Intertwined: The beginning

[Skylar Westbrook]

Skylar stood on the balcony staring out into the darkness. It laid heavy around her like a blanket. Pacing back and forth she grew more and more impatient. The dark necromancer shared her lack of tolerance for many things, and being late was one of them. So why was she not here? The agreement was to meet at sunset. Aedon had made sure to be early, and he sat watching her grow more and more restless as every minute passed. Skylar felt his eyes on her back... Like a leech on skin, he observed her every move. As she pivoted once more to gaze into the darkness, a small smirk slowly crossed her face. It was time, and she had to wait no longer.

 

[Aedon Durreah]

Aedon detested being late for anything, and for this reason he arrived ahead of the set time. Skylar led him inside and towards an open balcony which looked out into the growing dark. It was clear to see that she was a bit agitated. Her movements suggested one vexed at being held up or deeply out off.

As the minutes ticked on and darkness reached its fingers across the sky her impatience grew. Sitting watching her He was keenly aware or an anger steadily welling up within her. He was not sure if she was awaiting another person, or simply the right time to carry out the next phase of her plans, and was loathed to comment or in any way break her concentration and turn her ire on him.

He did not need to worry about this, or wait much longer. Turning to face him she smiled eerily and exclaimed, “It’s time.”

 

[Skylar Westbrook]

Skylar stopped dead in her tracks. She stood watching as the tendrils creeped under the door like smoke from a house fire. Finally she was here. Skylar nodded to the door. The servant standing there was frozen with fear, but knew that if she did not follow the command she was given, the punishment would be far worse than whatever was behind the door. The servant swallowed hard and stepped forward, opening the heavy door.
The air in the room seemed to almost vanish as the four hooded figures entered first. Their bright red eyes staring down at Skylar and Aedon. A cold wind blew through the room as the final hooded figure stepped inside. The four figures separated, two to the left and two to the right. The wind swept around them, then like a vortex it slammed the door shut. The four figures, towering over them like trees in the dark forest then bowed down lowering their heads.
"Summus Sacerdos" Skylar said as she bowed her head in respect. She tried her hardest to control the trembling of her hands as she stood before the being. Fear was not something Skylar was too familiar with. Perhaps it was just nerves, but she knew the wrong thing could trigger the rage of the necromancer. Skylar had prepared far too long for this ritual and she would do her best not to enrage the one being that could help her acquire Ahoun.



*Summus Sacerdos is a Latin translation for High Priestess.

 

[Aedon Durreah]

His eyes had remained fixed on Skylar trying to discern what might come next. It was clear she thought a time long awaited was at hand, but for the moment Aedon could see no one but the two of them standing in the room.
Without knock, but knowing what was needed a servant approached the door, and with shaking hands, threw it wide, stepping as far into a shadowed corner as she could. The figures that stepped were hooded, and stood a good head taller than Aedon. They spoke no words but moved so that two of them flanked the spot where Aedon stood near Skylar.

He could feel the winds surge as the room became charged with a power he had not felt since standing before Figol for the first time. They stood, staring down towards him with glowing eyes, and without voicing any threat made Aedon more afraid than he could ever recall being. But no move was made, no hand raised to strike at them. And then, slowly their eyes turned and focused again on the door.

The being that then stepped over the threshold commanded attention. She was robed in the same manner as the others, but with a greater sense of a deep power veiled. She moved forward and stood looking down. The four on either side bowed their heads and Aedon noticed that Skylar did the same as she uttered words in a language he could not clearly recall.

Standing close behind Skylar, Aedon felt suddenly very small, and much like a naughty child standing before a parent awaiting punishment.

 

[Skylar Westbrook]

Two tables covered with sheets were set upon a bloody pentagram. The room was dark aside from the bright red eyes that seemed to float in the dark. As Aedon and Skylar entered the room the wall torches erupted in flames. Like a statue the necromancer stood between the two tables, both within arms length of her. As she motioned to the tables she spoke, her voice was cold and dark, yet lulling. "Et erit super mensa." Skylar looked at Aedon and gave him the instructions. "Lay on the table." She said in a very low tone, almost a whisper.
As Skylar and Aedon climbed onto the tables in the robes they were given prior, two of the figures seemed to levitate towards each of them. Two on the left of Skylar and two on the right of Aedon, each covering them with what felt like sheets of ice. One of the hooded figures reached out and took Skylar's arm. The flames danced along the blade of the dagger as the figure dragged it across Skylar's' skin, and a faint laugh could be heard as the blood began to run out spilling on the floor. Another figure reached out and did the same to Aedon. The figures took some blood in vials, coated the open wounds with some sort of dust that melted away quickly, and continued to let the blood drain onto the floor. The necromancer extended her arms once more and a spike ejected from each of her wrists. A smirk crossed her face before driving the spike deep into Skylar's neck. Skylar held in a deep growl, but it was apparent it was not a pleasant feeling. Then the necromancers bright red eyes came to rest on Aedon just before she drove the other spike into his neck.

The flames of the wall torches ceased. The only light in the room balanced in front of the necromancer. It appeared as if wisps where floating closer and closer towards each other. Words flowed from the necromancers mouth like water in a spring, strong yet graceful, with great precision the bright glowing figures began to intertwine and become one. The white object began to change colors, and the orb became a deep blood red. The necromancer took the orb into her hands, separating it into two again. Closing her eyes the orbs began to lose their form and like a mist it floated in the directions of where Skylar and Aedon's bodies were positioned. It swarmed over the bodies and seemed to vanish as they both breathed the mist like energies.
The figures removed the sheets from both bodies, where they seemed to lay in place almost as if frozen. The red eyes rested on them, waiting like a predator stalking its prey. Skylar awoke first, gasping for air as if she had been drowning. She began to move slowly, and sat up rubbing her head. She sat there for what seemed like forever waiting for Aedon to wake. Skylar tried her best to not show her impatience, and disrespect to the one performing the ritual. The sound of Aedon gasping for air himself drew her attention back to the table where he was, which was good for Skylar, her curiosity had been peaked and this was not the time for questions irrelevant to the task at hand. Once Aedon was coherent they were both handed the vials of each others blood. The necromancer then drew an onyx dagger and slid it over her own hand, letting the blood flow over the tops and onto Skylar and Aedon's hands. The blood in the vials started to turn black after mixing with their own.
"Drink, and it will be done." Her words were very clear and Aedon was able to understand completely without any question. Skylar and Aedon did as they were instructed.

The hours that passed after the ritual were somewhat of a blur for Skylar. As if not completely sure what was real or what was not. What thoughts were her own? Her and Aedon were kept in the same room for hours as the figures stood over them like gargoyles, they would make notes from time to time. One figure stayed away from Skylar and made no swift motions to set her off. It just stood behind Aedon and would from time to time catch Skylar's heavy gaze, for a time they would stare at each other. Skylar glanced to Aedon and it was somehow clear what it was she was thinking. Skylar was not at ease until the time came that they were escorted out of the room. Skylar bowed her head as the dark one stood before her, and her hand rested on Skylar's shoulder briefly. A chillingly cool air began to fill the room, and only Skylar spoke.
"Thank you, Terra.."
As quickly as she spoke the door slammed shut with the same force as when they arrived. Only Aedon and Skylar were left in the room, as if no one had ever been there. A wicked grin began to cross Skylar's face as she looked up at Aedon.

 

[Aedon Durreah]

Receiving word from Skylar that all was in readiness, Aedon made his way back to the appointed place. He did not have the time to speak with Izznet, and hoped that what he was about to do would not in some way bring any harm or discomfort to the lady. All too often the things Aedon had done or planned to do would fill Izzy with deep concern. But she knew that once his mind was set on something it was near impossible to stop him.

Once there, he and Skylar were given robes to put on, and led into a darkened room. At first it was a bit hard to see anything, but as they crossed the threshold torches on the wall sprung to light, casting deep shadows, and illuminating the pentagram on the floor. The surface seemed stained with blood, as though other rituals had been held there in recent days. In the center of the symbol a woman stood between two cold slab tables. As they neared her the figure looked at Skylar and spoke words that Aedon could not understand. Turning to him Skylar told him that they were to lie on the tables.

Walking over to one, Aedon could feel his knees buckle slightly as a sudden urge to run from the room came over him. But the red eyes watching him from the shadows seemed to speak to him of finality of purpose. He looked over to Skylar as she lay back on her slab and then breathing deeply, he slid onto the table and laid back.

Looking towards the eyes, he watched as they seemed to float over to where he was and laid a covering over his body. Aedon thought it felt as cold as death, and the sensation of it seemed to make his blood freeze within his veins. He wanted to close his eyes, and wait for all to pass, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he turned and watched as one of the figures near Skylar produced an odd blade, and ran it across Skylar’s arm. He watched as blood began to run along her skin and down onto the table. He then felt his own arm being held as the knife sliced into his skin, causing his own blood to run to the table before falling to the floor forming a pool.

One of the hooded figures took a vial of some sort and holding it beneath his arm, collected some of Aedon’s blood while another was doing the same with Skylar. Some sort of powder was then dusted across their skin before the figures seemed to vanish into the floor.

Breathing deeply Aedon looked back towards Skylar lay. The figure between them extended both arms producing a jagged spike of some sort from each hand. Aedon watched nervously as she drove one of the spikes into Skylar’s neck. Skylar made little sound, and before he could ask if she were already Aedon felt the figures eyes on him, and then the searing pain as she drove a spike deep into his neck.

At this point he was helpless to say or do anything. Was he to try to speak only a gurgling sound was produced, and he had the odd sensation of drowning in his own blood. He tried to focus his thoughts on Izznet and Aegis in an effort to calm himself which would perhaps help him breathe easier.

All light in the room went out, the torches ceased flickering and the only glow came from something which seemed to hover in front of the figure between the tables. To Aedon they seemed like two wisps were dancing before one another and slowly closed the distance between them. He could hear chanting coming from the woman standing between the tables and watched as the two wisps met, and merged into one. The soft white glow from the one seemed to flicker and shift hues before becoming a deep blood red.

Taking hold of the one light, the woman separated them into two again and as they were released the seemed to dissipate into soft misty clouds. One floated towards where Skylar lay and the other floated towards Aedon, and spreading the length of his body seemed to encompass and move within his body. A soft hum filled his ears, and closing his eyes, he lost conciseness.

He awoke gasping for air and noticed that the coverings had been removed. Struggling to sit, his hand went to his neck as though searching for the spike that had been thrust into his skin. Looking over, he saw that Skylar was standing before the one that had performed the rite. When the woman was sure that Aedon was Awake and able to stand she handed each of them a vial of blood. Aedon was not sure if it was his own blood, Skylar’s or from some other source. Pulling out a black dagger, the chanter slid it across her hand, and moving it across the vials they held allowed some of the blood to fall into the containers and down over Aedon and Skylar’s hands. The blood within started to turn black and as he watched he heard the woman say; “Drink and it will be done.” He did not question the fact that he could understand her words this time and Skylar did not need to translate. Looking towards one another, Skylar and Aedon lifted the containers to their lips, and drank the contents.

Time seemed to pass slowly after that as his mind searched to find some sense of calm. Within his head another voice spoke, and it was hard to figure out where he ended and Skylar began. As they sat there recovering, the shadowed figures seemed to lurk about as though watching some grand experiment. There was one that seemed drawn to Aedon, and always he could feel it at his back, its eyes fixed on him. Looking towards Skylar he could see that she was watching the one behind him, her eyes focused and intent. And somehow, Aedon knew and understood what was going through her mind.

In time, they were led from the room and stood again before the woman. The dark figure reached up a hand, and rested it on Skylar’s shoulder. Aedon was suddenly aware that the room had become chilly almost to the point of being uncomfortable. He then watches as Skylar bowed saying, “Thank you Terra.”

The words had hardly left her lips when the door slammed shut, leaving only Skylar and Aedon standing alone. Still bowed in appreciation to the one that had helped her, Skylar lifted her head and looked towards where Aedon stood, as a wicked grin spread across her lips.