Crossing into the
world of the Shadow
Svetlana struggled against the bonds of the OP....She could
barely make a ball of light in her hands, they hadn't bothered to
shield her. They had caught her in town....while she was out
running errands for Aes Sedai. What's going to happen? she kept
saying to herself over and over, with What do they want from me
always coming after. She hadn't eaten in days....or had a chance
to take a bath for that matter. Her bare feet touched the ice-cold
ground when she walked from the little wooden bench that they had
courteously provided for her. Svetlana ran her hands across the
rusty metal bars while she embraced Saidar. As the wonderful life
of it flowed through her, she tried with all her might to hold
onto it....to take it and direct it, but twas useless. She had
not yet learned enough to bend the bars. That's when she heard
the laughter. The insane and despairing laughter that seemed to
grab onto her soul and...what? It always came when she resisted....but
this time there were footsteps. They weren't hurried, but echoed
though the long, dark halls.....it was so maddening that she
clawed at the bars in an insane attempt to get out. When she saw
what had come for her....a high pitched scream rose through the
halls. She looked around and finally realized it was hers.
The Mydraal turned the key and agonizingly slowly opened the
screechy cell door. The cold emotionless voice hissed, "Come,
or be forced to come."
Svetlana did not want to be taken by force by this....thingso
she followed along without resistance. To be touched by it was to
be touched by death in her eyes. Eyes! The creature's eyes seemed
to turn her to stone. This was her first encounter with a Mydraal.
Then that agonizing question went through her head before she was
knocked senseless. What is to become of me?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slowly gaining consciousness, Svetlana noticed that she was in a
large, black walled room, lit only by a few candles. She could
see only the outlines of a few faces. The lighting and perhaps
something more gave them an eerie effect, adding to her terror,
as did the fact that she was lying on the ground. She began to
scream when she saw all the Mydraal to her right. All with white
lifeless faces, and a stare of death in their eyes. As she felt
her voice box freeze in her throat, one of the "humans"
spoke, "Svetlana....we are going to explain this to you now
so that you aren't driven mad in the process. We all....worship
the GLotD here. It is the only way." The voice paused and
then seemed to be coming from every direction at once, and then
no where, "With all he has to offer, the wonderful glory and
power that you have refused." She opened her mouth to speak,
but was cut off, "Yes, you have been offered all this glory
and power, yet refused under the influence of compulsion, you
actually refused. But the GLotD does not take no for an answer,
and you WILL learn this! To serve only HIM or be destroyed."
The voice boomed now, "As you will learn to channel or
become Trolloc meat!"
"But I will not be turned to the shadow! The DARK ONE does
not have any power over my will!" she protested.
"Is that so? You are so arrogant to not think of the
possibility that maybe you don't know ENOUGH. Perhaps YOU, a weak
and measly worm, could defy the power of the Great Lord of the
Dark?" he said as loud and cruel laughter echoed throughout
the room.
Svetlana didn't know what to do. She was now recklessly sobbing,
gasping for air. But somehow managed to spit in the speaker's
face. Now she couldn't breath. It was like a hand had suddenly
taken hold of her heart and began to squeeze it until it would
burst. She felt death coming....and then relief.
"You will never show disrespect to me for I am above you. I
could kill you right now if given the chance. Let us not delay in
this. There are 13 Mydraal and 13 of us here....with this many we
are able to turn you to the shadow like that," he said,
snapping his fingers," Let us not delay this any longer. It
shall be done now."
Svetlana struggled in between sobs, even though she knew it was
useless. A pang of complete and total despair washed through her.
She felt others embrace Saidar around her, saw the incandescent
glow, and thought her last thoughts, hopes and dreams....sure
there will be more, but they will be for the shadow....for death.
A realization came through her in the last moments....what she
was about to become would mean all that she is, would die. Then
she began to scream. It had begun....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Svetlana was able to "think" again, she was in a
bed in a white room. She had remembered the first shocking
moments of the change. Her mind had been fighting off the evil
mind of her former self. No, her true purpose had finally been
killing the nothing girl. The shock of the whole thing had almost
completely ended. Now was the beginning of something greater,
something more twisted. To serve....and gain power. A grin spread
across Svetlana's lips. Yes and I must be important if they went
to such measures to turn me. A different kind of laugher came
from her. A more....deranged and sick laugh that was opposite the
old musical kind that she seemed to vaguely remember, but she
didn't care. She lived to serve, or did she have other plans? As
the laugher continued she realized how insane she sounded, but
that didn't bother Svetlana....
