Mist of Shadows
patreon
Dawn and Reincarnation Part 27
🕑 Added 2019-09-16 23:51:36 +0000 UTCDawn smiled coldly as she slipped out of the shadows and cut off the guard’s head that was standing in front of an inn, thankfully the Seanchan didn't use locals for guarding anything important or she might have felt worse about killing him. She pivoted and cut down the other guard before he’d even realized there was a problem then walked into the inn that had been converted to a holding area for captured channelers.
“You have been charged with kidnapping and murder, drop your weapons and you will be given a trial…” she trailed off as one of the sul’dam in the room directed a damane to try to wrap her in bands of air. “I’m going to assume that’s a no?” Dawn asked as she shut the door with her heel then wove an inverted bar of air across the door to keep people from coming to help or fleeing.
“Who are you to demand anything?” the sul’dam asked as the three guards charged Dawn.
“I am Dawn Marie al’Thor, Queen of the Emerald Isle and daughter of Tigraine Mantear,” Dawn replied as she casually cut the three guards apart with her sword while the damane tried various ways to kill her.
“What are you!” the sul’dam demanded in horror as she watched the weaves fade and vanish as they touched the shadow covered girl.
Dawn wove two inverted shields over the channelers then tied them off. “I’m a girl saying, you will not take my land. I am a girl saying you will not have my sister or mother or friend or even that bitch down the street that I hate. I am a thousand things to a thousand people. Mostly, I am a daughter of Manetheren, my country died so her people could live free. I will not allow your diseased empire to come back after a thousand years and claim land that was never truly theirs.”
“You won’t get away with this,” the sul’dam claimed defiantly.
“Really? You’re going to stop me?” Dawn asked as she caught the knife a guard had tossed at her from the stairs then tossed it back hard enough to impale the blade up to the hilt in his skull, killing him instantly. “Maybe her,” she said as she pointed to another pair of channelers that were trying to burn her with weaves of fire from the kitchen. She reached out and shielded the pair of channelers then pulled them over to stand next to the other channelers using inverted weaves to keep the illusion that she couldn’t channel.
“I guess not, maybe the man with the sword?” Dawn asked then reached out with an inverted thread of razor sharp air and cut his head off. She smiled at the sul’dam as his head slid off his neck and hit the floor as he collapsed. “I guess not.”
The sul’dam stared in disbelief as one of the guards rushing out from the kitchen managed to hit Dawn in the side of the head with an arrow only for the arrow to shatter. “What are you?”
Dawn wove an inverted weave to cause her voice to twist and take on an echoing and unnatural quality. “I am Dawn al’Thor, Queen of the Emerald Isle and daughter of Manetheren. I will not be stopped, I will not be destroyed until your empire flees my lands or turns to ash! I will kill every single one of your degenerate nobles and shatter your empire such that it never returns!”
Dawn walked forward the cut through the man’s sword and arm then stabbed him through the chest, rather happy that her ring boosted her physical abilities. “He should have worn better armor.”
“You can’t hope to beat the empire!” the second sul’dam declared defiantly.
“I don’t think you really understand,” Dawn drew a knife and tossed it into the eye of a guard coming down the stairs holding a glowing servant girl as a human shield. She used a thread of inverted air to catch the twelve year old then hauled her over to one of the chairs and bound her in threads of air so that she couldn’t run off. “What you’re facing.”
“You can’t understand the might the Empire!” exclaimed a fat sul’dam as she dragged an ageless Aes Sedai down the stairs by a leash.
Dawn laughed as a large group of ten sul’dam and twenty damane, some of which were Aes Sedai judging by the ageless faces, walked out of the kitchen like they owned the world, having taken the back stairs. “Do you honestly think I care how many damane you bring to the fight?” she asked as she drew on her bracelet angreal, split her threads and wove five inverted shields.
“You’re going to die,” one of the sul’dam said.
“No one lives forever,” Dawn said as she shielded the first five sul’dam then did the same for the rest. “The problem with wearing a leash is the damane can’t channel unless you can.”
“Release us,” one of the Aes Sedai ordered.
Dawn ignored the Aes Sedai’s demand as she chained the sul’dam together with chains of inverted air. “Are there more damane here?”
“No,” one of the other Aes Sedai said after glancing at the other two sul’dam. “The rest of the sul’dam are wandering around the town.”
The sul’dam that held the Aes Sedai’s leash snapped, “You’ll pay for this… why aren’t you screaming?”
Dawn snorted. “One of the nasty little secrets of the empire is that sul’dam can learn to channel while damane have the spark. You’re currently shielded which means you can’t access the source or form the required link to cause pain.” She winced as one of the Aes Sedai punched one of the sul’dam in the head and they both fell to the floor. “Of course the basic functions still work.”
“You could have said that before,” one of the other Aes Sedai snapped.
“Would you have believed me?” Dawn asked sarcastically as she walked over and shut the kitchen door. She pulled out her key and put it in the lock then opened a portal to her island. “You can either walk or I can drag you.”
“We’re not going anywhere with you!” snapped one of the sul’dam then spit at Dawn.
Dawn sidestepped the spit then walked over, grabbed the sul’dam’s wrist that had spit at her and unhooked the bracelet.
Most of the Aes Sedai stared at the door with undisguised greed while several managed to hide their greed. “Where did you find that?” one of the Aes Sedai asked.
Dawn ignored the woman’s question as she reached over and unhooked the leash around the Aes Sedai’s neck then leashed the sul’dam. “My patience for Seanchan shit is gone.” She handed the bracelet to the Aes Sedai. “Put the bracelet on and make her scream, everything she’s ever done to you, everything you ever wanted to do to the Mistress of Novices, here’s your chance, make her scream.”
“You can’t actually expect the bracelet to-” the sul’dam cut off with a scream as her entire body felt like she’d just been stabbed with knives.
Dawn glared at the group of Aes Sedai and sul’dam as she waited for the woman’s screams to stop. “My patience for Aes Sedai shit, is only slightly above Seanchan shit.”
“You obviously have ter’angreal that will have to be returned to the Tower,” one of the Aes Sedai said. “I’m sure we can make a deal.”
Dawn turned and looked at the Aes Sedai. “Are you stupid or just insane?”
“What?” the Aes Sedai asked, surprised that someone that wasn’t from Seanchan had such little respect for Aes Sedai, even Amadicians had a healthy amount of fear of angering the Tower.
“Let’s ignore the ownership issues of ter’angreal that you don’t understand and weren’t made by your version of the Tower and go with the fact that you just demanded something of a girl that captured twenty two sul’dam in less than ten minutes while you’re still wearing ter’angreal collars that keep you from using the Power. What part of that screams rational?”
“Ter’angreal are Tower property,” the woman argued.
Dawn looked at the Aes Sedai wearing the bracelet. “If I give you her bracelet can you make her stop saying stupid shit?”
The woman wearing the bracelet shook her head. “I doubt it, she was an arrogant novice and a worse sister.”
“You’re a bitch Vinara,” the annoying Aes Sedai snapped.
“Enough!” Dawn snapped. “Everyone is going to march through the door where the sul’dam will be put on trial for their crimes. You will likely be spending a few years or decades doing hard labor to pay off your crimes at which point you’ll be allowed to leave if you want.”
“They should be executed,” snapped one of the Aes Sedai.
Dawn turned and glared at the Aes Sedai. “If they die, they’re of no use, if we chain them and force them to build roads then they’ll have a use. Either way, they’ll never be able to hurt anyone again. As for trial, they’ll be judged three times, once by a group of channelers I select, once by the damane that worked with them and once by the rest of the sul’dam. I’ll take each verdict into consideration when I pass sentence.”
“What is the point of having sul’dam judge sul’dam?” one of the Aes Sedai snapped.
“Would you blame a houndmaster for treating a dog like a pet? No, would you blame one for beating a puppy for being a puppy? I would. It’s the same thing here, some sul’dam are worse than others, some are merely a product of their culture. Now, everyone other than Vinara Sedai and the idiot, are going to walk through the door or I’m going to toss you through the door.” Dawn adjusted the inverted chains so they didn’t include Vinara or the sul’dam.
“Get moving,” Vinara Sedai ordered when it looked like the other sisters were going to be difficult. “And pick up the sul’dam and Yuri.”
Dawn looked down at the sul’dam on the leash as the channelers reluctantly went through the door. “I want to know where the Seanchan are keeping the rest of the damane and Aes Sedai.”
The sul’dam glared at Dawn. “Do your worst.”
“My worst? I can do that.” Dawn waited until the rest of the sul’dam left then gave her an icy smile. “The Empress of the Seanchan empire, is dead.”
“You’re lying,” the sul’dam sputtered. “I would have heard.”
“I intercepted the messenger and stabbed him twenty seven times, you should have seen the look on his face,” Dawn lied. “Either way, the bitch is dead and her fleet torched along with most of the high blood which means the few nobles that are left at the top will be scrambling for the remains of the empire, a couple of pushes here and there and the Seanchan Empire will crumble to dust.”
The sul’dam laughed. “You’re insane if you think that will be enough.”
“Ah but you see, once my friends finish buying all of the damane and capturing every sul’dam they can get their hands on, they’re going to tell everyone in the empire that sul’dam can channel. Maybe they won’t believe at first but it won’t take long before nobles decide to test the rumor. Once the sul’dam are no longer trusted and let’s be honest, they won’t be once that dirty little secret comes to light, we’ll slip in with a door to elsewhere and loot various vaults, leaving just enough evidence so that they’ll know it was one of their rivals working with the remaining sul’dam.”
The sul’dam stared at Dawn in horror as she realized that would tear the empire apart as the nobles turned on each other.
Dawn smirked. “And she finally understands.” Her smirk changed back to a glare. “Your empire killed a friend of mine because he wouldn’t sell people into slavery, your empire can die and burn for all I care. You will be put to work for your crimes, same as everyone else.”
“What gives you the right to judge us?” the sul’dam asked, feeling like everything she’d ever known had been ripped away.
“I could claim right of blood to Andor’s previous queen or the will of the people but I’m just going to be honest, power. I have enough power to personally destroy your empire and your empire caused the death of a friend so I’m going to destroy your empire.”
“You’d damn the world for petty revenge?” the sul’dam asked in horror.
Dawn glanced over as Willow walked out of the door. “Your empire is an abomination. You’re going to help me dismantle it.”
“Death before dishonor,” the sul’dam said proudly.
“Where is the commander for this region staying?” Dawn asked as she glanced at Willow, hoping Willow knew what to do.
The sul’dam just glared at Dawn, unwilling to betray the empire.
Willow reached out with her telepathy and lifted the local commander’s name, location and how many guards he typically had with him from the sul’dam’s memory as well as the location of the other kennels scattered around the country. “Torvin, he stole a merchant’s house and set up shop. He’s a minor member of the blood and a greedy piece of shit which means we’ll need to kill him.”
“If you already knew, why ask?” the sul’dam complained.
“I was curious if you’d lie,” Dawn replied. “Do you have any valuables stashed?”
“They’re going to kill you,” the sul’dam sneered. “Even if I die, you’ll die screaming.”
“Under your bed? “ Willow shook her head. “That’s pretty much the first place thieves would look. Oh, you stole your friend’s favorite necklace? For shame, I have a feeling she’s going to be rather angry and yes, I can read your mind.”
“That’s impossible,” the sul’dam declared.
“Which is easier to believe? That one of your ‘friends’ knew about your theft and sold you out or that I can read minds?” Willow asked with amusement, knowing the sul’dam was blaming her former friend. “Yeah, don’t answer that and yes it was Jansa. Have fun with thirty or forty years of hard labor.”
“Did you need anything else?” Vinara asked as she grabbed the sul’dam by the hair. “Because I’d like to have a long conversation with this silver snake about treating people with respect.”
“Just two, where are most of the Seanchan troops and where did Turak Aladon send the ter’angreal from the Tower?” Willow frowned when she lifted the answers from the sul’dam’s mind. “Interesting, that’s going to make it even easier to kill him and wipe out the Seanchan. You can have her, don’t kill her.”
“Or physically maim her,” Dawn added, not sure the order was needed but not sure it wasn’t considering Vinara’s treatment at the hands of the sul’dam couldn’t have been pleasant.
“Understood,” Vinara said as she dragged the sul’dam toward the door, curious what other ter’angreal the girls had but fairly sure asking wouldn’t result in any straight answers and she’d watched the taller redhead absorb a number of weaves and hide her own which should be impossible.
“I didn’t say anything,” the sul’dam argued as the Aes Sedai dragged her through the strange door onto a beach where the rest of the sul’dam were being leashed much to their displeasure.
Willow turned to look at the servant girl. “Considering the Seanchan killed your family and you can learn to use magic, do you want to come with us? We’d make sure you got enough to eat and you wouldn’t have to deal with any of the Seanchan.”
“Would I get to be an Aes Sedai?” the girl asked hopefully.
“Better, you’d get to be a channeler without all of the silly rules,” Dawn assured her.
“I’ll be good,” the girl assured them.
“In that case,” Dawn cut the threads holding the girl in place, “head through the door and tell them that you have the potential to channel and need a home.”
“Thank you!” The girl jumped up then ran through the door to the beach.
“Turak took over the Amyrlin’s office,” Willow mused as she walked over and closed the door. “How do you want to handle this?”
Dawn pulled her attention back to the Seanchan. “Let’s deal with the local commander then you can head to the Blight and do some recruiting. I don’t have a problem slipping into the Tower and killing Turak but if we wait until we’ve cleansed the source, we should be able to use Saidin to make gateways and capture the sul’dam and damane without nearly as much trouble,” Dawn said as she unstrapped the dull dagger that hid them from shadowspawn and handed it to Willow. “You’ll need this.”
“The sooner Saidin is cleansed, the happier I’ll be,” Willow replied as she strapped the dagger to her leg. “We should probably talk to William and Ethan about reclaiming the Tower, they’re generally pretty good about coming up with plans.”
“Not to mention Lan has probably considered the best way to defend the Tower and how people would attack it,” Dawn mused.
“Sounds reasonable.” Willow smiled as she headed for the stairs. “Speaking of reasonable, we might as well loot the place while we’re here.”
0o0o0
Ethan blinked as he went from laying on an uncomfortable cot in the sand hills to standing in a deserted version of Emond’s Field. He glanced up at the disturbing black sky then down at the twisted stone ring hanging from a silver chain around his neck. He was in a lot of ways, rather glad that he wasn’t a dreamer. Sure, you had more control of the dream realm as a dreamer but you couldn’t jump out of the dream by ditching your ter’angreal if something went wrong. He reached out and touched the pool of saidar contained in his ruby and gold belt, wanting to make sure the dream version was filled. “Okay, that should be more than enough saidar as long as I’m careful.’
He created a freestanding mirror then focused on the mirror. “Show me the Guardian chambers in Far Madding.” He knew saying the words weren’t actually required but it helped him focus, which was important. He focused on the image, burning it into his mind then jumped to the chamber. “Dawn’s right, that’s easier.”
Ethan glanced around the stone room then focused on the three large discs set into the floor of the chamber. Each disc was a man’s height across and were made out of some type of clouded crystal. He ignored the numbers on the metal collars that surrounded each of the discs as he carefully reached out and used a tiny thread of Power from his well and delved one of the crystal ter’angreal, trying to get some idea how it worked. “Not surprising that I’d need saidin if I wanted to block saidin,” he mused as he delved the metal ring around the discs. “I’m still not sure why they didn’t just block saidin and call it good but Aes Sedai are generally insane.”
He spent a few minutes and the rest of the saidar in his belt trying to figure out how to recreate the advanced warning network and the cloudy crystal then decided that it would be easier to just have Dawn take a look as the warning system was extremely complicated and had chunks missing which meant that it probably required both halves of the source. He mentally conjured a mirror and focused on White Bridge. “Show me White Bridge.”
Ethan smiled then jumped to the white glasslike bridge and embraced the source. He reached out with threads of spirit and delved the strange power wrought material, trying to figure out how to recreate it. He felt like kicking himself when he realized how damned easy copying it was. “I should have done this years ago, it’s bloody cuendillar. Sure the weave is slightly different and used on glass but it shouldn’t have been that hard for someone to figure out.”
“Then again, if you didn’t have the talent for making cuendillar, it probably wouldn’t help,” Ethan muttered, thinking out loud. He poked at the bridge, trying to figure out how to keep the glass from being slick. “Okay, that’s just a weave of earth applied before it’s turned into cuendillar that’s easy enough.”
Ethan grinned then jumped back to the sand hills in the Two Rivers to test his new weaves. “Let’s see if this works.” He focused on the crystal in the sand floating up and making a glass disc then wove threads of fire into the crystal disc, fusing the sand together into a rough glass disc. ‘Yeah, I’ll probably need a mold when I make the real version.’
He wove the Earth threads and twisted the disc to have a decent amount of grip then imagined it cool to the touch without cracking. “Now for the real test.” He wove the threads required to turn the glass into cuendillar then let the disc drop to the ground. He walked over and stepped on the glass disc. He rubbed his boot on the glass, finding it grave decent traction without feeling rough, something that didn’t really make sense but was true all the same. He stomped on the glass then smirked when it didn’t break. ‘One more test then I can start playing with a simplified guardian to stop the corrupted channelers from being a problem.’
Ethan took a couple of steps back then lashed out with air and fire at the disc. He smiled when the weaves were absorbed. “That makes building things out of glass a lot more viable.” He frowned slightly as he looked at his slightly ugly glass disc. “At least no one will see the prototype.” He turned his attention back to the sand and willed a decent amount into a foot wide, inch thick glass disc then started working on creating a miniature guardian, fairly sure it would help dealing with the Seanchan and any particularly corrupt version of the Tower in the mirror worlds.
