Enter: Avonix

Darkness filled every corner, comforted only by silence-
The sound of metal gurgling against itself in the form of bars, enclosing the scene with a loud metallic snap, ensuring it to be a locked and controlled environment. There was only the stone floor; Cold with an unforgiving solidity against flesh. A silhouette rose from this floor from a kneel, surrounded by three walls of stone, a dungeon with men of alien sort stationed at each wall. Individually, they remained armed, eyes widened to a frantic, near crazed degree. Their movements twitched infrequently, even whilst they attempted to idle, their salvaged weapons limited to only cheap broadswords. From the look of their aged and cheap armor, battle-worn weakened, it was likely that these poor men were bandits, from where? One could not entirely be sure.

The man within the center of this cage shifted his head over in a single scanning sweep. The ebony hood he wore shrouded his face, leaving only a casting shadow before the black interior. He was entirely cloaked in loose apparel, aside from his darker-skinned hands, revealed only to reach for his back. A blade, hardly four feet in length sung it's metallic hymn as it left his sheath, positioned before him in a swordsman's stance, and firmly grasped with both palms.

Beads of sweat began to form upon the foreheads of those sharing his cage, gazing upon him intently, practically shaking at an ecstatic rate at this point. Their voices trembled as they attempted to speak, forcing out only incoherent sounds, lacking any sort of form to undergo comprehension. The fear was strong, reducing means of communication to a trembling moan, quivering at the very twinges of movement in the blade sway.

The anticipation only intensified, and bulbs of sweat began to pool upon the chin of one bandit in particular. The suspense was leaving him absolutely petrified, but his goal was clear. His left leg scooted, just an inch in the warrior's direction, earning no response. Yet another slide, scratched at the stone floor, warranted only a slight shift of the head... The hooded entity was on to their encroachment, however, even the slightest change in attention proved to be enough to invite a charge from another.

A chant of scratching boots hitting the hard ground came in fast from the other two directions, leaving him to be surrounded in a matter of moments. Yet, he didn't make the effort to move, in fact, he remained still, awaiting their approach.
"Fear is a weakness one can not afford to hold." stated the faceless wonder in the wake of the darkness.

A blade came for him from his front side, bringing him to bend his body backwards, allowing his arms to catch him in a bridge formation, barely tarnishing his cloak with a blade aimed to lick his abdomen. It's edge glided past his face, severely only several shreds of his clothing, and threads of his hair beneath the hood.
He bent his body back upright, hurling himself forward to cartwheel out of the immediate proximity.

He push up and off the ground propelled him into a flip, landing with some sloppiness considering the midst of alleged hostile intent. His arm flailed out, pivoting a full 180* degrees to launch...A dagger? From what looked to be his sleeve, a dagger fired out for the head of one of the bandit, dragging across his flesh with a spray of blood...  Only a scratch upon his face, and nothing more. The clang of metal and the thud of it's handle was all that could be heard after that, enough of a sign that the dagger had fallen somewhere outside this dungeon cell, he cared not.

One of the bandits appeared directly to his right from what seemed to be no where, had they managed to sneak up upon the faceless warrior? As the broadsword came down for his figure, their eyes widened at the scene that unfolded with disbelief. The  hilt was caught by what seemed to be, lightning fast reflexes... Or so it appeared.. A sudden jolt of speed left the attacker within the field of combat for this nameless fighter. "It is the curtain before the eyes; A curtain that blinds all from the truth."  Unable to utilize his blade, he gazed in horror for the countering fist that came across for his face. It's contact, sent ripples down his cheeks, popping out his eyes to a mild extent and bending the teeth. Even the crack of such bone against knuckles; All of the capability of one whom held magus strength compared to a normal human.

The restrained weapon was ripped from his grip, disarming the bandit as he stumbled backwards, leaving him open. The sound of sprinting footsteps closed in on his form, and brought his head to pivot slowly in their direction.
"A truth unbeknownst to the non-magus of this world, for a lack of understanding in power hierarchy. " His body leaned off to the side, evading one of their blade's with apparent ease. The blade came up, in an uppercut motion, in means of retaliation.

Such action parried his opponent's weapon without a moment's hesitation, sending their arm off the to side. The next incoming warrior attempted to thrust into a stabbing formation. Unlike the other attempt, it was undeniably heading directly for his stomach.

"A truth, that denies thou the right of victory." His blade nudged the 'lance', sending a spray of sparks in all directions as they clashed lazily. The point of such a blade penetrated, but not into flesh, not the lashing cloak that darted into the air like a cape of sorts, giving the illusion of impact for just a moment.
The faceless lecturer's blade crawled up the bandit's own, making it's way for the handle- It's tremble shown strength, a human's own, against a magus' own, and the losing end proved only obvious.

However, without the bend of the clash for one's favor, a fist came flying, for the bandit's face, dodged with the inward weave of his head, he retaliated with an upward slash of his blade, breaking the clash into a blitz of embers fading into the darkness. There was only darkness, aside from the bandit now, ensnared by it's sudden silence, kept captive within a dungeon cell with nothing not it's opaque emptiness and the voice of his oppression.

His head darted off to the left, to find no one... To the right? Nothing... Suddenly, everyone and everything was gone, taken by the void. "W-...Wh-...What is this?!" He shouted out, eventually coming the to the sight of the man clad in black, faceless as he was before, confirming himself to be the same lecturer by his taunting voice that toiled with his mind, an omnipresent chorus of vocals.

"This is what denies you victory...  This is the blockade in your path. Your lack of understanding for those far greater than yourself." In that moment, the bandit wasted no time charging for him, sword pulled back for a lunging stab to the chest of his still-standing target. "That is why... You will only be... Human at the feet of gods." The speech came to an official end!
A spray of blood  painted the wall behind the faceless entity, and a curl of the lips evolved into a grin upon the successful bandit.

"Heheh... You damned fool... You were doomed from the start!" He broke out with sudden joy, extremely happy at the turn of events. His blade skewered directly through the chest, where the heart should be; A direct hit! "If only I knew that you were full of it from the start, maybe I wouldn't have panicked so much before. The blade was shoved further into the abdomen, allowing more blood to trickle down the handle, a bloodthirsty smirk hardened on his face, crazed almost. "You magi aren't a threat, YOU AREN'T A DAMN COMPARED TO M-" A gasp for aid escaped the impaled entity, the hood on his form, falling back to reveal...

One of the other bandits within the cell?! It was a friend of his as well! "W-...Why... I thought we were... On the same side..." He croaked, a twinkle glimmering disrupted his friend's reflection within his irises. "No... You can't be.. This can't be!" With a blink, suddenly everything changed! He was no longer in a black cloak, but the cheap armor he salvaged in their journeys together, years ago.

"N-...No.. I-...I.." He couldn't find the words to say, he couldn't even bring himself to speak.

"Out of desperation, your allies turn on one another as an alternative for their freedom. Who you once thought as your friends are but merely shells, impostors of such a title. Soon enough, you shall be next..." Spoke the voice from prior, slowly calling the attention of the saddened bandit away from his dying friend for it's origin with unadulterated anger. He was already under the assumption that magic was what occurred, somehow... Someway... And the man in the black hooded cloak was the perpetrator.

"I'll... Kill you..." He growled, finally turning his eyes not to such an entity, but his other former comrade, staring in horror to the murder of his friend before his eyes by another he once considered a friend of his own, a comrade in the name of banditry. This, came off as an entirely different scenario, having seen only his ally stop to turn on his friend unexpectedly, managing to stab him, and finally turn with an unforeseen form of anger. Was he next in this unpredicted attack?

In that moment, his weapon was not turned for the magi behind him, but on his former comrade in rage of his own.
"Y-... You killed him.... YOU KILLED HIM!"
The unsuspecting bandit's attention snapped back to his enraged partner in fear, catching a hold of himself in a moment of confusion. "Wait, wait... You don't understand. It was the magi, I didn't do it, WAIT!...." The pleas carried on, however, the swings of the blade in the name of vengeance knew no mercy, spraying blood for every wall...

In time, only one remained...
The lone bandit had slain his traitorous comrade, and stood over his dying friend beside his fallen foe. "...You didn't deserve to go out like this..." He stated low to himself. "...A fight for freedom, should never force us apart...." His eyes began to water, and breathing hastened through his teeth. "Th-...That... That is why..."

He turned around, for the magi still shrouded in cloak and hood, armed with the blade of his bandit's now-dead friend. "I..."
He remained silent, suddenly falling to his knees at the sight of the hooded man, now approaching him. His face was easily perceivable from here. "N-..No way.." His head darted off to the side, finding that his friend's body was....Gone! Poofed, vanished into thin air.

With his eyes turning back to the man standing before him, wearing the face... Of his closest friend. "H-...How?" He asked, his blade falling down to his side.
He kept on his knees, looking up to the dead-risen ally that fought by his side for ages, wielding the cheap broadsword off to his side.

"Now that you kneel before the truth, the darkness of your ignorance finally departed, you've come to find yourself learning that you..." The sound of metal cutting through flesh, was all that could be heard throughout the cell, the splotch of blood against a solid wall left an ending painted for the scene.

<center>-Cut to darkness-</center>

"You and your mankind, know nothing of the truth. Blinded by the light, I will caress you with eternal darkness.."


"Rise...Avonix"
Arachnis' voice boomed through the dark halls, beckoning the rise from a kneel in his honor. The faceless crusader did not allow the shimmering light that proved to be his irises to be caught gazing upon his master, as an equal in any way, shape, or form.

"Yes, Master.." He responded dutifully, picking up his sword that pointed against the stone floor, and re-sheathing it.

"Your training is finally complete..." Arachnis started, pacing around his figure, "No longer allowing you capability of growth under my hand, but in the wake of your missions." Avonix grew stiff, staring off into the distance. "My apprentice... Much is to be done, and with your descent to darkness, you've truly become a warrior of the Darkness..."

Arachnis paced on by Avonix, heading for a nearby borrowed lite in the wall. His gaze extended  for the horizon outside the manor, setting his eyes on the desert far off, likely prepared to imply something in the great beyond.
"However, such has yet to be proven, considering the very nations and conflict that reigns constant."

Arachnis turned with flair in his cape, catching air for a brief moment as he approached his apprentice once more. "Your mission, is to head north. For Frostvale, let no one know of your identity, nor origin. Don't allow any, to see your face, to hear your voice, to know your presence..." He started to pace on by,"You are to be one with the night, one with darkness... And let not a soul know of your existence."

"Learn of their military, The Nivis; Their plans, their movements, their politics- When such is realized, make your way for their dungeons, and release the prisoners there. Disrupt the way of life, and leave them crippled... Leave no witnesses to your action." With that, Arachnis was gone, leaving Avonix standing silently in the dark hall, a secret section of the manor dedicated to Arache Forces.

"...Understood, Master..."

And thus, began the tale of Avonix, Arachnis' secret apprentice.