A shadow high in the sky began to descend upon the monastery. It soon grew, to titanic proportions. A dragon in all its grace and splendor, scales shimmering silver in the daylight as it came to roost before the great doors and finding them open, the rider slid off the beasts back and bidded it find a place to rest. Silas Grey rearranged his cowl and cloak before stepping through the open doors, and coming face-to-face with something he had dreaded meeting. Visions of the future began to align in his blind eye while his seeing eye raked across the being before him. Astos the Deceiver, Shadow Lord and servant of the Darkness. He held someone in his arms, and his face was creased with determination.
"Astos, so you've arrived. I foresaw your arrival as a vanguard of things to come. I trust that you know what is about to happen."
Astos frowned and placed the person he was holding on the floor, who groaned a little as Astos stepped over him, "Silas, great Archon of the Light, I do not come in anger and I do not come to misdirect. My fellow Shadow Lords have cast me out for my trickery, and I intend to make them suffer for banishing me from my own home. I was hounded through the Far Veil and it is here I have come to pledge my allegiance. I am, what is the phrase, becoming a turncoat?"
Silas glared and said "We'll see about that, Astos. I won't fall for your tricks and I know your Silent Ones are close by watching. One wrong move, and I will flay you body and soul."
"I am not threatening anyone." and here he held his hands up and got on his knees "I lay myself at your mercy, Archon Grey."
Silas stared him down and said "For now, I accept your offer. But I am watching you. When you betray us, I will not hesitate to destroy you." and here Silas held out a silver bell with a black handle and rang a single peal on it. It was sonorous and its ring echoed with a kind of sleepiness edged with fugue. A call of everlasting sleep and of the reverie of dreams, but as it echoed it gained a sinister edge and nightmares began to coil in its sound. Astos flinched, pained by the sound and everyone near felt sleep begin to weight at their eyes but as the sound died the sleepiness lifted and Silas put the bell away. "Maestra the Black Sleep will sing you into oblivion when you betray us, Astos. It will sing you the lullaby that will become your dirge. If you walk away once this is over, I will let you leave. But my eye is on you."
Here Silas turned away and called out for the monks to lead him to O Father, for he much wished to speak to him again.