Ver Shaet saw life as a constant battle between "us" and "them". He adopted this view early in his life after he got stuck on the streets of Samerlion, an enormous city far away from Faer Zavelin, as an unwanted bastard child of a local minister. In those times, "us" were gangs recruiting orphans and lost causes such as him for thievery and "them" were the rich nobles disgusted by their very existence.

Ver Shaet had first robbed his father, then poisoned him. The last time he checked, his father was still alive but the poison took away his sight and voice. But that was years ago. Eventually, Ver Shaet got a bounty on his own head and had to leave Samerlion. That's how he ended up as an overseer in the Adronatium mine where "us" were the overseers and "them" were the slaves, especially the smelly beasts calling themselves Lynxarians.

But that didn't last as well for Ver Shaet. The mine exploded and he watched Faer Zavelin being consumed by darkness. Very soon he knew. He knew he must join the darkness to survive. It was not an easy thing to do though. There was no negotiating with the dark walkers, they wanted him very much dead. And so, he moved through the day and hid in the night until eventually, he reached the black figure in the night sky that he saw that day the mine collapsed. It was him, the master. That night, Ver Shaet let the dark walkers surround him knowing that death has never been so close to him. Then he started to negotiate, arguing that he wants to serve HIM, that he knows the land, the people, and their weaknesses.

After a few terrible quiet moments, darkness descended upon him, inspecting every inch inside him violently. When the pressure receded, Ver Shaet felt stronger than ever before. He was new and yet, he got to keep his mind. Finally, he heard a thunder forming words in his head: Prove yourself to me, human, and you'll be rewarded by living. Fail me, and I will paint the night with your blood, I will consume your mind and I will eat it slowly through the eons for you to suffer! But there was no fear in Ver Shaet after this, only satisfaction that his world was again in order and he was on the right side once again.

***

Ver Shaet was summoned to the monastery of the Glorious Atnos on the northern coast of Faer Zavelin. He got the command to go there mere minutes after he had dealt with Hewin in the tower. Ver Shaet assured his master he will leave Dan Kat immediately after sunset. He saw his mental message travel through the line of black smoke to the dark cloud above the tower. Speaking through clouds, marvelous, the former overseer thought.

He slowly flew through the night toward the monastery. It was easy to find the right direction as the monastery was veiled by clouds so dark that the night sky seemed bright as the day in comparison.

After hours of smooth hovering above the ground, he reached the steps of the majestic monastery built in the name of the god Atnos.

He entered and to his surprise, the large glass windows were not covered and the early morning sunlight was starting to peek in. He felt it sting as if the sun was trying to melt him away. Near the altar, a crowd of dark overseers, as Ver Shaet named them, stood in silence. They had their own black lines coming out of their necks rising somewhere above. They must have suffered too, Ver Shaet concluded as he saw small puffs of darkness being consumed by sunlight. He crouched behind a stone column to avoid it.

Don't hide from it, living one! a voice of his master roared in his mind. Then a giant shadow lept from the high ceiling and landed right before him. We need to stand tall and spit into the face of Light even if it hurts us. We do not bow to him. Remember that, living one! Then a long limb emerged from the giant shadow and urged him to leave his cover behind the column. Ver Shaet obeyed but it was torture and he wanted to scratch his pitch black eyes out as the light aggravated them.

Then one of the dark overseers turned from the altar and walked down towards Ver Shaet and their master. This one inhabited a body of a tall woman. There was a tinge of green in her black eyes and her body was covered by blisters and rot. She was missing flesh on her side and shadow leaked from inside. Her long black hair hovered as if she was underwater.

"This is all wrong", she spoke in a raspy voice. "I can endure the sunlight, I held my tongue when we started to inhabit dead bodies, but how can one stand tall to mock the Light and tolerate a living body among us at the same time?"

The shadow towering over them turned to her. It began to thicken until it formed into the shape of a human-like figure with spindly long legs and arms.

"You wish to defy me? You are of me! I can consume you whenever I want to, and yet you uttered those words?" Ver Shaet's master spoke in a terrible voice echoing in all the corners of the large hall.

The woman cocked her head: "You cannot consume me anymore. Bringing the living one here has finished my separation. I am a new one now. While you merely spread, I will kill." After she spoke, her cloud descended down and enveloped her as a menacing gown.

"I see. But I can still banish you from my domain!" The master exploded back into the giant shadow form and rammed into the woman.

She struggled for a moment, fighting shadow with shadow until finally, she said: "Farewell, my kin," and she flew towards the door.

My descendants can be very disappointing, the master sighed in Ver Shaet's mind. But I do have a reward for you for dealing with the Lynxarian. From now on, you will be my hand and counsel in here and yes, we will spread.

Ver Shaet smiled and all was right again.