Chapter 3 – Hope is not Lost
“They will find us eventually,” Mura argued.
“They will… But for now, this cave is the only place we have,” Kasparian replied.
A scream went out, drawing everyone’s attention to the large stone slab in the centre. A woman lay there on her stomach, an arrow shaft sticking out of her back.
A young skinny man who tried to pull it out turned their way. “It’s stuck in her spine,” he said with concern in his voice. “I don’t know how much damage it has done.”
Kasparian nodded, moving to the woman. He took her hand and kneeled to look her in the eye. “Pull it out,” he said.
The man yanked hard and tore the arrow free from the woman’s back. She cried out as blood coloured her robe.
“You were so brave, my dear,” whispered Kasparian. “Don’t worry now. We will take care of you.” He stood and nodded to the man. “Bandage her and stay with her day and night. She’s one of us, and we treat our own with the respect they deserve.”
“Of course, Lord Tellis,” replied the young man.
Kasparian moved into a small alcove in the back of the cave, Mura following along.
She handed him his bag. “Find a way to make this work. I will take care of everyone until you do.”
Kasparian studied the score of men and women sitting around the cave. “This is not a fitting home for you,” he whispered. “I promised you more.”
“At least we have a roof,” Mura grinned. “I will find food and water. We’ll make it work.”
Kasparian placed his hand on Mura’s shoulder. “I’m proud of the woman you’ve become. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
The young woman smiled as she took her leave.
Kasparian sat on a rock and emptied the contents of his bag onto the ground. The crystals bounced off the floor, and the books landed with a hollow bump. He looked at the items, scratching his head. Was it all just a folly? Would he ever be able to wield the power of the gods, or were their abilities an impossibility for a mere human?
Flicking through his journal, he stopped at a drawing of the night sky above Kanthos many years earlier. It showed a wisari taking off from the top of a building in the Ahil District. Seeing the thing had excited him, but now the drawing made him angry. Why did they insist on keeping the power to themselves? With abilities like theirs, he could save people. He could have saved his parents and younger sisters, and now those abilities were the only thing that could save them from certain doom when the bishops found them.
With a sigh, he started going through the books. One was about the Shadow Academy and the assassins. It theorised about the onyx’s link to the Realm of Shadows and how it was possible to manipulate shadows using the gems. He had once seen an assassin take out a merchant and his two guards. She had manipulated shadows to confuse her enemies, making them believe attacks came from several directions. Kasparian had never succeeded in creating more than darkness, but from what he knew about the assassins, anything beyond it required years of training, so it had to be enough for what he had in mind.
His attention turned to the next book, one about the Flares of the Sun and how they trained to channel fiery energy through the core crystals.
He had read both several times and remembered every word. They wouldn’t give him answers. As he leant back on the cold rock wall, he thought about what Orenka had called him back in Kanthos: Dualion. The meaning was obvious – someone who drew power from more than one source. What surprised him was that there was a word for it. If others had done it, why hadn’t he come across the term or any details during his time in the libraries? Perhaps all records had been erased, but why?
After four days of research and reading up on his notes, Kasparian was pulling out his hair. He already knew everything from these books, and the endless notes scribbled down from their many failed attempts gave no hints. What was missing?
He looked up as Mura approached. She offered him a piece of bread and sat down by his side. “Last night, we took some grain from one of the farms. I hope they won’t notice.”
Kasparian nodded, grateful for any food he could get and the break from his thoughts. What if there were no answers to find? Would he fail these people who he genuinely cared for? “How is Ilsa holding up?” he asked, trying to ignore the depressing thoughts.
“She’s slowly recovering and should be able to walk again. She was very fortunate,” Mura said. “What have you figured out? What’s our next step?”
Kasparian exhaled deeply and threw his journal onto the cave floor. “I don’t know. Maybe what I want is simply not possible.”
Mura looked at the open pages of the journal and then turned to him. “How did you do that thing at the gate?”
Kasparian shrugged. “It was just a trick, an incantation I learnt from a flare. I used the heat from the red sun to create a mirage.”
Mura picked up one of the core crystals. “What is the red sun?”
Kasparian knew that Mura was curious. She had always kept close when he had brought books or trinkets to the villa. “The red sun exists in the Realm of Destruction, but I don’t know much. After losing my sisters, I tried finding more information at the Kanthos libraries, but not much is known.”
Mura wrinkled her brows. “How did you learn to use the crystals? I’ve heard the flares train for many years?”
Kasparian smiled, easily guessing why Mura was asking. “I found a flare. He agreed to train me for a fee, of course. But that is not all. I also studied the black gems the assassins wield and their mysterious illusionary abilities.” He retrieved the onyx from his pocket and showed it to Mura.
She ran her finger across the smooth surface of the black gem. “But why? What do you hope to achieve?”
Kasparian studied the young woman. He trusted her more than any of the others. Perhaps he could share a bit more of his plan. “Why serve only the light if we can hold even more power in our hand? Because of this idea, I started bringing you all in – people who have experienced the same loss and share my beliefs. Together, we will gain more power than the wisaris. And, more importantly, we no longer have to beg for it.”
Mura nodded. “It is only fair. My parents believed in the gods but never stood a chance when the disease took them.” She cleared her throat. “But do you think it wise to combine the powers? What if you cannot control it?”
Kasparian smiled and patted the young woman on her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We will control it, and people will no longer worship the wisaris when we show them the truth. They are false gods who keep their powers from us, refusing to help even the most desperate.”
Mura gazed into his eyes. “The path seems clear, then. What is holding you back?”
Kasparian’s head dropped. “You can learn the power of core crystals and the assassins’ gems, but the wisaris are different… The gods seem to be born with their abilities. Yet, they must draw on something bigger. We need to figure out how to tap into that thing.”
Mura straightened her back and nodded towards the stone slab in the centre of the cave. “The others say that you take their hearts. Why?”
Kasparian’s expression darkened. Mura wasn’t supposed to know what he’d done. He wanted to protect her from that. “I-I believe the heart holds our ability for hope, faith and honour. The traits the gods cherish and expect.”
Mura nodded. “If you are right, perhaps the power is in their hearts?”
Kasparian smiled at her naivety. “I don’t think…” He suddenly froze. Their hearts… Could it be that simple? Why had he not seen this sooner? It wasn’t the heart of an innocent soul that would make him fulfil his destiny. It would take no less than the heart of a god. He placed both hands on the young girl’s shoulders. “You just saved us all.”
Mura’s forehead wrinkled. “How?” but already asking the question, she seemed to realise what he meant and said again, “B-but, how?”
Kasparian scratched his head. “It won’t be easy, and we need to do horrible things before they show themselves again. However, they came to me once, and they will come again if we leave them no choice.”
Mura swallowed. “What will you do?”
Kasparian shrugged. “I don’t know yet, but we need to prepare.” He gathered the handful of core crystals from the floor. “Find some wooden sticks and bring me the eight most loyal disciples.”
An hour later, Kasparian stood before eight of his disciples outside the cave in the late summer sun. With Mura by his side, he held out his hand, revealing eight crystals. “My friends, my family. I have asked a lot already, and you have trusted me so far. I’m afraid what I will ask now will not only be deadly. It will also challenge your faith in me even further.”
Mura raised her chin. “If it wasn’t for Lord Tellis, where would we be?”
Kasparian moved to the men and women. He handed each of them a crystal and hugged them, whispering into their ears, “Hope and faith restored. For a future where no one has to die from disease.”
Mura followed and gave each of them a wooden rod.
When they had given all eight of the disciples the rod and crystal, Kasparian raised his arms towards the sky. “For years, I thought the answer to our salvation was in our hearts. But I was wrong. It is not the heart of an innocent human being we need. It is the heart of one of them!” He pointed up.
A few stared into the sky while others frowned and looked down at their crystals.
“W-we cannot kill a god. No one can,” stuttered a burly dark-haired man.
“I know this is a lot to ask, but I promise you that we can. They are not gods, but merely oversized birds from another realm,” explained Kasparian in a spiteful tone.
“No… We cannot kill them. They are pure and good,” said an older woman.
Kasparian looked down and folded his hands. “I understand how you must feel but remember why we do this. We can change the fate of so many. We have all suffered loss, but with the wisaris’ abilities, no one ever has to. We can cure disease and heal broken bodies. Perhaps, we will even be able to bring back those we lost. Who knows what powers they keep from us?”
The woman took a step forward and threw the crystal and stick on the ground. “I’m sorry, Lord Tellis. I owe you everything, but I can’t do this. It’s not right.”
Kasparian nodded. “I respect your decision but remember that we are branded as traitors. The wisaris will never come to our aid again, and the only way we can ever return to Kanthos is if we succeed. With the power of the gods in our hands, the bishops will treat us like kings.”
The woman walked away, but the other seven remained.
“We are with you, Bishop Tellis. What do you need us to do?” said the burly man.
Kasparian rubbed his hands together. “Like the flares, you need to learn how to use the power of the core crystals. With it, we will be able to catch a god.”
“But how will we get them to come? I have never seen one,” asked the man.
Kasparian shrugged. “Leave that to me. For now, I will teach you what I know about the crystals. Focus on that, and the rest will come.”
Mura grabbed his shoulder. “I want to learn, too.”
“I know,” Kasparian smirked, handing her another crystal.