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.
