Hope, Better Late than Never

JP with Voah and Gonyaul

She had met his gentle eyes again and his words were making an impression. She didn’t fully understand it all but what she did understand made sense. But it was not possible was it? A hope that was 160 years late.

“Don’t be foolish, Gonyaul… You think that we can all live in some kind of peaceful balance with sorcery?”

She wasn’t trying to insult him. Her Arbiter was showing. Then she thought of Diarah. ‘Some sorcery maybe…’ but she kicked the thought away.

Was it foolish to hope for this, or to hope by killing everyone that had a differing opinion would be the solution. An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind, seemed foolish to him.

“Yes. Much yes.” He realized those words might not be enough.

“Follow my head,” he meant his thought process.

“If you say Pillar make all things. Then witch must be made by Pillars. If no agree, then Pillars must not make all things. …. If Pillar make witch, then must be reason? Perhaps, world need witches.”

He shrugged, “problem come when witch not in kagim and use choices to do wrong. But same to be said of pillars be used wrong. Or me use my opportunities wrong.”

She involuntarily chewed her lip. She was getting angry at his defense of witches. Fighting her own misgivings about their innocence was hard enough. Her words came out a little bitter.

“Maybe so, then maybe the Pillars are trying to correct a mistake. There are other gods… were other gods… scattered and defeated. Slivikhi was one of them, and I failed to end his cult. Perhaps those gods created magik, or perhaps some other powerful beings, demons or other abominations came unto the world and twisted the people.”

He took what she said as a valuable addition to their discourse. Gonyaul was not upset at all, in fact he was just trying to figure out what was true. It wasn’t about being right or wrong, it was about finding the truth.

“If Pillars make mistake, then mean not perfect no? If other gods?” Gonyaul knew even less about the multitude of other deities out there. “Then why you not worship all gods and choose just five?”

He shuddered thinking about her last comment. “If other evil is cause, then what is it?”

He seemed to not have answers yet, just questions.

“I think this. I have skills to use my hands. But you be given gift to use hands with a sword in them. Should I kill you because you can do something, powerful, that I cannot with hands. Now you use you gift to cause harm, then I must stop you to keep evil spread no? But you use gift to do good, should I not support you?”

If it weren’t for Gonyaul gentle, curious and even tone, Voah would have shut him down immediately. He was not making accusation or arguing. He was seeking answers.

“Like a tool… yes I have considered this… but follow this. I don’t need a blade to kill an evil man… but it is likely that I do need something more than my hands to kill a witch.”

She saw the flaws in her own logic when she said it. Maybe you needed more, or just something different. Like your brain Voah. She could certainly strangle a sorcerer if she used her brain to get close enough… in fact she had done that very thing before.

She massaged her face in embarrassment and groaned. What was she even on about at this point?

“Forget I said that.”

“You make good point.” He conceded.

“I think all answers already exist. We just don’t know right questions.” He laughed.

“Perhaps you already have what need. Tools like kind, forgive, love and more?”

He had done it again. Somehow disarmed her. She was utterly flummoxed. Realistic or not. His words of balance and harmony sounded wonderful... but evil never ceased.

“Well, you certainly are a romantic.” she shook her head.

Gonyaul blushed.