Ritual

Lynn's stomach twisted as he made his way past the old ruined gate. He had made his way up the mountain, taking a sharp right off the hiking trail when he came upon the ruined rock. Making his way through the trees, tripping over stuck up roots a few times, he finally found the old mineshaft.

He had been here before, but his nerves were always on fire when he attended these gatherings. Entering the mineshaft, keeping his head low to be safe, he followed the unused rail for a few moments before coming upon a door. He placed his hand to the lock, waited a moment, and then the door opened slowly. He entered, this hall now much more used and taken care of compared to the rest of the tunnel, closing the door behind him. Though he didn't care how it looked. He wouldn't feel safe until he was in the cobblestone room. The mine always felt ready to collapse.

Lynn stepped slowly and carefully, still keeping his head low. Worn, wooden chairs and tables here and there in small openings became common to see as he traveled along the downward sloping walkway. Another door and he placed his hand against the lock similarly to before. When it opened, he entered, closing the door behind him once more. The hallway no longer resembled the mineshaft, but rather a dungeon hallway. Sturdy stonework made up the wall now and the floor was made of intricate, cobblestone designs. There were old forgotten forts all over Skeicidan, but he was sure this one connected eventually to a fort that was still in use. Not that he knew for sure. He only ever saw the underground half of this place.

Passing wooden crates and barrels full of who knows what, he continued walking. Soon he could hear gentle voices echoing down the hall. Lynn usually was last to arrive.

He was startled to see a red curtain with a gentle glow hanging in the middle of the corridor. Lynn stared it up and down, fidgeting. There was something strange about it. Anxious, he reached his hand out, hesitated, then touched it. It was soft, but the texture was familiar. Like the meat he could conjure. Carefully, he pushed through it.

This room was familiar as well as the three people in it. It was large room, mostly covered in darkness. Dim orbs lined from the hallway entrance to the center of the room, leading a path for those who entered. Blue flames suspended in the air lit the room, though darkness hugged the corners as well as an iron door at the back that Lynn had never been beyond. Several tables lined the center of the room with various medical looking tools, all ominous and looking more like torture devices than anything. Centered among the tables was a large stone slab. This was where they usually put the carcasses. Stained with blood, scratch marks, and other odd colors of rituals, this slab has seen a lot of experience.

Mathuna busied himself by organizing the tools on the surrounding table. Ael was at the slab, looking it over. Roxi was sitting against the table, looking oddly content. Lynn looked to each of them, though only Roxi made eye contact. She stared him down, making Lynn uncomfortable, so he dropped his gaze.

The iron door opened with a loud creak and closed with a clang. A slender, pretty woman entered holding one end of a human-sized bundle--oh god. A smaller, hooded figure assisted her, setting the human-shaped bundle on the stone slab.

Like a kick in the stomach, Lynn realized they were going to raise a human zombie. He had never worked on a human before. Only ever animals. He figured it was time for him to move on from animals--he could successfully raise them as servants every time. But a human... it still felt wrong.

Ael began working to undo the straps holding the shroud together. Chuckling, he said, "You're actually on time for once," Eyeing Lynn from under his hood.

Lynn nodded. His mouth felt dry. Should he back out? He was going to ask about the strange curtain, but seeing a human corpse shoved that from his mind.

"Oh be nice to him," The slender woman said. Lynn had never seen her before. "Hi sweetie. Oh, you're so little!" She approached him, gently reaching for him and pulling his hood down. Lynn was so surprised by this that he didn't have time to react. "You're just a baby!" Her voice was sickly sweet. "What's your name again? Lynn?"

Lynn didn't know how she knew, but he nodded. Immediately after he wondered if he should have denied it. They weren't usually this open.

"You can call me Ellie," She tilted her head. Her hood was up, but from what Lynn could see, she had smooth, clear skin, full lips and vivid eyes. Light hair curled around her neck. "I could just pinch your cheeks--you still have your baby fat! I won't obviously, but my goodness." Her hands were gloved and she had just finished handling a corpse, so Lynn was glad. He didn't appreciate being talked to this way however. His eyes were locked onto the shrouded corpse.

"You've never done a human before, have you?" She went on, "Mathuna filled me in. We're going to try to bring this one back as an undead, but since this is your first time, well, we'll see. If we have to, we'll just raise a servant. I think I can carry you."

Lynn stepped back before he realized 'carry' meant she would try to make up for his inexperience in the ritual; not actually try to lift him up.

Finally, Ael undid the shroud, letting the cloth fall out among the alter.

Lynn's stomach was already writhing in discomfort, but this time he felt it lurch like he'd be sick. He knew this person. This was the young man who ran the antique store in town.

Seeing him lifeless was eerie and uneasy. His skin was grayed, eyes sunken in, his throat had been slit. Lynn opened his mouth, but an odd sound escaped, like a whimper. Ellie cooed at him and this sent enough anger to get him to force out real words.

"What happened?!"

"Hm?" Ellie tilted her head, Ael looked directly at Lynn and Roxi raised an eyebrow.

"I..." Should he say he knew him? Shit. What was his name? They used to talk and.... These people didn't....

"It looks like his throat was slit," Ael muttered, shrugging. Lynn looked to the small person who had helped Ellie carry the body in. They flinched and took a step back, keeping eye contact. Small red eyes glowing from under the hood.

"Who...?" Lynn's voice felt frail.

"Now hold on, sweetie," Ellie laughed as if this was a typical misunderstanding, "We aren't murderers." Lynn didn't speak as those words took time to sink in. "Where do you think we get bodies to work with, darling?"

Ah-o-okay. He didn't feel better about it.

"Wow, you really are inexperienced. Mathuna was the one who brought you here, right?" Ellie raised her hand as if she were about to touch Lynn, but then decided against it. In one quick movement, she pushed his hood back up. "Don't forget about that, sweetheart."

She walked to the slab-almost prancing-and looked the corpse over. "Cute little thing...." She muttered and her tone made Lynn's stomach flip again. She cupped the face of the body, rubbing her thumb from the corner of the mouth to the jawline. Ael also seemed unsure what to think as he leaned away from her subtly. Mathuna and Roxi didn't seem to notice; Mathuna looking over and organizing the tools and Roxi eyeing the strange person who brought the body in. They were looking down at the floor intently as if trying to ignore Roxi's eyes.

"Should we start?" Ellie said. At these words Mathuna stepped away from the tools, Roxi stepped forward, the small, hooded person took several steps away and Ael straightened up.

Lynn, feeling guilty, stepped forward, looking down at the antique store owner's corpse. He couldn't even remember his name. He remembered really enjoying conversations with him. How he would really work to find the items Lynn requested. The memories made him feel dirty now. Pulling someone who didn't know any better into this sick game unknowingly. How did he die? Obviously-he knew how he died looking at the wound on his throat.

"Darling," Ellie said, bringing Lynn's attention back to earth. "I know what you can do. Think you can heal the throat for us?"

Lynn stared at her, processing the words, before nodding. He placed his hands on the antique store owner's throat, summoning flesh. Fingers prickling, stinging, he melded the wound together, leaving a scar. As if this was just a normal wound from a long time ago.

"Ooohh, that's amazing!" Ellie said with enthusiasm that sounded almost fake, "You did that so easily!"

Lynn didn't respond. He only stared down at the corpse's face. Mathuna reached past Ael and Ellie and began unbuttoning the formal clothing the body was in, revealing the chest. The skin sunken around the ribs. He then began carving into it. The runes they'd carve into animals. Ael went to the tools and found a few stones. When Mathuna would cut, Ael would stitch a stone under the skin. Roxi tilted the head to remain straight as the body was stitched. She seemed to be using a bit of magic already as the eyelids fluttered, but nothing major just yet. Ellie took a piece of paper and placed it into the corpse's mouth and began stitching it shut. She leaned in a little too closely, her curls falling over the face so Lynn couldn't see what she was doing.

When she pulled away he realized he should make himself useful. He went to the tools and took the satchel of powder, sprinkling it in the open cuts of the runes and especially around the stones. Every ritual was a bit different. He was treating... this person's body like how he treated the animals.

Guilt throbbed through him, but part of him wondered... if they could bring this person back, what would happen?

Would he be happy? Panicked? Angry? Would Ellie give him a place to stay and be taken care of? He wouldn't be able to return to society again as an undead....

Mathuna took his glove off, grabbed a clean, unused knife and was about to take it to his palm, but Ellie placed a hand on his wrist.

"With what Lynn can do," She began, "Let's use his blood. I'm curious about what that would do."

Lynn tensed, biting his lip and hoping Mathuna would protest. He only handed Lynn the knife and put his own glove back on. Mathuna never helped Lynn.

Lynn swallowed nervously and asked, "Just a slit or a rune?" His voice came out weak and high pitched. Shit. Shit. Shit

Ellie smiled, "Allow me?"

It was against his better judgement to allow this sick stranger to put a knife to him, but she had already helped herself. Taking off Lynn's glove, she said tenderly, "I'll be as careful as I can." He didn't resist as the sharp pain shot through his palm. As if she were cutting paper, the knife slid across his skin delicately. She carved a specific rune into his palm. He had seen it before, but couldn't remember where.

Ellie then did the same to the corpse's hand and attempted to place Lynn's wounded hand against the marking of the corpse's. Lynn, immediately thinking of disease, resisted. Ellie shook her head, "No, no," and with a bit of force, she clasped the hands together. She then set the knife down and clasped the corpse's other hand. Mathuna gathered to her left side, Ael to Mathuna's left, Roxi to Ael's, placing herself at Lynn's right side. Clasping hands, surrounding the head of the corpse on the slab.

Feeling how cold it was... clammy-remembering when he shook hands with the antique store owner for the first time.

There was something like an electric current that shot Through Lynn's body. It didn't hurt and was familiar from when he'd revive animals, but it was a lot more powerful. It stung and the fingers of the corpse's hands tightened. Lynn gasped and tensed, shoulders raising and stomach leaping into his throat.

The runes and stones stitched into the body glowed gently and the body itself started to twist and arch it's back.

"Focus," Lynn heard Ellie say. She was directly across from him in this half circle.

Lynn nodded, throat tight, and tried to pay attention to conjuring. To the idea of summoning magic. His mana through the body. His hand stung enough to hurt a bit where the cut made contact. The body made an awful, wretched breathing sound. He tried to focus. Maybe he could help this person. He'd get involved with his undead life. Try to take care of him. Talk to Ellie about this. About how he knew him.

The body moaned softly through the stitching. Back arched. Fingers gripping his hand so tightly it ached. Focus. Ellie muttered something under her breath. Lynn was tempted to see what the others were doing, but he reminded himself to focus.

If this worked, he'd make sure the stitches were undone of course! Maybe he could...

"It's not going to work," Ellie said, disappointment evident in her tone. She let go.

"Wh-what?" Lynn managed to force out, "How do-"

"I've raised ghouls before. I can feel it," She said, "But I'll teach you to raise a zombie instead, honey. So at least tonight isn't a total loss." The half circle broke apart. Mathuna tsked and stepped back and Ael let go of Roxi's hand a little too quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets. Roxi was paying close attention now to Lynn and Ellie. She didn't move from her spot.

"Do you even know the difference between a ghoul and a zombie?" Mathuna asked Lynn. He thought he did, but he wasn't sure and now Mathuna was making him feel nervous.

"A ghoul has sentience and is who they were before they died, being undead of course," Ellie answered for him, "A zombie is completely mindless. Runs on undead instinct. Why not teach him? Why try and make the poor thing feel stupid?"

For a moment, he was thankful, but it felt wrong still. This whole thing. Lynn would never work on a person again. He didn't want to learn this....

"Watch this," Ellie put her hand on the antique store owner's corpse. Her veins under her skin lit up for a moment, the body jolted and the eyes opened. The young man's eyes had always been dark and sunken, but now they were glazed over.

Ellie stepped back as the body heavily sat up, legs dangling off the table, head hanging.

"So darling," She hushed under her breath, "So precious,"

Lynn stared into those dark eyes for a moment. Hesitantly, he reached up to button the funeral garb back up. When he finished, he caught Ellie's eye. She had an eyebrow raised and a strange smirk on her face. He made it too obvious he knew this person.... What could he do about it?

"...What will happen to him now?"

"Now he's mine," Ellie smiled. Her tone upset Lynn's stomach. It was already unsteady--he would throw up soon. He usually did after these gatherings.

"...But--"

"I'll take care of him," Ellie took her glove off, gave it to the zombie to hold, and put a hand on Lynn's shoulder. "I take care of all my ghouls and zombies."

"...Okay...." It was just a zombie.... The ritual failed. The store owner was long gone. Whether his soul was in a better place or his memories of his life-his personality-were wiped away upon death, gone forever, Lynn had no idea.

"Mathuna told me you do well with conjuring animals," Ellie went on. Lynn only nodded. He wanted to go home now. He didn't want to practice necromancy tonight. "I have another body we can work on."

"Human?" His voice croaked out.


"No, a dog," Ellie answered earnestly.

"N-no--" Then he blurted out before he knew what he was saying, "Is it my fault the ritual failed?" Because he's inexperienced? Like she had voiced earlier?

"You can leave now," She stated simply. "I can tell you just want to go home...." Her tone was strange again. Lynn nodded. Just wanted to leave. He headed through the curtain quickly. Back down the hall. Once he reached the mineshaft however, he couldn't help it. He threw up.