Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “Yeah, that’s what I remember. I just don’t know what we’re supposed to do. The woman and her kids might already be dead,” Brant said.

  “They are dead. The dream wasn’t about rescuing them. It was about revenge,” Zoe said.

  “The woman with the pair of crystal short swords – leading the army: I think she’s going to be a problem,” Brant said.

  “She might or might not be. At first, I got the sense that she was an enemy, and that we were in for a battle. But then, she and her army were defeated,” Zoe said.

  “Maybe defeated by us. The dream probably means we’re gonna win, but we still have to fight the fight,” Brant said.

  “That’s the story of our lives. You might be right about that part,” Zoe said.

  “But what about the guy who was being tortured? It looked like he escaped on his own. All our other dreams either tell us to help somebody or warn us to get out of trouble. What are we supposed to do for him?” Brant asked.

  “Maybe we need his help,” Zoe said.

  “I’ll take all the help we can get. Even some help understanding the rest of that dream. What did the tiger mean? It didn’t even attack any people or animals. Why?” Brant asked.

  “It was made out of ash. Tigers are usually fierce animals. That tiger was on a journey, showing us fierce people along the river. It was trying to teach us something, instead of attacking anyone. Then, the tiger went into the valley,” Zoe said.

  “That’s where the armies went to war. There was acrid rain and lava, and they were burning all the people, and even burning holes in the ground,” Brant said.

  “Then the tiger turned to dust and the wind blew it away. After that, the other army appeared out of the darkness,” Zoe said.

  “I didn’t see who was leading that army…there were still shadows around it,” Brant said.

  “Dreams don’t tell the whole story. They just tell us where to go next. I think we’re supposed to follow the river – go on the same journey the tiger did – and see what we find along there,” Zoe said.

  “That means going into the valley. There were lots of armies in that valley. This is going to get real bad,” Brant said.

  “That’s why I’m scared. The tiger’s journey ended there. It disappeared before the battle was over,” Zoe said.

  “What does that mean to us?” Brant asked.

  “Think about it. We are fierce…because we have to be. But we’re not cruel, and we’re nowhere near as fierce as the people we fight – the slavers, the bandits and the robber barons. We’re in this fight to set people free. It scares me to say this, but I think the tiger represents us,” Zoe said.

  “The tiger turned to ash. If we’re the tiger, that’s the end of us. Do you really think the dream means that?” Brant said.

  “I don’t really understand it, so I’m not sure. I want to be wrong. I don’t know what the tiger is supposed to mean,” Zoe said. She paused, then said: “I just know that I love you.” She kissed Brant and hugged him tight, then tighter. Then, she pulled him down onto their blanket, then inward, to enjoy the intimate pleasure that never resulted in children. Her illness had that solitary, strange benefit.

  ~~~

  Captain Gennadios worked in the armory of Countess Eurybia’s castle, with a deep focus like never before. He drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power to manipulate stone and crystal. He applied the virtuous cycle repeatedly, purifying his waters as many as twelve (12) times each day, to maximize their effect. Using the diamonds and rubies in his supply, he was able to forge the paired short swords at five (5) times his normal rate, because he could mold and fuse the gems much more quickly given the extremely high purity Kazofen waters energizing him.

  ~~~

  Under the cover of darkness, Colonel Nekoda visited Captain Gennadios each day, bringing the weapons from the armory out to his soldiers in their barracks.

  ~~~

  At the end of forty-six (46) days of intense labor, Gennadios completed the thirty-four thousand four hundred (34400) diamond-ruby composite short sword pairs that were needed to fully equip Countess Eurybia’s soldiers. He was driven by his intense love for his sister. Eurybia was the greatest friend he ever had or could imagine, and he lived his life with the most certain belief that he owed her everything. To serve her was his pride and joy, and so the long hours of focused work at her command were pure pleasure to him. He wished he could do more, but their close blood relation prohibited the ultimate act of love and devotion.

  Upon completion of his weapon crafting assignment – when Colonel Nekoda had taken the last of the short sword pairs and delivered them to the soldiers – Captain Gennadios exited the armory and appeared in the throne room. He knelt down before Countess Eurybia and said: “My ever gracious lady, I have lovingly completed the crafting of the weapons for your army. Just as I provided the first six hundred (600) pairs of diamond-ruby short swords, I have fully provided the remaining thirty-four thousand four hundred (34400) weapon sets.”

  “I am pleased by your loyal service. Rise, my dear brother,” Countess Eurybia said.

  Captain Gennadios remained kneeling, however, and said: “The hours were long and the work intense; yet, all of it was pure joy. Still, I long to serve you so much more. You are my beloved, always and completely. Please give me another task, that my service to you may never end.”

  “I understand your feelings, my dear brother, and I am delighted by your loyalty. However, you need rest, and some things just cannot be. I will provide you with a concubine, if that is what you are asking. Please rise,” Countess Eurybia said.

  Captain Gennadios stood up and smiled at Countess Eurybia. His heart was warmed over as he remembered her fierce persistence which saved his life. He would never forget it, and could never fully repay the debt. “My ever gracious lady, ask me anything, I will do it for you with joy in my heart,” he said.

  “Rest well, my dear brother. Tomorrow, we begin our march toward the battlefield. I want you there, with me, if any blades should break. Not that I question your work, but I will need your services immediately for any unforeseen difficulties,” Countess Eurybia said.

  “I will be ready, my ever gracious lady,” Captain Gennadios said.

  ~~~

  From under the cover of darkness, Colonel Nekoda said: “As will I, and the entire army.”

  ~~~

  Zoe and Brant packed up their tents and purchased transport along various riverboats across central Waderav, day after day, until they found a tributary leading into the river that matched their dreams. They didn’t have a name for it – they just knew when their travels brought them to it. Then, they paid two (2) silver coins for transport on a riverboat heading south, west, then south again. Zoe stood on the deck of the ship and drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial to be energized with the powers of light and far sight. She looked out into the distance and caught sight of a tiger, twenty-eight (28) miles away, to the east of the river.

  “What do you see?” Brant asked.

  “A prowling tiger, twenty-eight (28) miles to the east,” Zoe said.

  “A real tiger, right? Not made out ash or dust or something?” Brant asked.

  “Yeah. It looks real,” Zoe said.

  “Just keep looking, until tonight. Then, we’ll rest,” Brant said.

  “And we’ll stay real close,” Zoe said.

  ~~~

  Duke Jovan sat upon his throne and mourned. He remained motionless for hours and days. Around him were his telepath, Fenella, his dark scout, Vadim, and his spirit reader, Massa.

  Fenella stood by Jovan’s side and drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from her vial to be energized with the powers of telepathy and empathy. She probed Jovan’s mind and found his ever-present anger and sadness. She wanted more for him, and felt that she could give it. Fenella attempted to project love – even lust – into Jovan’s mind, so that he would desire her more than
he raged against his enemies. The duke never forgave, which she felt was justified, given the wrongs he had suffered. However, she disagreed with Jovan dwelling on the matter. The evils of the past could not be undone, and Jovan’s wife and children were murdered. It was time, Fenella believed, for the duke to build a new life.

  “My lord, you deserve better than a life of sorrow,” Fenella said.

  “Yes, Fenella, I do. I deserve a life of fierce vengeance. I deserve the power to condemn my enemies to the Maelstrom. I deserve the power to bring them back and kill them again. I deserve the power to enslave them for eternity and watch them suffer,” Duke Jovan said.

  “Once they are dead, my lord, your enemies have been defeated, and you are victorious. Please take pleasure in that,” Massa said.

  “I watch from under the cover of darkness to see who is failing to serve you, or attempting to betray you, my lord. They cannot escape my notice,” Vadim said. In his forty-four (44) years of life – twenty-seven (27) of which were spent working as a spy for various nobles – he had gained keen insights into recognizing behaviors that indicated potential disloyalty. While cloaked, he could learn a person’s true motives and eliminate the traitor before they could act against those he was hired to protect.

  “I know their intentions, my lord. I know who wishes to serve you and who wishes to betray you,” Fenella said.

  “That is only the beginning. I want to destroy them in new ways in which people have never before been brought to ruin. It is not enough that they die once or even die horribly. I deserve the pleasure of conducting a symphony of their screams – melodious shrieks uttered in perfect pitch and tempo,” Duke Jovan said.

  “You are a complex man, my lord. You can both hate and love. I know this, because you have loved before. I believe you can love again,” Fenella said.

  “Why should I? The truest love of my life was murdered, along with our children. They were innocent. She was my delight. Why should I love again?” Duke Jovan asked.

  “Death is not the end, my lord. Your wife and children have everlasting souls. Pure and kind as they were, I am confident of their salvation. Your own soul, if you wish it, will join with theirs when the moment is right,” Massa said.

  “How do you know this, Massa?” Duke Jovan asked.

  “I have an understanding of the spirit world,” Massa said. He drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from his vial and was energized with the power to connect to the spirit world. He reached out and searched for signs of the family of Duke Jovan, yet found no sign.

  “What do you sense?” Duke Jovan asked.

  “No evil, my lord. Their spirits have left this place, and move to the higher spiritual realm. Only the wicked souls linger here, for this is a wicked world,” Massa said.

  “That much is true, Massa. This is a world of evil. So much so, that I hate it. Perhaps I should leave, and be with them now. If I take my own life, will I join them, Massa?” Duke Jovan asked.

  “No! Please, my lord, never that! A man who dies by his own hand is cursed! That is the law of flesh and spirit. Mortal life is short enough, and you do not drink the Ursegan waters, so a single century is your limit. Enjoy the remainder of your life in good health, my lord. Your patience will be rewarded,” Massa said.

  Fenella took hold of Duke Jovan’s right hand with both of hers and said: “Please, my lord, never wish evil upon yourself. You are not at fault. Nothing you or anyone else can do or say will move the blame away from your enemies. Let them be cursed. Learn to love, and you will win victories they can never achieve.”

  “The only people I can ever love are gone. She was meant for me, and I for her,” Duke Jovan said.

  “Be well, my lord. Too much anger will disconnect you from those you love, because it is the joyful souls that rise to the higher spiritual realm. Allow yourself that victory, which is assured if you are at peace. Your enemies chose evil, so their destinies are in the Maelstrom of Vengeance. They will never know peace or joy. Pain is their eternity,” Massa said.

  “Who causes their pain? Who designs the instruments of their torture? Not me! It should be!” Duke Jovan said.

  “My lord, you deserve to be freed from the burdens of this anger, and from the task of punishing the wicked ones who are not worthy to walk the same land or drink even of Dead Waters,” Massa said.

  “My lord, endless anger gives your enemies a lasting victory. Love is the only way to win,” Fenella said.

  “Who can betray you, my lord? Who can escape our notice? We serve your throne and will see their schemes before you are made to suffer. Then, you can be saved from the trouble. This should be a reason to celebrate. Your reign is peaceful,” Vadim said.

  ~~~

  Countess Eurybia awoke and prepared for battle. She drank anew of the waters of the Nabavodel Ocean from her vial to be energized with the powers of strength and speed. She took hold of her own pair of short swords made from the diamond-ruby composite. She put on her armor and headed out of her master bedroom, across the throne room and through the main castle gate. Eurybia walked over the bridge across the moat and reached the land on the other side.

  Her army stood before her, consisting of seven (7) brigades, with five thousand (5000) soldiers per brigade, each carrying a pair of the diamond-ruby composite short swords.

  Captain Gennadios walked among the troops, inspecting the weapons at random. When he saw Countess Eurybia, his eyes widened and his heart beat faster. He approached his sister, knelt down and said: “My ever gracious lady, your soldiers and their weapons are ready.”

  “This new is pleasing to me. Rise, Captain Gennadios,” Countess Eurybia said.

  Captain Gennadios stood up and said: “I await your orders, my ever gracious lady.”

  ~~~

  From under the cover of darkness, Colonel Nekoda said: “The soldiers are fully provisioned, armed and armored, my lady. Additionally, your secondary forces – three (3) more brigades, armed with long swords and crossbows – shall remain to guard your castle.” He drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean from his vial to be energized further with the power of darkness.

  ~~~

  The leader of the first battalion of the first brigade approached Countess Eurybia, knelt down and said: “Lieutenant Colonel Bricius reporting, my lady.”

  “Rise, Lieutenant Colonel Bricius,” Countess Eurybia said.

  “Colonel Nekoda has ordered me to scout ahead. I have been watching Duke Jovan, from a distance, by the powers of the Lujladia Ocean waters, to give me far sight and the power to see into the darkness. He has no military other than two thousand one hundred (2100) soldiers, and I know where they are positioned,” Lieutenant Colonel Bricius said. The twenty-three (23) year old man had sharp vision to begin with, and the Lujladia waters multiplied it many times over. He precisely scanned every target, including the attractive Countess who stood before him. He wanted to win the battle to win her favor. His youth, he hoped, would earn him a place in Countess Eurybia’s bed, close enough to enjoy the intimacies of her powerful physique. First, however, he had to succeed at the mission that lay before him.

  “That is a pitifully small number, Lieutenant Colonel Bricius…assuming you were not deceived,” Countess Eurybia said.

  “No, my lady, my sight is true. Duke Jovan has a very small army. I am confident that he has no hidden reinforcements,” Lieutenant Colonel Bricius said.

  ~~~

  From under the cover of darkness, Colonel Nekoda said: “Our advantage is thirty-five thousand (35000) soldiers to Jovan’s two thousand one hundred (2100) soldiers, my lady. Yet, it is far better than that. The true power of that nearly seventeen (17) to one (1) ratio means that we are stronger by that much due to concentrating our strength, and they are weaker by that much again, having to spread out their own strength. Our real advantage is two hundred seventy-seven (277) to one (1) against.”

  ~~~

  “I like those odds even better, Colonel Nekoda. We may not need the promise
d assistance. Which is good, because I think the promise was empty,” Countess Eurybia said.

  “My ever gracious lady, I have seen no sign of assistance. You were correct not to trust the message,” Captain Gennadios said.

  “Trust in the unproven is the greatest weakness. There will be consequences for those who break their promises to me. And there will be rewards for those who serve me well. Now, drink up!” Countess Eurybia said.

  The thirty-five thousand (35000) soldiers of Countess Eurybia’s entire army each drank anew of the water of the Nabavodel Ocean from their vials to be energized with the powers of strength and speed.

  “Forward! March!” Countess Eurybia said.

  Under the direction of Colonel Nekoda and the brigadier generals over each brigade, and the lieutenant colonels of each battalion within those brigades, the army began its southward procession.

  ~~~

  Night after night, Zoe and Brant waited in their cabin of whatever riverboat they were currently traveling on, passing the time by making love and resting. Day after day, Zoe stood on the deck and looked out into the distance. She drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial to be energized with the powers of light and far sight. Brant stood beside her, waiting for a report. Finally, after fifteen (15) days of slow travel along meandering muddy rivers, Zoe saw a marching army. She focused closer to see their weapons.

  “I see an army. They’re carrying the pairs of crystal short swords – they have diamond-ruby blades. I see the female warrior, leading them,” Zoe said.

  “How far away?” Brant asked.

  “About twenty-nine (29) miles southwest of here. This river seems to wind in that direction. We might just be there before them,” Zoe said.

  ~~~

  Fenella was a light sleeper, and made sure to drink anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from her vial each night, so as to be ready. She couldn’t take the chance that Jovan would slip into a downward emotional spiral and kill himself. Permanent readiness was essential – she loved him too much to lose him, and hoped to win him over, eventually. She forced herself to wake up every hour and check. She was startled by what she sensed. However, it wasn’t Jovan’s thoughts that bothered her. It was the thoughts of thousands – tens of thousands – coming to attack. She reached out telepathically to signal to Vadim and to Massa to awaken Duke Jovan and to ready the soldiers. She ran to the throne room and found Massa waiting. Vadim appeared out of the darkness. Jovan was already seated upon his throne.