The Book of Sacrifice

Fight Night

The moon had finally reached it's apex by the time the group made it to the Bayou. Provided by Kalfou was an abandoned shoe factory, a remnant of old times. Adonis' eyes scanned the area, his ears picking up the creaking of rusted metal as the wind blew by. The building itself was barely standing. It sported numerous holes in its walls, a thousand broken windows and overgrown plants climbed across the bricks. The group stepped through the open doors to face the hideous interior. Trash and garbage welcomed them, many tables were thrown to the side, the conveyor belts were covered in plant life and, somehow, ragged furniture. "Couldn't have picked us a nice brownstone in Tremé?" Adonis swept aside a large leaf.
"Tremé is too warded. Surely another Loa would have noticed. Last thing we need is to piss off the Rada." the Mambo spoke up before Kalfou could, sharing a chuckle with the Hunter. "Let's find a clear-enough space. I don't know if I can cast with all these needles around."

Though Adonis spoke from a place of confidence but a chill made him grip his weapon tighter. He, Tanya and the Mambo had come armed. In Adonis' hands was his trusty lumberjack axe, imbued with Kalfou's magic. Tanya wielded a serrated iron dagger with a cyan orb embedded into the hilt. Imbued in it was the flame of an ancient dragon. The Mambo carried nothing but her tools for the incantation. Confident in her power, she believed she did not need tools like her companions. The duo would have entered through the door if not for the massive breach in the wall just next to it.
Tanya's face was wrought with disgust at the sight of the place. She felt adamant about moving but it was surely better than festering with the trash. "Speaking of…" Adonis took a look around, "I've got signs of squatters. By the looks of it, there were a lot of people here. Why aren't they here now?"

"Let's be glad they aren't here. I think it'd be impossible to explain what we're about to do to whoever was here, even if they were under any sort of influence." Tanya kicked aside a bottle. The Mambo, however, swept aside the garbage with a wave of her hand. She began her preparations by unrolling a cloth along the floor, revealing the necessary ritual items. "One ingredient is missing; my blood. For a portal to open to Hell itself, an immense amount of it is necessary."

"I have plenty to share." Kalfou nodded, facing Tanya and Adonis, "What we're about to accomplish is no easy feat. I trust you two to guard us with your lives. Your weapons have been imbued with my mystic energy. That means Moloch can be hurt. Tanya, thank you for joining the fight. Adonis.."

"You know our routine, Kalfou. We'll talk when the mission is done." Adonis was quick to dismiss him, his back turned to the group.

We will talk now.

Suddenly Adonis was turned to face the Loa spirit against his will. The Hunter sighed as he was let go and followed closely behind Kalfou, the duo getting some distance from the girls. "I know you don't agree with this-"

"He needs to die. No banishment, no other way. Moloch has to pay for wha-"

"-and I agree with you."

Adonis silenced his wrathful ranting as an expression of confusion formed on his face. "What?"

"I swore to you when we made our pact that we would find and kill the thing responsible for the destruction of Saint Diana's. Our mission began with freeing New Orleans of the scum that polluted it. You did that. We eradicated the threat of the Undead Igbo. Now we face a Demonic threat. I hate sending this vile thing away knowing he could someday return…but we have no other options. So I contacted my brother Ogoun to ask that he craft a weapon capable of slaying Demons. He requires Moloch's infernal blood. If you can extract it, you may have your revenge yet."

"What are you asking of me? What do we do once I get it?" Adonis' eyes trailed to his companions then back to Kalfou.

"We will still banish him. He will undoubtedly return in time. We will be ready by then." Kalfou watched as Adonis' head sank into his shoulders. He could only imagine his sorrow. "I.. I have to wait?"
"You must, son. This is bigger than me. Bigger than you. If we leave this monster unchecked, the rest of the world could suffer. How many more Boogeymen will he create? How many more brothers and sisters will he take from others while we prepare? Only in Hell can we be sure we'll have enough time. Adonis, please.." the Loa placed a hand on his shoulder. The Hunter lifted his head to face his mentor. Words formed and pressed against his lips but they did not leave his mouth. He could only sigh and nod. "Alright.'