Some time had passed since Monk had joined the Dark guild, and so far he had yet to do any tasks that required him to kill steal or murder. All the things that the old Avrion and Alure kingdom had told them when they were growing up as students.

  All the horrible deeds they would do, he had one none of it. Since joining, Monk hadn't met up with Morfran once and instead was put under the charge of a man named Stinkstun. They were a group who would regularly travel between all of the hidden Dark guild bases within the other kingdoms.

  Acting as escorts for Beast crystals and items. Supplies for the Dark Guild. Often on the road, they would be attacked by wild beasts or bandits, and it was their job to protect the goods. From time to time, when resting in a place, they would complete quests for extra gold.

  The Dark guild basis they were always a sweet looking town, and certain inns that were under the control of the Dark Guild, and while being with them, Monks started to learn certain signs one would have to look for. The marking of the eye underneath a rug, or sometimes in the toilet walls, hidden behind other markings.

  They weren't obvious, but when knowing what to look for they were. At the moment, Monk was having a drink with Stinkstun in one of the taverns. Although Monk wasn't a drinker, he still felt like he was too young and his body too small, so he ordered his usual, a glass of milk.

  "Drinking that won't make you any taller, you know," Stinkstun said.

  "I'm not trying to," Monk replied, taking a good swig of the milk before hammering the glass down on the countertop. "I just don't like the taste of alcohol."

  "Ay, and neither do I."

  "Then why drink it?"

  "Because it's the best problem solver in all of Bronzeland. It makes me forget what we do, who we work for. I'm no fool. Even though the tasks we do now seem little and small. We are helping those above us, and at the end of the day, the Dark guild works for the Shadow."

  This was the first time Monk had heard someone speak badly of the Dark guild which was a surprise, but more than the Dark guild itself, it was who they worked for.

  "You're skilled Monk, you have protected us, and we would have lost far more men without you. Any kingdom would be lucky to have you in their army, so I hate to think how someone as young as you ended up here. While you still don't have blood on your hands, I would get out while you can."

  Just then, the Tavern doors opened, and in came running one of the Dark guild members, on his face the look of panic. He ran straight over to Stinkstun and whispered in his ears.

  "Everyone, a member of the shadow guard has arrived, be respectful at all times!" Stunkstun shouted. The way they were acting, it was a bigger deal then if the Guild leader himself had arrived.

  Shortly after, a man in a full set of Black armour had come walking through those doors, on his head a ferocious helmet that looked like it had been made from a dragon. Over his right arm, a gauntlet with gems shining, then finally around his waist a strange sword, which also contained the marking of the eye.

  Everyone immediately bowed down as the member of the shadow guard entered the room. The energy and power could be felt seeping off him, but more so then the person themselves. It felt like it was coming from the gauntlet around his arm.

  The Shadow guard walked forward, ignoring everyone and went right to the back where the counter was. "Another glass of milk for myself." The man said.

  Lifting his head slightly, that's when Monk noticed something. On his waist the sword, it was something he had seen before, and the voice was recognisable.

  "I've been looking for you, care to have a drink with an old friend." As he said these words, he took the helmet off.

  "Gary!" Monk said.

  Gary ordered the rest of the men to continue their business but also to not get in-between to old friends speaking who hadn't seen each other in a while. When Monk had fallen in the cliff and was spared by the strange-looking creature and man, it was during the time that Gary had been taken over by whatever possessed the Dragon hammer, which was the Dragon gauntlet now.

  So he was unaware of what position Gary currently held in the Shadow's army. A brief introduction of how they both came to be where they were to be was said and then soon after a serious look appeared on Gary's face.

  "I will cut to the chase. When I heard that you had joined the Dark guild I had come here personally to ask you something. I want you to come with me, and become the leader of my Shadow battalion. An Army I control in the shadow continent." Gary asked.

  "What! But Gary, I'm with the Dark Guild now, I can't just leave."

  "You fool," Gary replied. "The dark guild is under me now. When I was appointed Shadow guard by the Shadow, I was given the dark guild since they are under human control. Me and Morfran are seen as equals, if I want you, then I can simply take you."

  Monk didn't really know what to say, his feelings were conflicted as he was meeting an old friend. What was even worse, was that Gary felt like he was completely sane. It didn't feel like someone who was infected by the Shadow.

  "Avrion, they are sending an army to my fortress as we speak. I felt like you were important in helping my goal, so I ignored it and came here."

  "The knights of Avrion, they are strong, do you think you can beat them?" Monk asked.

  "We," Gary said sternly, adamant that Monk would join him. "Yes, because I have this." Lifting up his gauntlet Monk could sense the power, and slowly something was seeping into his mind. An energy he never felt before.

  Just seeing the item in front of him, he knew it contained such great power that Avrion stood no chance. Allowing them to have a quick death was doing them a favour. But he kept flickering, images of those at Avrion would appear, and he didn't know what he was thinking right now.

  'Martha.' Monk thought.

  "You will have to fight Ray," Monk said. "You know as well as I do that he will have gotten a lot stronger in this time. He protected Avrion from the Shadow attack before, why can't he do it again?"

  "This is not the only power we have," Gary said. "The Shadow has given me a gift, a secret weapon that will deal with Ray. Honestly, if we can, I don't plan to kill Ray. I wish to capture him alive, it would be great if he could come over to our side, see what you and me see, but I doubt that very much."

  "If Ray refuses to join?"

  "Then, I will have no choice but to kill him."

  Looking at the gauntlet once again, with the energy emitting from it, Monk certainly believed him. The longer he stared at the object, the more he thought it was hopeless to try to fight back and before he knew it, he said.

  "I'll join you."

  A smile appeared on Gary's face, after resting the night they went to the border to travel by ship. With him, Gary had a small army of his own. It was hard to tell if they were human or beasts, and there were some true infected on board, but they would all listen to Gary's command.

  "It's strange that you were once a squire who trained to fight against the shadow, and now they follow your every order," Monk said.

  "Not just my order, but they will follow yours as well. Both of us now hold a high position in the Shadow's army. Believe me it's not so strange. Even Ray, who was a squire alongside us has become a king."

  "A king!" Monk said surprised. It seems like there was a lot for him to learn about what had happened during his time at the Dark guild.

  After travelling by ship for a few days, they had eventually reached the side of the Shadow continent. It was covered in a thick snow which Monk was not expecting, and now they needed to march and travel onward to the fortress to prepare for the Great War.

  Finally, they had arrived at the large vast dark castle. Looking at it, Monk just started to wonder, what secret weapon did the Shadow give Gary to fight back against Ray.

  *****

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