Amontep was blessed with the Dark powers granted by his contract with Bane, intermediated by Akasha. He learned how to control the darkness even at the day light, and also how to increase it's duration. But he wanted more. He manage his way to extend it's effect, trying to turn it capable to block the sun light from a large area.

And so Amontep expended most of his time in Tarkuul's library, studying ancient powers. But once more he would require aid to perform the ritual. Valkin's name appeared in his head. However Amontep knew that requesting such favor would cost him something.

High Magistari Valkin...*deep breath*... I need your knowledge to archive my goal. The dark power is growing inside me. The darkness is consuming my soul. And I know the ritual to liberate it. However, I don't have enough lore to perform it. What I'm requesting is your aid to perform the ritual.

I need you to write the proper ritual... on my arm. *sadistic smile* The ritual will allow me to release the darkness that lays inside me.

Valkin sitting in his high-back chair nods to Amontep, an closes a tome he is reading on palemastery.

Valkin nods and takes out his tome of assorted knowledge turning to a section on demonic rituals, then takes the tome if offered and transcribes its writings into his personal tome, making notes as he goes. Slowly Valkin takes information from both sources putting it together on a separate piece of parchment outlining the ritual an its workings.

The days were passing since then. Amontep couldn't do anything beside waiting his studies. Also, he would have to trust Valkin’s knowledge. At first, Amon grew impatient with the delay.

Time… *deep breath*...something created to force you to obey the natural process of life.

He spent the rest of the days doing what he was commanded to do and serving His will. Even the time he used to spend with Ebony was reducing each day. He became obsessed with the possibility to release the darkness that lays inside him.

Amontep glances at the trees around Caraigh's mill and places a hand on the hilt of his sword. It was a humid night in the forest and Amon decided to walk around avoiding the druids at the day light.

Are you afraid of me ?*A voice says again.*

Who are you ? Come out so I can see you... *deep breath, unsheathing his sword.*

Amontep started to cast his enchants. Not even with the True Seeing he could spot where the source of the voice was.

I can feel your anger, your fear and desire. I can even smell the sweet perfume from your lovely Ebony. *A sinister laugh reached his ear, in a way that reminded his own laugh.*

You better stay away from my finacee ! *He shouted toward the trees. But it only resulted in more laugh from the mysterious voice.*

Poor Naranbaatar... You shouldn't be a banite. You're weak.*The voice said the last sentence with a tired intonation. Amon stopped to breath for a moment. It has been a while since he heard it. That name brought him to this plane. It was the name he was born.*

Th...that's... impossible. Only my family knew my real name...And they're all dead.
That is correct, Naranbaatar. And you killed them ! Murderer !*The voice exploded in laugh once more.*

Liar ! Who are you ? Show me your face so I can rip it off !*Amontep charged toward the trees, slashing their limbs, forcing the leaves to fall down. More he hit the trees, more the mysterious voice laughed at him.*

Why... why are you doing this ? Who are you ? *Exasperated and tired, Amon felt on the ground breathing heavily inside the heavy plate.*

Hmm... what a shame ! Because I am proud of you. I am proud of what you became, Amontep.*He kept poisoning his mind.*

[color=#40BF00]No... It can't be. I can't remember... I can't... the smell of burning skin. No, NO!*Amontep tries to stand up, but he is too weak.* I didn't do that I...

The voice approached him more and more, then together, like a choir, they said at same time.

The light wind partially covered Amon with the fallen leaves. The dark night covered his body, avoiding the light reflected by the moon to guide his eyes out of the forest. The mysterious voice has gone. Amon could only heard the sound of wild animals far away and his own breath. Slowly he stood up. He took out his helm, touching the burned skin on his left eye. Engulfed by the darkness, Amontep tried to find his sword on the ground. When he finally reached it, he noticed, in a short distance, a dark figure wearing an armor and helm exactly he was using. He was wielding a sword surrounded by negative energy. The dark figure looked at him and released a deep breath before raising his sword on the air. Amon tried to avoid any further attack, but it was in vain. The dark figure slashed Amon's left forearm, hitting his heard with one blow. In shock, Amon felt on the ground, facing the dark figure. Surrounded by the deep darkness, the cold took the heat away from his body and the earth drank his blood...

Since the first day Amon talked to Valkin, looking for a way to release the darkness inside him, he's having nightmares.

Sometimes his nightmares are short and harmless. But others they seemed to be real and long, resulting in excessive sweat, fever, trembling and, the last stage, physical damage against himself. Amon cares too much for Ebony's life. Last time she had her fingers cut by an involuntary movement, wheres Amon though to be fighting someone. Even though, he wishes to continue with the process to release the darkness inside him. Then, he went to Tarkuul for another session with Valkin.

You must to write down these runes... *He extends him a piece of old papyrus*...however, it must be cut into the flesh and not simply written. You must endure the pain of flesh, an it must be done in complete darkness, fortunately such things are not a hindrance to us.

Valkin continues to outline the rituals specifics that he feel must be focused on, making sure that Amontep is well aware of the risks of channeling the darkness within.

And so Amon went to the dungeons to perform the ritual. He took all the necessary need to ensure he would have everything next to him before casting the darkness that he learned previously from his old Blackguard master. It was a painful process. He cut his flesh a lot of times, trying to create the exactly symbols Valkin had written to him. But once incapable to see in the darkness, Amon had to use a scroll of Restoration every time he committed a mistake trying to cut the right symbols on his flesh. Even trying to resist the pain, every mortal has his limit. And Amon almost reached his own on the process.

He carefully covered the cuts and ported back to his hideout on Wiltun. Wearing a hood and using a walk stick, Amon tried to avoid the people around and reached the room where he was with Ebony. Using light cloths, Amon laid down in bed and tried to rest to recover from the process, while Ebony was not here.

Amontep woke up in the middle of a misty and dense fog. He moved forward, stumbling on rocks and roots along the way, trying to spot something. Amon realized the fog around him was staining in red. More he moved forward, more it was changing. He could also feel the hart on his face. He was hearing his light cloths, same as he out before laying down in bed. Amon also noticed the cut on his arms were healed. Suddenly, he could hear whispers inside his head...

Who are you ? Get out of my head ! *Amon shouted at the red fog.*

Old memories... *The mysterious voice again.

Can't you remember of those ? Don't worry.... they can remember you, Naranbaatar... *evil chuckles*

Amon continued to move forward, trying to stop the voices inside his head by the simple gesture of covering his ears. But suddenly, the fog started to dissipate. Staring at him, a copy of himself. His darkness side was looking at him, holding his dark blade. Behind him, a house consumed by fire and half reduced to debris. Amon looked at it with sadness and fear.

Amon tried to move faster, but the roots outside the house were trying to hold him. The dark knight remained looking at him with a sadistic smile. Almost crawling, Amontep reached the door on fire. He tried the doorknob, but the heat burned the palm skin of his right hand. He shouted in pain, kneeling on the ground.

Do you think your pain is worse ? How about your family inside ? Oh.. Amontep, you're so selfish ! *evil chuckles*

Amon tried to open it once more, using his shoulder. Without resistance, he destroyed the door, laying down inside the house. He heat was intense. He could barely breath. Slowly, he stood up and looked around. In horror, he faced his beloved family, hanging by the neck, half consumed by the fire.

When Amon tried to move away from the fire, the Dark Knight was behind him, watching the scene all the time.

The dark Knight took a deep breath before to continue.
To control the great darkness you must to kill your weakness. Accept the fact you did that, Amontep... embrace the darkness for once at all. You have the symbols around your arms, but that means nothing if you do not embrace it. Unless.... *sadistic smile*... you want me to take control of you....

The Dark Knight raises his blade, cutting of Amon's head.

With a terrible gasp for air, Amontep woke up, placing both hands around his neck. At the touch of the hand, he instantly noticed the skin palm was partially burned.

*After enduring thirty slashes on his back and the punches on his face, Amon was carried unconscious by his beloved wife to a room at Guldorand's Inn. It has been a while since he stopped to have nightmares.

So, there you are. I've been waiting for you. I've been watching you, Narambaatar.

Still not able to see clearly, Amon tries so stand up, analyzing the area around him. Wearing the same dark pants from the moment he was slashed, Amon manages to touch his back feeling the marks of the chained whip on his skin. He also noticed the runes along his arm were glowing in red.

I... didn't expect for this. *Amon releases a deep breath, making it echoing all over the place. The dense fog around him was dissipating slowly, revealing a path covered in ashes*
Still dizzy, he goes through the path, feeling an odd heat under his feet.

Release us...

Let us take your revenge...

...kill that woman.

From different directions, whispers hits his head, making him to lose balance and to fall over on the ashes. He manages to avoid the eminent fall, but it was in vain. His face and torso touches the grey ashes. After touching the ashes, the skin of his chest, palms and face start to burn in fire. Shocked and screaming in pain, Amon tries to run forward, making the flames to enlarge, engulfing his entire body.

Feel our pain...

...absorb the heat... let us mold you...

...turn our back.

Suddenly, Amon tumbles over a stone and falls over a poll.

Your bath is ready, my love... *Amon hears Ebony's voice before dive in a poll of acid*
Amon tries to raise up from the acid, screaming from the content corroding his weak skin. He tries to find the edge, gasping in pain and swallowing the acid. His right hand tries to find something to pull him over, while his left one remains submerged trying to keep his head above the line of the acid. With eyes closed, Amon feels someone grabbing him and pulling him out of the poll.

Not yet, Aconitium. Stop bitching around. You still have some slashes to pay.*Says a woman*
The smell of burned and corroded skin could be barely sensed doing the damage to his sense of smell. But he could see it. At the very touch of his hand by the woman, he screamed in pain and the weak condition of his skin resulted in lost of injured tissue.

Look at you ! You looks like a Devout ! You're a mess, Aconitium... *says the woman again that he recognizes being Octavia*

...turn to the wall, Doom Knight. *An annoying noise of chain could be listen approaching him. He immediately recognizes as Yenian carrying a whip made of chains.*

He tried to stand up, breathing heavily and moaning in pain. The tissue of his pants melted to his skin, making the simple process of standing up a horrible and distressing pain. Without him notice, the heavy chains hit his back, making Amon to scream in pain with great intensity that he loses his voice, but avoiding to fall over the floor.

Two... *Yenian hits his back, removing part of the skin in the process, while Octavia remains watching him with a cold expression.*

Three... *Another hit opening a deep wound. Octavia cleans the drops of blood from her face and tests it between the pups of her fingers.*

Four... *Says the voice that seems to control the whip now* ...but only you have the power to free us.

Amon tries to say something, but he has no voice doing the stress he's suffering. However, the slashes stop, carrying away the pain with it. Still burned and disfigured, Amon touches his skin trying to feel something, but nothing could be sensed.

You're a creature with no pain, but fear and vile hate.

This is who you are now ! *After shouting, the creature managed to touch him, forcing Amon to wake up in pain.

After the recent issue regarding Ebony and her disappearance, Amon had a meeting with Yenian, Octavia and Vaster to talk about the issue. What happened inside that room, only four people know. After a few hours, Amon left the room in the company of Doom Knight Vaster.

I need a rest before we proceed, Doom Knight Vaster. *deep breath*

Then he left to a place he rent in Wiltun. He removed his armor and laid on bed, trying to regain his focus. His emotional feelings for Ebony and the baby were killing him inside, with all the weakness crashing his bones every time he faces Yenian. Amon wants so deeply to kill him that his anger is consuming his body. For a moment, he tries not to think about Ebony and the baby and manages to rest...

... And in the depth of his sleep, he dreamed...

Amon stands up, looking around the room he was. He touches his head feeling a headache and notices he's wearing a full plate. Amon also realizes he's back to the meeting room.

What do you want from me ? What I have done to you isn't enough ? *deep breath, shouting at her*

I can smell weakness on you... *she sniffs the air*...It's all over your skin, Narambaatar.

Before Amon says something back, she quickly moves toward him using a supernatural speed and hits him in the face. Amon turns to the side and when he glances back to her, Octavia starts to change her form. The shadow assumes now the form of Yenian. He eyes Amon under his dark helm and hands behind his back*

Amontep glares at him. All his hate comes from the depth of his soul. He closes his fist before saying.

This has nothing to do between my loyalty and the woman who will raise my child... the woman I love ! This is your fault, Yenian ! Your fault... all because of a damn bloody bucket of milk !*

Amon manages to hit Yenian's head with all his strength. He gets hit by Amon's fist, forcing his helm to pull out. And he continues to punch him, forcing Yenian to fall over the floor, punching him so hard that Yenian's head starts to disfigure, splattering blood and tissue around the room and Amon's face. A deep breath can be heard for a moment. Amon realizes Yeni's head is gone, but suddenly a voice comes from behind*

Are you finish, Doom Knight ? *In horror, he faces Yenian again, at the same position, with hands behind his back.* With this knife... *extends it to him*... you will prove Him your loyalty. Do not disappoint me.

Amon tries to articulate some works, but before a sound is produced between his lips, the knife is already in his hand. His eyes turns to the blade and he notices it's already covered in blood. He tries to say something, but in terror he notices his throat was cut. The blood runs from the wound , covering the floor and his armor. Quickly he tries to cover the wound, with both hands.

You have one day, Doom Knight, to find Ebony or I'll find her myself and rip off every single limb from her body, vanishing any trace of your being inside her. *Says the darkness now shifted into a metallic golem, recognized as one of Vaster's form by Amon. He raises his right hand to grab Vaster, but falls over the floor, hitting a small table in the process, spinning a small vessel with roses, falling over as well*

I can't sacrifice my wife and son... no. *chokes in his own blood and passes out*

Whisper... Release the darkness...Narambaatar.

In the deepest of the cave where the Idol of Bane stands staring in the darkness, Amontep walks slowly carrying on his shoulders the weight of the shame for being weak. The shame for letting his feelings for Ebony to overwhelm what he is, what he's been looking for. He was blind for too long, but at that day the weakness would be washed away, like the mud under the waterfall.

Behind Amontep, a few members of the clergy and the Imperceptor herself are following from a distance, showing their cold expression as usual.

Amontep removes his helm, facing the Idol before bowing his head. The same gesture is followed by the others. Lucian approaches Amon and places, next to him, a bucket with a yellow substance inside it. Amon kneels before the Idol with his head bowed and starts to pray:

*Amon takes a deep breath before he continues*

*Still not facing the Idol, Amon places both hands on the bucket in front of him before saying:*

Octavia nods after listening his words, but remains stoic all the time.

Before you, Doom Knight, the bucket of acid. Where Deadly Adept Lucian is, there is another bucket with a substance that will neutralize the effect of the first one... *glances at Draco after that*You will have to pour the acid on yourself, crawling through the ember until you get to the other bucket. If you dare to stand up and run for it, Higher Doom will smash both of your knees. Do you understand that, Doom Knight ?

Amontep nods slowly to her, without saying a word. Aided by Draco and Akamu, he starts to remove his armor while the devouts comes in carrying embers inside buckets. They spreads the ember on the ground, covering a reasonable distance between the buckets. The heat hits the cave's wall, increasing the temperature at that area.

Meanwhile, Yenian takes out a powerful maul and places it on the ground and eyes Amon for moment, expressing hate under his helm. After they're set for the event, Yenian motions them to bow their heads and starts to pray:

Amon closes his eyes and lifts the bucket with acid above him. Then, with one movement, he pours it on his head. Even not knowing about the compound or who selected it, it was clear to him, even for a brief moment, the acid was not that powerful as the one produced by Ebony. It took a few seconds for his skin to react to that. At first, a small itch. He then proceeds crawling through the ember moaning doing the heat.

And suddenly, he noticed the heat produced by the embers accelerates the reaction of the compound producing a burning sensation from his head to part of his torso's skin. Amon screams in pain almost lifting his body to run toward the other bucket but, for a fortuity moment, he remembered Yenian. Still avoiding to open his eyes completely, he continues to crawl forward. The smelling of burned skin exhales in the air. The skin of his head and torso quickly turns red, followed by the rest of his body, but he last part because of the embers, not doing the substance.

Screaming in pain, he continues to push forward, almost reaching the bucket... However, at some point, he was not sure anymore if he faded out or not.

___________

He saw himself at the Twilight Stage, looking at Ebony. The moon light touching her face, producing a dim effect on her scales while she was smiling at him.

- My love... *she smiles while saying these words*.

Suddenly, Amon feels a wave, burning his skin at the same time she said that word.

- What... what is this ? You... you cursed me ! *Amon shouts at her, holding his own armored arms trying to diminish the pain*

Once more, his skin reacts to those words, producing a white smoke from the small apertures in his armor. He kneels in pain.

- Stop it ! Your love is my weakness, my mortal wound, my fall... *deep breath, moaning in pain*.

For a moment, Ebony keeps looking at him. Then she explodes into a big laugh, with eyes brighting in green acid. Her green hair raises up in the air while she points a finger toward him, with her wings spread out making her large.

Amontep grates his teeth in anger and pain, still keeled before her and emanating a white smoke while he breaths.

- You're wrong... *deep breath*...because...*cough trying to endure the pain while standing up*... he's still with me... *Amon takes a deep breath before saying the following phrase*... and you, your bloody heretic, shall be punished for poisoning my mind !

After saying these words, Amon stands up moaning in pain and runs toward her. However, before he approaches her, Ebony opens his mouth, spitting acid toward his face and armor.

He didn't have time to protect himself, however he tries to turn his head, not suspending the charge. The acid hits his face, producing more pain and injuries.

- I saved it inside me for a looong time. Just for you, my... love ! *Ebony says sarcastically, not bothering herself with his approach*

Amon glares in pain, feeling his skin burning and falling apart. He turns his face to her and aims for her neck. He closes his hands around Ebony's neck, strangling her. Suddenly the sarcastic smile faints away and she tries to release the grab. Amon eyes her while he keeps squeezing her throat.

Ebony tries to supplicate for her own life through her expressions, showing the evident pain and the eminent fear of the death on her eyes.

-... no ! *She gasps releasing a "no" before closing her eyes*

Amon watches her dying on his hands. Then he moves her to under the small water fall where she hid the ring of Set. The water suddenly turns red after touching her scales.

Amon manages to keep standing, stepping away from her, but the injuries are too deep for him to endure and ignore them. He kneels again on the ground, facing the moon now covered in blood. His eyes closes for a moment and he droops to his right said, holding the symbol of Bane with his left hand. He breaths slowly and, after a few seconds, he releases the symbol of bane...

___________

The Imperceptor and the others look at Amon laying on the embers with his right hand grabbing the edge of the bucket, but releasing it after a few second. However it was enough to spill its content all over his head and eventually hitting part of his torso.

Noticing he is not awake, Octavia orders the others to pull him out of the embers, checking for vital signals.

... He's alive, Imperceptor. *Says Lucian*