Castle & Conceit Read online

  Potion Voyages®

  Book 1: Castle & Conceit

  By Jeremy Dwyer

  Copyright 2016 Jeremy Dwyer

  All Rights Reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except in the case of brief quotations for the purpose of articles or reviews, without express written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to real locations, objects, events or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental, and not intended by the author.

  Potion Voyages® is a registered trademark of Jeremy Dwyer.

  (Last Revised Friday, April 5, 2019)

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I’d like to thank my wife, Rachel, and our son, Ethan, for proofreading this book and giving me feedback on anything that wasn’t quite clear the first time through, as well as spotting numerous errors.

  Ebook Cover Design was done by http://www.ebooklaunch.com.

  Visit the official website at http://www.potionvoyages.com for more information.

  Table of Contents

  CHAPTER 1: Face of Death

  CHAPTER 2: Directions of Emperor

  CHAPTER 3: Swamp of Spirits

  CHAPTER 4: Mountain of Perils

  CHAPTER 5: Book of Castles

  CHAPTER 6: Empire of Vanity

  CHAPTER 7: Rise of Advisors

  CHAPTER 8: Castle of Ice

  CHAPTER 9: Greater than This

  CHAPTER 10: Gift of Song

  CHAPTER 11: Wandering toward Glory

  CHAPTER 12: Welcome to Emeth

  CHAPTER 13: Wisdom of Antiquity

  CHAPTER 14: Sounds of Stars

  CHAPTER 15: City under Sun

  CHAPTER 16: Pirate and Plunder

  CHAPTER 17: Castle of Glass

  CHAPTER 18: War of Division

  CHAPTER 19: Reports of War

  CHAPTER 20: Ship of Spirits

  CHAPTER 21: House of Light

  CHAPTER 22: Charts of Stars

  CHAPTER 23: Castle of Fire

  CHAPTER 24: Memory of Madness

  CHAPTER 25: Questions of Faith

  CHAPTER 1: Face of Death

  The sky was filled with stars – nine (9) large, hot blue suns; twenty-four (24) medium, warm yellow suns and thirty-seven (37) small, cool red suns. These stars were distributed not quite evenly and orbited the world in various directions: some moved from north to south or the reverse; others moved from east to west or the reverse; others moved along compass diagonals or even meandering paths.

  ~~~

  The surface of the world itself was covered with thirteen (13) oceans and eight (8) continents. Each continent was connected to the others by various mountainous land bridges such that no two (2) oceans met. Thousands of islands of various sizes dotted each ocean. Hundreds of rivers flowed across the continents, but no river ever met another, or connected the waters of one ocean with those of another.

  In the southern hemisphere was a heavily swamp-covered continent known as Ihalik. Along the continent’s northeastern coast, it met with the Kazofen Ocean. Along its northwestern coast, the continent met with the Zovvin Ocean. Along its southwestern coast, Ihalik met with the Gradaken Ocean. Along its southeastern coast, the continent met with the Trerada Ocean.

  The Road of Kovoxotu land bridge extended in a northeasterly direction from the north central coast of Ihalik and it separated the Kazofen Ocean from the Zovvin Ocean. The Glivoran Trail land bridge extended in an easterly-then-northeasterly direction from the eastern coast of Ihalik and it separated the Kazofen Ocean from both the Trerada Ocean and the Medathero Ocean. The land bridge known as the Admiral Ramalaxis Bridge extended in a southeasterly direction from the southern coast of Ihalik and it separated the Trerada Ocean from the Gradaken Ocean. The Way of Raza’Deptorum land bridge extended in a curving, northwesterly direction from the northwestern coast of Ihalik, separating the Zovvin Ocean from both the Gradaken Ocean and from the more distant Dead Waters Ocean.

  ~~~

  In the northern region of Ihalik was a jewel-encrusted, opulent palace, under the rule of Emperor Brennius. Though the thirty-seven (37) year old Emperor had been married, his wife – a twenty-three (23) year old woman named Pierrette – was gravely ill and so the Emperor took on a mistress. She gave birth to a boy named Leonides. Meanwhile, Pierrette was still fertile and gave birth to a boy named Octavian at the same time. Both boys were immediately given the status of imperial princes because their father was Emperor, despite having different mothers.

  ~~~

  From birth, Imperial Prince Octavian had a deformed face, which was gaunt and deathly, and had the appearance of a skull with little flesh. While Pierrette was nursing him in her bed – in a secluded room in the palace – she cried bitterly over the sight of the boy’s disfigurement. She blamed herself and told Octavian that she loved him, and would pray for him. She repeatedly drank anew of the waters contained in a vial she wore on a chain around her neck. The vial was marked with classical symbols denoting the stars of the sky. The waters within were from the Atrejan Ocean, which was to the far northwest, and these waters gave her a connection to the stars in the sky. She believed them to be gods, and that they granted wishes to faithful worshippers. The waters truly gave her the power to hear those stars, and thereby know their positions and movements. Yet, for all her prayers, Octavian was not healed and only grew more hideous from birth to two (2) years of age, at which time Pierrette died and was quietly buried.

  ~~~

  Emperor Brennius saw that Octavian was too frightening to behold, especially for a vain and superstitious people that many of his subjects were. His other son, Imperial Prince Leonides, was quite handsome and would have to be the visible prince of the empire, and its future leader.

  ~~~

  The empire was rich in diamonds, rubies, emeralds and other crystals, with large treasure rooms in the palace filled with them. Some were so finely cut that a person could see their own reflection by staring into one. As Octavian grew, these crystals reflected back at him his most hideous and terrifying appearance. The young maidens who lived and worked in the palace as servants could not stand the sight of Octavian, and none dared to look upon him or speak kindly to him, out of fear and disgust. His half-brother, Leonides, was handsome and received all of their attention. Octavian was filled with resentment toward him, and toward his father, who he assumed must be somehow responsible for his deformity, due to some curse on his blood. Octavian had only vague memories of his mother, and the mistress who was Leonides’ mother was sent away by Emperor Brennius after the boy had been weaned at age three (3). As far as either of the Imperial Princes knew, they were brothers – not half-brothers – and their mother was long dead and never mentioned.

  ~~~

  There was a dressing room in the palace where the resident servant women would prepare themselves for guests by styling their hair and putting on makeup – and even applying certain magic. It was common for them to drink one of the many magic waters – specifically, those from the Trerada Ocean – which would give them stunningly good looks and health. Octavian desired these women most of all – and wondered if such waters would correct his own appearance. However, he knew that the law of the oceans was such that drinking any of the magic waters would bind him to it for life – such that he could never drink another – and Emperor Brennius had not given him permission to partake of any magic ocean water just yet. Instead, he and his brother had both been ordered to drink only of the waters of the Dead Waters Ocean, which gave no power at all, but also did not cause a waterbinding. All that the Dead Waters provided was hydration, which was essential to sustain life, but they were dead insofar as magic power was concerned.

  On numerous occasions, Octav
ian stood outside the dressing room and overheard the women speaking ill of him. One would say: “That Octavian is so hideous – why would such a boy not be thrown to the wolves? His own mother must have been made ill just by looking at him.” Another woman would say: “no woman will ever love him – even if she didn’t faint at the sight of him.” Still another would say: “his children might even be deformed like that.” Yet another woman even said: “can he even have children? Is he deformed all over?” Octavian burned with fury and resentment like never before at hearing this. But the insults went on further. Still, Octavian continued his eavesdropping, as he was unable to let go of the matter, and hoped against reason that it would eventually end with the women changing their opinions and coming to appreciate him. Instead, there was more pain.

  Octavian heard more women speaking in the palace dressing room, and one said: “Still, the brother is fine…so fine. Leonides is quite the lover.” Then, another woman would say: “Yes, he is delicious…and I look forward to another sweet night with him. Maybe even more…I might not let him go.” “Save some for me…I have needs, too,” another woman said. Octavian’s jealousy grew many times over when he heard compliments being given to his brother, and he would step away and return to his private room. Days or weeks later, he would eavesdrop again, and the same insults or worse would be spoken again; more often, however, the women would talk of their delight in Leonides, which hurt him at least as much.

  Octavian occasionally returned to the palace treasure rooms to gaze upon the wealth of the empire, which was measured in gems of largely high quality. The fortune would eventually be his – at least, he hoped that half of it would – when his father’s advancing age forced him to relinquish the throne. Still, the facets of the crystals reflected back at him the horrific appearance that had made his life so lonely and dreadful. The very treasures he hoped to inherit presented their mockery to his eyes, as if to confirm the truth of the mockery to his ears made by the palace servant women.

  ~~~

  A rare few gems found in various places across the world were known as lightkeepers, because of a peculiar effect that occurred within them. Their crystal geometry was such that, when the light of the many suns, especially the hot blue ones, shone upon them – and a person stood in the right place at the right time – their image would be burned into the crystal. The image would be a very true likeness of the person, and the crystal would keep this permanently. Some of these lightkeeper crystals were present in the empire’s treasury and one of them caught sight of Octavian’s terrible face, absorbing his image, so that it would be remembered forever. Octavian did not notice this, however, and merely returned to his own private room to seethe with anger and jealousy.

  One of Emperor Brennius’ most trusted advisors was a clever man named Cassius, and he had access to the many rooms within the palace. He visited the various treasure rooms to ensure that a proper count was kept of the various gems – especially the most valuable ones – and he saw the lightkeeper crystal that had captured Octavian’s deformed appearance. Cassius chose to hide the crystal for safekeeping. He knew that the image it kept was unbearable to many people, and thought that it could perhaps be useful at some future time – perhaps to instill fear in the enemies of the empire, and to control weak-minded superstitious persons who did not understand the nature of the human body and sickness. Cassius did, in fact, produce a count of the gems and he recorded this into a book, should the Emperor request to see it.

  Upon leaving the treasure room and entering the palace hallway, Cassius met with another advisor – a forty-four (44) year old man named Lycaon – who regarded him with suspicion.

  “I trust that the integrity of the Emperor’s treasury has been well-preserved, Cassius,” Lycaon said to him, not meaning a word of it.

  “It is properly preserved and counted, Lycaon. Do you have cause to doubt that?” Cassius asked.

  “I merely suggest independent verification of the contents of the treasury,” Lycaon said.

  “Perhaps, if you would like to petition His Imperial Majesty for a recount, he will listen. Yet, if your number is lower, he might suspect you for stealing; if your number is higher, he will ask you to prove it, so that you will have to produce the difference in wealth – and where will you obtain it?” Cassius asked.

  “Well-stated, Cassius,” Lycaon said, seething with anger.

  “That is why I am the chief advisor, and you are my subordinate,” Cassius said, and he continued walking the hallway, leaving Lycaon behind.

  ~~~

  While seated upon his throne – which was situated on a high pedestal in the throne room – Emperor Brennius ordered his guards to leave. They obeyed by going through doors on all sides of the throne room, and they stood guard in the halls outside. The Emperor then stood up from his throne and walked down the staircase leading from the pedestal to the floor of the throne room. On the southern wall of the room, he pushed aside a tapestry in which dozens of diamonds and rubies were embedded and connected by embroidered gold trim. He took a key from a pocket in his royal robes and placed it into a keyhole, which unlocked a sliding panel in the wall. Brennius then walked through the opening into an adjoining room, and then closed and locked the sliding panel behind him. The tapestry fell back into place.

  Emperor Brennius say upon an ornately carved chair near a writing desk, both of which were made of cherry wood. There were shelves holding various writing implements and books throughout the room, as well as small piles of gems and flasks of water. It appeared to be as much of an alchemy laboratory as a private study, because it was used for alchemy as well as many other private matters. Brennius took the platinum vial that hung on a platinum chain around his neck and opened it. The vial itself was marked with the classical symbols denoting diamonds and stones. He drank the waters of the Kazofen Ocean that were within it and felt energized again. Brennius then took a high quality diamond from his collection of gems in the room and began to mold it in his hands as if it were potter’s clay. After a few careful manipulations, he looked closely into the modified diamond, seeing its low level structure. He made a few more manipulations, and then inspected the modified diamond again, satisfied that it was ready. He only wished he could do this to his own aging body.

  Brennius was sixty-seven (67) years old and growing much weaker, and much more quickly than could be expected for a healthy man of his age. The waters of the Trerada Ocean would have helped him by staving off any illness or injury until he reached a century of life, after which natural fading, rather than sickness, would have occurred. However, he had chosen to drink of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean for the powers they gave to manipulate stones, including precious gemstones such as diamond and ruby, as well as ordinary ones such as sandstone, granite and limestone. This was how he made his fortune in his early years and proved himself the most worthy of his own brothers to inherit the throne from his father.

  The brothers of Brennius – Cathaldus, Harbin and Keefe – each failed to produce anything of worth. Cathaldus drank the waters of the Trerada Ocean – giving him both good health and handsome looks – and he indulged in women, but did no useful work. Harbin drank of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean to give him the ability to cultivate any land and grow high quality crops from any seed. He made this choice because he preferred farming, which was a respectable profession, but produced little profit compared to working with gemstones. Keefe drank the waters of the Zovvin Ocean to give him the ability to commune with spirits – and seek dangerous knowledge: at the age of nineteen (19), he disappeared.

  However, Brennius worked hard, taking a Kazofen waterbinding at age thirteen (13), and he mastered the finer points of bending crystals, whether they were diamond, ruby, emerald or sapphire, or even water crystals. In truth, the water crystals themselves could not be altered, but those water crystals were often mixed with impurities. The powers that the waters of the Kazofen Ocean gave him thus allowed the impurities to be separated from the water crystals. A
purer potion of any water – Kazofen, Trerada, Gradaken, Zovvin, or any of the others – meant that greater ability was given to the person who drank of that water. When it came to drinking the waters of the Kazofen Ocean specifically, that extra purity meant that he had finer control over the structures of the gemstones he manipulated, and finer control over the purification process, to better purify the waters next time, resulting in a virtuous cycle.

  Emperor Brennius opened a book to a page with his last will and testament. He opened a small window in the room that admitted the light of the many suns. He then held up the diamond he had recently modified over top of the writings in the book, and the light of a blue sun gradually shone through it, burning into the diamond the image of the page of the book. Although a great many people in the world had chosen to drink of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean to have powers over crystals, Brennius was one of the few whose innate potential for doing so enabled him to make a lightkeeper crystal deliberately and reliably. Many tried and succeeded at the intricate task more by rare luck. Now, in this lightkeeper crystal, the will of the Emperor was permanently and officially recorded. He would announce this message to the Imperial Princes a few days later. The Emperor then took this crystal, bearing the image of his written last will and testament, and left the alchemy lab, locking its sliding panel behind him. The tapestry fall back into place as before, concealing the access panel once again. The Emperor returned to his throne room and walked the stairs leading up to the pedestal supporting his throne, and sat upon it once again.

  Emperor Brennius then called to his guards, who were waiting outside the throne room, saying: “Guards! Return to me!”

  The guards returned from the outside halls and took up their previous posts around the room.

  CHAPTER 2: Directions of Emperor