The amount of willpower it took for Kenan not to fall asleep was great. It took an even greater amount to drink the foul, dung made, sewage filled flask. It tasted like someone had mixed together pig shit, rotten eggs and filled diapers. Then, for extra measure, somehow the liquid had the texture of sandpaper. Just to spite the person drinking it. Despite it’s horrid taste, Kenan did it. Then he tucked it away.

He was thankful the last training session had lasted as long as it did. Everyone else in the barracks was soundly asleep. Save for those having the night-watch. So it made what Kenan was going to do next much easier. Bringing the black blade to his lap was an incredible feat. All his muscles were used, and he was still under twice his weight. Sitting, crossing his legs. He turned his inner eye to the blade, and then plunged his conscience into it.

At first he was reintroduced to the black abyss. The first time he was intimidated, now, not so much. No longer, in this place, did he feel the strain of his physical body or the rigor of mana strain. This place was chilled, it felt nice. For a long time he stayed, and stared into the abyss.

A large dragon roar ripped him out his trance, he then sped to the little light. He soon found ground, and himself in front of a cage with a very angry looking Nattura. “You foolish child! Do you not know what you are doing! Never delay inside the abyss!” He roared, nearly knocking the kid off his feat.

Kenan wiped spittle off of his face. “Why? I see no harm in it.”

“NO HARM!!” Nattura roared. Before continuing he took a few deep breaths. Kenan could see steam flow out of the dragon's nose. “By the great, Multi-Headed Mother. I must remind myself you're merely a mortal child, that is severely uneducated. Sit.” Kenan obeyed. “Before I continue, I must say I am impressed. You have the spirit of a dragon. Not many can go under that amount of stress and not break, not even some of my kin.”

Kenan cocked his head. “You can see what I did?”

“Of course I can, you and I are bonded. Permanently. At least until you die. For now I share the same senses as you. Eventually when you grow more powerful, and you put more power into the sword, which in turn goes to me. I can talk to you more actively, without you having to come here. Also, the blade itself will get more powerful too. I have digressed. For you to understand why you were so foolish, I need to teach you the origins of your power. You comprehend the planes and how they intersect here, correct?”

“Yes.” Kenan affirmed

“Well, it would be foolish to assume that all the planes overlap perfectly all the time. That is in fact, how natural affinities are made. You and I are more made of a different plane than the combination of all the others.”

“What plane is it?”

“That’s… a complicated question to answer. Bear with me here. When a thing dies, the soul of it doesn’t actually reside in Sectio.” He saw Kenan’s look of confusion. “Sectio is the name of our realm. Anyway, it goes to a different plain. Some, who are faithful, go to the plain where their god remains. The faithless are sent to the soul plain. When a god judges them, some permanently disappear, others are reincarnated, most just stay there to float to insanity. Animal and monster souls are different, complicated in their own way. Natural necromancers are tuned with that soul plain. We are a little bit different. Between souls leaving this realm and traveling to a new one, they all stop at once place.

“It has been called many different names. Limbo, Bardo, Purgatory. You and I will know it as Nonesthic. In my tongue, it means “Not here nor there.” We are able to pluck souls that die near us from that plain. Then use their power for our own.

“This is the part where I call you a fool, and an idiot. You are a part of Nonesthic, like me, we are almost brothers. This has a few consequences. Nonesthic is not like any other of the plains, it and it’s entirety is living. Sometimes it feeds on the souls that cross it’s domain. In rare occurrences, a soul can free itself of that grasp. Then either go to their original destination, or they may choose to be reincarnated. You and I were souls that wiggled out of its clutches. See, all of those souls that managed to do so, bring a part of Nonesthic with them, making them naturally attuned. When we delve deep into our minds, we can find ourselves back on that plain. However, Nonesthic hates it when it’s prey is freed. So if it notices you, only if you linger long enough, it will stop at nothing to devour you. When you come here, you must cross Nonesthic. Do you understand now, boy? How much you could’ve foiled.”

Kenan stayed silent for a while, mulling over the words. “But it felt good there.”

“GOOD! Were you not filled with a primordial danger. Did you not want to leave as soon as you entered? Did you not cower underneath its unforgiving gaze?” The dragon roared.

“No, I felt at peace there. It felt as though I was back home.” Kenan said. He was no longer scared of the beast. He knew no matter how much it tried, it would not be able to escape its cage.

“What. Did. You. Just. Say?” Nattura got his face as close to the cage as possible.

“I felt at pea..”

“No! The second part!”

“I felt as though I was back home.”

The dragon gave a sigh of contempt. “I will dwell on those words. Just, for now, do not linger in the forsaken place.” He then laid down, with paw over paw and high chest. “Now I will teach you the concept of being a death eater. However, the only way for you to truly do it, is to kill.”