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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 11:00:31 GMT -6
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Post by Circe on Nov 3, 2019 11:00:31 GMT -6
The midnight on the twenty-first day of the twelfth month was winter solstice, a time when the veil between worlds was thinnest. The gods with their infinite wisdom, still had some sympathy for those who followed their old ways and allowed one day a year for the magic to flow freely once again from it's source. Unhindered by the old gods, the world was ripe with magic once more, if only for a day.
Everything had been painstakingly planned, with the utmost respect given towards the old gods for seeing it fit to grant mankind the brief power to bend and change the world to their desires once more.
Following Tyrus's exacting standards and instructions, Catherine had arrived with Brandon through a temporary mirrorway passage. She would be present both as support to her nephew going through the ritual, and as a safety for Tyrus should anything happen.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 11:09:50 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 3, 2019 11:09:50 GMT -6
The rune circle was laid out. It wasn't as complex as the one that had destroyed much of his ranch and Tyrus had checked the circle over twice. He could feel the magic in the air. It was invigorating. When they arrived, he looked up and smiled. "Good. You followed my instructions." That much was obvious by the undyed silk that Brandon was wearing. Near the circle stood three people, older, but still aware of what they were doing. They were the menu options tonight. Three people near death as it was, seeking an early release. Tyrus was not a savage after all, strange morals of the court though he may have.
Brandon eyes his meals and shrugged, not really comfortable in what amounted to silk scrubs. At least it wasn't a robe. "You're sure this will work?" He wanted his fangs back badly. He wanted the pain to go away and to be able to properly feed again.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 11:40:04 GMT -6
Post by Circe on Nov 3, 2019 11:40:04 GMT -6
Catherine wanted to say, 'Of course, I'm not an idiot.' but choked back the words instead. Smart remarks and terse comments wouldn't help anyone tonight; especially not Brandon or Tyrus. The fact that there was so much magic latent in the air made her nervous though, the last time that there was this much magic had been when the ranch burned. She understood full well that magic was not a toy and could be a dangerous tool in the wrong hands, thankfully Tyrus wasn't a fool and someone who generally could be trusted.
Glancing over at the other three individuals she frowned, where Tyrus had found them she wasn't sure she wanted to know. While no stranger to the darker and seedier portions of the Unseen World, there were still things which she found herself wholly naive and ignorant about. The procurement of a willing victim or three was one of those such things.
"All are willing?" Catherine asked uncertain. Even now as a member of the Dragon Court, and one who was only second to their Ra, she found herself wanting to keep things mostly legal. It had the potential to further cement the court's good standing should questions ever arise. "Positive." She said turning to Brandon who looked more annoyed with Tyrus's demands of wardrobe than anything else.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 11:51:53 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 3, 2019 11:51:53 GMT -6
"They're willing." Tyrus confirmed. "I double checked and gave them a chance to back out." They were willing. He had them sign paperwork even, stating that they were willing. This would go smoothly. He just had to sooth last minute nerves. "Are the two of you ready?" He'd need Catherine to stand as his bodyguard from her own nephew for this. He wasn't looking forward to dealing with an in pain ravenous vampire.
Grigore had agreed to stand guard tomorrow, so at least there was that. He had a perfectly competent bodyguard both nights.
Brandon stepped into the center of the circle, careful not to touch any of the runes. "I'm ready. I stand here and get ready for pain." It was going to hurt like nothing else, according to what Tyrus had told him. Given he was regrowing bones, he was willing to believe that to be true too.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 15:40:12 GMT -6
Post by Circe on Nov 3, 2019 15:40:12 GMT -6
Catherine nodded, "Ready." It was now or never, and considering some of the items Tyrus had requested funds to buy, to not go through would almost be a waste. "Just tell me what to do." She added, taking a brief moment to center herself and silence any thoughts about what they were about to do. Catherine knew that to be able to remove the shame and humiliation of the removal of part of them was integral to healing from any previous injustices done to them. It was also a part of cementing the court's power, such that they could take something away but also restore it should they so desire.
Reaching out, she could sense her own magic ready and for once willing to come to her aid should she so desire it. It seemed to be such a strange thing, given how many decades she had spent denied of it.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 17:54:10 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 3, 2019 17:54:10 GMT -6
"Just be ready to intercept him and redirect him to the volunteers." So long as she was near enough to react, she'd be fine. Tyrus took his spot and pulled the magic from the air, feeling it come readily. It was probably good that this was the only ritual done tonight. It was a high level of magic in the air. Once he was satisfied that everyone was where they should be to his rather exacting standards, he begin.
The chant, like much of the spell, was in arabic, a language that rolled off his tongue like it was meant to be there. It had been his first language after all. This was merely an older dialect. Slowly, the symbols around the runic circle began to light up and the magic began to condense around Brandon.
Nervous, Brandon stood there and felt the magic build. It grew and he began to feel a dull throbbing where his fangs had been. The throbbed deepened and strengthened and he cried out, dropping to his knees and holding his jaw in both hands. It was a solid three minutes of chanting later before the magic dyed back enough for them to see it had been successful. The magic falling meant Brandon was free to leave the circle too.
The vampire ran straight for Tyrus, eyes red with bloodlust. He knew the reason for his pain andhis hunger. Oh his hunger how deep it was. One measely mage would not be enough to slack it or to bring him to his senses.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 18:08:04 GMT -6
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Post by Circe on Nov 3, 2019 18:08:04 GMT -6
Stepping in front of Tyrus, Catherine moved with a speed and urgency rarely seen. "The mage is off limits." She said plainly.
Crossing her arms and steeling herself against the aggression. "Your meal is over there." She added pointing towards the others.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 18:10:36 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 3, 2019 18:10:36 GMT -6
Tyrus cast a shield spell, just in case, and kept his eyes on Brandon. Brandon threw himself at Catherine intending on going through her to get his meal. He saw the others and he knew what he wanted. And he wanted the mage. His blood would be all the sweeter with the rich magic and with the revenge of causing him pain.
One of the volunteers hesitated a moment, then moved forward. "Hey! Over here!"
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 18:20:13 GMT -6
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Post by Circe on Nov 3, 2019 18:20:13 GMT -6
Defending herself against Brandon's flailing onslaught was easy for Catherine, considering the training Sir William had given her combined with what MCU had required for its Wardens.
"Leave the mage alone Brandon..." She said again. Pushing back with a burst of psionic magic to paralyze him, then wrapped the magic around forcibly directing Brandon towards the intended victims.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 18:23:59 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 3, 2019 18:23:59 GMT -6
The re-direct worked this time and Brandon was feeding in seconds, tidy with his meal but drinking deep of the blood of the first of his sacrifices tonight. Tyrus watched and lowered his shield. "You see why I wanted a guard? I'm not vampire fast." Not without augmenting himself and he didn't have the time to get that spell up at the same time as casting the ritual. The magic still heavily saturated the air as Tyrus watched, not looking away as Brandon dropped the first man and began on the second.
He had found the volunteers. Their deaths were on him, willing to die or not. "Your father will be my guard tomorrow. You'll be in a similar state." There would be more victims tomorrow as well.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 18:32:09 GMT -6
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Post by Circe on Nov 3, 2019 18:32:09 GMT -6
"True.. but I've been living as a human for so long I often forget." Catherine agreed. She still caught herself thinking as such often enough too. There were still a few snags as she transitioned over to the court.
"How did you manage that?" She asked watching Brandon to ensure he didn't turn on Tyrus again. It surprised her that Grigore was willing to even stand guard as such.
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Rituals
Nov 3, 2019 18:44:33 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 3, 2019 18:44:33 GMT -6
"He wanted to be there for your ritual." Tyrus admitted. "This is him being there for you." So she didn't kill one of her few friends. He did try and look out for her, apparently. That was an interesting change from literal centuries of not being there at all, but at least he was putting in effort now. Tyrus had requested that role, as Grigore was one of the few he actually thought could handle a raging Catherine.
One the third donor, Brandon was slowing down now. He let the man drop and turned to face them, eyes clearer and more lucid now. Curious, he touched his teeth and grinned, showing off his fangs. "The pain is gone." He admitted. "And I am full. I think I need to rest now though." He yawned, tired but content. He had his fangs back. The part of him that was missing had returned. "I'm still sore, but...its a different kind of sore."
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 17:33:12 GMT -6
Post by Circe on Nov 4, 2019 17:33:12 GMT -6
Catherine snorted derisively at Tyrus's comment, "Where the fuck was he when my home village decided to try to sacrifice me to their gods?" There were still sore spots, and the mage was entirely too good at hitting them; intentionally or unintentionally. She suspected part of the reason she found herself so loyal to the memory of her adoptive father was he had saved her from a hellish fate had he not stepped in at the right time. It wasn't that she hadn't appreciated all he had done either, it was that more lately than not she found herself at conflict between Grigore and a man that the Council practically regarded as a saint in some aspects.
"Look... I'm not discounting his efforts lately, but there's work to be done for both of us." She hesitated, not terribly eager to betray any of her personal thoughts to Tyrus. Friend or not, there were some things best left unsaid. "And I know why you asked him.. it's so I don't nearly kill you like when you got that hair brained scheme in your head with the Council." Catherine added. She hadn't yet decided if she was going to make Tyrus pay for it, or just let him sit and wonder.
Turning her attention to Brandon she gave him a nod and a smile, "Good, then sleep. We'll figure out what to do with the bodies." To her he seemed content and happy enough again with in his lot in life again.
Tomorrow night however, would be the most dangerous night for all parties involved.
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 18:40:09 GMT -6
Post by demikara on Nov 4, 2019 18:40:09 GMT -6
"Admittedly, that played a rather large role in it. I needed soemone that can handle you and there's not exactly that many who can fit the bill that we can trust. However much we can trust him. He's still a new factor, after all." New enough that Tyrus, despite pledging himself to the court again, had his reservations. Right now, he was counting on the man's decision to be there for his daughter on keeping him alive as one of her few friends.
Brandon yawned and headed for Tyrus' house, fully intending on sleeping in the guest room. Tyrus shot him an affronted look, but didn't try and stop him. "Don't worry about the bodies. A friend of a friend is picking them up for something that I want no details about." Tyrus was a good man. But his sense of morality was skewed by the court and his view of the uses of human remains was not quite a human view.
His work with MCU was largely for the occasional challenge and largely just for the rebellion of it with his parents, and he was self aware to acknowledge that.
"I'll see you tomorrow. I'll send Brandon home before your ritual. It should just be you, your father, and myself." Along with her meals, but that went without saying. He didn't count those as participants, not really. He followed Brandon into the house, leaving Catherine alone. She knew the way to the mirror after all, and they were close enough he didn't think he needed to see her out.
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It had been a short night for Tyrus, who had needed to cleanse his ritual space before redrawing the circle. Thankfully it wasn't too large of a circle to draw and he could get it done in a day. He had put up with worse after all. He finished the last check of the runes as Catherine and Grigore arrived, dressed similarly to how he was yesterday, though in a different robe. The other hadn't been cleansed yet, for the sake of time.
The sun had set ages ago and the area was lit by a small fire, large enough for him to see by, given he was the only one here, other than the meals, who didn't have night vision. Seven donors had been carefully selected for Catherine, just in case more had been needed given the damage was farther back. They waited by the side. There was no sign of the previous night's activities. Tyrus yawned and sat back, reaching for some coffee to keep himself awake.
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Rituals
Nov 4, 2019 18:53:32 GMT -6
Post by Circe on Nov 4, 2019 18:53:32 GMT -6
The rules had been clear, even though there hadn't been time to complete an entire ritual cleanse, the best would be done so as not to be an affront to the gods or magic. Attired in undyed silk, much like Brandon had, Catherine awaited instructions from Tyrus. She hoped that for once a bit of luck would be in her favor and that nothing would go awry with the night's ritual, both on her end and for the one casting the circle.
The period leading up to that night, she had tried her best to keep herself fed, having been suggested that could lessen the severity of side effects from the ritual. She had been skeptical as always, finding it difficult to trust something written on a piece of paper that she couldn't even read. However seeing how well it had worked for Brandon, Catherine decided to forge ahead. "...really Tyrus?" She commented glancing off to the side at the individuals he had selected. To her that seemed entirely too many to heal such a simple thing as teeth and bone.
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