The Third Corridor

by The third corridor (NCP) (lit)

  "Tell me about Zoren’s head." The words heedlessly came to her lips. Sera pressed them together waiting for his reaction, hoping she wouldn’t regret bringing up the subject.

  Jerad closed his eyes tightly. He looked anguished. After a long silence, he finally managed to speak. "The head of Zoren was to avenge the atrocities he led against my house. The warriors of the Fourth Zone show no remorse in their brutal behaviors. They are barbarous when they advance. We are in constant watchfulness. Given the chance they would strip our lands of their resources, take us into slavery, rape our women..."

  His voice trailed, recalling his own near violation of Sera, and he looked away from her in shame. "Ack, I am no better."

  Sera tucked one foot under her and leaned closer, with full understanding of his dismay. "You did not make me your slave, Jerad." She splayed her hand and placed it gently on his chest. His heart beat steadily beneath it. "And you did not rape me."

  Jerad regarded her from under half closed lids. He pursed his lips and ran his tongue along the inside of the crease. He could still taste her there. He wanted to taste more. Instead he placed the pad of his thumb under her chin and fanned two fingers along her mouth. Sera parted her lips slightly, allowing a tiny gust of air to escape, along with some of her misgivings toward him.

  Jerad set his other hand over hers and lifted it from his chest. He turned her hand over and kissed her palm, silently thanking the Oneroi, once again, that the Ptino asteri was female, and that he was the one chosen to see her through the prophecy. The words of the Edict were most transparent.

  She would be his.

  They would—ochi, they must be bonded in the Vows of Permanence. It will be, as it was written in the foretelling.

  He stood. Turning his back to her, he wandered into the field, and looked out toward the horizon. Dex was strolling about in the grass, occasionally chomping a bit. Sera stood and went to his side. She placed a hand on his upper arm. His bicep twitched against her palm. He said nothing, but his breathing was heavy and labored and his fists were clenched. Without releasing his arm Sera moved to face him, giving him her full attention. The fury in his face was abominable and she released him, taken aback. Jerad stared over her head for endless seconds, but finally spoke, willing to lay open all that had driven him to the actions that eventually led to their meeting. He realized she needed to understand who he was as a man, before she would consent to fully be his woman.

  "I went to tournament in the First Kingdom, not only to challenge Zoren, but to enact my revenge." He dropped his eyes to meet hers. "Zoren butchered my mother."

  A pit formed in Sera’s stomach. Her chest started squeezing tightly.

  Jerad continued unrestrained. "He and four of his men came for the Gaians. My babe sister was only ten rises old. I thank the Origins that she was not with us on that rise. We all attempted to fight, but the Gaians suddenly vanished when Tomas received a mortal wound, a sword, through his chest. My mother and I were left alone to defend ourselves. We were defeated. My mother was raped by Zoren and another of his men, while three others held me immobile. Her throat was slit and her life was stolen. When they were through preying on her body, I was rendered unconscious by a blow to the back of my head. I awoke, face down in her blood, next to her bludgeoned, naked body."

  Sera stood motionless, watching the dark, furious eyes erode to a troubled sorrow. She imagined the tortured, shameful guilt, coveted by a helpless boy restrained to witness the revolting discretion against the woman who gave him life.

  "You were just a child."

  "I was thirteen term cycles, Sera! Old enough to defend her!" He roared in reply, and then roughly grabbed her by the upper arms, his fingers dug into her flesh. "I will never forget her screams!"

  Sera drew her fingers to her lips and sucked in a quivered breath. She understood his rage. She looked away, allowing herself a brief moment to digest what he had just told her. Sera’s fingers curled. In the same situation she would have ripped Zoren’s head from the neck that supported it. She would not have needed a sword.

  "And this victory has given you satisfaction?"

  He closed his eyes and snarled, "It did not bring me the relief that I had expected."

  When he opened them again they were filled with a torment so deep that Sera felt as though she would fall into them and suffocate. But then his look softened. "It did however bring me to you my Starbird, and in that, I find much satisfaction."

  Her heart wailed against her chest wall, and began to beat wildly with his words. Jerad wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her close. He arced over her, his weight nearly causing her to collapse. Jerad lowered his head toward her. His hot breath feathered the flesh of her mouth.

  "Sera of Gaia," he gulped, "I am about to forfeit my faculties. The fever has taken its toll."

  A shriek overhead caused them both to look skyward. A small hawk circled above. "Aryan’s fledgling. We are close, but I fear my strength has reached its limits."

  Jerad suddenly went weak, his knees crumbled. He threw a heavy arm around Sera’s shoulder in a feeble attempt for support. She caved under the mass of his sinking body. They both dropped to their knees.

  "Look beyond." He pointed out and across the field. "A gathering of trees, there. Just within its edge, a course will draw you riseward. Continue on this path until you reach the gulch. The trail will continue along its brim, and it will lead you around to a bridge and the First Corridor. If you get lost Dex should know the way. The watchmen at the reservoir will know my horse and will provide you with guidance. Tell them of my location. The Corridors are highly protected. You will find safe conduct there. It is setway, to the Third Corridor. Shegarth is a Chief Counselor and my father. Ask for him. At a steady cantor, you will make it there before full set. I am going down now Sera."

  Sera wrapped her arms around him to prevent him from falling further.

  "No!" she exclaimed, but she could not hold him and he dropped to the ground landing flat on his back.

  "Get up!" Sera shook him forcibly. She slapped him hard in the face. He did not respond. She pounded his chest, but to no avail. Sera was frenzied, and she began to hyperventilate. He had a pulse. He was breathing, but he was absolutely dead weight. She would not leave without him.

  Sera ran to Dex and yanked the canteen from its hook. She knelt by Jerad and poured the water on his face. He did not move.

  She drew her hand back to slap him again but before it made contact, his left arm shot out and he blocked her. Jerad reached up, wrapped an arm around the back of her neck, and pulled her head toward his shoulder. "You wish to revive me by drowning and beating me?"

  "It worked, didn’t it?"

  "Bring my consanguinity to me."

  "No, we will leave together," Sera insisted, yanking him in an attempt to lift him off of the ground.

  "You cannot carry me."

  "Dex can. I will put you up there."

  He chuckled weakly. "I might die on the way."

  "You could die here. Such a fitting end for a knight to rot in a field with his eyes plucked out by fowl, and nothing to show for it but a decaying head. Besides we are almost there, right?"

  Jerad gave consideration to her words, shaking his head, but it was her fit of might that encouraged him now. Sera straddled him, one foot to each side of his body. She squatted low, and dug in her heels as she grabbed his upper arms. With all of her energy she pulled back and forced him to sit. She held him there, grunted and heaved heavy breaths, daring him to fall over again. She suited him well, this mate of his. In the last few rises Sera of Gaia had already proven marked devotion for him, a warrior she still considered a stranger. He most assuredly would have died without the advent of their meeting. He would not spoil her perseverance now.

  "Reserve my senselessness. You are a persistent woman." He closed his eyes. "I believe you were sent to me Starbird, to spite myself."

  "Damn straight," she retorted.

  He chuckled again and inha
led deeply, gathering energy from within. "Assist me to Dex. If I die on the way at least it will be while holding your delectable body."

  Sera moved to his side and threw one of his arms around her shoulders. "Ready, set, go."

  Sera summoned all of her power and pushed upward, bracing him against her. With a little help from Jerad—well, actually with a lot of help from Jerad—she succeeded in getting him to his feet and up on the charger. She retrieved the dropped swords and mounted the horse. Seating herself in front of Jerad, Sera took control of the bridle. Dex accepted her lead and they headed across the plain.

  At the stone archway, they paused. Sera could clearly see the details of the heraldry now. Both were oval in shape, with a golden edge that was garnished with leafy vines. The background on the one to the left was pale. A deep yellow shield was centered on it, embellished with two jagged designs resembling lightening bolts, angled across it. One was black, one was silver. Three plume devices, one violet, one blue and one green, were positioned at the side and top points of the crest. Two golden rings that overlapped each other graced the point at the bottom.

  "The coat of arms for the Eighth Zone," Jerad explained. "The First Corridor bears the black and the Second Corridor has the colour of Silver."

  "And the feathers?"

  "The device of high Nobility, the colours determining the Origins from which they descended."

  Sera’s attention was drawn to the other banner. This one was azure and had upon it three angled bars, one red, one green and one gold. Three roses at each point, yellow at the left point, white at the right, and at the top, the lavender bloom that also embellished Jerad’s garments. Red and orange blooms edged each side further down, with the shield closing to a common point, where three golden rings overlapped at its bottom tip. It was the same crest that Jerad wore at the back of his doublet.

  "The Tenth Zone. My region. There are three Corridors in this Zone. My kinsmen dwell in the Third Corridor. The highest standing Nobles in the Tenth Zone are descendants of Antheia, friend of the flowers, Chloris of flowers, trees and shrubs, Demeter who oversees growth. They blessed our land and gave us breath. The bloom was a gift that became our attribute. They also bestowed on us, the wisdom of cures from the foliage. We are healers first, guardians of our domain and warriors when needed."

  Sera bid Dex to move and she headed riseward. "And the golden rings?"

  "They are the badges of glory for courage and nobility, as are the daggers which puncture the stars of the warriors of the Fourth Zone. The rings are looped together to show our coalition among the Corridors. Only those who have mastered the battle skills wear the distinction of the gold ring."

  Sera thought about the gold ring adorning both Dex and Jerad’s garments. Jerad was of high standing.

  Jerad slipped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly. He laid his head on her shoulder, trusting fully that Sera and Dex would guide them to their destination. "I will sleep now Sera. There will be much to come upon our arrival."

  They continued on with Dex in a fixed trot, and reached the swelling of trees without haste. Sera did as Jerad instructed and followed the trail just inside the edge of the forest heading riseward, the trail carrying them in a persistent ascension. It was slow moving, but they were making progress. The hawk was swooping overhead, tracking the riders and squawking in its high pitched wail. He must have smelled blood.

  The trees around them were majestic, burgeoning skyward and creating a canopy that girdled the trail. A laggard breeze gently created minute partitions between the branches above, allowing sprinkles of sunlight to prance around them. The branches themselves were long and limber, swaying like great wings and causing a wispy sound so sedating that even the most rambunctious of creatures would be lulled to calm. The air was damp and viscous, and an overwhelming scent of pine infused the air.

  Sera yawned. She wondered how much further their traveling would carry them, and what she would meet with when they finally reached its end. Jerad said nothing else for the rest of their journey. He became inattentive, often swaying from side to side. With each unbalanced list, he jerked his head vertical, to right himself in the saddle.

  The silence gave Sera pause enough to gather some remembrance of whence she came. She already knew that she was well educated and military trained by an advanced establishment. What disturbed her most however, was her lack of recall of the personal truths. She could see faces and recount flashes of experiences as a child and adult, fading in and out of her thoughts, either in slow motion, or streaming in fast forward, but details eluded her. She heard that amnesia victims often regain their memories when confronted with familiar items. It is why she could recall the frustration she experienced when studying the language that flowed effortlessly from her mouth now. It was a connection to ancient people of her world. She was quite fluently speaking Greek. In fact, she realized that he was speaking a selective form of Hellenistic Greek, ancient, but with some modern words intermixed. She had little difficulty understanding Jerad, but when Sera attempted to recall why she knew this language, it was too much effort to conjure even a simple memory. She also knew the Origins he spoke of were the Greek gods of mythology, and Gaia was the Earth she called home. All things Greek were flooding her thoughts, likely because it was being tossed at her regularly in the form of a six foot two Adonis by the name of Jerad, who happened to have his massive body wrapped around her at the moment.

  Sera smiled. She liked the feel of him. She was starting to really like him.

  Sera wondered about the possibility that there might be some mystical purpose for her being here. She would definitely study the Edict of Oneroi to learn more. Sera was certain that in her world reality was based on technology and the logic of science. Knowledge relied on research and not the predictions of prophecies. Although spiritual beliefs did still provide moral guidance, it did not direct their laws.

  Separation of Church and State, Sera remembered.

  She must have been sent here as a scientist.

  "Well of course!" she shouted.

  Jerad lifted his head from Sera’s shoulder. "What is it?"

  "I was assigned to this mission because of my expertise. I’m supposed to be here."

  "I have already told you that." He nestled his bristly face against Sera’s neck. It tickled and she giggled, but recomposed herself immediately.

  "That means other travelers from my planet, Gaia as you call it, have been here. Otherwise, how would we know what language you speak?"

  "I have also already told you that." He readjusted his head on Sera’s shoulder while tightening his grasp around her waist.

  Sera felt hopeful now. They would come for her. In the meantime it looked as though she would learn to adapt to this new world until her rescuers arrived. She assumed her mission was to explore and gather information. The happenings of the last rises had at least proven fascinating given the extraordinary similarities to a more brutal and unsophisticated age of old which she knew existed centuries before in her planet’s history. Interesting to say the least, and linked somehow.

  Sera looked to the skies.

  But when would her rescuers come?

  Chapter Four

  They emerged from the thick foliage, and Sera was awestruck by the breathtaking view. They had come to the edge of a great crevasse, nearly two hundred feet across. Its walls dropped almost vertically from its threshold to a basin, about one hundred feet down. Then she noticed something peculiar. Along the opposite bank five solid stone columns, which appeared man-made, were embedded into the ravine wall. Every few minutes moderate volumes of water would gush from the spaces between. The structure appeared to be the makings of a drainage system. Sera’s interest in the world she was about to enter piqued, for it was obviously not as primitive as she originally suspected.

  Jerad instructed Sera to halt Dex. He moved in front of her and assumed control of the reins. His skin still scorched hot and the fever still had not passed, but Jerad sat upr
ight, fully awake, adrenaline surging through him with anticipation of the events to come.

  The trail led them to an area where the depth of the gorge began to shallow. The width too, narrowed to about fifty feet across. A wooden truss bridge gave them passage to the other side. The brushing of hooves against dirt shifted to a clippity-clop sound as horseshoes met wood. Sera attempted to squelch the nervousness that clung in her throat, pounded through her chest and plopped like stones in her stomach. She would soon meet Jerad’s people, and she had no idea what to expect.

  Two sentries stood at the far end of the bridge. On the upper left side of their vestments, they each wore a crest displaying the symbol and colours of the First Corridor. Neither device was embellished with a gold ring. They were unseasoned, but trained warriors. Sera stared curiously, noticing that one of the guards was a woman. In near unison they hailed Jerad with a raised fist, arm forward, and elbow bent to a right angle. Jerad slowed the charger’s stride to acknowledge them and returned the same greeting. They responded by slapping their fists to the opposite shoulder and bowed their heads. Jerad nodded as he yanked the reins to steer Dex setway.

  Sera marked his directions according to what she could best understand. The sun rises in the east--that would be riseward, and settles in the west--setway. He had also previously mentioned two other directions, seatrail--north. Likely there was an ocean or a large body of water in that direction, and landtrail--south. Zone Four, where Zoren had reigned, was located toward landtrail rise, or in other words southeast. Sera mused at what it would have been like to come to this place without understanding the language. The outcome could have been much different. She might have killed Jerad. Worse yet, he might have killed her.

  The marking of the First Corridor came into view rather quickly. A blue flag bearing an angled red bar garnished with a yellow rose and white rose stood perched atop a free-standing tower. The gold ring of honor pierced a petal on each bloom. The Tenth Zone’s coat of arms, identical to the one Sera had seen on the banner at the arch, was artistically crafted into the column of the turret, with an inset of square, mosaic stones.