“This was many generations ago,” she says, briefly closing her eyes. “All feared the Winterlands creatures and the chaos they brought, and so, when the Order’s power began to rise, we welcomed it. The Order brought the tribes together, and for a time, the tribes flourished, the gardens blossomed; in your world men were influenced, history was made. But still the Winterlands creatures rode, drawing more souls to their side. The Order sought to stop the threat by taking greater control.
“There were small concessions at first. Certain freedoms were denied, for our own good, we were told. Our own powers atrophied from lack of use. And the Order grew stronger.”
I interrupt. “I’m confused. I thought the Order was good, that the magic was good.”
“Power changes everything till it is difficult to say who are the heroes and who the villains,” she replies. “And magic itself is neither good nor bad; it is intent that makes it either.”
The castle hums with music and laughter. The light shining from the windows does not quite reach us. Gorgon and I sit in our pool of shadows.
“The discontent festered,” Gorgon continues after a pause. “There was a rebellion, every tribe fighting for its own survival without a care for the others. In the end, the Order won the day, but not without cost. They no longer allowed the tribes to draw magic from the runes. The creatures in your world were stranded there. And my people…” She trails off, her eyes closed tightly as if she is in pain. Long minutes pass with nothing but the music drifting from the castle.
“Your people were lost in the battle,” I say, because I can stand the silence from her no more.
Gorgon’s eyes are downcast. “No,” she says in a voice sadder than I have ever heard. “Some remained.”
“But…where are they? Where did they go?”
Gorgon lowers her great head, and the snakes hang like willow branches. “The Order meant to make an example of me.”
“Yes, I know. And so they imprisoned you in the ship and bound you to only tell truth to them.”
“True. But that was later, as punishment for my sin.”
A weight settles into my stomach, pulling it down. Gorgon has never told me this, and I am not certain I want to know it now.