The Legend that was Nemene
Chapter 2
Nemene moved through the next few days in a delirious trance, and every time she thought that the foreboding week couldn't move with more frustrating delay, she was equally amazed at how quickly it flew by. She spent her days dancing around her luxury penthouse like a giddy schoolgirl, allowing her sound system to play her classical operas at groundshaking volumes. Turning on her deft toes, she softly sang to the pure tones of the great symphony while occasionally sipping from the glass of red wine in her left hand.
It was as if she had been on a wonderful vacation, only not. From the moment she had Travelled back from Tzora, she had decided to never again aid in the Healing of an ailing citizen. Put her on trial, would they? Let them feel how painful a world could be without the unique abilities of Nemene Demandar Boann. Her first few days of solitude had been plagued by a myriad of calls and pleas to Heal grievously ill or injured people from various areas of the world, eventually leading up to a call from Roedran demanding she respond to her mission allocations and even reading a clause from her contract citing further transgressions which would be appended to her upcoming trial. The sheer joy of launching a fireball in the direction of her communications array had been almost overwhelming. At night she would watch the news and send madly hysterical laughter into the night as she and the world were informed of the deaths of illustrious citizens who had died that day because no Restorer in the world was able to save them. She would rather die than save another insect crawling around in those cities.
The night before her trial assumed a depressing yet somber atmosphere. Wearing a streith nightgown, she lazed on her leather sleeper couch while listening to a soft classical rendition. Twirling the empty crystal wine glass in her hand she pondered her situation and how to approach it. Her soul was so intensely saturated with hatred and fury that it was difficult to maintain any coherent thought. Placing the glass on the table in front of her, she controlled her thoughts and imagined them being consumed by a flame located in a vast and empty void. It was a mental exercise for apprentice students, but an effective one. Her streith gown shifted from its almost constant red and black colour to a misty opaque semblance. She was almost certain of the next day's outcome, but that was near irrelevant to her. What was important were the events which followed, and she still wasn't certain how she would be able to pull them off and escape at the same time. Perhaps the answer would come to her later.
That night she experienced a peaceful and deep sleep – something which surprised her when she later thought on it. The next day she donned some of her best attire, a red and yellow silk dress covered in intricate patterns of firedrops and draped in a dark green shawl. These imports from Comelle could pass her off as royalty, which she was in a way. She took the elevator to the roof of her penthouse, five levels up. Walking casually to the centre of the roof, she stood within a demarcated area shaped like a six-pointed star. To own a personal Travelling ground was usually a sign of extreme wealth, although occasionally they were presented as retirements gifts to very old Aes Sedai, to save them the trouble of walking all the way to a registered area to Travel. It was a neat thought, and she chuckled as she wondered sarcastically if she was in the running for one of these gifts. No. The senior Restorers already envied her, and they had probably let loose a few rumours to the junior ranks. She probably had less than one day before the world let loose a collective gasp when they learned what the trial meant, and what the great Nemene had done. Embracing saidar, she wove Spirit and watched indifferently as a silvery slash appeared opening into a gateway looking onto the Hall of the Servants in Paaren Disen.
Stepping through, she released the Source and walked briskly towards the main entrance. Old colleagues and adoring younger Aes Sedai rushed to greet her, but she repelled them with a sneer or a disgusting vulgarity. Now was as good a time as any to start making enemies, and besides, she hated them all anyway. It was refreshing to display her thoughts openly for the first time in centuries. Maintaining her stride, she passed into the main entrance hall which was flanked by enormous crystal columns each glowing with a fragmented inner light. As she walked through the Great Doors, she passed through a large ter'angreal shaped like a doorway and made of a dark metallic substance.
"Damendar, Nemene honorific Boann. Restorer first class. Entrance all floors, all levels."
Rolling her eyes, she proceeded. She had passed through this ter'angreal so many times she had lost count, but suspected this would be her last. Walking to the main elevator, she pressed the button which would take her to the one hundredth and tenth floor. All trials and meetings of importance were held on the top floor in the Telamon Room. As the doors were closing, two approaching Aes Sedai met her deathly glare as she dared them to try and share the elevator with her. A few seconds later she stepped out and walked towards the closed doors of the Telamon Room. Touching saidar, she wove a small flow of Air which gently opened both doors.
The inside of the Telamon Room was breathtaking. It was a large circular room with beautiful white marble floors, with the large symbol of the Aes Sedai dominating the centre of the room. A semi-circular table faced the entrance of the room with thirteen large cuendillar chairs spaced around it. She noticed another less satisfactory chair a few paces in front of her which faced the arc – which was probably intended for her. Almost the entire room was surrounded by massive glass windows which provided a unique view of the world's most impressive city. One of the first things she had done when her status granted her full access to the building was to come here at night and stare at the sea of lights which floated below her. She had not done that in some time, which was perhaps a telltale sign of how stale and mundane her life had become.
She suspected that all the chairs would be full, and they were. She was greeted by a scene which would daunt most Aes Sedai. All thirteen chairs were filled by the most senior Aes Sedai available, almost all of them old and gray with grim demeanours– and peculiarly, another older man with close-cropped white hair stood to the side of the table with an odd smirk covering his face. She recognized a few of the Aes Sedai. Roedran sat in the centre, his right as First Restorer superceded any other claims of authority in this specific case. Three spaces to the left sat Corelle Hachaman Sendar, a world renowned Dreamer who had managed to foresee a meteor strike which would have destroyed half the world had the Aes Sedai not been able to destroy it from a distance. Others of repute included Jaric Mandoran, a philanthropist whose contributions to Tzora included setting up huge museums and art galleries … and the greatly aged Lillith Tarasin Sukawa who basically invented and constructed the first sa'angreal. Now that was a fine contribution to society, even if she had to grudgingly admit it. She was vexed that the Tamyrlin himself didn't have the time to judge a person of her immense importance, or even some of the other master Aes Sedai like Barid Bel Medar, but both were leading the western armies against a sizeable rebellion by Kesaran Separatists in the western provinces. Ever since the Collam Daan had been destroyed four years ago by a bizarre scientific experiment, the world had slowly plunged into greater degrees of lawlessness and crime. No one could explain it, but over the past two years outright rebellion and fighting had started in several large districts, which was unheard of! She never complained, though … the endless tirade of cut up soldiers and victims of Sha'je duels provided her with a great financial incentive.
As soon as she entered, Roedran rose from his chair and channeled, closing the doors again. When she took a seat, he spoke in a grim, but hasty manner…
"Let's get on with this, I don't want to waste any more time. Nemene Damendar Boann, you have responded to a summons to attend a hearing on this day on the charge of abusing your position as a Restorer. The details include … torturing … your patients while Healing them, along with a few appended transgressions added over the passed few days. Do you have any opening remarks?"
"I don't want to waste any more time either. Get on with your charges and ask what you want of me. Either way, I'm certain you've determined my fate already, despite anything I may say."
Roedran met her cold eyes with a hard stare of his own. "You would do well to moderate your tone with this committee, Nemene. Things might turn out better for you. Not much better, but perhaps the difference between an intolerable existence and a disgraced one."
Roedran's face was blank, but she immediately noted a sarcastic undertone and perhaps an eager one. A fire burned in her heart, a wild desire to lash out with all of her strength and destroy him where he stood. He was weaker than her in the Power, but her victory would be short-lived with thirteen other channelers flanking the room. She resisted the drive to erupt, but kept a mental note. Somehow, somewhere … Roedran was going to pay. She opened her mouth and spoke in smooth tones, contempt dripping from every word.
"As you wish, First Restorer. So… which of you is going to try and break me? You Roedran? Or perhaps someone else? Someone fair and unbiased even?"
Roedran's faced turned red with anger, but as he opened his mouth to angrily counter her insult, the white haired man stepped forward, his irritating smirk still present on his face.
"I shall have the honours, Nemene. I am Duram Laddel Cham. Normally I don't take part in trials outside of M'Jinn, but this is a special case and the committee members made it well worth my while." He finished with a wide smile. He might have appealed to Nemene had that smile not reeked of malice, and considering the circumstances. Her small snort prompted that smile to slip slightly.
"Ah yes, I recall seeing your name flashing across the tabloids last year. You managed to get Grace le Chatellier acquitted for a murder for which she seemed plainly guilty. Freeing the guilty, and condemning the innocent. This obviously explains why you were at the top of Roedran's list." She finished with a mocking smile shared between Duram and Roedran, and it was wonderful to see that she'd finally pulled that sickening grin off Duram's face. Roedran, though, looked livid.
"Hold your filthy tongue, Nemene! This will be the last time that I warn you to show respect for this delegation. If you cannot maintain your composure, then perhaps you should be tried like a common brigand in the city court!"
"Composure, Roedran? Am I the one bouncing around the Telamon Room like rabid Dvorjak Hound?" Her sneer was aimed at him, but inside she could feel a bubbling sense of pleasure, knowing that she was unraveling those who were trying to break her. Clearly this trial was not running according to Roedran's plans. She would give him what he wanted soon enough, but she was still having too much fun toying with him. He once again looked like he wanted to physically attack her, and even some of the committee members were looking at him askance, but his head jerked in Duram's direction and he spoke in concise infuriated tones.
"Duram, get on with it. I want to be out of here as soon as possible."
Stepping forward, Duram drew himself up, as if readying himself for an execution. His face was grim now, and quite formidable, but it had been many decades since anyone had intimidated her. Obviously he was also not accustomed to mockery, and she struggled not to mock him with laughter. He opened his mouth, but this time his speech was formal and eloquent, quite different from his previous address.
"Nemene Damendar Boann, you have been brought before this court because you have violated one of the most sacred codes which bind all Aes Sedai. Despite the fact that you are one of the great Restorers of our time, you have been using the One Power to torture your patients while at the same time Healing them. Our investigations lead us to believe that you have been resorting to these cruel methods for no less than forty years."
One of the committee members gasped, and several shook their heads in disgust. Duram allowed for this tactical pause so that the weight of her wrongs could be absorbed. Of course, if any of them knew the real truth, half of them would be on the floor unconscious with shock. Torture? She recalls open assassinations which she blamed on mortal injury beyond the scope of Healing. Drawing a breath, Duram continued…
"We have over five hundred recorded affidavits from people you have supposedly Healed. All of them share the same disturbing tale... after suffering horrendous injuries which no Restorer could Heal, the great Nemene sedai was called to aid those whom no one could help. All were saved of course, and were so elated at their fortune, that none of them cared to bring up the fact that they had never felt pain to such a degree while being Healed."
Duram crossed the floor and peered out of one of the great windows overlooking Paaren Disen. A court was his theatre, and this was where he was at his greatest. Still looking at the vast city covered in the midday sun, he continued, almost as if talking to himself.
"You covered your tracks well Nemene. Every time a patient asked another Aes Sedai why your Healing was so painful, they were told that the wounds were what caused the pain, and not the Healing. It seems clear to me now that other Restorers could easily have discovered an anomaly if they had listened to the complainants properly."
Nemene glanced at Roedran, who suddenly started to look at his hands which were resting on the table. Several other Aes Sedai looked abashed too. Relying on Aes Sedai vanity and haste had been one of her key tactics in hiding her crimes. Duram turned from the window and started walking around her in circles, his hands clasped behind his back, his piercing gaze staring at her statuesque form.
"… and you did well to hide your crimes. You only tortured one in every four patients at best, and usually only those who wouldn't complain, normal citizens for instance. Like all criminals, you became arrogant and careless. You tortured those who had been severely injured and Healed before, and they recognized the contrast. Several of these citizens pushed on with their complaints, and were key factors in discovering your ways. Then of course, you decided to try out your hobby on patients at the Collam Daan Academic Institute, which has complex Power detecting ter'angreal. Did you really think that reversing your torture flow would hide the crime at the world's most prestigious medical academy? … And finally, while Healing Mrs Opien last week, you took the most short-sighted step of all… you didn't even bother to reverse that lovely flow of Fire and Spirit. An entire audience of Aes Sedai witnessed this weave as it stimulated Mrs Opien's pain centers, including the First Restorer who linked with his wife so that he could see for himself. And now, one year after I was asked to compile a case against you, here we are. Faced with an insurmountable mountain of evidence against you, you have the opportunity to defend yourself against these four-hundred and seventy-seven cases of One Power transgression, first degree. The floor is yours."
He walked over to this original position where she had first seen him. She could see why he was known to be a renowned advocate. She herself was impressed, and that was no small feat. Amusingly, she thought she should have hired him herself, but alas, the cockroaches in the Hall beat her to it. Standing, she walked to the side of her high-backed chair, and rested her right arm over the crest, with her left hand resting on her waist. She decided that she should appear relaxed while she delivered her final statement. They wouldn't be able to reconcile the contrast.
"I see you have all the files at hand, in case I decide to question them Duram? No matter, I admit to having performed all these deeds. I don't even feel guilty. In fact, I can think of few times in my life when I have been happier."
Gasps and pale faces greeted her rebuttal. In their wildest dreams, they hadn't expected her to actually admit to these crimes, and even worse, confess to actually reveling in them. They had spent over a year building up a powerful case against her, surely expecting an aggressive retaliation in an attempt to clear her name. Lillith Tarasin pursed her lips and sprang from her chair, her anger overriding her apparently extreme old age.
"You vile cur! You dare stand here and flaunt these atrocities before us? In over seven centuries I have never seen the like. You openly spit on the name of Aes Sedai and smile while doing it!"
Nemene met her livid glare with deathly dark one of her own, and the aged woman half-collapsed into her chair. "I do spit on the name of Aes Sedai. I loathe it, as I loathe you all. You're an organization of hypocrites and sycophants, who favour the common street-urchin over the true masters of destiny, such as myself. What truly disgusts me, is that despite taking over a year to build up a case against me, you managed to catch less than a third of my trophies. Granted, some of them can't express their opinions any more, but you should at least have built up a decent list. Ah well… I suppose I'll have to cherish their memories myself."
She finished with a wide smile which didn't touch her eyes. Her audience was even more shocked than before, their opinions muted to despair. Their eyes were open as wide as they could, as if they couldn't believe that she was actually part of the same order as them, or perhaps if an imposter was standing in the true Nemene's place. Fools. The real mask had been removed for the first time. Duram's reaction aroused curiosity in her. Rather than acting like a terrorized child, he was rubbing his chin and looking at her in a considering manner, as if seeing her for the first time. Roedran was attempting to speak, but his lips moved in a repetitive and nervous manner, occasionally freeing a small croak. She half expected him to burst into tears and flee the room wailing. After an interminably long silence, he grasped the table in front of himself and pulled himself to his feet – the table offering more support than he was willing to admit. He looked at her, pain filling his eyes, as if her revelation had scythed through all his defenses and wounded his naïve heart for the first time in all his long years.
"I move to pass judgment on this Aes Sedai. Due to the fact that Nemene is a Restorer, I would like to have her cast out as a Sem'ragh. Who stands for this sentence?"
The Aes Sedai slowly rose and joined a standing Roedran. All thirteen faced her with grim and angered faces. It was done. Every year an Aes Sedai or two were disbanded from the order for various levels of transgression, and once a decade or so an Aes Sedai was actually imprisoned or even severed. However, to be named as a Sem'ragh was a rare disgrace. It literally meant breaker of the body, and it was the highest form of slander against those with the Healing Talent. Nemene was only aware of two Sem'rhag dishonors in the past millennium – and both were Restorers who had lost their minds and went on random killing sprees. It dawned on her that she might be the first lucid Sem'rhag in an Age. Slowly the Aes Sedai took their seats, but Roedran remained standing.
"It is thus agreed and voted. Nemene Damendar Boann, thirteen of your peers have found you guilty on all counts of transgression with the One Power, first degree. As such you are named as a Sem'rhag, forever to live in disgrace and cast out of the Aes Sedai order. Your sentence shall follow the Ammendment of Duplicity, set out by Lews Therin Telamon. As such you are presented with two choices to accompany your disgrace. Your first choice is to be severed from the True Source and denied the gift of touching saidar again. Or you may choose to be bound with an Oregan Rod, to never use the Power for violence, and to never know your pleasures again. As you well know the rod will mark you with an ageless face which will advertise your wrongs to the general public, as well as shortening the extended lifespan which those who channel the One Power obtain. You have twenty four hours to decide, at which point a group of Aes Sedai will approach you at your residence for your decision. Lews Therin himself is closely following this trial, Sem'rhag din Damendar, so don't waste time deciding. Now as for those other, minor transgressions …"
This trial had run just as she had expected, although leaving as a Sem'rhag was a bonus even she couldn't have anticipated. She wasn't about to stand around and waste her time with small misdemeanors such as ignoring her missions over the past week. Leaving them with a wide smile, she abruptly turned on her heel and walked towards the doors and briefly channeled Air to open them.
"We're not finished with you, Nemene!" Roedran almost screamed.
Abruptly the doors swung closed loudly, and Nemene guessed that Roedran was using his puny powers to try and stop her. Without a thought, she drew a little more deeply on saidar and wove Spirit, Water and Air and felt the flows of saidin snap as her weave sliced through them. The doors opened again and she looked over her shoulder with a cold disposition. Roedran, standing breathless against the wall with wide eyes had no doubt never expected her to slice his flows to leave the room, and he had probably been an apprentice when he had last felt the backlash of a severed flow.
"Do you really think you can stop me, Roedran?" she said preemptively while still maintaining her steady pace towards the elevators. The glow of saidar appeared around a few of the women seated at the table, but Nemene released the Power, and watched with coy amusement as the glow vanished around them too. Stepping into the elevator, she could hear them arguing among themselves about some inane topic, and she was relieved when the doors closed. Pressing the button for the ground floor, she was truly startled to discover that she was not alone in the elevator. Duram Laddel Cham was standing beside her, still facing the doors. She hated his calm exterior, probably because it was too similar to her own. Angrily she rounded on him.
"What do you want, Duram? Get out of the elevator! I have no desire to speak with a worm like you. I am a Sem'rhag … so don't you dare think you know what I am capable of."
Appraising her with a nod of his head and a half-smile, he spoke in soft and almost amused tones. "That's what I want to talk to you about, Nemene. You are no doubt caught in a dilemma regarding your future. You want revenge, but you don't know how to obtain it without being skinned alive." He finished with an evil twinkle in his eyes.
"If this is some sort of trap to get me to confess to further crimes, then erase it from your mind. I don't care if you've covered this elevator in listening wards, those secrets which you haven't ferreted out are mine, and if you…"
"I'm not interested in your history, Nemene, or perhaps that is not totally true," he continued. "I work for … someone… who would pay dearly for your allegiance. I'm not talking about money, which you do not lack, but rewards which mortal men and women can't even fathom. He can also aid you in obtaining revenge against all those who have ever crossed you. He is gradually building up an array of generals to wield his power. I marked you as a potential over a year ago, and I did my best to have you expelled from the Aes Sedai. One day you will thank me for it, because one day – and a day not too far in the future, mind you – when you are among the greatest and most feared leaders in the world, you will remember how trivial this moment was. I offer you the chance to gain revenge on your enemies, and to hone your skills into an art never seen before in this Age, to become as great as your dreams have suggested. A new world power is arising, and if you wish to know the answers as to why the world is becoming like it is, and exactly what happened at the Collam Daan a few years ago, then you should consider swearing fealty to my master. Here are the Travelling co-ordinates to my residence in the city where I will be staying until tomorrow afternoon. I eagerly await your arrival. Remember, only he can offer you true greatness, and in a few years from now, believe me when I say you will want to be on his side of the fence."
Nemene listened indifferently but inside she was bursting with curiosity as she took the card from him. She watched him walk away and start a conversation with another white-haired man, probably a friend in the Hall. She thought Duram had come to torment her with his victory, but instead he had offered her the chance to join an organization which was surely illegal in some way, and to whom he was surely party to. She would seriously consider his offer, if only out of interest, but first she would need to establish the 'end' of her previous life, and exclude a trap by Duram to snare her in some scandal. Rolling her eyes, she exited the building.
"Damendar, Nemene honorific Boann. Access to all levels revoked."
Very efficient of you, Roedran. She walked to the Travelling ground and spun a gateway back to her penthouse in the Heron district. Four days ago she had ordered her bookkeeper to move all her assets to her unnamed offshore accounts. They could take her titles, but she would be burned alive before she allowed them to take her fortune too. Exiting the gateway, she laughed – and carried on laughing until she was weeping from amusement. Perhaps she could finally live her life as she had always wanted to … free of the rules and regulations set down by the Aes Sedai. She was free! Walking down the very long main passage, she heard footsteps on the opposite side. Frowning, she wondered who was walking around in her house, and was surprised to see Sashelle appear, a bright smile spread across her face and obviously dressed in her best attire. Of course … she had told the girl to come by her house today for some instruction in Healing and the Power. She hated all Aes Sedai, and therefore she hated the girl too. They wanted a Sem'rhag … she would give them one who would set a legendary status in the Hall's archives.
Letting the Power flood into her, she instantly wove a shield of Spirit with terrible precision and purpose, and sent it flying with awesome strength towards the young girl. Sashelle's eyes had only an instant to widen before she was hit by the avalanche of saidar. With a terrific scream, the girl flew five paces off her feet and landed dazed and moaning on her back. She was severed, her fragile connection to the Source destroyed forever. Helping herself onto all fours the girl tried to get up, but was whimpering in shock. Nemene gave her no chance and struck out with a thick flow of Fire and watched in satisfaction as flames burst from every pore on the girl's body. The girl let out one shriek which contained such an indescribable amount of agony and despair, that Nemene was almost overcome with ecstasy. At the same time she was consumed with hatred and fury and she started running down the passage towards the girl.
"Don't you dare die! I'm not finished with you Aes Sedai! Do you hear me! You will feel pain like no one has ever felt before!..." She stopped short and realized that she shouting at a pile of char and ashes. If she was shouting at human remains, perhaps she was losing her mind. No, she was upset and no wonder. She had been stripped of everything, and in favour of belligerent citizens who couldn't accept a little extra as part of a tribute to the great Nemene sedai. They would pay, all of them.
Suddenly footsteps emanated from the passage to the left and she hastily stepped back as a very good looking young man came running towards her. Dressed in citizen's attire, his face was covered with anxiety.
"Sashelle? … I heard a scream. Sashelle?" His eyes settled to a diamond pendant lying among the ashes and he let out a scream and fell to his knees. "No! Oh no… Sashelle! What did she do to you?"
Nemene let out a chuckle. The fool had brought her boyfriend along, and it was an extra treat that he was a normal citizen. Without any way to defend himself, she could refine her pain weaves on him for hours before she killed him. Before she could get out a second laugh, she was staggering up from a wall thirty paces back. Her vision slightly hazy, she could taste the blood emanating from her cut lower lip. The boy could channel, and for some reason he was in normal citizen's attire! His sprinted towards her, tears streaming down his reddened and enraged eyes, a snarl of unsurpassable hatred etched on his face. She then suffered her second shock in as many seconds. He was holding a small green statue in his right hand shaped like a child holding a shield in front of his face. He had an angreal! It implied very great wealth for such a young man to own an angreal … he might have received it from his wealthy father for his twenty-first birthday. Quickly, she drew on saidar until small needles of pain started pricking her temples. That was it … that was the absolute maximum amount of saidar she could hold unaided. She could not stand against a channeler with an angreal for long, and she still felt dazed after being launched across the room. She would need to be swift and lethal.
Anticipating another attack she struck out with six flows of Spirit, Water and Air covering all directions and felt reassured as two of the six sliced through flows which were presumably on an intercept course to kill her. The boy grunted as his flows rebounded but even then the ground roared under her feet as he tried to erupt the very foundations below her. Sending all her strength to slice that Earth weave, she could feel the exertion her efforts underwent as it sliced that thick cord of saidin. She then realized that he was far stronger than her with his angreal. She must finish it now, or die herself. This time the recoil knocked him right off his feet, and while lying there she sent out her most devastating weave of Fire and Spirit. The weave struck, its mercy fading to nothing. The boy convulsed and screamed the agony of a thousand deaths combined. Never before had she heard such a guttural, more desperate expression of pain – as if his whole soul was screaming for relief. Only a second, and it was over. There he lay, his staring eyes and still wide-open mouth facing the ceiling.
Staggering towards him, she picked up his angreal and placed it in her pocket. Wiping her bloodied lip on her silk shawl, she leaned against the wall for a moment and gathered herself. If she weakened that weave considerably, and laid it only on the thalamus, she thought she could prolong the pain exponentially. She practiced her weaves on the unresponsive corpse, and sighed when a predictable silence greeted her efforts. Eventually she found herself toying with his body … even bouncing it around the room and experimenting with other weaves related to physical affliction.
A few hours later, her curiosity finally sated, Nemene glided up to her room. There she sat cross-legged on the polished wooden floor staring vacantly in front of her. Her breathing was heavy, and every moment she sat there she poured all her hatred and vengeance into her soul. She had spent so many years living behind a mask of sincerity, that she had almost totally suppressed her true inner desires. She embraced saidar and propagated a weave of Fire and Water which covered every wall and the roof in flames without scorching even the most sensitive surface. If she was going to reveal her dark soul in all of its glory, she would need a stimulating environment. She was eager to realize all those hidden dire emotions which she believed defined her, but at the same time she was afraid that if she released them too hastily, she would either leave her room on a murderous rampage or insane – both of which were unacceptable outcomes.
Eventually, when the night had grown deep, she released the illusion covering her room and walked to her vast wardrobe. Pulling the doors right off their hinges using flows of Air, she selected a few choice garments and placed them on her bed. Without hesitation she spun to face the wardrobe and channeled Fire and Earth and watched as her priceless collection of clothing vanished into a heap of dust which scattered to the floor. Smiling, she turned to her bed again and examined her spared garments. Passing a soft hand over the silky fabrics, she laughed softly. All of them were as black as the darkest midnight. Never again would she cover her body in a colour which didn't express her soul. Her enemies would feel her power from the moment they set their eyes on her. If they wanted to name her as a Sem'rhag, then surely she should rise up and meet their expectations as a Dark Healer?
That night, Nemene fell into a deep sleep. On two occasions her restless mind allowed her to fall into Tel'aran'rhiod, and it took a fervent effort on her part to prevent her from drifting for a third time. The next day she awoke well into the morning. After following her daily routines, she dressed herself in a beautiful black silk dress she had purchased in Qal over one hundred years previously. After tying the final banestone button riding up her back, she donned a heavy gold necklace and then added a twisted gold bracelet to her right hand. The necklace was for decoration – even a Sem'rhag should look her best – but the bracelet was one of her personal angreal. She owned seven angreal and one weak sa'angreal, but they were all in various bank vaults around the world – and only this angreal was within reach. One of her principle tasks would be to try and retrieve that sa'angreal before the Hall froze her assets of the Power.
Soon afterwards her intercom chimed alerting her to the presence of a guest. The delegation from the Hall was right on time. She pressed the button which opened the gates to her estate, and watched on the viewfinder as the delegation began their journey up her lengthy driveway. She could see Corelle leading the group followed by Lillith aided by a walking stick. She counted eleven other Aes Sedai of middling ages – six men and five women. Thirteen… the fools expected her choice to be severing from the True Source. They obviously didn't know her very well if they thought she would willingly sacrifice her precious powers.
She had two minutes at the most before they reached the front door. Filling herself with saidar she knelt on the floor and began weaving, even drawing on a portion of her angreal to aid in the task. From the onset she had reversed her flows – the Aes Sedai might become suspicious if they felt large amounts of saidar being woven from inside the house. She split her flows six ways and started weaving Fire and Earth as quickly as she could into spherical arrangements of various sizes. As soon as the six nets were as densely woven as possible, she merged the globes into one interlaced globe with six levels of nets within. Tying off the globe she started on the next set of six … and repeated this feat another eight times until she had ten multilayered spheres before her. Using Air and Fire she merged the spheres into one large weave, and altered it slightly to give it ward-like qualities. Tying it off, she checked to make sure it remained inverted. One last reversed flow of Spirit tied the ward to the front door. At that moment she heard a knock on the front door, and immediately wove an inverted gateway to place her five miles from her house on a well known hilltop. Diving through, Nemene released the Source and the gateway vanished.
Clambering up on the hilltop she looked towards her distant house. She had been watching for no more than a few seconds when an almighty explosion threw her from her feet. Grunting as she hit the ground, she rolled to her side and looked again to the north. A fireball at least a five hundred paces across was rising from where her estate used to be, a colossal crater already visible where at least half of the Heron district had once been. Her plan had worked. Even had they been in a linked circle, they would not have been strong enough to survive that blast. She was very proud of her weave, and she doubted Lews Therin could have woven it faster if he had tried himself. The delegation was dead, caught up in the tragic suicide of Nemene Damendar Boann, who could not bear the guilt of having fallen so far. At least, that is what the headlines would say on the evening news.
Standing, she spared one last glance for her devastated home, an enormous cloud of black smoke rising from the site accompanied by a chorus of screams from surrounding neighborhoods, and emergency sho-wings in their dozens racing over her head to the ruined area. Luckily, she knew this mountaintop well, and quickly reading the details on the small gold-embossed card in her pocket, she wove a gateway to Duram's apartments in the city centre. Stepping through, she released the gateway and was greeted by Duram, sprawled lazily in a designer chair across the room.
"Nemene. I'm so glad you responded to my offer. What happened to your lip? No, never mind. I suppose you're responsible for that commotion in the Heron district?"
She looked around the room indifferently, but had already started sweeping the room with the Power to detect any wardings. Strangely, she found none. "Duram. Yes, I decided to add a third possible response to the Hall's ultimatum."
Duram threw back his head and laughed. "You will do well, very well indeed in your new vocation. Your attire suits you well too. In time, you will cherish these decisions. So, how are you going to thank me for introducing you to this new venture?"
Snorting derisively, Nemene took a seat on a nearby lounger. "I assure you, I will never thank you on your terms – but on mine. You are bold to ask for thanks in light of the fact that you have produced on none of your promises. However, as a gesture of good faith, you can have this little green trinket. I'm sure you know what it is. I went to great lengths to obtain it, so don't underestimate its value."
Duram sprang from his chair and snatched it from her hand, his eyes hungry for an item so few Aes Sedai could affort. "An angreal. This more than covers the costs, as well as the risk I took trying to recruit you." His voice was filled with awe as he toyed with the thing, no doubt already drawing on it for the sheer childish pleasure. Suddenly his eyes took on a dangerous gleam. "One day you will regret ever giving me any advantage over you Nemene."
She met his stare with one equally as potent. She started toying with her bracelet, until he finally noticed and the smirk slipped from his face. "That is one mistake all my enemies made, Duram. They thought they had an advantage over me. Try not to make the same mistake. You wouldn't want to share their fates. Now… why do you want to see me succeed while at the same time try to bring me down?"
He had grown more serious since she started speaking, almost as if he was reflecting on a lesson he had just learned. "My master encourages the most severe form of competition. In time he will open his doors to all who wish to serve him, but his chief concern lies with those who will represent his greatest regents in this world. For this reason, he demands that those he chooses are the greatest and strongest. I was intrigued by you Nemene. You are strong in almost every area which matters, including the darker ones. I have no doubt that your name will go down in history as one of the great leaders of our time. As you become greater, so will I be revered as the one who caused your downfall. You surely believe that you cannot be surpassed in any area, but there are already others of us who share this similar allegiance. Trust me, you won't believe how powerful your peers are – and most of them haven't even spread their wings yet."
Nemene had been listening eagerly, her chest bursting with excitement. She couldn't wait to hold dominance among these supposedly masterful colleagues of hers. If any of them were like Duram, it would be a real challenge to reach the top of that ladder. She felt a feeling of exhilaration which she had not felt for years.
"As you say Duram. I look forward to meeting some of them. In time, we shall see what comes of this new order. I am ready. Take me to my new master."
Immediately a gateway opened to the left of Duram, widening into a hole five paces by three. She couldn't see what lay beyond the gateway, but the acidic stench and dark clouds flowing past the gateway confirmed her initial suspicions that this was hardly a lowly criminal organization she was joining. Standing on the other side, Duram was smiling at her and holding out his right hand. Stepping through she ignored his offer to help her through. The gateway closed and Duram started walking hastily down a scorched path surrounded by a dark mist. The air was dry and fiery, and she would have started sweating if not for her training. She glided smoothly to catch up with Duram, and because she was as tall as him, this didn't prove difficult. What she saw ahead made her mouth drop open in astonishment. She smiled, and for the first time in her life, she felt that this was where she was meant to be.