Dawn at the Wild Rift (Book IV)

Chapter 34

On the tabernacle in the temple of the Demon of Curse, Talon lays Hanabi. She is still unconscious which is convenient for him to make the procedures easier.

He unsheathes his dagger and grabs a small bowl. Walking towards Hanabi, he tries to throw away the remaining sympathy running through his veins. He grabs her hand and stares at her wrist.

"I'm sorry, Hana," he apologizes.

Overcoming his hesitation, he cuts Hanabi's flesh and lets her blood fill the bowl. After a while, he ties a piece of cloth on her wrist to stop the bleeding. Thus, he starts to write the ancient chants around the tabernacle with the blood of the Scarlet ninja. This is also what happened when they offered Sivir.

However, as he finishes writing each character of the chant, it starts to glow in dark fiery red. It is as if small patches of lava follow each letter. This did not happen when Sivir was sacrificed but Talon still focuses on finishing it. This is probably a sign that the Demon of Curse is pleased with the offering.

When he is done, he takes a few steps away from the tabernacle and spills the remaining blood at the fee staircase.

Talon gazed at the red glows of the characters and they are telling him that something ominous is bound to happen. However, his eyes shift to Hanabi when he sees her hand move.

Little by little, she regains her consciousness. The sickening stench of rotting flesh made her realize that she is back to the temple. The cut in her wrist also starts to shoot her with pain.

Her strength comes surging back but it is already too late for her to leave the tabernacle. The fiery letters all move at the same time and aligned themselves in successive parallel lines around her body. Hanabi forces herself to get up, however, the letters glow brighter in red and act as a series of chains to keep her still.

"Let me out of here, Talon!" she demands, her voice echoing in the cavern. She turns to her right and sees Talon. She cannot look at him in the eyes because he is looking down with his hands clench into fists.

"Let me... out..." Her voice breaks as the burning pain seethes into her flesh. The letters did not only act as a chain but they burn her skin and burrow themselves in her flesh until they are clinging to her very bones.

It is happening in a slow process, filling the cavern with screams of pain and agony. To Hanabi, half an hour of torture feels like a year. She could even feel her skin building and healing again. However, the unbearable burns are not subsiding at all. She cries for help but it is just in vain, Talon is simply watching, pretending to not hear anything.

Glowing faint blue eyes, silver hair, and purplish skin. Hanabi's appearance changes completely. As she rises from the tabernacle, her new armor trimmed with gold swirling to her chest starts to materialize. Her golden mask covers half of her face and as well as her forehead. It creates a C-shaped horn above her forehead. But what is even more shocking is the appearance of a golden circle behind her. In that circle, two pairs of arms grow out of it and each is holding a dark purple to faint blue swords.

Talon did not expect this sudden turn of events. He is stunned. Never did it cross in his mind that Hanabi would be turned into something monstrous. And not only that, she is reeking of pure evil.

Goosebumps crawl in every inch of Talon's body when a burst of shrill and hollow laughter fills the cavern.

"Finally," the voice states, "the offering is made. Just as promised, the curse is lifted. However, you must kill the human embodiment of the curse to exorcise Rakshesha."

Another laughter echoes and as seconds go by, it vanishes. Talon could not move an inch as Hanabi walks down the few stairs and little by little, the distance between them narrows.