Naming the Forsaken

Chapter 3 The Pit of Doom

He was there, and beside him on the low slopes was Aginor. They had travelled and though Aginor had refused to come directly to the place, he had appeared on the island were it would be found. It was beautiful and most of it was low to the sea. In the centre it rose abruptly. Aginor motioned that it was towards that rise that they must travel.

Eval Ramman had expected Shayol Ghul to be a dark and forbidding mountain rising out of the wasted mountains. He had expected waves of dark ash filled clouds surrounding the home of this Great Lord of the Dark as Aginor had called his master. Still this individual was yet hidden from view. The island was lovely idlyic in a sappire ocean it seemed hardly the place from which to expect anything, much less immortal glory and fame. Then he felt it!

How to describe it… a sudden closeness to a distant star? Feeling an energy unit's hum through a wall? A long lost parent's call dying on a howling wind, unheard and yet remembered. It was as if he was feeling the bite of a gale that was leagues away. He did not know it then (but he soon would) that what he felt was the Bore. The thinness in the pattern made as power-hungry and impatient wielders of the One Power had looked for more.

Now as they arrived and stood before a cave-like entrance and he looked into the blackness beyond, Eval Ramman began to wonder if this was really all worth it after all. Immortal fame was one thing but this cave seemed to have an odourless stink about it. He felt inexplicably unclean and somehow less whole. He had never felt this way before. M'Jinn was a frustrating city and the institute denied him important recognition but this place suddenly looked far worse. 'Shayol Ghul' even the name was ugly and tainted with dread. It did not match this beautiful little island but this dark crevice seemed to fit the name perfectly.

He pulled on saidin seizing it roughly to buffer him for what lay ahead. It only heightened his every sense and made that malevolent influence appear even closer than before. "Enter! In there is destiny and real truth." Aginor's voice almost made him jump but wrapped in the strong torrents of saidin it took more than a sudden voice. He could delay no longer and without a word pressed on. He had never given much credence on the idea of making choices based on gut feelings or the heart. He was a cold and logical thinker. Except when you're angry… or with women a rebellious thought squeaked out at him. He shoved it down remorselessly and trudged on.

The way down was smooth; the tunnel floor seemed worn so that a trail or path was evidenced to his saidin heightened senses. He was not the first to walk this way. For some reason that thought buoyed him up. It was warm and the lower he went the warmer it got, it was uncomfortable but he said nothing. Then he felt his head brush something. Looking up he realised that it was the ceiling. It was covered with jagged pointed rocks that stuck out of it like misshapen teeth. As he continued they seemed to get gradually closer to him and he had to hunch to keep his head off the stony teeth-like spikes. Try as he might he could not shake the feeling he was about to be chewed and swallowed by some enormous dark creature. He turned to ask Aginor if this was truly the right way and found his guide had vanished into the darkness of the until cave trail. Then he felt fear and once he allowed himself to feel that it grew out of all proportion. He imagined some of Aginor's huge bestial creations waiting for him as he struggled through this dark trail. Had he admired them, thought them strong and even impressive. By the Light what did they eat?

THEY EAT MEN!

The thought came to him and shook him so deeply he almost lost his hold on the source. But he grabbed saidin even more securely and proceeded almost on hands and knees and arrived suddenly into a huge cavern and onto a broad ledge. He straightened gratefully and noticed why he had been getting so hot. He had first looked up and could no longer even see a ceiling for which he was grateful but the heat and slow rumbling sounds drew his gaze downward. There lay the molten lake of fire. Red, mottled with huge chunks of black rock and flames that danced from a hungry orange to blazing white and back again. They leapt higher than a man and dived back into the lake of fiery redness.

But his fear fell from him now replaced by something even stronger, awe. This was it, this was more like it! This could be the home and hold of a Great Lord of the Dark!

"Great Lord?" he asked to the empty air. Looking downward he repeated himself, staring into the molten pool of flame and rock below.

WELL YOU ARE HERE UNDER THE MOUNT OF THAKAN'DAR. THIS IS THE PIT OF DOOM! KNOW IT WELL

The voice seemed in explode within his mind he could not bear it. He fell to his knees on the ledge grasping his head about his temples. Still he did not scream that was not how he let out his rage or pain… or ecstasy.

He had found it! This was power! So much he felt like he would be crushed; simply implode with the weight of it. It wasn't saidin that was sure, it was darker and yet more complete than saidin. It had no boundaries and bubbled like the lake below with thousands of hidden promises.

WILL YOU SERVE?

The voice crushed him but he forced himself to his feet.

"I can provide much service" he managed. He had intended to drive a hard bargain, equal to his worth. But this power humbled him; he was less than nothing beside it. "What is your offer?"

IMMORTALITY, UNENDING GLORY AND A NAME THAT HISTORY WILL NEVER FORGET!

"And I?"

CRUSH MY ENEMIES AND SERVE AS I SEE FIT. YOU WILL NEVER QUESTION ME AND YOU MUST PASS MY TEST IF YOU WISH TO BE AMONG THE CHOSEN.

Eval Ramman did not even have to think. This is what he had wanted.

"I will! Test me!" he shouted out though his lungs felt they would collapse.

I SHALL!