Years of the Covenant: Part 5

Darkness filled his vision, and pain wracked his body. Bandages and salves covered his wounds, and his body had been cleaned of dirt and blood. As he came back to reality he could feel the cold stone floor beneath his body. Vannolyn rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and his vision cleared. He was in a small cell guarded by a dark sentry, cloaked and hooded. It turned to look at him with those glowing blue eyes beneath its black shroud and then left its post.

The holding room was filled with several cells; all were empty but his. Small torches with black flames hung lit from the walls giving the room an eerie cast. Vannolyn had no recolection of where he was. The last thing he remembered was a fuzzy image of the stone demon and three dark shadows. Moments later came the slam of a wooden door closing and light footsteps coming towards him.

"So you finally wake." Came the voice as it neared the cell. Then Vannolyn recognized it at once, it was the dark assassin that tried to kill him back in the forest.

"Where the hell am I?!" He shouted at the ninja.

"That's not important. The question you should be asking yourself is why you are alive." The ninja sneered back at him. Vannolyn remained silent for the moment.

"My name is Darrien Hoss, I'm the right hand of Siliuos Roh, and I've been a part of the Nightshade Covenant for seven years." The ninja introduced himself. "And what name do you go by young drow?"

"Vannolyn ..." he replied, "Vannolyn Ildess."

"Well young Ildess, I'm sure you've had plenty of rest." Darrien snapped his fingers and the dark sentry returned. "So pick yourself up, my master will see you now."

The sentry unlocked the cell and Vannolyn was released. He picked up his pack and together the drow and ninja walked through the corridors of the dimly lit outpost of Nightwatch.

It had been created as one of many of the Covenant's outposts. Nightcrawler Chasm was created when a large quake shook the Shadow Plane, and a ground fault was the final result. All creatures on the Shadow Plane would've layed claim quickly. However, the Covenant were known for their stealthy and decisive action.

The outpost itself consisted of a few holding cells, stables, barracks, a common room, a few corridors, and three chambers belonging to the highest ranking officials.

Vannolyn had no idea where he was. He was in a world consumed by darkness and shadows, a place of no light. He had to find out where he was if he was to ever get back to where he was before.

As they reached the end of the main corridor they came to a pair of large darkwood doors. Darrien stepped forward and wrapped twice on the door.

"Come." said a voice on the other side.

Darrien pressed the door wide open. Vannolyn himself looking at a very large chamber with black fire torches illuminating the entire room and an ebony fire burning in the hearth. A small, slight man stood with his back turned to Vannolyn and Darrien. He had no hair, and his skin looked like it had been weathered by age. Heavy black robes covered his body except for the pipe in his right hand.

"So you're the one who survived Nightcrawler Chasm ..." Silious Roh said without even turning to face them.

Vannolyn stood there for several moments in silence. He didn't know what to say to this man. As he turned about Vannolyn saw at once. He was human, an elder by the looks of him. He was bald and wore a pair of spectacles. A pendant hung around his neck, bearing the symbol of a black hand concealing the light of a sun.

Silious took another puff off his pipe and set it down on a table and took a seat. He motioned for them to sit down so Darrien and Vannolyn joined him.

"Tell me your name boy." Silious said.

"Vannolyn Ildess." he replied.

"So young drow, do you know why you're hear?" he said taking another puff off of his pipe.

"Sir ... I don't even know where I am or how far Bronzeheld is from here." Vannolyn replied. Darrien and Silious looked at each other with smiles and laughed. Vannolyn didn't know what to thing of this.

"Bronzeheld is much further away than you might think!" Darrien chuckled, pouring them each a glass of ale.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand." Vannolyn said in confusion.

"Ildess, your not even on the Material Plane anymore." Silious explained. "You're on the Shadow Plane." Vannolyn's jaw dropped, not able to swallow everything he was hearing.

"And Harkal?" Vannolyn asked, already knowing the answer.

"The Harkals have been disposed of." Darrien answered him, taking a swig of his ale. "The noble family owned a parcel of land where we discovered there was a portal to the Shadow Plane. Most of my men disposed of the family as they slept, while myself and the others delt with Felch Harkal. Unfortunately for us neither Harkal or his family had the deed on them ... and then you came along."

"So why am I still here, still alive?" Vannolyn asked the inevitable question.

"Ildess, you slew two of my men with such grace and determination. Your natural skills far surpass those of our mid-ranking men. I was surprised to learn you were not a member of the Covenant as is."

"So you kept me alive so I would join your ranks?" Vannolyn asked, clarifying what the ninja was saying.

"Young drow, It was either die or join us. And give your skills, we saw it pointless to have you die needlessly." Darrien explained. "Surviving Nightcrawler Chasm is a major feet for any Covenant member. You survived the dangers with no training and pure instinct-"

"And in doing so you passed your initiation into the Nightshade Covenant. You are now one of us." Silious explained, taking another long drag off of his pipe. "So from here forward you'll be under the command of Darrien."

Darrien took a long swig of his ale. "I will conduct your training here on Shadow Plane, but when you are ready you will take over the Harkal estates as your own and work as one of our sentinels on the Material Plane to protect the portal."

Vannolyn was dumb founded. These men were talking about a future that he was not ready for, but he did not question them. For these men were still held the fate of his life. There were offering a life of stability in exchange for his cooperation and service; a better deal than he could of hoped for. He did not want to encounter the dangers of Nightcrawler Chasm again. The encounters with the umberhulk and basalisk were more than enough.

"I understand." Vannolyn said, not really grasping onto everything that's happened.

"And just one thing more." Silious added, "What did you encounter at the bottom of the chasm?"

Vannolyn pulled out his pack and removed the two umberhuld pincers and the teeth he had severed from the basalisk. Silious smiled and chuckled to himself. "Impressive." He turned to Darrien, "You were right, he does have great potential." Darrien nodded in agreement.

"So then we have come to an accord." Silious conluded, and stood up to shake his hand. "Welcome to the Covenant, Vannolyn Ildess."

Darrien and Vannolyn stood up. "Thank you Master Roh." He took the other's hand in his own.

Together Darrien and Vannolyn left the chamber and Silious to their business. Darrien closed the door, and walking side by side he turned Vannolyn.

He whispered, "Well done young Ildess ... well done."