08-10-2018, 04:18 PM
Ten minutes out of sight, Jai found a step and collapsed on it. He put his head in his hands and sat there collecting snow for Light knew how long. He wanted to vomit. Or scream. Or blow something up. Really could have gone with that last one, but that little stunt with the snow was all Jai was likely to wring from his bones for a while. Unless he was ready to drop dead afterward. Which, as it didn't seem like the Last Battle was going to split the streets apart, trollocs crawl out like roaches, and face a sole, pissed off Asha'man tonight, Jai made himself keep going.
The walk north was uneventful. Distant and quiet. The counting fell away. The map froze. His head was blessedly quiet for once. He couldn't let himself feel it. He'd stop and run the other direction if he did. Even the snow was no longer a peaceful companion, just a tool to cool his burning knuckles and ice his cheek every other blink. Nothing could be as bad as the last hour had been. Right? Compared to that, this had to be--
His stomach lurched. Light he wanted to throw up. But he forced himself to keep going. To stop thinking about it and just walk. Walking was simple. Right?
The White Tower, the tallest building on the whole of the island, jut high overhead. Many of the portals were dark, but a few were still yet lit. He had no idea what time it was, but every residence along the last mile was quiet as tombs. Travelers were few and far between. It was the rare hour after taverns shut down for the night but before bakers fired their morning ovens. Hopefully this wouldn't be too hard. Though the Guards up ahead were looking lively.
It didn't gleam now, the bone white building. The snow sparkled under his feet though, and the crunch of it snapped the face of every posted Guardsman his direction. From overhead, Jai was a dark arrow crossing a great white field. To those guards, he was an unknown danger. They were wise to try and stop him at the front doors, hands on their swords, calling for a halt.
"Sorry guys. If I stop I won't start again." He said. Force slammed ahead of him and the four were thrown from their feet. Armored men, good, loyal men of Tar Valon, Jai tossed like bags of rice. They crashed and slumped down. He didn't look at them as he walked by.
The Front Hall greeted him in a blaze of light. Enormous lampstands the size of noblemen's fishponds roared with flame, heralding his passage. Yet the windows running overhead he did not stop to count. His were the only foot steps to echo in the marble tomb.
Until now.
He turned, a single Guard with the patch of an officer faced him. He was older with grizzly brown hair and a jaw set hard enough to look on the verge of spitting. He had his hand on his sword, a sign of respect perhaps or of a man wary of what he faced. He looked like a devout man. Jai didn't envy him the headache he'd have upon waking. The Asha'man dove into his conviction and hurled the same force of Power at the officer. But the flows touched him and disintegrated.
Jai blinked.
The officer snorted a laugh and pulled a chain out from under his tabard. There hung a medallion Jai did not recognize.
"Alright." Jai said, placing his hands in the air between them. "Look, I am not here to hurt anyone. I just want to talk to someone." He didn't blink now. Just held the officer's eyes. He was telling the truth.
"The hell you are son," he laughed at the splits on Jai's hands and the fresh hits on his face. He signaled, and Jai glimpsed two more guards on the wings depart for help.
"I'm unarmed, sergeant. And swear by the Light, my intentions are noble." Jai backed away, opening space between them. He was exhausted already, his grip on saidin was slipping fast, and he really didn't like the idea of swordfighting a fresh soldier in the front hall of the White Tower. Especially given that Jai didn't have a sword.
"Unarmed? Hah." This one wasn't like the scripps outside. He knew what he faced. Likely why he hadn't yet drawn a weapon. If the officer was afraid, he was wise to hide it. Jai wasn't in the whack each other around the play-yard sort of mood. But the officer made no move to advance, only follow the Asha'man's retreat step for step. It was the job of a Sister to make such calls about what to do when one the Dragon's weapons kicked in the front door of their home.
"Fine." Jai said. He passed beneath an archway, the same one Nythadri originally took to lead him toward the traveling grounds. The map of the halls ahead burst in his mind. "But I can't have you following me." He backed beneath the passageway, eyes darting back and forth across the opening for a moment, then he flashed the officer a nod and took off.
The man frowned and suddenly ran forward. He met a barrier of the Power thick as glass, yelled after the escaped intruder, and immediately sprinted toward an alternate route.
The walk north was uneventful. Distant and quiet. The counting fell away. The map froze. His head was blessedly quiet for once. He couldn't let himself feel it. He'd stop and run the other direction if he did. Even the snow was no longer a peaceful companion, just a tool to cool his burning knuckles and ice his cheek every other blink. Nothing could be as bad as the last hour had been. Right? Compared to that, this had to be--
His stomach lurched. Light he wanted to throw up. But he forced himself to keep going. To stop thinking about it and just walk. Walking was simple. Right?
The White Tower, the tallest building on the whole of the island, jut high overhead. Many of the portals were dark, but a few were still yet lit. He had no idea what time it was, but every residence along the last mile was quiet as tombs. Travelers were few and far between. It was the rare hour after taverns shut down for the night but before bakers fired their morning ovens. Hopefully this wouldn't be too hard. Though the Guards up ahead were looking lively.
It didn't gleam now, the bone white building. The snow sparkled under his feet though, and the crunch of it snapped the face of every posted Guardsman his direction. From overhead, Jai was a dark arrow crossing a great white field. To those guards, he was an unknown danger. They were wise to try and stop him at the front doors, hands on their swords, calling for a halt.
"Sorry guys. If I stop I won't start again." He said. Force slammed ahead of him and the four were thrown from their feet. Armored men, good, loyal men of Tar Valon, Jai tossed like bags of rice. They crashed and slumped down. He didn't look at them as he walked by.
The Front Hall greeted him in a blaze of light. Enormous lampstands the size of noblemen's fishponds roared with flame, heralding his passage. Yet the windows running overhead he did not stop to count. His were the only foot steps to echo in the marble tomb.
Until now.
He turned, a single Guard with the patch of an officer faced him. He was older with grizzly brown hair and a jaw set hard enough to look on the verge of spitting. He had his hand on his sword, a sign of respect perhaps or of a man wary of what he faced. He looked like a devout man. Jai didn't envy him the headache he'd have upon waking. The Asha'man dove into his conviction and hurled the same force of Power at the officer. But the flows touched him and disintegrated.
Jai blinked.
The officer snorted a laugh and pulled a chain out from under his tabard. There hung a medallion Jai did not recognize.
"Alright." Jai said, placing his hands in the air between them. "Look, I am not here to hurt anyone. I just want to talk to someone." He didn't blink now. Just held the officer's eyes. He was telling the truth.
"The hell you are son," he laughed at the splits on Jai's hands and the fresh hits on his face. He signaled, and Jai glimpsed two more guards on the wings depart for help.
"I'm unarmed, sergeant. And swear by the Light, my intentions are noble." Jai backed away, opening space between them. He was exhausted already, his grip on saidin was slipping fast, and he really didn't like the idea of swordfighting a fresh soldier in the front hall of the White Tower. Especially given that Jai didn't have a sword.
"Unarmed? Hah." This one wasn't like the scripps outside. He knew what he faced. Likely why he hadn't yet drawn a weapon. If the officer was afraid, he was wise to hide it. Jai wasn't in the whack each other around the play-yard sort of mood. But the officer made no move to advance, only follow the Asha'man's retreat step for step. It was the job of a Sister to make such calls about what to do when one the Dragon's weapons kicked in the front door of their home.
"Fine." Jai said. He passed beneath an archway, the same one Nythadri originally took to lead him toward the traveling grounds. The map of the halls ahead burst in his mind. "But I can't have you following me." He backed beneath the passageway, eyes darting back and forth across the opening for a moment, then he flashed the officer a nod and took off.
The man frowned and suddenly ran forward. He met a barrier of the Power thick as glass, yelled after the escaped intruder, and immediately sprinted toward an alternate route.
Only darkness shows you the light.