Chapter 13: Letter of the Law
"Bekka, you shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous; you'll get hurt," Corinn said.
"I just wanted to see you again, Corinn. What's happening? Why am I in danger?"
"Bekka, this is Kieriyu. He's a very powerful, very dangerous man."
"Why, I'm flattered, Corinn. I had know idea you thought so highly of me." Kieriyu smiled sarcastically.
"Shut up before I hurt you," Corinn said. "Maybe I can't kill you, but I can arrange for some very painful 'accidents'."
"Corinn, what are you talking about? You're scaring me!" Bekka said.
"I know, he scares me too, sometimes," Kieriyu said conversationally. "So you're Bekka? I've heard so much about you-"
"Leave her alone!" Corinn shouted.
"Why? Have I done anything to deserve such treatment?" Kieriyu asked innocently.
"Maybe you forgot about those threats if I didn't cooperate?" Corinn said sarcastically.
"Oh, yes, there is that. Ah, well. No hard feelings?"
"What is WRONG with you?!" Corinn shouted. "You insult me, threaten me, blackmail me, force me to come here, and NOW you think you can just forget it? Start over?" He paused and shook his head in disgust. "We're leaving. Come on, Bekka." He grabbed Bekka's arm and turned around, starting to walk away.
"You can't leave," Kieriyu said. "Or did you forget? Go against me, and you go against my friends. And you can't stop all of us, my dear Lord of Darkness."
Corinn hesitated and turned back around. "I'll...come back," he said, nearly shaking with rage. "Just...leave us alone for a while, okay?"
Much better... Kieriyu thought. But still...he's too devoted to that girl. I can't get him to focus on...unless...what if...Yes. That would work just beautifully. He smiled evilly. "Well, I suppose I can let you have a little time," he said nonchalantly. "Now that I think of it, I do have a few plans to attend to. I'll see you, then." He turned and left.
"Corinn, I've been so worried about you!" Bekka said as soon as Kieriyu was out of sight. "After you...after what happened...I didn't know if I'd ever see you again!"
"It's all right, Bekka. I'm...fine. Really."
"But-what about Kieriyu? What did you mean about him threatening you? I mean, you're, well, Darkness. How could he do anything to you?"
"Not me, not exactly," Corinn replied. "Look, it's not important. You're safe; that's all that matters. How did you find me here, anyway?"
"Oh..." Bekka said. "Well, I-I went with Jarith...We met this girl, who helped us. She said you were here, so I asked Jarith to take me here so I could see you."
"Well, how did she know where I was?"
"She said she was from the Guild of Shadows-"
"The Guild-They followed you, too? Bekka, what did she do to you? What did she say?"
"She didn't do anything, Corinn," Bekka said, frightened. "She just helped us, that's all. Helped me find you. Nothing else, I promise."
"Kieriyu is from the Guild of Shadows, Bekka," Corinn said. "He's been threatening your life to keep me under his control. I don't know how many people are helping him, or who they are...so I have know choice but to do what he says."
"I-I'm sorry, Corinn. I...don't know what to say...I guess that's why you were so mad...You scared me..."
"Don't worry about it, Bekka. There's nothing you can do." He paused, trying to think of something to say. Suddenly, he brightened. "I almost forgot!" he said. He walked back to the table he'd been sitting at and picked up the necklace he'd bought for Bekka. "It's for you," he said. "I hope you like it."
"I-it's beautiful, Corinn. Thank you," Bekka said. "So...what have you been doing here?"
"Not much," Corinn replied. "Thinking of you, planning to kill Jarith. That's about it."
"That's...nice..." Bekka said. Was Corinn always this...obsessive? she thought. I don't think so. He seems changed, or something. "Corinn, I've been thinking. Don't you think, maybe, we'd all be happier if you and Jarith could stop fighting? I mean, you wouldn't be in so much danger, and-"
"Jarith must die!" Corinn shouted. "How dare you-" He stopped suddenly. "I-I'm sorry, Bekka, I didn't mean to yell at you. I don't know what came over me. But I have to kill Jarith. You don't understand."
"Why, Corinn? If you and Jarith stopped fighting, then the Guild of Shadows wouldn't be mad at you anymore. And-and we could be together. You wouldn't have to worry about dying suddenly, or whatever."
"I have to kill Jarith. He stole the universe from me. I have to."
"No you don't, Corinn. Whoever wins, this universe will be destroyed. Do you really want that?"
"No, but I have to kill Jarith. I don't know why, Bekka, I just have to!" he shouted, slamming a fist down on a nearby table. He blinked, seemingly startled by his own violence. "I'm sorry, Bekka. I just-never mind. Forget it."
"It's all right, Corinn. Let's just forget about it for now, okay?" she said, smiling. Behind the smile, though, she was very worried. There's definitely something wrong here, she thought. But what? "So, ah, any reason you came to this planet?" she asked.
"Kieriyu told me to," Corinn said. "I don't know why."
"Oh. Kieriyu." She paused. "And you have no idea why?"
"None at all. Why do you ask?"
"I-I don't trust him, Corinn. I think he's up to something. Arysta-" She paused, not sure if she should mention Arysta again, but decided that Corinn should know. "Arysta told me that he's from a group in the Guild of Shadows that wants to conserve the universe by destroying you and Jarith, both. I'm worried-what if-"
Corinn laughed. "Don't worry about something so silly, Bekka. I am invincible. No normal person could kill me. Not even the entire Guild of Shadows, no matter how many of them there are. Jarith is my only rival. And even he will never defeat me."
"Well, if you're sure, I guess I have nothing to worry about," Bekka said. "But still-"
"Oh, Corinn!" Kieriyu called, returning. "I'm back, did you miss me?"
"Shut up, Kieriyu," Corinn said. "I may have to follow your orders, but I don't have to listen to your idiotic comments."
"Be nice," Kieriyu said. "You wouldn't want us to fight in front of your girlfriend here."
"Can't you just leave us alone?" Corinn growled.
"No. You've talked with Bekka enough for today. We're leaving now."
"But-"
"Lord of Darkness." Kieriyu said. "You are coming with me now." He looked sideways at Bekka. "Or do I need to remind you-"
"No! I'm coming," Corinn said. "I-I'll see you...sometime, Bekka."
"Good-bye, Corinn," Bekka said. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Right," he said, as Kieriyu pulled him away.
"Well, I hope you're happy," Kieriyu muttered to Corinn.
"Why do you care?" Corinn asked. "All you're trying to do is mess up my plans. I don't know what you think you're doing, but I wish you'd just get it over with."
"It'll be over sooner than you think," Kieriyu said darkly. Just a little more time, a little more Power, and he'll be completely obsessed with killing Jarith. If I can just get him to forget about Bekka... "You can trust me..."
Bekka met Jarith and Arysta back at the Veredun Palace.
"I think something's wrong with Corinn," she said as soon as she materialized. "He's acting strange."
"He's always been strange," Jarith said.
"Jarith! This is serious!" Bekka said. "He was really weird. One minute he was perfectly fine and nice, and as soon as I mentioned Jarith, he went...crazy, kind of. He's almost...obsessed with the idea of killing Jarith. He doesn't even seem to have a reason anymore."
"He's always wanted to kill me, Bekka," Jarith said. "How is this any different?"
"He wasn't like this when I met him, Jarith," Bekka said. "Think about it. The whole time I've known you, he's had more fun annoying you than seriously trying to kill you. Except for that time on his planet...but even then, you said that was pretty strange. I think something's really wrong with him."
"Was Kieriyu there?" Arysta asked.
"Yes-and he's threatening Corinn to make him follow his orders. Corinn doesn't know why."
"Threatening Corinn?" Jarith asked. "How?"
"Even one from the Guild of Shadows hardly has the kind of power to threaten the Lord of Darkness, Bekka," Arysta said.
"Well, he's not exactly threatening Corinn, he's threatening me," Bekka said. "I don't know what he told Corinn, but Corinn said that Kieriyu's been threatening my life if Corinn doesn't cooperate."
"He's what?!" Jarith said. "How dare he?"
"Calm down, Jarith. He hasn't done anything. I'm fine," Bekka said.
"This is serious," Arysta said. "I don't know what Kieriyu's planning, but it can't be good. If he has the Lord of Darkness under his control, he could do almost anything." She turned to Jarith. "Is there anything in your contract about something like this?"
"I'm not sure..." A long scroll appeared in Jarith's hand. "Mm...Oh. Kzaka," he muttered. "If Corinn is under Kieriyu's control, that could qualify Kieriyu as a Witness, and if Corinn writes him into the contract..."
"And what?" Bekka asked. "Wasn't that what I was?"
"Well, yes...but we didn't quite tell you everything. The whole Witness thing started as a provision in cases like you, a neutral third party who one of us doesn't want to see hurt. Kieriyu's a third party, he could be called neutral, and if Corinn's under his control, it's probably in Corinn's interest for Kieriyu not to be hurt."
"So what's the problem?" Bekka asked.
"The problem is the part we didn't tell you. We don't, usually, because it's dangerous. Someone appointed as a Witness can legally control most of the universe's power, if they ask for it before they're completely written into the contract--and legally, neither one of us can deny their request. They can only use the power once, though, and for one of two reasons--to forget everything they know about us after the battle, or to acheive their greatest desire."
"Their greatest...Oh. Oh, no," Bekka said, as realization dawned. "Then Kieriyu would want for both of you to be destroyed forever, and if Corinn is completely obsessed with killing you, he'd never notice that this could happen."
"I fear that you're right," Arysta said. "They could have been planning this for decades, centuries even-and now, the instant that either one of you has a weakness, Kieriyu has made his move."
"So what can we do?" asked Bekka. "Arysta, Jarith, do either of you know what's wrong with Corinn?"
"You say he's not usually this obsessive?" Arysta asked.
"Not for several million lifetimes," Jarith said. "Of course, he was pretty mad at the beginning of the universe, but that was a while ago."
"Right," Arysta said. "It could be Kieriyu, then. You've seen some of my powers-shields, teleportation. Kieriyu uses the Power differently. He has developed a talent to affect people's minds and thoughts. If I had to guess, I would say that Kieriyu is trying to bend Corinn toward a complete obsession with killing Jarith."
"Then why isn't Corinn completely obsessed yet? He seemed normal sometimes, just, whenever I mentioned Jarith, he went crazy."
"Did he seem...subservient to Kieriyu?" Arysta asked.
"No, not at all. He threatened to kill Kieriyu if anything happened to me."
"If anything happened to you..." Jarith repeated. "You. Bekka, you must be the one thing keeping him sane."
"What? ME? But that-"
"Makes perfect sense," Arysta said. "Obviously, Corinn cares for you enough that he would do anything Kieriyu asks to keep you safe. Enough that you are more important to him than killing Jarith, no matter what Kieriyu does to him. If Kieriyu realizes this, you may be in great danger, Bekka."
"Me. Heh," Bekka laughed nervously, her eyes wide with shock. "Really."
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