Chapter Six

The Long Hard Road

Ktanos woke with a start the next morning and noticed he was covered with sweat. Even the bed sheets were soaked with it but as he looked around the dream he had was slowly vanishing. Since they were already soiled, he used the thin bed sheet to dry himself off before he climbed out of the bed. 

He was glad this was a rented room in the Inn so the maids could worry about cleaning up. Bao The Wyld had been very generous to allow them to rest here for free. Ktanos wondered if it was just a going away present to Master Gil since he was soon to die. It could be a going away present for him in case Master Gil killed him first. 

He still had mixed feelings about killing the only person to show him any real kindness. His troubled dreams had Master Gil in there but by now he was having trouble remembering what had happened. Master Gil was doing something but he could not remember what it was exactly. Killing him? Or Ktanos killing Master Gil? It just made no sense. 

A plump maid entered quietly and placed a large tray of food down. When she saw him looking at her she gave a short cry and hurried in leaving. He wondered if she was just a hired servant or could she be a Friend of the Dark like he was. He wanted to ask but she was too quick for someone her size. 

Another thing that troubled him was that how could he recognize anyone that was Atha’an Shadar? Master Gil had been his only source and if, and when, he killed him then how would he find others? Was that why Bao wanted Master Gil put down like a rabid animal? So that Ktanos would be forced to use him as his only link to channeling and The Dark One? 

He practiced the gesture he had seen Master Gil do but he was not sure if there were any special rules behind it. If he identified himself to the wrong person he would be executed immediately. He could try using The One Power now that Bao had taught him a few useful weaves to use. This would draw the attention of The Aes Sedai if he did and that would be a fate worse than death, or so he was told. 

He suddenly realized that he had wolfed down his breakfast as he thought about his next actions. He then quickly dressed and made his way to the common room of the Inn. The same men he saw yesterday sat at the same table gambling like they had the day before. Ktanos was sure this was a front to fool anyone that did not know the dark secret The Wild Hog held. 

Master Gil sat at a table waiting patiently with all his bags packed. When Ktanos walked over he did not turn to greet him. Instead he finished drinking a mug of ale. 

“About time, I thought you’d never wake up.” Master Gil muttered. 

“Sorry I was up half the night with bad dreams.” Ktanos lied. Sure he had bad dreams but he didn’t remember waking up. 

“Time will come when what you actually see is far worse than any dream.” Master Gil replied. He tossed a few coins on the table as he rose and collected his belongings. An uneasy feeling came over Ktanos as thoughts of the coins may be Master Gil’s last acts of kindness. 

“So how do we find the kids we’re looking for?” Ktanos asked. 

“They have an army of trollics after then so we follow the trollics.” 

“What about Shadar Logoth? Bao The Wyld had said something about that place. I guess there is a fear they may enter there.” Ktanos said. He knew a little about the place and the evil that resides inside but overall that amounted to almost nothing. 

“Remember what I just told you about reality being worse than dreams? If we have to enter that cursed city then you may learn the hard way about what I meant.” 

“Do you really think that they would enter that city?” Ktanos asked.

“That may be the key to the whole mystery. I think that because they’re young that they have no idea what awaits them there. Or they may know and figure the trollics are too scared to even attempt to follow them inside. 

Either way IF they enter then that could be the last mistake they ever make. The same goes for us! If we are forced to enter then there is no telling IF we ever leave.” Master Gil explained. 

Ktanos struggled as the violent torrent of power swirled inside him. Saidin felt wonderful as its addictive nature made him feel in ways he never usually felt. The taint was the only problem because it hurt his belly as the foulness seemed to collect there. 

They followed the tracks the trollics had left and he practiced the weave he was taught to hide the tracks that were behind them. Every few feet he wove the threads of Earth and ##### and let them sweep at the trail they had passed over. 

The more he practiced, the more confident he became that the reach of the wave could sweep larger distances depending on how much of the threads he used. In channeling there are five powers that are used and combined into weaves the channeler can cast. 

Fire, Air, Water, Earth, and Spirit are often thought of as threads that are woven together to make the weave the channeler is going to use. Though Ktanos was still weak and new to channeling, he found his knowledge was expanding the more he practiced. 

Bao The Wyld had taught him a few things and warned of the dangers of rushing to create new weaves. In time he would learn but for now he could risk death, if not burn out his ability to channel if he played around with the weaves carelessly. 

The one thing he noticed was that the weaves he had learned focused on using the Earth element. To the channeller, the flows seem to originate in his or her very immediate vicinity, not to emanate from themselves, although to another channeller, those flows do seem to be emanating from the channeller. The latter is the actual case, as the One Power is passing through the channeller, one of the reasons for individual limits on how much of the Power a particular person can handle. a channeller sees the flows as coloured very faintly, according to which of the Five Powers is involved although the "feel" of the flows are also different to a channeller, so that a channeller can tell one from another without actually seeing them. It isn't a physical feel; you might almost as well say that they have different flavors. They appear to be smooth and nearly transparent, tinged with color.

“The tracks look like they are going to lead inside Shadar Logoth. We're very close now.” Master Gil said suddenly. They had been walking in silence and Ktanos was too preoccupied with channeling to notice the uncomfortable silence. 

“How long until we reach there?” 

“I’d say by sunset tomorrow. Maybe longer depending on how tired you look.” Master Gil said. Ktanos suddenly realized he was exhausted but not from the walking but from all the channelking he was doing. He quickly released Saidin and his stomach felt ready for him to sick up the breakfast he ate. 

Master Gil watched as Ktanos used his arm to hold himself up next to a tree. Thiks surprised him because it was still early and they had only been traveling for a few hours. Why was the boy exhausted? 

He then looked back and saw that the trail behind them looked as if no one had walked upon it in weeks. Where had all the trollic hoofprints gone? Was this the boy using his channeling? 

“You using the One Power, I take it?” He asked. Ktanbos shook his head but Master Gil suspected he was lying. The reason he looks so sick is the Dark One’s taint on Saidin. Guess Bao had not shared the immunity the dreadlords claimed the Dark One could give. 

“No need to lie to me. It won’t help you any. I already know the truth about what you can do. We both have a lot riding on this mission because you want to learn how to channel without getting sick and I hope to get back in good standing with The Great Lord of The Night. So we must work together to find those boys he wants so badly.” Master Gil explained. 

“I’ll be fine.” Ktanos lied again but the look on Master Gil’s face told him that he was not convincing. Master Gil grunted and he continued walking without looking at Ktanos. Ktanos still clung to the tree and pushed himself to follow because it looked like Master Gil would push on with or without him. 

Holding on to Saidin had a way to energize him so he did not feel how tired he became but once he released Saidin, the fatigue hit him like a wave. He wanted to channel more but he knew he was at his limit. He was also warned by Bao The Wyld about over-channeling when one was at their limit. 

Ktanos ate a few bites then fell instantly asleep when Master Gil had finally stopped for the evening and set up camp. He had made a thin stew and as hungry as Ktanos was he was just simply too tired to eat. He knew later when he awoke that he would not make this mistake again. 

The next day he did not bother covering their trail or the one the trollic left but he kept himself ready in case they had to enter Shadar Logoth. Which unfortunately they needed to when Master Gil announced that the trail led into the city. 

The sun was slowly setting as the sky turned from a golden orange to red at the horizon. Ktanos hesitated going inside with evening approaching because of the stories telling about the horror inside. The last thing he wanted was for the horrors to find him waiting in the dark of night. 

“Couldn’t we wait until morning?” Ktanos protested. 

“I wish we could but if they left the city we can't let the trail get cold. They already have too much of a headstart as it is. The only thing I can say is that there are no tracks from the trollics leading out of the city.

My guess is that they split up the remaining army and sent some of their numbers inside. IF the boys fled the city they would have seen and given chase. I know the boys were on horseback most of the way but no telling if they left with their horses.”

“You sound unsure,” Ktanos remarked at the slight hesitation in Master Gil’s voice. 

“I must be getting old because the tracks are harder to read than they used to be. I saw the tracks the boys and their companions left but the Myrdraal on horseback aren’t leaving a single track to be found. That’s bloody impossible!” 

“Yet they don’t exactly know we're following them so if we’re found you can bet they’ll attack.” Ktanos remarked. 

“That’s another thing that worries me. Feels like Bao sent us on a suicide mission.” Master Gil said and Ktanos couldn't agree more, knowing what he knew. “Let’s go, the longer we stand here the darker it will become.” Master Gil ordered and they quickly ran into the city. 

The stopped as they reached the courtyard and looked around in surprise that the city looked undisturbed. Even the trail from the boys they hunted and the trollics was nowhere to be found. Everything looked deserted as they saw the poor condition of the buildings. A couple looked ready to crumble at the slightest touch. 

“Strange,” Master Gil mumbled. “There is the faint smell of blood like there was a battle yet it smells like it was cleaned up.”

“Would the creatures of this place kill the trollics and clean up after them?” Ktanos asked. 

“I vaguely remember a tale in The Travels of Jain Farstrider where it spoke about ghosts in a city that would do horrific things in the night and at sunrise everything would vanish as if they never occurred. I wonder if that could be true of this place? This place could have killed the boys and the trollics and we may never know.” 

“That would have been nice to know before we entered here.” Ktanos grumbled. 

The Travels of Jain Farstrider is a famous book written by Jain Farstrider. Published in the year 968 NE, it consists largely of his travels across the world, including stories of the highly mysterious land of Shara beyond the Aiel Waste, encounters with the Sea Folk, and numerous fantastic adventures. The popular book appears in libraries across the Westlands, to small personal libraries on remote farms. 

“So the ones we’re after could already have been slaughtered and we’d never know.” Ktanos remarked as he looked around feeling a sense of hopelessness about this mission. 

“They can’t fix the crumbling stones so maybe we can catch a glimpse of what might have happened.” Master Gil said and he started walking towards the nearest building. Ktanos followed reluctantly.

Ktanos felt strange like an unseen set of eyes were watching them. The trouble was that he wasn’t sure if it was real or just something he was imagining. Occasionally he heard the scampering sounds that sounded like something rats would make yet he did not see any rats. Not even any rat bones!

Had there been any rodents in Shadar Logoth they must have left a long time ago. Like rats leaving a sinking city! The whole place had a strange feeling to it like everything was wrong about it. The taint on Saidin made him sick to his stomach but this place felt just as bad in a different way. 

“I think it’s time for the total truth between us. I saw what you did channeling and none of that was anything you ever told me you could do. Then You keep questioning me about the orders Bao The Wyld gave us. 

When I first spoke to him you were held in place like a statue. I foolishly didn’t think anything of it because Bao was busy threatening me for returning. I realize now that he did something to both of us.

He taught you about channeling and gave you a different set of orders than he gave me. I’ve no doubt he wants me dead and I’m guessing he ordered you to do that which is why you’ve been dragging your feet. After everything we've been through I can see how that was difficult.” Master Gil said and Ktanos was filled with embarrassment. Not that he had learned what Ktanos’ real orders were but because even now Master Gil thought that he would be loyal to him. With all the plotting he did to think of ways to kill Master Gil, he was for the first time ashamed of himself. 

“He gave me promises of teaching me even more ways to channel and even how to become immune to the taint if I did as he wanted. I wasn’t sure but I wondered if he told you to kill me as well?” Ktanos asked. 

Master Gil turned his head and looked out a nearby window as the last light from the sun setting vanished. He felt a sense of doom  approaching and quickly took out a lanturn and lit it. They frantically looked around as if expecting Trollic like creatures to come bursting out of the walls around them. 

The silence relaxed them a little but the terror they felt did not diminish. 

“Shine the light over there.” Ktanos ordered and Master Gil turned the lantern in the direction he pointed. They both walked together as he saw sleeping bags set up scattered in a circle. 

“They were here but it looks like they left in a hurry. Did not even clean up after themselves.” Master Gil remarked as he looked around with the lantern held high. 

“I don’t feel anything but this seems off somehow. Like there may be something with The One Power here but I don’t see or feel anything.” Ktanos said as he walked around the sleeping bags. 

“This whole city is off. You said there are wards of the One Power here?” Master Gil asked. 

“I dunno but this area seems too open to attack that they would just leave their stuff here and make camp. There must be something here to protect them unless they were hoping a trollic would walk in and find them.” Ktanos mused. 

“A ruse perhaps?” 

“Perhaps, but a costly one to lose their gear just hoping to fool the trollics.” Ktanos said. 

“Everything looks frantic like they were forced to flee. Perhaps Mashardar found them and they were forced to run before it grabbed them.” 

“Mashadar?” Ktanos asked as Master Gil explained it to him. 

Mashadar is a malicious, though unintelligent, entity that lurks within the depths of Shadar Logoth. Mashadar was formed during the Trolloc Wars from the hatred and suspicion exhibited by the citizens of Shadar Logoth (then called Aridhol). Over time, it grew until it consumed the city and its people. At present, it takes the form of a silvery mist that wanders the streets at night and hides in the ground during the day. 

The scope of Mashadar is unclear; though it is not omnipresent, it is "vast as Shadar Logoth," and can manifest itself in many locations at once. The slightest touch of Mashadar is fatal, causing a slow and agonizing death. Though it will attack any entity, Mashadar's prey of choice is Shadowspawn, which have avoided Shadar Logoth as much as possible since an entire Trolloc army vanished within its walls. 

Mashadar is a formidable enemy to a channeller, as it is very nearly impossible to destroy, and will bring its full force to bear on anyone who attacks it with the One Power. It is susceptible to balefire, and will flee when confronted with it. 

It is unclear what degree of sentience Mashadar possesses. While on the one hand it is able to select its prey (attacking Shadowspawn with great precision), it is also described as "utterly mindless" and at one time is unable to detect a human mere feet from one of its tendrils. Though a terrifying force within Shadar Logoth, Mashadar is bound to the city and can not leave its walls.

“So if they ran and fled the city then where would they go?” Ktanos asked. He wanted to change the subject because he had a slight fear that talking about Mashadar might draw its attention. 

“Andor is nearby. Perhaps Whitebridge but that’s a little bit more of a stretch. Then there’s where we just came from.” Master Gil replied has he tried to think of the surrounding areas. It had been a long time since he was here and he had trouble remembering. 

“HA HA HA HA HA,” Came a scream of laughter from outside. They both ran to the windows and saw a half dressed man holding his head as he shouted. 

“I’ll find you!!!! I can feel you!!!!!!!!!” He screamed into the sky.

“He’s mad,” Master Gil replied softly. 

“What’s that?” Ktanos asked as a white mist moved in the courtyard. The looked like tendrils and the slowly inched forward like snakes but they avoided the mad as he cried out in pain and horror. 

“Mashadar! They must have already gotten to him otherwise they would not leave him alone.” 

“Should we do something?” Ktanos asked. 

“I know you’re there! I can feel you running.” The man screamed as he pointed in a direction definitively.

“Bao The Wyld mentioned that the trollics had a hound that could follow the ones we’re looking for. He must be that hound and no doubt the trollics that held him are now all dead. If youi follow him then he’ll lead you to the boys you’re looking for.” Master Gil said.

“Don’t you mean ‘we?’ Isn’t it both our mission to find them?” Ktanos asked.

“No, I’m not gonna leave Shadar Logoth alive. Bao wants me dead so here we go our separate ways. If asked, tell them that you saw Mashadar kill me before you had a chance. If they ask for proof you tell them you couldn't get close enough because of Mashadar. 

That should convince them for the most part. This way Bao will b e sure to further help you. To be honest I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could pick up and throw The White Tower, but that’s between you two.” Master Gil said.

“Where will you go? Surely some Antha’an Shadar will find you and report that I lied. Maybe we should stick together until we find the perfect place to hide?” Ktanos asked. 

“Truth be told I couldn't stand it. I’d spend the remainder of my life worrying when, and if, you were going to plant a dagger in it. No lad, my days of helping the Shadow are over. The Dark One is a liar and a father of lies like he’s called. I learned this the whole time I worked for them. 

I only regret bringing you to join them. I thought it was the right thing to do at the time. Let this be a lesson that you should trust no one! No matter how much someone claims to be your ally, they cannot be trusted. You can never tell if YOU are the one they are looking to stick a dagger in your back.” Master Gil explained.

“So what do I do now?” Ktanos asked as he felt a little bit hurt by Master Gil’s words but he understood what he meant. 

“I’m gonna try to get Mashadar’s attention while you chase the hound out of the city. He seems to be screaming he can somehow follow them. If you follow him then he’ll lead you to them.” 

“But how will you lure that white fog to chase you?” Ktanos asked as he heard the sound of his heart thumping very loudly in his ears. 

“I’m gonna try to run at that stranger and hope that the fog decides to chase me to protect him. When he slips out you can follow him. He seems so mad that he probably won’t see you no matter how clumsy you are at following someone.” 

Master Gil patted Ktanos’ head then left making his way towards the courtyard. Ktanos followed reluctantly and he watched in horror as Master Gill ran towards the crazy man . 

“Hey, hey, hey!!!!” Master Gil shouted and strangely the fog moved to attack him. He quickly ran in the opposite direction as the tendrils of white fog chased after him. 

“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Was the blood curdling scream Ktanos heard. Master Gil had run down a side street and Ktanos could not see what happened when he heard the scream. The crazy man did not seem to notice but Mashadar had left him and as the man walked towards the city entrance Ktanos ran to catch up to him. 

He carefully looked around but there was no sign of the fog but the scream he heard was enough that he heard his heart pounding. He did not relax until he left the city in pursuit of The Hound. 

He felt numb over the death of Master Gil and a part of him wanted to cry but he had forgotten how. He wondered if that was what it meant to work for The Shadow. Master Gil was right in that once The Great Lord of the Dark was done with him then assassins would be sent to finish him off if the madness had not overtaken him or the Aes Sedai took hold of him. 

To Be Continued…