“Sir, why do you think I can no longer feel her? Have I offended her?”
“Son, I doubt that is a possibility. I can only guess, as my knowledge of how a cavalier’s power is derived is actually quite minimal. As Shyann’s priest I have the power to heal mostly, therefore we are limited in our knowledge of how it all works. But my guess is that the symbols in your chest, both Dykreel’s and the one that is imprisoning the Forsworn’s power, are both acting as shields. If I recall from one of our last conversations, you have actually spoken with Shyann. Is that not so?” Manlin asked.
“Yes sir, on several occasions Shyann has come to me in my dreams.”
“You should be proud of that Jonas. I know of no high priest that has actually spoken directly to her. I will admit my envy, young man. I have to admit, it would be a dream of mine to meet the goddess to whom I’ve devoted my life.”
“Sir, I didn’t ask for any of it…I…”
Jonas was cut short by a gentle wave of Manlin’s arm. “I know, Jonas. Perhaps that is why it is even more vexing. But my petty jealousy is not what is at stake. You are asking me why you cannot feel her anymore. I only brought that up to say this. She would never have come to you as she did and given you her power if you were not worthy. Therefore she would never have purposefully abandoned you after all that has happened. Something is keeping her from you, and it is not her lack of trust in you.”
“So I will no longer be her cavalier,” Jonas said, posing it as a statement rather than a question.
“I’m not sure. But I know this. You will always be her warrior. You do believe that, don’t you?”
“I know I will always fight against the Forsworn.”
“Ulren’s will, my boy. You are fighting her fight, there is no doubt,” Manlin said with a smile. “Jonas, with your permission I would like to try a healing on you while you are now awake and free from Dykreel’s influence. I may be able to sense something that I could not before.”
“Of course, I would welcome it.”
“Very good,” Manlin said as he put one hand on Jonas’s arm while the other grasped the silver symbol on his neck. Manlin closed his eyes and began to pray.
For most priests, the link to their gods, and thus their power, was through their holy symbols. Their symbols connected them to the source of magic provided to them by their god. Manlin was a high priest capable of healing, detecting evil, and in some cases expelling evil. When he prayed, it felt as if there was a channel open to him where he could load the magic and guide it to a location of his choosing.
But this time it felt different.
Instantly there was a flash of light inside Manlin’s mind and he was momentarily blinded. It was painless, but he was startled. He then felt soft warmth and a peacefulness come over him as his mind’s eye slowly cleared. He was standing on a grassy hill looking down onto a city nestled amongst smaller hills. It was winter and the tall grass poked up through the snow in patches. But interestingly it was not cold. And standing beside him was Jonas, smiling and looking right at him. They said nothing as a soft voice directed their attention in front and below them.
“Please, sit next to me.” They both looked on the down side of the hill and saw a woman, about ten paces away, sitting on the snow and gazing at the city below. Her glossy black hair cascaded down her back and she wore a simple white blouse, gray leather breeches, and black knee high leather boots. The snow might as well have been warm sand as Manlin could feel nothing of its coldness, and apparently neither did Jonas or the woman. Jonas could smell the familiar fragrance of cherry blossoms and smiled warmly.
“Come, Manlin, I think your wish has been granted,” Jonas said as he moved down beside the woman. Manlin followed slowly and when he got to the woman’s side he looked at her face for the first time. He was stunned by her beauty, but she smiled at him reassuringly.
“My priest, surely you recognize your own goddess?” Shyann said with a smile.
Manlin unconsciously grabbed the symbol around his neck. “Is it really you?” he asked dumbfounded.
“In a sense, it is me, but not my real body. I am far away on another plane of existence. Please, sit with me for a moment. We have some things to discuss.”
“I cannot just sit next to you as if you were a common woman,” Manlin stammered, unable to fully comprehend that he was actually communicating with the goddess that he had spent his life serving.
Jonas had already sat next to her and he looked at Manlin with a sympathetic smile. He had felt the same way when he first met Shyann, and even now she took his breath away. It was hard to be in her presence and act ‘normal’.
“But I am a common woman, surely you know my history,” Shyann replied.
“Of course, I do, but…I just don’t…how…”
“Would it help if I ordered you to sit?” Shyann interjected with a smile.
“Well, it might…I just…”
“Sit down, Manlin.”
And he did. Shyann smiled and turned to look at Jonas, her smile all but disappearing. “Jonas, it does my heart well to see you healed. I have been very worried about you. I’m sorry I could not aid you at Cuthaine. My power was blocked. I’m so sorry I could not stop them from hurting you. I hope you can forgive me?” Shyann’s voice was so sincere that tears welled up in Jonas’s eyes.
“Of course, my god…”
“Shyann, remember?”
Jonas recalled that she preferred it when he called her by her name. He smiled at the memory, remembering how awkward he had first felt in her presence. “I feel ashamed. I had lost heart. I felt so alone and I felt…well…I felt…”
“Betrayed?” She asked.
Jonas looked down at the ground as the truth of her words stung him. “Yes.”
Shyann reached out and touched his chin softly, lifting his face towards her. “Jonas, do not feel ashamed. I can only imagine the pain and suffering that you endured from those clerics. If anyone should feel ashamed it is I. I have sworn to protect you, as you have sworn to serve me. I failed. I could not find you. And,” Shyann looked down at the city below, “I cannot feel you now. The only way I could bring you here was through Manlin.” She looked back at Jonas and tears streaked her face.
“I have been wondering about that,” Jonas said softly.
“Is there anything I can do, my goddess?” Manlin asked.
Shyann turned to face him. “Manlin, you have served me honorably. I am proud to call you a servant of my light. But there is nothing you can do. The web of magic around the symbol in Jonas’s chest is so strong that even I can’t break it. You have to understand that the power of the Forsworn created those symbols. All three of the dark gods cast their dark power into those talismans, infusing them with webs of magic that are impossible to break without killing Jonas.”
“So, I am a cavalier no more,” Jonas said softly.
“Yes, Jonas, you can never be a cavalier, and the pain those words cause me just add to the heaviness of my heart for failing you to begin with.”
“Perhaps if I would have been stronger, I could have…”
“Jonas, do not speak like that. No one could have withstood what you went through. No one could have fought the Forsworn for that long without help. The Banthras were created in just that way. Six powerful cavaliers were turned into dark monsters, the essence of all they had been crushed from them by the same talisman that now sits in your chest. You didn’t succumb to it, Jonas. What you did was no less than a miracle. Your courage and strength of spirit have no equal. I am so proud of who you are and what you’ve become. You saved King Kromm and brought him and his son to Finarth. It is Prince Riker that is the key to Malbeck’s death. He is the Ishmian that is needed to defeat Malbeck.” Shyann could see the surprise on Jonas’s face. “Don’t worry, Jonas. It will all make sense soon. Jonas, what do you see below?”
For the first time Jonas focused intently on the city below. “It is Cuthaine, and it has been sacked.” Jonas noticed that much
of the city’s gate had been destroyed and sections of wall lay in rubble. Inside, the buildings smoldered and Malbeck’s entire army had set up camp in and around the city. “Malbeck has taken the city?”
“Yes. He will be marching to Finarth within the month,” Shyann said.
“Why wait so long?” Manlin asked.
“I believe he is creating something, something of great power. I can feel it,” Shyann replied.
“What can I do against that kind of power? I cannot wield your magic anymore. What am I to do?” Jonas asked, worry and frustration evident in his voice.
“Jonas. You are no longer my cavalier. But I will not leave you powerless. You have served me well and I will not abandon you. You are going to be something else; you are going to be able to do things that no cavalier could. You are going to be a different weapon for me. Do you remember those men that attacked you at Annure?”
“I do. Neither Taleen nor I could detect them.”
“Do you remember what Taleen had said about that?”
“She said that there are different shades of evil. That the men that attacked us were not pure evil yet, but normal men who were forced into evil acts due to situations not of their choosing.”
“That’s right,” Shyann said. “It begins slowly…a young homeless child steals bread to feed himself. With no family or support he continues to survive the best he can, stealing, cheating, whatever it takes to survive. Eventually, as years go by and he experiences nothing but hunger and pain, he becomes more callous and bitter. Then one day he resorts to violence to obtain food or money. Those he attacks become the ‘others’, the ‘outsiders’ who do not know his pain. The next time he may use a weapon. Then he becomes a murderer who cannot see beyond the suffering that the world has dealt him. Eventually his heart turns gray and that is when the Forsworn swoop in and turn it black. By that time it is too late. We have lost him in the battle.”
“I understand,” Jonas said.
“Manlin, how many vagrants and homeless people come in to see you?” Shyann asked.
“Many, my goddess. Most of my work is trying to help them in your name.”
“How many familiar faces do you see from year to year?” She asked again.
Manlin thought about it. “Hardly any.”
“That is because they do not last that long. The strong ones die of starvation. The weak ones go into prostitution, become thieves and bandits, and eventually become the very evil that we fight. Jonas, you are going to be my shadow warrior, my night stalker. You are going to infiltrate the dark corners of Kraawn. You will hunt down these men and women and try to turn them, try to persuade them in a better direction. You are going to attack the part of the Forsworn’s network where they are most vulnerable.”
“A place that he could not travel as a cavalier. It is brilliant,” Manlin said excitedly.
“That’s correct. Jonas, don’t you see? You may be of more value to the fight in this role than you were as a cavalier. Before your injury, your armor, your weapons, everything about you resonated power and lifted the spirits of the people and gave them the strength to combat evil. Your very presence was needed to fight evil. But now your job is to prevent this evil from happening, from taking root. As a cavalier you could not infiltrate these dark corners. But you can now. You will learn to fight in the shadows so darkness cannot live there. You will now be a warrior who does his work in the shadows of every city, town, and village. You will seek out men and women when they are weak and guide them. You will be one of them. They will see in you a reflection of what they could become.
Jonas thought about all Shyann had said. It made sense, and it was so simple. The irony was that it was the Forsworn who forced Shyann’s hand. Their very attack on him may have made him even more dangerous to their cause. He was not yet convinced, but the idea had merit.
“I am, and will always be, your warrior. If you wish this of me, I will do it,” Jonas said.
“Jonas, I do not ask for blind obedience. If this does not suit you, then I will release you from your oath to me, and I would know that you would continue to fight against the Forsworn in whatever role you found to your liking. For this to work, you need to believe in it, as I do.”
“Jonas, think on it,” Manlin said, “As a cavalier you could not go anywhere unnoticed. Your very presence was a target for the Forsworn and their minions. But that would not be the case now. You can move into situations and places and go unnoticed. You will not have to show your hand until you choose to do so.”
“You will be my shadow knight, Jonas. What say you?” Shyann asked.
Jonas thought about everything they had both said. The idea was sound, and quite frankly he didn’t think he would miss the attention that a cavalier attracted everywhere he went. He had never felt comfortable with it, and now he would not have to worry about it.
“What of my weapons and armor?” Jonas asked, “They were lost when I was captured.”
“You will have new ones, befitting a shadow knight of Shyann.”
“And Tulari, will I ever see my cavalier steed again?”
“You will indeed, but in a different form. Tulari would attract too much attention. Do not worry, Jonas, Tulari will be yours again,” Shyann reassured him.
“I would be honored to serve you in this fashion,” Jonas said.
“I am glad to hear it.”
“May I ask another question?” Jonas asked.
“Of course.”
“The last time we spoke, you said that Ulren and the Forsworn have been known across many worlds, and by many names, for longer than I can imagine, and that at times the darkness had defeated the light.” Jonas paused as he thought about his words. “I asked why Ulren would allow that to happen, and you said that he did not have the power. I don’t understand that. Can you help me understand that?”
Shyann sighed. “Jonas, you ask a lot.”
Jonas smiled. “I’ve been told that before.”
“It is very hard to understand, Jonas, and many of the answers that you seek I cannot give. But I will try to explain what I can. I think you deserve that.” Shyann paused to gather her thoughts. “As I said before, there are many worlds, many places, some like our own, and some very different. But they all have one commonality.”
“The Ru’Ach?” Jonas questioned.
“Yes. I try to think of it as tendrils of energy that connect everything and everyone across the universe. This energy is invisible to most, but some can see it, can access it.”
“Like Ulren and the other gods, and now you?”
“That is so. As a farm girl I was ignorant of the world. Now, because of Ulren, I am connected to this power in a way that I never could have imagined. Jonas, when your body was taken by the Forsworn, the energy within you that makes you you, was leaving your body to join the Ru’Ach. You were within these shadow layers when Fil, Kiln, and Allindrian had found you and brought you back. They could only do so because you were still connected to your body. If you had died, the connection between your self, and your body, would have been broken, and your energy would have joined the Ru’Ach.”
“Everything is so much larger than I thought. I am having a hard time understanding the vastness of which you speak,” Manlin muttered to himself, clearly deep in thought.
“Manlin, I have only scratched the surface. But let us go back to your question, Jonas. How could Ulren allow the Forsworn to ever win the fight? To answer this question, you must first know that Ulren is not who you think he is, although I do not yet fully understand his identity myself. Ulren and the other gods are products of something else, not creators in the sense that many view them. Keep in mind that my time as Shyann, the goddess, is but one grain of sand on an endless beach. Ulren’s existence may be a hundred grains, or a thousand, I know not, but either way, even his own existence is nothing compared to the vastness of our worlds.”
“It is so hard to wrap my mind around,” Jonas said.
“It is, and the more
I talk, the more confusing it becomes, because there are gaps that I cannot fill. But know this; the Ru’Ach has always been here. I know not how, or by whom, but the power within this vast network fluctuates between worlds, and whoever can control it, can control everything.”
“Are you saying that there have been times where evil controlled more of its power?” Manlin interjected.
“Just that, Manlin. Jonas, thoughts are power, literally. Your cognivant power is a reflection of this. You of all people can see this connection, can view, in your mind’s eye, the links between all things. The thoughts of every being can bring power to be, and in large enough quantities that can change the world.” Shyann paused and looked at Jonas. “Jonas, don’t you see it? The gods don’t give their powers to others; their power comes from those who believe in them.”
“Are you saying that Ulren’s power, or the Forsworn’s power, or any god’s power, fluctuates with, and depends upon the belief of their followers?” Manlin asked in disbelief.
“I am. I cannot tell you how everything came to be. I cannot tell you how the Ru’Ach came to be. But I can tell you that it is the belief of thousands, of millions potentially, that harnesses our powers. The common streams of consciousness create individual rivers of power that only the recipients can harness.”
“If that is true, then if people stop believing, the gods will disappear,” Jonas added as he began to make some connections.
The Cavalier Trilogy: Book 03 - Glimmer in the Shadow Page 12
