Chapter 21: Sacrifice

The group on the altar turned, each staring at Liam, shocked at his stupid display of bravery. The Lead mage raised his hand, revealing a gaunt skeletal hand white as bone. He flicked it up as a great force lifted him up. He tried to refute, but his struggle was useless. He flicked his finger towards him as a great force launched Liam forward, crashing him on the pedestal.

Liam turned upwards, staring at the cold red eyes of the lead mage, and a small smile crept up on his sunken face.

"Hmmm, I didn't expect to find a null-body in these parts," he said, a small grin forming on his face.

"Let us go!" Liam demanded from the mage.

"Now, why would I do that? You're all going to be part of a wonderful ceremony." He said, raising his hands into the air as he began laughing. The rest of the mages and bandits joined in the mockery.

"Let him go, it's me you want." The professor interrupted the mage.

The lead mage lowered his hands, slowly turning to face the professor, the grin on his face increasing in size.

"Don't worry I don't intend to harm the boy...at least not yet. It's too valuable for research." He said with a mocking laugh.

He turned back to Liam, raising his hand. A red mist slowly rose from his hand, completely engulfing it he pointed at Liam as the mist surged towards him, and red chains materialized on his body, chaining him to the ground.

"I'm guessing you two are quite close, so it's only appropriate for the student to gaze upon his master end...." The lead mage said with a cackle, his eyes glowing a deep red.

The mages and bandits got into position. They stripped the professor and strapped him onto the altar. The professor tried to summon mana to make a spell, but he wasn't able to; he was drained. The lead mage slowly walked, standing at his side. A disgusting smile plastered on his face, showcasing his brown, rotting teeth.

A chest was brought to him, and he carefully opened it, removing from it a red diamond, a red-black fog trapped in the center. He brought it closer to the professor, resting it on his chest. He tried shaking it off, sweat poring from his brows, but it was for naught. It was as if it were stuck with glue.

"The church of light will find you, and I hope you all die a gruesome death." He said with a snarl.

The lead mage chuckled in response as he raised his hands, closing his eyes as he began chanting. Liam watched in horror at the sequence that occurred.

"Blood runs hot, the shadows call,

We rise to slaughter, feast, and maul.

Fangs gleam bright in the moon's cold glow,

The weak shall writhe, the strong shall know.

The crystal began glowing a deep shade of red, as it began levitating on top of the professor's chest. The red-black fog began casting an eerie light on his surroundings. A red aura spread out from the lead mage. A mark appeared on his forehead. A mark of a wolf's head. The same mark began appearing on the other mages as well as the bandits.

No mercy left, no hope remains,

Just crimson tides and dying pains.

Hear the howl, the Beast awakes,

Crushing bones and snapping stakes.

The voices of the night fell silent. Everything was quiet, and a powerful aura descended onto the clearing. Red tendrils of energy rushed out from the crystal, stabbing onto the proffersor. They began tearing into his body, breaking bone. A red aura completely covered the mage. The wolf mark on his forehead glowed a deep red.

Bow before the jaws of night,

Or be devoured in endless fright.

We are the terror, claw, and fang,

The end of all our victory sang!"

The red tendrils of energy completely engulfed the preffeosors' body, integrating into his flesh, forcing cracks to appear as he were made of glass. He began to scream, but the pain only intensified; his body began evaporating into red wisps of energy flowing into the people with wolf marks on their foreheads.

Liam tried breaking from his binds, but they only tightened. He screamed into the darkness, but another tendril lashed out, covering his mouth, so he could only watch. The sound of breaking bones could be heard coming from the body of the proffesors.

Liam shed tears; the professor was the only parental figure he knew. He began fighting harder against the bondage, but they remained, searing his flesh. The red glowing corpse of the professor began floating in the air, lifted by the crystal. Horrifying screams could still be heard coming from the body.

The body began cracking even further till eventully it shattered into a shower of red dust particles. 

The lead mage slowly opened his eyes, his skin a little less paler than it was before. He turned to the babarian leader seeing him flexing his muscles which had grown slightly bigger. He nodded turning to Liam.

"Enjoy the show?" He asked with a smile.

Liam shock in anger, tears streaming from his eyes in rage.

"Don't worry were not done, theres still the main course." He said smiling turning to the villagers.