Fanfic:Felix's Arches
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The Master of Soldiers led Felix into the lowest basement. The pale rock through which it had been hewn is smooth but unadorned. There are two sets of high wooden doors as tall as the Gate of the Battlements. The lamps, set high on both sides of the doors, are only lit next to one set, casting eerie shadows along the other.
Easily pushing one door open, the Master of Soldiers allowed Felix to enter first. As he stepped into the great domed chamber he saw that the lamps, on their high stands, illuminated the chamber and that which sat in the center of the room.
Three rounded, silver arches, just tall enough to walk under, sat on a thick silver ring with their ends touching where they join it. The Master of Soldiers led Felix into a chamber with high ceilings. Around the Arches where the pillars of the great ter'angreal meet the marble floor sit three Asha'man. One brother's eyes are open as he leads the other two. Four other Asha'man stand to one side of the domed room, near a table which holds three chalices. A seventh brother closed the doors through which Felix and the Master of Soldiers entered. Not counting the Master of soldiers, there was an Asha'man from each Ajah present.
The Master of Soldiers turned to face Felix and the other standing Asha'man moved closer. "No man hears these words until he stands where you stand now, Soldier. Once you begin, you must continue until it is ended. If you refuse at any time between entering the first Arch and leaving the third, you will be put out of the Tower as though you had approached the Room of the Arches three times and each time refused." He paused. "To seek, to strive, is to know danger.
"Some men have entered the Arches and never come out." His face held the briefest hint of what might be compassion. "Even when the ter'angreal was quietened, they did not reappear. Not then, and never since. To survive, you must remain resolute. Falter once, and you will fail and . . . " His unforgiving face hinted at what that might mean.
"This is your last chance. You may refuse now, and it shall be counted as the first attempt. If you choose to go on, then there will be no turning back until you either return from the third Arch, or remain lost in the Arches for the rest of the Ages. It is no shame to refuse, many Asha'man could not face the Arches the first time. Choose, Soldier. Accept, or refuse."
"I accept," Felix told him, he shocked himself at how final the words sounded.
He nodded and said, "then ready yourself for the Arches." Belatedly, Felix realised that he was meant to enter the Arches naked. The brother who closed the doors stepped forward and took Felix’s clothing and personal items from him. When he was ready, the Master of Soldiers led Felix towards the brother who stood foremost of the poised Asha'man.
"Whom do you bring before the Arches?"
"I bring one who comes as a candidate for Dedication," the Master of Soldiers replies steadily.
"Is he ready?"
"He is ready to leave behind what he was and, passing through his fears, gain Dedication."
"Does he know his fears?"
"He has never faced them, but is willing."
"Then let him face what he fears," With that, the Asha'man steps aside. The two other Asha'man with him also moved out of Felix’s way.
"The first time is for what was. Be steadfast. The way back comes but once," the Master of Soldiers informed Felix and he approached the first Arch, the stone floor cold beneath his bare feet.
A young man rode out of the woods on a black warhorse towards a group of men with swords on their hips and armor on their bodies. A man with a top knot of hair on his head turned from the group at the young soldier that walked from the woods, “Felix, what news from the north front?”
“Trollocs and half-men have been seen heading in our direction. We have been instructed to ready for battle and to make sure the anvil is in place, Captain Lin.” Felix replied with a grimace on his face as he jumped down from the saddle.
“Bloody fool, does Captain Frier not think we will be prepared!” Captain Lin turned back towards the group of men his face red with anger and issued orders to ready for battle.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast. The thought flashed through Felix’s mind of its own accord.
A buzz fell over the camp of borderlanders, everyone rushed to get ready for the coming battle. Soldiers buckled on scabbards and readied bows for firing. A feeling of intensity and anxiety was felt by one and all in the group.
The time it took for every soldier to be ready for battle was quick even though it felt like an eternity to Felix. He had ridden hard to relay the message from the north front and seen the armies of the shadow descending on the camp. He hoped that they had enough time left.
Felix’s nervousness at the prospect of his first true battle showed as he paced and tapped his sword at his hip. His heart beat faster and he started sweating, he was afraid, afraid of death. He was shaken out of his own mind by the sound of a rider arriving in the camp.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
The rider approached Captain Lin and spoke quietly to him. Felix could see the look on the Captain's face turn from serious to murderous. “We have been betrayed, the North Front turns and runs, Cowards!” The Captain yelled out.
The shout rippled through the army as the realization that they were alone, an anvil with out a hammer. Death was calling. Panic overcame many of the young soldiers, many turned as if to run but a steady hand by a veteran turned all back to the fight ahead.
The wind shifted from the west to the north and Felix gagged from the scent he smelled. “The Shadow is upon us!” Felix screamed out as the smell of violence and evil caused him to empty the contents of his stomach on the ground.
“Are you sure boy?” The captain yelled as he ran over to Felix. He managed to nod in reply.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
Captain Lin turned back to the Soldiers under his command and called out, “You heard the man, turn and fight we have families to defend, let no creature of darkness pass this point!”
The soldiers turned and charged towards the army of trollocs that passed through the wall of trees to the north of the camp. The Captain and higher ranks charged into the fray and called to Felix to join them. Felix’s sword shook in his hand, he was terrified. They had been betrayed by countrymen. Men they trusted. Now they faced the shadow alone, destined to die.
The first line of Trollocs were cut down in their charge by the experienced borderlanders. Felix called on Ko’di the flame and void to contain his fears and stood to fight. Felix joined the soldiers in the fight, fighting side by side with his brother-in-arms. More pressed through the line of trees to attack the soldiers. They came wave after wave to try to destroy the army.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
A silver arch appeared in an opening of the crush of human and trolloc.
Felix caught a glimpse of the arch and noticed that no one else saw the arch as they fought on. Bloodcurdling screams were heard from the north of the fight as Half-Men joined the fray.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
Felix knew he had to to go through the arch, he did not understand the urge but knew his life depended on it. Soldiers called out for his help as they were impaled by black weapons of war wielded by Trollocs and Half-Men. Felix with a steeled look upon his face turned from them in his time of need and walked through the arch. He would live to fight again.
Felix stepped through the arch and his blood flow slowed as the adrenaline from the fight faded. He had survived, but at what cost?
Memory flooded back to Felix as he is confronted with the face of the Master of Soldiers. Why did we get betrayed? Why did they all have to die? Why? Was it real? All these thoughts passed through Felix’s mind as he stood looking at the Master of Soldiers. The kind gentle look the Asha’man gave him stopped him from asking the questions he desired and told him he had to continue. The battle was won but not the war.
An Asha'man emptied a silver chalice over his head.
"You are washed clean," he intoned, "of what sin you may have done, and of those against you. You are washed clean of what crime you may have committed, and of those committed against you. You come to us washed clean and pure, in heart and soul."
The Master of Soldiers led Felix to the Second Arch. "The second time is for what is. The way back will come but once. Be Steadfast."
Felix stepped into the second arch and was enveloped by bright light.
Felix walked ten paces and turned around, lines showed on his face as he squinted in thought. There was something he was forgetting.
A sound floated on the breeze drifting through the tower. The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
He looked down at his clothing, he wore black pants, boots and a black coat with a sword pin upon it. A sword hung at his waist. “How did I get here? Where am I?” he said lightly. He looked down one hall, the area looked just like the Grey Tower. Yet the stone seemed older and more worn.
He walked into a room down the hall and looked around. The wooden desks and chairs were thrown up against one wall in a haphazard way. The window on the far wall was smashed in, glass scattered on the ground.There was blood splatter on the walls of the room and a pool of dried blood in the middle of the floor. His eyes widened, so much blood what had happened here. The air held a hint of violence but Felix knew the damage done there was old and that he could do nothing for the victim so he walked back out to the hall and continued in the direction he was going originally.
A thought flashed through his mind The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
He walked for a while, the broken windows he passed showed the sun setting in the distance, the trees were dead outside of the tower, brown and decaying. The air smelled faintly of violence all through the tower, violence of the past.
A crash reverberated through the halls followed by a scream, Felix stopped abruptly his blood started pumping harder and he listened for more sounds. Another scream split the air and the air that came from a side hall started to smell metallic and sulfuric. Felix turned down the hall and seized Saidin. He broke into a run and followed the scent of violence.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
He continued to run as he followed the screams for help and the scent of violence got stronger. He sprinted up a flight of stairs at the end of the hallway and threw open the large wooden doors at the end of the path. Books surrounded the room on bookshelves and scattered around on the floor. Many of the shelves had been knocked to the ground and five people in black garb and black shawls on their shoulders surrounded a girl in a white dress with bands of color.
Adrenaline made his blood almost boil and his face was red from the exertion of getting to the source of the violence. He felt so much anger at someone that would hurt an accepted. Aes Sedai he assumed of the Black Ajah, how could they hurt her. She seemed so innocent. The girl screamed as one of the women in black grabbed her arm and sliced it with a dagger.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
The doors slammed shut behind Felix causing him to spin at the sound, an arch of silver was where the door had been but moments ago.
The girl screamed again “Help me!” Her body fought with the women surrounding her but her eyes were on Felix pleading.
The thought The way back comes but once. Be steadfast. passed through his mind. His inner turmoil boiled, he needed to help the girl but he needed to pass through the arch he was drawn to it. He had to go, there wasn't a choice, he knew that the arch was his path.
“I am so sorry, Forgive me!” He closed his eyes afraid of the look of betrayal that he knew was on her face.
Saidin withdrew from Felix and he fell through the arch.
He landed on the ground and sat for a moment his face in his hands muttering “I am so sorry forgive me, please I could not do anything I had to come back.”
He looked up at the Master of Soldiers and the assembled Asha’man and asked in a quiet pleading voice. “Why are you doing this to us, why?”
Felix took a few moments to collect himself while the Master of Soldiers stood over him. After he had collected himself from the previous ordeal he stood and addressed the Master of Soldiers with a simple yet powerful statement “I am ready.”
Again Felix felt cold water flow over him and listened to an Asha'man's words.
"You are washed clean of false pride," he intoned. "You are washed clean of false ambition. You come to us washed clean, in heart and soul."
Master of Soldiers gently took him by the arm and led him to the last Arch. "There is but one left child," he said, smiling softly. "Come back to us."
"The third time is for what will be. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."
Felix stepped through the last arch and was once again enveloped in the bright light.
Felix woke with a jolt and a reach for his sword. He was in a small tent, a camp fires light shined through the forest green fabric. Felix listened for a moment to make sure there was no call for help. He got up and strapped his sword to his side and pulled his green cloak on then stepped out of the tent.
He stepped out to see an Andorian with light brown hair and the fan cloak of a Gaidin. He did not recognize him at first then remembered that his name was Samuel. A Warder for the grey tower
“How goes the watch Sam, anything of interest happen?” He asked with a raise of his eyebrows, showing some concern after the abrupt awakening
“Nothing yet again. I am starting to believe that this is a wild goose chase.” The Andorian replied with no hint of his emotion in his voice.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
Felix noded as if in agreement but spoke “There were reports of trollocs in the area, they are not gonna kill themselves. We have a duty to eliminate them and protect the villagers here.”
Felix and Sam turned abruptly at the sound of a rustle in the trees behind the camp. Another Andorian stepped from the treeline his head visible as his body blended with the trees from his fan cloak.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
The Andorian spoke in a plain but quiet voice, “The perimeter is clear, and I sense no shadowspawn.” After speaking the man disappeared into the other tent in the camp.
Felix looked at Sam and a broad grin showed on his face as he said, “I do not think he likes us Sam.”
With a chuckle he replied “you may be right.”
A man in black stepped out of the tent the Andorian had gone into and stretched his long arms, his pins glimmered in the light cast by the fire. A green cord was around the black coat on the Asha’man marking him as a Green Ajah member. The Asha’man walked away to the other side of the tent and into the forest without a word for either of the men by the fire.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
A loud sound emitted from the perimeter of their camp, the wards had been set off. Felix and Sam stood and drew their swords, creases on their foreheads from worry. The Gaidin in the tent ran out with his axe drawn and took off behind the tent towards the Asha’man.
Women entered the ring of fire light, they all wore red dresses and there were no men in the ring. The leader, a particularly short women commanded in a strong voice, “Stand down and we will not kill the Gaidin.” Felix’s arms prickled, the women must be channeling Saidar.
Sam stepped in front of Felix and called back “You will not harm this Asha’man! Leave us in peace, our quarrel is not with you or your tower. We hunt the shadow.”
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
The leader laughed a loud boisterous laugh before she spoke “You are the shadow fools. So be it you will both die then.” She finished her sentence with a matter of fact tone and a look on her face as if she was talking about weeds in a garden. The Green Ajah Asha’man walked into the fire light and the Gaidin floated by his side unconscious, they were followed by more women in red.
“Ah it seems your friends have been taken already. Bring him to me.“The leader commanded, she gestured at the Green Asha’man. Her serene ageless face showed no worry or concern at harming a man.
A silver arch appeared in front of the tent Felix had come from. The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
“With me sisters, we are going to show these men what the punishment for channeling is.”
The Asha’man looked back at Felix and Sam and called out “Help me”. He had a look of pain upon his face and his body quivered from the fight to retain his hold on Saidin. Then he screamed as he was cut off from the source and fell in a pile at the woman's feet. Sam charged at the women in front of him.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
Felix was torn between the battle around him and the Arch. He knew he needed to go through the arch but he needed to help his Brothers-in-Arms. He was terrified to help his friends, his whole life was centered around channeling Saidin if that was taken away life would not be worth living.
The way back comes but once. Be steadfast.
The Arch started to flicker and Felix ran towards it and jumped through as Sam screamed out.
As Felix fell out of the Arch tears fell from his eyes. He had no choice, it was be gentled or live to fight another day. No choice at all. Tears continued to stream down Felix’s anguished face as the M'Hael stood before him with the last chalice in his hands, as well as an Asha'man wearing cords from each Ajah. Felix knelt before him. He slowly poured it over Felix’s head as he spoke.
"You are washed clean of who you were. You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world. You come to us washed clean, in heart and soul. You are now a Dedicated of the Grey Tower." The last drop splashes into Felix’s hair. "You are sealed to us, now."
The M'Hael passed the empty chalice to one of the Brothers and produces a silver pin in the shape of a sword. Felix trembled a little as he pressed it into the palm of his hand.
The M'Hael helped Felix to stand. "Welcome, Son," he says and kisses Felix’s cheek. "Welcome."
