Memory 0: Entering exile

[sixelementmudra]

The memory picks up with Bayan stepping through a ring of light, from somewhere very cold to somewhere very hot. A woman steps through the portal behind him carrying two crystals that are resonating; she muffles them, and the portal collapses. Bayan turns to face her; he's surprised that she doesn't just go back.

The woman tells him that she knows what he did for them and thanks him for it; she would have done exactly what he did, and in fact she tried. She explains that she tried to kill everyone who'd ever helped [someone] to wipe his schemes from the face of the earth, but she was too harsh and innocent people would have suffered. She's grateful to the people who tempered her when she couldn't, she says, and she hopes he'll find someone out here who'll temper him too. Then she sings to the crystals and opens another portal; Bayan can see a glimpse of a courtyard before the ring of light closes behind her.

Bayan thinks to himself that he's far, far from home -- only the stars are familiar, and he doesn't recognize any part of what he sees. A part of him thinks that even though he beat [someone], he paid a bigger price for it. But it's worth it, despite how much it hurts; his friends are safe, the empire still stands. He sort of prays (he's not super devout, but he's culturally religious), asking Bhattara for guidance; he's never needed it more, without his hexmates around to support him, and he asks for their safety, too.

His thoughts wander a bit and he starts thinking about visiting a sint, which started him chasing knowledge about magic. Maybe wherever he ended up -- he thinks it's the Corona, which he vaguely recognizes as a rival empire -- has some more to teach him. And maybe the First Singer's wish for him would come true here, too.



EFFECTS:

* He's exiled and it sucks. He misses his friends and he's really really far away from home; he steps from winter to a hot desert night.
* But it's worth it because his friends are alive and the empire he was defending still stands.
* The woman who transported him looked ragged and bloody. Apparently he succeeded where she failed?
* She tried to commit mass murder to wipe someone's influence away -- and he has the impression that she could've done it. She implies that he didn't have to do that at least...though it raises the question of what he did.
* Her magic is based on song, and it's different from his, though he doesn't have a good idea of what his is yet. He's kind of familiar with it but also intrigued, though that's not really on his mind
* There's a whole world out there full of magic to learn. Maybe there's a bright side to this. And maybe he'll find someone to temper him out there, when he can't do it himself.
* Names: his name and witten Oost's name are blurred out. He learns Calder, Tarin, Kiwani, and given the direction of his thoughts, Eward and Taban also. He also picks up Sint Koos, and a vague idea of what sints are (basically local gods who answer questions)
* He gets a strong impression of the first three (he'll know that he was very close to all of them, but Calder and Kiwani especially) and a much vaguer impression of the last two. No history or real memories attached, but he'd recognize them.
* +100 acceptance of consequences if they lead to something he considers worth it
* +100 willingness to follow through with his choices
* +200 curiosity, particularly about magic

TRIVIA:

This is the very last scene in the canon I have for him, although the third book should be released this year. So for now, this really is the last thing that happened to him.