The Book of Sacrifice

You Have to Know Me

Sometimes, a place experiences so much anguish that it tears into the planes beyond the mundane world. Pompeii, Gomorrah and New York City were examples. Here, in New Orleans, the burning of Saint Diana's tore into the astral plane, leaving what most Hunters call a 'Realm Tear'. During his time with Kalfou, he spent most of his training cleaning up these sorts of messes. "Can you hear me, Kalfou?" he murmured and turned his eyes to the full moon overhead.

I hear you.. and them.

"Me too. Don't see them though." his eyes softened the moment Tanya arrived by his side. Abandoning his cold demeanor towards her, he nods and continues on. A grumble from Kalfou could be heard. **You'll need the ceremonial garbs I gifted you during your tenure as Houngan. Surely you're not bold enough to think a mere axe and double barrel will be enough.**
"It was enough then. It will be now." Every word in Adonis' response was laced with disgust. "Putting that on means serving you again. I know your tricks so the answer is no."

He halted a few feet away from the ruins. The school almost appeared intact from where he stood, if one could get past the vine-ridden pillars and charred walls. When he stopped forward once more, he could see what a mess the place truly was. Trash and garbage was strewn about, graffiti and the typical '(Blank) Wuz Here' messages were written on the walls. The worst part was the syringes and bottles. A sigh left his lips as his eyes met the floor. There was a time this place was the most beautiful place in all of New Orleans. He remembered racing down these halls despite the bruises and the constant cramming. He remembered his friends, the ones he lost in the flames. With an outstretched hand, he reached for the wall but did not dare touch it. That open hand clenched into a tightened fist as his breathing hitched. "When I served as Houngan to Kalfou, I swore revenge against the people who did this. To the world, the victims of the… 'Boogeyman' murder spree were just people, only human."

Tanya followed closely behind him. This home was once hers as well. Adonis' lost friends were also hers. Treading through this place was not any easier, despite making sure the many souls that were once there found peace. Revisiting their home wasn't any easier on her; the eeriness gave her goosebumps, the thought of what they faced made every hair on her body stand and the silence was deafening until Adonis spoke. She grounded herself and regained her composure. "What were they?" she asked with a quiet voice.

Adonis paused then stepped out of the school's rear entrance, what was left of it, to face an open field riddled with ash and ruins. Once upon a time, this area held training grounds for both Hunter and Mystic, along with several sights to see. Now, there was only one. Further down was the outdoor forum classroom. It stood as a monument to those who perished in the fire years ago and remained untouched by human hands. At the foot of the classroom was a large headstone with a thousand names etched into them. A trembling hand reached out for it and he released a deep breath he barely realized he held before touching the headstone. The Hunter shut his eyes and prayed; Hụ m, nyekwa m ohere. The ground beneath them trembled as the headstone shook off it's dust before moving backwards. The further it moved, the more it revealed a set of stairs with lit braziers along the walls. Adonis turned to Tanya and finally answered her question; "They were one of us. That's why they got under here… why they brought cultists with them."

With that, the duo began their descent.

Underneath the ruins of Saint Diana's were a great many catacombs with corridors that led to many different places. Some led back to the city sewers if one was willing to walk far enough while another led to the swamps just a few miles away. Many Hunters and their fledglings knew this so the catacombs were often used. Adonis knew them well back when he did grunt work for Met Kalfou. How the Igbo cultists knew was still a mystery to him. "Something doesn't add up." the Hunter voiced his thoughts, "The Rada warded these catacombs against the Petwo Loa, even after the fire." Tanya stayed close, ducking under cobwebs. "Do you think that this betrayer broke through the warding?" she questioned. Adonis halted and turned his gaze to the right. With an outstretched hand, he tested his palm against the stone wall and drew a deep breath. A blood red sigil burned bright beneath his hand and the wall began to shift. Brick by brick, the wall parted to reveal a secret corridor.