Naming the Forsaken

Disclaimer: I do not of course accept any credit for the world of the Wheel of Time (That's a given) or for the characters of Eval Ramman/Balthamel, the other Forsaken and the Dark One (Who'd want to?).

There is some vague reference to an old sci-fi Babylon 5… so thanks to them for that.

Thank you to any who read my stories. I would like to know what you think.

This was in shorter the next is longer to balance.

Chapter 4: First for what was

He hadn't known what to expect. How could he, he was in the Pit of Doom and speaking with The Dark One! When it came he was surprised and yet in some ways under whelmed. He had expected pain, an attack with the power or some other cleansing life threatening test. Yet it was far different. Instead he felt the tug like entering a History Matrix.

NOW LET US SEE WHERE YOU ARE WEAK

What? He thought but immediately he heard the voice return to his mind.

ONE FOR WHAT WAS

This time the voice was quiet and that especially caught him off guard. Why so subtle now, when before it had been so blatant? Then he remembered no more.

WHO ARE YOU?

"Eval Ramman. This is history."

He looked around him. It was amazing the things that these Cod'ra had been able to accomplish and to think they knew next to nothing about them. They had secrets and had had technology and power. They had fought wars and had great kings, men of power and glory whose fame had lived on long after their deaths.

It was a place of beauty and he would be forever indebted to the person who had brought him here. Sari An Hierathan was a Aes Sedai and had found this place and brought him here. She was beautiful too. Clothed in the most modern of fashions with a short skirt laid over long clinging trousers her lithe body was played out to perfection. Eval was young and she made his blood race. He had only just begun to master his potential to use saidin but it was said he would grow to be strong, very strong. That was why she had picked him that was why she believed he could amount to someone of real value and worth to society. So he would, he vowed. Then he would be grown and strong enough to win her. They would add to each other and become a perfect combination of saidar and saidin.

Turning to her his eyes full of his boyish love and his head full of a students admiration for his master. "Can I help you do this? Truly?"

She smiled down at him encouragingly. "Of course you will. You have an excellent mind for translation and will be very strong in the power. Men leap forward in their abilities. You will be invaluable to me."

"I can't believe you won't just drop me off at the end of it all."

"There is a way I can prove that I won't" she said softly turning back to him. She had been intent on the ruins before them but now he was her focus once more.

"I could bind you to me and me to you."

Then he knew. This was it: Love, admiration, opportunity, friendship, everything in one moment. There was no need for a choice. It was a foregone conclusion.

Then he had with youth and excitement in his eyes spoken the words that would end up turning all his rosy future into recrimination anger and revenge.

"Bind me!"

And she did.