Ruin & Reliance

by Jeremy Dwyer

  ~~~

  Under the cover of false, light, Derek looked out at the surrounding ships and the people moving about on the ground. He also noticed strange patterns of light nearby.

  ~~~

  Inside the wheelhouse of the Consecration of the Hopeful, Annaliisa consulted an atlas and then drank anew of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power to listen to the sounds of the stars. She concentrated to learn their paths and positions and used this information to chart a course to the continent of Waderav. She pulled levers to retract the boarding ramp and sailed the ship westward across the Gradaken Ocean until reaching the continent’s eastern coast.

  From there, she pulled levers to pivot the masts and the sails to the sides of the ship and elevated the vessel to fifty-seven (57) feet of altitude. She then steered the ship over land until she could bring it down into a river. She consulted another chapter of the atlas for a map of the river networks across Waderav. Again, she drank of the waters of the Atrejan Ocean from her vial and focused the energy to listen to the stars and thereby chart a course for the remainder of the journey to take them into Cinder Valley.

  Reko was in the wheelhouse with her. He drank anew of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean from his vial to be energized with the powers of light and far sight. He kept aware of their surroundings and scanned for threats ahead. “I don’t expect the valley to be empty,” Reko said.

  “If it’s a volcanic valley and the soil’s bad – like Kaija warned us – then anybody who’s there is wasting their time,” Annaliisa said.

  “I doubt we’re the only people who know that the valley holds something of importance, or did at some point in the past,” Reko said.

  “Do you think someone else knew about the garden?” Annaliisa asked.

  “Kaija seems convinced that the garden’s message is completely true, and part of that message is that the unified ocean did exist in the distant past. Let’s assume that she’s completely correct. Let’s further assume that, even after the unified ocean was poisoned as part of God’s punishment for sin, someone with the worst of intentions kept a supply of those all-powerful unified waters in reserve. It is all too possible for that malicious person, having access to the unified powers, to find the garden and decode its secrets. We have to assume the worst,” Reko said.

  “That’s a lot of speculation, Reko,” Annaliisa said.

  “This is a very dangerous world. Nothing is too terrible to disbelieve, even if it seems unlikely,” Reko said.

  “You can warn us in advance if you see anyone there, but I think Kaija plans on going there no matter what. She wants to find the cure for the poisonous red mist,” Annaliisa said.

  “I will warn everyone. And I do expect a fight. Maybe it’s because all we ever do is fight, but the harsh environment in Cinder Valley isn’t likely to be the only problem we have to deal with,” Reko said.

  “We fight and we fight. I believe in the cause with all my heart. We have to protect God’s Children. I just wish we didn’t have to fight all the time. I wish there was more time to enjoy life,” Annaliisa said.

  “Wishing isn’t going to get the job done. We have to find and kill anyone who would corrupt or destroy the Children of God,” Reko said.

  “We have to be the Children of God. We have to love as God taught us to love,” Annaliisa said.

  “Sometimes, loving the good means killing the evil,” Reko said.

  “And sometimes, loving the good means creating more good. Tija loves you. I can see it in her eyes. She wants to be with you. She wants to be close to you…very close. She wants to start a family with you, Reko. It’s obvious. I don’t need to read her mind to see that,” Annaliisa said.

  “I’ve known too many women, and most of them were dangerous. It’s not that I haven’t been close to them. I’ve been too close. The pleasure and the excitement drew me in. Then, they tried to manipulate me. I know what that kind of pleasure is. It blinded me to crimes they were committing using my power to help them steal and get away with it. I became as guilty as them, and I justified it thinking that we were stealing for a good cause. I told myself lie after lie just so I could be with them and enjoy the sexual relationships,” Reko said.

  “Kaija would never allow dangerous women like that on her crew…not without converting them to good. Tija is a good woman. Good women also have needs, Reko. Good women have desires. You shouldn’t think the worst of someone just because they’re attracted to you. With the right woman, intimacy would be good for you,” Annaliisa said.

  “Tija deserves better than me. I need to atone for my past,” Reko said.

  “You’ve been working with Kaija. She demands the moral best of each of us. If you weren’t good enough for Tija, you wouldn’t be on this crew,” Annaliisa said.

  “When this is over – when we have a moment to rest – I’ll talk to Tija. For now, we have work to do,” Reko said.

  ~~~

  Inside their cabin on board the Consecration of the Hopeful, Taesa rested on her bed. Emerond held her hand while Caroline held Trent in her arms.

  “I don’t like this. We shouldn’t be going there. Kaija’s crazy to take a pregnant woman and her family into a volcanic wasteland,” Caroline said.

  “She probably already knows you think that, mom,” Taesa said.

  “I want to tell her to her face,” Caroline said.

  “She won’t change. She’s a determined woman,” Taesa said.

  “Waiting around for Taesa to get sick – and to put the new baby in danger – isn’t any better. I’d rather work to find the cure. Kaija is very assertive, but we need that. I think she’s a good leader. She knows how to get to the point, and put everybody in their place,” Emerond said.

  “You’re a prince and you admire that in a woman?” Caroline asked.

  “Former prince. I admire leadership like hers. She does her job fearlessly and says what has to be said,” Emerond said.

  “She’s a religious nut. She wants to lead us all to believe in mythology,” Caroline said.

  “In this world, the oceans have the powers, and people don’t hesitate to misuse those powers in the worst possible ways. I hope there is a God to set everything right. I don’t mean that I believe – nothing has convinced me of that. But I’m not convinced there isn’t a God, either,” Emerond said.

  “Hope is not going to get rid of the poison. We need an actual plan – a plan that doesn’t involve taking my grandson and my pregnant daughter into a volcanic valley in the center of hostile territory. I’ve heard more than I need to know about Waderav from the sailors that used to come into town, and from my husband while he was alive. It’s a continent run by cutthroat robber barons. Women are kidnapped and sold into slavery for the pleasure of filthy men. Everyone works long hours for low wages and gets beaten if they don’t produce enough to enrich their masters,” Caroline said.

  “Kaija seems to think that great things are possible,” Emerond said.

  “This family is not going to be sacrificed to do great things, no matter how great they are,” Caroline said.

  “We’re already in trouble. That’s never going to be forgotten. We need to build a better life,” Emerond said.

  “If we’re going to have to run and hide for the rest of our lives, let’s at least pick somewhere that the land itself isn’t dangerous. I’ve had enough ocean storms and blizzards and burning suns and darkness,” Caroline said.

  “The world can always give us more than enough trouble,” Emerond said.

  “It’s time we had more than enough good, instead of so much bad,” Caroline said.

  “I don’t really like Kaija. But I do think I trust her,” Taesa said.

  “What does that even mean, Taesa? You’re so tired from the pregnancy that you’re delirious. That doesn’t even make sense,” Caroline said.

  “Emerond’s right. Kaija is a leader. I’ve had teachers, like Onora, but she’s not the same. She’s wise and kind, but she seem
s like she wants to settle down now in that city. She was never fierce – if she was, I didn’t see it. Kaija is fierce and determined,” Taesa said.

  “You’re both young and naïve. Maybe Onora isn’t such a fool, after all. The Port of Reliance was a good home, if not great,” Caroline said.

  “The poison is out there, mom. It’s making people sick. It’s going to be everybody’s problem soon if we don’t do something about it,” Taesa said.

  “It’s a big world. There are lots of other people who can try to solve all the problems,” Caroline said.

  “If we all think like that, who’s going to do it?” Emerond asked.

  ~~~

  On the deck of the Consecration of the Hopeful, Kaija drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from her vial to be energized with the powers of telepathy and empathy. “Join hands with me, so that we can pray,” she said.

  Saku, Tija, Juho and Romana, as well as the Chronicler Ximenez, all joined hands with Kaija. She knelt down and they followed her lead.

  “We pray to Thee, Our One True God, to guide us to our destination, and to help us to find the cure for this red poisonous mist – an illness of the body. We further pray to You, Our Creator, to enable us to use this opportunity to bring the lost souls to You, The Divine Healer, who can forgive and cure their sins – the illness of the soul,” Kaija said. She then stood up and everyone in the prayer circle released hands.

  “Tija, tell Reko how you feel about him. When the time is right, speak to him. Flirting is not enough. He had a troubled life. I’m not saying this to judge or to embarrass him. I’m saying this so that my crew knows each other. Reko had other relationships, with women who seduced him into committing crimes. He regrets his past, but I have helped him to overcome it through prayer. His morals are good now, but he has a fear of repeating his past,” Kaija said.

  “You’re never subtle, Kaija. I was hoping to have a quiet conversation with him,” Tija said.

  “You were hoping to flirt with him, like those other women did, and then have him fall into your arms, and then your bed. This is not going to work. In fact, it’s going to create trouble on board this ship. You might as well be forthright and propose the relationship that you want to build before someone else does. Hesitation will waste the opportunity, and there are other women who will want him if they don’t think you’re interested,” Kaija said.

  “Well, that settles things, I guess,” Tija said.

  “We all have work to do. Reko is likely correct in his thinking that we will not be alone when we reach Cinder Valley. I expect considerable resistance. Juho will need to purify our waters and prepare extra sailing crystals if we take damage. Saku will need to protect Taesa and her family by giving them cover when the need arises. Emerond is a Kazofen drinker and can assist Juho. Their young child, Trent, is a Trerada drinker, so you only need to keep him under cover,” Kaija said.

  Saku drank anew of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power of darkness. He did not immediately apply it to create a cloak of darkness, but remained ready to serve and to protect.

  Juho drank anew of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from his vial to be energized with the power to manipulate crystals and stones. He went into the supply cabin and began applying the virtuous cycle to formulate purer potions of the various waters needed by Kaija and her crew.

  “What do you need me to do?” Tija asked.

  “Defend us against spiritual warfare. My own experiences – and the unusual circumstances, along with the significant message in that garden – lead me to expect the worst,” Kaija said.

  Tija drank anew of the waters of the Zovvin Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power to connect to the spirit world. She reached out and searched for danger nearby and maintained a constant state of alertness to hostile intentions in the ghostly realm.

  “I’m going to try to grow the kaiyoyad seeds in Cinder Valley, if there is any soil to work with. Until then, what do you need me to do?” Romana asked.

  “Just be ready. You’ll have plenty of work to do when we arrive. And don’t worry about Judith. Because of you, she is on the right path to knowing God. That is what matters most of all. Unfortunately, Duke Rowan’s distorted value system and arrogance are to blame for her problems with intimacy. For that, I also blame his father, Grand Duke Braden. It might take Judith centuries to trust or love a man again after the emotional and verbal abuse they put her through, but she has to choose for herself,” Kaija said.

  Romana drank anew of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean from her vial to be energized with the power to control plants and animals. She had some of the kaiyoyad seeds from the garden in a small pouch that she kept in her coat pocket. “I wish I could help her. I love her too much not to try,” Romana said.

  “You know that you can only do so much. There are limits to your abilities, and you have to make the best use of them where the opportunity arises,” Kaija said.

  Ximenez 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 exerted this power to delay his own aging and also to perceive fast-moving events around him, in anticipation of the battle that Kaija was suggesting would occur. He recorded all of this conversation into his book, and braced himself to record a war.

  “You are attentive to detail, Chronicler. However, you must first be attentive to your own soul, and to your relationship with The One True God. Pray often, with us and alone, that you may be right with Your Creator. You write only history’s truth into your book. Let only God’s Truth be written into your soul,” Kaija said.

  Colonel Lodokus and Lieutenant Mazavida were still bound with ropes around their hands. They stood on the deck, watching and listening.

  “Colonel Lodokus, you should also seek God. He created you, and He loves you. You were at war. Now, seek Him for peace. Lieutenant Mazavida, your only commanding officer is the One True God. His orders must be obeyed. He ordered you into existence. Instead of looking for traitors to kill, look for ways to serve God, and not betray Him,” Kaija said.

  “We are bound. We can do nothing good to help anyone,” Colonel Lodokus said.

  “Are you going to lecture us about your religion until we go mad?” Lieutenant Mazavida asked.

  “I’m going to teach you, and then set you free to serve the Will of God,” Kaija said.

  “You’ve already gone mad,” Lieutenant Mazavida said.

  “I don’t know this God of yours. Given that you are obviously deranged, I don’t trust your religion, or your ultimate motives. Based on a partially decoded secret message, you want to cure a poison-induced illness by planting unknown seeds in a volcanic valley. This plan is beyond foolish. You should make a better plan that doesn’t involve belief in myths and misunderstandings,” Colonel Lodokus said.

  “You can help us plant the seeds, Colonel Lodokus,” Kaija said.

  ~~~

  On board the Sandstone Cutter, Romey paced back and forth until her strength seemingly returned, as measured by less vomiting and more coughing. Commissioner Hannah and Commissioner Wallace walked alongside her, trailed by his twenty (20) armed guards. Fantine and Niven walked hand in hand, and Captain Arata paced around on deck in his own circles.

  “I don’t like this idea in the least! Going to Waderav is a mistake! Going to Cinder Valley is an even worse mistake! You don’t know if these seeds are any good. You don’t even know if there’s any soil to plant them in!” Commissioner Wallace said.

  “The information in that garden is convincing. The power of this poison is compelling, and that’s reason enough to go looking for a cure. It’s going to get worse if we don’t do something. We can’t just keep pacing around and hoping that exercise is going to keep us in good health all the time. The body wears out, especially at my age. And we do need sleep,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  “We’re going. But we do need to have a plan if these seeds are bad, or if the soil is bad,
” Niven said.

  “Romana’s going to help us. She’s a Gradaken drinker,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  “You need soil to plant. The Gradaken waters don’t change that. This is assuming the seeds are what they’re claimed to be. A secret message written with flowers in a garden from millions of years ago, along with all sorts of religious stories, doesn’t exactly convince me of anything. The unified ocean is a myth. Even King Xander – when he controlled nearly half the world – could never find it. There’s no reason to believe that it ever existed. That’s what makes me doubt the rest of the story,” Commissioner Wallace said.

  “I’m willing to believe something better is possible. We can’t give up and not try. We’re commissioners of districts in the Ihalik Empire. We have citizens that depend on us to look out for their needs. We lead by making good decisions and getting work done,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  “That’s exactly right, Commissioner Hannah! We are supposed to be making good decisions and getting work done, not reading fairy tales and looking for lost treasures. These are not good decisions! We’re acting like fools!” Commissioner Wallace said.

  “King Xander returning was no fairy tale. Neither was Victoria or the tiara and the tempests that it brought. This world has a deep history of danger and power. You’re being a little too skeptical,” Commissioner Hannah said.

  “I was here to see these disasters! I know there’s power! It’s all around us in the oceans! That doesn’t mean I believe every story I hear or read. The central bank writes financial documents that might as well be called fairy tales and they pass them off as true. We have to stop believing in lies!” Commissioner Wallace said.

  “Yes, they lie. But what does that prove?” Commissioner Hannah asked.

  “It’s an example of how easily people are deceived by what they read,” Commissioner Wallace said.

  “I don’t think we should believe anything religious. I’m not looking to any kind of nonexistent God for answers. But having a religious message doesn’t prove anything, one way or another, about whether the seeds work,” Fantine said.