Read Dark Soul Silenced - Part Two for Free Online

repeating himself he stumbled to a stop.  Master Demotte smiled calmly then replied.
    “Yes, it could have killed you.  That was the point of the test.  To see how you would respond to something completely unexpected.  You’d be surprised how many fail that test the first time.  Many stay focused on protecting their pattern and don’t even consider the threat to themselves.  Or they do but still believe protecting the pattern is the most important thing.”
    “ And they die?  You let it kill them?”
    “ Of course not!  Ned, you should know me better than that by now.  Not only would I never allow someone to be seriously hurt in a test, you should know that I have more than enough strength to deal with something like that.”
    “ I’m sorry Master, but… I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that.  What was it?”
    “ Actually, you have.  Quite often.  But words can never prepare you for your first exposure to the Creeping Dark.  That is the purpose of the test.  A test which you passed with flying colours.  Your solution was novel too.  I will enjoy showing it to the other masters.  Any new technique in our arsenal is greatly appreciated.”
    “ The Creeping Dark?  I never imagined that it would be so… so… cunning I suppose.  Spiteful even.”
    Master Demotte’s expression became serious.  “Indeed.  Cunning and spiteful.  A good description, though there are many other words needed to fully describe it.  No one can fully appreciate how evil the Creeping Dark truly is until they have faced it.”
    “But… how can you have had it?  What were you doing with a part of such darkness?”
    “ A good question.  The answer is that sometimes we are able to capture sections of it.  We often talk about the Creeping Dark as if it is a single entity.  In fact it is better described as a collection of entities, each with the same aims and goals.  Many have debated whether the parts somehow communicate to create one controlling consciousness.  No one truly knows.
    The sections we manage to capture are stored, either for study or to test students with.  Very few students are able to destroy the darkness in their first encounter.  Congratulations.”
    “Very few… but you did, didn’t you master.”
    Master Demotte laughed deeply at that.  “Very astute Ned.  Though, to be fair, I did cheat.  I realised that my Master was throwing more and more powerful tests at me.  I decided to spy on those whose training was more advanced.  I saw many fail to deal with this test but one did succeed.  When my time came I used the same technique to quickly defeat the Creeping Dark.  I felt pretty smug I can tell you.  For about five seconds.  Then my Master laid into me.  He recognised the solution and realised I’d cheated.  I very nearly got thrown out of the order.  In the end they decided I could stay, but they made me do penance for a year.
    Enough about me though.  You passed the test which means you will soon be ready for the Transformation.  Meet me in the large hall tomorrow at one hour past breakfast.  It is time you saw a Transformation.  Then you will have to decide whether you want to undergo the same process.”
    Master Demotte turned and walked away.  Ned stared after him for a long time, body still trembling from the test and mind whirling with what he had learnt and the thought of watching a transformation.
     
     
    Ned paced nervously as he waited for Master Demotte to arrive.  He hadn’t slept much the night before.  Too many thoughts and worries chased each other through his mind.  Every student knew about the transformation.  In fact, just about everyone in the land did.  The Golden Order attracted apprentices from far and wide, all skilled to some degree in manipulating power — what ordinary folk called magic.  All were welcomed.  The apprentices were tested and trained, guided and encouraged.  Those that could only manipulate one power would