Across the Veil: Open Eyes (Book 1)

Chapter 20: That's really bad...

Divination was something well outside Moira's usual set of skills. It wasn't an easy process as far as she knew. It took a lot of concentration and a strong connection with light or fire-based magics. Some people that used shadow magic were able to get visions while dreaming, but even that was outside Moira's abilities.

Vilis had been working diligently to set up the divination ritual and furnace to melt the metal emblem. Everyone had gathered in the basement in order to watch the process in action. On the opposite side of the room, well away from the ritual site, sat Vilis' friends. They all looked mystified. Nina and Blake had heard many stories of Vilis' father using divination rituals, but they'd never seen it themselves. Vilis himself looked rather worried as he kept going over the process, checking each step to make sure he'd gotten it right. Whenever he started to get too tense, Nina and Blake would cheer him on and give him a little confidence boost to continue on.

"They are an amazing bunch." Moira observed with a smile, leaning against the wall of the basement.

"Yeah, they're pretty okay." Memphis replied with a shrug.

"I want to adopt them."

Memphis snorted, "By all means, take 'em. I could use them being out of my hair for a bit."

"Please. You care about them." Moira smirked, voice hushed.

"And what, pray tell, gave you that idea?"

"Let's see..." Moira mused, examining her nails, "You are surprisingly patient with Savio, despite you two really not getting along," she nodded at Celeste, who was standing with Rayne and the others, "I saw that you care about Celeste's wellbeing and actively want to keep the kids safe," she smirked, "Plus I heard about you trying to take care of Willow."

Memphis frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "I just don't want to deal with any more nonsense than I already have to." he grumbled.

"Yuh-huh." Moira smirked and rolled her eyes, turning to watch Vilis finishing up the ritual site, "Of course."

"Listen you-"

"It's ready!" Vilis declared, taking a seat in front of the small melting furnace. He crossed his legs, hands outstretched towards the immense heat of the furnace, "Just sit back. This might take a minute. Whatever you do, don't touch me or disturb the site."

No one even dared to speak as Vilis began focusing on the flames and heat. His eyes focused on the flames for a few minutes before glazing over as he entered a trance. His breathing was steady and posture relaxed. Save for a few twitches of his fingers in time with the lapping flames, Vilis was still as stone.

Within the furnace the medallion melted down into a puddle of liquid gold. A faint hissing growl came from the furnace, as if something was being disturbed from its rest. Memphis' eyes narrowed as he stepped away from the wall to get a better look.

Celeste moved closer to the rest of Vilis' friends, tense and bracing herself for what would happen next. Moira stepped away from the wall, taking a step towards the furnace. She remained outside the site, but tried to peer into the furnace as the hiss grew louder.

The metal bubbled and popped. Erupting like lava from a volcano. Long arms of metal and fire reached forward. A hulking mass of a body oozed forward. A vicious, serpentine head stretched out from a long neck.

The hulking mass loomed over Vilis, molten metal dripping around the Elf, before the metal and flames began to settle into a Dragon-like form.

Moira stumbled backwards, eyes wide with fear. On the other side of the room, Savio had his arms raised above his head and his body bent over as if to protect himself. Memphis even let out an instinctive growl as he looked up at the molten Dragon.

A molten claw reached down, as if offering something to a figure who was not there, "Hunters... Strong and proud. Nobles of Human-kind..." Its mouth did not move, but its voice was loud and rolled like thunder, "This is my pact... Together, we rid this world of the corruptions that taint your kind, that change them into vile creatures of magic... Creatures that spread like a plague and desecrate all they touch... You free me... and I will help you end them all."

There was a long pause. The Dragon's head tilted as if listening to an unheard voice. The Dragon's head lifted slightly, a long breath coming from its nose. "This is our pact. Power for freedom... If you can handle my power that is."

Again it paused to listen to a voice. The maw of the Dragon opened, curling slightly into what everyone could only guess was a smirk. "Bold..." The Dragon hissed, "Let's see how far that carries you, my Hunter."

With that the molten Dragon oozed back into the furnace before vanishing in an explosion of energy.

Vilis blinked a few times before flinching away from the furnace. The flames soon died out, signalling the ritual had run its course. "What was that...?" Vilis gasped for breath.

"Big trouble." Moira stated.