Corik's Study on the Origin of the Children (Closed)

[Arinth]

Corik sat outside on a bench in the courtyard. The newly risen sun shown down on him from behind, casting his shadow out in front of himself. A gentle breeze stirred his red hair. He did not notice, his focus was on the book he held, unopened, in his hand.

 

Most mornings were spent in training. To know the sword had been something he had always thirsted for. It motivated him and his dedication had been rewarded. He was far from a blademaster but he knew how to fight. He was no easy opponent and he would only get better.

 

The philosophy of the Children of the Light was something that some spent more time on than others. In Corik’s eyes it was simple. Aes Sedai, dragonsworn, bandits, thieves, and those that opposed the children were all darkfriends. It was his job to find them and deal with them. It was unavoidable. The light could not live in harmony with the darkness. One or the other would prevail and the other would fail.

 

While his superiors did not necessarily disagree they desired Corik to have a deeper knowledge of the Children. It was because of this that he held a book in his hands instead of his sword. Lothair Mantelar, he had known the name of their founder but little about his life.

He opened the book and began reading about a time before the children when the world was torn with war and an order of priests emerged known as The Light.

[Arinth]

Corik closed the book angrily and set it down next to him on the bench. He realized his hands were clenched in fists of rage but he could not relax them. He stood to his feet and began pacing back and forth. The death of Lothair Mantelar hit him like it was someone that he had known.

 

There had always been a sliver of doubt about the Aes Sedai. They wielded the one power but at least in the open they appeared to do good things. They healed people for example. Maybe the children had been wrong about the Aes Sedai he had thought. Now he knew. The Aes Sedai were no better. To deny shelter to the children was the same as murdering them themselves. Their vows were a joke. Nothing more than a publicity stunt to try and keep in the good graces of the people. They knew how to lie, they knew how to get around their vows. The death of Lothair Mantelar was proof of that.

 

The day began to get warmer as the morning sun rose higher in the sky. Corik stood in its light, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had been ignorant and in the dark but now he was enlightened.

[Arinth]

Corik stood with his feet planted solidly on the ground. He was not a big man, but he felt unmovable. He felt the resolution of his convictions harden inside. The doubts he had secretly carried before vanishing like mist in the sunlight. He had believed that the Children were right of course. That had never been in doubt but had not been completely convinced of others in the world who sought to do good jut not with the same method the Children of the Light employed.

Appearances were deceiving though. There was good in the world. There was also evil. Some evil was obvious, so obvious that anyone could recognize it. Murder, robbery, and corruption were all things men condemned in the open. Evil was deceitful though. Some evil wore the appearance of good. Its words twisted the truth and confused those with good intentions. Aes Sedai were the masters. Their “oaths” bound them to not lie. It did not stop them from deceiving. That was evil. They sought power. They sought to control the world.

He had known before that he stood against the darkness. He had always been committed to fighting the dark one. He now knew that the less obvious forms of evil were no less evil. In some ways they were even more evil for the way in which they deceived those who sought no evil. He would fight the dark one and his evil in all its forms. He would fight the Aes Sedai.