"it is finally here.." The elder sighed
Shanti grabbed the tip of her clothes. She could feel the nervous feeling.
The villagers were coming shortly after all the fighters arriving at the shrine. The elder already stood near the ritual symbol.
Their anxiety, worries, fear, frustrated feelings.. made everyone realizing that this day was real. The day when they would sacrifice their own family.
No one could stop this now. Not after they're doing the earthly feasting festival. If they stopped it, they would disgrace their own beast god ROGNIR.
"Shanti, can we begin?"
"yes elder.."
"then please guide us"
Shanti came foward and looked at the twenty fighters in front of her. None of them showed any hesitation on their face.
"why could they accept this...because of earthly feasting festival? because none of them have any regrets?" She mumbled
"Shanti?" Mugha called her
"!! ah, yes. We need to form a formation around the symbol"
They nodded and followed her instruction. They positioned themselves at the north, west, east, and south of the symbol. Each direction was filled with five fighters. After that, they sat on the ground with a cross-legged position.
"that should be enough" Shanti confirmed
Shanti approached the symbol and pulled out a little knife. Then, she pierced the tip of her thumb until bloods came out.
She walked to every direction of the fighters and let her bloods dripping on the ground. Finally, she walked to the center of the symbol and drew another smaller symbol with her blood.
The villager held their hands and started to pray. Shanti went back to her position.
She closed her eyes and did her praying position.
-fuuh-
She took a deep breath. Now it's time for her to do her duty as the shaman of Ohre tribe.
"o mighty old God, the ruler of heavenly green field.. your humble servant bow before you and rudely ask for your fragment of time"
The symbol started to glow and emitted life force from it.
"please open the way, show us the stairways..."
Everytime Shanti prayed, the symbol became brighter. On the contrary, all the fighters slowly became exhausted.
The elder observed the situation.
"so that symbol is using their life force to become active... this is where the sacrifice part begins..."
Shanti tried to keep focus even though it was really hard. The fighters also tried to endure it.
"by your blessings and mercy..." She continued her pray
The outer circle of the symbol glowed even brighter. Some of the fighters at the north started to sweat and looked run out of breath.
"our every steps was blessed....our every hunts was guided"
-kgggh-
One by one, they fell to the ground. Maintaining their position was become harder and harder. Slowly, their life force was leaving their body.
"may our ancestors welcome us at your heavenly green field.."
-brugh-
All of the fighters at the north lay on the ground. Some of them were breathing weakly, and some of them weren't moving. The outer circle was glowing very bright now meanwhile the situation around the shrine became windy.
Dark clouds started to cover the village.
Shanti continued her pray.
The inner circle started to glow. Clearly, it also absorb the fighters life force. This time, the fighters at west and east were having a hard time.
"our beast god ROGNIR, the mightiest beast, show us how to become brave.."
-brugh-
"kggaah... it's hurt.."
One of the fighters struggled before he finally stopped moving. One by one, the others followed.
-brugh-
Shanti kept praying.
-brugh-
Three more were down. The process seemed slower this time. The inner circle wasn't as bright as the outer circle yet.
That was a nightmare for both of the villagers and the fighters. Every seconds was really hard for them.
Shanti kept praying.
More than two hours, The inner circle was still absorbing their life force. Two fighters remained at the east of the symbol.
"o mighty old God, we have offered our finest souls.. please open the path for your savior"
"kgggh....aaaaa...."
-brugh-
Their hoarse voice was the last thing that could be heard before they fell to the ground.
The inner circle was glowing very bright now. Only the last circle remained, the center of the symbol. Also, only one group fighters left, Mugha and the other four.
Faint crying voice could be heard from the villagers. Fifteen bodies already lay on the ground. Motionless, without life force left.
Yet, Shanti kept praying.
"o mighty old God, your humble servant offered twenty finest souls for your mighty existence! please hear our lament! please give us your savior!"
The moment Shanti said that, the last circle started to glow. And that happened....
"AAARRGGGGHH!!"
One of them screamed. It's totally different than the previous process. This time was different.
"GHHAAAAA"
The other screamed too. Shanti tried her best to keep concentrating.
"KHAAAAAA, IT'S HURT!!"
They squirmed and scratched the ground. That scenery would break anyone's heart who saw that. They were suffering and no one could helped them.
Amidst that chaost, only one man who kept silent and didn't move at all.
The leader of fighters, Mugha, held his position. He closed his eyes and tighten his grips.
"it's really hurt...it feels like someone forcefully pull your skin on your whole body... slowly but sure, the pains keep coming..."
It would be nice if he could scream like the others, but he wouldn't do that. Not when his sister tried her best to concentrate to do her duty.
"leave it to me.....my little wolf....your big brother won't let anything to disturb you..."
Shanti kept praying.
"AAA.....aaaaa....."
The last fighters beside Mugha took his last breath, yet the last circle was not completed.
The only source of life force that remained now was only Mugha. Obviously, his must endure a bigger pain than his previous.
Shanti kept praying.
Mugha started to loose his strength. He couldn't feel his feet. Meanwhile the last circle became brighter and brighter.
-brugh-
He fell to the ground. He was still breathing but he didn't have any strength left to wake up.
"so this...is how it feels.....when you don't have life force left...."
He felt sleepy. He knew that he couldn't hold any longer.
"Shanti...father...I'll leave the rest....."
-wuung-
The last circle shone and followed by the other circle.
Shanti repeated her pray.
"o mighty old God, your humble servant offered twenty finest souls for your mighty existence! please hear our lament! please give us your savior!"
She repeated it again and there's no response.
"please..."
Tears started flowing on her cheek. She couldn't endure it any longer. Why didn't her god give them his savior? why did her brother need to die? why? why?
Out of her frustrated feeling, she shouted.
"O MIGHTY GOD!! GIVE US OUR SAVIOR!!"
Just then, her mighty God answered her pray. When she thought everything would become for nothing, her savior stood in front of her.
She couldn't express what she felt at the moment. Only for this one savior, twenty families that she knew had been sacrificed. Only for this man, her big brother needed to die.
"Mugha... I'll keep my promise..."
She promised with everything that she got... she would make sure that this savior would save her tribe...no matter what happened.
-----( Chapter 140 "A little wolf 38 -fin-" )-----