CHAPTER 26 (PART - B) end of chapter 26


The night was dark and chilly, each member of the group secretly met in Herr Wagner’s quarters as they proceeded to the secret chamber. The secret chamber had been washed and cleaned by the acolytes of the order which were two mysterious men who never spoke to anyone always wearing grey robes and bird like masks. Lento knew that was protocol for the order that holy acolytes were to never reveal their true identities.
This time they noticed that the restraints in the summoning circle weren’t made of leather this time. There were spikes and chains now to restrain any super human which translated into them having the aid of demon like strength. The man in the red robes stood at the altar examining all of his tools while they waited for the guest of honor to arrive. It was only an hour away from midnight as the acolytes continued to chat to the painting of the octopus like creature. Lento had read something interesting in the short period of time he had been focusing on his studies with Rastapopoulos. The full moon was a heightened time of power, but the new moon or ‘dark moon’ as the book put it, was an even more heightened time when it came to dark magic.

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The poor Asian girl had to relive a horrible nightmare once again. The younger one sat wrapped in a blanket curled in a ball on the mattress at the corner of the wall shaking and crying. The older Asian girl tried to stop him but was knocked unconscious a meter away from the them when he backhanded her with all of his might for getting in his way. The man chained to the walls could hear what was going on and he protested loudly cursing and taunting him with every insult he knew until the wicked man came and beat him senseless until he could no longer speak and fell silent. After he was finished, he unchained the now unconscious man and took him out of the room and brought him up to the secret chamber. The other Asian girl was so traumatized she didn’t even know what was going on around her. She prayed that she could just die and be free from all of this torture.

The unconscious man was barely alive earlier. The older Asian girl had kept giving him water every so often to keep him from thirsting to death. The conditions in the room were horrible. Once the man began to wake from his merciful unconscious state, he began feeling pain on every inch of him as he was chained down in the middle of a room with hooded and masked robed people chanting in a language he couldn’t understand. Black candles were lit on every corner of the room. He could hear an animal squealing for its life until it too became silent. Eerie chanting continued as the flames of few candles seem to grow and change color from reddish orange to a bluish purple color.

The prisoner hadn’t the strength or the energy, to resist what was happening. Lento continued chanting interested in what would be the end results tonight as the midnight hour approached. The black mirror again began to have some shapeless form in it. The man in the red robes and mask began to let his voice crescendo as it began to sound more and more inhuman. Lento and the others would echo the chants as the acolytes would ring the gongs to symbolize a passing of one of the rites, until finally the man with the red robes took animal blood and began to paint symbols on the man’s chest. The man in the red robes had a small cauldron burning with various articles in it. The final chant was spoken in unison as the object in the black mirror began to take some horrid looking shape coming out of the mirror leaving a frigid chill instantly in the room. The fire in the cauldron shot up in a huge pyre that almost touched the ceiling displaying a variety of purplish blue flame.

Rastapopoulos was astounded because he had never thought anything like this in his conceived life was possible. He was raised as a catholic and raised in poverty and swore he would never want for anything again. While terrifying, it was as Lento felt, exhilarating at the same time to know that such a power existed. He realized where the true influence and power in this cult really came from at that moment. He thought it was just a mere lie to draw followers. The possibilities of getting rich and beyond worldly power just appealed so glamorously to him now. He had to be careful as to not let anyone think he would turn on his fellow brethren or he would lose everything just as fast as he gained it. The cult had put him back in business and kept him off the radar of the law which meant it wasn’t a wise decision to bite the hand that feeds you.

The Fakir was more terrified than anything, but he felt that the rewards from doing these dark rituals would far outweigh the terror he could endure during these sessions. He was slightly injured during the last ritual, luckily nothing that couldn’t heal in a short period of time. His powers of hypnosis were passed down in his family who like Rastapopoulos came from a poor background. India had a caste system which did not allow certain groups to climb out of their position, so he turned to a dishonest living using his powers for his own personal gain. The cult had helped him recover many losses which he suffered on account of Tintin and INTERPOL. Lento, Rastapopoulos, and the Fakir, each knew very little about Herr Wagner and even less about Lady Ravena. Circles among villains were a pretentious lot, one never knew would one would turn on the other.

The man on the floor suddenly felt vigor return to his body as he could feel his conscious fading. He fought the will of the demon entering his body screaming louder than he ever had.
“Don’t fight me, you can’t win mortal…” a voice said inside his head.
“Don’t resist me and I will set you free…” the voice began to sound a bit more seductive.
“Let yourself go and I will make the pain stop…” the voice said yet again.

The man hurt all over finally in one last bout of wills he yielded to the voice in his head and he quit struggling. Each of the members of the circle looked down on the unconscious man as he lied there completely limp. His eyes opened instantly and with inhuman strength, almost broke the chains.

“You fools!” the man’s voice now sounded like three voices in one not even human.
“You will do our bidding demon!” The man in the red robes barked at him.
“Why should I help you mortal?” the possessed man spat.
“Because, it is I who summoned you here Joachim!” the man in the red robes declared.
“Aarrrghh!!” the possessed man hollered out.
“Yes Joachim, you will do my bidding!” the red robed man repeated.
The man struggled fiercely to break the chains but the spike suddenly began coming up little by little.

“Bring sea salt, sprinkle it on him, and began the binding chant on now” the red robed man ordered. Everyone grabbed a hand full of sea salt and began tossing it on him chanting in the unknown language that nobody seemed to know the true origins to. The possessed man began acting as if they were tossing hot coals on him shouting out curses heard only by mortals centuries in the past. The possessed man began to lie there harmlessly.

“You’ve failed again! You think that imp is more powerful than me?” the demon laughed.
“You cannot harm us” the red robed man declared.
“Maybe not… release me and see” the demon said with his red eyes glaring at all of them.
“Acolytes!” the red robed man called out. “Release this demon” he ordered.
Reluctantly, the two grey robed acolytes did as they were told. The demon slowly stood up eying all of them even though they all wore bird like masks.
“You think those disguises fool me?” the demon slowly walked around them.
“Don’t toy with us demon! You have a contract with us now!” Lady Ravena spoke up.

“You think it’s that simple gypsy lady? Your power has no effect on me! Your curses and fortunes mean nothing to Joachim…” he spouted out walking slowly casing the group.
“You gluttonous pig!” the demon spat at Rastapopoulos. “Your trinkets and materialistic desires will not save you!” The demon continued eying the group.
“You!” the demon then pointed to the Fakir. “You betrayed your own family, murderer of your own people… your hypnotic skills and rope tricks don’t affect the likes of me you trickster!” the demon continued scrutinizing.

The demon looked over Lento for a moment, “Curious…curious… fascinations will get you no where you ambitious maggot…but… curiously there may be hope for you, he he he he!” the demon laughed uncontrollably for a moment.
The demon circled Herr Wagner. “You… for all your cunning and little bit of power you possess…you failed to remember one thing…” the demon paused.
“Your timing is off you idiot!” the demon finished laughing mockingly.
“Watch your tongue demon and learn your place!” he said picking up a staff poking the demon with it.
“What do you mean our timing is off?” Lento spoke up finally.
The demon looked at him and walked slowly to him.
“Ah, you want answers? Darkness cannot reside long in light!” the demon spoke archaically.
“What does that mean?” Lento demanded.
“Why should I tell you?” the demon mocked.
“Because I command it!” Herr Wagner took off his mask revealing himself more menacing than he normally appeared. The four other members were now taken aback by his sudden revelation. One eye was red, and the other sky blue. His voice slightly altered a little deeper making him sound louder than normal.
“You make me laugh!” the demon mocked.
Herr Wagner threw out his hands and his ceremonial dagger flew into his hand from the altar. Everyone in the room was quiet with awe.
“I could send you back instantly” Herr Wagner threatened.
“Mere parlor tricks of yours don’t scare me…you forget your own limitations” the demon reminded.
“…as do you!” Wagner pointed the knife closer.
“Do. Your. Worst.” The demon looked unblinking.

Herr Wagner let his anger over take him. He began chanting, cut the man once lightly with the dagger, and threw more sea salt on him. The demon fell to the ground convulsing and stood up shaking with his eyes closed. When he opened his eyes, they were normal color again. The prisoner regained control and bolted for the door opening it with inhuman strength. He ran out of the secret chamber into Herr Wagner’s quarters, then outside only to be met by Gaspar.

“You!” Gaspar shouted punching him repeatedly. The prisoner felt nothing but instead, laughed in his face. Gaspar then took out his gun.
The prisoner was being driven mad by the demon’s voice, but recognized Gaspar as his tormentor for a split second to take advantage of this inhuman strength. He reached out and grabbed Gaspar by the throat, “If I’m going to Hell! So are you!” he grunted. Gaspar looked into his eyes with great surprise as he lifting him up off of his feet tossing him several feet down across the deck. The voices became too strong again and he ran in a mad fit.

“Shoot him!” Gaspar shouted recovering. Crew members fired and shot at him. Then he jumped over the rail into the water resurfacing as a dead man a minute later.

Herr Wagner regarded all of the cult followers in the room, “Remember, speak none of this to another living soul, or you forfeit your life!” he threatened. “Treachery in my circle will earn you a quick death at best” he reminded.
The ritual went better than last time, but Wagner started to wonder what his mistake was but still wasn’t one hundred percent sure. “We set off tonight! We meet tomorrow evening in the conference room, and I want all of you to have answers for me” Wagner instructed.
“Dismissed! Except for you my Lady...”

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