Wayland
Chapter 1
"Syn," a voice called. "Hey, Syndic!"
Syndic McHugh stood in the sun meditating. Her voice permeated his thoughts for a moment and he began to return from his trance. Syndic could hear Celina breathing heavily behind him.
He slowly opened his eyes, and blinked several times. Glancing at Celina, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
She favored him with a wry look. "Playing Seoul's little baby again, huh?" Receiving no answer, she shook her head. "That buffoon's always pressuring you."
Syndic glared at her. Celina Torve stood, her head cocked slightly to her left. Although he had grown up with Celina his entire life, sometimes he wondered if he really knew her.
"Seoul's always been good to me," he answered, lamely. Syndic never had been able to defend himself very well. "And you shooting your mouth off about it doesn't help much."
A look of disgust passed over Celina's face as her mouth dropped open.
"Really, that wasn't nice. Why do you feel like you owe him so much?" Her voice was exasperated, as though she had asked him this many times before.
"He raised me, he took care of me. He didn't have to, he just did it to be nice."
Celina snorted. "Sure, because Thor told him to."
Syndic sensed an opportunity to shift the attention. Placing his hands on his hips, he posed a question of his own. "What've you got against Thor?"
Celina's face was stony. "There is no Thor, Syn. There never was. They've been lying to you. Seoul's been stringing you along like a-"
Syndic broke in, his voice furious. "HE-WAS-THE-ONLY-FATHER-I-EVER-HAD!" That was it. Syndic couldn't take it anymore. He slumped down onto the grass.
Celina kneeled beside him. "Syn, what's wrong? Something's wrong and you're not telling me."
Syndic turned onto his side, away from her. "Seoul's gone," he said, meekly.
Celina was confused. "Gone, what do you mean, gone?"
"He left. Went to talk to Gruthal, packed his bags, and left. He didn't even say goodbye."
"I'm so sorry." Celina caressed his cheek for a moment, then stood. "No, I'm not sorry. I'm glad he's gone. He was a bad influence."
Syndic whirled to face her. "I knew it. I knew you wouldn't care. One less person breathing down your neck."
"No, its not that. Syn, it truly is corrupted."
"Hogwash. There's no evil in the order. Do you think I'd still be here? I owe the church something. I don't owe them accusations."
Celina shuffled her feet. Looking up, "I was afraid of this. Syn, they've already brainwashed you too."
Syndic rolled his eyes.
Celina looked pleading. "It's not to late, Syn. Come with me and we can put a stop to them, to Thor. Don't let them do this to you. It's not right."
"If anyone is brainwashed, Celina, it's you. You've never payed attention to Thor, never given my religion a chance."
"Don't you see, though. Now that that old coot is out of the way, you can give a chance to my beliefs. Why should I give you that benefit when you're wrong?"
"Something called trust, Celina," Syndic snarled, his voice getting louder. "You know I could use the same argument against you."
"Syndic, please."
"We have nothing to discuss."
"Syndic, its not too late."
"Yes it is. I've chosen my path. Don't try to mess it up. Since when do you have that authority?"
Celina's demeanor became frostier by degreed. "Since when? Since when do I have the authority to advise my friends? You have a strange sense of friendship." She stepped up to him, only about a foot away. "I'm sorry, Syndic," she said, still furious. "I have no choice." She kissed him full on the mouth, embracing him as she did so. "That's for our years together," she declared. Then, she swung at him, hard. He fell to the ground.
"And that's for all the years to come. I hope you die, you son-of-a-bitch."
Chapter 1
"Syn," a voice called. "Hey, Syndic!"
Syndic McHugh stood in the sun meditating. Her voice permeated his thoughts for a moment and he began to return from his trance. Syndic could hear Celina breathing heavily behind him.
He slowly opened his eyes, and blinked several times. Glancing at Celina, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
She favored him with a wry look. "Playing Seoul's little baby again, huh?" Receiving no answer, she shook her head. "That buffoon's always pressuring you."
Syndic glared at her. Celina Torve stood, her head cocked slightly to her left. Although he had grown up with Celina his entire life, sometimes he wondered if he really knew her.
"Seoul's always been good to me," he answered, lamely. Syndic never had been able to defend himself very well. "And you shooting your mouth off about it doesn't help much."
A look of disgust passed over Celina's face as her mouth dropped open.
"Really, that wasn't nice. Why do you feel like you owe him so much?" Her voice was exasperated, as though she had asked him this many times before.
"He raised me, he took care of me. He didn't have to, he just did it to be nice."
Celina snorted. "Sure, because Thor told him to."
Syndic sensed an opportunity to shift the attention. Placing his hands on his hips, he posed a question of his own. "What've you got against Thor?"
Celina's face was stony. "There is no Thor, Syn. There never was. They've been lying to you. Seoul's been stringing you along like a-"
Syndic broke in, his voice furious. "HE-WAS-THE-ONLY-FATHER-I-EVER-HAD!" That was it. Syndic couldn't take it anymore. He slumped down onto the grass.
Celina kneeled beside him. "Syn, what's wrong? Something's wrong and you're not telling me."
Syndic turned onto his side, away from her. "Seoul's gone," he said, meekly.
Celina was confused. "Gone, what do you mean, gone?"
"He left. Went to talk to Gruthal, packed his bags, and left. He didn't even say goodbye."
"I'm so sorry." Celina caressed his cheek for a moment, then stood. "No, I'm not sorry. I'm glad he's gone. He was a bad influence."
Syndic whirled to face her. "I knew it. I knew you wouldn't care. One less person breathing down your neck."
"No, its not that. Syn, it truly is corrupted."
"Hogwash. There's no evil in the order. Do you think I'd still be here? I owe the church something. I don't owe them accusations."
Celina shuffled her feet. Looking up, "I was afraid of this. Syn, they've already brainwashed you too."
Syndic rolled his eyes.
Celina looked pleading. "It's not to late, Syn. Come with me and we can put a stop to them, to Thor. Don't let them do this to you. It's not right."
"If anyone is brainwashed, Celina, it's you. You've never payed attention to Thor, never given my religion a chance."
"Don't you see, though. Now that that old coot is out of the way, you can give a chance to my beliefs. Why should I give you that benefit when you're wrong?"
"Something called trust, Celina," Syndic snarled, his voice getting louder. "You know I could use the same argument against you."
"Syndic, please."
"We have nothing to discuss."
"Syndic, its not too late."
"Yes it is. I've chosen my path. Don't try to mess it up. Since when do you have that authority?"
Celina's demeanor became frostier by degreed. "Since when? Since when do I have the authority to advise my friends? You have a strange sense of friendship." She stepped up to him, only about a foot away. "I'm sorry, Syndic," she said, still furious. "I have no choice." She kissed him full on the mouth, embracing him as she did so. "That's for our years together," she declared. Then, she swung at him, hard. He fell to the ground.
"And that's for all the years to come. I hope you die, you son-of-a-bitch."