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Post by Silver on Feb 20, 2020 22:43:16 GMT -6
Had they been here before? They didn’t think so, but it gave them that peculiar feeling like they wanted to remember something, but couldn’t. Silver frowned slightly, wondering if that odd feeling was really just the magic swirling around. Magic and memories had that same wistful feeling that was hard to shake. Were they really going to do this? They were committed enough to get this far, but the ominous stairs standing in front of them seemed insurmountable. The odd decorations and carvings made them deeply uncomfortable… or was that the hints of magic and reminiscence again? They tried to distract themselves by looking around at the carvings on the wall. It didn’t work. The weird figures and depiction of sacrifice made them even more uncomfortable. Like so many things in their life, the carvings were just vague enough to be familiar without actually being useful. They glanced at the path behind them, considering turning away even after everything they’d been through up to this point.
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Post by Silver on Feb 20, 2020 22:43:27 GMT -6
A flicker of soft blue light reminded them that they were not truly alone after all. There was always Zii, and from how closely she was hovering to their shoulder, she was just as nervous about this as they were. It comforted him greatly to see her there. Sometimes it seemed like no harm could come to them as long as they had a loyal creature nearby. That wasn’t literally true, of course, but thinking it quelled some anxiety.
“I don’t think even you can save me from this one,” they whispered.
‘Nothing can save you, you’re all alone. This is a fool’s errand and you will surely not succeed.’
Zii could tell that their feelings were turbulent and disturbed, but she could do nothing about it. She too wondered what this journey might bring. She knew of magic, of course, but not what its effect was on the population of this world. There were too many mysteries, and that made her concerned for both of their sake. Magic could cost a great deal, and she feared for Silver’s ability to pay it after all they had been through.
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Post by Silver on Feb 20, 2020 22:43:40 GMT -6
They had to press on.
Silver took one tentative step after another, slowly bridging the gap between themselves and the top of the stairs. This whole place freaked them out, but there was something about the sight of the altar in particular that made them feel intensely nauseated. Was it the untold years of caked blood? The bleached white bones? Silver was not squeamish and did not fear death, but the intensity of the thought of others’ suffering nearly set them over the edge.
This was a place not to be taken lightly, and they certainly wouldn’t do that. They slowly went over the ritual in their head, completely shutting out everything but themselves and the altar. Place the items. Eat the berries. Spill the blood. It sounded so simple the way it was explained, but it felt like anything but. Place the items. Eat the berries. Spill the blood. Nobody ever talked about what happened next. Silver couldn’t help but to wonder if they had been set up. If they messed it up… would someone save them?
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Post by Silver on Feb 20, 2020 22:43:56 GMT -6
Place the items.
Silver pulled the crystals from the hidden pocket they had been keeping them in. Ever since they had found them, they had kept them close. They wondered briefly what someone would pay for such powerful artifacts if only they knew they had them. All along they had just been hiding in the back of an old bookshelf. Forgotten, like so many other things.
They gently placed the crystals on the altar. It was unclear whether or not they should place them in a particular way, so they carefully arranged them until it felt right. Then against them they rested the oval sphere. That part they were even less certain about, so they decided to move on before some untold horror befell them.
Eat the berries.
This was the only part of the ritual that made sense to them. The little healing berries from the tail of a King of Evergreen. They were unbelievably sweet and filled anyone who consumed them with vitality and vigor. Apparently they needed it to survive the next part.
Silver unceremoniously popped the berries into their mouth and swished them around. On a normal day they would be the most beautiful thing they had ever eaten, but they were too distracted to realize what a wonder they were. They swallowed hard a few times to make sure they got all of the juice. Did it matter? They hoped not, but they had to be sure. Extra sure.
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Post by Silver on Feb 20, 2020 22:44:09 GMT -6
Spill the blood.
Silver roughly grabbed the knife and held it against an old scar of theirs. It seemed only fitting that this particular scar, the evidence for one of their worse mistakes, was the site at which they would draw blood. They drew an incision just under it and immediately the blood overflowed their skin and started to drip to the ground.
They awkwardly reached over the altar and shook their paws, sprinkling bits of blood over the stone slab and all of the crystals and gems they had brought with them. First the mind crystal, then one, two, three of the pure crystals. It seemed utterly wrong to taint something so insanely pristine and perfect with blood. Seeing it nearly moved them to tears.
The last part of the ritual was to kneel down and await approval of the gods. As if they had a choice. Weakened by the loss of blood and the emotional turmoil, Silver fell to their knees. They touched the ground with a bloody, ungloved paw and hoped for the best. They whispered a quiet prayer.
“Please… give me a chance to fix my mistakes.”
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Post by Renathan on Feb 21, 2020 4:47:38 GMT -6
Light Node - Success! Next Attempt - 02-20-2021
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