Weyrwoman Kalina
11th August 2005, 01:38 AM
Before I post this, let me tell you that this is a ROUGH first chapter of a new story I'm working on. I have the second chapter started, and will post it as well if anyone desires to see it after reading this chapter.
So.. with that said, here it is!!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The charter of the Eryteth Guild stated that members must be humanoid, without, not expecting, and/or willing to leave their children. They must possess empathy and/or telepathy and must swear a vow of secrecy to never speak of their membership or the existence of the Eryteth Guild. Members will be trained to block others from using Empathy or Telepathy against them. So it was quite a surprise to Ytana to learn this from a passing “tourist” after several rounds of drinks.
Or maybe it wasn’t. Reishen, Ytana’s home world, was known for housing some of the universe’s top schools- two of which being a brew masters and a vintner’s school. Residents of Reishen knew the ins and outs of every beverage produced there- tourists did not have that luck.
“So tell me more about this Guild of yours, Astrill. How would I get in, for instance?” Ytana already knew she had the gift of Empathy… it was only recently she’d discovered she could influence others. She was using that second gift now, telepathy, to make this man believe that he could trust her.
“Well first,” Astrill began, his drunken slur blending the words into one “you gotta ‘ave… “ he was briefly interrupted by a hiccup “... you gotta ‘ave one of the gifts. Then you gotta be recruited—hey, I’m recruiting! Did you know that?” he didn’t give her time to answer, however, before he said “I got another secret.”
Ytana leaned forward, her eyes intent on his, encouraging him to continue.
“My name isn’t really Astrill, that’s just a name I use when I’m sent somewhere to be sneaky.” He laughed, thinking his false name was quite clever.
Ytana however, looked at him in genuine shock. They had false names? She agreed that was a good idea, but how had he gotten past Port Authority with a false name? Did this guild he was in have the power to alter those encrypted records whenever they so chose?
“My real name,” the man began, drawing Ytana away from her thoughts… it was then she realized that something in his tone... in his manner had changed. “… is Serrain.” In the matter of moments she had been in thought this man… no, Serrain… had sobered? That was impossible!
“Speechless all of the sudden?” he asked, his eyes flashing with triumph. He’d tricked her! The whole time she’d thought the upper hand was hers; he’d been the one in control.
“But you were drunk! No one other than…” but she didn’t finish her sentence.
“No one other than a resident of Reishen could have that sort of tolerance, I know.” He had most completely finished her thought for her. “How long have you have empathy and telepathy?”
“Well, I’ve had Empathy for as long as I can remember, but I’ve only recently discovered… hey!” Ytana glared at Serrain. “How dare you try and use that on me! And it’s not your turn… I’m still asking the questions here.”
Serrain laughed, most to the chagrin of Ytana. “How dare I? So it’s okay for you to use it on others, but not for others to use it on you? That’s quite a double standard if I ever heard one.”
“Don’t you talk to me about double standards you... you liar you!” Inwardly Ytana cringed at her pathetic attempt at an insult. That self pity quickly dissolved into anger again when Serrain laughed. “Why the hell did you pretend to be drunk? Why not just recruit me like normal people?” Slowly her curiosity started to dissolve her anger. Why hadn’t he just asked her?
“Why? Because I had to be certain you actually did possess both gifts like I suspected you did. We’re not only trained to block others from influencing us... which I admit only works so well… but we’re also trained to sense them in others- which does mean letting our guard down, but only just enough.” He fixed her with a penetrating gaze, searching her with his own Empathy for any reaction deemed undesirable by the Guild. Thankfully his instincts had been correct again and she was an excellent candidate.
“So how do you know I have them... the gifts I mean. Do you have some sort of device you’ve been using on me?” Her anger flared again. Had he been monitoring her the entire time? Playing with her mind?
“A device? Well... no, not really. I have my own abilities and what I have been taught... that’s all I need. I possess both gifts, so inherently I can sense them both in others, it’s how we work.” He paused and leaned forward. “Empaths recruit and can sense other Empaths and vice versa with Telepaths. Those that have both gifts can sense each gift separately and in combination,” he also hastened to add “If you felt like I’ve been influencing you, I haven’t. I just let you believe that you had control. You may possess both gifts, but you are untrained in using them.”
It may have been plain fact, simple and true really, but the implication that she was so inexperienced was infuriating. “I may be untrained,” and she put extreme emphasis on the last word “but I am not unpracticed.”
Serrain sighed, closing his eyes as he shook his head. “But you’ve practiced,” his emphasis was on the last word “on, excuse the term, regular people. Remember that I have been trained to use, sense and block. Otherwise I’m sure you could have had your way with me by now.”
His grin did nothing to appease Ytana as her face flushed hot with embarrassment. “Have my way with you?” she hissed. “You’re handsome, Guild Member Serrain, but it will take more than that to get me. Now, what do I have to do from here?” It was an abrupt change on subject, but their conversation took them well into the night.
~ ~ ~
Three days later Ytana was packed and waiting at the shuttle base. Her thoughts had strayed back to his suggestion that she wanted him… but had he actually wanted her? She was pretty enough, with dark blonde hair, a toned body, bright green eyes and a fair face… but he had been quite good looking. He was almost the embodiment of tall, dark and handsome. And that voice… now wasn’t the time to daydream! She had to be alert, or so she thought, and after getting her affairs wrapped up early she’d decided to come ahead of time. Yet once again Serrain surprised her by arriving early as well.
“Good, you are here,” he said in the way of greeting, with a smile and a nod of his head. “We’ll be stopping off at Seti-12 to pick up another recruit before we rendezvous with our connecting cruiser to Terros.” Seti-12 was the inhabitable moon out of the three orbiting Reishen. He grabbed two of her bags and strode off to the shuttle before Ytana could say a word. Hastening to grab her other two bags she set off at a fast walk to join him.
“Who’s the other recruit?” she asked as they stowed her bags and buckled into their seats.
Serrain glance at her sideways. He sensed a twinge of jealousy… more like a strong surge of it. “His name is Daryn-Kaler. He seems to be a telepath with a musical background. You don’t happen to have any sort of music in your background, do you?” he asked after a brief pause, hope coloring his tone. An accident on Terekh, a nearby planet in the same solar system, had claimed three members of the Eryteth guild… all with musical talent. Whether it had really been an accident was still under heated debate.
“Are you okay?” The soft spoken question broke through his thoughts… he had known all three of them well before they had died. But instead he just nodded and smiled, and asked his question again.
“Anyone with any ambition takes a music course or two on Seti-12, so yes. I studied voice, violin, and flute for 5 years total. You’re from here... didn’t you?” If he said no… well… she doubted that he would.
Serrain laughed, his melancholy broken. “Of course I did! Three years of voice… and you know, those with musical talent are highly valued by us.” Never once in the earshot of anyone else did he mention the words Guild, Eryteth, gifts or Terros. He always substituted we and they and never even spoke of gifts other than musical. Terros… well, as it wasn’t supposed to exist he never even hinted at it.
The Guild charter specifically stated that all members are to keep knowledge of the Guild and its home planet of Terros from all unauthorized persons. If this meant dying to keep the secret then any good member wouldn’t hesitate. Exposure of the Guild and its purpose would cause countless accusations, arguments, diplomatic upheaval and no doubt a few wars. Once certain parties discovered just who had been in on certain meetings and that in some way they’d been manipulated the wave of anger would wash over the entire galaxy.
But that wasn’t on Ytana’s mind as she was being introduced to Daryn-Kaler, the second recruit, and obtaining the final clearances she needed to leave Reishen on a permanent basis.
So.. with that said, here it is!!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The charter of the Eryteth Guild stated that members must be humanoid, without, not expecting, and/or willing to leave their children. They must possess empathy and/or telepathy and must swear a vow of secrecy to never speak of their membership or the existence of the Eryteth Guild. Members will be trained to block others from using Empathy or Telepathy against them. So it was quite a surprise to Ytana to learn this from a passing “tourist” after several rounds of drinks.
Or maybe it wasn’t. Reishen, Ytana’s home world, was known for housing some of the universe’s top schools- two of which being a brew masters and a vintner’s school. Residents of Reishen knew the ins and outs of every beverage produced there- tourists did not have that luck.
“So tell me more about this Guild of yours, Astrill. How would I get in, for instance?” Ytana already knew she had the gift of Empathy… it was only recently she’d discovered she could influence others. She was using that second gift now, telepathy, to make this man believe that he could trust her.
“Well first,” Astrill began, his drunken slur blending the words into one “you gotta ‘ave… “ he was briefly interrupted by a hiccup “... you gotta ‘ave one of the gifts. Then you gotta be recruited—hey, I’m recruiting! Did you know that?” he didn’t give her time to answer, however, before he said “I got another secret.”
Ytana leaned forward, her eyes intent on his, encouraging him to continue.
“My name isn’t really Astrill, that’s just a name I use when I’m sent somewhere to be sneaky.” He laughed, thinking his false name was quite clever.
Ytana however, looked at him in genuine shock. They had false names? She agreed that was a good idea, but how had he gotten past Port Authority with a false name? Did this guild he was in have the power to alter those encrypted records whenever they so chose?
“My real name,” the man began, drawing Ytana away from her thoughts… it was then she realized that something in his tone... in his manner had changed. “… is Serrain.” In the matter of moments she had been in thought this man… no, Serrain… had sobered? That was impossible!
“Speechless all of the sudden?” he asked, his eyes flashing with triumph. He’d tricked her! The whole time she’d thought the upper hand was hers; he’d been the one in control.
“But you were drunk! No one other than…” but she didn’t finish her sentence.
“No one other than a resident of Reishen could have that sort of tolerance, I know.” He had most completely finished her thought for her. “How long have you have empathy and telepathy?”
“Well, I’ve had Empathy for as long as I can remember, but I’ve only recently discovered… hey!” Ytana glared at Serrain. “How dare you try and use that on me! And it’s not your turn… I’m still asking the questions here.”
Serrain laughed, most to the chagrin of Ytana. “How dare I? So it’s okay for you to use it on others, but not for others to use it on you? That’s quite a double standard if I ever heard one.”
“Don’t you talk to me about double standards you... you liar you!” Inwardly Ytana cringed at her pathetic attempt at an insult. That self pity quickly dissolved into anger again when Serrain laughed. “Why the hell did you pretend to be drunk? Why not just recruit me like normal people?” Slowly her curiosity started to dissolve her anger. Why hadn’t he just asked her?
“Why? Because I had to be certain you actually did possess both gifts like I suspected you did. We’re not only trained to block others from influencing us... which I admit only works so well… but we’re also trained to sense them in others- which does mean letting our guard down, but only just enough.” He fixed her with a penetrating gaze, searching her with his own Empathy for any reaction deemed undesirable by the Guild. Thankfully his instincts had been correct again and she was an excellent candidate.
“So how do you know I have them... the gifts I mean. Do you have some sort of device you’ve been using on me?” Her anger flared again. Had he been monitoring her the entire time? Playing with her mind?
“A device? Well... no, not really. I have my own abilities and what I have been taught... that’s all I need. I possess both gifts, so inherently I can sense them both in others, it’s how we work.” He paused and leaned forward. “Empaths recruit and can sense other Empaths and vice versa with Telepaths. Those that have both gifts can sense each gift separately and in combination,” he also hastened to add “If you felt like I’ve been influencing you, I haven’t. I just let you believe that you had control. You may possess both gifts, but you are untrained in using them.”
It may have been plain fact, simple and true really, but the implication that she was so inexperienced was infuriating. “I may be untrained,” and she put extreme emphasis on the last word “but I am not unpracticed.”
Serrain sighed, closing his eyes as he shook his head. “But you’ve practiced,” his emphasis was on the last word “on, excuse the term, regular people. Remember that I have been trained to use, sense and block. Otherwise I’m sure you could have had your way with me by now.”
His grin did nothing to appease Ytana as her face flushed hot with embarrassment. “Have my way with you?” she hissed. “You’re handsome, Guild Member Serrain, but it will take more than that to get me. Now, what do I have to do from here?” It was an abrupt change on subject, but their conversation took them well into the night.
~ ~ ~
Three days later Ytana was packed and waiting at the shuttle base. Her thoughts had strayed back to his suggestion that she wanted him… but had he actually wanted her? She was pretty enough, with dark blonde hair, a toned body, bright green eyes and a fair face… but he had been quite good looking. He was almost the embodiment of tall, dark and handsome. And that voice… now wasn’t the time to daydream! She had to be alert, or so she thought, and after getting her affairs wrapped up early she’d decided to come ahead of time. Yet once again Serrain surprised her by arriving early as well.
“Good, you are here,” he said in the way of greeting, with a smile and a nod of his head. “We’ll be stopping off at Seti-12 to pick up another recruit before we rendezvous with our connecting cruiser to Terros.” Seti-12 was the inhabitable moon out of the three orbiting Reishen. He grabbed two of her bags and strode off to the shuttle before Ytana could say a word. Hastening to grab her other two bags she set off at a fast walk to join him.
“Who’s the other recruit?” she asked as they stowed her bags and buckled into their seats.
Serrain glance at her sideways. He sensed a twinge of jealousy… more like a strong surge of it. “His name is Daryn-Kaler. He seems to be a telepath with a musical background. You don’t happen to have any sort of music in your background, do you?” he asked after a brief pause, hope coloring his tone. An accident on Terekh, a nearby planet in the same solar system, had claimed three members of the Eryteth guild… all with musical talent. Whether it had really been an accident was still under heated debate.
“Are you okay?” The soft spoken question broke through his thoughts… he had known all three of them well before they had died. But instead he just nodded and smiled, and asked his question again.
“Anyone with any ambition takes a music course or two on Seti-12, so yes. I studied voice, violin, and flute for 5 years total. You’re from here... didn’t you?” If he said no… well… she doubted that he would.
Serrain laughed, his melancholy broken. “Of course I did! Three years of voice… and you know, those with musical talent are highly valued by us.” Never once in the earshot of anyone else did he mention the words Guild, Eryteth, gifts or Terros. He always substituted we and they and never even spoke of gifts other than musical. Terros… well, as it wasn’t supposed to exist he never even hinted at it.
The Guild charter specifically stated that all members are to keep knowledge of the Guild and its home planet of Terros from all unauthorized persons. If this meant dying to keep the secret then any good member wouldn’t hesitate. Exposure of the Guild and its purpose would cause countless accusations, arguments, diplomatic upheaval and no doubt a few wars. Once certain parties discovered just who had been in on certain meetings and that in some way they’d been manipulated the wave of anger would wash over the entire galaxy.
But that wasn’t on Ytana’s mind as she was being introduced to Daryn-Kaler, the second recruit, and obtaining the final clearances she needed to leave Reishen on a permanent basis.