Naming the Forsaken
Chapter 1 Only Two Names
The man who walked out of the M'Jinn institute for higher learning wore the attire of an influential professor. Yet even as he stepped out and made his way along an avenue he brought up his hood. He hid his face away so no one would know him. Even as he unconsciously wove his web and travelled to where he wanted top be far from the lit streets near the M'Jinn.
Eval Ramman, they had called him. Impudent fools, they had refused to give him the honour and prestige he deserved. What did they know! Eval Ramman Kaltheon would that have been so hard to grant? But no they had refused.
They called themselves the Hall of Servants but they were only interested in being Masters! Lews Therin Telamon, Tel Janin Aellinsar, Barid Bel Medar and Sari An Hierathan the rest. He hated them.
Had they discovered even a thousandth of what he had? Yes they were strong that was undeniable but they were not clever, barely even cunning. He! He Eval Ramman had discovered the lost ages. That there had been fantastically advanced civilisations that had used advanced weaponry in wars of tens and even hundreds of years! He had discovered the Cod'ra and been able to translate their ancient language almost single handed. Still they insulted him Eval Ramman, Eval Ramman… he hated it! Why could he not have been a scientist? Or a writer? A poet? One of the things valued by these fools!
But he was not and he would never have the third name… but things were changing. These new people, these Friends of the Dark, were rising. In his favourite lurking spots the rumours said that names meant little to them but power and glory were there for the taking. Pleasure and life and riches and everything you could want. Some had whispered the words immortality. The Wheel of Snakes had always welcomed him in. It was a place that understood him if not his genius. Even when he had been provoked once, by a fool, a weak fool… that was the problem with this age that no one understood. They were weak all weak. No one had fought most people didn't even know the historical words army, war, weapon. He was strong and when that man had dared cheek him and even… mock him… well he had got angry and lashed out. He would not mock again… Good of his friends at the Wheel not to make a big deal out of that. He had almost been bound against doing violence by the Hall of the supposed Servants for fighting (as if they knew what fighting even was).
As he entered the Wheel of Snakes he smiled here women were willing. Unlike that whore, that evil, arrogant Sari An Hierathan. How dare she turn him down with no excuse other than dislike of his temper and an unspoken but audible contempt? Had she been content to leave it there? No women always had to drag you deeper, she had supported a quiet bid to remove him as a teacher, HIM! Ha! Not even the Hall of Servants were that stupid, he knew more of the vanished ages than any of them and though he was no Lews Therin Telamon or Barid Bel Medar he was strong. Very strong and she and others would learn to regret that!
But now he was going to meet someone who could change it all. Someone who could show him how to get out of this collapsing culture to the greater one, the future. Apparently it had something to do with someone called The Great Lord of the Dark.