Rihari's Arch Experience
Sejan Asha'man leads you in to a chamber with high ceilings. Around the Arches where the pillars of the great ter'angreal meet the marble floors sit three linked Asha'man. The Indigo brother is Valehru, his eyes are open and he leads the other two, a White brother and Yellow brother, whose eyes are closed. Three other Asha'man stand to one side of the domed room, near a table which holds three chalices. A seventh brother closes the doors through which Sejan and yourself entered. Seven of the eight Asha'man, this count including the Master of Soldiers, wears his cord.
Sejan turns to face you and the other standing Asha'man move 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." Sejan pauses, "to seek, to strive, is to know danger. Some men have entered the Arches and never come out," his face is stony but slowly compassion softens his expression and sympathy colours his voice. "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 . . . " He does not finish the sentence but you read in his eyes the consequences of failure. "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," you tell him.
He nods and says, "then ready yourself for the Arches." Belatedly, you realise that you are meant to enter the Arches naked. The Brown brother, the one who closed the doors, steps forwards and takes your clothing and personal items from you. When you are ready, Sejan Asha'man leads you towards the brother who wears instead of a cord a grey stole and stands foremost of the poised Asha'man. "Whom do you bring before the Arches?" You hear the Grey brother say, realizing it is also the Head of the Grey Ajah. "I bring one who comes as a candidate for Dedication," replies Sejan steadily. "Is he ready?" Darien Asha'man of the Blue Ajah questions Sejan, appearing to ignore you. "He is ready to leave behind what he was and, passing through his fears, gain Dedication," Sejan Asha'man replies. "Does he know his fears?" Daimael Asha'man of the Green Ajah now contests your readiness to face the test for Dedication. "He has never faced them, but is willing," Sejan Asha'man answers. "Then let him face what he fears," Marttin intones, stepping aside. The two other Asha'man with his also move out of your way.
"The first time is for what was. Be steadfast. The way back comes only once," Sejan informs you and you approach the first Arch, the stone floor cold beneath your bare feet.
Rihari opened his eyes again and saw...his sister. "Rihari," she screamed as she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around her neck. "It’s going to be okay Lilian." He tried to console her. "They won't hurt us anymore." Rihari looked across the room and saw the pile of ashes that had been the raider. This didnt happen, I set the room on fire.. He saw a flash of movement in the corner of his eye and whirled around, again the fires came and the raider fell to the ground, screaming. One after another they came, and one after another it took only a look and motion from Rihari to burn them where they stood. It didnt happen like this...my father killed them with a sword... He then saw his father in the yard battling with a raider. Grabbing up a knife from the table he threw it at the raider. The wind suddenly picked up and the knife was travelling faster than it was possible to imagine. The course was true and the raider fell with a gurgle. "What have you done son?" Tythos asked, almost in awe." "I..I dont know father. I think...I am a channeler." He pointed at the piles of ash and a small whirlwind gathered around each, picking up the ashes and whisking them outside. Then he felt it, like he was being overwhelmed with pure ecstasy, it felt too good to be true. Then he saw them- Lews, Birgitte, Hawkwing. He felt that he could see everything. And then the archway appeared before him. Be steadfast. The way back comes only once.
The silver Arch flashes before you and you step into the light and are consumed. Sejan awaits you in the Room of the Arches, and leads you to kneel before Marttin Asha'man who holds a chalice in his hands. Clear water streams over your body and hair as Marttin declares, "you are washed clean of what sin you may have done, and of those done against you. You are washed clean of what crime you have committed, and of those committed against you. You come to us washed clean and pure, in heart and soul."
"I killed them all. I took too much and set them all alight.."
Sejan leads you to the next Arch, pronouncing, "the second time is for what is. Be steadfast. The way back comes only once."
He was standing in the gravel of the warder yards, bare down to his waist going through his sword forms. They had never ever felt so good before. The fluidity would have made the Master of Training seem unsure in his movements. He then noticed the heron emblazoned on the hilt of his sword. Weaving a thread of spirit and water he looked critically at the sword. It had been made over two thousand years ago. Where he had got it from he…he had got it in the Borderlands, a gift from.. He heard a cry. "Rihari Asha’man, help!" He saw that new soldier- Hikar- run out into the yard. "There are..argh." The soldier fell to the ground with a dagger sticking out of his back. He was aware of the two warders running to his sides and then towards the fallen soldier. It was then he saw the Myrdraal step out of the doorway bearing its tainted Thakan’dar sword. He launched himself forward with abandon. The cat walks on hot coals into the boar down the mountain staight to the tower, one after the other the forms flowed. The Myrdraal kept moving back. He heard the ring of steel and steel and glanced a look to his side to see Trollocs pouring out of the doors and the two warders being pushed slowly back. He lifted himself away from the Myrdraal and prepared to use a wave of balefire What is balefire? And the archway appeared before him. "I can’t leave them. I can save them!" Be steadfast. The way back comes only once.
He stepped through the arches with the dying screams of the men in his ears. The silver Arch flashes again before you and you step into the light and are consumed. Sejan awaits you in the Room of the Arches, and again leads you to kneel before Marttin Asha'man who holds a second chalice in his hands. "You are washed clean of false pride. You are washed clean of false ambition," announces Marttin Asha'man. "You come to us washed clean and pure, in heart and soul."
"I left them to die. Why? What is balefire? Why do you make me do this?!"
Sejan Asha'man looks back at you. "The choice is yours." At your nod he leads you to the next Arch, pronouncing, "the third time is for what will be. Be steadfast. The way back comes only once."
He stood out on the battlements of the tower. He lifted his hand to run through his hair. The few wisps there didn’t even bother his hand. "Are you ready to go down there?" she inquired. "Probably as ready as I will ever be," he heard himself reply. He followed the Aes Sedai down the stairs to the courtyard and was led to his horse. Saddling up he turned to the assembled collection laid out before him. He felt his skin come out in goosebumbs, Alyssia Sedai must be weaving something to make his voice louder. "Green Ajah members. Today we are gathered because of news of a great force of Darkness gathering near our border. We are to ride and destroy that force before it can affect us at all. He then noticed something wrong with the men and women standing in the courtyard. They were not responding to his words. They were not smiling or grimacing with the anticipation of battle. Grabbing saidin he laid a net of spirit down across the courtyard to feel what was wrong. As the net settled the men and women slowly began to fade. Except for two woman and a man siting in the far side of the courtyard. Dressed all in black they made no move towards him. He was suddenly separated from saidin and grabbing at his throat as the life was slowly squeezed out of him. "Why, why do you do this?" he gasped. "Because you are in the way old man. I wish to lead and you are in the way." Rihari recognised the man, it was… Be steadfast. The way back comes only once. "No, I need to know who it is.."
The silver Arch flashes before you a third time and you step into the light and are consumed. Sejan leads you to kneel before Marttin Asha'man who holds the last chalice in her hands. The M'hael is standing before you and the chalice is given to him. Clear water streams over your body and hair the M'hael proclaims to yourself and all the Asha'man present, "You are washed of what you were. You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world. You are an Dedicated of the Grey Tower." The last bit of water dribbles onto your hair. "You are sealed to us now." The M'hael helps you to stand, handing you the sword pin to be put on you coat. "Welcome, Son," he shakes your hand. "Welcome," he finishes.
Rihari managed to hold himself tall until he got out the door. Crashing down on the floor he kept quiet as the Asha’man filed past him. Noticing that Valehru was the last he grabbed his coat. "Lets go and grab Barry, I need to go to the tavern and drink!"