Beneath the shivering fire in the bare walls of the cave, a silhouette dragged two breathless bodies.
Bloody strokes ford a remotely resembling a scythe mark in the center of the seal, only the final touch was missing.
Completing the seal using the blood of the humans as paint, Valkyra dropped to one knee, her head lowered.
"Master... the Crimson Reaper... Please accept this humble sacrifice and answer my call..."
Streams of wind whistled wildly from the cave as the seal shone brightly, an eerie ominous scarlet glow. A lone crack appeared above the seal as an eye with a triple pupil peered out.
Only then did Valkyra muster the courage to raise her head.
"I need help... Kain Li... Highest Sacrifice has escaped. I don't know where he is now. I need a way to track him."
The eye looked over the bodies, and after a few seconds, the crack closed. Then, blood, like a live thing in a whirlwind, rose in a powerful rush, flowing into Valkyra's right eye.
"Agh!" she gasped in vivid pain as her consciousness filled with murky, bloody fragnts.
The great worm, a house deep in the woods, a straight road, a ruined carriage, and a crumbling raven.
When Valkyra awoke, she found a round amulet alone in the place of the seal, occasionally flaring and twitching towards the north.
"Sister..." she whispered with trembling hands. "Don't worry, I'll save you soon... Everything will be back to normal..."
...
At the underground room beneath the tavern, Yerez pulled out a golden case from a closet. He approached Kain, who bared his chest.
"Hmm..." Yerez muttered thoughtfully, peering at the Red Swirl.
Derek frowned. "Is sothing wrong?"
"I'm not sure. That mark looks kind of weird. You know, I've seen more than a few Sacrifices in my life. We have this place and everything, but..." Yerez glanced at Kain. "Boy, has your mark gotten bigger by any chance? Maybe it's changed sohow since it appeared?"
Kain lowered his gaze.
After Olaf had activated his mark, the Red Swirl had actually beco a bit wider and more active, like an accelerated stream.
"I suppose yes..." Kain gulped.
Yerez shook his head. "Shit, so he's no ordinary Sacrifice."
"Is there nothing you can do?" Derek slamd his fist on the wall. "Co on, Yerez! You've always handled these problems with ease."
"Get a grip, I got this for a reason," Yerez showed the gold case.
Clicking, with a light motion he pulled a white brush out of the case, carefully dipping it into the golden ink.
"Stand straight and don't move. No matter what's on you, curse or blessing, with the purification essence, we should be able to get rid of it."
In a few broad strokes, Yerez drew over Red Swirl a circle with four lines running through it, two vertically and two horizontally.
Then, he turned the brush and tapped the tip on the seal.
Golden light flashed, spreading over the Red Swirl, slowly covering it.
"It seems to be working!" Derek clenched his fist tightly.
However, his joy was premature. Abruptly, the Red Swirl shuddered, casting all the light into the center, destroying it into smoldering particles.
"No... It doesn't work..." Derek muttered sadly.
Yerez pinched the bridge of his nose, pondering. "This is bad. If the brush was useless, there's nothing I can do.
"But... I know who you can turn to."
Kain's gaze turned serious. "Is that true?"
"Sure. This is the Hollow Patch guy, you can find anyone here. Even a specialist in the sacrifice signs. However... It's going to be expensive. All the jewelry you brought should be enough."
Tap.
Before Kain could reply, Derek's hand fell on his shoulder. "Don't hesitate, lad. As long as that mark is on your chest, the fanatics will haunt you. Maybe you'll have a week or a month of peace, but sooner or later they'll find you.''
Perhaps Kain knew this better than most.
"If you don't have enough money, I'll help."
With an exchange of nods, the three silhouettes left the tavern, disappearing into the winding streets of the city under the cover of night.
Reaching an unremarkable house with a triangular roof, they made their way down the path to a gloomy, green light.
The candles led them to a room resembling a laboratory, a multitude of jars, animal body parts, and herbs exuding only death.
In front of a table sat an enchanting woman with long gray hair and a stern gaze. She smoked, occasionally making notes in a book as thick as her head.
She glanced at the group.
"Oh, Yerez and what a people..." her gaze traveled to Derek following a predatory smile. "Long ti no see handso."
"Ghm," Yerez coughed. "Greyna, we've co to you for so serious matter."
"Yes, we need your help urgently!" Derek nodded deeply.
She pointed at Kain. "That's understandable. Otherwise, why else would you co here with so strange guy? But, even if it is you, my favors are worth a lot."
Step.
Kain stepped forward, eting Greyna's gaze.
"Shouldn't you see the problem first and only then set a price?"
"Hah, sit down and talk smartass."
Without delay, Kain showed her his mark. He didn't expect Derek to drag him into all this, but losing the opportunity to get rid of the Red Swirl was foolish.
Greyna's eyes narrowed. "The Red Swirl that Yerez couldn't dispose of? Tsk, this is starting to get interesting."
Disappearing into the depths of her burrow, Greyna returned with a jar, a leech-like creature writhing inside, only with four legs and a spiky red body.
"Spiked Voracious Leech, the last one, never found the right opportunity."
Kain leaned over, examining the leech that repeatedly banged against the wall in desperate attempts to escape.
"How is this thing supposed to rid of the Red Swirl?"
"The effect is the sa as Yerez's golden brush, only much more powerful and painful."
"How much will it hurt?" Kain was wary, his throat dry.
Greyna's bit down on her finger. "Oh, enough to make you rember this day forever. However, I have not t any Sacrifice yet whose mark was so strong that even this leech was powerless."
"What if you're wrong?" Kain asked.
"Well, in that case, you'll spend the next ten minutes in hellish pain for nothing, and you'll also pay a tidy sum for it. How's that for perspective?"
Kain shook his head, lying down on the bench next to him.
"Just fucking great. Couldn't think of anything better."
Greyna towered over him, unscrewing the lid from the jar.
"For once, a young man with a will. You'll have to rely on luck."
"Agh..." he sighed heavily. "I wish you hadn't said that."
The next mont, a leech pounced on Kain's chest, filling the dim room with painful screams drenched in agony - all for the sake of escaping fate.
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