The Fires of Esus - Ranger's Apprentice

Chapter 20: Congratulations

The entire clearing had filled with druids, all of them in white robes, and they stood in circles around the fire. They placed their bowls on the ground by their feet and stretched their arms out towards the fire, whispering and murmuring chants in the Celtic language. Lewellyn stood at the center, leading the chants with outstretched arms and closed eyes, face turned reverently towards the sky.

Horace and Will silently watched them pray for at least a half an hour, both of them tense with anticipation. Will squeezed the grip on his bow, his eyes glued to the fire as he waited for it to swell in size, jump out at him, burn everyone up, or anything in between. Horace was still as pale as a ghost, and his hand hadn't moved from the hilt of his sword.

After what felt like years of praying and chanting, humming songs and murmuring 'Esus' over and over, Lewellyn finally raised her hand, making everyone fall silent. They all stopped moving, swaying, and bowing, standing as still as statues. The firelight danced across their faces and motionless bodies, making the clearing look like the large stones that stood unnaturally upright in circles on the Solitary Plains. Will had seen them once before, in his early days as an apprentice. This was the humanoid version, with statues of people instead of rectangles of stone.

"He has spoken!" Lewellyn called in a loud voice. "He calls for a sacrifice!"

Horace stiffened, his breath hitching as he swayed heavily where he stood. Will had to grab his upper arm to keep him from falling over. "Will, I swear to god, if we get sacrificed tonight, I'm going to kill you!"

Will, who had just sucked in a huge nervous breath, let it out in a sigh and whispered, "I'm trying my best, Horace. Worse comes to worse, I'll go first and you'll have to save me if something goes wrong."

"Deal."

"Who will volunteer?" Lewellyn was turning slowly, looking every single druid in the eye. "He demands only the second degree of sacrifice tonight. Who is brave enough? Who is truly committed to Esus?"

Will noted that her eyes did not drift towards him or Horace. Hopefully that means she doesn't expect us to volunteer. We just might survive this after all.

A man off to one side raised his hand. He stepped out of the circle and walked slowly toward Lewellyn. "I have heard his call, and I will answer."

"Blessed one, you bring great honor upon yourself in your willingness to serve Esus. He shall reward you." She gestured to something large on the ground behind her legs. From their angle, Will realized he couldn't see it very well, and he tugged on Horace's sleeve as they crept along the edge of the clearing to get a better look.

Sure enough, a massive smooth blackened stone, about the size of a small desk and at least ten centimeters thick, lay on the dirt beside the fire at Lewellyn's feet. It had a disk-shaped indent on the surface of it, like something the size and thickness of a dinner plate needed to be placed there.

The man stood on the opposite side, facing Lewellyn. The glassy surface of the stone below them reflected the fire in a mirrored image. It was hypnotic, and with the light Will could see some odd splotches scattered across the face of the stone. They ruined the reflection, making it imperfect and warped. He couldn't tell what it was from this distance that coated the stone, but he sensed it was supposed to be smooth. So what was it?

"What have you chosen?" Lewellyn asked the man. He held out his left hand, palm up, fingers spread wide. "An excellent choice, most favored by Esus." His hand trembled as she spoke.

To Will's increasing horror, he withdrew a knife from his belt, a long slim silver one that gleamed red in the firelight. The entire scene was reflected on the stone below as he pressed the edge of the blade against the skin of his arm just below the wrist, the most narrow part of his forearm. He paused there, both hands trembling, his eyes leaking tears and his lips pressed together painfully. A few tears dripped down onto the stone, marring the reflection even further.