Ultimus Thesaurus: The last Treasure (Era of Change Book 1) (16 page)

“This mystery is not so simple. I could use the help of these people. My knowledge of these things is limited and I am too young to trump it with experience. You have to understand, that I alone have hardly any possibility to open this door. Jasper closed it and perhaps his daughter knows how to open it again.”

My words did not interest him in the least and instead his gaze fell to the outside onto the blazing fire. He saw nothing more than the next sacrifice and his promise that he wanted no war was nothing more than a lie. They were perhaps not enough to overthrow a kingdom, but even the few could pose a risk if they speak the right words at the right time. These words were hidden behind the sealed gate, and I knew that Jasper had his reasons to keep them hidden. He wanted us to bring them to safety, and he had at least entrusted them to his daughter. I had misused this confidence and now his legacy died in a dark cell. I had made up my mind and I was convinced that Isaac could help me solve this puzzle.

Even if I was not officially allowed to visit my friends I had found my own way to communicate with them. First it took a few weeks, but then they began to answer me. Between the hatred and the allegations I found only a few useful ideas, and I was afraid that they would either find their death down there, or up here in the flames, before I could solve the riddle. 

The words on the stone were translated correctly and I had checked this many times. But the order and the meaning of these words were hidden from me. I remembered the stories about the alchemy that Isaac had told us and I also remembered my dream, in which the man had burned the knowledge in the fire. But even if I put all these things together, they simply made no sense to me, either separated or on the whole.

I met an elderly woman, who I immediately noticed because she visited the great fire nearly every morning for a few minutes and she always seemed as if she was looking for something. No one except her really looked at this fire outside the sacrificial rituals. She told me that she once had also been chosen to be sacrificed, but that she was replaced with another person just seconds before the ritual. She felt that it was a sin against the gods and has since tried to fulfil her role in this society even if nobody could ever be selected as a sacrifice for a second time. For her it had been an honour, an honour that she was robbed of. But what I really remembered of her words was her connection to Jasper. She said that the bringer of words had often talked with her and that he wanted to teach her how to use her new life in a meaningful way. Even if the two didn’t get along well, she was still opening a window into the past for me.

“He wore robes just as yours, long and white. He always had these focused eyes and this illustrious walk with which he crossed the grand square. He mostly studied the scrolls inside the temple, where no one else was allowed to enter. His charisma was enormous and no one dared to contradict him ever, not even master Tybalt. We served the bringer of words for the entire duration of his stay, but he never took part in our rituals, and he openly admitted that he hated them. His faith had nothing in common with ours, and yet he did not condemn us. He tried to see the good in the things we did and he fought for the fact that we could learn from the knowledge inside the temple. But for me he was merely a weak spirit, a misguided genius who could not understand that his fate was greater than his dreams. And now he is dead,” told the woman and left.

It was mourning in her words and appreciation. Things she was never allowed to feel, since Jasper was not really a man who was liked by the people of this city. Tybalt preserved the image of the bringer of words, but at the same time he hated him because he had ensured that the knowledge would be hidden forever. The large door of the temple had so many signs and symbols that it was difficult for me to interpret them all. Nothing but the words that I had already translated was left to me. I gave up for many days and never left my house. Tybalt was displeased with this behaviour, but I was no longer interested in what he thought of me. He had always been obsessed with converting me, and to a certain degree I had supported it. Now I tried to rectify what was lost and wrote note after note and read paper after paper in the hope to find a solution.

In a book written by Thamyris, I found a sentence that pushed me forward. He wrote: “At night, it is almost embarrassing, struck me the feeling that I had to finally bury my doubts and so I whispered to the gods. Their silent voices should lead me, and I believed that from my doubt courage could be born, and from courage the will to lead. My dreams were numerous and became unruly, and I asked myself whether the gods had sent them to me to test my virtue, but in the end I just saw the spirits of the dead in them. My fears, my doubt, even my questions became so overwhelming in those dreams that they overpowered me. He speaks to me, he looks at me, and I know that he will punish me. If he ever finds out what we have done. Oh Gods help me.”

His words described the dreams as they still existed on this island today, and even though I did not understand their meaning, I hoped to find a solution in my own dreams. There were many of these books, records and plans of the city. Tybalt gave them to me in masses and said that he could never learn anything from them. For him the ability to read and the ability to write were nothing more than useless things for old men, who had nothing better to do anymore. His loss was my profit, and so I found the truth behind the origin of this city. 

These people were not really the born-again; they were much more the protectors of the knowledge of the born-again. But I could not understand who or what had brought them here to this island and even Thamyris never wrote more than that 'he' was watching him. This man, whoever he was, inspired such a fear in him that he took his own life in the end. This island had more secrets than it seemed at first glance, and I was sure that Jasper had fathomed them all.

Fate has a peculiar sense of humour, and it reminds you of that almost on a daily basis. Every time my conviction had reached the point where nothing could distract me anymore, a person would approach me with another problem. This time it was the same, because on my way back to my house I saw a young woman in a small very green garden. She smiled at me, while repotting some plants and I could not just walk past her. My goal had changed and my thoughts were gone. Any attempt to find back to them failed, especially when the girl started to talk to me.

“You are the dragon priest, isn’t that true my lord? You can join me in my garden, if you want to,” she asked me and I accepted her offer.

The small garden that she was taking care of was manageable but still special. Nowhere else in the city one could see any plants and often I had asked myself why these people shunned any vegetation. The young woman told me that the faith of the born-again would only allow special chosen people to maintain the nature and that these plants were exclusively used at the funerals of priests. My high rank among these people let me often think about whether they felt like I once did. Did they ignore their own desires, in order to attract no attention?

“Are you happy? I mean does what is happening here, from the sacrifices to the funerals of priests, make you happy? Or do you have other wishes?” I asked her and I saw that she hesitated before she replied.

“My faith taught me that everything that happens here is all that I can do to serve the gods. Why should I not be happy?” she said and went on with her work.

I smiled and knew that she had lied. Every person on this island was lying to themselves. I had understood that from the beginning, but I enjoyed it too much, what they did here with me. 

I used to always long for revenge, even if the law, the morals and my father taught something else. But I hesitated, held myself back and did not do what I wanted to do. Here on this island I was different, but the people I met here weren’t. I was just using them to fill my own heart with joy. It was a price that I was willing to pay so far, because I needed nothing more than a few thoughts to get what I had always wanted.

“I do not believe in all these things. I am neither a priest, nor am I better than you or Tybalt. He uses you, and his greed seems not bound to this island. Do you think that this world deserves people like him and me? We lie, cheat and even kill to get what we desire. But my greed has a limit, and I believe that you have shown it to me again,” I said and stood up.

“My greatest desire is to kill Tybalt. I have always wanted to and everyone wants the same, but no-one dares to do it. His faith, his power is so great that no one would ever defy him. Your words are brave, but what follows them are madness and stupidity. Do not go up against him, or he will destroy you. Many of the people love the sacrifices, because they are a way out of this life. If you are born as a man you are blessed as a priest but a woman can never be more than a sacrifice. Therefore we long for these rituals, because we pray that there is something different behind this door made of pure fire. You may have disgraced, burned and betrayed us, but this has always been our fate. If you do something now to stop it you will either make things worse, or save us all. I therefore ask you that you plan your next steps carefully.”

I looked over to her for a last time and left the garden afterwards. She had finally told me the truth, and of course it was also clear to me that an open confrontation would bring nothing but chaos. I was equally responsible for the things that have happened here, and even if I was to kill the tyrant, whose favour I had now enjoyed for quite some time, it would never free me from the things I did. Thamyris wrote a lot about his dreams in the books that Tybalt gave me and I soon found a ritual that would allow me to experience the same. The book stated that it was important to recite a certain sentence just before going to sleep. 

Thamyris did not clearly describe where he found out about it but he described it as a way to summon the guardians of the island. These guardians who had previously played with our thoughts seemed to be the key.

“I want you to free my spirit,” I whispered quietly, and closed my eyes.

As always if you want something just a little bit too much, it won’t be easy to reach it. My attempts to fall asleep were not very successful and after a few hours I gave up on it. The night was the day and the day was cruel to me on this island. It was, as if you were not able to rest while the drums, the cracking and groaning of wood, as it was under constant suffering from the fire and the chants of the priests up on the hills never found sleep as well. There was never a moment of silence, except shortly before a sacrifice was made. Perhaps it was the reason why all these people enjoyed it so much. It just felt right, and brought serenity.

When I looked out the window, I noticed a figure wearing a black long cape. It dragged it behind it, and moved slowly over the square, while its ruby red eyes starred at me from afar. I saw how it breathed, how it was alive and pulsating and it seemed to me as if it enchanted me with all its presence. The door to my house slowly opened with a creak and the wind carried the heat of the fire and the cold of the night to the inside. My steps became heavy, but they brought me out onto the square on which the figure still walked and fixed me with its gaze. My attempts to say something were suppressed by an unknown fear. Everything that happened was so natural, and yet it was beyond my wildest imagination.

I reached the figure; however, I was not able to recognize its face because it was covered by a nefarious mask. The figure snorted violently, and smoke glided slowly from the mask to the outside, as if the face behind it was burning. It just stared at me until I finally fell on my knees and lowered my head. Now I only saw its feet, protected by armoured boots whose origin was not of this world. 

It circled slowly around me, the sound of its steps sonorously echoed in my ears, and I forgot both time and space. Seconds, minutes, perhaps even days later I came to and jumped up. It was not the grand square that I was on, and it was also not the figure, which was standing before me, but the young woman from the garden.

We were in a small boat flowing down on a river. While I sat down again, I noticed that the flow was weak and that the wind alone accelerated our travel. Through unnatural, even magical ways we strolled on the thin and clear water, and it felt as if we were hovering. Still, I was not allowed the chance to speak and I listened to the words of the woman sitting in front of me.

“The secret of this island belongs to me. Jasper Lawrence was a fool fighting against me and you would be of even greater stupidity if you take his place. Nothing in this world is certain, and no matter what you do, no matter what you ask, and no matter what you are looking for on this island you will find nothing but death.

These people will die if you open the temple. You should however know that you need to do it if you want to stop me. My efforts know no time, no feelings, and above all they know no deviations. What is hidden in this temple is mine, and nothing will hinder me from obtaining it. Jasper wanted to heal the world, and he had found a way to do it. But in doing so he also found out my secret. He knew that he was the weaker of the two of us, and now you should also recognize this. But should you, against all expectations, go against me, prepare yourself.

Struggle, breathe, torment yourself and your friends so that I can stand before you at the end of your time to show you just how powerful I really am,” said the woman while her voice became darker and more and more virulent.

With each of her words the water darkened and slowly became blood. It bubbled and smoked, and the disgusting smell of death was in the air. 

The environment itself became void and soon there was nothing around us but darkness. And as the face of the young woman started to disappear I noticed that her eyes sparkled in a ruby red tone.

“Don't forget that you are bound to me. You have tasted from my blood. Not anyone would have survived, but just as you have tasted my blood, so I will once taste yours. Open this door, and do everything to survive,” she said and her eyes disappeared into the darkness.