Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  “That is next, Captain,” Ransu said.

  “Please get to it, Counselor Ransu. We need to keep on schedule,” Captain Kyosti said.

  “I will need help from Gabija. She can test them for light distortion,” Ransu said.

  “Then get her to help, Counselor Ransu,” Captain Kyosti said.

  “That may be difficult, Captain. She has been reluctant to work with me lately,” Ransu said.

  “I warned you not to get personally involved with both her and her sister at the same time,” Captain Kyosti said.

  “Gabija is a difficult woman to ignore. She’s attractive, and when she likes a man, she flirts until she gets him. Tearlag has a very warm personality. I can’t bring myself to say no when she looks my way,” Ransu said.

  “Gabija is not nearly as attractive as you think. She bends light to her whim. I can look past this by slowing time and seeing her for what she is, and she is quite average. Only her aggressiveness is above average. We’ve left more than a few of her unwanted deliveries in the ports we’ve passed through. Tearlag certainly has a pleasant personality, and you took advantage of her kindly disposition,” Captain Kyosti said.

  “I am not the kind of man to walk away from a good woman who shows interest,” Ransu said.

  “You need to make up your mind, young man. You can’t have both women. You tried, and this squabbling is entirely your fault for being careless in your relationships. It’s not their fault for trusting you. Find a way to get along and get the job done, Counselor Ransu,” Captain Kyosti said.

  “Yes, Captain,” Counselor Ransu said.

  ~~~

  Ransu exited the wheelhouse and walked across the deck to a cabin near the front of the vessel. He knocked at the door and a woman opened it. “Is it my turn today? You’re done with my sister for the moment?” she asked while standing in the doorway.

  “It’s not about us, Gabija,” Ransu said.

  “It was supposed to be about us. My sister’s pregnant, too. Did you know that? Now you’ve wrecked her life and mine. She loved you but you didn’t tell her you already hooked up with me. You can’t commit,” the woman – Gabija – said.

  “I’ll take care of both of you, but that’s not why I’m here,” Ransu said.

  “How are you going to take care of both of us? I get you half the time and she gets the other half? What kind of man are you? Don’t you know what a woman needs? It’s more than playing around and giving some of your love here, some there. Who else are you in bed with? Who else is irresistible?” Gabija asked.

  “There isn’t anybody else. I love you both, but I need your help,” Ransu said.

  “I need a man who can commit. So does Tearlag. She’s the kindest woman I know. Better than I could ever hope to be. She’s been waiting for a good man to take care of her. You’re not that man,” Gabija said.

  “She flirted with me. How could I say no?” Ransu asked.

  “Simple! You say you’re already in a relationship. She can live with that. It’s honest. It’s tough, but honest. Now, you’ve taken advantage of her. I can almost forgive you cheating on me. Plenty of guys do that and I still have a lot of fun romping around with them. But I can’t forgive you cheating on her. She’s been waiting longer than I have. I’m only thirty-seven (37). Tearlag is forty-six (46) and doesn’t have a lot of time to find the right guy. And she has no time to find the wrong guy. This kid will be her first. Too bad you’re the father,” Gabija said.

  “Everything I have, I will give to her. But I have to do my job to get paid,” Ransu said.

  “You had better save some for me. I’ve got your bun in my oven,” Gabija said.

  “I will. It’s not about me anymore. It’s about doing what has to be done. Captain Kyosti needs me to check the cloaking crystals so we can set sail. I’m ready to fix or adjust them, but I need you to make sure they distort the light,” Ransu said.

  “Whatever,” Gabija said. She drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from her vial to be energized with the powers of light. “Let’s go,” she said.

  Ransu walked around the perimeter of the ship and Gabija followed him, projecting light onto the one hundred twenty-eight (128) specially molded crystals embedded onto the deck boards and railings, watching as the light veered off to the sides of the ship, twisting around it. A few, however, didn’t have much effect.

  “These three (3) are wrong. They’re not displacing the light,” Gabija said, pointing toward the deficient crystals.

  Ransu drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to manipulate crystal and stone. He walked to the indicated points along the ship’s perimeter and molded the low level structure of the three (3) deficient crystals. He returned to the center of the deck where Gabija was standing and said: “I fixed the low-level structure. The refraction angles were slightly off. They should be working now.”

  Gabija projected a beam of light to test the three (3) repaired cloaking crystals again and they distorted the light in the same way as the others. “That’s better,” she said.

  “I’ll tell the captain,” Ransu said.

  “Walk me back to my cabin first,” Gabija said.

  Ransu walked Gabija back to her cabin. She went in but stood at the door again and said: “We could have had something great together. Now, all we have is our work.”

  “I’m going to take care of both of you,” Ransu said.

  “I’m going to hold you to that promise,” Gabija said.

  “Let me get back to work so I can get paid,” Ransu said.

  “You do that,” Gabija said and she slammed the cabin door shut.

  ~~~

  Ransu walked across the deck and entered the wheelhouse again.

  “The cloaking crystals are all in working order, Captain. The sound dampening crystals were safely out of reach, high up on the center masts, so I didn’t need to check them. Only three (3) light distortion crystals had to be remolded,” Ransu said.

  “Was it the impact when we hit that mountain in the Kazofen Ocean?” Captain Kyosti asked, still sitting and reading his book, looking up only for a moment when Ransu entered.

  “That mountain hit us, Captain,” Ransu said.

  “I didn’t believe that before, and I still don’t believe that now, Counselor Ransu. There was no sign of it,” Captain Kyosti said.

  “Captain, the mountain wasn’t on any of our charts. I tend to agree with Counselor Ransu,” the man at the wheel said.

  “The charts don’t cover every last mountain in every ocean. You know that, Counselor Tapani,” Captain Kyosti said.

  “Yes, Captain, but we were not sailing in the direction of the mountain. Our heading was perpendicular to it,” the man at the wheel – Tapani – said.

  “How long have you been a navigator, Counselor Tapani?” Captain Kyosti asked.

  “It’s been thirty-nine (39) years, since my Atrejan waterbinding at seventeen (17). And I studied trigonometry, just to be sure, Captain,” Tapani said.

  “You’re sure the mountain hit us?” Captain Kyosti asked.

  “Yes, Captain,” Tapani said.

  “Based on your reading the stars and knowing trigonometry?” Captain Kyosti asked.

  “Yes, Captain,” Tapani said.

  “Well, now that you know this magic moving mountain is out there, and you’re such a skilled navigator, don’t let it happen again. If we have a crash while the cargo hold is full, we’re going to have a spill, and more problems than you can handle. Pirates will be all over the Silver Jackal if even a single cloaking crystal is scratched or lost. They’ll see right through our cover. Those cannons are there for a reason, but pirate ships have cannons, too,” Captain Kyosti said.

  “Yes, Captain,” Tapani said.

  “Chart a course for the Port of Hithagredil in the Scholar’s Path, Counselor Tapani,” Captain Kyosti said.

  Tapani drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from his vial to be energized with the p
ower to listen to the sounds of the stars. He concentrated to learn their paths and positions. Using this information, he charted a course. He then pulled levers to retract the eight (8) loading ramps and raise the anchor. He then sailed the Silver Jackal eastward across the Zovvin Ocean.

  ~~~

  Insider her cabin, Tearlag sat on her bed and rocked back and forth to comfort herself. She didn’t know what to do, or who to be angry at. The door opened and her sister, Gabija, entered.

  “You’re nervous, Tearlag. Don’t be. We’re in this together,” Gabija said.

  “I don’t know what that means anymore,” Tearlag said.

  “We’re both pregnant off the same guy. It doesn’t get any more together than that,” Gabija said.

  “That’s not what I wanted. All my life, I wanted a man who could give me his everything. Instead, Ransu just did what he wanted and said what I wanted to hear, and now he’s half yours. What is half a man, anyway?” Tearlag asked.

  “It’s twice the man that Ransu is,” Gabija said.

  “I can’t raise this baby by myself,” Tearlag said.

  “You don’t have to. We’re sisters. We’re going to help each other out. I’ve had a few kids already, in case you didn’t know,” Gabija said. She sat down on the bed next to Tearlag, who was still rocking back and forth.

  “But you put them up for adoption. You didn’t raise them,” Tearlag said.

  “It works for me. You’re only what – three (3) months along? When the time comes, we can stop off at some port or another and leave the baby there,” Gabija said.

  “I don’t want to leave my baby! I want to be a mom!” Tearlag said.

  “Alright! Be a mom. Nobody’s telling you not to keep your kid,” Gabija said.

  “I want to keep the father in my life. I want him to want me,” Tearlag said.

  “That’s going to be the hard part. Ransu can’t commit. He took me for a ride. A good ride, I’ll admit, but that’s all it was,” Gabija said.

  “It’s not a game or a toy. It’s something special. Just because it feels good doesn’t mean it’s for playing around. I want a family, not a mess. I’ve waited so long for this,” Tearlag said.

  “Yeah, he’s a jerk – a big jerk. But I have to ask, if you wanted a family, why did you work on this ship? It’s a cargo ship, which makes it a target for pirates. I mean, we’ve got thirty thousand (30000) soldiers on board to defend it, on top of being cloaked. That’s serious. If you wanted to find a husband and start a family, this isn’t the best way of going about it,” Gabija said.

  “I work here to be near you. I want a big family, and you’re my sister, so you should be part of it. I want it to be like when we grew up with our aunt and uncle and our cousins living close by,” Tearlag said.

  Gabija hugged Tearlag and said: “That does sound good. But it’s not for everybody.”

  “It should be,” Tearlag said.

  “We’re all different. I need to travel,” Gabija said.

  “I need to be with you, and with my husband and children, when I finally find the kind of man who wants to stay with me,” Tearlag said.

  “You want something that’s not easy to find,” Gabija said.

  “I always thought that if I waited long enough, I’d find it. But I just keep getting older and more disappointed,” Tearlag said.

  “That’s what I don’t understand,” Gabija said.

  “What do you mean?” Tearlag said.

  “Nobody forced you to take a Zovvin waterbinding, did they?” Gabija asked.

  “No. I thought it was the best choice,” Tearlag said.

  “Best for what? Talking to ghosts? It’s no good for starting a family,” Gabija said.

  “I drink those waters because, when people we loved got old and passed away, I knew I could still hear them. I don’t want to let anybody go. When I love someone, I don’t stop loving them,” Tearlag said.

  “Does it work? Have you been able to hear our parents since they died?” Gabija asked.

  “No. I thought I would be able to, but I can’t,” Tearlag said.

  “So what good are the ‘ghost waters’ to you?” Gabija asked.

  “I still try to hear them. I’ll keep trying,” Tearlag said.

  “Time’s not on your side, Tearlag. You drank the wrong water for that,” Gabija said.

  “I’ll never stop trying. I’ll never give up hope that the whole family can be together again, and be even bigger than before,” Tearlag said.

  “You’re like nobody I’ve ever met. I love you. And I’m here for you. And I’m glad you’re here with me, even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense,” Gabija said as she hugged Tearlag tightly.

  “The ship’s moving. I need to pay attention to make sure we stay safe,” Tearlag said. She drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power to connect to the spirit world.

  “You sense any spooks?” Gabija asked.

  “Lots of them – ghosts of people who never knew what love meant. They held onto their anger and greed and lust until they died. That’s no way for anyone to exist. They’re trapped here, in spirit form, until they learn to change, and become who they were meant to be,” Tearlag said.

  “Meant to be?” Gabija asked.

  “God means for each of us to be His children. We don’t live up to that when we give in to selfish ideas that get in the way of having a loving family. Nobody’s perfect, and we all break God’s Rules,” Tearlag said.

  “Who is God?” Gabija asked.

  “The all-powerful Creator of this world, its oceans and lands and the people who live here,” Tearlag said.

  “That’s just a myth that parents tell their children when life treats them rough. It’s a way of making it all seem worthwhile. Life is just a lot of random, meaningless junk,” Gabija said.

  “No. God is very real. And He loves us. Because of Him, life has meaning and purpose. We just don’t live up to that purpose,” Tearlag said.

  “If God exists, and is all-powerful like you said, and if He actually loves us, why is there so much pain and suffering?” Gabija asked.

  “Because people choose to do what is selfish, even when it hurts others. They don’t want to listen to what’s right,” Tearlag said.

  “What’s right is doing whatever it takes to survive, and having a little fun along the way,” Gabija said.

  “The little fun turns into a lot of fun at someone else’s expense. Selfish people don’t live up to their commitments, and other people have to work extra hard to survive,” Tearlag said.

  “You mean selfish guys like Ransu?” Gabija asked.

  “Yes, Ransu is very selfish. But I want to teach him how to be a better person. I want to teach him who God is,” Tearlag said.

  “You really believe in this God of yours?” Gabija asked.

  “Yes. I absolutely believe God is true and good and He loves all of us. We need to accept Him and follow His Rules. Then, when that happens, we will be the loving family we were always meant to be,” Tearlag said.

  ~~~

  Inside the wheelhouse, Ransu looked at the current page of the book that Captain Kyosti was reading. “Do you believe that, Captain?” he asked.

  “Do I believe that there’s more to this world – lost continents and oceans – hidden away? I absolutely believe it, Counselor Ransu. I want to live long enough to see these places, even if I’m not the one to discover them, although I hope to be the first. I’ve only been alive three thousand nine hundred fifty-seven (3957) years, and that’s not much, but I’ve traveled to every continent and land bridge. I’ve seen thousands of islands. I’ve sailed across every ocean and caught sight of a few things that made me believe I was getting closer. I plan to keep looking,” Captain Kyosti said. He drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to slow the passage of time within himself, extending his lifespan to allow time for the discoveries he hoped to make.

  “If you’
re willing to believe in lost continents and oceans, then why didn’t you believe us about a moving mountain?” Ransu asked.

  “As with all claims, I need a large body of convincing evidence, carefully analyzed from many points of view, using the powers of many oceans, before I am willing to believe them. I can’t accept something based on just a single incident that could be explained by a dozen different theories,” Captain Kyosti said.

  CHAPTER 44: Source of Purpose and Joy

  In the City of Emeth, in the Twelfth Hall – where the records of knowledge of music were kept – Daven continued his own studies. While he reviewed the archival inscriptions on the walls, various students were practicing nearby and their instructors were critiquing their performances.

  Daven was searching for innovations in musical thinking – from modern or from ancient times – and wandered the corridors in pursuit of a useful melody to expand his repertoire. While the Pirovalen waters energized his own performances, and enabled him to compose new melodies quickly, their exact form was drawn from his large base of experience and knowledge. The broader that base, the more capable he would become and the more effective his teaching would be for his students.

  He knew that Chroniclers of the Oath traveled the world to observe events and record them into their books. However, not all of those Chroniclers were capable of accurately transcribing music. Some were definitely more skilled than others. Given that the majority of the Chroniclers drank the waters of the Ursegan Ocean to enable them to slow time and live for ages, they would need to depend on talent and formal training to properly record a melody in written form. It wasn’t the tempo of the music that would make the recording difficult – their power to slow time gave them the ability to perceive fast-moving events – but their lack of a precise understanding of acoustics and the structure of a melody. As a result, some recordings of ancient music were questionable in their fidelity to the original songs.

  Daven continued traversing the aisles of the Twelfth Hall, walking between the sloped, stone walls, climbing their steps and reading through the inscriptions over the course of six (6) days. He stopped to rest after sixteen (16) hours of research each day and returned to the Scholar’s Hall for rest. During this time, he found written music with which he was already directly familiar or of which he had heard obvious derivations in his five (5) decades of musical scholarship. After this tiring and unproductive search, he came across a series of musical notations unfamiliar to him, etched into a section of wall located seven (7) flights of steps above the ground floor of the hall. The individual notes were the conventional half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes, but their arrangement was atypical. He considered how a performance would sound and decided that it would be discordant – a veritable cacophony worse than most novice musicians’ practice sessions. He examined the surrounding inscriptions and learned that this was violin music dating back over nine hundred sixty-eight (968) years. The Chronicler who had originally recorded the music was Gisella. He did not know how well-trained she was in music, so he did not know if the transcription from sound to musical notation was poorly done, or if it was an accurate rendition of a dreary performance. What was curious was a note about the violin and its bow, which was a carefully crafted, custom designed instrument that was said to be quite expensive, and made by a master woodworker – a Gradaken water drinker named Nereus – who lived and worked in the Provincial Isles.