Prince of Bones

10. Ceremony of Shadows

They put Seonghwa in the same scandalous outfit as last time when they went to get him on that day, Hongjoong politely waiting in his corner and stopping himself from jumping the other man. Of course these robes might need a good reminder on what human pleasures where but Hongjoong did not deem them of quite deserving of it.

Also there was no time.

Their plan had been formed rushed and without much care for the details. They basically needed to make sure that they got the right timing to react before the ritual actually finished.

It was only on the way to the altar when Hongjoong suddenly second-guessed himself.

Did they read that right? If he had understood correctly Seonghwa was the one who had to bear the god but would it not make more sense for him to be the one to carry the black mass as a god instead of giving birth to a new one?

Because usually such human impregnated by god myths never ended well for the human. They said he believed him to be strong enough because they mistook his shadow as something else. So what if he already broke through the ritual?

Hongjoong was restless where he was walking in front of Seonghwa and flanked by two robes. Their shadows were still at their feet right now, only waiting for their moment and Hongjoong shivered in the cool main room.

They had forgone dressing him because what for? He was supposed to be dead in a few hours either way.

Hongjoong was brought to the altar and pushed down on the cold stone, fitting entirely on it. He weakly fought the fingers grabbing him and chaining his hands and feet down, shivering all over.

When he had cleaned the thing he had found the small gouges surrounding it, collecting blood to let it drip in a big bowl underneath where it could be collected for later use. It smelled of death here.

Hongjoong did not particulary enjoy the helplessness of being restrained on a table, silently watching on as they put Seonghwa up on the wendigo. They did not hurt him, merely fixing his body in place with some ropes that were bound around him careful in consideration of his jewellry. Hongjoong wanted to snort at them.

The pirate was told to stay still and he felt the cold seep into his bones, exchanging worried glances with Seonghwa and the big skull of the wendigo above them. He tried to be comfortable but could not, not when death was so near.

The robes were wearing their own skulls again when they put up bright torches that burned eerily purple and seemed to make the mocking grin of the wendigo all the more real, the dancing shadows making him seem alive.

Their leader was the only one standing next to Hongjoong and preparing for everything while the rest of the cult had sat down on their benches darkly, not even to be seen from Hongjoong's point of view. There were some dried flowers obscuring his view, merely enabling him to see Seonghwa from where he was spread out like an X.

"I will begin with the ceremony now.", the leader anncounced only for them privately to hear and Hongjoong gave his mask a glare before focusing Seonghwa again.

The wendigo was much bigger than him, Seonghwa's fingers not even reaching until its elbows and his toes about halfway to the creature's knees. However his feet were about at the same height like the altar was and Hongjoong felt soothed by his closeness.

"We will dedicate today's ritual to our god, the prince of darkness. May he rise and rule over the ignorant ones and make them regret not seeing his grace."

Hongjoong tuned him out.

He wanted to stare at Seonghwa a little longer, at his handsome features and slender body. He looked ravishing in that outfit and if they really lived through this Hongjoong would take him right here on the altar and laugh in the robes' distraught faces (or what they called a face).