"And it shall come to pass that what men made shall be shattered, and the Shadow shall lie across the Pattern of the Age, and the Dark One shall once more lay his hand upon the world of man. Women shall weep and men quail as the nations of the earth are rent like rotting cloth. Neither shall anything stand nor abide...

Yet one shall be born to face the Shadow, born once more as he was born before and shall be born again, time without end. The Dragon shall be Reborn, and there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth at his rebirth. In sackcloth and ashes shall he clothe the people, and he shall break the world again by his coming, tearing apart all ties that bind. Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle, and his blood shall give us the Light. Let tears flow, O ye people of the world. Weep for your salvation."




Ava’Dyn stared bleakly across the obsidian table at the man seated opposite of her. He had striking features; his skin was as pale as snow and his hair as dark as pitch, though the man was unnaturally handsome. His eyes were bright, too, piercing, yet now they were unfocused, staring off into the corner of the room. There was something unnerving about his presence, as if he was exuding some kind of chilly air that she couldn’t escape. She never had liked him when they were leagues apart, let alone a few feet apart.

Ava’Dyn and this man—Leroduca S'Daithyn was his name—were not the only occupants of the chamber, however.

The slight woman straightened in her chair, smoothing the front of her crimson silk dress. Her sharp blue eyes flicked to the other men and women seated about the room, though she regarded them in a dismissive fashion. They were lesser in the society of Darkfriends; lords and ladies, a few of the Black Ajah, some petty mayors. Ava’Dyn never understood the reason for the Dark One’s desire to have so many agents. Surely she and Leroduca could achieve all that was necessary.

“Why are we here?” a plump woman seated down the table said shortly, pursing her fat lips. She was beautiful, Ava’Dyn supposed, if a man liked bedding a portly woman, and one who was as intelligent as a goat. A man seated next to her gave the female a glare and shifted infinitesimally to his right, his gloved hands running over the velvet lapels of his black jacket.

“Could you not sense the urgency in the summons?” Leroduca said suddenly, his smooth voice scathing. “Or are you really as daft as you look?”

“I was given no word as to the subject of this meeting!” she shot back, her face contorting in rage. She jabbed a beefy finger in Leroduca’s direction, fixing him with a sneer. “All I get is a lowly servant of yours showing up on my doorstep with a sealed note. Perhaps if we had clearer commu—”

“Will you stop your prattling, Reilyn?” a tall, lanky fellow next to her growled, slamming his fist against the black table. Reilyn squeaked and shot him an undignified look, folding her arms beneath her breasts, proceeding to glare daggers at the man long after Leroduca had risen to his feet and begun speaking.

“We are here for one reason, and one reason only,” he said carefully, striding around to the head of the table. All eyes were fixed on him as he walked, though Ava’Dyn cursed the man for his infinite distractions. He possessed a feline grace of a lethal killer, his movement fluid and easy, his pace deliberate. Just looking at him was enough to thrill and frighten her. “The rumors of Lews Therin’s rebirth have been growing with each passing month.”

Hushed whispers broke out amongst the Darkfriends, which made Ava’Dyn scowl. “Are you so blind, you fools? This should not surprise you.”

“Do you think these rumors to be true?” an older Domani man said, his wrinkled hands wringing on the surface of the table. These idiots were surprised.

“We have no evidence to support any of it,” Leroduca replied calmly, leaning on the table. “But now is not the time to be idle. The Great Lord’s strength is growing. Any potential hindrance or threat, such as this so called Dragon, should be eliminated immediately.”

And that wasn’t the whole plan. Ava’Dyn frowned at him, her pale forehead creasing in confusion and irritation. Of course, leave it to Leroduca to doctor their true instructions. The man didn’t wish to add to their numbers, no matter how valuable the asset. How pleasantly surprised he would be when he knew of the other Chosen hiding out in the world, waiting for the right moment.

For as guile as the man could be, he was remarkably naïve at times. That or he simply was not privy to the plans of the Great Lord as she was. Those thoughts were enough to prompt a pleased feeling to settle in her chest. Unfortunately, it was short lived.

This Chosen, however, was not ready to disobey direct orders, especially not ones from the Great Lord himself. She cleared her throat, her voice clipped and terse as she spoke. “If we successfully hunt down Lews Therin when he has first claimed his title, there are chances that we could persuade him to join us. He will be easily manipulated.”

“As soon as Therin declares his rebirth, he will be untouchable,” Leroduca countered, his bright gaze as hard as stone. “Turning him would require great skill. Skill no one in this room surely possesses.”

“If one wishes to be conspicuous and brash, then yes, such a feat would be impossible.” She was on her feet now, her shoulders squared and her gaze level. “A well thought out plan, however, is possible.”

There was a long, impregnated silence as the two Forsaken glared at each other, the other Darkfriends staring at them in turn, waiting for the inevitable explosion. Ava’Dyn and a majority of the room nearly jumped when Leroduca let out a harsh bark of laughter instead, his face a picture of dark amusement.

“So be it. If you are foolish enough to try and tame the Dragon, then I pity the day the Creator wove you into this Pattern. I don’t give a damn whether he’s dead or alive, willing or unwilling. Hunt him down and find him, or you truly will curse your name day long after your worthless life has ended.”


"And so shall come the days of the Dragon, and the end of the days of peace."