Blood & Besiegement

by Jeremy Dwyer

  ~~~

  Out at sea on the Kazofen Ocean, the lookout on one of the ships of the Ihalik Empire navy saw a flashing red light, signaling out a code that was specific to them. He called to the captain of the ship, saying: “Captain, we are being summoned by the Supreme Commander.”

  The ship’s captain ordered a return to land.

  ~~~

  “So my ships will see this signal?” Lavakara asked.

  “These signals carry over long distances, even over the horizon. The crystals have internal curvature, and bend the light, as would a drinker of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean,” Cassius/Brynmor said.

  “I am willing to revise my offer, commensurate with results,” Lavakara said, considering the tactical and strategic value of this, depending on just how good it proved to be.

  ~~~

  Within a matter of three (3) hours – less than half of what it would have taken had another ship been sent out to issue the summons, along with a courier by land – the captain of the ship reported to Lavakara in his palace, while Cassius/Brynmor and Liora/Tara were there with him.

  “You wished to see me, Supreme Commander?” the captain asked.

  “Your presence is satisfaction of my summons. Please return to your duty, captain,” Lavakara said.

  The captain left to return to his ship.

  “The results are useful. I will pay you four (4) platinum coins for this type of crystal,” Lavakara said.

  “There is another type, that holds airships aloft, for longer periods of time,” Cassius/Brynmor said.

  “Don’t waste your time producing those. I will not purchase them. Bring to me what you have of the yellow crystals for attack and the red crystals for signaling, and I will pay the amounts I stated. Dismissed,” Lavakara said.

  CHAPTER 33: Library and Question

  In the City of Emeth, the ancient and learned Danek was concerned that the danger of the Ahitan Empire rising to great power was nearly at hand. In his fourteen thousand two hundred fifteen (14215) years of life, he had learned many things, both when he was a Chronicler, and afterwards. He was now a scholar, and a mentor to Chroniclers, and had much time for study.

  Danek was familiar with all of the halls in the City of Emeth, and knew many secrets. Yet, he did not know all things, for he was mortal, despite the long life afforded him by the waters of the Ursegan Ocean which he drank. He knew of the existence of the tiara, but not how it worked. It had never been used at its fullest power before, but only in a limited way: the only previous time he was aware of it having been used was during the rising heat leading to a prior solar alignment – or “inferno” as they were often called – and this heat greatly diminished its powers. Even then, it caused great storms in the seas that killed over a million (1000000) sailors in a matter of an hour.

  The tiara had been captured and dismantled, and the thirteen (13) blue diamonds within it were scattered throughout the world. An unknown woman wore the tiara at the time that it was used. She was beheaded when the tiara was captured, and no details of her life were known. These events were legends long before even Danek’s time, and he could only read of them rather than having the advantage of witnessing them.

  There were several historical accounts which all agreed that the construction of the tiara was due to a demon named Abaddon – also known as the Architect of Evil – who visited the world and built horrifying artifacts or taught mortals how to build them. According to these records, the mortals who were instructed by Abaddon made many terrible weapons, which were used in wars in ancient days – perhaps three hundred (300) millennia ago or more. Several of the weapons were captured and destroyed or dismantled or simply hidden away. The ancient architect, Duke Hagan, had been rumored to be the keeper of some of these, and Danek knew Duke Hagan personally, but Hagan never mentioned these things.

  Perhaps, Danek thought in later years, it was for the better. Hagan did not live as much as a century, which meant that, if he had known something and disclosed it even in confidence, Danek would have been under the Oath at the time to record the knowledge here in Emeth. That was knowledge that was better left out. There were already enough deadly secrets here, in the archives, available to those who were diligent and could piece the information together. That is one reason that the Oath forbids the Chroniclers to assist anyone in their research.

  Danek was no longer a Chronicler, so he was no longer under the full Oath, and was allowed to interfere in events. However, he could not fabricate any knowledge or betray a confidence that was shared by a Chronicler. He intended to learn more about the tiara’s construction, and if it had a flaw. This may prove valuable – even necessary – if its full power was realized.

  Danek visited the Eighth (8th) Hall, which was a great stone building, nearly as large as many other archival buildings in Emeth, that housed writings of knowledge about spirits and the spirit world. There, he met with the librarian, Portia.

  “Learned master, Danek, how may I be of assistance to you?” Portia asked.

  “Come with me,” Danek said, and they returned to his private office in the Library of Tedorik.

  “I need you to research for me the origins of the tiara – its method of construction, any flaws it may have, and anything else you can discover. I know many things about it, but the information may be partial, or easily misinterpreted,” Danek said.

  “Is there a particular starting point you had in mind for the research?” Portia asked him. She trusted Danek’s wisdom and knowledge. She was very intelligent, being a drinker of the waters of the Medathero Ocean. Yet, she did not have the many lifetimes of experience and learning to match that of Danek.

  “Begin by studying the spirit world. It is believed by many that the demon named Abaddon – also known as the Architect of Evil – is the one who constructed the tiara,” Danek said.

  “Very well. I will begin there,” Portia said, and she returned to the Eighth (8th) Hall.

  There, Portia researched for many hours, following the clues in different writings carved into the stone walls of the hall. There were hundreds of millennia worth of knowledge here, and it was overwhelming even for a librarian such as her. She had to piece together partial information, cross-references and seemingly contradictory statements, which all had to be true, so the interpretation had to be considered carefully. In her research, she came across a name she had not read of before: Nov’Talod.

  Portia researched information about this Nov’Talod and learned that he was a mathematician and a monk, trained in the Temple of Quiet Purity, wherein he was undisturbed by any outside spiritual influences. The belief and purpose among that order of monks was to find truth and eternity within, and ignore the disturbances without. Nov’Talod apparently had twenty-five (25) years of contemplation before leaving the temple, at which time he became an architect of terrible inventions, including devices used to torture and mutilate in unspeakable ways. “So much for purity…and he was disturbed within, not needing any external disturbances,” Portia thought of this man.

  Portia followed this further, leading her to the Fifth (5th) Hall, where knowledge of wars and conquerors was written. There, she found that Nov’Talod sold his devices to militaries the world over, and that several assassination attempts against him failed for unknown reasons. Some drinkers of the Zovvin Ocean waters suggested that he was protected by spiritual forces, and that these fended off the assassinations. Others suggested that the unseen hand of the demon named Abaddon had personally protected him.

  She followed this further still, which led her to leave the Fifth (5th) Hall and enter the Eleventh (11th) Hall, where knowledge of architecture, crystals and stone was written. There, she learned the specifics of some of Nov’Talod’s inventions. She found that he was the inventor of a device that could cause entire fleets of ships at sea to disappear in an instant, and another that caused all the women in a city to become barren. She learned that Nov’Talod wanted to control all of the oceans, and had created a weapon that could
possibly give him this control, in the form of a crown to be worn by a queen. After this, he went searching for a mythical city named Thalkalana. Nov’Talod then disappeared, never to be heard from again.

  Portia searched the hall’s records and found contradictory accounts on Thalkalana. Some stated that the place was like the City of Emeth, but that it had other, hidden secrets of immense power. However, many more records explicitly stated that Thalkalana was indeed a myth, and gave strong evidence of being correct. Since every record in the City of Emeth – except for proven mathematics – had a level of confidence less than one (1) assigned to it, she had to weigh the evidence and could not be certain of whether Thalkalana was real.

  After several days of research, Portia returned to the Library of Tedorik and visited with Danek. When they met, she told him her findings.

  “I have heard the name Nov’Talod mentioned only twice in my entire life. He is exceptionally obscure,” Danek said.

  “There is no record of his death,” Portia said.

  “Is there a record of his waterbinding?” Danek asked.

  “No. He was mathematically adept, but I cannot justify an inference that he went on to drink the waters of the Medathero Ocean to enhance this skill and enable his inventions. Nor can I justify an inference that he drank the waters of the Ursegan Ocean to grant him longevity. Absence of a record of death does not, of course, prove that he is still alive,” Portia said.

  “What of this device of his that could control the oceans?” Danek asked.

  “It may or may not be the same as the tiara, but it was shaped as some type of regal headpiece. He lived ninety (90) millennia ago, right before the previous solar alignment, so the time period agrees with what we know about the one time that the tiara was used,” Portia said.

  “That is strong supporting evidence that his device is the same as the tiara. However, that does not conclusively prove that Nov’Talod is the one who actually designed the tiara,” Danek said.

  “You believe it was Abaddon, ultimately?” Portia asked.

  “That demon is said to have inspired several engineers to construct lethal devices. Nov’Talod may be another of his followers,” Danek said.

  “After building the device – tiara or otherwise – that could control the oceans, he is said to have begun a search for the lost city of Thalkalana. Then, he was never heard from again,” Portia said.

  Danek looked startled. He had heard that name – Thalkalana – before. He only heard whispers of it, and the old one – Sava-Tzefanya – solemnly swore that it did not exist, and was only a myth meant to mislead.

  “That city is a myth…as I’ve been led to believe,” Danek said.

  “What if it’s a fact with scant evidence? This Nov’Talod thought it worth pursuing,” Portia asked.

  “We should not be unaware of its existence if it is real. That only increases the danger we face,” Danek said.

  “How are we to find out?” Portia asked.

  “One mission of a Verifier is to investigate particularly complicated matters and assess the truth, outside of the confidences and limitations of a Chronicler,” Danek said.

  “Who shall investigate?” Portia asked.

  “I have someone in mind. Come with me,” Danek said.

  They walked the halls of the Library of Tedorik and entered the Chamber of Verifiers. Danek approached a Verifier – a Medathero drinking man of sixty-one (61) years. He had a thin beard and a mustache, and particularly good health and strength, and enough wits about him to get into – and out of – most places. He also had a keen knowledge of history – especially considering his relative youth – and could remember and recall many of the finer details of cultures around the world. His memory and his wits were due to the waters of the Medathero Ocean that he drank.

  “If you have no other pressing duties at the moment, I would like to have a word with you, Anan,” Danek said.

  “What is it?” Anan asked him. He was curt in his replies, largely because he was impatient and highly results-oriented. If there was a question, he wanted to get right to researching the answer, and not spend much time with pleasantries.

  “In my office,” Danek said.

  Danek, followed by Portia and Anan, returned to his office.

  “Have you ever heard of the legend, or myth, of the city known as Thalkalana?” Danek asked.

  “I don’t think it’s a myth,” Anan said.

  “Where do you think it is, if it’s real?” Danek asked.

  “I’m still looking. Nothing I found in Emeth is clear about where it is. Might be an undersea city. Might even be under the sea floor. All the clues point down,” Anan said.

  “I’d like you to follow those clues,” Danek said.

  “I have a lot of work to do here,” Anan said.

  “I have the authority to assign Verifiers to tasks. This is your new assignment,” Danek said.

  “On my way,” Anan said, and he abruptly left the room to make preparations for his travels.

  “That’s it? No further discussion?” Portia asked, just as Anan left the room.

  “He’s very direct and has little time for these conversations…until he comes back with something that he finds. Then, he’ll have a great deal to say,” Danek said.

  “If there’s another city of knowledge, who will verify that its knowledge is true?” Portia asked.

  “That is a very good question, and one we will have to answer when the time is right. The tiara is still a threat. Based on what you told me, I believe that it is related to this lost city. The same Nov’Talod who developed the device that could control the oceans – which is possibly the same as the tiara which is held by the Ahitan woman – then pursued the lost city. The knowledge of the tiara may be written there. In fact, the tiara may have enabled him to find the lost city, if it is undersea,” Danek said.

  “That is a leap of logic I do not fully support,” Portia said.

  “The world is faced with many dangers. Even we, at times, must act. And those actions may need to be based on very much incomplete information, requiring leaps of logic,” Danek said.

  “The danger may be great, yet you are sending a much-needed Verifier to search for a city that we don’t even know exists, hoping that it helps us to find knowledge of something that may not even be related. A few minutes ago, you didn’t even believe in Thalkalana; now, you’re determined to have him find it. This seems more like an act of faith,” Portia said.

  “Anan believes Thalkalana is real, and your own research seems to agree. According to your findings, Nov’Talod designed and sold weapons. If he had a device that could control the oceans, that would qualify as one of the most powerful weapons. Yet, he did not use it without end, or sell it, as far as we know. Instead, he then went looking for a lost city that may be undersea. So, perhaps the finding of that lost city was his true purpose for building the ocean-controlling device. Perhaps, also, that lost city is truly the greater danger that we face,” Danek said.

  CHAPTER 34: Ghost and Song

  While in the City of Emeth, Akantha drank deeply of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean. With these, she reached out into the spirit world and called out to the ghost of Captain Tychon. She was quite adept at this communication, when the water was pure enough, which it was in this case. She summoned him, on behalf of Captain Pradrock, who had previously given her this authority.

  Within a short time – just a few hours – a fleet of three hundred thirty (330) ghost ships arrived in the City of Emeth at the docks on the Medathero Ocean side. The flagship was the Everlasting Pain with the ghost of Captain Tychon at the helm. Pradrock, Claudia, Akylas, Akantha, Caroline and Torin were there to meet him.

  “You called to me, mortal captain, through your medium?” the ghost of Captain Tychon asked.

  “Yes,” Pradrock said.

  “What are your orders?” the ghost of Captain Tychon asked.

  “We will travel with you, on board the Everlasting Pain. We are in search of
a person who is lost, and needs to come home,” Pradrock said.

  “All are lost. None can go home. Yet, we shall search,” the ghost of Captain Tychon said.

  Pradrock and his crew, including Claudia and Caroline, boarded the Everlasting Pain.

  “My daughter is lost. I want to bring her back,” Caroline said.

  “Does she wish to be found?” the ghost of Captain Tychon asked.

  “She needs to be found. By me, and not by someone who would hurt her,” Caroline said.

  “Where shall we go?” the ghost of Captain Tychon asked of Pradrock.

  “We must search for a girl with a powerful voice,” Pradrock said.

  “If it is a powerful voice, why can you not hear it from where you stand now?” the ghost of Captain Tychon asked.

  “There are limits to her powers. We need to be closer,” Pradrock said.

  “Closer to where? In what direction shall I steer the ship? The ghost of Captain Tychon asked.

  “Udovedaj-Pren Island, in the Ikkith Tar Ocean. That is where we last saw her,” Pradrock said.

  “As you command,” the ghost of Captain Tychon said.

  Tychon steered the Everlasting Pain northeast over the Medathero Ocean and toward the southern coast of the continent of Revod. Then, he converted the ship to airship mode and traveled north over the continent of Revod. They were at the safe height of one hundred twenty (120) feet – safe for the mortals on board from the heat of the inferno. The ghost crewmembers were unaffected by the heat. Their spiritual bodies could steer the physical ships, but they were not burned by the heat of the aligned suns.