Clouded Purity - Book 2 of The Trial

Clouded Purity - Chapter 1

He felt whole, yet also insubstantial. Of course, he often felt insubstantial in the presence of this woman. In his youth, Ghayle had been a whisper of power, spoken of as 'a dark goddess who ruled only the more primal Gor hidden in the forests' depths. He hadn't even known about Ghayle until a Gor friend made mention of her.

When he'd first learned she was real and not a mythical figure, his entire worldview came into question. She'd changed everything for him, healing wounds the demons had caused deep inside him.

"Unfortunate because you don't want me here, or unfortunate because it is undetermined?" Prism asked, after his personal inspection.

"Always asking questions . . ." Ghayle said fondly, turned, and walked toward a narrow trail in the underbrush, motioning for Prism to follow her. He dutifully attended her, and they walked in silence for a moment before Ghayle continued. "I often thought you might be the One."

"The One?" Prism asked.

"It's time we discussed what's really going on," Ghayle said, stopping beside a mossy log and sitting, patting the spot next to her. He sat and gave her his undivided attention, as she added, "There's something you need to know about the demons, and what happened eight centuries ago."

She lifted her hand to Prism's face, and her white veins pulsed with a brilliant flash, transporting Prism across the eons to another time and place.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ceaseless wind assaulted the two figures on the mountain. Every mile travelled freed a few dozen more strands from Tagren's carefully braided grey hair, but he dutifully brushed them back from his face and tucked them behind his ears. His hair was only a mild nuisance compared to the profound weight on his heart.

Tagren worried about Ghayle more with every step up the mountain. Each passing century had grown increasingly more difficult for her, and in the last decade her pain had escalated. Yet she ascended with determination, despite grimacing with every step.

Whenever she would pause to rest, Tagren would spare a moment to glance out across the vast wilderness surrounding them. They were in the heart of the Dobrag, one of few remaining stretches of untapped natural beauty. Only the Gor and occasional Elroks visited this remote region, especially now in midwinter.

Ice and snow on the mountain slopes above gave reason enough to avoid the place. Avalanches were common in the Dobrag, just as violent blizzards ripped through the forests and tundra below the great mountains. Only a fool would venture this far into such a treacherous landscape.

A fool or a god.

Ghayle let out a pained sigh, signaling she needed rest again. Tagren dashed to her side, supporting her arm as he lowered her to a large boulder. He stood vigilant with complete devotion and adoration. She'd only grown more beautiful over the millennia they'd spent together. Her physical appearance had remained the same, though her eyes had accumulated more wisdom than any mortal could hope to acquire in their short life spans.

Her sharp mind captivated him when they'd first met nearly four thousand years earlier, at the banks of the sacred river. She'd been a young woman then, and he was nothing more than an apprentice fisherman who'd traveled too far downstream. She was a Gor, and he a human, and somehow the fates had allowed them to find eternity together despite prejudices between their peoples. He'd put much more stock in faith since then, even when it led him here.

"It won't be much farther," Ghayle said quietly, glancing up the slopes. "The air is starting to thin a bit, making it more difficult."

Tagren grimaced and followed her eyes upward. "We should've brought more attendants. I am still willing to carry you the rest of the way, if you'd only—"