Castle & Conceit Read online

  However, these superstitions served Cassius quite well, as he was pleased to have the greatest powers limited to a smaller number of drinkers, so as to have less capable adversaries to work against his plans. A great majority of the world’s population did drink of the powerful ocean waters, though many chose the waters of the Trerada Ocean for their superficial outer gifts of health and beauty. At least as many drank of the waters of the Kazofen Ocean for their power over crystals and stones, so as to produce profits in those industries. Others drank the waters of the other oceans so as to receive gifts in the arts and music, knowledge of the many suns or influence over nature, all of which posed little threat and could occasionally be of use to him. Of the rest, few drank the waters of the Medathero Ocean, which was even better for Cassius, as it meant that fewer would have sufficiently clever minds to understand the implications of his actions or develop responses until it was far too late. Yet there were still other waters that could extend life into the millennia, or grant powers over light or dark, spirit or emotion, or give strength in combat. These were both threats and opportunities, and Cassius’ very keen mind had plans to control some of the drinkers, and bring their powers into his service. In the case of his ally, Valere, he already had done just that.

  When the seven (7) days of drinking of the waters was complete, Cassius then handed a perfectly cut crystal to Octavian in which the Imperial Prince could see his own face. He stared into it intently and saw a face which was handsome far beyond what other men had, and certainly far beyond what he had seen for the past thirty (30) years. He was mesmerized by his own reflection, completely unfamiliar with it, and immensely pleased. The waters of the Trerada Ocean had indeed cured him, as Cassius had promised. Octavian now trusted Cassius completely, as this transformation seemed miraculous, especially having seen it in himself after living with the “face of death” for so long.

  “You are healed, Your Majesty. It is remarkable, no doubt,” Captain Julius said.

  “You now have the appearance of royalty, and will command the respect of many,” Cassius said.

  “They will no longer reject my authority, or run in disgust from the sight of me,” Octavian said, while still looking at his reflection in the crystal.

  “Yes, you are ready to wield authority, as an Imperial Prince should. The very sight of you will give honor to your father, Emperor Brennius,” Cassius said.

  “I am ready to return home!” Octavian declared triumphantly.

  “You are near the City of Emeth, which is on this very land not far from where we stand. Will you not remain for a time and study to prepare yourself, as had been planned previously?” Cassius asked.

  “Now is not the time for such things. Such studies should be your concern, anyway, as you are the advisor,” Octavian said.

  CHAPTER 4: Mountain of Perils

  Imperial Prince Octavian and the troops who guarded him, along with Cassius and Captain Julius, returned to the ship.

  The troops had seen Octavian many times, and were familiar with his hideous appearance, known as the “face of death.” His new appearance was stunningly different: it was not merely healthy and far beyond handsome; instead, it was altogether awe-inspiring. Octavian had the face of a man who could lead and inspire confidence. Although his voice was no different, it sounded different to them, as they now heard it coming from a man with a remarkably well-formed face.

  Cassius took Octavian aside in private quarters aboard the ship and spoke to him: “In my many studies, I have learned of a peculiar land area – a mountain in the Trerada Ocean – which may be of interest to your father, for the good of his empire. As it is not on any of the charts and maps that your father’s navy possesses, it may also be unknown to other kingdoms and empires of the world. Thus, it is likely unguarded so that it and its resources can be taken for his Imperial Majesty’s empire. Your father would be quite pleased if we were to verify this and make it a holding in his empire.”

  “If what you suppose is true, then we should do this, and thus enlarge the empire,” Octavian said, thinking of inheriting a portion of the empire for himself. He did not doubt that his father would look favorably upon his appearance, and grant to him his wish for authority, rather than an advisory position.

  Octavian then left the private quarters and spoke to the troops thus: “We shall, on our voyage home, vary our course from that by which we traveled here. Instead, we shall travel over the Trerada Ocean, so as to approach one particular island that is of interest to my father, Emperor Brennius – for the sake of his empire – and then we shall return.”

  The captain of the ship said: “Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. We will have to travel at a greater altitude, as the ship must cross over this higher land formation. Please take the necessary precautions, as the heat of the suns will be a great hazard.”

  The captain then made a motion to his crew, and the masts and sails of the ship began to fold to the sides. The passengers returned to their cabins and the crew on deck drew cloaks over themselves to be protected from the many red and yellow suns and the blue suns as well, which were shining down upon them.

  Cassius and Octavian entered a cabin and stood next to a thin female officer, who then drank from a vial of water hanging on a chain around her neck. The vial had upon it the classical symbols of the cloak of darkness, and it was filled with the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean. The female officer was energized by the power of the water, and then the light around her became dim, then dark, and then she radiated darkness that encompassed her, and then both Cassius and Octavian, making them unseen, and more importantly, blocking the brightest and most dangerous lights of the many suns. The woman was a shadow guard, personally assigned by Cassius to protect him and the Imperial Prince from the hot suns and other hazards.

  The other three (3) ships in the group followed their example so that all four (4) airships took to the air over the waters of the Medathero Ocean, rising to hundred (100) feet of altitude. Even at that low elevation, the light from the many suns was an increased risk of danger to the crew and passengers, except for Cassius, Octavian and the shadow guard who protected them. Their skin could be poisoned and become cancerous if they did not return to sea level quickly. The ships rapidly traveled southwest over the narrow land bridge known as Emeth, and then returned to sea level in the Trerada Ocean. Then the masts and sails pivoted upright to sea level sailing formation once again. The crew removed their protective cloaks, and the shadow guard eased and then stilled her powers, returning Cassius and Octavian and herself from the darkness to the light.

  Cassius left the cabin and went out onto the deck of the ship. He then reached into a pocket of his own robes to pull out a small gem. He carefully placed the gem into a mount on the chain he wore around his neck – a chain that also held a vial of water. Cassius made sure to stay out of the shade and in the light of the blue and yellow suns, so that they shone down on the gem. Many red suns were also in the sky, but he disregarded them in this matter.

  After three (3) days sailing, the four (4) ships made their way to the perimeter of a small mountain extending perhaps five hundred (500) feet above the ocean, as far as the lookout could tell. There was a cavernous entrance at its base, possibly wide enough for a ship to enter, but the water currents were treacherous.

  Cassius went out on deck and saw the mountain with the cave entrance, and pointed toward it, saying: “We need to enter through there.” He recalled the diagram he had seen in the swamp and knew that this was the proper location.

  The captain of the ship said: “Sir, the waters are too treacherous to allow safe sailing into the cave entrance at sea level. While it is possible for the ship to use the energy of the many suns to rise slightly when in airship formation, the ceiling of the cave is too low to permit that mode of entry for such a large vessel as this, even with the masts and sails lowered as they would be for an airship. I cannot venture into such hazards with the Imperial Prince aboard.”

  Cassius had a plan, howev
er, and said: “Captain, please approach as close as you can. On board this ship, as part of the customary crew, are four (4) dark scouts. Also, there are two (2) light scouts. Please call each of them here.”

  The captain signaled to the navigator to approach, and to another crewman to bring in the dark scouts and the light scouts.

  Cassius did not see the dark scouts approach: he only saw them appear out of the darkness and into the light, attired in such lightweight clothing as to move nimbly. They dark scouts were all drinkers of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean, and they held the power to control the darkness because of those waters.

  The light scouts were visible on the approach, however. They were also dressed in lightweight clothing, allowing them to move nimbly for their mission ahead. The light scouts were all drinkers of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean, and they held the power to control the light because of those waters.

  “Your orders?” one of the dark scouts asked.

  “Let the dark be cold, and still the waters below. Make a path for us, so that we may safely enter into this mountain on foot,” Cassius said.

  The dark scouts reached into their vestments and drew forth narrow dark vials covered in the classical symbols of the cloak of darkness. They drank deeply of the waters of the Ikkith Tar Ocean contained within the vials, so that their powers were now at full strength for the mission at hand.

  The four (4) dark scouts moved quickly to the ends of the ship, rappelling down them and reaching out to the waters with their hands. Rays of darkness shone from their hands, casting deep shadows on the waters below, which began to cool, then to freeze, then to become solid and still. The dark scouts then stepped onto the frozen waters and proceeded to freeze the waters ahead, forming a path. They carefully spread themselves out to make the path wide enough for troops to walk two abreast, and thick enough to carry their weight.

  After several minutes, when the dark scouts had moved three hundred (300) feet out, they motioned to the crew to follow. The captain of the guards, Julius, ordered the troops to prepare for a possible confrontation, not knowing what forces may guard the interior of the mountain. He spoke to Octavian, saying: “Your Imperial Majesty, for whatever is it that you are looking, please tell us, so that we may do your bidding and guard you, while you remain on board the ship, at a safe distance.”

  Cassius then said: “I agree with the captain of the guard’s wise suggestion. His Imperial Majesty should remain on board, under the personal protection of Captain Julius. I will go ahead with two hundred fifty (250) troops. We will discover the riches and knowledge contained within this mountain which I am confident are present and are of great worth. Then, we will bring them back to be delivered into your father’s empire.”

  Cassius and the two hundred fifty (250) troops – and the two (2) light scouts were among their number – then climbed down the ropes onto the path of frozen water formed by the dark scouts and entered into the cavern. There were passageways within it that branched off in many directions, forming a veritable maze. However, Cassius recalled details from the vision given by the demon in the swamp, and he was thus able to navigate them with ease. The journey was not without danger, however. A magma vent, shaped like a terrible face, existed within the mountain, and it was actively spewing forth a flow of molten rock that threatened to melt their icy path. One of the dark scouts walked toward it and shone darkness onto more of the water to form a thick icy wall, separate from their path. This would purchase them some extra time. “I will be vigilant with my defensive ice wall. However, you must be quick in your mission, as the danger will arrive soon,” the dark scout said to warn them.

  Cassius directed the other dark scouts on which passage to take, so they could continue to freeze the path ahead, and the two hundred fifty (250) assigned troops followed, not knowing when an adversary may confront them, or how they would fight on such a narrow road. They were at a disadvantage, but were under orders from the Imperial Prince to proceed. They could only hope that Cassius was not walking into a trap, or setting one for them.

  Deep inside the mountain maze, there was a rocky formation which rose one hundred (100) feet up, and which had a path winding around it that led to the top. The path appeared to be very solid and safe from the magma flow behind them. Time was limited, so they all moved quickly.

  Unfortunately, the path up the rocky formation did represent another danger, because it was shrouded in a powerful dark mist of unnatural intensity. The dark scouts could also generate such a dark mist with their own powers, but they could not dispel it or see through it, because darkness did not dispel or illuminate darkness. However, there were two (2) light scouts among the troops, as Cassius had previously ensured that they were included as part of the mission. These light scouts drank the waters from their vials which they carried. The vials were covered in the classical symbols denoting rays of light, and were filled with the waters of the Lujladia Ocean. The light scouts were then energized with the power to generate and bend light. The light scouts could thus see through the dark mist with the unnatural beams of light which they began to generate, and they thereby guided the dark scouts, Cassius and the two hundred fifty (250) troops, enabling them to travel up the path that wound around the rocky formation.

  CHAPTER 5: Book of Castles

  At the flat top of the rocky formation stood a small castle surrounded by hundreds of statues of warriors, each over one hundred (100) feet tall. The outer mountain rose perhaps another three hundred (300) to four hundred (400) feet above the flat top. The design of the castle was not one that Cassius was familiar with, suggesting that it was probably from antiquity, for he had read much about far away kingdoms and castles and tombs and other structures. However, he was confident the statues were very ancient, perhaps one hundred (100) millennia old: their design was that from the legendary war of the Ahitan and Jenaldej empires – the war that was never fought. The two armies – whose divisions were scattered across every ocean and continent of the world – suddenly and mysteriously turned to stone before any battles could be fought. Many feared – even prophesied – that they would be revived one day, and the battle of these armies of colossal warriors would wreak colossal havoc and devastate the world. Perhaps this prophecy was true, and perhaps the secret cause of their petrification was written somewhere in the libraries of Emeth. A greater surprise to Cassius was how these statues came to be inside of this mountain.

  The two hundred fifty (250) troops approached the castle with trepidation, looking about for defenses of any kind, but none were found. Only the large iron and wooden doors of the castle blocked their entrance. However, the doors were secured by a set of bars and gears, interlocked in such a way that when one was moved out of the way, another moved to more tightly secure the door. Cassius took a small vial hanging on a chain around his neck and drank deeply the waters of the Medathero Ocean contained in that vial. The vial itself was marked with the classical symbols of logic and number. His mind was now energized, and his ability to reason and calculate was multiplied many times. The solution to this puzzle was definitely attainable. Cassius analyzed the machinery and realized that the solution was to turn the gears to specific different positions to release the bars. He made some mental calculations and was able to determine the proper positions for the gears. After applying his solution to the gears, the bars moved such that the door was unlocked, and then it opened easily. Cassius entered alongside the troops, who were armed with swords and crossbows.

  Flashes of blue light – but not the light of blue suns – swirled around in the darkness of the front chamber of the castle.

  “Ghosts!” the troops yelled, terrified and unprepared.

  Cassius was still carrying the gem on the chain around his neck. Only now, the gem began to blaze with a blue and yellow light, having absorbed the light from the blue and yellow suns overhead during their voyage over the Trerada Ocean. It had not given off any light until this moment, however, as it was structured to work in a very particu
lar way; otherwise, it would have served as a light on their trek through the mountain and up the winding path. Cassius held out the gem so that its blue and yellow light shone upon the ghosts, and they scattered. “Be cautious. This is a place of great danger for mortals who are unprepared,” Cassius said to them. The gem was a rare crystal known as an ‘unhaunting stone’ which Cassius had purchased and held onto for occasions such as these. Because he did not drink the waters of the Zovvin Ocean – which he knew could be used to control and even ward off spirits – he needed another way to contend with them.

  One of the troops said: “We must return to the ship! We have no weapons against ghosts or spirits.”

  “No! Remain here to be sure no mortal enemy tries to enter from behind. I will proceed to explore this castle. The ghosts will leave you be for some time and I will return before then,” Cassius said.

  Cassius then moved quickly through the castle, up a stone staircase, along which were many doors. At the top, he saw a large door, which he tried to open and found was locked. He produced a small tool from a pocket in his robes and placed it into a keyhole, and was able to turn it until the door was unlocked, and then entered. He saw many bookshelves in this room, along every wall, with thousands of dusty tomes on each. None of these was of immediate interest. He then started removing some of the books, first a few, then five (5) or ten (10) at a time, seemingly at random, but they were actually chosen strategically at different points of the bookcases along the walls. This went on for a quarter of an hour.