Gorinthians

by Justin Mitchell

  “Because one day, you might find yourself on the side that advocates the criminal’s right to oppress,” the white-robed man said seriously. “Remember there are those who still want to bring back Salem, the City of Peace. Remember and act according to what you know is right.”

  “Are you going to sleep all day?” a light voice inquired from somewhere above him.

  Lendel looked up, and suddenly the world around him receded and Cha’le’s innocent face appeared above him, smiling mischievously. Lendel slowly sat up, taking a deep breath. “I need to talk to Thistledown.”

  “What’s the matter?” Cha’le asked in concern. “You look like you just saw your own grave.”

  “I'm not sure,” Lendel lied. “I just need to ask him a few questions.”

  “Did you have another bad dream?” Cha’le asked sympathetically. Her large blue eyes made it hard for Lendel to concentrate.

  “Maybe bad,” Lendel muttered softly, “maybe good. We’ll see what Thistledown has to say.”

  Standing up, Lendel blushed as he realized that he was still in his smallclothes. Cha’le had a small smile curving her lips as she appraised him. He hurriedly pulled some black trousers out of the large wardrobe next to his bed and tugged them on, almost tripping as he jumped into them. As he hurriedly reached for a dark wool shirt, a hand slapped his away.

  “Not that color I don’t think,” Cha’le told him, studying his wardrobe. “This one.”

  She pulled a white silk shirt with black scrollwork lining the cuffs and neck. Lendel stared at it with instant loathing. “People will think I am a girl!” Lendel protested weakly. “I will think I am a girl if I put that thing on.”

  “But I will think you look positively dashing,” Cha’le replied with a little glint in her eye, “and it is my opinion you are worried about, isn’t it?”

  Lendel felt the trap close around him like a noose around his neck. On the journey to Shalilayo, he had taken Cha’le aside and talked with her regarding her animosity toward Lori. One of the resolutions they agreed upon was that if Cha’le treated Lori like a person, then Lendel had to let Cha’le choose what he would wear. Lendel had not thought much of it on the journey, because he only had a few changes of clothes, none of which he had a problem wearing. As Lendel thought about the implications involved in their resolution now that he had a new wardrobe, he wondered if it would be better to let Cha’le treat Lori like a boundary intruder.

  As if Cha’le could read his thoughts, she shook her head firmly. “I hope you are not thinking about going back on our resolution.”

  “Only a little,” Lendel admitted with a sigh. “I suppose fair is fair.”

  Lendel pulled on the frilly shirt and began buttoning it up. Maybe he could make small modifications to it throughout the day; she might not notice.

  “Thistledown is in the throne room with Celdic right now,” Cha’le informed him as he pulled on his boots. “They are looking at some strange triangular object.”

  “Good,” Lendel grunted as he stomped his boots on tight. “Let’s go talk with him.”

  “Not so fast,” Cha’le said commandingly. “Let me fix your hair.”

  Lendel’s eyes widened slightly. The two of them had been debating his shoulder-length hair for years, with Lendel always insisting his hair remain long. It seemed Cha’le planned to take full advantage of their newfound resolution. She watched him with an impish grin and a triumphant light in her large eyes. Sighing, Lendel sat down and waited for her to do her worst.

  Cha’le wet his hair down and began combing it with a brush she must have brought with her. A moment later, she stood back. “There, that’s better. Now we can go.”

  Lendel stood up slowly, unsure if she were toying with him. “You aren’t going to cut it?”

  “Maybe next time,” she replied with a mysterious smile. “This time, I’ll let you keep it.”

  Lendel sighed in relief. He liked having his hair shoulder-length. It had been that length for so long it was one of his defining characteristics. Reaching over to the table next to his bed, Lendel grabbed his weapons and strapped on his sword belt. Cha’le was wearing the same skirt she had worn at the cottage. It was made of red silk, with slashes of cream. There was a small, jeweled dagger on each side of her waist just barely visible beneath her white blouse. Lendel knew she also had two daggers tucked into her boot-tops, and two more tucked into her skirt. Lendel guessed the jeweled waist-necklace was probably made of very sharp objects as well. She had wrapped her honey-blonde hair in two ponytails, which made her look younger than she really was.

  The two of them moved out of the large bedchamber and into the labyrinth of corridors. Lendel had no idea where to go, but Cha’le seemed to know exactly where she was going. She walked purposefully ahead of him, her long legs managing to keep her moving quickly while maintaining the grace of a cat. Her skirt made a swishing noise that fascinated Lendel for some reason. Maybe that was its purpose. They continued turning left and right and then left again for about a quarter hour before entering a large hall.

  The first thing that caught Lendel’s eye was a large, three-dimensional triangle sitting above a padded throne at the end of the hall. There was a small cutout in the triangular object. He wondered if it was by design, or if something was stored inside of it.

  Loud echoes bounced around the room as he and Cha’le moved toward the throne where Thistledown and Celdic stood studying the triangular object. The two of them did not look up until he and Cha’le joined them in their examination of the strange object. It was as tall as Lendel and consisted of many tiles staggered together like bricks for a house. The reason it had caught Lendel’s attention as soon as he entered the room was because it glowed a light green color.

  “What is it?” He asked Thistledown curiously.

  “It’s a catalyst,” Thistledown replied in a slightly distracted tone.

  “Why does it glow like that?” Lendel asked the little man.

  “It’s made of Prenium,” Celdic replied when Thistledown remained silent. “Prenium is a kind of ore that naturally glows like that.”

  Lendel could tell Thistledown was busy, but his curiosity became too strong to stay silent. “Thistledown, were the Gorinthians always the way they are now?”

  Celdic and Cha’le both turned to stare at him curiously. It was an odd question. Thistledown turned to look at Lendel sharply, “Why do you ask?”

  “I was just wondering,” Lendel lied. He did not want to tell the little man about his dreams. Especially if some of them turned out to be true.

  “No, they were not always like they are now,” Thistledown replied, looking at Lendel closely, as if he knew Lendel was holding something back. “They were initially created by Jerard to act as Guardians of the Law in a city he founded.”

  “What happened?” Lendel asked, though he already knew. He needed to hear it from Thistledown.

  “The Guardians liked possessing people too much,” Thistledown replied, watching Lendel carefully. “When some of the neighboring cities received reports of their citizens being possessed by Jerard’s Guardians and committing acts of rape, murder and other crimes they were created to protect against, the cities demanded that Jerard disband his Guardians. Jerard accused the neighboring cities of being jealous and narrow-minded. When he refused to disband, the cities united, thus beginning the Great War that ended civilization.”

  Lendel nodded slowly. Both stories sounded plausible. The truth was probably lost, if a truth even existed. “How do Jerard’s Guardians possess a person without killing them? Don’t the Gorinthians expel the former Spirit?”

  “The Guardians Jerard created were only able to inhabit a human host for a short time,” Thistledown explained. “They have what are called Trenchants that latch on to a host’s Tramnel. When everyone knew them as Guardians, the Trenchants came closer to resembling tentacles, which they used to wrap around a host’s Tramnel. Shortly after the Great War began, Terrance created the first Bariu
m Chasel. He made it in order to burn the tentacles off the Guardians. Unfortunately, it only burned them partially off, leaving sharp barbs that they named Trenchants because they dug a deep trench into a host’s Tramnel. When the trench was dug, the former Spirit could no longer hang on to the host.”

  “So Terrance is the one that made Gorinthians?” Lendel asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Cha’le stared at Lendel in shock. Celdic scowled at him, looking slightly hurt, but mostly angry. “Yes, Terrance changed them into what they are now,” Thistledown agreed calmly, “but it was Jerard that organized them into an army intent on preying on humans like we prey on cattle. I will be the first to admit that good intentions often pave the road to destruction; however, without them, you don’t need a road to destruction because it finds its way to you.”

  Echoing footfalls interrupted their discussion. Lendel turned to watch as a small procession of people filed into the room, led by a soldier with numerous badges of rank on his chest. He was at least a head shorter than Lendel and not nearly as broad. Even with the size differences, he looked like he was made from old leather. His face was clean-shaven, revealing a middle-aged face with hard-set, blue eyes. His boots were gleaming and his blue and red uniform looked like it had never been worn. His very appearance exuded the idea of discipline. A real stick in the mud, Lendel thought to himself.

  “Ah, Captain Kerns,” Thistledown greeted the officer with a reserved smile. “Thank you for coming so soon.”

  “I must admit, you have captured my interest,” Captain Kerns said, studying the youths with interest. “I take it that this one is Terrance’s son.” Captain Kerns nodded toward Celdic, who nodded back at him gravely.

  “Indeed it is,” Thistledown answered smoothly. “His name is Celdic. The other two are Lendel and Cha’le.”

  Captain Kerns inclined his head to each of them. “There have been reports about a city of some kind up in the mountains above Millport, but no one has ever been able to confirm them.”

  “They like to keep the city a secret,” Thistledown explained. “They even have specially-trained Guardians that patrol the border to make sure that strangers do not enter.”

  “We might need to discuss this special training sometime,” Captain Kerns told him with interest, “but that can wait. Let me introduce you to our host.”

  Captain Kerns turned to face the small entourage of people who had entered behind him. A broad-faced woman in a blue silk dress stepped forward with a smile.

  “This is the heir to the throne, Princess Sentina,” Captain Kerns introduced her with a bow, “and this is Count Trellnar, brother to Duke Terran.”

  “It is a pleasure, my lady,” Thistledown said with a smooth bow. “I am happy to see you survived the night. It was quite brisk when I woke up this morning.”

  Sentina’s smile faltered slightly, “Brisk? Yes, it was rather. I hope your chamber fires were well-attended.”

  “Quite so, my lady,” Thistledown replied with a feral smile. “It would be my pleasure to introduce Duke Terran’s heir, Celdic.”

  Princess Sentina inclined her head slightly, studying Celdic closely. Lendel felt a flash of surprise as she studied Celdic’s hidden weapon pockets for several moments with pursed lips. “I understand you were raised away from your estates. How do you like your first visit to Shalilayo?”

  Celdic cleared his throat, trying not to look uncomfortable in the sudden limelight. “It is very beautiful,” Celdic said, studying her as much as she studied him. “I look forward to visiting the University.”

  Princess Sentina blinked, slightly taken aback, and then smiled to cover it. Lendel realized she had expected Celdic to address her as Thistledown had done.

  “I would also like to introduce Celdic’s half sister, Cha’le, and her companion, Lendel.” Thistledown covered the embarrassed silence. “If I could impose upon your hospitality more than I have already, I would like to discuss some private matters with your Highness.”

  Princess Sentina nodded graciously, gesturing toward a door behind the throne. “The private council room is this way.”

  Several of the other finely dressed nobles who had accompanied the princess to the throne room looked disappointed as the youths followed Thistledown and Captain Kerns into the council room. When they realized they were excluded, they began chatting among themselves as they waited for more of their fellow nobles to arrive.

  The council room into which Princess Sentina led them was large enough for fifty people. A large circular table surrounded by cushioned chairs filled most of it. There were a few display tables along the walls with strangely shaped sculptures. When his yar scanned one of the strange sculptures, he gasped in surprise. The way his yar soaked into the strange sculpture sent a strong surge of awe and euphoria rushing through his being. Cha’le and Celdic were experimenting with the other sculptures, evidenced by the way their faces lit up with amazement.

  Princess Sentina studied the youths with puzzlement as they studied the twisted objects. “Are these sculptures somehow significant where they come from?” she asked Thistledown curiously.

  “They have never seen them before,” Thistledown informed her as he studied the objects himself. “These were placed here by the Department of Arcane Arts, and only those who can use their yar can understand the true significance these sculptures represent.”

  “Ferrich used to spend hours just staring at these,” Princess Sentina murmured softly. “I never understood he was seeing something that I was not.”

  “That is part of why we are here,” Thistledown told her gravely. “Humanity has lost most of its ability to sense yar, with few exceptions. The four youths I brought with me represent the only hope of restoring what was lost to humanity.”

  “Restore what was lost?” Princess Sentina questioned with a glance at the three youths. “What is it they are going to restore?”

  “The ability for every human to once again use their yar,” Thistledown told her, “and to a lesser extent, the planet's yar.”

  “Why?” Captain Kerns demanded in a curt tone. “Why does the human race need to be able to use their yar?”

  “Because without it, you will lose your link to the planet,” Thistledown studied Captain Kerns silently for a moment before continuing. “Think of your yar as a messenger a general uses to relay messages to his officers. In the war for continuing existence, you have to be able to adapt to the new developments your general, the planet, is telling you about through your yar. If you lose your link to the planet, it will continue to change in one direction while humanity moves in a different direction. The result will be that humanity becomes extinct. Whether a plague or an environmental change occurs, humans will be unable to adapt to it without directions from the planet.”

  “How do you propose to use the four from Chasel Ri’ Aven to change the rest of humanity?” Princess Sentina asked, renewing her study of the three youths.

  “They are the result of an experiment started by the last members of the Derinian Order,” Thistledown explained, also studying the youths. “They are what we call Universal Links. They will infect every person with which they come into physical contact, with a virus. This virus is actually a cure, but it works the same way as a virus. After being exposed to the Universal Links, people will go through a period, perhaps a month or two, when they will feel odd sensations. It will take them time to adjust to the new sensation of using their yar, but after a couple of months, it will seem as natural as any of their other senses. In addition, a connection is created with the Universal Link that allows humans to use the planet’s yar through these four.”

  Lendel stared at Thistledown in astonishment. He had infected everyone he touched physically with the ability to use their yar? Cha’le and Celdic were also staring at Thistledown in shock. The little man had obviously not shared the details with Cha’le or Celdic before now. Princess Sentina and Captain Kerns had both drawn back slightly from the youths, as if they had yellow fever. Thistle
down shook his head when he saw their reactions.

  “It is not a bad thing,” Thistledown told Captain Kerns and Sentina pointedly. “What’s more, this is a matter of survival. If you want humanity to survive, you are going to have to accept a little change in yourselves.”

  The two Shalilayans looked uncomfortable with the idea, though they both stayed quiet. Captain Kerns sat studying the tabletop in front of him with his lips slightly pursed. “How do you propose to put every living human in physical contact with these four?”

  “That is where you two come in,” Thistledown nodded at Princess Sentina and Captain Kerns. “We need to come up with a new title, something that will require all of the citizens of the Southern Realms to meet the four Universal Links.”

  Princess Sentina and Captain Kerns shared a dubious look with each other. Lendel guessed that both of them found the story hard to believe. If Lendel had not already seen enough evidence to support it, he would probably doubt it as well.

  Princess Sentina turned to Thistledown, clearing her throat. “We will need to discuss it with the high council before any decisions can be made regarding titles. I assure you we will think carefully on what you have shared with us.”

  It sounded like another way of saying ‘not a chance’ to Lendel. The princess was already rising from her chair to signal an end to the meeting when Li quietly entered the room, followed by the rest of their companions. Princess Sentina recoiled slightly when she saw Morindessa enter the room next to Ferrich. He was surprised to see Lochnar enter the room. The silent assassin had remained invisible to his senses for the last day of the journey to Shalilayo. Lendel could feel the absence of his yar somewhere in his leg this morning. He stood slightly taller than his daughter, Riah. The two of them towered over everyone else in the room. Captain Kerns and the princess stared openly at Riah. The beautiful giantess wore black trousers with a black shirt, both garments hiding several weapons Lendel could sense with his yar. Her golden hair seemed to glow with inner light, flowing over her slender shoulders in luminous waves. Lendel knew better than to more than glance at her with Cha’le close by. She sat in a padded chair watching him coolly.