Conflict in the New Age

[Blackhoof]

OOC: Since GrandpaG prefers PG-13 threads, which is fine, and doesn't want me diluting his threads with violence and fighting, also fine, i have made this thread to showcase war or fighting in the fourth age, just after the last battle. People can still channel, the Dragon Reborn is preparing to invade Shara, and in the far northern Blight, which has mostly returned to normal, Trollocs and the remaining Darkfriends and Dreadlords are gathering, calling themselves the Shadowscarred. After all, "The great battle is done, but the world isn't done with battle."

 

IC: Lupin watched from his room window at the line of Dreadlords practising in the courtyard. From his 15th story perch he could hear there rhythmic chanting and fire-ball throwing. The senior Dreadlord would chant and the trainees would repeat, emphasising the statement with a fireball at a target. would chant and then throw, chant and throw, all in unison.

 

"We are Dreadlords, we are tough!"

"We are Dreadlords, we are tough!"

fireball

"Nothing can stop us!"

"Nothing can stop us!"

fireball

"What do we do when we see a lightfool!"

"What do we do when we see a lightfool!"

fireball

"We make him wish he was in Shayol Ghul!"

"We make him wish he was in Shayol Ghul!"

fireball

 

Lupin was impressed. A few weeks ago, they would have faltered, but now, like the other Darkfriends and the Trollocs, they were gaining cohension, becoming an organised army. They could no longer relly on strength of numbers, so they needed tactics, and teamwork.

 

Imposing a training regime on the Trollocs and re-organising them into claws, fists, arms and herds was one of Lupin's more brilliant ideas. No-one had tried orgainising the Trollocs iot anything more than a fist, but soon, Lupin would have whole groups of Trollocs marching in rank and file, much more imposing than a disorganised rabble like they had been.

 

Soon, Lupin would show the world what he could do. Soon, he would show the world the power of the Shadowscarred, HIS power. With over 110'000 Trollocs and counting, and an army of 250 Dreadlords, most of whom now had a profficiency in Lupins Necromancy weaves, and could raise and control over 50 dead bodies at once, the Shadowscarred were a force to be reckoned with.

[NARISMA]

"Report"he barked to on of the nobles who were standing behind him.

"Troops are progressing slowly T'sorovan M'heil.Asha'man are more skilled than theirs women who are channeling but the numbers are on their side.I'm afraid this battle is going to last longer than we expected."

He sighted.Lot of things were lasting longer than they'we expected.If it wasn't the help they were getting from the Seanshan Damane they would be forced to retreat.But the Lord Dragon ordered to conquer the Shara and it was the thing he was going to do.

It was funny,when he was the Governor of the New Rhuidean he was complaining because the lack of the Action,now he got the Action and the only thing he was wishing for was the Peace of the Chora Trees.

[Hadilmir]

OOC: Why not?

 

Garon lifted another 'Hero' on a platform of Air; halfway to the height of the Amyrlin a simple weave of Fire and Air surrounded the Dedicated and with it a glow, almost radiant. To Garon it was a hollow victory. Two weeks since the fall of the Tower and still they searched for bodies in the city. Mangled corpses that had once been friends, headless corpses who had to wait to be identified, even some that had been trapped by rubble, living for days before finally succumbing to their wounds. Those were the worst, frantic bodies with torn, bloody hands ripped raw from trying to claw free; they had died alone in the dark with no one to hear their cries for help. That had been the fifth day, when everyone was rejoicing after finding a large group still alive in the Tower's basements. The celebration hadn't lasted long, just another room over they had found nearly thirty novices. All dead, many of the rescuers had wept when they saw the bloody scratches on the wall where terror beyond thought had forced them to seek air, to seek light.

 

Shaking his head, Garon lowered the young Dedicated who was staring wondrously at the heartstone pin the Mother had just awarded him with. Those were not good thoughts, today was for celebration. Remembrance of those who had fallen and praise for those who had survived. Anyone who had survived in Tar Valon was a hero now, there had been so few. The next in line was a warder, that was unusual. Erik was somewhat of a hero among the Heroes now. His Aes Sedai had released his bond as she died, and for his revenge he had killed seventy-one Dreadlords, a standing record among the non-channeles. The crowd roared as Garon wove Air around the onetime warder and lifted him to where the Amyrlin hung suspended in mid-air.

 

That had been another blow, watching the Tar Valon residents return from Far Madding. Many had lost everything, but they were in good faith now, the Last Battle done. The rebuilding had to wait though, there were still some areas of the city that hadn't been cleared of bodies. Tomorrow Garon would leave Tar Valon, along with just thirty other channelers to join in the attempt to hunt down the shadowspawn that had escaped. Only three full circles could now be mustered for a fighting force in all of the Westlands, another blow. The Lord Dragon had reserved many of the remaining channelers to conquer Shara, far too soon in Garon's opinion, but even that would be a meager force. Another war just a few months after Tarmon Gai'don didn't seem right after what they had been through, but the T'sorovan M'heil had agreed to lead the army. As a Hero with no other titles Garon didn't have close to enough authority to challenge the Governor of New Rhuidean.

 

OOC: I'm a bit confused about the time frames here Narisma, but I'll try to accommodate your future post. Yes, this post is meant to be earlier than Blackhoof's post. Got to have a buildup after all, give the hunters as long as you wish for them to find you, there's no rush.

 

Someone tapped his shoulder and he jumped as it pulled him out of his deep thought. Silviana made a pointed glance at Erik, still floating above the stage and Garon lowered him sheepishly. Evin stood up from his chair behind the stage and seized the Source. The next Hero rose smoothly, an Accepted, as Evin took over his station. He could have asked. No, he was Silviana's warder, and being the Keeper's warder gave even him more authority than Garon. A Red's warder, that still seemed odd, but everything was odd recently. Tomorrow. Tomorrow they would begin their hunt for vengeance, everything would come right then.

[Blackhoof]

OOC: personally, i dont think the whole invading shara thing is a good idea, but someone said it in GrandpaG's thread, and since this is set in the same time, so it is happening. Oh well.  :)

 

Lupin gazed over the map of the Westlands. It was an updated map, showing the cities that were still inhabited and the ones that were destroyed. It also included troop movements, and there were several red arrows representing the new Dragon Empire's forces moving into Shara through the waste, leaving only a token force of channelers and soldiers behind to begin rebuilding.

 

This was good for the Shadowscarred, very good. Lupin looked up at his generals, and said "How has the recruiting and the Trolloc Breeding Program going?" One of the generals, known only as Ringworm, replied "The recruiting is going surprisingly well, with hundreds of disheartened, grieving or confused peasants from the devastated towns and communities flooding in through out recruiters' gateways. They are almost eager to join our cause."

 

Ringworm paused, and continued "The Trollocs are breeding like rabbits, no-one has ever given them the order to simply 'breed' before, and they are taking to it with... enthusiasm. to be honest, i'd rather they were fighting than sitting around.... breeding. It makes routine checks on the camp somewhat awkward." Lupin nodded.

 

"It has been four months since the Great- the Dark One failed us and fell to the Dragon." Lupin announed. "And a year since the Last Battle started, when the Dragon broke the seals. In exactly one month, we will invade. redouble the training routines for our soldiers, when the time comes, we will be ready. Hail to the Scarred!" He finished his preaching with a righteous cry that was echoed by the generals.

 

Ps. does anyone know the trolloc gestation period and how long it takes for them to grow into adults? Is it human or shorter, like an animal?

[Hadilmir]

OOC: Thanks for the time-frame Blackhoof. This post should bring me up to speed.

 

Today marked the one hundredth day of the so-called Great Rebuilding. After Shienar Garon had not been sure the Light had truly won; after Arafel Garon knew he could never be nauseous again. Shienar had been well guarded, and even with over four million dead if you counted the trollocs, it had just been another battlefield. Garon could deal with battlefields. Arafel had been considered safe, it's forces guarding Shienar and the Blight. For two months they had searched for life, any life, in Arafel south of the borderline. There was none, the entire country scoured clean of human life. There were still humans there, all too many, but they were tattered corpses missing multiple limbs more often than not. Shol Arbela, with it's magnificent walls that radiated strength and power had been a slaughterhouse.

 

Why no one had considered the possibility of a trolloc flanking force attacking Shienar from the West was easy to understand, tactics from trollocs was unheard of and they hadn't been able to Travel then. That did nothing to lessen the pain of seeing over half a million innocent corpses strewn about in the streets, not a single soldier to protect them from the trolloc horde. Light, no one had gone that day without emptying their stomachs ten or more times. In the end, it was a total loss, the only option remaining had been to destroy the proud city. The flames that day had seemed more gray than orange, the conflagration burning hot enough to melt stone. Even that did not provide warmth, the cold brought by what they had seen that day tore at the bones.

 

If Arafel was the only country that devastated then it was still a narrow victory, but one of the other circles had not been willing to speak of Tarabon and there was a hollow tightness around all of their eyes. Garon knew his own face had taken on that look, Shol Arbela had been the worst, but everywhere had been the same on smaller scales. He had learned not to dream sometime in the second month, the nightmares made sleeping impossible, they made closing his eyes painful.

 

He had been wrong, nothing had come right. Things had fallen even farther into devastation. The glorious force of vengeance they had started off as was dead, replaced by world weary men and women who would never fit into society again after what they had seen. Their vengeance had been extracted upon fewer than five thousand trollocs, the others were gone, presumably to the Blight. No one had suggested following them. The Blight was weakening but humanity could not face it for another hundred years at the least. The Lord Dragon was wrong, his conquest of Shara was a distraction from the rebuilding that needed to be done. Garon hated that thought, but he knew it was all too true.

 

For three weeks after Arafel they had traveled, burning bodies took priority now that disease was rampant. Now they were rebuilding, it would be tiresome and hard, likely not to be completely finished in any non-channeler's lifetime. It was started though, and the Light willing it would be completed.

 

OOC: I'm trying to paint a very bleak picture for the Westlands if you couldn't tell. Think post-WW1 Europe on a much larger scale, though the Waste and Seanchan should be just fine. Now Garon is on the same time-frame as Lupin and Orbein.

[Blackhoof]

OOC: good, i like the bleakness, the sorrow, the feeling of grey and black depression following a time of red and black war. I just LOVE that image. makes me proud to be evil.  ;D

 

IC: Havok prowled through the corridoors of the Shadowscarreds' fortress, known as Shadowkeep, with his permanently angry expression. He was always angry. Why? He didn't care. Should he care? No, he didn't think so. Blowing the door to the war room open with a weave of air, Havok entered the room and saw Lupin, Ringworm and the other generals standing around a table with a map of the continent on it.

 

Walking over to Lupin, the generals looking at him in contempt, he bowed and kneeled with his hand to his breast in front of the self-styled Scarlord. "What is thy will, my master?" Havok asked subserviently. lupin smiled. "You are done already? My, you are nearly as good as your father. For now, my will is simple, go to the village of Kindy and spread the Word of the Shadowscarred. tell them that we are a rallying point for all who hae been affected or harmed by the Shadow." Of course, he didn't mention that most of them used to work for the shadow, understandably. The use of Trollocs was explained by saying that they had been used by the Dark One as well, and that they were willing to serve a higher, greater cause.

 

Havok smiled as he left the room. When dreadlords were sent to recruit, often the villagers rejected them or only a handful left. The dreadlords then got to kill any who didn't join them, without the new recruits knowing. After all, they didn't want witnesses to report the Shadowscarreds' activities. Havok enjoyed killing. During the last battle, he had served the Shadow faithfully, but he didn't have his legendary fathers strength orskill with inventing weaves, but he had inherited his cunning, his profficiency with Fire, his pyromaniacle love of fire and burning things. He was Havok Henzig, sole son of Pherno Henzig.

[NARISMA]

OOC:I Know that the invasion of Shara was bad idea,and I began with it because it will have the bigger purpose later.

Trollocs enjoying in the Breeding :DDD

 

"We are advancing more rapidly now,he said to the M'hael.After we captured Shboan her servants surrendered to our mercy.They think we are Gods because only goods could defeat the Shboan and Shbotai.We have 500 captured women who can channel,and Aes Sedai are searching the city for any woman who can be thought to Channel."

"Dragon will be pleased",M'hael said to him and the connection vanished.

The conversation left bitter taste in his mouth,M'hael didn't paid any attention on his reports of casualties.Many good men died fighting for the Dragon,and many of them were Asha'man.He was left with only a half of the soldiers that came with him.They've recruited men from the Shara,who were surprisingly eager to fight for the Dragon even they newer saw him so he had the necessary force to continue the invasion,but he didn't believed the Sharan chanalers to send them in the battle,not yet.He thought about using the compulsion on them,but then he rejected it disgusted with the idea.He will not use the Shadow techniques even if that meant defeat.But they will not be defeated.Largest city in Shara was theirs,and  without much civil casualties.The will have time to rest and to prepare for the invasion of the north.With luck the word of the new force that captured their Emperor and the Empress will spread ahead of them and they will not have much resistance.Even so 600 000 soldiers died in this bloody conquest in the name of Dragon Reborn.It was big price to pay to the butcher.Those men who died had families that would need them,as the process of the Rebuilding begins.But who was he to disobey the Orders of the Dragon Reborn. 

[Hadilmir]

OOC: How about we put this confrontation in Arad Doman? Kindy sounds very Domani.

 

Alone Garon stepped through the hole in the air. As his foot landed in northern Arad Doman he winced. Alone. No one among the Hunters liked going alone anymore, there was still a chill in his bones that he feared would never leave. He let the gateway wink out behind Stormshield and stood taller as he calmed himself. As strong as he was in Earth he was only human and he needed this time away from the Rebuilding to regain some strength. Channeling buildings back together was quick work, but even he was getting tired.

 

For eight days Asha'man and Aes Sedai had been sent out to untouched regions to find anyone willing to help repopulate the devastated borderlands. Arafel was still uninhabitable. He shivered at that thought but turned west anyways. The village of Kindy was easily large enough to be a town, if it ever tried. Well over two thousand people lived in what seemed to be wooden cubes stacked together up to four stories high in some places with boardwalks on every level. Odd that everything was wooden, Garon had placed himself halfway between Kindy and it's quarries and he was barely a mile from either.

 

His horse, they were bloody rare these days, caused a few stares as he entered Kindy ten minutes later; but he rode staring straight ahead. In the middle of Kindy he had been told there was a large platform that usually held stone from the quarries. He had been told to address the people from there, but another man was already capturing their attention from atop a large stack of stone blocks. A crowd was forming, but Garon, for reasons he couldn't make sense of, decided to stable Stormshield first. Turning off the quarry road, paved of course, he stopped in the first inn off the street. The sign read 'The Dragon', that was a popular name now, but Garon paid it no heed. It was the only inn he had seen with a horse in the stable, a fiery red bay, and that was all that mattered.

 

By the time he reached the square the man wearing red and black, that was thought unlucky now, was holding Saidin. Instantly Garon felt himself claw for the Source himself, but he forced that down. The man wove nothing dangerous, he just amplified his voice so that it would boom against the houses surrounding the square. Garon settled into the crowd, his curiosity piqued, and the man began a very disturbing speech.

 

OOC: Your move, Havok.

[Blackhoof]

"The Shadow ruined your lives!" Havok preached, his voice amplified by the power. "Trollocs slaughtered your countrymen, even quiet, harmless villages like this weren't spared. What does the dragon do about it?" There was a murmur through the crowd, and Havok continued. "NOTHING! First he led the charge on shayol ghul, leaving the world to burn, and now hes off to shara, a nation we havent heard of!" Angry mutters spread through the crowd. "We have all been scarred by the Shadow, what will you dio about it? Will you join the shadowscarred, and fight for revenge, for liberty! The Dragons time is over, he has finished his task, now it is our turn, WHO WILL JOIN ME!" the crowd broke out in cheers and crys of confirmation. "I said, WILL YOU JOIN ME!" The answering shout deafened him. "YES!"

[Hadilmir]

With that last resounding 'YES!' Garon forced his hand. Hatred for the Dragon and the Asha'man was common now, he'd been forced to accept that, but rebellion could not be tolerated. Ducking behind a building, Garon seized the source and wove a complex weave of mostly spirit that disguised his ability to channel. He hoped he had been fast enough, but there was no time to make sure. Straining, he inverted a weave of Air and Fire above the channeler.

 

High above the rebel's head a Dragon appeared in flame and radiant light. Much of the crowd screamed and pressed away from the platform, but already Garon wove pure Earth and the stones below the rebel's feet seemed to liquefy and crawl quickly up his leg. As the strange liquid stone reached his knees it hardened, the man stared, but as Garon watched he took control of himself and scanned the crowd. The rebel was too strong to shield, evenly matched if Garon's guess was right; but hopefully the crowd would hide him as he slowly made his way to the platform. The Dragon still flew above the crowd, and he tied it off, weaves of Air were the hardest for him to hold.

[Blackhoof]

Havok cursed as he sensed someone holding saidin. Before he could do anything, the sense dissapeared and a flaming dragon appeared above him. The crowd was hysteric; they thought that the dragon had come for revenge, as the stones under Havoks feet liquefied and began crawling up his legs.

 

the stone solidified, and Havok was unable to move. Weaving Earth, he shattered the stone holding his legs and ripped the illusionary dragon above him into shreds with spirit. "People of Kindy! There is an Asha'man among us! I sensed him! They are not guardians, but cruel slavers serving the tyrannical dragon! He never saved us on purpose! I have been informed from a very reliable source that he was travelling to Shayol ghul not to fight the dark One, but to surrender to him!" The crowd, having forgotten the illusion, gasped in shock and began muttering in rage.

 

"Yes! It is true! He left you all to die and planned to let the dark one finish you off! He doesn't deserve our loyalty!" The crowd roared its approval, and a man in a black cloak leapt onto the stand, and shouted, his voice amplified with the power "THATS NOT TRUE!" The crowd froze.

[Hadilmir]

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" rang in Garon's ears for a second, perhaps he shouldn't have shouted into the Amplifier weave, but that was not what stopped him. He recognized the rebel, though he had only seen the man's face once before. "This man, Pherno, was the dreadlord who tore down the White Tower, do not listen to his lies! Are you so eager for more death in the wake of Tarmon Gai'don? I have seen Shol Arbela, where half a million refugees laid dead in the streets, slain by men like him! Are you so eager to see more battle this soon after the Last Battle? Men like him are responsible for the ocean of bodies in Shienar that takes weeks to circle! These 'Shadowscarred' are not righteous, not with a murderer like Pherno in their ranks!"

 

Suddenly the stupidity of what he had just done hit him; he had taken his attention off of Pherno. The crowd seemed hesitant, but he realized he cared not what they thought now. Garon turned, serpentine coils of liquid stone rising around him to tear the murderer to pieces.

 

OOC: Don't get used to breaking anything Garon's weaves with Earth, the stone shattered the first time because he tied that weave off as well, but if he's holding them you'll have to cut the weaves themselves. He's just too stacked in Earth, like Rand is with Fire/Spirit.

[Blackhoof]

OOC: Very well, ur guy is with earth what Havok and Pherno are with fire. Unstoppable. Mwa ha ha ha!  :D Earth v Fire.

 

IC: Havok could see that he was losing the crowd to the asha'mans revelations, and he had to do something. Weaving fire and surrounding himself with tentacles of flame, Havok shouted, "Alas! It is true1 I am the son of the dread Pherno, who killed many while enslaved by the Dark One, but he did not know what he was doing, as his mind was clouded by the evil of the Dark One, besides, no-one chooses their father."

 

"Also, my father did good in destroying the White Tower! that den of sly-talking, manipulative witches deserved to burn! This man, this... Asha'man! Will kill me and then destroy you all with his powers! Help me fight him, and i will help you in turn throw off the shackles of the dragons oppresion! The Shadowscarred will provide you with food, lodging, warmth and purpose! Only we can pull you out of this living nightmare that is the aftermath of the Last Battle! For the Scarred!'

 

With that last shout, he pushed his arms forward and his flaming tentacles shot at the asha'man, and large amunts of the crowd charged him too.

[NARISMA]

"Tell them to stop fighting",he ordered to the Sharan Empress who was captured nearly two weeks ago.

Her gaze was colder than the Heart of the Winter itself.

"I will not do such a thing.They are fighting for the empire.It is an honor to give your life in the service of the Empire."

"They do not have to die.If you order them to lover their weapon,Asha'man will not attack."

She didn't said anything,her face was hard to read,but he saw determination hard as the cuelenidar itself.This woman will not give up,he knew that now,no matter what they do.

"Simion,tell the soldiers to begin attack."

Messenger that was standing outside of his tent nodded and moved with urgency in his step.

He was sorry to do this,he oped the things would go the other way,but he will not hesitate to use force.He left the tent and before that he made sure that the barriers of the Air were in place.

The woman was very capable.She tried to escape five times just this week,so now he made sure that she doesn't have a way to do so.

He watched as the first lightning struck the city walls.Asha'man first made sure that there is no chanaler left to attack the soldiers then the retreated leaving the battle for the soldiers.It was the tactic he ordered,because there was too much cities and the chanalers were to valuable to use them in the battle with the ordinary soldiers.But they will surrender eventually.The capitol and the cities on the south were theirs,and many of the northern as well.It was just a matter of time before the first ones begin collapsing and he will be there to make sure that happens in the terms that will benefit Lord Dragon.

[Blackhoof]

Lupin smiled as he watched the village burn. The Shadowscarred had invaded the westlands, using coordinated attacks, ambushing, training and high discipline to conquer all of the borderlands. Anyone who didn't surrender, and they got the chance, were killed, or fed to the Trollocs. The converts were surprisingly eager to punish the "unbelievers", and commited heinous acts in the name of the Scarred.

 

All in all, it was a very satisfying outcome. Lupin, through extensive recruiting and heavy training, had amassed 150'000 Trollocs and 0ver 42'000 new Shadowscarred warriors, most just innocent, gullible farmers and villagers that had been converted. By conscripting and recruiting in the borderlands, he had raised 6000 more troops, and counting.

 

Now, they were planning to attack Tar Valon. The tower had not been rebuilt and the city was still almost all in ruins, but it was a symbol of hope and survival for the citizens of the westlands, and there were a few Aes Sedai and scores of Novices and Accepted there, so it must be destroyed.

[Hadilmir]

It was a brilliant sight, harsh pillars of stone intercepting radiant tentacles of flame, hundreds struck and dissipated every second. It was almost too fast to perceive, the only comparison could be two blademasters fighting, except these tentacles were far more deadly. Flame that would rip through flesh met stone that could crush bones and both were incinerated. The platform was becoming too hot to stand, becoming worse every time his coils of stone sucked the heat from this Havok's flames. The crowd began to flee, he could not blame them, his boots were smoking from the heat of the quarry stones and his clothes would begin soon. Rolling to the right, Garon threw a solid wall of stone between him and the rebel. He heard the flames hiss against it, but then everything grew silent, Havok was thinking, he couldn't allow that.

 

Stepping back, Garon threw his hands out in a wide arc. Below him ripples pulsed outwards in the stone; the ripples grew to waves, and then the entire platform was shaking as the stone became as turbulent as the Sea of Storms. Standing calmly at the epicenter, Garon began to thrust the wall forward, perhaps to knock the rebel clear off the platform, or even to just gain time. He still heard nothing from the other side, and that worried him.

[Blackhoof]

As the wall of earth rose between them, Havok stopped attacking and paused for a second to rest. This guy was good. The people were fleeing, he would get no converts from this lot, oh well. It was time for his special attack, one that he had practised and perfected sice he had first tried it at the age of 19.

 

Clutching his hands together in front of his, he wove fire and spirit, and silent flames began forming around him, swirling ever faster like a forming tornado. A moment later, the earth bagan rippling and churning underneath him, but he kept his concentration and the flames swirled faster and faster, becoming a solid dome around him. The wall began moving towards him, but it was too late to stiop him now.

 

Suddenly he grunted in effort, and spread his arms wide. The dome exploded, sending a solid wave of fire in all directions The wall held for a second, then fell backwards, and the platform was all but disintegrated. Several onlookers and nearby buildings were destroyed  or lit on fire as well.

 

But it wasn't over, another wave of solid flame radiated from havok, and another, and another, spreading ever furrther outwards. It would take the Dragon Reborn to break this weave, Havok thought smugly.

[Hadilmir]

OOC: We should probably get back our respective forces.  ;)

 

 

Garon heard muffled screams all around, that angered him, but he knew there was nothing he could do, this guy was good. Air, his mind raced, I need air. An inverted ward of silence sprang up around him and he let the faintly glowing stone slide off his head. He sucked in air, but immediately coughed it all back out. He could feel his face, another man's face in the Void, stinging painfully. He'd likely have blisters without healing and his vision was a fine, if a bit watery. The coat of Saidin hardened stone had protected the rest of his body, though his lungs were still aflame. He remembered taking a deep breath as the Power-strengthened stone slid over his face like water and feeling the burning air tear up his lungs. In a moment he had his cough under control, but didn't immediately stand up.

 

The square was in ruins, the wooden boxes that the people of Kindy called homes were quick to catch fire and it was spreading. He was a good forty feet from where he had stood on the platform, now gone. It hadn't felt that far in that stone cocoon, unsurprising given the sheer amount of Saidin he had thrown into the thing. Standing, Garon let most of the stone from the cocoon flow like water out onto the ground. It was still too heavy to move fast, but this thin it didn't restrict his movement much. He couldn't see Havok through the smoke, but that only made him warier as he strode off towards 'The Dragon' to fetch his horse. He had no business here anymore; Garon could barely hold the Power and he had never been able to use Healing. Coughing, Garon disappeared into the thick smoke as Kindy burned.

[Blackhoof]

3 whole minutes after he had begun the weave, havok ended it and the last waves of flame faded away. Slumping to the ground, Havok panted and coughed uncontrollably, the air was so smokey. he had been completely unaffected by all the fire and heat, but the smoke and dust he had created were another matter. That Asha'man was almost certainly dead or gone, because he couldn't sense anything, but even if he was still here, Havok was too weak to do anything about it, too tired.

 

Well, at least i got a good fight and a burning village out of it He thought to himself. Lupin would have invaded by now, so it didn't matter that the Light would find out about the shadowscarred through that asj\ha'man, if he was alive. Seeing no other course of action, Havok opened a gateway back to the Shadowkeep, to get some much-needed rest.

[Hadilmir]

This new position seemed odd to Garon, the weight of authority settling around his shoulders was odd. First Rebuilder was a new title but already the other Aes Sedai and Asha'man were regarding his earlier weakness as a new strength. Wondrously white stone sparkles as it flowed like water towards the site of the Tower. Flows of Earth, magnified by the full circle with angreal, shaped the rubble into a solid gleaming surface. Glancing down at the diagram in his hands, Garon aligned the walls before altering the weave and strengthening the stone, hopefully locking it in place for good this time.

 

Not bothering to turn around, Garon wove an Amplifier and called out, "First floor is complete, raise to second!" Behind him, a circle of thirteen lifted him another story on a platform of air. All around, servants who had stayed scurried into the New Tower, eager to replace the doors and furnishings that had been salvaged. It felt so right to have a White Tower in the world, no matter it's current height. Garon's report on the rebel in Kindy two days ago had convinced the Aes Sedai that the world needed such a symbol again, though he hadn't expected the promotion. As the second floor began to take shape a group of warders carrying something and their Aes Sedai strode out of the Traveling Hall, their faces quite sour even under those calm shells that all, well most, Aes Sedai hid behind.

 

That was not his concern though, and he returned his attention to a stairwell on the western side. The second floor was done before they had gotten to where Silviana stood watching on the opposite end from the Traveling Hall. Most Whites had estimated that every floor could be finished by noon tomorrow if they took only the sunless hours as rest tonight. Already the sun was halfway past it's zenith, but the work was fast given the raw power he had access to. Weaving another Amplifier, tying it off this time, Garon called out to be raised another story. He glanced down at the newcomers as he rose, they seemed distressed, but he could hear nothing because of the distance. Minutes later Garon was finished with the third floor, but the circle lowered him this time when he called to be raised.

 

As his feet touched down an Accepted curtsied and asked 'The First Rebuilder' to follow her to Silviana Sedai. Chuckling, Garon waited for her to move first, he knew where to go but there's was no need to be rude on a day as wonderful as this one. His smile slid off crookedly when he arrived, that 'something' they had been carrying was a man missing a leg. He had obviously been healed, but there was still blood all over him. The Amyrlin Seat walked into the crowd from the other side just as he did, but Garon held his tongue. The First Rebuilder was a temporary position, barely higher than a public Ajah Head.

 

"What is going on here?" Egwene asked in an icy cool voice that spoke of displeasure at the interruption. "You are Asha'man Daryn are you not? You were in Saldaea, how did you sustain these injuries?" The man sat up straighter, but he still looked a pathetic thing, even with the two pins on his collar.

 

"Trollocs, Amyrlin. Trollocs and darkfriends everywhere. I'm afraid they've taken Irinjavar, Maradon, and probably Mehar too by now. They'll move on the Tower soon, mark my word on it. Tomorrow most likely, they've been rolling through any resistance and with traveling they could be anywhere. They call themselves the 'Shadowscarred' though I can't see the significance in it. More importantly, they have dreadlords, many dreadlords." Garon froze, everyone but Daryn was staring at him now.

 

"What?"

[Blackhoof]

"I said no witnesses!" Ringworm roared to the cowering shadowscarred cultist, the generals ring-shaped scars pale against his dark face. "Yet, you let that Asha'man gat away! Just because he had only one leg didn't mean he couldn't escape, you fool!" The cultist was on his knees, begging for forgivness.

 

"Enough, Ringworm." Lupin broke in, and the general backed away, his perpetual scowl turning into a grimace. Lupin got off his throne and approached the kneeling cultist, who had a look of apprehension on his face. "You have failed us, and this could be fatal for our cause." Lupin stated to the paling shadowscarred. "Threats to the cause cannot be tolerated."

 

Before the cultist could speak, Lupin had reached out with a weave of compulsion and crushed his mind into a pulp. He was now nothing more than a mindless slave, now. The compelled cultist rose and woodenly left to join the rest of the army. In Lupins army, failure was not rewarded with death, but with eternal slavery under Lupins compulsion.

 

Turning to Ringworm, Lupin said "It is time to attack Tar Valon, now that the light knows the details of why they have suddenly lost contact with the north. Tell the Dreadlords to remember that they should stay in the background, protecting our troops from channeling attack and raising the dead to fight for us, not at the front dying. We can't afford to lose any of our channelers."

[NARISMA]

They have been victorious,after three long months of fighting all Shara was now part of the Dragon Empire.Lord Dragon was now master of the world,in every mean.His empire engulfed Seanshan,Aiel waste,Shara,Shayol Ghul and the all of the westland.He was tired but pleased.He found his wife and daughter here.They were working as the Slaves.Because of that he killed the Sharan Empress.She was the one who hid them from him when she found out who they were.She tried to blackmail him but without any success.He killed her the moment he found out where they were holding them.When people found out that their Empress was dead they thought it was the punishment from the Creator because of the Resistance to the Emissaries of the Lord Dragon.Soon after that much of the Army surrendered.

Some of the Chanalers tried to rise the Rebellion but Asha'man took care of that.Now most of the Army was in westland.He used Callandor to open massive gateway to the Kairhien.He was here enjoying the free time with his family.He didn't move in to the Royal Palace,instead he  bought the mansion on the edge of the city.He knew that soon he will have to go back but not yet.There was rebellion preparing in what used to bee deep blight.He will be sent to take care of that,but his family will stay here.He didn't wanted them in the middle of the war again.

Lady Moiraine was appointed as the New Governor of the Shara province.He trusted her,they will be in good hands when he leaves.

[Blackhoof]

Havoks scowl lessened as he saw over 100'000 Trollocs charge at the walless Tar Valon. Without the dried-up river Erinin to hold off assault and the Dreadlords protecting the Trollocs from channeling attack, the few dozen channelers,  several hundred soldiers and thousands of civilians had no chance.

 

Only a miracle could save them now.

 

Havok and the other Shadowscarred had been shocked to find the tower rebuilt to its former grandeur. How had they done it,even with channeling, so quickly? No matter, ti was merely something else to tear down.

 

The Shadowscarred Rebellion had spread like wildfire, with tens of thousands of disgruntled, overworked civilians rioting and declaring independence from the Dragons rule. Rand al'Thors' depleted armies could do little to stop the rampaging mobs, as the heart of his empire began to slowly unravel. The westlands resembled, from a political point of view, a black of red (Dragon) with a big grey patch to the north (Shadowscarred) and hundreds of small grey patches spread throughout the red. These metaphorical grey pathces were getting bigger, but many were also dissapearing as the Dragons troops quelled the rebellions.

 

Either way, Tar Valon would fall.