Ero Skill Tree

Chapter One Hundred and Two: Completion of the Ritual

After her warning Lillia turned back and continued silently observing the altar. The priest and attendants were still standing there, waiting for something. The girl was still laid motionless on the altar. I guess they were just waiting for her to come to. I glanced across to Altria and Siofra, both were silently observing the ritual just like Lillia. I looked over at Serin sat next to me, she noticed and smiled at me, but didn't say a word. I pulled my gaze back to the front. As I did so Serin placed her hand on mine, the warmth from her body was comforting in the middle of this bizarre experience.

I wasn't sure how long we had all been sat there in silence, just watching the five figures by the altar and waiting for something to happen. As the time continued to pass, the sense of anticipation for what was going to happen next seemed to grow. I could almost sense it coming from the onlookers. It felt like a long time had passed, when finally, the girl on the altar started to move once again.

The girl slowly got to her feet and as she did the priest climbed back onto the altar. He was holding a blue robe now, he stood behind the girl and placed the robe over her head. She seemed to have been expecting this and put her arms through and pulled it down, covering the white gown she was wearing before. Once she was fully dressed the priest then stepped off the platform. He turned to face the girl and got down to his knees. The four robed men at each corner also dropped to their knees at the same time.

The girl now fully awake stepped to the side of the altar. She began chanting, I knew straight away that she was beginning a spell. Her entire body was covered in a soft glow as she continued the incantation and the air around the shrine seemed to crackle with energy. Then almost without warning there was what sounded like a loud tearing noise and a bang. It was accompanied by a blinding flash. When my vision cleared from the flash, I saw the wolfkin girl on the altar dropped to her knees, exhausted from the technique. She was accompanied on the altar by another woman who lay unconscious next to her.

I didn't need to turn to ask Lillia what had happened, I could guess as much for myself. This was the first summoning the girl had performed and the woman that lay next to her had been brought here from another world, just as I had been. The priest hurriedly climbed onto the altar to check on the summoner girl and offered her a potion. He paid no attention to the unconscious woman that had just been brought here.

While the wolfkin girl drank the potion the woman gradually regained consciousness and sat up. At first the look on the woman's face was pure bewilderment, having no clue as to what had happened, or how she got here. Then as she took in her surroundings, it switched to fear.

"What's going on? Where am I?" She asked.

There was no response from the people around her. She awkwardly got to her feet and walked towards the priest.

"Hey who are you and what have you done to me?" She asked impatiently.

The priest just spun around and pushed her back. He seemingly wanted to keep her away from the princess who was still sat on the altar recovering.

"What the hell. Just who do you think you are?" She shouted angrily.

She stepped towards the priest again, but she didn't get far. One of the men in black robes had climbed on the altar behind her and bludgeoned her on the back of the head. The woman fell to the floor unconscious. My body seethed with anger watching this, but I knew if I stepped up there and tried to intervene it would be the end of me. This place was full of royal guards and adventurers, I doubt I would have made it to the altar.

I wasn't the only one that was angry, Serin's hand shook on top of mine. I could tell she was having to restrain herself from acting as well. While this was happening a second member of the black robes climbed on the altar and along with the one that had hit the woman, they each to an arm. Lifting her a few feet off the ground slowly stared dragging her off the altar, there was a thud as her feet hit the shrine floor. The pair paused for a moment, then continued to head towards the exit of the shrine.