The Guild Book I - 11. Chapter 11

"Prelate Lorien... we have found the upstart!" Star General Felix bowed.

"Where is this would be Prelate." Lorien said calmly while his eyes turned hard.

"On Wor my lord."

"Good... find his counterpart and kill him."

"My lord I must warn you... this Prelate is a wild one."

"Ahh... grown too big for his breeches... That should make your task easier."

"Nay my lord."

"And why not?"

"He has Protectors... thousands of them."

"Wait a minute... you mean he already has the power to name his own Protectors?"

"Yes my lord."

For a brief moment Lorien could not prevent a look of panic from coloring his face. He recovered quickly however. "Star General Felix... you are not dealing with a Prelate but an Abomination... a plague that poses a risk not just to my Prelacy but to the Void itself. You must therefore find... not kill... but find the counterpart and bring him here. I can not stress how important it is to keep the counterpart alive. His life is now more valuable then yours... of the entire armada... of myself even. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes my lord." The Star General bowed deeper.

"To make sure my orders are obeyed in this... I will be sending my own counterpart with you."

"My lord!" Felix said shocked. For centuries no man or woman had eyed the Prelate's mate. To have the counterpart on his flagship filled Felix with both honor and dread for it told him clearer then anything the seriousness of the situation.

Kentor Drall... counterpart to the Lorien XXII let out a deep sigh as he boarded the Guild war-liner. Not since the day his lover had taken the Guild Throne had he traveled through the Void... having been hidden away like every counterpart before him least an assassin's blade end his life.

Still, Kentor had no regrets. No major one's at least. Yes he would not have minded more freedom... but that was only a minor sacrifice. By remaining safe he kept his lover safe. Now however, with the crisis at hand, Kentor was heading into danger... a danger that might cost him everything.

"My lord." Star General Felix went to one knee when Kentor, his face covered by a mother of pearl mask, arrived on the bridge.

"Please rise... I am not the Prelate after all."

"No... you are his counterpart." Felix said with deep reverence as he bowed lower.

Kentor let out another sigh. He could not understand why the people loved him. He had never done anything to earn their respect. But such had been the case with all counterparts... they received the peoples love while the Prelates were feared. To Kentor that was completely unfair.

Led by the Star General to his own quarters, Kentor prepared himself for want needed to be done. Entering the room, he took off his mother of pearl mask, freeing his long locks of blond hair. He then turned his white on white eyes on the general, waving him over with a beckoning hand.

"Come to me Felix. Come."

Stunned the general took several slow steps forward, till he was within arms reach of the Prelate's counterpart. Kentor reached over and removed Felix's mask, revealing the gape mouth, and hopeful eyes of a man consumed by desire.

Letting just the tip of his fingers brush Felix's face, Kentor listened to the near musical moan the general gave. "Your skin is so cold general... shall I warm you?"

"Yes." Felix stammered as tears of joy ran down his face.

Kentor then turned around letting the belt around his waist fall to the floor, allowing him to open up his robe, revealing the hard body underneath. "Come general." Kentor beckoned again as he walked slowly to the bed.

Taking a deep breath, his fingers busy working on the buttons of his uniform, Felix followed the man who was the object of every Guild man's love and secret lust.

With the act done... the Prelate's counterpart left the sleeping general, secure in knowing that Felix would do whatever he wanted... his hold of love stronger than that of the fear of ten Prelates.

On a world as vast as Wor... there were many places Joshua could hide... but none was a fair as the Falls of Terran. Hiding their repaired assault ship behind one of the dozen waterfalls that poured off the two hundred foot high cliffs the three young men began to relax after weeks of tension.

This break gave a chance for many things to happen... not the least of them being the love growing between the three of them. Their love making was often and always intense... each one aching for the other's touch.

On the third week since they had come to the falls, Joshua woke as he had since coming here... in the middle between Austin and Thomas, their bodies clinging to his own. This time though they were not alone.

"Joshua... Joshua..." A ghostly voice spoke.

Looking up Joshua saw a man dressed in black robes his face covered with a black obsidian mask. Or at least he thought he saw... for while the man was as black as midnight, Joshua could almost see through him.

"Who are you?" Joshua said as he stood up, shaking his lovers awake.

The Ghost reached up and removed his mask... revealing a youthful face that was strangely familiar. "I am not surprised that you do not recognize me beloved."

"Gerick..." Joshua said in a faint whisper, the shock of the realization stealing the power from his voice. "How did you find me?"

"Joshua who are you talking to." Thomas asked sleepily.

"I have not found you... not yet at least. What you are seeing is only in your mind. "

"How?" Joshua mentally sent out.

"How indeed," The Gerick chuckled. "It is simple really... twenty thousand birth kin are now bonded to me... my power... your power is therefore that much greater. So is my hunger beloved."

"Please... please give the power you took back to Vard." Joshua begged.

"No Joshua... I will not... not unless you consent to becoming my counterpart."

"No... my heart belongs to Vard."

"A man you have never met! Are you saying you feel nothing for me?"

Joshua took a few steps back from the apparition. He could feel Gerick's hunger for him... his unquenchable love. It called out to him.

Sensing Joshua's resolve to resist him weakening Gerick pressed on. "Tell me Joshua... tell me where you are and I will come for you. Only I now can give you what you hunger for."

"I... I'm..." Joshua stammered as he tired to deny the power of Gerick formidable will.

"Joshua tell me and I will come for you myself... my arms will embrace you, my body make love to you, my soul fuse with your own."

Joshua tried to fight Gerick's voice but it was too strong... too compelling... Joshua's need to be in the arms of a Prelate too great. "The Falls of Terran!" He finally shouted.

"Thank you Joshua... I will be with you soon." Gerick's ghost smiles as he faded away.

"Joshua?" Thomas asked as he put an arm on his birth kin's bare shoulder.

Thomas's touch shook Joshua back to reality... the consequences of what he had just done hitting him like a ton of bricks. "We need to go."

"Go where and why were you shouting?" Austin asked.

"Gerick knows where we are!"

"How is that possible?" Thomas said confused.

"I told him." Joshua said as tears ran down his eyes.

"What! Why did you do that?"

"He made me!" Joshua shouted as fear grew inside him.

"Joshua... oh Joshua..." Came a man's voice from deeper in the cave.

"Gerick!" Joshua screamed as he started running in the opposite direction.

"Joshua... oh Joshua..." Gerick's voice came closer.

For a brief moment Thomas and Austin just stared at each other in shock. Then Thomas spoke. "Go... I will hold him off."

"But?" Austin protested.

"Do I know how to pilot the ship? No I don't. All I am is a silly nobleman, so go!"

"Thomas..."

"Go I said!"

Austin gave Thomas a final look before running after Joshua screams.

Once alone Thomas picked up a gun and hid himself behind one of the cave's boulders. Then he heard Gerick's voice. "Ahhh Thomas... so you have decided to come back to me. Come to me my birth kin."

"You are not my birth kin!"

"No..." Gerick's voice came closer. "Are you not Joshua's birth kin?"

"What does that have to do with it?" Thomas shouted... already he could feel his resolve weakening.

"When I took Vard's power I took his bond to Joshua, I took his position as Prelate. On that day I was reborn..." Gerick said as he finally appeared from the shadows... looking as young as any 21 year old."

"How can this be?" Thomas whispered as the gun shook in his hands.

"As I said... I have been reborn... my power as a Prelate restored. Only one thing is missing... my counterpart."

"But Joshua does not want to be your counterpart... he wants to be with Vard."

"Joshua is still a child who does not know what is good for him Thomas... we both know that. I can give him... and you so much more than that barbarian can."

"I..." Thomas struggled. He could feel the man's power radiating from him... calling out to him.

Gerick was now only five feet away from Thomas. "Am I not your hero Thomas... did you not enjoy our lessons together? Does your body not desire for my touch?"

Thomas, tears running down his face let his gun fall to the stone floor. Within a blink of an eye he was in Gerick's arms... the Prelate taking the young man's lips into his mouth. "I'm sorry Joshua. I'm sorry." Thomas sighed as he willingly surrendered himself to Gerick's will.

An hour after racing away from Falls of Terran, Austin put the ship onto autopilot and went to the passenger quarters where Joshua was still in shock.

"Joshua... are you going to be ok?"

"It's all my fault. I couldn't keep him out of my head."

"Joshua... we both know what Gerick is. He is a Prelate... no man... not even a counterpart can deny him what he wants."

"But Thomas... he has Thomas now."

"I know... why you think he stayed behind though. I think a part of him wanted to be captured. Thomas has been in love with Gerick ever since he was a child. Trust me Joshua... it is better this way."

"Where will we go now?" Joshua asked, changing the subject.

"Well we can't stay here in the free states. That only leaves the lands under the control of Prime Minister Torar or the Guild and its allies. To be honest I don't trust either one of them."

"Toran killed my mother."

"So shall we go to the Guild?"

"Gerick said they want me dead too."

"Well Joshua we have to go somewhere."

"Come to us Joshua... come to us." Joshua heard both Gerick and Thomas's voices in his head.

Frustrated, Joshua closed his eyes. "Everyone wants me dead by Gerick."

"Joshua... he would keep you safe." Austin agreed.

"I don't know what to do Austin."

"Neither do I."

"I wish Vard was here. He would know what to do."

"I could go to and ask him but that would leave you defenseless."

"With so many people hunting us... I don't think it will make much of a difference."

"Very well." Austin nodded as he took Joshua's hands in his, using the key to open the door to the Void.

Vard looked across the bow of the ship. It had been a hard and long search but with the help of the twins and Broken Claw he had gathered enough birth kin to man a ship to take him across the great sea.

"Vard..." Broken Claw shouted as he ran to his clan chief's side.

"Yes beloved." Vard replied as he gave the red head man a welcoming kiss.

"He's back?"

"Who... Austin?"

"Yes Vard..." he appeared out of nowhere inside your cabin while White Cloud and I were..."

"Ahhh I see." Vard chuckled. "And how is your bride?"

"She was a little surprised." Broken Claw laughed.

"After all we have done together she can still be embarrassed."

"Seems so."

"Let us go what Austin has to say this time."

Arriving below deck Vard found both White Cloud and Austin beet red in embarrassment. "It is good to see you again Austin." Vard chuckled as he reached over and kiss the man deeply."

"Keep doing that and I might come by more often." Austin laughed.

"I would be more than happy to accommodate you with that." Vard grinned... he was actually becoming quite fond of wiry young man.

"Unfortunately I can not stay very long."

"Is something the matter?" Broken Claw asked.

"Yes... Joshua is running out of places to hide. Too many people are hunting for him."

"So why are you here and not protecting him?"

"Joshua needs your advice...and I am afraid your forgiveness."

"Why would Joshua need my forgiveness?"

"There is only one person on Wor who can protect Joshua from those who wish him harm... Gerick."

"That might be but who would then protect Joshua from Gerick's madness."

"There is more...one of the birth kin... a man who is close to both Joshua and myself has fallen under Gerick's spell."

"You both wish to save this man?"

"Yes."

"Then tell Joshua he has no choice, he must do what he has to do not just for his safety but for his friend as well." Vard answered.

"Thank you Vard... you are a good man."

"I am a man in love... nothing more. I am willing to sacrifice everything to keep Joshua safe. But tell me... what are Joshua's feelings for Gerick?

"When Gerick took your power he also gained your bond to Joshua. Gerick is also a Prelate... Joshua's other half... So yes... while Joshua is frightened by Gerick he is also drawn to him. Never doubt his love for you however."

Being so near a man who so close and loved by his Joshua... Vard could not stop the old hunger from growing in him again. "And what are your feelings for me?"

"You are my Prelate."

"I see..." Vard smiled... pleased. "The next time you come we will have to explore this more."

The look of hope and expectation that grew on Austin's face sent a shiver down Vard spine. "Why do I have this effect on people? How can I control it? Can I stop myself from becoming a monster again?"

He did not get his answer.