Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  Captain Lusala drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to slow the passage of time. He exercised this power and looked between the moments, gazing in different directions, until he saw what he did not notice before. “I see it. I see the entrance,” he said.

  “Show everyone the entrance, Captain Lusala,” Kaija said.

  ~~~

  Captain Lusala walked forward and vanished from everyone’s sight. Inside, he saw Grand Duke Braden. The structure was solid and obvious from the inside. It was essentially rectangular in shape, measuring eight hundred ten (810) feet in length from north to south and four hundred fifty (450) feet in width from east to west. The four (4) corners were indented quarter circles with a radius measuring thirty-six (36) feet. The ceiling was eighteen (18) feet in height.

  The ground was a field of not-yet-blossomed flowers of various colors.

  “It’s a garden, yet nothing is in bloom,” Captain Lusala said.

  “Nor will these flowers ever bloom. This structure is made of temporal refraction stones. They bend time inside, slowing it to a standstill,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “The Ursegan waters allow me to pace myself in time,” Captain Lusala said.

  “I have crystals that modulate time around me. My son also has crystals which will allow him to move through here safely. The others will not be able to enter without our help,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  The Chronicler Ximenez entered the chamber behind Captain Lusala and immediately began drawing a sketch of the building’s interior and the garden of not-yet-bloomed flowers.

  “Of course, the Chronicler would be able to pace himself in time,” Captain Lusala said.

  “I will go outside and tell them what we see. The men have little hope of finding their way inside. The women have none,” Grand Duke Braden said. He walked out of the structure and back onto the sandy shore.

  ~~~

  “My lord, you have returned safely,” Consolata said.

  “Of course! Did you doubt my powers, Consolata? You should have confidence in me by now,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “You found the garden,” Kaija said.

  “Garden?” Romana asked.

  “My question is, how did these soldiers find it?” Grand Duke Braden asked.

  “We know precisely where to walk. There is a very narrow pathway into and through the garden which is safe to travel,” Colonel Lodokus said.

  “I was able to find the entrance earlier, yet that was only by probing the colonel’s thoughts, and then by walking along the precise path that his memory revealed,” Kaija said.

  “I know which way the light moves, and how the bending of time affects it. I can see the safe path and keep us walking along it,” Lieutenant Mazavida said.

  “We can’t just wander anywhere we like within the garden. To step off the straight and narrow path is to enter into a living death. These are the instructions we were given as part of the assignment here,” Colonel Lodokus said.

  “I want to see this garden,” Romana said.

  “We all do,” Kaija said. She nodded toward Taesa.

  “Me?” Taesa asked.

  “This is important. You and your unborn child will be safe,” Kaija said.

  “Stay close and follow my footsteps precisely. If not me, then follow Duke Rowan. Stay very close, if you wish to remain awake. Consolata, you would do best to remain here. This may be more than you can handle,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “Please, my lord, keep me with you, that I may be safe. In your presence, I have confidence,” Consolata said.

  “Very well, Consolata. Come with me if you are afraid of my absence,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  Commissioner Hannah, Captain Gijsbert and Consolata – after standing up – followed Grand Duke Braden back to the hidden structure. They remained close to him and entered the building, disappearing from the sight of those outside.

  Kaija, Emerond, Taesa, Romana, Munroe and Allegria – after standing up – followed Duke Rowan back to the hidden structure.

  “Did they forget about us?” Colonel Lodokus asked.

  “Don’t worry. I’m still here with you,” Saku said. He still kept Colonel Lodokus and Lieutenant Mazavida bound and guarded.

  Captain Lusala came outside and said: “Follow me. I’ll get you in there.” He extended his power to slow the passage of time and adjust its pacing so that Saku, Colonel Lodokus and Lieutenant Mazavida were encompassed. They walked toward the unseen structure. When they entered, they could see its interior, and the garden it held.

  “The flowers will never blossom. The garden will remain as it is because of the refraction of time caused by the stones that form this chamber,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “The flowers are important, as is their arrangement. Tell them, Colonel,” Kaija said.

  “The flowers are arranged to codify military intelligence. I can’t read the message. I am only here to guard the field, and make sure no one can tamper with it. The information is ancient, that is all I know,” Colonel Lodokus said.

  “That doesn’t mean it can help us. We still have to cure that poison. I’m still sick, and so are the people I’m traveling with,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  “That includes me, and my passengers and crew,” Captain Gijsbert said.

  “You know more than you are saying, Colonel Lodokus. The information relates to diseases – used as weapons – and to their cures,” Kaija said.

  “I’ve heard rumors. That doesn’t make them true. Sometimes, misinformation is spread to protect military secrets,” Colonel Lodokus said.

  “Commissioner Hannah, you’re a Medathero drinker, and you have mathematical training. So do you, Romana, even though you’re a Gradaken drinker. What can you make of the flower arrangements?” Kaija asked.

  Commissioner Hannah drank anew of the waters of the Medathero Ocean from her vial and was energized with the power of calm, rational thought.

  “Mathematics requires calm, clarity, logic, ingenuity and deep focus. It is beyond the capacity of the female mind,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “Your biases ensnare your thinking, Grand Duke Braden. Mathematical skills are well within the capabilities of many women. Furthermore, the Medathero waters enhance their calculation and derivation abilities far beyond your own,” Kaija said.

  “Romana, stay with me. I need to know which kind of flowers I am looking it,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  “Captain Lusala, walk alongside them. Everyone else, stay close to Grand Duke Braden or Duke Rowan,” Kaija said. The group huddled together while Captain Lusala joined Commissioner Hannah and Romana.

  ~~~

  Captain Lusala escorted Romana and Commissioner Hannah as they walked the length of the garden and worked to decipher the layout of the flowers.

  “The spacing between the flowers seems to be indicating numbers and letters, but the flowers themselves are different. That’s a component of the message,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  “These are orchids. You can see that because they have bilateral symmetry of the flower. The tulips have radial symmetry. Some of the flowers are a little hard to distinguish until they blossom,” Romana said.

  “The sizes might also be part of the encoded message. What about the heights of the flowers?” Commissioner Hannah asked.

  “A tulip can be anywhere from six (6) inches to two (2) feet in height. An orchid might be one (1) foot tall, but some of them can get much larger,” Romana said.

  “If everything here has slowed to a standstill, then I doubt these flowers have reached their full size,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  Romana reached down and touched the flowers but they did not respond to her power to control them. “They’re not changing. I can’t force them to bloom,” she said.

  “Captain Lusala, you can adjust the pace of time around you. Can you accelerate these flowers?” Commissioner Hannah asked.

  Captain Lusala extended his powers to cont
rol the passage of time so that it encompassed a few flowers. They quickly grew and then immediately wilted.

  “Wait! That was a little too fast paced!” Romana said.

  “I did very little,” Captain Lusala said.

  “It was still too much. Those flowers bloomed and died before we could look closely at them,” Romana said.

  “It’s not your fault, Captain Lusala, but we can’t try that again. We just lost information. Time is not on our side here. Let’s rejoin the others. They need to help us bring these flowers into full bloom and stay there so that Romana and I can read them before they wilt away,” Commissioner Hannah said. She walked back toward the entrance, accompanied by Romana and escorted by Captain Lusala.

  Kaija drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from her vial to refresh her powers of telepathy and empathy. As Captain Lusala, Romana and Commissioner Hannah approached, Kaija said: “You want Grand Duke Braden and Duke Rowan to dismantle this structure so that the flowers can grow at a normal pace.”

  “Don’t be foolish. This building is too vast to dismantle quickly,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “If we go back and get the constructor we left in Ihalik, couldn’t that be modified to break down this building?” Commissioner Hannah asked.

  “You still don’t understand, do you, impatient woman? Disassembling this building quickly will only hasten the arrival of new and worse problems. The temporal refraction stones that comprise the structure will become even more dangerous as more of their surface area is exposed when they are separated,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “That makes sense, even if your attitude toward women doesn’t. How do we get the time flow around these flowers to normalize so that they can bloom?” Commissioner Hannah asked.

  “We could try to transplant the flowers. Any competent gardener could do that, even a woman,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “No. The relative positions of the flowers need to be maintained precisely or we lose information. Besides, there are over three hundred sixty-one thousand (361000) flowers here, by my estimate. I don’t think we have time for that much delicate gardening work. Tell me if I’m wrong, Romana,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  “No, we don’t. Moving the flowers isn’t an option, especially if the flowers aren’t all moved at exactly the same time. The first ones to leave the building will begin to blossom before the others, and cause the pattern of relative floral sizes to change, losing part of the coded information,” Romana said.

  “Moving the stones that form this building isn’t an option, either,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “I tried to affect the flow of time, but it was too much. The flowers bloomed and then aged rapidly, even with a delicate adjustment,” Captain Lusala said.

  The Chronicler Ximenez approached the group, after having satisfied himself that nothing more was to be learned by wandering the flower field and sketching its layout.

  “There may be another approach. Like a river, time can flow quickly or slowly, coarsely or smoothly, depending on the path it follows,” Kaija said.

  “I can alter a crystal’s low-level structure to invert the temporal refraction effect, but that will take some careful work, and will only cover a small area,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “A single flower does not make a bouquet. A single gem does not capture the light of all suns. A single instrument does not sound like an entire symphony orchestra…unless it is,” Kaija said.

  “You think I can help with this?” Taesa asked.

  “I know you can. Aside from your family, knowledge is what you love most. Your music can bring this garden to full bloom,” Kaija said.

  “These flowers are delicate. If the music’s tempo is too quick, they’ll fade away just as quickly,” Taesa said.

  “Begin slowly. Then, increase the tempo with each verse, until every flower blossoms. Romana will watch them. She can guide your pace, like the conductor of an orchestra,” Kaija said.

  “I’ll be watching the flowers the whole time. I’ll help you to set your tempo,” Romana said.

  “We need to be efficient, here. Remember: that poison is still out there, making people sick, and it’s still inside of some of us, including me. We still need a cure. And I still don’t see how this garden can help anyone. There’s no promise that it holds the cure. Rumors aren’t much to go on. Growing this garden might just be a waste of the little time I have left before the poison kills me and everyone else that ran into it. Let’s get to work and be done,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  “I don’t believe that this garden is a waste of our time. In fact, I firmly believe that it is where we need to be at this very moment. The expecting mother has what she needs,” Kaija said.

  “Yes, I brought a vial when I escorted her off the ship,” Romana said. She handed a vial of Pirovalen waters to Taesa, who placed the vial on the cord around her neck.

  “Are you feeling up to this? This pregnancy is tiring you out, isn’t it?” Emerond asked.

  “I’m up to it. I don’t know for how much longer, but I can do this,” Taesa said. She drank anew of the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from her new vial to be energized with the powers of music and song. Lyrics and melodies formed in her thoughts and she began to sing:

  Now may be my only time,

  To walk this garden of ages past.

  Before all its blossoms fade away,

  Their stories must be read at last.

  These flowers, carefully arranged,

  Spell out secrets from long before,

  Telling tales of growth and change,

  Of discoveries and arcane lore.

  (Refrain)

  This opportunity is disappearing,

  Yet for answers I still quest.

  Despite the dangers that are nearing,

  I seek knowledge without rest.

  Into this vibrant mystery,

  My eyes now briefly gaze.

  Concealed by confusing magic,

  Are brilliant insights that amaze.

  These colorful chronicles,

  Vast beyond what I have time to see,

  Enrich us with understanding,

  To inspire thought and set us free.

  (Refrain)

  Even if I should discover,

  The most treacherous truth of all,

  Learning is still the greatest good,

  With wisdom we shall never fall.

  The hidden truth, when attained,

  Elevates and magnifies,

  Renewing and extending life,

  Beyond the oceans and the skies.

  (Refrain)

  Throughout the entire chamber within the hidden structure, flowers began to open and came to full bloom.

  “Perfect timing,” Kaija said.

  “We have failed in our mission to protect these secrets,” Colonel Lodokus said.

  “I accept the blame, Colonel Lodokus,” Lieutenant Mazavida said.

  “No matter, we will both be executed,” Colonel Lodokus said.

  “You’re assuming that these secrets don’t need to be revealed for the greater good,” Kaija said.

  From where she stood, Commissioner Hannah began reading them in detail. “This is very interesting. And there’s a lot to read,” she said.

  Ximenez recorded the song into his book, including the lyrics and a representation of the melody. He also recorded the appearance of the flowers, which were now in full bloom.

  “Your music is too powerful. It could lure men into folly. No woman with such a voice can be trusted,” Grand Duke Braden said.

  “Your voice is uniquely powerful, young woman. I’ve heard many tales of such a singer, that there is none like her. You are Taesa! I am certain of it!” Captain Lusala said, suddenly recognizing the singer.

  “I need to leave!” Taesa said, suddenly afraid because these people recognized her.

  “No, you need to stay and learn. I will protect you and your unborn child with my own life,” Kaija said.

  �
�So will I,” Emerond said.

  “A will I,” Romana said.

  “No matter what I do, no one trusts me,” Taesa said.

  “I have no vendetta against you. Believe me. I know that you are not to blame for what occurred,” Captain Lusala said.

  “Pay attention and learn, all of you. We will walk this garden together, as a group, and read the secret messages written in the arrangement of the flowers. Keep open minds, because I believe this place to be of great importance to each and every one of us, as well as to the world outside,” Kaija said.

  “What do you know that we don’t, Kaija?” Commissioner Hannah asked.

  “I’ve traveled the world and read a great many books in my thirty-eight (38) years. I’ve long suspected that this garden – said to be a myth – truly exists. I’ve been searching for signs of it, and praying for Divine Revelation, but very little was obvious until today. Now, it’s all coming together,” Kaija said.

  “Let’s get to work,” Romana said.

  Captain Lusala led the way, with Grand Duke Braden in the middle and Duke Rowen coming in last. Between them were Romana, Commissioner Hannah, Kaija, Taesa, Emerond, Captain Gijsbert, Consolata, Allegria, Saku, Colonel Lodokus, Lieutenant Mazavida and Munroe.

  For ten (10) hours, they paced back and forth, and Commissioner Hannah and Romana worked together to decipher what they could. They mathematically analyzed the flower types and arrangement and heights.

  “You’ve determined all that you can, Commissioner Hannah,” Kaija said.

  “Yes, it’s quite a story. This garden was planted in truly ancient times, when the unified ocean did exist and granted all powers to everyone who drank of its waters. Humanity sinned by worshipping false gods and committing blood and fire sacrifices to their demons, burning their own children alive in tribute to the evil spirits. The One True God sent warnings through prophets, urging them to cease the evil. Yet, the ungrateful people continued in their idolatry. Worse, the humans believed themselves to be gods, above demons, and they tempted the angel named Abagadel – the divinely appointed guardian of architecture – to betray the One True God and become a demon under human command. He constructed temples for idolatry and sacrifice, meant to honor humans, because they wanted to receive worship and rise above the world of demons. Abagadel also designed the Tomb of the Ten Kings, which was meant to give the power of resurrection to mortals. Lies were told far and wide, leading some humans to believe that the demon named Abaddon had constructed the tomb, so as to conceal the identity of its true architect from those who would try to summon or dispel the entity. The One True God became enraged at the false religion and the evil designs, so He destroyed the unified ocean, turning it into poison. Yet, He had mercy on His Children, all of humanity, so he created the twelve (12) great oceans, with their different waters giving separate powers, only one (1) of which anyone could ever partake, binding to it for life. He also created the Dead Waters Ocean, to quench thirst for those who had not yet chosen their single power,” Commissioner Hannah said.