As usual all speech in italics is in the Old Tongue.
Interlude XXVII - Forsaken by Choice, Forsaken by All
Over 3,000 years ago, during the early days of the War of Power
Taija was watching a film with Tel, curled up on his gigantic leather sofa, wrapped in his big, strong arms. It had been a hard week of training with him and she was aching all over, but it was a good ache. A worthwhile one.
She'd never been unfit and since she'd been dating him she'd only gotten fitter, joining him on runs, playing sports with him. Of course she could never quite match up to a professional athlete like him, but even back then she hadn't been bad. Her inherent competitiveness had forced her to try to keep up. However, once the War started Taija had become stronger, faster, fitter than ever. She'd had to.
It was still the early days of the War. When the Shadow was making large advances and the Light was struggling to recover, trading land for time as it prepared to counterattack. However, the home Taija shared with Tel was far away from the front lines and for the short times they were able to be there she could pretend there was no War.
That was exactly what the two of them were doing. Just relaxing and watching some ridiculous historic action film from before the War about ancient dessert warrior tribes fighting over… It didn't really matter, just brainless relaxing entertainment for the two of them to laugh at together.
They were planning to go out for dinner in a beautiful little restaurant up in the mountains near Adanza and then Travel home again to spend the night together. The next day they were going to go and see her mother and Nerina. Her niece's 16th birthday was coming next week and while Taija had to be back on duty by then, she had time now to go and celebrate early. Every bit of time she could spend with her last two living family members was something to be treasured.
Taija's father had died when she was 70, a mere 106 years old at the time. That was the tragedy that every channeler had to face, the reason why long relationships between channelers and non-channelers were rare. Araevea was showing her age too, she could channel, but she was weak in the Power. At a bit past 200, the wrinkles were starting to sink deeply into her face, but she was still fit enough and certainly sharp as a tack.
As for Nerina, her parents, Taija's sister and brother in law had died a few years ago. Yet more victims of the Collapse. Since then Araevea had brought her up and she'd been more like a baby sister to Taija than a niece, despite the 150 years of age separating the two of them.
Taija was already excited about seeing see Nerina's happy face. No teenage grumpiness there, at least not when Taija was around. As well as the present she and Tel were bringing her niece, it was going to be a big birthday for Nerina too. She'd been picked up at the last testing and would be leaving the regular school system at the end of the academic year to start learning to channel.
It was funny really, Tel's public persona aside, both of them were quiet people, happy to just enjoy each other's company when they weren't off on some sort of activity. Nerina and Araevea on the other hand were noisy, boisterous thoroughly extroverted people. Yet, despite that Taija loved being around them, perhaps it was just their sheer, infectious enthusiasm for everything.
Just as the film was coming to its ridiculous climax the bing bong chime sounded indicating that there was someone at the gates outside the house. With a sigh Tel started to get up.
For a second Taija thought about clinging onto him and just keeping him there, whoever it was at the door could go away. But then she reconsidered. He might just stomp over to the door with her hanging off him, he'd done it once before. That had been undignified, she hadn't believed him that he'd actually open the door and he hadn't stopped laughing at her for ages afterwards.
There was a brief burst of voices at the door and then he came back holding something in his hand and sat down beside Taija. "A package of some kind, a bit of an odd guy delivering it, but he said it was urgent and it's addressed to you."
Tel handed it to her and she quickly pulled away the wrapping to reveal a strange looking jade green disc. A ter'angreal perhaps?
Taija looked at it curiously, holding it in the palm of her hand for a second. Who would have sent her something like that? Then with no warning it suddenly sprang away, hovering above just over the ground, and projected an image above itself in perfectly coloured three dimensions.
It must be some kind of message was Taija's first thought, but what an odd way to send one. All that she could see projected was the stone wall of a large, but slightly dingy looking room. Who would send something like that?
A moment later her question was answered as Mierin stepped into view, looking as immaculate as ever in her white and silver. She gave what must have been the camera a beautiful smile. "Taija my dear, it has been far too long since we spoke. I've tried to find you, but with the way things have gone it really has been a struggle. I'd been so hoping that we could catch up about old times. Still, since that hasn't been possible, I thought we could share some other things."
Her tone was entirely friendly, but Taija could feel her stomach twisting as she spoke. By that time she already knew Mierin hated her with a completely mad passion, despite their years of friendship. Despite everything. The woman was insane.
Mierin's tone turned saccharine sweet, but there was a deep ugliness in her eyes. "Since I couldn't enjoy your company, I decided I'd find the next best thing. Dear Araevea remembered me of course, but I suppose sweet little Nerina came after our time together. Still, I was very so excited to meet her, wasn't I dear?"
The camera panned to her left to reveal Taija's mother and niece standing there, struggling against invisible flows of air, terror and horror warring for dominance in their eyes.
Taija sat there, mind struggling to process what she was seeing. "No." Her voice was a terrified whisper.
Mierin almost seemed to hear it as she glided back into view. "Oh yes. Now say hello to aunty Taija my dear." She ran her hand gently down Nerina's face, it could have been mistaken for an affectionate caress. Taija was vaguely aware of Tel sitting frozen in shock next to her, her horror matched on his face.
"Oh, they can't speak right now, because I gagged them. Silly me." Mierin made an unnecessary hand gesture and suddenly their mouths were free.
They both spoke at once. "Help us, please, help us Aunt Taija!" Nerina was sobbing with fear as she spoke.
"Taija, don't watch, please for the love of the Creator do…" That was Araevea.
Mierin cut them with an unnecessary gesture. "Well we can't have that now, can we Araevea?" She sounded a little irritated, but her pleased, friendly tone quickly returned. "Oh well, better speed things up now. Don't worry, I'll make sure you can hear them again in a second. Now watch closely Taija dear and maybe we can chat about it next time we see each other."
The camera panned to her right to reveal four horrifying looking men. No not men, things. They had no eyes, sharp teethed smiles, pale, pasty white skin like a maggot. "These are Aginor's newest invention, I don't think you'll have met any myrddraal before, but they truly are a delight. However, they do have certain… appetites…"
The growing roaring in Taija's ears was suddenly interrupted by white hot flame surrounding the ter'angreal. Yet it just kept on playing straight through it, the volume actually increasing. She flinched away from the almost unbearable heat that filled the room, but her eyes were locked onto that image even as the camera panned backwards so that she could see everyone in the room. Her family, Mierin's happy smile and the myrddraal starting to shrug off their black cloaks.
Without any warning Taija was in the air. For a second she panicked and then she realised Tel had grabbed her, just picked her up like she weighed nothing and was leaping for the door.
"No!" She screamed the words and desperately reached for saidar, she couldn't look away, he couldn't do this to her!
Taija slammed into a shield blocking her from saidar, iron hard, at the same time as Tel bodily threw her out of the room, slamming the door shut. She had time for one last glance at her mother and Nerina's terrified faces before the door cut off her vision.
Despite the pain of her impact with the wooden floor she was on her feet instantly, beating on the door with her fists, shrieking through uncontrollable tears. "Let me back! Tel! Open it! Fucking open it! Tel!"
From inside the room she heard the thump of fire igniting and the crash of objects flung into each other at high speed. Then, over the sound of Mierin's delighted giggles, Taija heard them start to scream, a rising sound of horror, fear and pain. A couple of seconds later all sound from the room cut off as Tel spun a ward, leaving her to hammer futilely at the door with her fists, shielded from the only thing that could have helped her get in, until she collapsed into a sobbing heap against the door.
Taija wasn't sure how long she lay there, but at some point the shield vanished and Tel opened the door, pain etched into his face.
As soon as it did she sprang to her feet, embracing saidar, decades of practice allowing her to do it despite her emotional turmoil. She shoved past him and stumbled into the room to see devastation through her blurred vision. It looked like a full scale battle had been fought in there. The furniture and fittings were wrecks, the floor was still smoking, there was a large hole in the wall and in the middle of it sat the remains of that ter'angreal.
She looked at Tel, meeting his eyes with her own. Through the haze of her vision you thought she saw water in his too. "A a are they…" She couldn't finish the sentence.
Tel slowly shook his head. "Taija… I'm so sorry."
With a shriek of rage she threw herself at him, "how could you do that to me?! Why?! I hate you!" Taija pounded at his chest with her fists as she vented her horror, her rage at him making that choice for her. She might as well have been hitting a brick wall for all the attention he paid to it. His arms enveloped her, pulling her close and slowly her rage gave way to horrified anguish leaving her sobbing into his chest as he gently rubbed her back.
Eventually Taija pulled away from him a little, looking up into his eyes with tears still trickling down her cheeks matching those on his. "I'm sorry Tel, I… Thank you… Just… thank you… I'm sorry I said I hate you, I could never hate you."
"It's ok. I know," he squeezed her shoulders before pulling her back tightly into him. "It'll be ok," he promised as he held her. "It'll be ok."
Taija started sobbing again, she couldn't help yourself. Through her sobs she managed to mumble, "I'm going to kill her. I'm going to find her and I'm going to fucking murder her."
His chin resting on the top of Taija's head, she could feel the grim certainty in Tel's voice too. "We're going to kill her. You and I, together, and then we're going to drink a toast over her corpse."