The Dark Covenant

THE DELEGATES MEETING: SEE THROUGH THE PAINTED EYES

As soon as he appeared in the middle of the room, the whirling dust cloud began smothering him, digging into his throat all the way to his lungs, triggering an intense cough. Drom covered his nose and mouth with his right hand, using his left to smack the dust out of vision and open a path for his eyes to see.

“Sir! What the hell happened here?” he asked, inching closer to the fireplace. The flames dancing inside the chamber died down moments ago, as Drom got closer to the rocking chair that was moribund a potent scent of fresh blood hit him. His senses kicked in and he noticed the setting of the room was unusual. As he drew even closer he finally noticed him.

He was leaning dangerously close to the fireplace, the smoke threading around the hearth surfed over his cold body, making it impossible to get a decent look at him. It was as he drew closer that he recognized what had transpired. The back of the chair was saturated in blood, and the smoke originated from the combusting blood dropping over the embers.

Drom staggered, he lost control of his body as soon as he saw the motionless eyes looking down into the flames collecting at his feet, the pulseless hands dangling over the armrests. His face froze, and a salty stream of tears rose over his lower eyelids, piling up at the edge of his eyes, preparing to make a drop-down his face. His whole body shut down in a moment, and when the familiar glow of a teleportation circle erupted behind him, he failed to perceive its existence.

Anato showed up, returning to inspect his work of art.

“I thought someone would come searching for him, I simply never had a notion it was the man I was searching for,” he continued, advancing towards Drom.

A dark dreadful flow of green fog emerged from Drom’s body, surrounding him. He turned towards him. Straining his face with an angry gaze he fired a refulgence glob of energy, illuminating the entire room green. Anato snapped his fingers and disappeared, poofing into a concentration of green smoke. He appeared behind Drom, gently darting his finger on Drom's neck, once in touch with his body they all dissolved similarly. A fraction of a second later they bulged out from the ceiling, but Anato was dragged back into the haze, only to pop back below Drom who remained dangle in the air, commencing his drop. Anato grabbed him by the collar and flung him hard across the room. Drom flopped and flipped like a rag doll crashing with the rough walls, exploding through the shanty and rolling severally across the ground.

On all fours, he crawled back up. Anato went out of the shanty, following a course of smoke on his shins as he stepped out of the hutch. Smirking at Drom, he pounded the earth below his boots and a portal broke out under Drom, swallowing him whole and spat him out many feet over Anato’s head, as he made his way down a hard punch deflated his insides and a brilliant shock wave detonated below Anato’s fist on impact, sending Drom soaring skyward. Anato snapped his fingers once again, conjuring up another vortex that engulfed Drom as he was climbing, Anato snapped his fingers and the vortex spat Drom downwards with enormous force. Drom was hauled down, falling with a resounding bang, bouncing off the earth.

“I can do this all night, but I’m saving the pleasure for later,” Anato remarked, folding his hands and stepping nearer Drom who was coughing up his misery. He sank his fingers deep into the earth and pulled his body towards Anato.

"It was all fun and games for you my King," Anato grabbed him and hit him, holding him by his hair. But something awful is on your way to your beloved capital tonight. If you don't listen to what I'm about to tell you, then there is no way you and your people are going to make it out alive you hear me!? Do you want to keep continuing like this or do you want to grow a brain and listen to me?!”

The king coughed, tried to raise his hands many times, but he couldn't.

"All right now, good lad... now listen. I want you to take this, pass it over to one of my associates, who has given him the same discussion with the dark bender. And both of you will obey our directions or in a matter of seconds, everybody in this city will drop dead!" he stated, handing over the sword and grimoire to him. His weakened hands could not reach them so Anato dropped them next to him on the ground.

"That's just your job. You only have to take it to your dark bender and he'll know what to do. And you may take as long as you like, you just have till morning and by then all hell would have broken loose. On the thirteenth page, make your blood oath over that page and you will do exactly what is revealed to you. Well, I would best leave it to you."

He let go of his head, it hit the ground once more with a thud, awakening an acute migraine. Drom fought in frantic gasps to breathe. He straightened his head again and looked at his victor. When Anato turned back and waved at him, he was far from him, "Oh, if you wonder, yeah! It is Shai magic. And I use it far better than you. Some other time we're going to catch up. Perhaps then I'll teach one or two things! Remember the name Drom, Anato Strider! And never forget that," he shouted, flicking his fingers into the bubble of smoke blown away by the pouring wind.

Drom sank his head to the ground, the tears changed course, and began to slip across his face, nearly reaching the ear, creating drips and dropping to the ground. He worried about how he would notify Daito about the loss of his father.

THE KING'S CASTLE IN ROYAL REPUBLIC

"So you say there's a method to breach the seal of the Covenant without murdering Drom,"

“Yes, but the former kings and Dark benders did not want to do it because they thought it was a sin, a sin against the elder brother gods!”

"I care about none of it! Tell me the ritual!"

Alvatrone came closer to Daito, leaning on his shoulder with his hand.

"You're sure of this Daito?"

“ What do you mean 'sure'? Obviously, that's what I've been seeking all my life! You must tell me about it, uncle, please! I vow that I'm not going to tell anybody! It will just be between you and me and Drom!" Daito said, his tone clogged with desperation. Alvatrone cleared his throat and withdrew his arm, leaving the bandage on the wrist, laying over his shoulder.

"Alright then, but before you make up your decision, think about it... You see, the dark bender book is the sacred grimoire, you know everything about it combined with the first dark bender. All the spells are written in the book by magic. Only the blood oath can open the pages and show the writings between the king and the dark bender. Of these characteristics, only one is the somber rite of purification. But there's also another spell to breach the seal,"

"If I breach the seal, then..."

“ If you break the seal, the covenant cycle is broken, which means you will lose your powers and the king will not have to die to renew the cycle.”

"If that is the cost of preserving his life, then it will be," remarked Daito with certainty in his decision.

"Okay then, if that is what you want, I can't object to my king. Your father left Drom with the grimace and blade of a dark bender, let me bring him to you to carry the spell."

"Many thanks, uncle!" Daito said. Daito said. For the weirdest of reasons, Daito seemed to trust Alvatrone, he saw him as his father, and what he said to him remained with him till today was meaningful. Alvatrone left Daito's room and proceeded to the castle exit. He went to the back exit and into the forest. Anato stood next to a tree, fumbling his dagger that he carried all over.

"Where's it?" Alvatrone stated, his tone was shifting.

“Shut up you old fart. I do my work pretty well, just stand outside the rear exit and he will be there, I slowed him down before he could make any irrational moves and run off without hearing the plan,"

"Good, give me my cloak now," replied Alvatrone, extending his hand. Anato gave him over his long black cloak and saw Alvatrone drape it over his shoulders and flipped the hood over his head. Anato giggled, “Who would've thought the mighty 5th head was the famous commander to the Independent States.

“Only you know of this if anyone else finds out you'll be dead before you know it.” Anato gagged. 

“You're one to make empty threats, anyways I'm out to check on Lady Melo and Dakario, they should be arriving with the Vurhanil king and his army by midnight.”

"What about Kanchi Asobi and Tyndale Ladzgery?" Asked Alvatrone.

"They have already arrived at the Old Temples in South Angus, they will arrive shortly, but not before the others"

He started heading back to the exit door, "Well, now go, let me finish this here." Moments thereafter Drom teleported into view, hobbling towards the doorway hugging a grimoire and dagger under his arms. Anato was dispersed. Next to the entryway, Alvatrone loomed over him.

“So glad you could make it back king, I am the 5th head, you may address me like that. I assume you met my subordinate who guided you, now let's leave, we have a business to look after."