Games [The Electro Cosmos Book 2]

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Mila and Heidi waited by the wall of the courtyard, Agni curled around her. The rest of the guild stood nearby, but not as close to Agni as they were. Mila leaned against her stomach, giving and taking body heat. She watched the sky, the full moon shone a bright blue, unlike last night's bright red. The strange changes made Mila worry. Although the color change was due to chemical composition in the atmosphere, there was still a possibility something could go wrong, and the effects in the game could affect their bodies outside.

Mila was waiting uncomfortably as the worshipers prepared to begin their ceremony. They were lighting candles, handing them to one another and drinking from a single goblet. What they were drinking, Mila could not tell. She assumed it was red wine, their lips stained red as they brought the goblet away from their mouths. They licked the drops from their lips rather eagerly. It reminded Mila of blood, and she turned away with a white face, hoping that was not what they were drinking. Her stomach twisted thinking about the animal, or human, whose blood they were drinking.

"What do you think is going to happen," Heidi spoke up, nudging Mila in the shoulder. Mila looked back, surprised to see Heidi's worried but calm gaze. Mila could tell she was trying to hide that she was afraid of them, or at least afraid of what they could do.

"I don't know," Mila said. "And honestly I'd rather leave before they begin their chanting thing. Looks like we have no choice though." Mila rubbed her hand over Agni's tail, the scales smooth and comforting. Although she was beastly, Mila felt she was their only way to get out unharmed. Whatever they were doing already changed the air around them.

Mila saw the worshiper dressed in white stand up and raise his arm. He began speaking in another language, something none of them recognized. Mila's adrenaline pumped faster through her blood as they began their ceremony, raising their arms into the air and shouting chants in another language. Mila stared at them, rubbing Agni's scales between her fingers. Agni curled herself closer around Mila and Heidi. They all prepared for what came next.

Mila stood as everyone else did, but she refused to do any more to assist the worshipers in their ceremony. They continued to wait as the moon reflected into the pool. The blue glow grew from the pool, branching out across the courtyard. Everything began to glow, the water moving through breaks in the floor and towards the walls and up to the curved dome above. Runes carved in the walls began to glow the same blue color until the entire room was lit beyond bearable. Everyone had to shield their eyes to avoid being blinded.

Mila squinted away from the light. Cernunnos and Agni began to shuffle and make frantic noises. Mila's senses seized as she curled on the ground in pain, pressure pushing against her skull. Mila's bones began to vibrate as a high pitched, almost inaudible sound filled the room. The light became so blinding Mila crumbled and covered her face, curling into the fetal position as the pain became too great for her to handle. Tears flowed uncontrollably from her face and she could sense nothing around her, not even Agni. Then suddenly, the light grew dim and the pressure ebbed slowly until it disappeared. Everything continued to glow, cascading the courtyard in glittering dim light, pulsing with life.

Mila opened her eyes and looked around the room at the other players crumpled on the floor. Everyone began to shuffle, opening their eyes as the room returned to the dim light. They returned from their crumpled positions and sat down with exhaustion. They stared in awe as the runes around them glowed. There were even small flecks of light floating through the air like fire flies. The worshipers continued to chant, holding hands as they circled around the fountain. Then they grew quiet, the worshiper in white the only one speaking.