Hesperos asked, knowing the answer to be negative.

  “No. I may not pursue that particular luminary just yet. There are others,” Pandaros said.

  “You’re going to look elsewhere?” Hesperos asked.

  “The reward must be commensurate with the effort. This baron has clearly been alerted to our pursuits, so he will attempt to deceive us again, or use great force. We will travel along a different road,” Pandaros said. He returned to the cave and removed the false luminary from the candelabra, tossing it to the ground. The candelabra still only held five (5) luminaries.

  CHAPTER 38: Cold and Cruelty in the Darkness

  In the continent of Baradaxa, in the northwestern territory, Sebastian was residing in one of his numerous estates. The mansion was itself a five (5) acre building of stone with ornate crystal windows and the land around it consisted of eight thousand (8000) acres. He stood in the north garden – one (1) of four (4) gardens that surrounded the mansion. This particular garden covered a one hundred twenty-one (121) acre area with evenly trimmed rows of maple trees, oaks and redwoods, flanked by beds of tulips, roses, violets and daisies and various others arranged in concentric patterns of diamonds according to color.

  Sebastian, on one particular occasion, walked this garden alone, although Persephone often liked to walk with him for companionship most mornings. This time, when she was still only two (2) months pregnant, he woke up before her and needed time to himself. He drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean and was energized. His telepathic and empathic powers were thus greatly amplified because the water was highly purified and his innate potential was vast. Sebastian used the solitary time to consider his plans, and the obstacles which he faced. He doubted that the bankers would lend him the money so easily, and he wasn’t surprised at their initial reluctance. However, he was furious.

  The tempest brought on by Victoria had been devastating to the coastlines and millions had died. He remembered how she used the powers of the mind – given by the tiara when she sailed the Elanatin Ocean and it channeled the water’s powers – to attempt to kill many more. He was able to protect some, but not all, from the assault. Sebastian knew that the woman was part of some religious cult, and religion brought death by telling lies, as far as he was concerned. His anger boiled at the thought of it. As he walked the garden, the anger was so great and his telepathic aura was so powerful that even the trees and the plants around him began to wither and die. Branches rotted and trees fell. Roses and tulips and violets and daisies lost their color and wilted. A small section of the garden was destroyed – such was the hatred emanating from him.

  Sebastian was convinced that the wall that he intended to build would work to protect against storms and other threats, be they from the sea or air or land. Even the suns, he believed, would not beat down too harshly, as long as the walls provided overhead cover, which they could do by curving inward. This wall would bring safety, he believed, and it would be even better than that. He looked up at the sky and saw what others could see – there were small slivers of darkness on the suns – which he could not explain. He had never seen such things before, nor had he heard of them, and he began to think of the other benefits that his wall might offer. If it radiated light, he thought, then even darkness would not be a threat. A wall could be made to give off light by torches, or by light reflected off of its surface, he reasoned, and it would provide a certain level of clarity when traveling the land – a traveler could not get lost if you followed the way of the wall.

  He was so convinced that the wall would be the proper thing to build – the way to protect his part of the world from the dangers of storm, light or darkness – that he was determined to do anything that he could to bring it about. Anyone who stood in the way was enabling death, and was, therefore, a murderer. And murderers had to be stopped, even put to death. It was time to kill, Sebastian thought, because love – and he had love for the world – cannot suffer the actions of murderers or those who helped them. Bankers were murderers, because they were standing in the way of his plans. Other bankers did before, and he remembered hating them so much that they died. Their very hearts stopped, and they deserved it. He thought of how he watched their faces turn pale with fear, and the anger surged within him again. Trees around him fell by the dozens, and flowers wilted by the thousands. The vibrant gardens became like a colorless cemetery as he walked through and reflected on his hatred for everyone who ever stood in his way, and how he had hated them to death, and they deserved it. He walked for hours, emanating hatred by recalling many bitter memories, all the while killing thousands of trees and hundreds of thousands of flowers with his projected emotions. After some time, he calmed and returned to the mansion, and found Persephone there, awake, looking to him expectantly.

  “Do you want to walk through the garden with me this morning?” Persephone asked.

  “We can walk through the west garden. That would be a good way to start the day together,” Sebastian said.

  “Why that one? Just asking?” Persephone asked.

  “Because each garden is unique, and that one has a wider variety of flowers,” Sebastian said, not wishing to discuss his emotions – or his anger – in the least.

  ~~~

  In the continent of Waderav, in the northeast region, the Explorers of the Quiet Sea waited in their hidden cave.

  Abrax and Hesperos looked to Pandaros for his decision about the next luminary to obtain.

  Pandaros was angry about the earlier fraud, but he did not let his anger consume him. Instead, he turned to contemplation, and recalle
d his many travels throughout the world.

  “There are some lands far richer than this one, replete with opportunities,” Pandaros said.

  “Are we to move again?” Abrax asked.

  “Not just yet. But there is a place that I intend to visit – a location which I have not seen in quite some time, that may yield more knowledge of that which we seek,” Pandaros said.

  “Where is it?” Abrax asked.

  Hesperos knew where Pandaros was planning to go, but didn’t say a word, because prying into his mind might not be the wisest thing to do.

  “In the Zovvin Ocean lies Nalhayadin Island. An island of many shipwrecks – and lost crews – awash with spilled cargo and restless spirits,” Pandaros said.

  “How would a haunted island be of use? Ghosts are everywhere, and you already know how to speak to them,” Abrax asked.

  “Those who explore the oceans know many things. They take their knowledge to their graves, and carry the knowledge through the places they haunt. Most scholars study only in Emeth. We, however, have broader horizons,” Pandaros said.

  “Shall one of us come with you, if you should meet with adversity and need our assistance?” Abrax asked.

  “It might be best if you travel with me, Abrax, to provide the cover of darkness. Hesperos, you are to stand guard over the luminaries,” Pandaros said.

  “I will guard them while awaiting your return,” Hesperos said. He drank anew of the Elanatin Ocean waters from his vial, and was thus energized. He searched for the presence of any adversaries by his thoughts, and stood ready to defend against them. He had weapons on his person, although it was also possible to implant distracting thoughts into their minds and send them away.

  Pandaros and Abrax returned to a seaport and then booked passage on a ship, paying fifteen (15) platinum coins for each of them.

  The ship traveled northeast over the Nabavodel Ocean. Then, it was converted to an airship to travel east over the Uplifter’s Trail land bridge and over the northern extent of the Gradaken Ocean and then over the Way of Raza’Deptorum land bridge. The ship returned to sea level in the Zovvin Ocean.