Nameless Ghoul

The Chapel of Ritual

Itzal’s heart sank when Secondo informed him they would need to go to the Abbey’s chapel, where the summonings and rituals were performed. They needed the altar that the sacred space contained, plus it was equipped with everything they needed. He took a deep breath and tried to imagine the outcome rather than the process. Those kinds of spaces made him nervous, for obvious reasons. He had spent too much time helplessly at the mercy of others in them. This time would be different, he knew that, but it didn’t help with his conditioned response.

When they arrived there, the ghoul Councillor Shay was already busy setting things up. The others got to work helping him while Itzal and Sunshine sat on a pew and waited. Itzal took the time to ask her about his aura.

“Remember, you said that when I’m here, you can’t really see Santos in my aura? Does that mean that you can still see him?”

She looked at Itzal thoughtfully for a moment before nodding and replying.

“I see you clearly now, but yes, there are crackles every now and again. They're like little black and white shimmers and sparks. It's an opaque version of what was there the first night I saw you. I think that’s definitely his aura bleeding through into yours through the bond you share.”

Itzal thought about that, so in theory Sunshine would be able to tell if the ritual had worked by looking at his aura. He figured it was worth mentioning. He also wasn’t sure about having her there while the ritual was performed, though, in case he freaked out. Secondo had explained they would have to use Hellfire to change the inscription which Terzo would be directing onto the collar. This would involve having to hold him totally still on the altar, as there was no room for error. It would also be painful, which he could deal with, he guessed, but during the other rituals he'd partaken in, he'd been under the control of Santos. His fight-or-flight instinct had been null and void, which wouldn’t be the case here.

He honestly didn’t care about what the others thought of him, but for some reason, he didn’t want Sunshine to see him looking so weak. Secondo agreed that it was a good idea for Sunshine to gauge if the ritual was working, so she gave Itzal a weak smile and went to sit down and wait until they needed her.

Itzal removed his shirt and stepped over to the altar where Secondo, Terzo, Alpha and Omega were waiting for him. It took every ounce of his strength to turn his back on Sunshine as she would see the messy tangle of scars and still healing wounds on his back that Santos had left there. It took even more courage to walk up the steps towards the large stone altar of his own free will for the first time in his existence.

His skin tingled as Omega sent him some calming energy, but it would just be a small dose. They couldn’t risk mixing different types of magic once the ritual was underway. He offered his thanks to the big ghoul and climbed up onto the massive sacrificial altar.

As he lay down on his back, he tried his best to keep his breathing even, but he could feel himself trembling. He heard the witches lighting candles and incense. They begin softly chanting. He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath as he felt Alpha and Omega climb up next to him so that they could hold him down by his shoulders.

“Are you ready?” Omega whispered close to his ear.

He couldn’t bring himself to speak, so he just nodded his head.

Secondo joined the chanting with the witches, and then Terzo climbed up to straddle his chest. It was necessary so that he could get the best access to the collar.

Itzal could feel panic bubbling up from the pit of his stomach and he tried his best to send his mind away, like he did when Santos was doing his worst. He felt Alpha and Omega bracing themselves for holding him still, and his heart was picking up speed as he struggled to drift away into his mind. He opened his eyes briefly and saw that Terzo had his own eyes closed with a look of concentration on his face. His fingers began sparking with what must have been the Hellfire.

Itzal felt himself start to struggle as a full on panic kicked in at just the wrong moment. Terzo opened his eyes again, looking at the ghouls.

“Hold him still! I cannot do this without killing him if he is flailing around like this!”

"He's stronger than he looks!" Omega said through his efforts.

In a moment of clarity, Itzal looked at Alpha.

“Knock me out!” he said through gritted teeth. The ghoul looked confused. "Knock me the fuck out!” he shouted.

Alpha looked at Secondo, who nodded his head sharply and the next thing everything went black.

When he came to, Itzal was still laying on the altar and he felt a burning pain around his neck. His hand reached up and he hissed as his fingers touched the raw burns. He looked to the side and met the gaze of Sunshine, who was standing beside him, looking worried. She smiled at him when she realised he was awake.

“Hey you.” 

“Did it work?” he asked her.

She scrunched her brow and concentrated on his aura, and then a beautiful smile lit up her face.

“I think so,” she said. “I'll get Secondo and Shay to come and have a look to make sure the inscription Terzo did is correct. He was practising all afternoon to get it right, apparently.”

Itzal sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the altar. His temple throbbed from where Alpha must have hit him to knock him out and a headache suddenly bloomed now that he was upright. Sunshine handed him his shirt and went to get Secondo and Shay. They returned and agreed that the alteration was perfect. It should buy them some time to figure out something more permanent.

Itzal wasn't sure why they didn’t just kill him and be done with the whole situation, but he was starting to feel grateful that they hadn’t.

They left to tidy away and Sunshine came to stand with him again.

“I’ve asked Papa if you can move into one of the guest rooms in the ghoul lair. It’s a lot warmer up there and you’ll be more comfortable. Plus, we can all keep an eye on you in case you turn evil,” she said with a wink. “That’s if you want to?”

He was too tired for decisions right now. His neck was sore and the headache was throbbing. All he wanted to do was lay down and go to sleep, so he nodded his agreement and winced as she squealed and jumped up and down. That earned them amused glances from the others in the chapel.

“Come on then, let’s go and pick a room! You’ll love it, and if you’re up to it tomorrow, we can still make those pancakes.”

He blindly followed her as she led him off towards the ghoul lair.