Tales of Avanturia 1

Chapter 11: Family Secrets

The next day had dawned and Fenrock, Brynjolf and Bella had all three gathered at the stone circle in the northwest of the mansion. They wanted to take a closer look at the thing and to find out why it was this place, that Francis and the black mage had chosen.

However, they did not notice, that they were followed, silently..

„Couldn't we have gone like an hour later.. I didn't get any sleep last night damnit!" Brynjolf complained.

„Stop whining," Bella replied, „Also it was you, who wanted to stay awake 'In case that the Manticore attacks', eventhough we knew that it wouldn't appear that night."

„...Shut up..!"

„That's the spot?" Fenrock asked.

„Well, it's the only ruin-y stone circle around and the direction is right, so I suppose yes." Bella replied.

It was a big stone circle that was in a small crater. Around it were, what seemed to be seats made out of stone aswell. In the north of it was a plattform with an altar and a podium on it. The place itself was surrounded by stones, that were arranged like gates, similar to stonehenge.

„Interesting, this place looks kind of like an old arena, don't you think? Or place where people gathered to celebrate something, or perform like mass rituals." Brynjolf mentioned.

„It does, do you see the burned parts there on the ground in the centre? Looks like this would be the place where it's summoned." Fenrock agreed pointing at the almost black ground in the centre of the stone circle. There were bits of burned wood, like there's been a big fire.

„Burned wood.. so it's a flame ritual.." Bella mumbled.

„Would make sense, since Manticores live in rather warm areas." Fenrock agreed.

„Wait a second," Brynjolf interrupted, „Flame ritual? How's that work?"

„A flame ritual is an elemental ritual, there are four of them, for each element, air, earth, water and fire. They are used for different things, but mostly for actually summoning creatures, since it makes it that much easier, but in order to achieve this effect, you have to summon the creature while performing the right ritual. For example, you wouldn't be able to summon a Manticore from a water-type ritual. For a flame ritual, you have to first make a fire, obviously, and it has to be big enough for the creature to step out of it, which means, that they basically work like portals, so in order to summon a Manticore, the fire would have to be quite big." Bella explained.

„Oh, ok, I get it, but why wouldn't they just have it run around here and instead summon it every three nights?" Brynjolf asked.

„Because a big Manticore in an area like this would attract too much attention if it were to roam around freely. And since it's not a magically summoned creature, but brought here, you'd not be able to control it, which would make the efficiency less, but the eventual destruction more, which is not quite the goal of Francis as it seems." Fenrock explained.

„But wouldn't that be essentially more lavish?" Brynjolf commented.

Fenrock shrugged his shoulders, „Rich people, I guess." As Fenrock looked around, he saw a piece of cloth behind one of the stones, it belonged a dress.

He rolled his eyes, „Lucia, you can come out now."

„WHA-?! I mean, *adjusts voice to a pseudo manly one* Lucia? I know not of someone with that name, I am a simple rock, um stone. Yes, a simple stone, enjoying the fresh air!" she, I mean, 'the stone' replied.