After telling Rialt of his past and learning the shocking truth of why he was still here, Kris was all but perfectly fine again. Other than the shock and sadness, which last only a few seconds as he had learned to control the emotions from his mentor, he had told Rialt the he could release the source now. Unfortunately that brought a rebuttal from the man seated across from him that gave away in its tone that he would have liked to be much harder on Kris. “Kris I realize you are used to holding up your own, but do not ever tell me what to do with my Creator-given right again. You of all people in the world, will never hold such a position to do so and will no doubt learn your place the second you leave my office,” was the man’s quick and slightly agitated response to Kris’ words. Apparently, this man thought Kris would go nowhere except to the rank of an everyday Asha’man, with that realization Kris made it his goal to if not one day outrank the man in front of him, hold a position in the Tower where he could influence events for the better. He had noticed a slight hesitation and a sense of readiness when Rialt told him the news, some people must have had bad reactions to the news Kris thought to himself. Kris was a very easygoing adaptable young man. Years ago he had learned how to work any situation to his own advantage, and would usually go with the flow of anything unless he deemed it dangerous to anyone innocent.

Rialt then motioned for him to stand, and as excitement began to replace the fear as he realized he’d be able to fight the shadow more effectively, he did so. He watched as the man walked back to his desk and picked up the long sword strapping it around his waist. Kris smiled and instinctively moved to touch his own sword which he realized was not there, at that finding he frowned feeling a tad bit incomplete without it. The man having collected everything he needed walked from behind the desk to the doors pushing them open and walking out. Kris, realizing he was meant to follow, fell into step behind the man and to the left. He ld them down many more hallways and was confident in the turns he took to get Kris to his next destination. Kris was anticipating the next step of his transition as Rialt led him on to the Creator knows where. Kris, not having reached his full height yet, stared up at the tall man in front of him and noticed that he was looking back. After a moment he looked as if he had decided on something and began to speak, “I would suggest not to anger the Master of Soldiers or insult him as you did me, because trust that he is perhaps, not as forgiving a man as I am. Kris I do not mean to make this transition any harder for you than it is, but you must understand something, you are of the Towers, or will be very shortly. You will have set down a path to become Asha’man; this is a great honor, if you use what we teach you here to your advantage. Time will pass quickly, or slowly, depending on how you embrace your calling and find your talents. I will make sure that you hear news of your mayor.” Kris took in the words with tranquility but his mind raced with a few questions, the most important being who is the Master of Soldiers and what does he do. “Thank you for the advice Asha’man Rialt, and I appreciate your help in getting me word of the Mayor’s condition,” Kris responded realizing that even though he still worried about the mayor as his mentor he was already beginning to shed his attachment to his town.

Secretly he told himself that above all things he would be concerned for the safety of his town if it was in danger, and vowed to himself to find a way there if needed. Kris looked up and noticed that at the end of this hall were another set of doors, and sure enough when they reached them, they stopped at the doors. Kris expecting Rialt to knock was surprised when he just pushed open the door and walked in. He noticed a blonde man, with the appearance of a Carhienen sitting behind the desk in the room. His head snapped up when he noticed the intruders standing in front of him waiting for his attention. Rialt broke the tension of the room by speaking, “A new soldier, from the borderlands. He will tell you the rest.” Kris began to wonder what had happened between these two that the hate for each other could be this bad. As obvious as it was, no man made a comment as to what the tension was about and left Kris confused as he stood watching what happened. Rialt turned to Kris and addressed him one last time, “My office is open if you need anything, but please, do not waste my time with idle chatter either.” Kris stood for a moment stunned at the tension he could feel before he registered what was said to him, “Thank you Asha’man for all you have done today I hope I will not disappoint the Tower.” With the response Rialt turned to the door and left without saying a word to the man at the desk, leaving Kris alone with him. He bowed to the Asha’man and spoke, “Good day Asha’man, my name is Kris Vespin. I come from Shienar, and as of a few minutes ago am here to enroll in the Tower.” He then looked up waiting to see what would happen.

There was a slight problem here, Edeleas was sure of that, as he tilted his neck this way and that, making the joints holding up his head creak dangerously enough to alarm a Yellow or an N'Dore. He got up from his bed, went to the closet and picked out a black coat without much ceremony and put it on, buttoning it enough to his chin. Then he proceeded to a mirror near the closet and washed his face. As he patted his face dry with a towel, his thoughts strayed to the countless status reports from the different co-mentors of each family. The whole new system had done much to improve the learning of the soldiers and Dedicated, Edeleas mused, and it gave the Dedicated much hands-on practice on what they're going to deal with later, if they ever gain the Dragon pin. The blonde Dread gave his neck a last tilt before he exited to his office.

The place was still the same, circular and neat room he had grown used to in...what, six years? Or ten? Edeleas didn't really care how long now since he'd been rudely appointed as the Master of Soldiers. Rude because the bloody M'Hael Zekieal had literally dragged him out of his old quarters in the Dieb Cha halls and brought him here. And his thoughts were muddled then, because he had been sleeping when the very unwelcome disturbance came. So here he was now. Edeleas was satisfied to see that the servant had not forgotten to take him his breakfast, although the tea had long since gotten cold. He had been sleeping very, very late these past few weeks and was waking quite late too, but that did not grate too much on his job.

Taking some toast, Edeleas sat on his desk and tackled the first folder from the Daishar family, headed by a couple of N'Dores and some Dieb Chas. His eyes had barely registered the first paragraph when a brisk knock sounded on his door and the familiar but hateful form of Rialt stepped inside with a Soldier who looked like he'd been a warrior. Edeleas looked up at them without saying anything, question in his eyes.

“A new soldier, from the borderlands. He will tell you the rest.” Rialt said, and Edeleas would not miss the snarl in his tone. Then the bloody Mahdi turned to the Soldier. “My office is open if you need anything, but please, do not waste my time with idle chatter either.” And then Rialt left without so much as a second glance, but Edeleas was damn too used to that to care. However, the boy had bowed to him now.

“Good day Asha’man, my name is Kris Vespin. I come from Shienar, and as of a few minutes ago am here to enroll in the Tower.”

Shienaran, huh? Edeleas thought as he rose and rubbed his hands together briefly to get rid of bread crumbs on his fingers. He took a careful sip of his cold tea before returning to look at the boy. He was still quite young, and Edeleas hoped his build would greatly adjust him to the life in the Black Tower. Unlike the White, they were militaristic, and comforts were saved for very much later. Edeleas looked at the soldier from head to foot.

"Fetch me that book." Edeleas said as he pointed to the filled shelf across the room. The soldier looked surprised, but obeyed anyway. "You are aware of course that we will take away everything you own and give them back to you only after you have gained the Dragon pin? I surmise the Mahdi has told you at least that much." He said flatly.

OOC: I Have not dropped off the face of the Earth just been having a few busy weeks will have th epost up in a few days I hope)

OOC: (Sorry btou how long it took me to post should be a lot more active now)

After giving a brief introduction about himself, he watched the Master of Soldiers as he rose from his desk. Kris was immediately worried he had done something wrong as the man rubbed his hands together in a down to business kind of way. Kris silently convinced himself he had done nothing wrong, after all he had only acted with the respect he thought the man would deserve after Rialt’s description of him and his post. The man then took a sip of his tea, a look on his face giving away that it was either cold or tasted horrible, which relieved Kris even though he had regained his confidence. When he finally returned his gaze the Kris, he had a look of approval about him that left Kris wondering what he might be thinking to himself. With one last look over the boy the man raised an arm and gave Kris the first command of many he’d receive at the Tower.

“Fetch me that book,” was the order, and though surprised that the first words said to him were a command, Kris quickly located the shelf and book the man had pointed to and went to retrieve them. As he pulled down the book he noted that it was enormous and was larger than any book he had seen in his life. It had the look of many years upon it and the leather binding and cover were very aged. Not only was it old and big but it was much heavier than Kris thought it would be and he had trouble, despite his small amount of soldier training, lugging the thing across the room and putting it on the desk. Although Kris was curious as to the purpose of the monstrous book he had just fetched for the Master of Soldiers, it would appear he would be waiting to find out its use as the man soon spoke again, "You are aware of course that we will take away everything you own and give them back to you only after you have gained the Dragon pin? I surmise the Mahdi has told you at least that much."

Kris took in this new information with ease, the hardest part of the day was learning that he could channel and would be staying at the Tower until trained to be an Asha’man. “No he did not fill me in with that piece of information. But I will gladly give up anything I have with me to join the ranks here and learn how to use the ability in me,” Kris replied and was filled with an eagerness to star this new life here at the tower. “What else is there that I need to do before I am officially part of the tower?” Kris asked and awaited his next instructions.

“No he did not fill me in with that piece of information. But I will gladly give up anything I have with me to join the ranks here and learn how to use the ability in me,” Kris replied and was filled with an eagerness to star this new life here at the tower. “What else is there that I need to do before I am officially part of the tower?”

Edeleas took a moment surveying the boy with his dead eyes. He said nothing, however, and proceeded to write down the boy's name on the Soldier book with his usual neat handwriting. Putting his quill back into the open inkbottle, Edeleas shut the book gently and steepled his fingers together and looked at Kris again. The boy seemed very eager to start working as a Soldier. It was a refreshing change for once, to have an eager boy be enlisted - not those usual snotty nobles who complained and threatened him with their armies and some other whatnot. Edeleas was particularly hard on those kinds of boys because they were the prettiest once to see broken. Edeleas loved tearing down someone's pride.

The Dieb Cha rose silently and went to the huge closet somewhere to the left of his desk. This was where new uniforms were kept, to be handed in. Another look was enough to tell him what size would suit the boy, and he rummaged through the closet for a bit before straightening up with four black cloaks in his arms. He gave them to Kris. "This will be your clothes from now on. You shall only be allowed to wear civilian clothing outside the Tower premises, but even then as a Soldier that will be a rare thing. You will have more time to explore Tar Valon as a Dedicated, but you shall still wear these, unless there is a holiday declared. As an Asha'man it is required you wear these all the time while you are in the Towers. However when you choose to take a journey, you may wear whatever you want."

He went back to his chair and sat down. He pulled up a felt folder and opened it. The papers inside were filled with square diagrams and underneath the squares were names of boys and men. It was the plan for room arrangements. Edeleas ran down the list quickly. "Hmm. Maybe you shall have a room to yourself for now. I will give you a roommate when we have more incoming youths." He took a slip of parchment and wrote down the directions for Kris. "This will be your new home." He said and handed the paper over to the boy.

"You may go." Edeleas said. "I shall send you a note informing you of your family and training. Class schedules are posted in the boards you have undoubtedly seen while Rialt was walking you here. I expect nothing but the best from my boys, Kris, and I also expect you to show your superiors the deference and respect they deserve."

And finally as an afterthought, "Welcome to the Black Tower, Soldier."