Chapter 24
"The Aes Sedai are organized into seven Ajahs, each with distinct purposes and philosophies and are governed by the Amyrlin Seat. So I would be considered a saidin and basically be hunted by red ajahs before I go mad. This should be interesting." Closing the book, Levi placed it back into the bag of holding, which is what he calls his bag now. He found it fun naming magical artifacts he had created. "I should probably go and visit the different parts of this world, maybe see just how powerful the saidar are since they hunt saidin regularly." It didn't sit well with him that a bunch of female mages, which is essentially what they were, hunted male mages, but then he remembered how witches were treated — something he despised as well. "Hmm, cause no matter where you go, one gender has to be oppressed," he sighed to himself as he was about to leave when he saw someone.
The figure emerged from the shadows, tall and imposing, its waxy pale skin gleaming faintly in the dim light. Long, black hair hung around its eyeless face, an unsettling visage that would have frozen most with fear — but not Levi. He was more annoyed than anything. "Right," he muttered under his breath, "I didn't put up the alarm spell after getting out of my cat form... should've remembered their enhanced senses." His eyes stayed locked on the creature as it stared back at him, a twisted, unreadable expression on its face.
"Unknown variable must be eliminated in order to ensure the Dark One's return," the creature rasped in a hollow, inhuman voice. Levi's muscles tensed as the figure lunged forward with terrifying speed — but Levi was faster. "Oh magic, exchange my position with my opponent," he chanted, his voice calm and focused. Mana surged through him, and in a blink, their positions swapped. The creature stumbled, disoriented by the sudden change, and Levi didn't waste the opportunity.
"Let's see how fast you really are," he whispered. "Oh magic, shape the air into spears of glass and pierce my enemy!" The air in front of him shimmered before condensing into jagged, translucent spears — thin, razor-sharp, and deadly fast. They launched forward with a shriek, cutting through the air toward the creature's torso. The figure twisted with unnatural agility, avoiding most of the projectiles, but two struck home — one slicing its side and the other burying itself in its thigh. Black blood oozed from the wounds.
The creature hissed in pain, then vanished into the shadows. Levi's eyes darted around the clearing, his instincts screaming danger. "Oh magic, raise a wall of stone and defend me!" he chanted, slamming a hand into the ground. The earth rumbled, and a thick wall of jagged rock erupted just as the creature reappeared, claws slashing toward him. The impact cracked the stone, but Levi was already moving.
He spun around the wall, eyes tracking the creature's movement. "Oh magic, shape fire into hounds and hunt my enemy!" Flames burst to life beside him, twisting and taking the form of snarling, wolf-like beasts. They shot forward, teeth snapping and bodies blazing. The creature leaped back, its incredible speed keeping it just ahead of the fiery jaws — but Levi had anticipated that.
"Oh magic, turn water to whips and bind my foe!" With a flick of his wrist, streams of water surged from the ground, forming long, sinuous whips that cracked toward the creature. It dodged the first, then the second — but the third coiled around its leg. Levi pulled hard, dragging the creature off its feet and into the waiting jaws of a firehound. The beast clamped down, flames searing flesh as the creature shrieked and kicked free, leaving smoking burns along its side.
The fight spilled into the village, villagers scattering but watching from a distance. The creature vanished again, only to reappear behind Levi, claws streaking toward his back. "Oh magic, shape lightning into a shield and repel my enemy!" Electricity crackled around him, forming a protective sphere just as the creature struck. The force of the impact shattered the shield — but the backlash sent the creature skidding backward, its body twitching from the shock.
Breathing hard, Levi watched the creature rise. It was injured but far from defeated. "Oh magic, shape ice into spears and rain them down!" Shards of glistening ice materialized in the air above them, descending in a deadly hail. The creature blurred, moving faster than the eye could follow — but not fast enough. One shard buried itself in its shoulder, another grazed its face, leaving a deep gash.
The creature snarled and vanished into the shadows again. Levi stood still, waiting. Listening. Then — the faintest shift of air behind him. "Oh magic, shape earth into spikes and impale my foe!" The ground erupted in jagged spires just as the creature emerged, impaling its leg. It screamed, yanking itself free — but it was slowing down.
Levi's eyes narrowed. It was time to end this. "Oh magic, shape wind into blades and slice my enemy apart!" The air whirled around him, forming dozens of razor-thin crescents. With a flick of his fingers, they shot forward. The creature dodged desperately, but the blades were too fast, too numerous. They cut deep, severing tendons and slashing through flesh. The creature fell to its knees, gasping in pain.
Levi stepped forward, voice low and final. "Oh magic, shape fire into a spear and end my enemy's life." A roaring column of flame condensed into a single, blazing spear in his hand. He hurled it without hesitation. The spear struck true, piercing the creature's chest and exploding in a burst of searing heat. The creature's body convulsed, then collapsed into ash.
Silence fell over the village. Levi stood there, breathing hard, his shield flickering back into place. The villagers stared, wide-eyed, as the last embers faded. Levi adjusted his bag, casting one last glance at the remains. "Guess I made an impression," he muttered, which was an understatement as everyone looked at him warily, whispering, "a saidin." "What is a saidin doing here?" another villager asked as they suddenly parted. Moiraine and Lan walked forward, coming face to face with Levi as Moiraine asked, "Who are you?" while Lan looked at the figure lying on the ground, dead. "An eyeless," he noted. Levi smiled. "I am Levi, a simple bard," he said, giving a little bow, but Moiraine continued to stare at him. Levi spoke again. "I am not, if that is what you are going to ask, by the way," he said as Moiraine replied.
"And you want me to believe that?" she asked as Levi shrugged. "I could not care less if you do or don't. Just don't attack me out of nowhere. It's not going to end well," he paused before looking at her, "for you, of course," he added, making Moiraine scoff a little. Lan finally looked toward Levi, who was glancing around before he spotted Egwene. "Ah, the river lady," he said in surprise as Egwene was also taken aback upon seeing him. "Do you know him?" Rand asked, frowning, but Egwene shook her head. "Well, either way, it looks like I am not welcome, so I'm just going to go," Levi said before he suddenly had an idea. He looked at the eyeless one, kneeling down and placing his hand on the creature as the villagers visibly winced while Moiraine and Lan frowned.