Dhambala, one of Balthazar's disciples was aware of the grave crime his master was about to commit, however, he had no means of stopping it from occurring.
If a word of this gets out there, the high priests and priestesses and even the warlocks from other covensteads across the realm, will rain on our parade. They will come hunting and my master wouldn't dream of facing off against a warlock, much less a legion of them. So why is he doing all this. Dhambala's thoughts kept ranting at him. He was perplexed, but as a mere disciple, he needed to know his place.
All ten kids were laid within ten symbols of identical patterns, drawn before hand. Before the kids were brought into Balthazar's lounge though, they were bounded in thick ropes and blindfolded. The moment their backs touched the symbols on the flows, they all felt an invisible force take hold of them.
Muffled screams came out from no other than Marionette, who was already sobbing. She tried as much as she could to oppose the subduing force, creepy into her being. But she succumbed at last, giving up the struggle. Of course, the others heard her, but most assumed it was one of her exaggerated behaviors. These kids have stayed in that bottomless pit ever since they could remember, an although is was barbaric, some grew immutable, while others like Marionette, just couldn't get used to darkness. Their time together had also made them accustomed to their own personality. However, Watuusi had being the most closest to Marionette and he knew very well that something was up.
He struggled to break free during Marionette's flounder, but all to no avail, however, he did anyway. All until he could make out her struggles no more... He began to yell out her name, but it was as though her voice had been drowned out, sounded distant and calmer.
That was when everyone else began to feel the same effects taking over them, all except Watuusi, who grew oblivious to what was happening to his friends. Unlike Marionette, the rest didn't show much opposition against the foreboding omen that took control. It was but a few squeals and silence triumphed.
All this while, Balthazar had his concentration on preparing a doll for the ritual. He was almost done when he sensed something unusual. He approached the setup with all the kids laid in place.
"Who's that kid?" Balthazar asked awestrucked "Why isn't he subdued by the subduing seal?"
"That must be a mistake master." Answered Dhambala with a skip in his somewhat worried state. "We made the right inscriptions on all the seals."
"Hmm, interesting!" Exclaimed Balthazar, running his fingers through his long grey beard. "For a canal vessel without any protection spell of some sort, to naturally resist a subduing spell of this caliber... And a kid at that."
"Dhambala, bind a rejuvenation spell to the core subduing spell, to crank it up a notch." Balthazar ordered as he thought. This kid is no ordinary kid, he might be a great asset whence the time comes.
"Ok master!!" responded Dhambala with haste, as he proceeded with a rejuvenation spell.
Watuusi wondered what they were bickering about, until he started to feel something creeping from his lower half, up to his knees...
He tried to resist, but it seemed the subduing spell was taking effect this time, as it was being amplified by a rejuvenation spell.
It took a while longer than the others, but he was eventually subdued.
Balthazar stood in the dimly lit room, before the kids; his eyes narrowed in concentration as he held a small doll in his hand. Surprisingly, it was a crude replica of all ten kids who lay before him, their bodies trembling and contorted under the grip of the unseen forces that took them over.
He began to chant in a language that few outside his order understood. His voice rose and fell as he called upon the binding spells... A gigantic spell book layed on the altar before him. Pages from it flipped on their own as Balthazar chanted.
However, during the enchantment, the air around thickened. The pungent smell of rot permeated the place. Suddenly, the entire cave began to rumble. Running in was Allegra, the only female to have survived the suffocating pressure of the deceased magma demons.
"Master, a gateway to a realm of total darkness just materialized not too far from our cave." She yelled at her master, whom she realized was in the middle of a ritual. Yet she was bewildered beyond compare.
"Master! It's the demons right? They are com--"
Out of nowhere, Dhambala has appeared and fastened his palm over her mouth before she could confirm her deepest worries.
"Can't you see the master is in the middle of something...?" He whispered...
"They are coming! they are coming! And they wield with them, Hell's wrath. There's no escaping this, we are doomed!" She panicked with tears running down her cheeks.
The ground began to shake violently, as if the earth itself was angry. A deep rumbling growl filled the air as the gates of hell began to creak open. Slowly, but surely, the heavy tear in the air groaned apart, revealing a dark abyss within.
Suddenly, with a thundrous crackle and a powerful gust of wind, the tear in the fabric of space had overlapped, as a portal opened wide. From this churning vortex emerged an army of demonic phantoms, twisting and writhing as they tumbled out into the world. They were grotesque creatures, with horns protruding from their heads and razor-sharp teeth dripping with darkness.
They spread towards the direction of the cave like a plague. As they progressed further, death and barren was left in their wake. The vegetation was infested with rot, and all nocturnal creatures were spirited away.
It took no time for them to reach the cave, leaving a trail of rot and darkness behind.
Those standing guard at the entrance experienced a moment of vertigo, as they were consumed by terror. The Phantoms whooshed passed them debunking their souls with not resting from them.
They roamed the vast array of the cave in pursuit of one man, Balthazar.
Speaking of...
Sweat trickled down the face of Balthazar, as he was almost done with the last portion of the bonding magic. The kids writhed and twisted, with their eyes rolling back in their head as Balthazar continued his chanting. Slowly, the doll in his hand began to glow with a dark red light, and the priest closed his eyes in concentration.
"The link has been made, the bond magic is complete." Balthazar growled. "All of you should get behind me."
The air grew thicker with a sickly sweet smell, as if the very essence of evil had been unleashed upon the room.
"Quick! They're drawing closer." Yelled Balthazar in his old time-worn voice. His core disciples heeded his warning and quick rallied behind him.
In less than could tell, an influx of demonic phantoms burst into the chamber, dispelling the foreboding omen of hell.
But Balthazar was ready to prevail against the forces of hell. Immediately they rushed toward him and his disciples, his closed eyes finally burst open, blazing with an intense inner-fire as he began to gush out spells of horror. His voice triumphed, constantly growing deeper and guttural, almost inhuman, as he called upon the spirits of protection as a first line of fortification.
His disciples knew better what to do, for their power was but a mere chip to the terror they were witnessing right now. Therefore, they all spread forth their arms toward their master, and in unison, they chanted their highest rejuvenation spells they could ever muster within their guts.
The spiritual pressure within the premises was no joke as cracks began to tear across the inner walls of the cave. It felt like the entire cave will burrow into itself any second from now.
Balthazar hadn't realized it though, but although he was somewhat successful in holding the off, the buff from his disciples was the cornerstone keeping him going. The energy he expelled, the the larger the gap left within him for more to flow in from his disciples...
This went on for awhile, and suddenly, Allegra collapsed to the floor out if exhaustion. Now his supporters were short of one member. The remaining four: Dhambala, Ogun, Zephyr and Kriminel were finding it more daunting than before, however they pushed through their exhaustion.
The restricted demons pushing past Balthazar's hardwork, it was nigh futile to stop them, they were like a legion of blazing terror.
As predicted by Balthazar, they ripped through his protection with their demonic claws and began clawing at the old priest... However, there was not even a single damage afflicted on him...
That was when all ten kids in a trance, began to scream in pain. Apparently, the bond magic had connected them to Balthazar as a form of damage receivers. Vicious claw makes began to appear all over them as they scream. It was a grotesque sight to behold.
*****