“Do you actually have any idea where we’re going?” Linna asked.

“Yes. I am following the light,” Ethan said, pointing up at the ball that Jasper had created.

“How do you know that the light is taking us in the right direction?” Linna pressed.

“Because I have faith that it is,” Jasper said.

“How will that help?”

Jasper stopped walking and craned his neck to look up at Linna. He squinted at her face, then spat on the ground and shook his head in apparent disgust.

“Do you know anything about Visions?” He asked.

“If I knew much about Visions, I wouldn’t be trying to pry it out of you! They aren’t very open with information about themselves,” Linna snapped.

Jasper raised his hands up and put some distance between himself and the annoyed woman.

“I was just asking. You should try to control that temper of yours. Maybe you’d like a rat? They always help me,” Jasper suggested.

Linna took a deep breath. She took a moment to remind herself that the mood swinging gremlin was also a Vision. The consequences of punting him down the cave would probably outweigh the satisfaction. Probably.

“How about you just tell me about Visions and what faith has to do with them?”

Jasper shrugged. “Sure. Do you know what the title Vision comes from?”

Linna nodded. “Yes, actually. It means-”

“It stems from their singular devotion to some aspect or object,” Jasper said over Linna.

“I knew that. I’ve heard of Visions before, by word of mouth. They can just believe in things and make them happen or something,” she said. “But surely that has limits?”

“Then you should have said so. Doesn’t matter anymore. But the key thing with Visions is their power is completely relative to how much they believe in whatever they follow. You with me?”

Linna wrinkled her nose in thought. “Completely? That’s the only thing their strength depends on?”

Jasper grinned and flipped her off. When he saw Linna’s surprised expression, he glanced down at his hand.

“Oh, my bad. Force of habit,” he said, giving her a thumbs up instead.

“Getting back on topic, would that mean the most powerful Visions are essentially just incredibly devoted fanatics to something?” Linna asked.

Jasper nodded again. “So if a Vision believed in rocks, would he just believe that rocks are the most important thing ever?”

“Exactly,” Jasper said.

“Wouldn’t that mean that just about every powerful Vision is essentially completely insane?”

“Oh, absolutely. Say, is there any rat left in my teeth?” Jasper asked, turning around and presenting Linna with a mouthful of teeth.

“I think you’ve got a bit stuck at the front,” Linna said.

Jasper thanked her and sucked on his teeth to claim what remained of his snack.

The rest of the trip through the caves was uneventful. Ethan, with the assistance of Jasper’s light orb, led the small group out of the cave about an hour later. They emerged at the base of the mountains just as the noon sun begun its descent. Two large stone pillars marked the start of a wide paved road.

“So, you had faith that the orb would lead you out of the cave and it did?” Linna asked.

“Nah, I was shitting you,” Jasper said. “We’ve been in this cave before. But look, there’s Rellen.”

The enormous walls of the city stood tall against the horizon. Even at a distance, Rellen was unbelievably large. The castle at the center of the city was the only visible building, but its spires were tall enough to scrape the clouds as they passed by.

“Doesn’t matter how many times I see it, Rellen is always damn impressive,” Jasper said.

Ethan nodded in silent agreement.

“We’ll be parting ways here,” Ethan said.

“Aye. You’ve been a great hostage, for what it’s worth,” Jasper said with a smirk. “Honestly thought it would have gone a lot worse.”

“We almost got killed by Vodrun,” Linna reminded him.

“Eh. It happens. You’re still alive, so you can’t complain too much,” Jasper said with a shrug as he turned back to look at Rellen. Linna looked down the long road and considered it for a few moments. Then she nodded.

“It can’t be any worse than getting kidnapped by two bandits,” she said with a smirk. “I’ll be needing my pay then.”

Jasper gasped and darted over to Ethan. He pulled one of the packs off the tall man’s shoulders and peered inside of it. He stuck his hand in the bag and shuffled around a bit before letting out a sigh of relief.

“I realized I forgot to check the loot. Ethan occasionally replaces the gold with dead bodies,” Jasper informed Linna.

“Only once,” Ethan said without a hint of a smile. He winked at Linna when Jasper wasn’t watching.

The gremlin pulled the second bag down and rifled through its contents before pronouncing it pure. He glanced up at Linna and sighed. He meticulously went through the bag, muttering under his breath as he ensured Linna didn’t get a cent more than her cut.

He finally pushed a sizable pile of gold coins, jewels, and decorated silverware toward her.

“One third. Exactly as promised,” Jasper said.

Linna pulled a small bag from her coat and shoveled the gold in, slinging it over her shoulder once she was done.

“Thanks for saving my life again,” She told Ethan. “I feel like I got a lot more out of this than you guys did.”

Jasper and Ethan glanced at each other.

“Don’t worry about it. We brought you into our problems,” Ethan said with a grin. “I’m sure we’ll meet again in the future. Visions have a way of running into each other,” He said.

“Go catch your caravan before it leaves! I’m sure they’re terrified for their poor little hostage. And consider hiring a Vision to train you, so you don’t accidentally kill yourself or someone else. Maybe that caravan would be willing to help out,” Jasper said, snickering.

“Right. Thanks for everything…I think,” she said, shifting the bag of gold over her shoulder and starting toward the road.

“Come find us once you’re a Vision! We can rob a caravan together!” Jasper called after her. The two partners watched her walk until she was nothing more than a small dot on the horizon.

After she left, the two bandits sat quietly at the edge of the mountain. The sun slowly made its way through the sky above them. Just as it started the last part of its descent, Jasper slung one of the bags over his shoulder and nodded to Ethan.

“We’ve waited long enough,” Jasper said. “Let’s get moving. We have a schedule to keep.”

Ethan grabbed his pack off the ground and the two of them started down the road toward Rellen.

“What sort of Vision do you reckon she is?” Jasper asked the swordsman as they walked.

Ethan grunted. “Sword, maybe?”

Jasper nodded in agreement. “That’s what I was thinking. But the glow-”

“Just an awakening. Toggle is dead, Jasper.”

“I – yeah. I suppose he is,” the gremlin said quietly.