Shadowglade [On Hold]

Chapter 4

"Stand here." Lady Morolith blatantly stated.

Osuin stole a quick glance at the stone faced older woman. She had her hand out to the side, directing him to a small altar in a large room. There were four pillars in the center, being the corners of a dark red rectangular pool that lay in the very center. To her left and to her right were two altars, each standing before a pillar. Osuin figured the same kind of set up would be on the other side.

"To my left is the Altar of Enarus, the God of Light and Justice."

Osuin approached the altar, a sphere with a skewed ring around it floated above a three foot pillar riddled with white candles on its surface. He began to kneel before it, but Lady Morolith quickly ripped him back by his shirt collar.

"We do not bend our knee to the god who abandoned his child, Kelena."

That phrase seemed to be the cue for five other hooded figures to emerge from the shadows. They lined up silently before the Matron and Osuin, their hands were clasped around black candles. They were lit to reveal golden masks on each of them.

"Vampires, what do we do to the Altars of Enarus?" The Matron called out proudly.

"We desecrate his holy land." They chanted in unison.

"And what do we do in the face of onlookers who scorn us, Assassins?"

"Silence is the Sword of Kelena."

With a nod, the Matron turned to look at Osuin's confused glare. She sighed and shook her head in disappointment.

"Go over there...and destroy the Altar of Enarus." She groaned in monotone.

Osuin seemed to perk up with the decent explanation and strolled confidently to the altar, earning an awkward look from both Gael and the Matron. Osuin noticed the five hooded figures shifting in the background, taking their places behind strange instruments, the likes of which he'd never seen. There were a number of drums and a long tube that looked more like a ceremonial pillar than an instrument. They began to play softly, slowly, a dark tribal tune that sent him into a trance. He could only glare at the floating symbol of Enarus before he noticed his hand balled into a fist. He raised it, cocking his arm back, and then let fly. The stone felt more like loose rocks as he punched through the structure. He let another fist fly, and eventually a flurry as the adrenaline fueled each and every strike. 

Stone debris hurled past his face. The Matron had to take a few steps back to avoid another scar on her face, but she seemed fairly content with Osuin's sudden burst of compliance with a small grin. The hooded figures played the music more intensely, picking up speed as Osuin turned his attention to the pillar with candles. All the negativity, the pain, the sorrow, channeled through him and gave him energy that pushed his body far beyond the natural human limits. Forty pounds of pure stone became rubble and dust in a matter of moments. He took a few steps back, panting and wiping the sweat off his forehead with bloody hands.

"Very impressive, Osuin," The Matron started, projecting her voice over the sound of the strangers playing their dark tune, "You have shown loyalty to us, to our Goddess, Kelena. This brings us to the Altar to my right. The altar to my right is the Altar of Kelena. Kelena is our Dark Mother and our guide on our Twilight Path."

Osuin turned to approach the altar similar to Enarus's, except the floating stone above it was representative of a full moon, and on either side floated waning and waxing crescent moons. Directly underneath it, was a stone bowl carved out of the pillar with four black candles, one on each of the four corners.

"Gael, what do we do in the face of our Dark Mother?"

Gael stepped forward and faced the adrenaline fueled young man before him.