Tellings of the Wheel: Slayer

[The Don]

Destiny

 

The scorching sun blazed overhead, somehow giving off more heat that it should have. He had been in the Blight for no more than a few hours, and he was already regretting coming. Why had he even come in the first place?

 

Destiny.

 

It was the only acceptable answer. He was a prince of Malkier once. Peaten al'Kar, son of Bain al'Kar, younger brother to the last King of Malkier. When the Trollocs destroyed his homeland and killed his father and uncle, Peaten's mother fled south with her five children. Peaten was only two.

 

She took them to a small village on the outskirts of Caemlyn, where they lived dirt poor. How ever much he loved his mother, he would never forgive her for that mistake. If they had gone anywhere in the Borderlands they would have stayed nobility, as was their birthright. Instead the starved more often than not.

 

When his oldest brother, Marten, turned sixteen he left the family to join the Children of the Light, where he vowed to avenge the loss of his kingdom as the eldest surviving male of the royal family. Marten was a fool. At around the same time, when Peaten was eight, he fell in with a group of street kids from Caemlyn. As the new man of the house, it was his obligation to provide for his family. He started out as a common pickpocket, using what he was able to steal to pair with the game he hunted in the woods. As he grew older, he got bigger and stronger. When he was ten, he was nearly as tall as some adults. Soon he was able to move into outright robbery, as well as taking what he wanted from the other boys.

 

When he was twelve, he was allowed into the local Theives Guild. At thirteen he was known well enough to have been recruited by the local Darkfriend Circle. There he was taught a new way of thinking. Bad was good if there was a reason behind it. He could now justify his actions, to save his family. Soon he found a greater calling... Malkier.

 

Which brought him here now. He was going to die soon, he was certain of it. Thirst, heat exhaustion or some monster of the Blight would take him. This was not how it was supposed to be. Truth be told, he didn't know what he'd find here, but this definately wasn't it. Dying alone in the Blight at the age of fourteen was not a happy ending to this Prince's tale.

 

"You're wandering far away from any towns, boy." A deep voice called from the top of a small hill.

 

This was it, he had finally cracked. He was hearing voices. He was even imagining the man coming towards him. "Who are you?" Was all he could croak out. His voice held little strength in it.

 

"I am called Memnoch. You must be the reason I'm here. I was wondering if I had gone mad. The Masters certainly thought so." It was too much. Peaten collapsed into a heap.

 

When he came back around, it was night. There was a small fire next to him. Across from it sat Memnoch. "No need to worry, boy, you'll live through the night." He was studying him. "Why you, I wonder? Who sent you?"

 

"I... I don't know. Nobody. I came for Mal..." He stopped, regretting even starting the sentence.

 

"Malkier?" He nodded thoughtfully. "The Great Lord of the Dark works in mysterious ways. You should sleep. We have a long walk ahead of us, Borderlander."

 

"Where are we going?"

 

"To the Tower of the Black Dawn. I think it is your destiny."

[The Don]

The Tower of the Black Dawn

 

The following week was long indeed. Memnoch was not so talkative as that first night, and the sun was relentless. The horrors of the Blight seemed to be of no concern to his guide. He walked with the deadly grace of a seasoned warrior. His sword seemed almost an extension of him. On the third day, as they made their way over the mountains, a Myrddraal joined them. From then on, they were indeed left alone... and the journey was made all the more uncomfortable.

 

He had heard stories of the Eyeless, yet they hardly did Kjasic any justice. He was terrifying. It took all the strength he had not to turn and run. Again, Memnoch seemed to have little to no concern. They seemed to know each other, which made Peaten both relieved and afraid. What kind of man was this?

 

On the eighth night, they slept in a Trolloc camp. This was apparently their territory and to not do so would be a high dishonor. Again, Memnoch seemed un-phased. He was able to communicate with their Cheiftan in its own Tongue. The mystery of this man kept growing. Memnoch and Kjasic were treated as honored guests. They looked at Peaten like food. They made eatting noises all night outside of his tent. He heard Memnoch laughing as if it were some great joke. Needless to say, Peaten didn't sleep that night.

 

In the morning, Peaten and Memnoch left alone. It seemed now that they were in friendly territory Kjasic didn't see the need to continue with them. And it didn't like the place they were going.

 

At around noon on the tenth day, Peaten caught his first glimpse of the Tower of the Black Dawn. At first it looked like a pile of dark stone in the distance. As they got closer it turned into a mighty fortress, that looked like a cross between the White Tower and one of the Borderland strongholds. It was breathtaking. By the time they came to the gates, it was nearly sunset. Peaten could hear the ringing of metal on metal coming from inside.

 

"Who would come into the Tower of the Black Dawn?" A voice called from on top of the gate.

 

"Memnoch, Apprentice Blood Seeker. I come with a candidate for training."

 

"Then under the name of the Great Lord, enter."

 

As the gate opened, Peaten's mind started racing. Memnoch was only an Apprentice? And Peaten was a candidate for some kind of training he had never heard of? There was no choice, though. How could he say no? Even if they let him go, he would die by sunrise. So he stepped in after Memnoch.

 

He was too mesmorized by the Tower itself to more than just notice the hundreds of men and women in a deadly dance all around him. How could such a structure be in the Blight? And who would want to put one here?

 

"Apprentice Memnoch." A voice called to the left of them. "So I see you've come back with a friend. Was this your great quest?"

 

Both Peaten and Memnoch turned towards the voice. Memnoch saluted with a fist to the chest. The man made Memnoch, who Peaten had already given the title of 'world's deadliest man', look like a cub next to a full grown Alpha wolf. "Master Silence. Yes, I believe he is my great quest. He is a Friend of the Dark. His name is Peaten al'Kar."

 

"Al'Kar, you say?" Silence nodded. "Perhaps his blood will get him through his training. Take him to one of the empty chambers, get him proper clothing and a meal." He sniffed the air. "And a bath. His training begins tomorrow."