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| Chapter Eight: The Ritual | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Although there was no sun in the sky that day - due to heavy winds, clouds, rain and storms - what little light there was began to dim as the veil of night began to lower. In a groove surrounded by old trees - all of which that had runic marks painted upon them - an elderly man stood with several others that were assembled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The time nears. She is close," he said calmly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The champion she chose - the vampire. I hear he is an assassin. If he has killed in her presence," one of the other elders began but stopped. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He hasn't - I can feel it," he reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Will you be up to the task?" the other elder asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My father was - as was his father before him. The task falls to me," he reassured. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Then I will say no more on the subject Gailwind," the elder stated - bowing politely to him. Gailwind looked off in the direction he could sense the dark child approaching from. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Three hundred years - and now my time has come," Gailwind stated - his eyes had a feral glow to them as the storm relentlessly poured down on them. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Not far away - Calloway staggered out of a cave and saw the girl standing in the storm - glaring at him with a hate he had never seen. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know - I don't know - what annoys me more. The fact that you turned into such a fucking pussy - or the fact - that you have the unmitigated gall to still be alive after everything that has happened," she spat in disgust. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Life is a bitch. Deal with it," he remarked as he concentrated on his wounds - slowly more of the scars on his back began to heal. "Always claws," he muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I pick the one thing - that would piss any hot blooded lupine - a Wyrm tainted Follower of Set. I pick a cold-blooded killer that lives - by killing. And what is the only fucking thing he kills in the entire fucking week we are out here?" she asked in disbelief as she walked over to where he was. "the only thing he kills is my fucking appetite!" she spat. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you are so hot to see death and killing - pick up a stick and do it yourself," he rebutted. She quietly laughed and shook her head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It doesn't work like that sunshine. I knew I should have chosen a Black Spiral Dancer. Move it - we have more important places to be than here," she ordered. Calloway smirked as the two walked through the rain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So you going to tell me what all this is about?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Shut your fucking hole," she rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do you talk to your mother with that mouth?" he mocked. She glared at him as they walked through the wood. The two could see campfires burning in spite of the torrential winds and rain. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The two stepped clear of the forest and watched as all the painted runes began to glow. Lightning split the sky and was followed by deafening thunder. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It appears as though you chose - unwisely for a guardian. Look at you - you are as you were before you found a way to worm your evil into the hearts of mortals," Gailwind stated seriously as he stepped forward. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Just my luck," she rebutted as she stepped away from Calloway. Moments later - to the west - Calloway saw the Black Furies he had encountered exiting from the forest. Seconds later - the Red Talons came from the east. Behind him - Thorne of the Get to Fenris emerged. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh this day just gets better and better," Calloway muttered. But much to his surprise - Thorne walked by him without laying a finger on him. "What is going on here?" he hesitantly asked as the clouds above began to spiral. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You fool. Do you really believe you have what it takes to keep me? Your father could barely do the job and he was far more capable than you," the girl challenged. Gailwind smirked and shook his head. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My father was able to keep you bound for almost a hundred years - as his father did before him - and so on. My father faced you when you were more potent a threat. The guardian you chose slaughtered everything he saw - butchered the forest. It took many brave wolves to put you away," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The two continued to talk - but Calloway was more intent on the pulsating runes on the trees - the dozens of humans that were standing around - almost forming a perfect circle within the circle of runes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Vampire!" a voice shouted getting his attention. He looked over and saw Gailwind. "You have done surprisingly well considering the shroud of death that taints you. You have my leave to vacate this place unmolested - unscathed so long as you never return," he stated seriously. Calloway watched as the girl began to mutate into some - thing - that was clearly not human. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Do you know a short cut?" he asked seriously - many of the werewolves turned and looked at him with glowing eyes. "Never mind - I'll find my own way out," he added as he left via the way he came. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As he ran from through the woods. He could hear sounds of wolves fighting. He could hear spells being cast and could hear the storm getting exponentially worse with each passing second. It was then that a bolt of lightning split the canopy of branches above him. he instinctively stopped and looked up as a tree sized branch slammed into his head knocking him out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| How much time passed? He couldn't say. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| But as the darkness began to fade he could see a - somewhat familiar face looking down at him. he tilted his head to the side and recognized him. it was the Gangrel he had met when the whole unpleasant journey began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Two questions," Calloway began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "One - you were out for two days and three nights. Two - in my fort haven. We can't stay here much longer - the Black Furies really don't like me," Fox-Tail replied as he tossed him a wineskin. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You read minds too? Peachy," he muttered as he slowly sat up. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I heard that Gailwind was able to seal her away. You did good - real good," the Gangrel stated as he scratched behind his ear much like a dog might. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Who - or what the hell was she?" Calloway asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Oh no - no, no. I can't say. Is a secret," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Listen you," he began as he tried to stand - but due to hunger and the wounds he had taken he was unable. Fox-Tail hurried over and helped the assassin drink. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "It isn't the best - but it was the best I could do without getting them mad at me - I don't like it when they mad," he reassured. Calloway concentrated on his wounds until they were fully healed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I have been through hell. My mentor - tried to have me killed - I have been in the woods for over a fucking week without so much as seeing one god-forsaken human that doesn't change into an eight-foot tall monster," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Can't say - no - I can't," the Gangrel muttered as he began swaying back and forth. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Can you tell me what the point of this was then? I can't see one," he rebutted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You know how they say - evil never sleeps?" he asked curiously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes?" Calloway answered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Sometimes it does - uh-huh - but only if someone can tuck her in and lock the door," he continued as he scurried over to the door like a timid animal. "I have to go - you know the way back from here?" the Gangrel asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This the place you took me to before? The one a half night's travel north of Eco?" he asked seriously. The Gangrel thought for a few moments and then nodded. "Then I know the way," he answered. Fox-Tail smiled as he hurried away. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calloway sighed as he leaned against the old wall of the battered half-buried fort. He knew that he was faced - with a serious problem. He knew that Snake wanted him dead - but by that same token - he still felt loyal to him. part of him wanted to return to the temple and tell him of his success. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Don't know where I'm going - but I know - I can't stay here," he muttered as he got up and exited the haven. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Almost half a night later - waiting in a rural area of northern Eco stood Tanya. For the duration of the time he was gone she had left the area only to feed and rest. When she saw a silhouette emerging from the shadows of the forest - her hopes began to rise. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Calloway? That you?" she hesitantly called out. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You were expecting someone else?" he replied as he exited and smiled at her. She raced over and hugged him tightly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are fucking filthy," she remarked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They didn't exactly have any quality havens out there you know," he mused. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I was so worried," she sighed. He put his arms around her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There was more than one moment out there that I felt that way too," he admitted. Slowly she looked up at him and could see the doubt that was there in his usually confident eyes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What - what are you going to do?" she asked hesitantly. He sighed and lowered his eyes. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I - I don't know," he admitted. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "He tried to kill you. First with those assassins now this. You can't go back," she began but emotion stopped her. He ran his fingers through her hair and looked up at the sky. The clouds began to part revealing the stars and crescent moon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Right now - the only thing on my mind - is a nice long - hot bath," he said closing his eyes. She blinked as she looked up at him. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "There room in there for two?" she mused. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I think that can be arranged," he replied as they headed away from the forest. Both of them trying not to think about what would happen next - thinking only of the moment. For if things continued as they were- that moment - might be all the time they had. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The End? | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||