The Secrets of Shadowcrest

PART I

The Essari Shores

Prologue

A Fate Unknown

The flickering glow of a candle’s flame illuminated an assortment of parchments, scrolls, charts, and codices strewn across a weathered table. A thick, musty smell that whispered of years long gone by permeated the air while the timbers of a room creaked from the ocean waves battering them from the other side. As the room rose and fell with the ship to which it belonged, a man sat stooped over his collections of antiquity. The lateness of the evening only served to encourage the man’s musings.

Cabalia… he murmured. The Island of Magic. He reached forth his hand to a tattered map of the land that would have remained unknown to the civilized world—if the Mist had not appeared.

Ancient accounts spoke of a luminous blue mist that appeared off the west coast of Britain in the days of Julius Caesar. Most every man and child since that time knew the story of what happened thereafter. Mankind has always been curious, even if too much for its own good. First scouts, and then the armies of the Roman Empire traveled into the Mist. What they found was nothing short of extraordinary. A massive island with rich resources and stunning scenery beckoned for the arrival of civilization and culture. It would have seemed the paradise of Eden itself had been rediscovered. That is, until one stayed long enough to realize the island was not deserted.

Fantastic creatures of fearsome abilities roamed those lands, many of which did not have a liking for the sons and daughters of Adam. Barbarians lived there also: people of a strange tongue and even stranger abilities. One tome described warriors with glowing eyes that could call fire from the very air. Other scrolls mentioned a prevailing culture of demon worship.

All of this taken together would have deterred most normal people from settling there, but the Romans were certainly not a normal people. So said Rome, after all.

The man gazed upon a sketching of a four-legged monstrosity with talons that were probably exaggerated in size. But not by much. Depictions of men running away from it in all directions served as a perfect summary of what happened during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. The colonies the Romans had worked so hard to establish for decades were all but abandoned by the end of AD 77. For hundreds of years since that time, no one had dared to attempt settling there again. Not until the Ships arrived.

The man rubbed his temples as he recalled the first time he had seen the merchant ships of Cabalia come into port. Ah yes… the Ships, he sighed. They were magnificent vessels — lumbering behemoths of vibrant brown and rich black, far superior in size and quality than any other nation could build at the time. As wondrous as they were to behold from the outside, the treasures that lay within were truly stunning. Every variety of precious metal and gemstones without number were laden within, just waiting to find a new home with the owners-to-be that could afford them.

The chronicles of the sixth century described the occupants of these ships as friendly, cultured, and savvy in the art of commerce — hardly the savages feared by the Romans centuries earlier. They claimed their land had just emerged from a dark age of tyranny and perverse magic, and that they sought aid from the nations of the known world to help rebuild theirs. The island was supposedly rid of the monsters that had plagued it from antiquity, and the demon-worshiping had long since been disbanded. They offered their exotic treasures in exchange for food and the services of skilled craftsmen.

The man brushed his fingers over the stack of parchments detailing the experiences of those days. What would it have been like to live then, he wondered. If only it could have lasted.

For a time, this trade arrangement worked well. The nobility of the ancient world obtained shiny relics to prove their superiority over the rest of mankind, and the Cabalians obtained resources to build their world anew. People traveled freely between the realms in a spirit of peace and goodwill.

But peace bred familiarity. And familiarity drifted into complacency. And complacency gave room for stupidity. And stupidity, when it matured, married greed. And greed found a willing accomplice in violence. And so it was that in AD 712, the major powers of Europe allied themselves to invade Cabalia to have all its resources for naught the cost.

The man’s jaw clenched, and he shook his head. Fools! he spat.

Unfortunately for Europe, none of the Roman colonists remained alive to warn of just what it was getting itself into. The old legends were laughed off as old wives’ tales, certainly nothing worthy of standing in the way of literal mountains of jewels and gold. While it was true that the monsters and demon worshipers were (mostly) gone, it was also true that the Cabalians still had their unique abilities to practice magic. Magic that could, incidentally, still call fire from the very air. The sole reason the invasion stood a chance of success was that Cabalia had just spent many lives and resources in a great war to defeat an ancient and powerful foe. Weakened as they were, magic ultimately proved to be the trump card that drove the world’s nations from the shores of Cabalia.

A depiction of a masked face glared back stoically at the man from the chart he held. I can only imagine what they are like at home, he pondered.

The betrayal of Cabalia at its time of need led to an acute souring of relations with Europe. Cabalia neither forgot nor forgave the civilized world for its covetous aggression. All foreigners, peaceful or not, were driven off the island, and Cabalia withdrew its people from foreign lands. They then used their curious arts to enchant the Mist, making it such that only Cabalians could find their way back home through it. All others who tried to follow would enter the Mist only to find themselves back at the home port from which they first left. Silence ensued for almost three hundred years.

And then the ships returned. The same magnificent ships, carrying the same magnificent cargo. The people who sailed those ships, however, had changed remarkably. There was no friendliness to be found in their behavior and little warmth to be felt in their business dealings. All of them were covered from head to toe in new regalia designed to protect and to intimidate. Most disturbing of all were their masks. Cold. Soulless. Indiscernible. This was the new face of the Cabalian traveler. And it was this face that gave Lord William Steele a most uneasy feeling as he sailed west to an unknown fate.

1

The King's Mission

William reached into a pocket of his cloak, wishing to focus his mind away from the unsettling images that swelled in his consciousness. His fingers rummaged until they found the worn leather journal he never traveled without. After pulling the candle on the table closer to him, he made quick work of setting up his quill and ink. He inhaled deeply and tried to gather his thoughts even as the tempest outside rattled the room around him. As best he could manage under the circumstances, he began to write:

December 28th, A.D. 1153

There truly is no rest for the weary. I was summoned by Geoffrey ere the break of dawn Christmas eve — urgent matters Henry wished to discuss. The snow was so deep it took me twice as long as it should have to arrive at the court.

Being the right-hand man of an up-and-coming king was never supposed to be an easy job. William knew this. Still, it was always a painful experience when the excitement of adventure and intrigue gave way to the gritty realities of duty and sacrifice.

When I finally arrived, he was overjoyed to see me. Ah, William, my friend! he said. Thank God Geoffrey could find you in time! Another hour, and I dare say it would have been too late!

He beckoned with great eagerness to a table with some curious-looking artifacts on it. After dismissing all other company from the room, he turned to me and spoke with a hushed tone. Can you believe it’s been a month already since we sealed the treaty? The majority of my advisors think it’s solved all our problems. Henry’s eyes narrowed in disgust that I couldn’t blame him for. But you and I know better. My claim to the throne is never fully sure while Stephen and his son roam England.

It was true. Years of civil war in England had stalemated into a treaty that technically assured Henry II the throne… eventually. The terms stipulated that Stephen’s oldest remaining son would abdicate his claim to the throne and that Henry would succeed Stephen upon his death. Much could happen before that event occurred, though, and both sides knew it.

"Rumors have it they’re already planning my assassination. We must strike first."

"My liege, you need only say the word, and I will assemble my best men to deal with them both," I assured him.

"No, he insisted. We can’t do this the conventional way, my friend. While I don’t doubt the abilities of your men, my position with the Church is mediocre at best, and the clergy have already expressed their support for Stephen over me. If they die by a clear assassination, everyone will know who to blame, and the treaty will be nullified. No, we will need to handle this in a much more… subtle manner. I saw a glint in his eyes that foreshadowed the secret he was about to divulge. You are familiar with the legends of Cabalia, are you not?"

"Of course, sire. I would be a poor advisor if I were not."

"Good. Tell me what you know about House Shadowcrest."

I stroked my chin as I searched my recollections.

"A sinister house, that lot, I said. Descended from a patriarch of pure shadow, they say. Infamous for their spies, assassins, and cutthroats. Rumored to be skilled in dark magic and forbidden alchemy. Even the other Cabalians fear them."

I didn’t like where this conversation was going. Why was my king so interested in these people?

"A fair synopsis, he said. What in particular is known of their ‘dark magic?’"

I furrowed my brow. Very little. People either don’t know what they do or are promptly killed for what they somehow find out.

Henry leaned in closer. Correct. The only one knowledgeable of Shadow-crest’s secrets would be a Shadowcrest himself.

"Sire…. what are you getting at?" I asked. It may have been foolish for me to be so blunt with His Highness, but the satisfaction in his smile assured me that he took no offense. At least not yet.

"When we captured Montsoreau last year, we made a most unexpected discovery, he explained as he brought his palms to rest on the table. There was a rather pale-looking fellow in the dungeons—much paler than the other prisoners. It turns out he was, in fact, a Shadowcrest fugitive. He was willing to divulge some rather fascinating details of his homeland in return for his freedom."

A mix of emotions filled me: Roused curiosity. Wonder. Foreboding dread. And a little hurt that Henry only now took the time to tell his supposed right-hand man of this monumental event. My disappointment must have shown through.

"I see that look on your face. Please don’t take it personally, William, he said. If you had been there at the siege, you no doubt would have made the discovery yourself. But, in your absence, I had to make a decision at the moment. And there are some secrets only a king should know."

Until now, I ruefully mused. I completely understand, my lord.

A smile played across his lips. No… Not yet, you don’t. But you will soon. His hand beckoned toward the table. Look over here. What do you see?

I tilted my head and swept my eyes across the length of it, squinting to make out the shapes that lay inert on the table’s surface. Rather curious things, sire, I replied.

To the left was an amulet with a strange red symbol on a black background, fastened on a black neck chain. To the right, there rested a map of Cabalia. In the center, there lay a sack that glowed from the inside. I approached the sack and unloosed the drawstring that kept its contents sealed within.

When I reached in my hand, I felt a solitary object: hard, smooth, and cool to the touch, that left my fingers with the strangest sensation I’d ever felt in my life. It felt as if I’d brushed against some primordial power of the cosmos, hiding itself behind the faintest of pulsing tremors. When I withdrew the object, I found myself staring into a brilliant blue stone the size of my fist. Its glow was mesmerizing and only reinforced the sense I got from touching it — that it was something otherworldly and very powerful.

"What is this?" I gasped.

He slowly drew up alongside me. This will be what grants us what we seek from Cabalia. The Cabalians call it a Danuri stone. As it happens, a stone of this color and brightness is considered highly valuable.

"But what does it do?" I asked.

"They say it amplifies the results of their magic and alchemy to a considerable degree. With this in hand, even a child could level a fortress."

The information was much to take in, and I had yet to investigate the other objects on the table. I motioned to the amulet. And this? I can only assume it has some kind of powerful magic, too.

"Indeed it does. This trinket is going to be your ticket into Cabalia itself."

My mouth dropped.

"Yes, you will be going to Cabalia personally to facilitate the transaction I desire with House Shadowcrest. With this around your neck, you and your ship will enter the Mist and successfully emerge at the Island itself, just like in olden days."

My eyes glanced over the map, whose subject and purpose were easy to discern.

"You got all these from the man in the dungeons?" I asked, my curiosity deepening at a pace only matched by my offense at how much the king had kept secret from me for so long.

"Actually, no. He was a fugitive with nothing but the clothes on his back, in no place to facilitate trade with his people. He was on the run from them for reasons I didn’t pay much attention to. Something about forbidden love and traditions and whatnot. He waved his hand dismissively. The important thing is that he told me both where to find an actual representative from his house and what I should attempt to gain from them."

"Which is…?"

"Shadesteel, they call it. I’ve arranged to purchase two sets of armor made of the stuff. He turned to look me directly in the eyes. Now, William, it’s important that you be careful when you obtain the armor. The two sets will look identical but will serve two different functions entirely. One will protect me in all my future campaigns against Stephen’s ilk, while the other will be a Trojan Horse that sucks away the life of any close by it. To err on the side of caution, do not stay near either set once you have them. I would hate to lose my finest compatriot."

I nodded gravely as I braced myself for this quest of a lifetime sprung on me. When do I depart? I asked.

"Tonight."

"That soon?"

"I’m sorry, old friend. You won’t be spending Christmas here on these shores. Trust me that it’s absolutely essential you leave as soon as possible. It pains me to do this, but I can’t reveal all the cards in my hand just yet."

Cards: a painful reference to games I would not be enjoying, around a fire I would not be sitting around, for the holiday I would not be at home celebrating. Nothing but this blasted squall and—

A rapping on the door startled William from his flow of thoughts.

We’ve spotted the Mist, sir! a deckhand called out.

William scrambled to put away his journal and writing utensils, then tightened his cloak in preparation for the tempest that awaited him on deck. With a final deep breath, he fingered the amulet that hung around his neck and opened the door.

2

Into the Mist

The wind howled in anger, biting the faces of everyone above deck as William stepped out from his cabin. He had little time to shield his face from the frigid brine that crashed over the railings and drenched everything in sight. More than one sailor lost their footing as the ship lurched forward into a monstrosity of a wave. Barrels of supplies not properly secured spilled their contents into a sea of chaos.

Over there, sir! Dead ahead! a shivering sailor rasped as he pointed a purple finger into the recesses of the sea. William could barely discern the tell-tale glow of a blue haze over the crests of the waves that battered the ship.

How long until we reach it? he asked.

At this rate, sir— The ship lurched forward again, nearly knocking the men off their feet again.

God knows. Maybe half an hour.

If we can even make it that long, thought William to himself. Stay the course and do whatever necessary to speed us along, he commanded.

The sailor saluted and hurried off. For minutes that seemed an eternity, the ship’s captain hollered out orders that were promptly obeyed. Masts were adjusted, cargo was tossed overboard, and men trampled in desperation to complete their errands.

Amid the hustle of the crew and the tumult of the sea, William found a vantage point on deck and fastened his eyes on the target that slowly but surely drew closer. Even in the middle of a starless night, the Mist glowed with enough light to make out the waves that frothed around it. The men could only hope that whatever waited on the other side of its unearthly glow would be better than the maelstrom wreaking havoc on them.

As the travelers approached their destination, it seemed nature itself was enraged at their near success and doubled down its efforts to prevent any outsiders from setting eye on Cabalia again. When the ship’s bow entered the Mist, one final wave rose above the others and crashed down with indignation, soaking everything on board to its core.

And then there was stillness. The roar of the waves subsided, and the wind exchanged its howling for a placid murmuring. The sea below lapped gently at the sides of the boat, almost as if in apology for its foul temper just moments ago. The half-frozen men could only stare dumbfounded as the cerulean haze grew thicker around them. Many questions drifted into their numbed stream of consciousness. Had they all perished at sea and now entered some form of afterlife? Had they been knocked unconscious and now saw a dream? Had this whole voyage just been a dream they were about to wake up from? How long would this last?

Those of quicker wits shook themselves from their daze and took stock of the situation. Many supplies were either lost to sea or too waterlogged to be of much use. Structural damage could be seen anywhere one dared to look. Far too many men were at the point of frostbite, with no practical way to produce heat any time soon.

None of this was supposed to be happening. The night had been clear when the sun set last evening, and while everyone had been prepared for the chance of a winter storm at some point, the chaos that unleashed itself in the dead of night took them all by surprise. Something had to be done soon, or death would not be far behind.

Yet nothing could be done. Visibility remained obscure, with nothing to be seen but the Mist glowing in every direction. Time slid onward at an unknown pace while the scenery remained unchanging. Each passing moment sent any hope of survival drifting further into obscurity.

William slumped back against a damaged mast and put his head in his hands. So much for finding Cabalia, he sighed. Here I thought I’d make the discovery of a lifetime. Now all I’ll be is a frozen corpse lost at sea.

Painful memories surged before him as an all-too-familiar string of failures and misfortunes replayed themselves: the look of pain in his father’s eyes as he explained Mother’s death was because of his untimely birth; the rawness of the gashes and bruises from the bullying his most unsightly birthmark earned him; the snickering of his cohorts he was not supposed to catch but overheard anyway; the shame of missing major battles because of that stupid injury he got while drunk, mourning the death of his beloved wife.

Images of his soon-to-be orphaned boy glared at him. He drew his coat around himself to shield from view the tears that trickled down his numbed face. So distraught was he that he failed to notice the peculiar warmth the others began to feel.

What began as a barely noticeable flicker of light from underneath the door of William’s cabin gradually swelled into a pulsing sequence of soft-colored light that radiated outward to all corners of the ship. Each pulse of light that reached the frozen sailors soothed them with a deeper and deeper warmth. The rhythmic hum accompanying these pulses intensified until they jarred William out of his remorse.

When he looked up, an incoming wave of light forced him to squint. He blinked a time or two before regaining the composure needed to investigate this altogether unexpected occurrence. Rising to his feet, he stole a glance around the deck. The men who had been on the brink of death just minutes ago already had ruddiness returning to their faces and limbs. For some men, the light seemed to invigorate them. Others appeared mesmerized by it, drifting into a deep and comfortable sleep.

Whatever was going on, William could not decide whether this was a dearly needed godsend or a new danger about to unmask itself. He raced toward his cabin as rapidly intensifying pulses of light, sound, and heat bombarded his senses. A handful of men clattered on behind him as eager to make out the source of the spectacle as he was. When he reached the door, he flung it open without hesitation. His eyes were adequately adjusted by then to pick out the source of the anomaly: The locked chest that stored the Danuri stone blazed with light and rattled with each new vibration that raced outward. In moments he acquired the necessary key from his now almost-dry coat. The rest of the men arrived just in time to see him twist the key into the lock and clank the massive chest open.

Every eye could now see the energy that crackled across the stone’s surface in dazzling array. William paused as his mind raced. With no better plan he could think of at the moment, he thrust his hand down to envelop the stone and yelled in desperation:

"STOP!"

And to everyone’s amazement, that is precisely what the stone did. With a final, violent tremor, the stone ceased pulsing and blazing. Bright white faded into warm yellow, then morphed into its original blue glow. The cacophony of noise died off until nothing but stunned silence filled the room. The men stood there trembling, speechless at what they witnessed, half expecting something to set it all off again.

When moments passed by and nothing else happened, William lowered the stone back into the chest with shaking hands. The stone’s luminescence filled the room until the chest clinked shut and left them all in darkness.

What the bloody hell was that?! a man finally spat out. All eyes fastened on the still speechless Lord Steele. William had to think quickly, as he could feel the mutinous intents rising within the shocked and angered sailors.

"Yeah, what was that? another sailor rumbled. First we almost freeze to death, and then you almost burn us up and blind us with that… thing!"

Beads of cold sweat trickled upon William’s brow as he realized the full extent of his predicament. He was not at leave to discuss the nature of the Danuri stone, but the men would surely mutiny if not given some explanation. It seemed clear to him the only path forward would involve some deception. Straightening his posture and regaining command of his tone, William replied with the calm authority he had learned over the years to use even when he felt neither calm nor in authority.

"That, gentlemen, is the only reason you are not currently a block of ice keeping the Kraken’s spirits nice and cold. As it is, I’m under strict orders not to reveal the identity of this artifact. He paused just long enough to give his next sentence an air of deliberation. But, given the circumstances, I think you have all earned the right to know. That item you saw comes from the very land we sail to. The Cabalians call it a Hearthstone. It’s a magical item used to bring light and heat to their land in seasons of extreme winter. I expected it to act as a safeguard if a storm like this happened, but I didn’t realize it needed time to charge in the Mist before it could be used.

When it didn’t work for us before we entered the Mist, I stashed it away as a hopeless cause. Though it appears that all the time we’ve spent in the Mist overcharged it—a miscalculation, but a happy one at that. Given the squall we just went through, we needed to have as much heat as possible. I apologize for the scare, but as I said, I was not at liberty to share my knowledge of this item.

William impressed himself with how well he was doing under so much pressure. The tale he wove on the spur of the moment seemed to satisfy the disgruntled crew members. He could feel the tension dissipating from the room, so he decided it was safe to seal up his ruse.

"You have proven both your bravery and your abilities through this ordeal. Our king is in your debt for the success of this mission, so I have no regrets sharing this with you all. I have full confidence you can keep a secret of the king. I must, however, caution you that if, God forbid, I have misjudged you and word of this slips out to anyone off this ship, I will have the whole lot of you punished to the fullest extent allowed by our sovereign. Am I clear?" The men nodded their assent, and thus satisfied, William led them back to join the others on the main deck.

The men lulled to slumber by the Danuri stone were now fully awake and quite confused at how warm and dry they all were. Once again, many pairs of eyes turned to William for an explanation. As he opened his mouth to reiterate the story he had just shared, he perceived something the others had not yet seemed to notice. The Mist was thinning, but there was still plenty of light to see with, which could only mean one thing: They were about to exit the Mist in broad daylight. What were the odds that Cabalia was just moments away from being unveiled? Good enough in William’s mind to aim for some dramatic flair.

I understand, men, you have many questions about what’s happened in the last several hours, he said as he paced to the front of the ship. How such a ferocious squall could appear from thin air with not a moment’s warning. How long it’s been and how far we’ve gone since we first entered the Mist. The display of light we experienced just now. How we survived the full rage of the sea, fully warm and dry, to boot.

Having reached the ship’s prow, he turned to face his audience. "By all accounts, we should be dead men. Yet here we stand. I cannot explain everything that has befallen us, but what I do know, I share with you now.

When we left the shores of Europe, you were told only that our destination was Cabalia. What you were not told is that we carry an artifact of great price that comes from the shores of that land itself. This artifact was powerless to aid us while we remained in our own land. But we are no longer in our own land. As he said this, the first shafts of golden sunlight streamed through the thinning Mist. William smiled as he continued. The lights you saw and the warmth you felt were the effects of the Hearthstone: the item we now return to its rightful place… to Cabalia.

He beckoned behind him to the front of the ship. The men’s gaze extended past their leader’s hand to see the prow as it broke through the Mist. The full glory of a summer day’s sun burst forth upon them, vibrant with a fullness one would not have thought possible outside a dream. Yet for all its brilliance, the light did not overpower their eyes so much as invite them onward to see what lay ahead.

Waters as blue as the cloudless sky above them stretched on toward a sight that truly was a marvel to behold. From the depths of a sea clearer than crystal, there rose a tower, if it could indeed be called such. At first impression, it was of solid silver, and it rose hundreds of feet into the air. When the men craned their necks to find its peak, they found the massive edifice ended in five spires that rotated steadily. A single orb of light hung above each spire, each of a different color: one blue, one green, one red, one yellow, and one gray.

Upon further scrutiny, the men realized that the tower’s trunk was not solid at all, but composed of five separate strands that rotated around each other and culminated in the spires on top. Water churned at the base of the structure, creating the continuous roar of a waterfall that only reached their ears as a distant rumble.

Off to the side rose a smaller but still gigantic monument that bore the shape of a man. The man depicted was old but did not look frail in the slightest. His eyes were keen, peering as it were into the souls of all who emerged from the recesses of the Mist. Long hair hung down loosely, flowing well past his shoulders. One hand gripped the simple staff he carried while the other rested at his side as if ready for action at a moment’s notice. His overall expression preserved in metallurgy was a look of great wisdom, experience, and patience blended together. It looked as if this sage had kept a calm and watchful guard over his tower for centuries untold.

As the men looked onward, a great flock of brightly colored birds darted past the tip of the sage’s staff and dove hundreds of feet headfirst to the ocean below. A breathtaking array of emerald, cobalt, violet, gold, and flaming red interwove itself as the birds fell in a crisscrossing pattern. Rather than break off to skim the top of the water as the men expected, they continued onward and plunged deep below the sea’s glassy surface. The men could only stare awestruck as they waited to see what would happen next.

Whether it was seconds or minutes that passed by, no one could tell, until all at once the water erupted into a geyser of living rainbows as the birds ascended once again, freshly caught food still hanging out their mouths. The men’s eyes followed the course of the departing formation to see the unmistakable shape of a coastline directly ahead of them. There was no question in anyone’s mind that these were the shores of Cabalia itself, finally seen by the outside world once more.

William allowed the crew a minute more of awed reverence before he broke the silence.

We won’t get any closer just staring at it, men. Get to your posts and bring us to shore!

The sailors complied readily, and soon the ship bustled with activity once again. Although most of the structural damage remained from the squall, it seemed the magic of the Danuri stone saw fit to repair the rigging ever so slightly to render it just barely usable. Progress toward the island was slower than anyone would have liked, but at least allowed everyone additional time to take in the view. As they first passed the statue and then the massive tower, they were even more impressed to see them up close. The roaring at the tower’s base was so deafening no one could hear themselves so much as think. By the time the booming dropped off to a low rumble again, everyone was relieved to have a return to tranquility.

In time, the once-distant silhouette of the coastline took on colors and detail. A vast tree line stretched farther than the eye could see, broken only by the beginnings of an exceedingly great city. Upon further approach, immense ports and docks could be distinguished. Countless ships of different colors and sizes drifted along with the wind, some heading to port and others breaking off to follow the endless tree line. Two enormous outcroppings of rock formed a natural bay that the ships entered and exited.

Not long after entering this bay, William saw a few of his men pointing to the water in excitement. When he drew near to investigate, he had trouble at first finding what had them so thrilled. There was nothing unusual on the surface of the water, and nothing approached them from the depths. He then saw the glimmering that had caught their eyes.

Focusing his gaze below the waves, he was surprised just how far down he could look into the depths. At the bottom of the ocean floor, there sparkled in clear view a variety of precious gemstones. Sapphires, amethysts, rubies, emeralds, topazes, diamonds, and more all reflected the sun’s light back up at the gawking men. It was a painfully alluring sight to witness: a king’s ransom many times over, able to be seen but not retrieved. He shook his head as he sympathized with the longing looks of his men who had never seen so much wealth in their lives. I see where the Cabalians got all their gemstones, he thought.

Brushing aside the urge to continue staring, he turned around and made his way back to his cabin. He retrieved the map of Cabalia that King Henry had given him, then returned to the main deck to consult with the captain and the helmsman. Stretching the map before them, he pointed to a spot in the bottom corner. Right now, we appear to be in the midst of Glimmerstone Bay, he explained. "There will be two great ports up ahead that we