Gorinthians

by Justin Mitchell

  For several minutes, perhaps hours, Terrance floated in nothingness, preparing his body for the deep sleep that would release his spirit. Finally, his body shut down and his spirit slowly detached itself from the Tramnel that lined his skeleton. Immediately, all of the new sensations of which his Spirit was capable, but which the physical body filtered out, bombarded his senses. He could feel Shaesence coursing throughout the Dark Realm, the infinite spiritual matter that permeated everything. Even Shaesence was no help when he tried to push against it. He felt like he was in a dark ocean pushing against the water with his feet.

  He floated in the darkness next to his physical body, which was the only thing he could sense aside from Shaesence. He pushed out with his yar against his body. Immediately, his body shot away from him at terrific speed. Terrance felt a sense of shock course through his being as he felt the tremendous distance his body was traveling from him. Without his body to hinder his yar, he was able to sense much further. Terrance realized he was also moving at a tremendous speed. Shaesence pulsed through him, almost like water running across his physical body.

  He lost track of time as his Spirit soared through the eternal blackness. After what he thought must have been several days, he decided that he was probably stuck in this abyss forever. Outer darkness, he thought humorlessly to himself, remembering a term he had learned in his church on Earth. If it is Outer Darkness, I should have lots of company.

  Wondering if a Spirit could go insane, Terrance felt a surge of humor pulse through him. At least I have myself to entertain me.

  ---

  Fortismor studied the host of Elementals that stretched out in front of him. He had been leading the same band of Elementals for eight-hundred years. Jerard had offered to create hosts for them, in exchange for their services. Each Captain of the Elemental Army had been given a device from Jerard he had assured them would dissolve a person’s Spirit if used the moment that they died. Part of the bargain had been for the Elementals to receive the raw elements that the Spirit left when it dissolved. Fortismor felt a surge of anticipation at the thought of the growth he had waited so long for. More than a million years had passed from the last time he found a drain with Elements he could consume. The pain of having his progression halted was a constant source of frustration and bitterness. The agony that accompanied the added sensations from consuming new spiritual elements was a welcome experience, which only lasted for a short amount of time. Once his awareness learned to control the new sensations, the pain stopped, leaving the added pleasures and abilities that came with Spiritual growth. Very few Elementals turned down Jerard’s offer of alliance in exchange for raw spiritual elements.

  “What happened to Terrance?” Tesimor inquired with an underlying current of nervousness in his sending. Most of the Elementals had been unwilling to aid Jerard so long as Terrance was alive. The Derinian Order tried quarantining Elementals when the war first began. Toward the end of the old civilization, when the Derinian Order had grown desperate, they began dissolving Elementals and storing their remains in drains of their own. Few Elementals were willing to risk losing their lives in exchange for the hope of progression.

  “Jerard said he is gone, possibly dead.” Fortismor doubted the last part. Until Jerard dissolved Terrance’s Spirit, Fortismor would not believe him truly gone. “Either way, he is no longer our concern. The other members of the Derinian Order are all dead as well.”

  Tesimor seemed somewhat doubtful, his aura wavering uncertainly. “Why does Jerard need all of us then?”

  “Because there is a band of humans he believes will fight his return and he naturally wants them killed.” Fortismor finished with a sense of impatience, tiring of the timidity of the questions.

  “Why has Jerard not killed them, then?” Tesimor demanded. “It would be a simple matter for him.”

  “Terrance did something to them that keeps them safe from spiritual intrusion,” Fortismor replied, his aura bristling with irritation. “They have to be killed by physical means.”

  Tesimor finally realized that Fortismor was growing irritated. “Are we going to be joining one of those hosts?” Tesimor asked in distaste. Fortismor felt Tesimor focus on the large stone giants that Jerard had constructed.

  “No. We will be commanding the army in our natural forms.” Fortismor had no desire to become part of one of the crude constructs below them.

  “When do we leave?” Tesimor asked, still focusing on the sea of roughly-built stone giants.

  “In five human days.” Fortismor hated time. It was another weakness around which mortals governed their lives. “The weather elementals will be joining us on the third day. The forest surrounding Chasel Ri’ Aven must be burned to clear the path for the army.”

  ---

  Captain Jorbran stood in a large office inside the Elder’s Citadel, tapping his foot impatiently. He had been cooling his heels for over an hour, waiting for Elder Stanton to return from his council meeting with the Presidency. Elder Stanton had been the Guardian’s First Counsel for nearly two decades. Most of the Elders that had held the First Counsel position only kept the title for four years before transferring to the Border Council. A Guardian’s loyalty first went to the First Council, and then to the Border Council, followed by the Presidency. After Chasel Ri’ Aven was established, the first President of the Elders had insisted that a Guardian’s loyalty needed to be to a person who understood combat and strategy, which would not always be the case with the incumbent President. A leader that lacked experience in the field of combat and warfare would inevitably make bad decisions that resulted in more bloodshed than necessary.

  Captain Jorbran jumped slightly as the door behind him crashed open and hit the wall hard. Elder Stanton stormed into the room, his face a thundercloud. He was a powerfully-built man, standing a head taller than Captain Jorbran. He had an air of command that radiated around him. A room always seemed smaller than it was when Elder Stanton was in it. He had dark brown eyes that seemed capable of seeing every detail in a room before blinking twice. His clean-shaven face bore several small scars on the cheeks, and above his left eye. He had been one of the only Guardians alive to come close to besting Tarya Selindria in hand-to-hand combat. His short-cropped, brown hair was streaked with gray at the temples. Elder Stanton still spent several days a month at the Tar Ri’ San practicing with the students. He liked to keep his own skills honed, as well as find perspective Guardians.

  Captain Jorbran saluted smartly, trying to keep his face expressionless. He had never seen Elder Stanton lose his temper before. He usually had one of the most tightly controlled tempers among the Mountain People. It did not bode well that something had set him off.

  Elder Stanton walked swiftly around his desk, pulling a chair out with more force than might have been necessary, before seating himself. The large man took a few deep breaths to calm down. Captain Jorbran could feel the frustration spiking around his aura fade away as the Elder took control of his emotions. Finally, he looked up at Captain Jorbran, his face as calm as a glassy lake. “I apologize for the rude entry,” Elder Stanton said calmly. “What have you to report?”

  “Guardian Scout Lawrence found the first wave of the enemy,” Captain Jorbran replied curtly. “They are using what Terrance told us were Elementals to clear a path through the forests. Some of the Elementals are large twisters made of fire. Some of the others are just regular twisters that suck all of the debris out of the damage path. They will reach the boundary above Lake Town sometime tomorrow evening.”

  Captain Jorbran felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled the look in Guardian Scout Lawrence’s eyes when he recounted the destruction caused by the Elementals. Seeing the enemy had obviously shaken his confidence.

  “I want your Strike Squads to line the most probable paths for the Elementals with rootsnare,” Elder Stanton ordered, watching his eyes carefully. “If rootsnare does not dislodge the Elementals from their hosts, then try using spirit-thorn.”

  “
Yes, sir,” Captain Jorbran agreed. He shifted slightly under Elder Stanton’s intent gaze, hesitating to ask the main question his men had begged him to ask.

  “Go ahead and ask Captain,” Elder Stanton said with a brief smile, as if he already knew what the question was.

  “Some of the men were wondering if Tarya Selindria was going to return for the battle,” Captain Jorbran said slowly. “I think it would be good for moral, if nothing else.”

  “I am afraid I do not know the answer to that question, Captain,” Elder Stanton replied with a sigh. “I would not count on it though. I believe she has left Chasel Ri’ Aven forever.”

  Captain Jorbran stared at the other man in shock. Tarya Selindria had been teaching in Chasel Ri’ Aven for so long that the Tar Ri’ San would not be the same without her. She had taught almost every living person in Chasel Ri’ Aven. For her to be gone was almost as bad as losing the Chasel.

  “I know how you feel, Captain,” Elder Stanton looked at the wall behind Captain Jorbran, where a silver sword hung that Tarya Selindria had made herself. She had given it to Elder Stanton as a gift on the day that he nearly bested her in hand-to-hand combat. “It will take some time to get accustomed to Chasel Ri’ Aven without her.”

  Captain Jorbran had heard that Elder Stanton was one of the students that had become enamored with Tarya Selindria. It did not happen very often, but the students that worked with her more usually fell prone to the idea that she really did not want to be alone. She was very good at persuading people to keep their distance if they became too infatuated.

  “Is that all, Captain?” Elder Stanton asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Yes, sir.” Captain Jorbran saluted and made his way out the door.

  Various messengers and Elders filled the halls of the Elder's Citadel. The messengers raced through the halls with a single-mindedness that would have made any military commander proud. The Elders in the halls were either deep in conversation with other Elders or lost in their own thoughts. Elder Fadoris walked past without seeing him, her plump face creased with thought; she was usually very clear-headed. Her husband was on the Border Council and he had made a special trip to the border to help prepare the Guardians for the upcoming battle.

  The halls of the Citadel were sparsely furnished, adorned only with furniture that the Elders felt was necessary. Waste not, want not was their favorite motto. Another commonly used motto was, Pride in possessions, will become an obsession. The citadel was several stories high. It was the only entrance to the cave, which led to the Chasel. The founders of Chasel Ri’ Aven set the valley up with a city to act as a first guard to the Chasel, while the Citadel had been set up as one of the last lines of defense. Captain Jorbran had heard rumors of some of the defenses that existed within the walls and floors of the citadel. Under the right circumstances, the halls he was traversing would become a death trap to anyone in them. Some of the most talented Gardeners had designed the stone walls and flagstone floors. It was entirely possible that the flagstones under his feet could swallow him if they chose, or that the walls would emit poisonous gas. The rumors regarding the secret defenses of the citadel ranged from semi-believable, to outrageously impossible. When he had asked Tarya Plato, who taught Defensive Rajan Compounds, about the rumor, the old man told him that he would pity anyone left inside the citadel should it enter defense mode. Tarya Plato was not known for his tender-heartedness.

  “Captain Jorbran!” a low feminine voice called from behind. Turning, Captain Jorbran almost grinned before catching himself as Guardian Scout Lestriana jogged up to him. Lestriana had the lithe body of a cat, as well as the grace. Her face was not quite pretty, but it came close. Her blue eyes were flecked with sparks of orange around the pupil, enhancing her cat-like appearance. Her nickname among the Guardians was Leo Lestriana, a name that she accepted with pleasure. Twigs and dirt covered her shoulder-length, blonde hair. Mud also caked her knee-high, black boots, leaving a trail of dirt clods winding back down the hallway from where she had just come. She wore the customary drab-gray outfit of the Guardians. She carried only a few daggers and a small blow dart with poison darts. The scouts always traveled lightly, carrying only minimal weapons.

  “Leo,” Captain Jorbran acknowledged her when she finally caught up to him. He still struggled to keep the grin from his face. Leo had been on the watch that missed seeing Lendel, Cha’le and Li depart Chasel Ri’ Aven. She and Renrik, the Guardian who shared her watch, had been the brunt of most of the jokes among the other Guardians ever since.

  “Sir, one of the Gardeners sent me to find you,” Leo said quickly. “There is a stranger in the Rajan Gardens.”

  Captain Jorbran was suddenly much more alert. “In the Gardens, you say? Did you see the stranger?”

  “No,” Leo answered, speeding up to keep up with Captain Jorbran as he began trotting toward the Gardens. “The Gardeners said there is a man in the very center of the South Garden, sitting on the Stump.”

  Captain Jorbran cursed silently to himself as he ran. Terrance had warned the Elders about the Gorinthians using the Gardens as a source of power to invade hosts, but if it was an outsider, then he must have slipped past the Guardians. As Captain Jorbran passed the guard detachment at the front gates of the citadel, he called out to one of the guards. “Gather all of the Guardians that you can find, and send them to the South Garden!”

  He did not stop to explain and thankfully, the guards obeyed without trying to question him further. As he ran, he felt them reach out with their yar and stroke the resonance of the alarm chimes that hung on the citadel wall. A moment later, a low tone just within the range of hearing began to emanate from the chimes. Within a few seconds, the tone had grown so loud that the houses throughout the street were shaking from the vibrations. People began popping out of the different buildings, peering up and down the street for the source of the alarm. It was only used once a year as a drill, and it had already been used this year. As he and Leo sped down the street at a dead run, people began calling out to him. He ignored them. As he neared the gate, he spotted several Guardians that were running to the city walls.

  “Follow me!” Captain Jorbran barked, using his yar to enhance the vibrations from his voice. The Guardians immediately changed course from the tower next to the gates and began following him toward the Rajan Gardens. It had been a long time since he had run this far, and his lungs were burning by the time that he reached the outer edge of the Garden. Most of the Gardeners had already evacuated the gardens. They stood around the edge of the boundary peering toward the gardens as if they expected to see something. Captain Jorbran spotted Dedran, the Director of Operations for the Rajan Gardens. Making his way over to the tall, dark-haired Director, Captain Jorbran slowed down to catch his breath.

  “Dedran, what is going on?” Captain Jorbran asked urgently. The Guardians that were following him pushed close so that they could hear his reply.

  “There is some kind of apparition at the Stump,” Dedran responded in irritation. “It looks like a man, but it is insubstantial. I thought it best to have everyone leave for now.”

  Dedran had been a Guardian for several years before moving into the field of Rajan research. His broad shoulders had come from long hours of sword practice and hand-to-hand combat.

  “I have summoned the other Guardians,” Captain Jorbran informed him, studying the Gardens with interest. Only Gardeners could enter the actual gardening compounds because only they were trained to understand the dangers within the gardens. “There are a few among them that are adept at soul-binding. Once they arrive, we can try to capture the intruder. You should have your Gardeners go home for the day.”

  Dedran appraised him with a slightly raised eyebrow. “How do you propose to get to the center of the Garden?” he asked coolly. “You will never come out if you go in without a Gardener.”

  Captain Jorbran frowned, trying to keep the doubt from his face. The Gardeners often claimed that anyone entering the Gardens without a guide
would never return, but Captain Jorbran had always thought the claim nothing more than an extra precaution to keep the curious out.

  “Very well,” Captain Jorbran said after a long hesitation. “Whom will you send?”

  “Myself,” Dedran responded immediately. “I won’t send one of my gardeners into danger they are untrained to handle.”

  “Ornico is here,” Leo called out from the back of the circle of Guardians.

  Captain Jorbran looked up to see the short stature of Ornico pushing through the throng of Gardeners that were making their way down the path that led to the city. He was one of the most adept Guardians at soul-binding, the ability to snare another spirit with your yar.

  “Let’s move on then,” Captain Jorbran commanded, moving into the thick vegetation in front of them.

  “It would be best if only three of us go,” Dedran suggested firmly. “The Garden grows restless in the afternoon hours. The more strangers that appear here, the more negative attention we will attract.

  “Very well.” Captain Jorbran stopped, turning to the other Guardians. “The rest of you wait here until we return. If we are not back before midnight, send Leo to the city to inform the Council.”

  “Here, take this.” Dedran handed a small piece of what looked like straw to one of the Guardians. He held up another identical piece, “This is the other half. If I die while I am holding this, then yours will wilt.”

  “What is it?” Leo asked curiously.

  “A new invention,” Dedran explained, turning to the path. “It doesn’t have a name yet.”