The priest raised his arms above his head, the sleeves of his robe falling down to his elbows and revealing the stained flesh of his arms. "He is the Keeper and the Gate!"
"He is the Keeper and the Gate!" The congregation's response was loud and hearty. It echoed between the black basalt walls of the temple, setting the torches flickering.
"He is the Way and the Traveller!" This time the priest spread his arms wide above the altar.
"He is the Way and the Traveller!" Once more the congregation's response rang out.
Now the priest grabbed a silvered dagger, its blade shimmering in the torchlight, and turned towards the people gathered behind him. "Who will be the Vessel?" He swept the dagger in great arc before him. A sudden tugging drew the point of the knife towards - "You! You shall be the Vessel!"
The crowd parted, creating a space around the priest's chosen one. It was a youth: his face smooth and beautiful; his body lithe and muscled. There were mutterings amongst the congregation. Nobody was going to gainsay the will of their god, but sometimes they wondered if the priest wasn't indulging himself. All this aside, the youth was not unwilling. He stepped forward, a smile of delight on his face. "I come willingly!"
"Good." The priest gestured towards the altar. "Kneel for the sacrament."
The youth bounded up the steps to the altar and knelt in supplication before the priest. "I am ready."
The priest placed his dagger in front of the youth, then took a silver bowl from its place on the altar. A red liquid slopped lazily within the bowl, heady fumes arising from its surface. "Drink!" the priest commanded.
As the youth eagerly took the bowl and guzzled its contents, the crowd began to chant. The syllables were strange and unearthly, born from elder tongues long since dead. Intoxicated by the drugs he had imbibed and the wall of sound, the youth swayed back and forth, his eyes wide in ecstasy. And then - !
"Aah!" The youth stiffened, his muscles straining as his body contorted into an unnatural pose. He raised his head and opened his mouth.
"He comes!" the priest screamed. "Hearken!"
"He comes!"
There was silence as the crowd strained to hear the words from their god.
The youth's vocal chords cracked, and in a mechanical voice he solemnly intoned: "I-am-sorry. The-deity-you-are-trying-to reach-is-currently-unavailable. Please-consult-your-tomes-and-chant-again. Thank-you."
