Copy Protection Void Part 27

Egwene pulled her attention away from the naked teenage girl that was picking up dishes from one of the empty tables in the Winespring and focused on Mat. "Has anyone figured out why only certain people can use the obelisks or where they came from?"

Mat glanced over at the table where the gleeman was drinking an ale then focused on Egwene and Mist. "I've heard stories and everyone has a theory but the only thing we know for sure is that they showed up twenty years ago and projected a beam of light into the sky for three days that people could see for miles."

"Best guess?" Egwene asked.

Mat glanced over at Moiraine. "I think someone messed with something they shouldn't have and triggered an ancient Aes Sedai project which revealed the obelisks and unleashed the monsters."

Mist glanced over at the 'local' versions of Moiraine and Lan as he finished his cider. "What do you think, Moiraine?"

Moiraine considered the question for a few seconds. "I think the placement of the obelisks is strange, while some of the obelisks are certainly at or near ancient cities or important locations, other obelisks appear to have been scattered randomly."

"Have you managed to activate any obelisks?" Egwene's clone asked, curious if it was worth tracking them down.

Moiraine turned to look at the young woman with impossible strength with the power. "Not as many as I would have liked but I've managed to activate a few of the twenty seven obelisks that I've visited." She gestured at a bowl and lifted it off the table with her telekinesis. "The obelisk at Whitebridge gave me the ability to lift objects without touching them and Baerlon gave me the ability to create and manipulate Dark Fire."

"Why is it called Dark fire?" Egwene asked, wanting to make sure it wasn't dangerous.

Moiraine placed the bowl back on the table. "The obelisks whisper the name of the ability they bestow when they activate. It probably has something to do with the color or the fact that shadowspawn are especially vulnerable to the fire."

Sara scowled as she thought about the trollocs that shouldn't be anywhere near Andor let alone the Two Rivers. "We noticed when we killed the trollocs on the road, most of the monsters don't burn like that."

Thom pulled his attention away from the large silver mirror that was leaned up against the wall and looked at Egwene. "Where did you learn to create magic mirrors?"

"Mist has a talent and before you ask, he can't channel, we've checked," Egwene assured him.

Thom glanced at Mist. "I thought you said that your world doesn't have obelisks."

"It doesn't but the Aes Sedai haven't always been particularly careful about keeping track of their toys," Mist replied. "What's it like being a traveling bard when there are monsters everywhere?"

"It's certainly harder than it used to be," Thom admitted. "I wouldn't have come if the village hadn't provided an escort. Getting from Baerlon to Taren Ferry is dangerous."

Sara nodded, thinking about the goblin bands that harassed the other side of the river. "I'm just glad that we only have to deal with snots and the occasional troll that comes out of the mountains."

"You're lucky that you don't have to deal with more monsters," Thom told them.

"To be fair, we have hydras and frost wolves in addition to the snots but the hydras don't leave the mire and the frost wolves are generally content to eat snots," Sara offered, not seeing a reason to mention the kobold miners that barely counted as monsters since they were friendly and didn't have a problem trading shiny rocks or crystals for food.

Egwene glanced between Mat and Sara. "Frost wolves and hydra?"

"The frost wolves are intelligent wolves that can exhale a cloud of freezing cold mist and hydra are basically giant lizards with multiple heads that heal supernaturally fast. They can also exhale cones of fire, cold, lightning or acid depending on the type of hydra. Thankfully, they don't leave the mire unless they're chasing someone."

"Why would anyone go near them?" Egwene asked.

"Their hides are extremely durable while still retaining their flexibility, they're also immune to the element the hydra could breathe while alive which means they're extremely valuable," Mat explained.

"How many people have you lost fighting them?" Egwene's clone asked.

Mat glanced over at where his duplicate was talking to his father. "We lost a few people in the early days before everyone realized the extent of the problem and that the hydra can't leave the mire unless they're chasing someone. We lose a couple of Congars and Coplins every few years because they have a tendency to get greedy, same with folk from Taren Ferry."

"Do you have a problem with hunters showing up from outside of the Two Rivers and causing trouble?" Mist asked, trying to get an idea of the changes.

"Less than you'd expect," Tam said as he walked over with his son and the other Rand, "the region is really only known for wool, tabac and the hydra and the hydra are dangerous enough that you have to have a large group of people if you want to survive hunting them which means most hunters sign up with a group and the groups do a good job keeping people focused on the hydra so they don't get into trouble."

"How dangerous are the hydra?" Mist asked.

"With a couple of exceptions, most groups of hunters can't kill a hydra with less than fifty people and they generally lose fifty or sixty people every time they walk into the mire," Tam admitted.

"That's insane," Egwene complained.

"Each dead hydra can sell for hundreds or thousands of gold crowns to the right buyer and if you manage to survive, your share is usually enough to retire, especially if your group manages to kill more than one," Tam explained.

"Has anyone ever managed to come back with more than one?" Lan asked, curious about the hydra since he'd heard some stories over the years.

"Twice," Tam replied as he turned to look at Lan. "Fourteen years ago a noble from Cairhein brought a small army and killed three hydra, he lost half of his men in the process and barely escaped alive because he pushed too deep and found something nasty."

"What did they find?" Egwene asked.

"A massive hydra with five heads that could exhale different elements, it slaughtered everyone that didn't immediately run and half the people that fled before vanishing into the mire. The stories spread and people claimed to have seen it over the years but I don't believe them."

"Why not?" Lan asked.

"The creature inspired fear with its very presence. There were people in that group from the borderlands that have looked into a fade's eyes without blinking and they bolted when they saw the creature. If the fools had actually seen it, they wouldn't have boasted about it," Tam explained, remembering the haunted look on the faces of the survivors.

"Lovely," Mist muttered, wanting nothing to do with a knock off copy of Tiamat.

"What was the other one?" Rand asked.

"Three years ago an old Aes Sedai walked into the mire with five gray haired warriors and a young man and walked out with two dead hydra without losing a single person or taking a significant injury. I don't think anyone ever got a straight answer out of her about how she killed them."

"Curious, I was under the impression that the local versions are heavily resistant to the power and magic in general," Thom mused.

"If not immune," Tam agreed. "She stayed in town for a couple of days while the leather was processed and then she hired a wagon and left with the hydras."

"Where is the Baerlon obelisk?" Egwene's clone asked.

"It's a mile north of the town in a clearing, you can't miss it," Tam assured them.

"Should we open a gate?" Egwene's clone asked.

"Might as well," Mist replied, rather amused by Moiraine's look of surprise.

Egwene's clone used mana and created a gateway over Baerlon then created another gate when she saw the clearing and a space where she could stick the gateway without accidently hitting someone. She let the gate that was floating over Baerlon close. "Don't touch the edges, they're razor sharp."

"Where did you learn that?" Thom asked, well aware that the ability to open gates was lost.

"I pieced it together," Egwene's clone replied with a smile. "Of course, I used mana to create it so that Moiraine can't steal it."

"Did my alternate do something to offend you?" Moiraine asked, wondering what the girl wanted.

"No, I just don't want the knowledge to spread to the White Tower and I figured it worked as a nice proof of concept that I can actually make a gateway," Egwene's clone replied with a smile as she walked through the gateway and looked at the rune carved pillar that looked like it was made out of obsidian. "How do we activate the obelisk?"

"You walk up and touch it, the runes will glow if you're compatible," Mat offered as he followed her through the gateway.

Rand followed the other Mat through the gateway, hoping he could use it because his alternate could.

Thom stood up and followed Mist through the gateway, wanting to be able to honestly say that he'd used one. "What do you have against the Tower?"

"They were responsible for Manetheren's fall and about a fifth of them are darkfriends in my world or worse," Egwene's clone complained.

"Or worse?" Moiraine asked as she followed Lan and Thom through the gateway.

"In a possible future, Elaida Sedai leads a coup in my world and stills Siuan because she was working with the Dragon Reborn rather than trying to chain him. After she became the Amyrlin she ordered the Dragon Reborn beaten and stuffed in a box to soften him up," Egwene complained.

"I'll add that to the list of reasons I'm glad that my version is dead," Moiraine mused.

"What happened?" Mist asked as Mat walked through the gateway.

"She was part of a group of red sisters that gentled a young man in Aringall and left him to die, what she didn't know was that he was a warlock. The three red sisters didn't survive his revenge," Moiraine explained.

"I can't say I blame him," Egwene's clone admitted as she walked over and touched the obelisk, causing the runes on the obelisk to glow red and whisper, "Dark Fire."

Mist walked over and touched the obelisk, causing the runes on the obelisk to glow brightly and announce, "Eternal Dark Fire."

"Welcome to the club," the local Mat offered as he scanned the surroundings to make sure there weren't any goblins around.

Rand walked over and touched the obelisk which caused the runes to glow with black flames as the obelisk shouted, "Alternate form, Void Dragon of the Eternal Flame!"

"What?!" Rand sputtered as he yanked his hand back.

"That's new," the local Mat muttered, surprised that his friend's alternate had gotten something different.

"You should try your new form," Sara suggested enthusiastically.

"No!" Mist and Egwene shouted at the same time.

"Don't test that near anything you don't want broken," Egwene's clone ordered.

"I wasn't planning on it," Rand assured them.

Egwene walked over and touched the obelisk and sighed when it didn't even flicker. "I think he broke it."

"Or it just doesn't like you," Mat replied as he walked over and touched the Obelisk, causing the runes on the Obelisk to glow brightly and announce, "Eternal Dark Fire!"

'That just means I'll have to use the Dragon Crown with my clone,' Egwene mused as Samara walked over and touched the obelisk, not getting a reaction either.

Samara sighed. "It was worth a try."

"It's probably just luck," Mist lied, fairly sure Rand's transformation had more to do with being the Dragon Reborn than luck. "Do we want to jump to the next obelisk or grab people?" he asked Egwene.

"Next obelisk," Egwene replied with a smile, hoping she'd have more luck. "Whitebridge?"

"How much do you trust Moiraine and Thom?" Mat asked, having noticed that Egwene recognized both of them.

"With my life or at least I trust mine with my life and Mist can see the corruption around darkfriends and he hasn't tried to drop a statue on them so they're fine," Egwene replied.

"Drop a statue?" Moiraine asked.

Mist laughed. "It's strangely effective. I can summon extremely durable and nude glass statues of people and place them anywhere I can see, including over people's heads."

"That sounds like a story," Lan offered, not taking his eyes off the forest.

Mist glanced at the woods, wishing they'd waited for the morning. "Remind me and I'll tell you about it when we're not in the woods."

Mat glanced at Tam who nodded. "I know where to find three obelisks that you probably don't know about but you're going to have to promise not to spread the information around to anyone you don't trust."

"I can keep a secret," Thom assured him.

"I swear I won't intentionally reveal the information to anyone I don't trust," Moiraine promised, wondering if there was an obelisk in the mire.

"I swear," Lan assured him.

"The ruins of Manetheren have an obelisk that can give people the ability to conjure Eidolons, they're basically loyal protectors and companions. They keep all of their memories and none of their injuries when they're resummoned but you'll feel any injuries they picked up when they're resummoned."

"Do you get their injuries?" Lan asked.

"No, you just feel everything for a couple of seconds," Mat assured them. "It's not pleasant but you get used to it."

"Mostly," Sara muttered.

Mat shrugged. "There's also an obelisk in the Forest of Shadows a couple of miles south of Devon Ride that can give people the ability to conjure a magical weapon. You'll probably want to visit the obelisk in the ruins first since the eidolons can use obelisks."

"Shouldn't someone have checked the ruins over the years?" Thom asked.

Tam smiled slightly, still surprised that they'd managed to mostly keep their secret for twenty years. "The people in Taren Ferry might be a bit shifty but they're still part of the Two Rivers so they'll cheerfully talk your ear off about how we didn't get lucky to get an obelisk if you give them half a chance."

"They'll also let you know that there's an obelisk in the mire for a couple of drinks, were they lying?" Thom asked, wondering if he'd wasted his silver.

"There was certainly a pillar of light over the mire at the time and while we've had a couple of groups claim to have found the obelisk they couldn't tell us where and none of them could activate it which makes me question their stories. I'd rather let people assume that it was a rumor than lure a bunch more people to their death."

"Probably for the best," Moiraine agreed.

Egwene's clone opened a gateway over the waygate. "Where's the obelisk?"

"It's about half a mile from the waygate behind a partially collapsed stone wall," Mat told them.

Egwene's clone placed a second gateway closer to the cliffs then closed the other one. "Close enough."

Mist walked through the gateway and kept walking as he could see a bit of a path worn into the dirt. 'At least I picked up the dark flame and Rand picked up the ability to transform into a dragon which should help with convincing people that he is the Dragon Reborn.'

0o0o0

Egwene studied the smooth black obelisk filled with hundreds of drawings of girls then placed her hand on the obelisk, figuring she might as well get things over with. She nearly yanked her hand back when all of the drawings started glowing.

"Eidolon creation: Soul of Legend detected, assigning Knight of Legend template. Error, template corrupted. Override! Strength set to minimum. Dexterity set to minimum. Constitution set to minimum. Racial template corrupted, attempting to patch. Unable to patch. Override attempted. Using current attributes. Appearance corrupted. Attempting to patch. Unable to patch. Override! Assigning skills: Unable to assign skills due to corruption. Skills have been erased. Error, basic skills required. Unable to find basic skills. Twinning user's skills. Error, Eidolon lacks the ability to use multiple skills, patching. Patch corrupted! Please kick the obelisk to reboot it."

"Is that normal?" Egwene asked, not removing her hand.

"Not even slightly," Mat replied as he kicked the bottom of the obelisk, causing the drawings to flicker for a second before the voice continued, "override enabled. Eidolon ability created."

"It might have something to do with them being from a mirror world," Moiraine suggested.

"Do you want to go next?" Mist asked, figuring they should probably let the locals use it before they risked damaging it. 'Pretty sure none of the locals set things up like a computer.'

"I'll do it," Lan said as he walked over and put his hand on the obelisk, wanting to make sure it was working before he let Moiraine use it.

"Eidolon Creation: Magical Princess of Combat assigned!" the obelisk announced.

Lan focused on his new ability and activated it, causing a tall, athletic and naked teenager with shoulder length black hair and blue eyes to appear in front of him. "Greetings?"

"Hey boss," the girl replied with a smile then glanced around the clearing. "I'm going to need a weapon."

"That can be arranged as soon as we run through some tests," Lan told the girl, curious about her combat skills.

"Just let me know," the girl replied then fell silent as she studied the rest of the people in the clearing.

Moiraine walked over and touched the obelisk, causing the drawings to glow and announce, "Eidolon Creation: Princess of the Eternal Flame assigned, having her summoned will increase your fire affinity."

"You got lucky," Mat told her.

Thom walked over and touched the obelisk once Moiraine stepped away from it, causing the drawings to glow.

"Eidolon Creation: Bard assigned."

Thom focused and used his new ability, causing a busty teenager with long brown hair to appear in front of him. "Greetings."

"Grampa!" the girl replied cheerfully.

Thom shook his head when he noticed the look of mischief in her eyes. "Call me Thom unless we're on a job."

The girl laughed, happy to have a summoner that was quick on the ball. "Thom."

Moiraine tested her new ability, causing a tall busty teenage girl with bright red hair to appear in front of her. "Do you have a name?"

"I'm the Princess of the Eternal Flame but you need to come up with an actual name," the princess of the eternal flame replied with a smile.

Egwene used her new ability and stared at the misshapen and twisted girl that appeared that looked like she was stitched together from different corpses and like someone had ripped off half of her face. "Ouch."

"You should see the other guy," the cobbled together girl offered, then shifted slightly and fell over as her strength and endurance gave out.

Mist stepped forward and caught the eidolon. "We're going to have to work on your physical abilities."

"Yeah," the girl complained as Mist helped her sit down without hurting herself.

"Do you have any magic skills?" Egwene's clone asked.

"I can…" the girl trailed off as she tried to channel and realized there was nothing there. "Shit, I can't channel. There's nothing there when I reach for it. That's going to be annoying."

"Don't worry about it, we'll figure something out," Egwene assured her eidolon, figuring she'd just have to use mana after they figured out a way to have her kill some monsters.

"Do you want me to see if I can heal her face?" Moiraine asked.

The broken girl sighed. "Don't bother, I'm pretty sure I'm stuck like this."

Egwene's clone walked over and touched the obelisk, causing the drawings to light up and a voice to whisper, "Eidolon Creation: Magic Girl assigned."

Mist walked over and touched the obelisk.

"Could be worse," Rand offered when none of the drawings lit up.

"Yeah, I could have picked up an evil summon," Mist replied as he took a couple of steps away from the obelisk, trying not to be annoyed that he hadn't managed to pick up an eidolon.

Rand walked over and touched the obelisk, causing all of the drawings to light up and a voice to announce, "Eidolon Creation: Princess of Storms acquired, having her summoned will increase your abilities with water and air."

Mist pulled the chalice and a waterskin out of his bag of holding and filled the chalice. "Do you want to be stronger?" he asked Egwene's eidolon.

"It would certainly help," the eidolon replied.

"Okay," Mist replied and helped the eidolon drink from the magical chalice, causing her to shrink and twist into a hunchback. "That should increase your strength and agility to something halfway reasonable and I have a ring that should let you train your balance to supernatural levels for the low cost of occasionally blowing up your left foot."

"Seriously?" the local Mat asked as his counterpart picked a magic girl eidolon.

"It's cursed, I have a spell that can regenerate limbs so it's not as bad as it sounds," Mist assured him.

"We should probably get back to the inn so we can use the mirror and you can meet your counterparts," Egwene's clone suggested, wanting a chance to grab some food and figure out an actual plan for what they needed to work on next.

0o0o0