The Old Ways (LadyWonder / Pazzo)

[Pazzo]

Imagine if you will, a shadowy, moss covered hill top, in the dead of night. Now imagine a silvery full moon high overhead, bathing the area in its beautiful, subdued light.
On top of this hill are several stone megalithic structures, made in ancient times as a sort of calendar, so that where viewed from a certain point, they would align with the stars and the planets, as a means of keeping time. Or at the very least, that was what the makes had intended.
Now they were being used for a much darker purpose. On top of the hill was a flat, massive disk of cut granite, carved with five indentations, and little grooves carving their way all throughout.
Gathered around this stone circle were many shaded figures, all kneeling, and wearing heavy black robes. Their chants were a hypnotic droning, all murmuring the same thing over and over, is some savage tongue that was forgotten long ago.

In the center of this circle, stood a lone figure, standing tall, with his robes swaying gently in the breeze. A heavy brass gong could be heard booming from somewhere in the distance, as a procession of twelve people slowly shuffled their way up to the stone circle. They were arranged in three ranks of four, with the outer eight wearing robes of a deep red, and carrying what looked like tallow sticks. They burned in a manner similar to a candle, only that the flame they produced was a sickly, pallid green. The four young women in the center were all dressed in gauzy, white dresses that flapped and buffeted in the wind. All of them were beautiful, but their eyes were glazed over, and distant.

Each of the four women was led to one of the four indentations in the circular stone slab, and made to kneel. The other eight in red robes joined those in black, in their droning hymns.
Elder mason stood there in the center, thinking about the past event that had led to this...
Several years ago, the magic and power that had flowed so freely within his organization had started to wane for some unknown reason. He researched the old texts to complete exhaustion, and performed many a sacred forgotten rite to try and restore balance to his coven. Everything was done exactly as it was written, but all efforts ultimately failed.

But then someone reached out to him. Some handsome, wealthy businessman in a hand tailored white suit, with a handsome, if devilish smile.
"Every year, on the summer equinox, you are to sacrifice four of your newly awakened. Do this, and it will not only restore you coven's power, but make it grow."
The elder had dismissed it as madness. Three years came and went, and their magic had stalled to nothing but a lazy ebb. In desperation, he performed the rite as it was described by the mysterious individual. One of the four had been his own daughter. Blinded by his need, he sacrificed her anyway, and the survivors power was indeed restored. That had been only a year ago, and this was to be the second ceremony.

Elder mason drew back his hood, and regarded the four young girls that sat around him, on their knees, oblivious to what was about to happen to them. His eyes were wrinkled, and tired. He felt dead inside, hollow and forlorn. Was this truly to be the future of his coven?
This was the old ways. It had been done many time before him, and would be done many times after. If not him, then someone else. The coven's power could not be allowed to die, no matter what the cost.
And the cost was great indeed.

The elder made no expression, but merely drew a heavy looking, wide bladed sword made of pure silver, and brought it down upon the first girls neck swiftly. Time seemed to stop for but a moment, as he head slowly fell from her shoulders. Her body fell into the depression made in the stone, with her blood filling it up, and flowing down and around through the grooves cut into its surface, glowing with an unholy, powerful red light.
Elder mason closed his eyes once, and exhaled. He did the same for two more girls, and as their blood flowed, the red glow seemed to strengthen. He felt the core of his power rejuvenate, as their life went to feed their source.

Drunk in his need to feel the rush of magic, the Elder brought the sword up to strike the last girl, using the same fluid swing. But the blade stopped just a millimeter from her graceful neck.
White hot agony ripped up the right arm of the elder, as he screamed, the flaming ruins of what was his right arm burning away to ashes, and dropping his sacred sacrificial weapon.
For a moment, the girl's hypnotic gaze faltered. He then fell a tremendous rush of power being expelled from her suddenly...
The next thing elder Mason knew, he was waking up from laying on the circular stone slab, with the morning sun blinding his eyes with its brightness. Sharp pain wracked his right side, and he looked at it. To his horror, his right arm was completely burned away.

The other that were present were likewise groggy, and just now coming out of their haze.
A few of them came to their senses, and immediately went to attend to the stricken elder.
His power... he felt it wasting away, getting weaker just as before...
Terrified and furious all at the same time, The Elder used his remaining arm to shove the initiates away from him. "...Find her!" He roared at them. "...find her now!"

 

[LadyWonder]

Poppy's hazel eyes fluttered open as the morning sun shined between her curtains. It was a welcoming site since the weather forecast had prodicted it to cloudy, but many things can change by the end of the day. Pulling back her covers a flutter of nerves and excitement greeted her stomach, along with rumbles of a hunger. Out stretching her arms she climbed out to be and made her way down stairs. Her over coven sisters had risen too all talk about the evenings events.

Unlike most days today was greatly important, not only to the five girls but also the coven. The elder had stumble across an old ritual to help revitalize their ancestors power that had been fading over the hundreds of years. In a rare occurrence all the girls where born on the same day and time, be holding them with great power once they turn of age. Which happened to be today. At 21 their magic is at it's peak. Normally a 'coming of age' type ceremony / ritual is formed to help the the power bind tighter to the host so it will last but today everything would be done differently.

The forgotten ritual requested for such occurrence for the Coven to regain it's once glorious power. Where they could conjure spells without the need for potions, just pure natural magic from the elements themself. The orders where simple and vague. They had tradition clothing to wear, and require to drink a 'spiritual' drink which would help their power to be shared. Or so it was to believe.

That evening the young ladies got ready, giggling and chatting as if getting ready for a party. For the past few weeks everyone has been saying what an honor these girls are doing and how things are going to change for the better. It fed into their minds, making them believe that nothing else matter. Poppy felt just like that, that she and the other girls where the key and she cou im d help her coven. She was honored and knew her parents would be grateful and proud. She starred down at a phone of them both. The edges of the paper where slightly tattered now but the imagine was as clear as the day it was took.

"They would be so proud of you!" Hannah said over her Poppy's shoulder. "Thanks Han" Poppy replied with a warm smile. Hannah was her closest and best friend, in fact the two where more like sisters. Her family had taken her in after the untimely death of her parents. They died almost 6 years ago now. Their death still felt wrong, not just because they where so young but because of how they died. A tragic car accident she was told by the elder. Now the coven didnt live in the past, there seemed more then normal to the un trained eye but her parents where meant to be at work on the said day, not driving around on the other side of town. It just didnt seemed right but she never told anyone how she felt. She knew they would say it was her grief and denial.

A call from outside broke her from her thoughts. It was Elder calling for them to come down. All the girls headed to the dining room and sat around the oak wood table that laid in the middle. Drinks had been poured out for each girl. Sitting down they all took a glass and gave thanks to the elder for his hard work for the coven. Poppy notice the Elder watching them closly. Sip by sip they drank, each falling in today a daze more and more. Poppy stopped drink as she notice Hannah fall from her chair in a daze, her eyes glanced over. A few cries could be heard around her from all of the girls parents. Alarm bells ringed in her ears but it was too late. What ever this potion was worked fast and Poppy had no control over her body. It was like she was paralyzed. A few other people now came to the table, dressed in their robes, picking the girls up one by one. "I'll give some time to say your goodbyes. It's agreat sacrifice and honor in which you are all doing for you coven" Said the Elder before leaving the house and heading off to start the ritual.

The people carried them up to eclipse hill, where they held all the rituals of any kind. It was yhe most sacred part of the land and held it's own kind of power. Thought out this time Poppy laid screaming in her own mind. She was trying anything to get even a toe to move butit was impossible. By the time she focused on what was before her she saw her best friends throat being slit like a hot knife through butter. With each slit of a girls throat Poppy could feel this charge running through her vains. As the blade drew close to her own neck, now being the last girl alive she knew she could die like this. To have her best friend and other friends slaughtered like bigs when they believe they where here to help. No it wasnt goung to end like that. Not today and not for Poppy.

She drew all the energy and power she could master in a ball in her mind. She had no clue on what she was doing but all her emotions built up as the clouds did in the open air. She scream out as loud ass she could and suddenly she could breath. Like she was trapped in a glass box full of 2ater and suddenly she could be heard. Her eyes where shut closed and she breathed heavily a few times. Taking the last of her courage she opened her hazel eyes. Everyone around laid ok on the ground motionless. At first she thought everyone was dead. But after close inspection on the elder she knew otherwise. Wasting no time she fled eclipse hill, not even bothering to head back to the town. She had no idea how many of the covers people where down and didn't want to risk anything. She knew everyone was in on it all. Feeding them lies while knowing they where to be slaughtered for their own selfish needs.

Poppy ran till she felt as if her chest was about to gave in. She had somehow made it to the next town. In fairness it wasnt too far and she knew she couldn't stay here. Heading into a store she quickly grabbed a change of clothes, changing in the changing rooms. As she made her exit she noticed the cashier flirting with one of the guys parading in a tight tank top. She was facing the other direction to the tip jar so Poppy pulled up her hood and took her chance with the tip jar and made brisk exit. She felt awful for stealing but she couldn't run around in the same clothes and money. She didnt know how long they would stay asleep for and they would be looking for a girl in white not a girl in Jean's and hoodie. Plus their was enough money for her to catch the next coach out of town. Anything to give her more a chance living was worth stealing. She didnt know where she would end up but anywhere from here was better.

 

[Pazzo]

Alex just grumbled as he brought his muscular hands to his temples, and rubbed at them as he clenched his eyelids shut. He had been awake for almost thirty six hours straight. The Sherriff of Morgan County stood up to his full height of six foot six inches, and growled angrily as he grasped the empty coffee cup that sat upon a mountain of paperwork that still had to be done.

He shuffled over to the coffee pot, and seethed with hatred as he saw it was likewise empty. “Pile!” he roared out over the silence of the darkened work area, wishing to summon the Marine who had just been deputized only a week ago. He was a good kid and showed promise, and everyone had taken to calling him “Gomer Pile” as a nickname. It was only then that he remembered it was only him at the office, as everyone else had went home four hours ago.

Nicknames were a thing for everyone here, based on some aspect of the person’s personality. The only rule was that you never got to choose your own.

Unflatteringly, everyone had taken to calling Alex “Wolf” of all things. He just shook his head at remembering his moniker, wondering why they chose to call him that of all things, as he growled low and deep in his chest. He shuffled out into the hallway, walking across the well worn marble floor of the olf building, towards an even older vending machine that looked like it belonged in a museum. Its compressor still whirred away though, and the owner kept coming in to refill it.

Alex fished around in his trousers for some loose change. He then reached up to put it in the machine, only to see that it was taped over with “out of order” written across the front of it. Alex growled loud enough at this point to make the sheet metal in the walls resonate and rattle. His face then relaxed, and took on a surprised expression, as he heard a familiar chuckle behind him, somewhere in the waiting room.The sherrif whirled around, his loose black tie dangling from his neck and white dress shirt. Seated upon one of the 80’s style square framed chairs, was an older gentleman dressed in slacks and a polo shirt, holding a cup of designer coffee from the Star-schmucks down the street. He sipped at it slowly.

Alex grunted, as his eyes narrowed. He knew the man, or at least knew his scent. It carried with it the subte undertones of magic and knowledge. Not quite human, but not quite something else either.The man reached down to the small table to his left, and retrieved another full, steaming cup of fancy coffee from it, and handed it to the Sherriff.“I thought we could talk for a moment…”

The man murmured up to Alex.The Sherrif looked to the man, then longingly at the offered cup of joe, then back to the man, as he snatched it from his weezened hand. “What the hell are you doing here Mason?” Alex growled to him, low and deep, as he yanked the annoying lid away from the drink, and sniffed it appraisingly. His keen senses did not detect anything amiss, just the fresh aroma of roasted coffee beans, with a hint of carmel.“Well…” The old man murmured. “…I’d like to report a missing person.” Alex just growled, and sat next to the Elder, as he started to describe the young girl who had just escaped him…