Smoothing a dark blue gown over her hips, Rendra walked sedately through the Fortress towards…. somewhere. She knew that there was yet another class to attend that day, but she was as-of-yet unfamiliar with the entire layout of this immense structure that was her current ‘home’.
After what seemed an Age, she noticed a stream of people she recognized from her other classes heading in what seemed the right direction, and she joined them. To her surprise, there were two cloaked forms flanking the open door. The young Taraboner stiffened momentarily as she felt a shield cut her off from Saidar… but she knew better than to ask questions in this place. The ‘lessons’ here were just as harsh, if not harsher, than those she’d grown up with.
Sighing inwardly, she shuffled in with the rest of the students, and found herself a corner to hole up in and observe from.
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18 January 2009 (1:04am GMT)
“Good afternoon, class.”
Rendra gasped in surprise as the woman who had been standing there when she came into the room turned around. Woman… but not… where were her eyes?!
“My name is Calaun Ontrix Seyr… And I am a Myrddraal.”
Biting back a gasp, the Taraboner was suddenly very glad for the corner she had placed herself in; the walls were giving something to brace against rather than falling flat on her face. For all her time at the Fortress, she hadn’t had to come face-to-face with any of the Shadowspawn creatures, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure whose idea of a joke it was to plop the lot of them in a room with one!
Of course, that was before this Calaun actually even looked at her. When that eyeless gaze brushed her, Rendra could feel her spine trying to climb out of her skin and through the wall, and that gasp from earlier did manage to escape. For all she had faced in the streets growing up, she was suddenly very sure that there was nothing quite as fearsome as this strange creature before her. Tightening her hands into fists, she bit her lip and promised to herself that this too she would learn to not fear; she was tough, and she couldn’t let anything cause her fear, not anymore… for Aldric.
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11 February 2009 (5:33pm)
Rendra narrowed her eyes as the creature continued carrying on and ranting. Granted, her spine felt like it had been dunked in the coldest parts of the ocean whenever that angry eyeless glare crossed over here, but that was beside the point. Who was this mere creature to talk down at her future leaders; did she want to be remembered poorly in future battles, where life and death lay in the hands of those above her?
”Still,” she thought to herself as the creature raged on, ”Other people here claim they can ride through shadows from one place to the next, and,” Rendra’s thoughts cut off suddenly as Calaun slammed her hands down on the table, making it issue a decidedly creaky-crunchy sound, “… … … And maybe this Myrdraal has a point, and the lot of us are silly cows…”
Gulping down air, she forced her hands to unclench. Anger and fear mixed and streaked with each other in her as the Myrdraal glared around the room, and it was all she could do to keep her hands from her daggers, ”Did I already forget the promise I made to myself not moments ago? I WILL NOT FEAR! I cannot, I must go on to punish those who would harm those I cared about. I must be stronger than… than this creature, than everyone!”
Forcing herself to step away from the wall, she took a deep breath and attempted to address the creature hotly. What came out, however, was a squeaked, “I under… under..stand… you… ma’am.” Gulping, she hung her head and glowered; she would master her fear.
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10 March 2009 (1:22am GMT)
Taking a deep breath, Rendra forced herself to meet the gaze of the Eyeless once again. She was still shaking a bit, but it was something she could accept. After all, everything improved with practice, supposedly, and this was her first time doing this. “I have no further questions at this time,” she made herself say as smoothly as possible.
She was further gladdened when the creature turned away from them all to go towards the door. Oh sure, they were off to look at more creatures, but at least she’d not have to look this Myrdraal in the eye again quite yet – twice in as many minutes was more than enough for now!
Taking a deep breath, Rendra willed her feet to move forward… after the Myrdraal. Towards whatever pit of monsters they were going to go play in, monsters that some day they would have to all command. Even faced with it now, it was still so hard for her to believe the road of her life had taken her to such an insane point.
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15 March 2009 (7:33pm GMT)
Following along, she felt her legs regain some strength as she wound her way down through the Fortress behind the creature, rather than directly in its gaze.
In time, they reached the open cells. Rendra almost gasped as she felt someone channel Saidar behind her; a globe of light sprang to life, revealing some beasts within. Beasts for lack of a better word, but surely they had a name? She had heard of many sorts in her time here – Trollocs and Draghkar, Darkhounds and so forth. The beasts didn’t look like dogs of any shape, though, so Rendra dismissed them as that which she could see before her.
She was definitely curious as to why these creatures were caged before her. Sure, they were probably dangerous, but then, what wasn’t dangerous in the Blight? ”Perhaps if I do the smart thing and stay very quiet and still, I shall find out what’s going on here. I mean, beyond what in the Great Lord’s name these things are!”