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Post by Riku on Jul 31, 2020 18:53:56 GMT -6
Riku breathed deeply as he reached the base of the altar. It was in an area he didn't quite prefer...it intrigued his magical curiosity, but its name was a good description for the place - the 'dark corner'. A sketchy zone where who knows who gets up to who knows what. He was always afraid of being attacked or kidnapped here. What if someone was one body short for their sacrifice? What if someone needed an extra eyeball? He wore a hood to be discrete...he didn't exactly want anyone else to see him here. And he wanted to make sure to cover his face and figure in case there perverts around. Under his cloak, he grasped the small pouch that had the items he'd be using....he'd had them ready for six months. Six months.....he just couldn't get himself to do it. It was a big step! The last time he had magic....it didn't end well for very many people. The last time he held a node in his hand he lost everything. His family, his fortune, his future. His best friend. 1
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Post by Riku on Jul 31, 2020 18:54:30 GMT -6
He made his way up the steps slowly. He had read about this location but never been here...He studied the process in books and had asked the only person he knew with nodes. He knew what to do, and he knew he could do it. He'd walked through the process in his mind many times...but he still had questions. Who were the watchers? How did the process exactly work...? Yes, it's magic - but even magic is just an advanced science. Did the watchers know...? Were they Mystics, like Tat-Lung? Or even Divine...? Surely a creature as intelligent as a Divine wouldn't spend their time stalking a bloody shrine. Perhaps they were just servants who served one. He reached the top and could smell the iron and mildew of old blood. There was a humidity in the air that made the odors stronger. It was bearable, but very unpleasant - especially knowing the source. 2
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Post by Riku on Jul 31, 2020 18:55:00 GMT -6
Reaching the top, he saw them fulfilling their title. They didn't seem like good company, but from what he understood they wouldn't approach him or even reply to any of his questions. Fortunately, the process was drawn on the walls in case he hadn't already done his research. He placed the pouch on the altar and took out the items carefully. There was more than a gravitational weight to them. The one crystal, for instance, was noticeably alive. The other three were active and powerful. And the berry had a vibrational friendship with his own. These were more than just objects to be used. He saw them. He respected them. And by putting them to use....he felt like he was honoring them. Not that they really had their own desires - but their potential was worth acknowledging. He knew the process. He breathed deeper, slower, trying to maintain his mindfulness. Berry, knife, blood, soul, node. 3
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Post by Riku on Jul 31, 2020 18:56:57 GMT -6
From what he'd heard and read, everyone had a different experience. For some, they would pass out. Others seemed to have a brief close encounter with the watchers. Other experienced searing pain - and others felt little to nothing. He came mentally prepared for them all. It was a good reminder to eat the berry before the truly damaging parts began. He quickly tossed it in his mouth and crushed it between his teeth, forgetting how good they taste because of the stress. It was a nice brief distraction. The knife was at the end of the surface of the altar. He stared at it for a second, feeling the energies of everyone who had touched it before......it was not a clean piece of equipment neither physically or spiritually. Still, this was the only option to continue. He reached out and grabbed it with his left hand, making sure to clench in between fingertips and not press it against the palm of his hand. Minimal surface exposure was the goal, for personal preference. He pointed the blade towards the spiraling scar on his right hand - a permanent reminder of his last grave mistake with magic - and he slid the sharp tip about an inch along the pattern. 4
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Post by Riku on Jul 31, 2020 18:57:57 GMT -6
He cringed at the pain and let out a soft groan. Fuck that hurt more than he had expected. It was like sharp needles in the immediate area, and a deep aching shooting through the wrist and up the arm, into his brain. ' Shut up already, I know!' he thought to himself. It started in his stomach, a disease. That sensation flooded his entire body as it seemed to spread through his cardiovascular system. His skin felt hot and he began to sweat. ' No.' he commanded himself.' No, we will not give in to this. We are stronger.' He controlled his breath as it continued to spread and grow, and he let the blood now dripping off his wrist from the weak stream on his palm drop onto the four crystals. His breathing was heavy, and his posture had weakened but he kept himself upright. He could feel the berry's effect counteracting the soul-blade's. He had faith in the process and himself. He stood there, at the altar, with his wound slowly healing and his will erect. He stared at the watchers who did nothing but stare back, and he declared his intention. "For Cephalo."5
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Post by Jack on Jul 31, 2020 19:19:22 GMT -6
Node Creation: Success Cool-down will End: July 31, 2021
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