The Gorgostone

by jediknigh5

6000 years ago, two armies fought for control of an area. One side tried to enlist Gorgos to help them destroy their enemies. But Gorgos could not be controlled, he ravaged the land. The two armies had to join forces to defeat him. They were able to contain Gorgos in a stone, and spit the stone into five pieces. What happened to those stones, therein lies our tale.

28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

.

Tifre loved Selencia, and Selencia loved Tifre. Those facts were not in dispute. But in this cold war between Faerun and Darokin, neither woman was officially allied with one side, but each seemed to lean to one side. Tifre had come to believe in the honor that Faerun preached, but Selencia believed in the freedom of Darokin. Each side had one piece of the Gorgostone, and until recently neither knew where the other three pieces were. But now, Selencia and Tifre each had one piece, and they both knew where the final piece was. Because neither side could trust the other with so many pieces, in theory Tifre and Selencia could make sure one side had three of the five stones. But which side would they ally with. One night, they came to argue about it.

.

Tifre: Faerun at least represents honor.

Selencia: Stealing infants from their parents. Yeah, real honorable.

Tifre: And what does Darokin represent? Vice, gambling, prostitution, drinking, adultery, gladiator games.

Selencia: All of which are the results of freedom. You give people the freedom to choose, inevitably some choose wrong.

Tifre: Another little freedom they have, the freedom to war with each other. How many times have the various principalities of Darokin been at war with each other? The villages of Faerun never war with each other.

Selencia: Because they're all too afraid of the Harpers.

Tifre: Would we even be able to be together in Darokin. Some of those principalities have a problem with two women, or two men, being together.

Selencia: That varies, some of the principalities allow same-sex marriage, in others we could be stones to death. Unless ofcourse we have money and power. The people who get stoned to death are almost always from the lowest social classes. Or they pick the wrong side in a coup. Which is another reason to ally with Darokin. High king Liam would give us great wealth for these stones. And with that, we could live out the rest of our lives together, in great comfort.

Tifre: Is that all that matters to you?

Selencia: It's a lot better than I ever thought I'd get. I'm a thief remember. Remember how we first met?

Tifre: I know you're a thief and a pirate, who betrayed her own crew, and an inferior knife fighter to me. If we ally with Darokin, and Liam has three stones, will Darokin not take more land from the Orks? Impose their will upon these other tribes?

Selencia: Are you really so naive to think that Faerun wouldn't use the Gorgostone to conquer the Trogolodites. At least Darokin doesn't claim that this conquest is "noble." I love you.

Tifre: I love you too.

Selencia: Unfortunately, maybe we're not meant to be together.

Tifre: Maybe not.

Selencia: I supposse there is one way to avoid war. If I go to Darokin, and you go to Faerun, than each side has two pieces. The two sides would again be equally matched.

Tifre: Except we know where the Hermit is.

Selencia: I don't think he's foolish enough to stay here.

Tifre: I'm not sure he cares anymore. Those caves have been his home for centuries, hard to leave that behind if you care about your own life. And I'd say he wants to die.

Selencia: You might be right. But neither the high king nor the Harpers know we encountered the hermit.

Tifre: So neither side knows for certain where the final piece of the Gorgostone is.

Selencia: How about we make a vow. We swear on, our love for each other, to never reveal where the hermit is. We take that secret to our graves.

Tifre: Okay, I swear on my love for you, that I will never tell the Harpers or anyone in Faerun where the Hermit and his piece of the Gorgostone are.

Selencia: I swear on my love for you, never to tell the high king or anyone on Darokin where the Hermit and his piece of the Gorgostone are.

.

The two women then shared what they knew was likely to be their final kiss, and went off in seperate directions. They knew that if either of them broke this vow, they would likely meet again as enemies. It was a vow made in all sincerity, out of their deep love for each other. But life often has a way of testing such vows. And some of these vows, even those made from love, do not pass such tests.