Plastered in dirt and deafened by the roar of the building, Fia turns to look back. Her face is white as a sheet and a panicked look spreads across her face as she turns to head back.
"There is not TIME! The tower is collapsing! Everyone get through!"
Ryvin leaps through the gateway, keeping a strong grasp on the weave so it does not collapse while she is moving.
With an exasperated growl, Keelix rushes through, leading the Dragon through as well.
Jasmine looks up at the crumbling tower and says quietly, There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side of death. The unstained tower, broken, bends knee to the forgotten sign. The seas rage, and stormclouds gather unseen. Beyond the horizon, hidden fires swell, and serpents nestle in the bosom. What was exalted is cast down; what was cast down is raised up. Order burns to clear his path. Tears begin streaming down her face as she speaks.
Ryland runs to the gateway helping Kelix with the Lord Dragon but stops before going through to the other side. "Fia! We have to save her!We cannot leave her here to die!
Keelix does not stop, "And Vala and my child are with her. They were headed out of the tower when I left them. We do not have time and must trust to the Light to keep them safe."
Ryland howls long and mournful before jumping through the gate way. "Light let it be so!"
With Eladia screaming in pain and the tower collapsing with them in it, Ryvin Channels in desperation. The leaning and movement of the tower causes her undue stress since she has never had to make a gateway move (no one has).
"I'm not even sure where we're going! I just opened a door!" Ryvin shouts.
Ryvin! Get through! You can hold it from the other side!"Keelix says, grabbing at the Lord Dragon with the help of Argrand.
I cannot. I must stay. I must move with the Portal, otherwise i am not sure it will stay open! Ryvin shouts back, holding onto a chair to stay on her feet.
"Keelix, wait! Ryland! Chen! We need a vanguard! We can't risk the Dragon Reborn!"
"There is not TIME! The tower is collapsing! Everyone get through!"Keelix roars over the sound of crashing boulders that held up the ceiling and great walls of the tower.
Ryland rushes up and grasps at the Dragons belt around his waist and holds him up. Keelix, Argrand and Ryland hurry to the portal with the worlds most important man and hurl him through into the darkness beyond.
Argrand pauses and shouts Come quickly Analin Sedai! but a boulder smashes between the portal and Analin, cutting her off from his view.
Ryland stops as well, realizing his love for a woman far below him who may about to be crushed by this TowerFia! We have to save her!We cannot leave her here to die!
He takes a step only to be stopped by Keelix. Keelix grabs the man around the shoulders and bodily hurls him into the darkness as well.
Vala and my child are with her. They were headed out of the tower when I left them. We do not have time and must trust to the Light to keep them safe. Keelix yells inside the darkness.
"Light let it be so!"Ryland howls!
The portal wavers, Ryvin drops to a knee.
Too much! she grunts out, but not giving up on her connection to the source and the falling gateway.
I swore to seek forgiveness, and i shall see it through! Chen roars, leaping up and through the portal.
His arm reaches out, grasping Ryvin but her hair. The shock causes Ryvin to cry out in surprise, and the portal wavers.
The portal wobbles and bends, distorted, and finally closes..leaving behind the bottom part of a leg, cut off below the knee.
an ogiers foot.
Chen's.
Jasmine, standing, watching the wreckage, speaks foreboding words.
There is no salvation without destruction, no hope this side of death. The unstained tower, broken, bends knee to the forgotten sign. The seas rage, and storm clouds gather unseen. Beyond the horizon, hidden fires swell, and serpents nestle in the bosom. What was exalted is cast down; what was cast down is raised up. Order burns to clear his path.
The space is small, tight, narrow, cramped.
Keelix, ryvin, ryland, chen, argrand, analin, the dragon, and Chen are tight together, laying upon each other. Chen grunts in pain, air hissing through his tight lips as he does not scream, alerting any enemy to their presence.
Ryvin stands up, and feels around in the dark.
Argrand channels a sliver of the power, and creates a tiny flame to shed some light.
I- ryvin says, her face distant and questioning.
I know where we are. she says, her face a partial smile, part terror.
We are in my house's root cellar in Ebou Dar.
Argrand stifles a groan and wipes the dust of the tower from his face he whispers, "My Lord Dragon are you... are you alright?"
"Blood and ashes," Ryvin sighs as she settles down.
The Wilder runs her hands through her hair, an expression of mixed stress and relief crossing her face.
"Alright. Alright. Everyone keep quiet as you can. I'm not... Did they tell us the Seanchan had taken Ebou Dar in this Mirror Realm? If they did, we need to get out again as quick as we can. I need... I need some light to see by, and then I'll open another gateway to outside the borders of Tar Valon. Is everyone alright to move?"
"Ryland!!!!" Fia half calls, half howls into the strange silence after the after the roar of the tower's collapse. "Ryland!!!" Again and again she calls as she frantically picks her way through the unsettled rubble, dimly aware that the odds were that he was dead, yet unwilling to accept that as possibility.
Jasmine looks on with horror before yelling for Fia Fia! Fia! I am sure he got out! We need to protect Vala and the child! I will help you seek him in the dream but right now we need to move!
Vala looked at the tower, and mixed feelings came to her. Worry and loss was the first as both Keelix possibly missing or dead on top of the tower itself being destroyed. So much was there that is now gone. At least here in this reality.
second was comfort and joy in the fact that her daughter was safe and sound. she also noticed that she infact had a sword, one that was clearly a short sword but it didnt matter she would use it.
Still aside from the various cries form the people and the distraught, and eerie yet familiar feeling crept out from her mind. this feeling was that of the dread calm after the battle was raged and the killing fields rested the dead, the dying and the wounded. It was a feeling many should never be privy too but Vala was definitely one who had experienced it far more than she was needing. Today would mark many things for the warrior woman. through it all she would mark it a day to never forget. For legends would be birthed here. For all of the world to know and see.
"Go! I have to find him!"
For long moments, nothing happens. People look about in shock. The White Tower has collapsed. The sign of strength on this side of the world has been broken.
men and women slowly move, eyes looking but not seeing, ears listening but not hearing. They move woodenly, shock overcoming them all.
The rubble moves and boulders are shifted as trapped channelers and regular folk are pushing their way free.
But, for all that has occurred, there should be more movement.
The should be more survivors.
The Dragon moans, quietly.
"Who all needs healing before we head back?" Ryvin asks while approaching the Dragon. "Sir? Dragon Reborn - Rand al'Thor. Can you hear me?"
Ryland rolls lover and gets to his feet. The eyes shine gold in the darkness as he looks around. "We must go back! Take us back to the tower! We must find Fia!"
Vala stood still holding Litheene. The tower was crushed and defeated here. At least its symbology. As for the women who lived and the ideas they represented they would live on.
Despite the stillness Vala looked to her child and then to her friends .Looking at Jasmine she smiled."Hold little Litheene, I will help free some of the others, Unless we need to possible flee. Also I need some better blades, I apparently was gifted a short sword, but I need a soldiers blade.Still we need to make a decision help free more captured or flee." she says her voice ringing with weary and happiness.
Argrand retorts to Ryland, "Back to the Tower? We must bring the Dragon to a safe place man, if he is to fall all will fall. Once we accomplish that we can return.".
Keelix groans and rolls to his feet. In the light of the tiny flame, he turns to look at the man for whom they had risked so much, "My Lord Dragon, are you well?"
Fiallain continues calling out for the others as she picks her way through the rubble, pausing now and again to help as she comes across someone buried and in need of aid.
"Oh, ashes," Lym suddenly says, staring past the others -- at the blood pumping out of Chen's severed leg.
"Blood and ashes!" she curses as she hurries over to the Ogier. "Someone better with mundane healing than me, get a tourniquet on him before he passes out! Chen! If you can... if you can suppress this resistance you have against the One Power, do it! I can't heal you otherwise!"
At first, it's a dull hum. Then it's a bit louder. Now, it is all you hear.
The sounds of men and women and children screaming in pain and agony.
Some scream from physical wounding, others from psychological shock. Some just stand and scream for no reason at all.
Some move into action, somewhat immune to what they have witnessed. They push it into the back of their head, recognizing that something happened but they need to act now. So they block it off, compartmentalize the situation.
Jasmine stands with Fia, torn between protecting Vala and helping Fia search the rubble.
A man approaches, his face dusty, his shirt covered in stone dust and blood, but he walks as if uninjured. His shoulders show some sort of rank, but with it covered up it is hard to say what rank he is.
Aes Sedai. Thank the Creator I found you! The City is in sore shape right now. The city watch commander, the commander for the Tar Valon Garrison, the Amyrlin, the Keeper, the Hall, all of them...Gone!
The man stops and stutters Gone...Gone...Gone
His eyes unfocus and stares through Jasmine, seeing everyone he has ever known, the realization of the magnitude of what has happened, consuming his thoughts.
Why?! Why them and not me!? Why! He screams into the air.
A crazed look over comes his face, he draws his short sword and plunges it into his chest, killing himself.
The Dragon groans, and rolls over, still unconscious.
Chen nods simply once, and then falls unconscious. The weave Ryvin uses heals the stump of Chens leg.
"Out of here NOW!" Ryvin hisses. Channelling, she opens a gateway to a place she knows, a high hill from where one can barely see the top of the White Tower, but quite uninhabited. "Use saidin to ward off this room and everyone hurry through NOW! The sul'dam are coming!"
Argrand will use a weave to Create Ice blocking off the doorway to at least slow them down, "Keelix, Ryland, you will both need to get the Ogier together he will be too heavy for one of you alone I would imagine". So saying he then picks up the Dragon to carry him through the portal.
Jasmine steps forward and climbs up some of the rubble to be seen from all over the courtyard and yells above the din, attempting to use the one power if she can to boost her voice so that she can be heard.
People of the White Tower! She pauses for a moment to see if she is heard. She will continue to try and get everyones attention until she at least gets the majority listening. Once she does she continues, My sisters and brothers! A great blow has been dealt to us this day! We lay upon the ground, felled by that strike to our very heart! The White Tower has fallen as prophesied! Our home has been destroyed! She pauses again to let that sink in before saying We have been knocked down! Now is the time for us to get up! Are we the White Tower and strong only in times that are good?! The Wheel of Time has spun us into a nexus of the weave, where the future of the world is in our hands! We shall rise again stronger than ever! We will not let darkness swallow the Flame of Tar Valon! Gather the wounded! Open the gates and let the people of Tar Valon see that though the building known as the White Tower is broken, the Aes Sedai and Warders, and all the others that make up the people of the tower, those that make the tower more than just a building, yet stand! Aid those that you can!
Jasmine then steps down and begins moving through the crowd, touching an arm here, and a forehead there. Speaking words of encouragement to those that need it, and commiseration to those who are weeping over loved ones.
While she is doing this, she begins gathering the most senior and most powerful of those Aes Sedai, Accepted, and Novices together to see what remains. She also instructs the most senior of the Warders to do the same.
Ryland growled at the male channeled but reaches down and takes one of Chen's massive arms and begins to drag the swordsman through the gate way.
Keelix grabs the other and begins to drrag the Ogier with Ryland, growling softly with the effort.
Ryvin hops through the portal as soon as the others are through... and turns on her weave. Eyebrows lowering in painful focus, the Wilder starts to pick her weave apart instead of just releasing it. Single threads drift away into the world, the gateway blurs, shimmers and is no more.
Vala watches the man and looks at Jasmine.Staring at Litheene she checks to make sure she is okay before she turns to Jasmine.
"We need to restore order. If not more will go crazed"
Jasmine gives a morale boosting speech that steels the hearts of the Tar Valoners. No longer do they feel half hearted, or despair at the comming doom of the Last Battle.
Hearing her commands, people begin to filter out, searching for higher ranking individuals.
Several warders and some guardsmen step forward and introduce themselves.
My Lady, Captain Tomman of the Town Watch, and this is Captain Marshan of the Garrison. The man speaking is a very shot squat individual yet has hands the size of hamhocks. His fellow captain stands equally taller as his counterpart is short, yet is rail thin. A true night and day difference between the two, yet both still bow with equal grace.
One of the warders, his face filled with anger nods at Jasmine Jonyce My lady. I was teaching some novices and younglings how to navigate within the urban environment when the tower fell. I have them housed at the Inn down Market way. We number less than 20, but are at your immediate disposal.
Fia, ignoring her friend as she gives her speech, moves a rather large chunk of rubble and gasps in surprise!
She found a man that she wasn't expecting.
It's rhoekk, and he is in bad shape. A piece of iron bar has punctured from his lower left side and is exiting in the small space between collar bone and shoulder blade. His breath is labored, and blood bubbles froth out his mouth. Luckily, he is unconscious.
Her moment of surprise gone, Fia leaps into action as she swears under her breath and drops to her knees beside Rhoekk's unconscious form. Quickly, she surmises the extent of his wounds, looking for the best way that she might be able to remove the iron bar without killing him. She also tears great strips from her skirts to use as bandages....
Jasmine nods her thanks to those who have assembled and says Captain Tomman, how goes the city? What is the status of the Watch? How are the people?
Turning to Captain Marshan she says ...and the Garrison, Captain? What is the status of the men? Get whomever you can here and start helping to sift through the rubble to look for survivors.
Finally turning to Jonyce she says quietly It is good that they weren't in the tower Jonyce, they have their lives as a result. That said, we will need every able sword we can muster right now so please bring them here.
Vala looks at Jasmine and nods as she looks to the men gathered."Yes I could use a better sword? After that we should set up maybe a triage and command center. Organize clean up and a perimeter just encase the instigator decides to drop a few unexpected guests to see us completely neutralized." she said with a stern gaze before she looked about.
"I should maybe get some one to help with Litheene, So I can help" Vala ended with hopefully seeing where her strength could be added the best.
Joynce nods to Jasmine.
At once my lady He turns and hustles back into the crowd, disappearing from sight.
As jasmine speaks to the other leaders, a few Accepted and novices drifting about. Some walk with a purpose, others just drift.
The ones with purpose move about helping care for those injured in the collapse. Others just move about, not seeing anything around them.
A woman steps forward, soot and dust covering her features. her eyes blink strangely like a foreign animal, eyes bright blue that seem to shine like emeralds.
Aes Sedai Raleen. I am Aes Sedai Tanchy, a white. Seems we have our work cut out for us.
Fia, you study rhoekk and immediately see that he cannot be moved without aes sedai knowledge.
Everyone slowly drags someone else through the gateway and onto a lonely hill in the shadow of Dragonmount. The wind barely moves, and the animals in the area have gone silent.
and Ryvin manages to successfully pick apart the gateway weave, keeping the secret of Traveling from the Seanchan.
Looking around, you easily spot the city of Tar Valon not to far away. But what shocks and surprises you the most is the massive column of dust rising out of the center of the city where the Tower once stood.
Free. I am free. The Dragon mumbles out loud as Argrand gently lowers him to the ground.
He opens his eyes and looks around.
Where am- he stops speaking as he stares at the great city.
Suddenly, the grass on the hill withers to nothing and drifts away, leaving a bare hill of dirt and stone.
They did this to me. The White Tower controlled me, dominated me. Made me a puppet. Their tower is now destroyed, but not the Legacy.I will destroy the Aes Sedai, and any who claim that title, lest they kneel to me!
The Dragon slams his fists into the ground, and instead of a solid smack, the ground and rock dissolves into fine particles that billow up from the sudden disturbance.
"Will that include the Aes Sedai who helped free you, boss?" Ryvin asks, one eyebrow raised. "Not that I'm an Aes Sedai or want to be one, but there were some with us, risking life and limb to get you away from that crazy bint, Elaida. Speaking of getting you to safety... would you like some Healing at this time?"
Argrand turns to Ryvin eyes wide and mouths, Don't push him on that yet...
"My Lord Dragon, we are all overjoyed that you are free. I am sure that you had plans in motion prior to the incident... Putting aside the Aes Sedai for now, what is it you need us to assist you with. Besides healing of course as offered by Ryvin.
I am uh Argrand by the way..."
"Jasmine Sedai! Rhoekk needs a healer here now! Fia's voice cuts over the din as she waves to get their attention.
Jasmine looks at the white and says That we do sister. Organize the Accepted and Novices into groups and have them help with any wounded or with assisting in the search for survivors as their talents allow. Those that can do neither, have them link with those who can and assist in that way. She nods to the other woman, disappointed there aren't other yellows but a white is almost as good, owing to their logic to work through the problems currently presented.
Hearing Fiallain, Jasmine swiftly goes to her and says Link with me, I need to use your strength to fuel the weaving.
Once linked, Jasmine draws on the strength between them in the circle, feeling Fiallain's concern for Rhoekk and her steely resolve to see him healed and using those emotions to help focus her weaving. Pulling together threads of all five elements she lays them upon and through Rhoekk.
Vala smiles as she looks at her daughter and than heads over beside jasmine and Fiallain.
She sees' Rhoekk and scowls."We will need to move him after the healing is done. We should commandeer a building for an infirmary, as well as a command post. Maybe just maybe we might be able to rebuild some semblance of order. First though lets get our friend out of this mess. He deserves far more than this"