The Sacrifice

It's time for them to continue.

Bringing forth the body of the Ghoul that they've acquired, one of Kathryn Graves, the eyes of Adjudicator darted all over the gathered Necromancers. It's a good thing that they were gathered here - without them, this ritual could be much more difficult to pull off, perhaps even nigh impossible. If they wished to complete this project, the joint effort of all people would be required.

"Glad that you're gathered here."

"It appears we can continue the ritual, as we have all necessary components in place. The Obelisks are at work, the Heart is humming, and the Spire Shard has put the new directive in the relic. Let's get to it."

While his own Undead carried the body of Kathryn closer to the Statue, the gaze of the Rowan settled upon another Undead he brought along - one from the Island, the little girl that once served the Necromancer after being killed so early in her life.

Of all people, he chose to put her under experiment.

"Do not fret."

"This young lady wished to give it a try to be cleansed. She does not wish to keep rotting, and she was informed of potential risks- even if she dies, she made peace with that."

Such a cruel fate. But then again, isn't that what they were trying to stop, to breathe new life into resurrected subjects so that they could live their life better than they otherwise would?

"Shall we?"
(Arthur Rowan)

The skeletal arms that held her up pushed her back to her feet before receding back into the occult portals that summoned them. Standing gracefully upon her feet she prepares herself once more, approaching Arthur and Cho.

She closed her eyes for a moment, listening to and feeling the energy that came from the structure itself. The Sarradian watches as the corpse is brought up, her eyes falling upon Arthurs undead and then to him.

Nodding lightly, Lexia prepares herself for what is to come, further attuning her magic to the focusing gem embedded upon her gauntlet as it a bright purple.
(Nihilexia Wight)

As the ghouls body was dragged over towards them he closely observed it, He wondered if this beacon would be able to do the same with Corallines body that he had left in his Lab. He took no notice of it, Standing back up to his feet and again igniting the emerald wings that blessed him.

As he looked towards the statue he would again invoke the gem and the power of the shard and the multiple artifacts within it. He glance towards Arthur a smile to his face as he brought forth with him the girl who would be cured of her rot if successful...or perhaps destroyed in the most terrible way. It has yet to be seen whether the Adjudicator would fail or not but Gideon would be there to be witness of it.

"Very well Arthur commence with the Sacrifice, As far as I can tell everything is in order and the gem has begun to crystalize the reika I've infused inside of it. All that's left is the offering and the test." He'd glance over to Lexia and Cho as well. They would all have to channel their powers within the object as Arthur did his work.
(Gideon Ruger)

Her gaze drifts towards that of the little undead girl-...Her hues flickering in curiosity and wonder, mostly curious as to why a necromancer would condemn a small child to such a terrible fate of rotting and mess. Within her own silence though, she does not comment...Instead, the woman merely looks away, her hands smoothing over her kimono, "Ready to begin when you are, Sir Rowan." She adds, a light smile appearing on her features as she peruses the visage of the statue, perhaps, looking for any signs of life that might be.

 "If you need assistance, I believe that all you truly have to do is offer the body up to the statue. If it is alive as you say, she will take the fallen body into her hands- consume the magical circuits...And then, she should embrace the child and begin the process of purifying her chaotic soul." Her lips press together, her gaze darkening in thought.

 "It might take some time as well-....For the process all depends on how much she has immersed herself within the art. And considering that she was once heavily influenced by the necromancer, it might be a bit." Just a thought or two.
(Cho Grauhimmel)

While the Gem was activated, certainly, some portion of the effort was still necessary- despite all the fuel that is being processed into The Morninglord's Dream in terms of runes, of Spire Shard, of Spirit Shards filtered through Soulsteel and more, there's still something essential for it all to work.

The pure mana of a living being.

It's something that Arthur always kept in his mind, and a single nod was offered towards them as they all prepared themselves for the ritual to come. While the Statue, undoubtfully, will work, there's still the effort that they must make in order to make it work - or rather, make it work better.

"I know. Here's hoping we've done everything right."

The Undead carried Kathryn's body closer. A single prayer stifled from Arthur's lips, and even though he held the belief that the Man can decide his fate, and it could be a weakness for him to praise onto the power such as this, he only views it as strength--

-- a strength to understand that there could be something greater.

'For all our existence, we've been burdened by flaws,
Pulling, dragging us deep.
But we stand defiant, we stand ever proud,
No longer we shall fear our fates.
I pledge this to you, O Azrael,
Please accept.'

In extension to the Statue, the body was being drained of all its remaining mana- much like a beast that devours a fallen prey, like a leech seeking to drain the liquid, the Statue takes it all. The mana circuits flash, and suddenly dim, becoming naught but a pale shadow of what they once were.

And the body? It appears to be... almost disintegrating.

"I believe it is time."

"It is time we direct our effort to aid the Statue to cleanse this soul."
(Arthur Rowan)

With little to no mana left within the body, she is able to see the effects. It first starts with the body becoming void of color and then...The rapid deterioration begins. She can see how quickly the body vanishes- flesh becoming dust, bones sinking into the gravel below only to be carried away by the winds of Dawn. Within her silence, she marvels at the new cycle that they've created. Within her silence, she imagines that this....Is how things will end up turning within the near future, where the fighting can be put on pause and where life can truly be claimed. In the end, she follows the prayers, joining the Rowan in the second half.

"I pledge this to you, O Azrael,
Please accept."

 It echoes as she waits, her head remaining bowed, both hands pressing lightly against her own fluttering heart in wait.
(Cho Grauhimmel)

Gideon watched as flow of mana circuits became devoured by the statue the angelic form of Azrael swallowed it whole and now the power that resided within would have need to be directed to purify the soul and body of the girl. Gideon wasn't in the business of purification and honestly he believe the power of corruption a better utility...however If this could mean undead sustained themselves longer it was something worth risking.

He could find corruption in his undead in other ways and they can plague this world with his will over and over. A smile crossed his face as he too began to pray allowing his emerald wings to shine forth a glittering veil of reika over the statue and eventually infestation of his power came.

"
O morninglord, Bless us with our sacred Dawn.
 The silver wings of life,
Blacks wings of death,
I give to you now both body and soul
enact my will onto this child...
Clear the rot from her soul
A stain of Kraus'
bring forth the true life!"


The thrum and vibration of his reika and Arcane power became more clear as he almost seemed to be attempting to absorb the rot himself. aiding of clearing it...for some strange reason within the arcane he was slowly beginning to come into his true form being able to control the rot of the dead was a goal he would not have seen as his own but a as a power he would perhaps soon learn to manipulate.
(Gideon Ruger)

The Sarradian beauty closed her eyes as Arthur spoke his prayer, giving herself time to gather the latent energy she had to put towards this next step of the process. Her eyes flicker towards the statue as the Undead carried the corpse towards it.

Cupping her hands together, inches from her face she too whispers along with the Rowans prayer. The air around her fluctuated as she regained her focus, watching as mana is torn from the corpse and pulled into the statue, the dimming of the bodies mana circuits.

"I pledge this to you, O Azrael, please accept." Her voice too, echoes with the ominous wind that clung to her.

Her lips curl into a faint smile as the body disintegrates, raising her gauntleted right hand infront of her once more, feeling the hum in the air, the sheer power and glory of what they'd created. She was honored to be a part of this, of her skills being put to the test that she might work alongside such powerful necromancers.
(Nihilexia Wight)

To reclaim what's rightfully theirs.

This whole ordeal was to defy the death itself and to create the new life to those that have perished even once; at times, he doubted if his project would ever come to its final stage, but at last, the time is now. There are no more doubts in his mind or heart, not anymore.

A simple smirk beneath the mask's shade that rests on his lips upon seeing the body decolour and then disintegrate. Perhaps all of this would work in much better way than he had imagined, but to digress.

'And to slay the last of your kind...' - a gentle whisper under his breath, before his eyes turned towards the little Undead girl. Two scarlets glaring at the opposite sides, observing her briefly, before he speaks out loud.

"It's time for you to go. Make your way towards Heart and remain in there."

Now, it was all about channelling the mana to allow the process to take its root better than it otherwise would. The Obelisks, the combined power of all magi that stood here, the preparation time they devoted towards this project - it should work, it must work now.

And slowly does it begin.

"Accept this lost soul in your grace, O Azrael,
Our tomorrow is built upon the sorrow of today.
Guide it as you guide us, cleanse it of the faults it suffers,
Breathe the life once more."

Words hold power, just as much as runes do; the Heart hummed, the centrifuge began to slowly spin, and the Obelisks glowed. Something was happening.
(Arthur Rowan)

To be honest, a lot of this world is rather difficult to deal with. The fright that comes with not knowing what the future entailed has driven her to regrettable ends...But somehow, when everything is all said and done, she was capable of creating brilliant things, much like the statue-...Much similar to how Arthur, Gideon, and Nihilexia were capable of creating something so...Brilliant. In the end, while she might've contributed, they are the ones who fought and bled for this...And they are the ones who deserve all of the credit. Within her pride, she keeps her head low...Hands clasped infront of her being, prayers spilling past her lips.

"Accept this lost soul in your grace, O Azrael,
Cleanse her of the inequities and sins,
Perfect her within your sight and your way,
And breathe life within her being once more."

 The rendition is slightly different, perhaps, more personal within this case. Nevertheless, the praise continues fervently....Words spilling seamlessly through her lips as the obelisks spin and glisten.
(Cho Grauhimmel)

Gideon stood front and center continuing to pour his essence to direct into the statue moving it and controlling it. Taking some of the burden away from the Obelisk by channeling his own arcane energies to remove the rot and corruption as best he could. His wings of reika continued to be letting him ascend further into the realm of the dead.

All Gideon could do was continue to struggle against the current and the flow that would be Kraus' design but as they continued to struggle it seemed something was happening their goal perhaps being fulfilled. Only time would tell but the Apostle of Azrael continued to give forth his all. Until the goal was actualized.

Time spun countless minutes waiting and harboring his emotions, Empowering his own necromancy beyond what he imagined to create to bind, and to breath life into something was the goal of the necromancers and if they could reach even a millimeter closer to creating or perfecting undead he would continue to give his all to accomplish that goal.
(Gideon Ruger)

Even now, the full display of something Divine was present to their eyes.

Flickering and glowing with the colors of green, the Undead girl that stood in the Heart could be seen submerged in a trance- something that affected her very soul, as the Morninglord's Dream channelled its energy into her, fuelled by so many factors that they've build up and prepared.

And most of all, their faith.

Sometimes, it's almost unbelievable, how much people can achieve when they band together and put their minds to create something far greater than they otherwise would have. The sheer fact that they were able to get this far was already impressive- but it's not the end of their story or struggle. Not yet.

"Defy the jaws of death, defeat the flaw of the world,
Piece by piece, our fates are twirled."

Growing more intense by every passing minute, the excess of energybecame so great that it could almost send out a shockwave across this land- much like the Oscuri has warned them, there is a possibility for curse to be broken out, if no measures or preparations are taken.

But they did just that. They did all they could to ensure it goes smooth, and it worked.

Slowly and steadily, the Gem tied its magic upon the girl's soul, enough to overpower the mark that makes her truly dead; enough to overpower the flaw of the world, enough to give them hope that there's something else to be done to perfect their art.

Of course, that does not mean she's immediately cured. By all means, she's already rotten, at least biologically- and to the surface, there are no differences.

It's hard to say whether this was success at all... at least, immediately after.
(Arthur Rowan)

As the shockwave of power expanded he could feel the taint of corruption spill outwards, His body would be like a sponge analyzing and absorbing the trance amounts of the forgotten burden on the gem. Yet still he wondered what more could he do...He had to focus continue to burn as brightly as he could. The Ruger would expend every ounce of his faith and energy to have this come to work, However he hoped it wouldn't be this large of a strain the next time they wished to invoke the Angel's power.

"Is...Is it over?" He looked towards Arthur...this being his project he could only wonder if they had completed their task...it seemed unknowing to Gideon many of his undead has gathered to bear witness to the Morninglords light. The Angel almost like a light in the darkness that they were drawn to. Azrael's call, His words and wisdom instilled within this structure moved them in ways he could not even imagine...

"Perhaps this project of yours will have far more uses than first expected...Arthur. We've accomplished something great this day. Something we've all bled for one way or another and we will continue to bleed for in the future. But we will not falter...Azrael's blessings are upon us now and through undeath we will find nothing but true power." He knew not what else to say his skills had been brought to their limits and then some, He was drained, yet still hopeful that their abilites combined were enough.
(Gideon Ruger)

The spectacle was one to behold, pouring her energy towards the statue in unison with the others she watched, exhaling softly as everything seemed to go smoothly. Working to prevent anything from going wrong she keeps herself in tune with the magics that flowed around them. Gem upon her gauntlet glowing brightly as she channeled magic through it.

This was the perfect moment to study the actions of the others, the sensation of the power of necromancy flowing greatly around them. She did best to stifle emotions, the atmosphere shifting in their stead, wind pulling at thin cloth and silver flowing hair.

When the ritual seemed to have completed she would step back, awestruck by the beauty of it all. Silently she glanced to Gideon and then to Arthur, satisfied that she'd been able to do something of such impact though she still did not speak.
(Nihilexia Wight)

If only there was a way to immediately tell when the progress hits its mark.

Doubtful, Arthur examines the Undead girl infront of him. Once his own servants bring her closer, the scarlets peer at her studiously, inspecting each and every detail about her. While she's still rotten, while she's in the same state physically, there's something about her that he no longer senses, and he could tell that it's probably the reason as to why their project could be marked as success.

There is no more the source of corruption coming from within, no more magical rot.

"I believe it is success, Gideon, but our work is still far from over. As you can see... she's still rotten, still in the body that is, by all means, dead."

"While the technology of homunculus is already possible, I believe it is quite different in how it works, and it is quite expensive too."

"We still have work to do, but it'll wait."

A light tap on the girl's shoulder, and he stifles a silent laugh- it's hard to say whether it's out of genuinely being satisfied with results, or just the fact that he's gotten a lot more cheerful after this.

One thing is certain - he's glad.

"We've done it."

"It's over."
(Arthur Rowan)