Years of the Covenant: Part 6

"Concentrate!" Darrien whispered.

Vannolyn stood at the center of the circle. A ring of ten stones made up this training ground a small meditation stone in the center. There Vannnolyn sat, a training sword in hand and fully blindfolded.

He had been training for under command of Darrien Hoss for nearly six months. They were atop a small rise amidst an expanse of dark rolling hills near Nightcrawler Chasm.

"Yes, Master Hoss." Vannolyn answered him.

Darrien Hoss walked about the circle of stones, taking light, soundless steps. This wasn't their first time at this training ground. Vannolyn had become very skilled in combat, faster than most students had ever done under Darrien's instruction. His skills in riding animal mounts had flourished with such ease. It was time that he learned the different forms of shadow magic. Darrien was to teach him the art of becoming one with the darkness.

"Use the darkness to find me." Darrien continued. "Let the shadows become your eyes. A Nightshader is always aware of everything around, even things he cannot see in plain sight."

Vannolyn lunged and struck out towards one of the stones in front of him. The wooden sword met nothing but the air in front of him.

"You still depend too much on your own instincts. Let them be the net that catches when all else fails. Release yourself to the encompassing darkness.

Suddenly Vannolyn felt a hard blow to his mid-back. Darrien had caught him completely off gaurd. Vannolyn centered himself once more, taking up stance in the middle of the circle.

"Concentrate! You must concentrate!" Darrien said again.

Vannolyn focused, trying to pinpoint the ninja within the darkness. Still, he concentrated more. Suddenly, without his knowledge, a dark haze formed over the training ground and everything was as dark as night, and Vannolyn had disappeared from where he stood.

"Very good." Darrien started. "When you become with the darkness-"

"Everything is as clear as day." Vannolyn finished, suddenly behind Darrien with the wooden sword against his neck. The darkness dissipated, and everything returned to how it was.

"Well done." Darrien said. Vannolyn removed his blindfold and shook his hand.

"Thank you Master." Vannolyn bowed his head in respect.

"So what do you say to a game of chess when we get back to Nightwatch?" Darrien offered.

"Now master, do you really want me to crush you again?" Vannolyn said with a slight smirk on his face.

"We'll see." Darrien replied, and together they laughed as they made their way over to their horse mounts.

They galloped along the hills, a cool breeze hitting their faces. Vannolyn was finally growing accustomed to the gloom of the murky skies on the Shadow Plane. The everlasting darkness didn't wear on him as it once did.

Everything of what he once was was beginning to dissipate. Sometimes he wondered if he would ever have his old life back, or more so see his brothers. It was all a memory now, a dream that was long gone.

They were nearing the sentry station when suddenly an explosion of fire tore out the earth in front of them. Darrien and Vannolyn pulled their horses in opposite direction avoiding the inferno.

Vannolyn looked overhead long enough to see a giant bat. Atop its back was a rider holding his hands high, holding glowing orange orbs. The rider swung his mount to the right, and let fly one of his orbs which flared to life with burning flames; it was a sorcerer.

The fire ball exploded only feet away from Vannolyn's mount, knocking his horse off balance for a moment. Darrien pulled free his bow and hot an arrow into the bat's exposed wing. The rider was thrown off balance, and send a fire ball sailing off in the direction of the sentry station.

The second missile exploded in flames just outside the main wall of the station. Everyone sprang to life, frantically scrambling to their positions of defense. The three ballistas were loaded and ready, waiting for the airborne enemy. Bolts launched free of the bastillas, zinging through the sky. But the rider was too fast, dodging and maneuvering his way around the projectiles. Immediately after the ballistas were loaded ready to go again.

Vannolyn reached the station first. He threw aside the reigns to his horse to a shadar-kai stable boy. His heart raced as he pushed his was through people, running up the stairs to reach the ballistas.

Archers were now brought up to the parapets at the wall. Waves of arrows were sent flying at the flying beast. The rider dodged his way around, banking up vertically to avoid the shower of arrows. As he came back around fire balls were sent flying into the station. Stone exploded in flame and smoke as walls were torn into the wall.

Vannolyn kicked the door open to the catwalk along the rim of the wall. The first two ballistas launched their pikes. Instinctively Vannolyn burst into a sprint, vaulted through the air, and landed on the bolt.

"Fire!" He yelled to the person manning the ballista.

The string of the ballista went taught and Vannolyn, along with the bolt, soared through the air towards the bat rider. Half a moment later he jumped, mid-air, and slammed into to the rider. He swung at the man, blow after blow in his face. But he was not weak himself, for he dealt a few striking blows of his own.

Below them near the Nightshaders on the ground, undead creatures burst forth from the earth beneath their feet. They abandoned their bows for swords and axes. The battle raged on as Darrien led the Nightshaders against the onlsaught of the walking dead.

Vannolyn fought on relentlessly. The man was pale and wrangy his dark weathered clothes smelled of decay. On his chest he wore the crest of a malevolent sader's head. He had heard of these people, he had never encountered them. Darrien told him about these occultist. They called themselves the Votaries of Vecna, followers of a demon deity that drew its strength from enslaved undead.

Suddenly a bolt slammed into the bat's body. It screeched in fury as it plummeted to the ground, taking Vannolyn and the votary with it. The body of the bat slammed into the ground and sent the two combatannts sprawling across the ground.

Vannolyn wiped the dirt from his face, pulling free his broadsword immediately. He kicked over the body of the rider, and lifted him up by his collar.

"You dirty necromancer!" Vannolyn spat in his face. "Did you really think you could come into our territory and live?!"

"One day we will cleanse this land of you pathetic Nightshaders. Vecna will have rule over all of this darkened land!" The pale man proclaimed.

"You won't be alive to see it." Vannolyn sneered at the rider. He lifted his sword and swung, severing his head in one sweep. Blood spilled from the neck, drenching the ground at his feet. His sword dripped with blood as he looked about as the undead fell where they stood. They were powerless with the sorcerer dead.

"Good job Ildess!" Darrien shouted as he rode up on his horse. "Using the ballista to launch yourself towards the bat rider ... clever."

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Vannolyn replied. They both laughed at the humor of all that had just transpired. Darrien gave Vannolyn a lift up onto his horse.

Together they rode off to the edge of Nightcrawler Chasm. It had been a long day with a wild ending, but nothing new to the life of a Nightshader. All Vannolyn could do was smile ... for he anticipated the game of chess that was well earned.