Demon Spawn

Ian became more proficient at the chant, but one word seemed to slip by his mind each time it passed. It seemed to form completely in his mind, then simply vanish, as if he was reading a word that had been erased from a book as he read it. No matter how hard he tried, he could not seem to grasp the word, to speak it, or even to hold it briefly in his thoughts.

"You must believe." His Acolyte spoke suddenly. "It is his name, and can only be heard, thought and spoken by those who believe."

Ian thought this was an unusual idea, but the harder he concentrated on the word, the more difficult it was even to think of it, while all around him the members of the procession were clearly able to speak that very name.

Ian began to think, not about the word, but about what he was doing in the tunnel. He was bringing his wife to meet this (person, entity?), from another place (world, dimension?). He had no idea if this entity could help his wife or not, but the procession seemed to believe he could help all three of the Supplicants. Even though their problems were essentially not related to each other.

His mind formed around that thought that the members of the local community truly believed this. They respected the church, they respected the local authorities. But it was clear they held a belief that was more than just spoken words from a book. These people believed they were going to meet a being who would be able to help the Supplicants. Ian took faith in this. If the townspeople believed then, until proven otherwise, he would too. He would ask this being to help, he would ask CTHRKZHOU (pronounced Chith Rik Zhii-Ǒw) for his help.

Without realizing it, Ian spoke the word aloud. His wife's eyes flew open and he felt her shudder in his arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Acolyte stumble briefly, her head turned abruptly to look at him. He knew that he should not have been able to speak the name, nor even to form the thought of the name in his mind, but somehow he was able to do it.

And having spoken the name, he somehow understood something of the nature of this creature.

"It is not of this world is it?" he asked the Acolyte.

"No, it is not." She replied.

"Can you tell me what it is?" he asked.

"You would call it a Demon. But it is not. It is something from another place, another plane of existence. It can come here only under certain conditions, including being summoned by those who believe." She intoned.

"A Demon? Yet the Church has not sought to send it back?"

The Acolyte barked a single laugh. "CTHRKZHOU was old when man was young. He existed before the time of communities, before the time of authority, before the time of religion.

"They have all tried to ban him, or to supplant him, or to kill him or those they call his worshipers. But we are still here and he is still here and he will endure until man is old."

Abruptly Ian's thoughts were interrupted as the left side of the tunnel disappeared, showing the procession walking down an outside spiral into a rather large underground cave. He could see moonlight shining down from above. Looking up, he saw that the top of the mountain had a large hole in it that allowed the moonlight to find the floor of the cave. Ian surmised that this would happen only a few of times per year.

The walls sparkled in the combined light of the moon and fluttering torches. A closer look showed a glass like surface. Obsidian, he realized. This must have once been a volcano, long since extinct. The light flashed off the highly reflective dark material making it glitter like starlight. As the procession moved downward into the cavern, the combined light was reflected again and again off the dark surfaces until the cavern was filled with sombre twinkling lights.

The chanting group walked one complete turn before spiralling down to the dusty floor of the cavern. The procession divided into two, men and women crossing from one side to the other to form couples as they moved out in a broad half circle that looked into a place in the cave that was unnaturally dark. Several hollow logs and odd, primitive looking drums, and odd looking bone instruments sat in the dust before the line of chanters. The Supplicants moved in front of this line, the Priestess and the two Acolytes still in front.

The Priestess moved to a spot about halfway across the large opening to what appeared to be the stones of an old fire pit, her five Acolytes behind her and four women carrying baskets behind them. One of the Acolytes took new burning material from a basket placed it in the pit at the Priestess' feet.

At the Priestess' gestures, the nine women moved forward and began to dump powder from baskets onto the floor. They quickly formed three large incomplete circles one inside each other, the top portion of which formed parallel lines opening the circles into the unnaturally dark portion of the cave.

The parallel lines of the inner circle were approximately 20 feet apart. The circle formed at the base of the parallel lines and contained a large stone altar and a circle of burned stones from an old fire pit at its center in which the women placed new burning material. The women drew three circles each approximately 15 feet across near the back of this inner circle.

The second circle was approximately drawn forty-five feet larger from and encasing the inner circle. This circle also enclosed a fire pit in its center, though close to the lines of the inner circle, and some kind of rectangular stone object on the left hand side. Inside this new circle, they drew three smaller circles each 20 feet across near the back of the second circle.

The women placed new burning material in the fire pit at the front of the second circle.

The largest circle encompassed the inner and second circles. This one with lines approximately sixty feet from the second circle. It too had a fire pit close to the second circle, which the ladies replenished, and three 20 foot circles all in line at the rear but no other objects.

Like the original circle, the second and third circles were broken circles with parallel lines moving off into the darkest part of the cave.

Outside and at the rear of the third circle was the fire pit at which the Priestess stood. The three Acolytes rejoined their respective supplicants, the two assisting Acolytes stood behind the Priestess, while the other women melted into the congregation at the back.

The chanting suddenly took on a new vibrancy. The singers were no longer chanting the words they spoke in the tunnel. Now they were chanting something very different.

Already having a sense of the words from the previous chant, Ian found he was slowly understanding the new ones.

They were calling out to CTHRKZHOU, asking him to step forth into this world. Asking him to aid the Supplicants in the cave. To bestow his gifts apon them. Asking him to approve of his faithful followers.

As they chanted they began to dance while striking the hollow logs, drums, and bone instruments. The sounds they created were so different that they almost did not seem to be instruments made by human hands. Slowly at first, then wilder and with much more abandonment they danced, chanted, and played their instruments. Cloaks and gowns became undone and drifted to the ground, the chanters dancing naked now. The remaining torches sending long shadows of the dancers high up onto the sides of the cave.

The Priestess turned to face the Supplicants and her congregation. She raised her arms up, her feet slightly apart her gown untied and open. Her stunning figure was on full display and Ian found himself getting aroused. He couldn't believe how incredibly beautiful and sexually alluring this woman was.

The woman began to dance in time to the sounds of her congregation's chanting. Her movements were fluid, sensual, and captivating. She moved with the lithe grace of a born dancer. Her arms swayed in counter-movement to her gyrating hips. Her perfect breasts wobbled to and fro, sliding in and out of her gown to the movements of her body. Her hair flung out and around as she spun and turned in place. Her body flashed in the glittering torchlight as she moved, showing her front, her back, her breasts, her incredible ass, the dark triangle between her thighs. Ian was spell bound by the sight of her.

Suddenly stopping, she raised her right hand high in the air. In it she held a black object. Ian recognized an obsidian knife. She raised her left hand out, over the fire pit. A single stroke of her right hand over her left palm left an ugly open wound on her palm. She held her cut hand to allow blood to drip into the fire pit at her side.

The pit abruptly erupted in rich red flames.

The flame reached up to lick at the material of the Priestess' gown. It caught, bursting into brilliant red light and quickly engulfed the Priestess' form.

Ian gasped and, despite holding his wife, lurched forward to help the burning woman. His Acolyte stretched out her arm to block him. He turned a withering look on the Acolyte and then turned to see what was happening to the Priestess.

The woman was completely engulfed in flame. Her gown and hair burning furiously. The sounds of the flames seemed to mock Ian, taunting him to come to help the woman. Ian could feel the heat from where he stood. He knew instinctively that it was far too late to do anything at this point.

The flames seem to jump from the Priestess to the line of the rearmost large circle immediately in front of her. The line burst into brilliant red flame, jumping again into the three smaller circles. The powder burned quickly, moving in perfect synchronization around the greater circle and out into the darkness pointed to by the parallel lines. Oddly, despite how bright the flames were, the darkness at the far end of the cave was not breached. As the fire receded, it left a reddish ash in its wake.

Ian found himself looking toward the Priestess. She turned slowly towards them. The fire had burned away her gown, but had not burned her hair or body. She stood, panting from the exertions of her dancing. Her stunning nudity was on full display to her entire congregation, now on its knees bowing to her, still chanting.

The Priestess stepped from within the fire and the flames receded. Her flesh was pale and unburnt, her dark hair floating gently in an unfelt wind. She lifted her left hand, showing that it was no longer cut. Ian had seen the slash she had made with the knife and knew the cut was real. The only evidence that she had once stood within the flames was on her head, where the crown of wicker branches was still burning with bright red flames. The smaller flames made snapping and popping sounds as they sent guttering sparks out at all angles.

The woman turned and danced to the second fire pit within the red circle. Sparks from the fire on her head grew more frequent and flew further out the closer she came to the second pit. One of the sparks fell onto the material at her feet as she stepped onto it.

Yellow flames burst forth to lick at her, engulf her. They seemed to caress her form, to hungrily touch her body. But no matter how hungry the flames, her body was left unmarred by the deadly inferno.

The flames jumped to the second circle and raced around it leaving a circle of yellow ash. The flames that were lovingly caressing the Priestess subsided leaving her to dance forward once again into the newly formed yellow circle. The small fire on her head was now yellow in colour.

She moved to the next pit and the sequence was repeated as white flame burst forth, the cycle leaving circles of white ash.

She stepped forward once more into the innermost circle to stand beside the last fire.

His Acolyte turned to him. "Under no circumstances are you to enter the white circle. This is the circle of women, and any man who enters it will suffer horribly. When you move into the circles, step carefully. Do not tread on or break the ash. You will break the ceremony and He will return to his world, leaving the Supplicants without their gifts. Be warned: if you do not want to pay the price, do not take the opportunity from those who will!"

She took his arm and advised him to step slowly into the red circle. She guided him into the large red circle and then into one of the smaller ones. At 20 feet across, there was plenty of room for the three of them.

Ian looked to his left to see the young couple and their Acolyte already there, while the bearers were placing the sedan chair of the old woman in the circle as her husband and their Acolyte stepped into it behind them. The bearers left to return outside the large red circle. The two single Acolytes stood one pace behind and one pace to either side of the other three circles.

The congregation began chanting yet another different chant. They were moving slowly to the rhythm, men and women touching and rubbing naked bodies against each other. Ian noticed that many of the men were getting erections. He found that he too was semi-hard.

The young couple and their Acolyte removed their gowns and cloak and moved naked out of the Red circle and into the Yellow circles.

Next to move was older man and his Acolyte as they removed their cloak and gown. He reached down to help his elderly wife to stand. From the chant heard in the tunnels, he assumed that the old woman would be approximately the same age as the man. She looked like she was in her late nineties or older and not in particularly good shape for that age either.

The old man and the Acolyte helped the woman to remove her gown, then they slowly made their way into the Yellow circles.

It was now Ian's turn.

His Acolyte opened and dropped her gown. She turned to take Heather briefly into her arms while Ian removed his cloak. He opened Heather's gown and as he took her back into his arms, the Acolyte helping to remove it. Naked the three of them carefully stepped out of their small red circle and moved into their small Yellow circle.

The two single Acolytes followed suit stepping naked into their respective places one pace to the rear and to the sides of the three Supplicants.

The chanting and dancing of the congregation became louder and wilder. Ian was beginning to be affected by the sounds and movements. He found himself wanting to follow the steps and hum, sing, or chant with the others.

When the intensity of the sounds and chanting reached a crescendo, the young couple and their Acolyte left their circle and moved to the stone box.

"It is a Locilus." His Acolyte told him. Ian recognized it as a Latin word that held several meanings; 'coffin' among them, but also a 'locus of power'.

As the trio reached the Locilus, the couple touched the top of the stone and as they did so it slowly rotated opened. The young man helped the young woman into it, giving her a tender kiss as she lay down within it. The man and his Acolyte touched the top of the box and it closed. He and the Acolyte returned to their small circle.

The older couple moved slowly to the Locilus with their Acolyte. As the trio reached the Locilus and the couple touched the stone top it slowly opened for them. The old man kissed the woman and helped her into the Locilus. She lay down and he and the Acolyte touched the top of the box and it slowly closed. The man and his Acolyte returned to their small circle.

Ian walked slowly out of his small Yellow circle with his Acolyte at his side and moved to the Locilus. When they arrived, Ian reached down to lift the lid but found it impossible to move, especially while holding Heather. Heather opened her eyes and smiled and him. Her arm haplessly slid down his own and her hand touched the lid alongside his. Almost immediately, Ian found it much easier to lift it. It swung upwards almost on its own accord. He did not see or hear a mechanism, nor did he see any signs of a counterbalance, but the impossibly heavy lid opened smoothly.

Ian expected to see the other two women, but the box was empty. Surprised, he looked at his Acolyte. She smiled and nodded to him but did not offer any explanations. A cursory exam showed the inside of the Locilus was barely large enough for his wife. He wondered what had happened to the other women.

Ian placed his wife into the box. As he lowered her down, he felt the sensation of warm water, though he did not see any. The box appeared bone dry and he appeared to be lowering Heather into the dusty bottom of the box, yet she seemed to float briefly.

Surprised, Ian lowered his wife and saw a sheen, as though from the type of bio-illuminous microbes you occasionally saw in the oceans, cross her body. He kissed his wife and released her into the box. She almost appeared to be sinking into water though none was evident.

Heather's eyes closed immediately after the kiss. Ian reached up to pull the lid closed but once again it refused to move. The Acolyte touched the top of the box alongside Ian's hand and it began to close on its own accord. Heather looked to be sleeping peacefully as the lid closed on her.

His Acolyte took his hand and led him back to his small circle. Deprived now of his need to care for his wife, Ian began to notice the increased tempo of chanting and wildness of the dancing. It was a song of lust, of desire, of sexual need.

The dancing had become almost erotic in nature. All the men were sporting solid erections. Men and women were no longer tentatively touching, or rubbing, but were aggressively engaged in actions that would be seen as pornographic if they were actually engaged in sex.

As he passed by the other supplicants, he noted them dancing wildly with their Acolytes. They too were showing their state of arousal.

The sounds of beating drums, the odd tones of the bone instruments, and the hollow logs filtered with the odd guttural chanting stirred his emotions. From somewhere deep inside him, he had a sense of shared sensations, as if he was remembering a half buried thought, a memory of others dancing like this. Somehow, he found his body moving to the beat.

Sweat began to build on him as he danced more and more frenetically to the odd sounding cadence. He became aware of his Acolyte close to him, restricted with him within the same circle. The feeling of great space he previously had faded away as he became aware of her close proximity within their small yellow circle. As their movements became wilder, they inevitably touched each other. First hands and hair, then arms and finally tentative bumps of their bodies.

Vaguely, Ian was aware of the Priestess dancing in the inner circle. She was sensuously moving around the central fire pit. She walked into the pit. Immediately it burst into a rich Blue flame. As Ian watched, fascinated, the flames touched and caressed her body. They moved slowly up her legs to her hips. Ian's senses seemed to be heightened as he was intimately aware that the touch of the flames on the Priestess' crotch seemed to bring her immense pleasure.

The flames curled around her hips, covered her ass. They slowly moved up to her breasts. It almost seemed as if the flames were caressing them, squeezing them, pinching the nipples. Ian shook his head, but when he looked back, the Priestess was once again completely engulfed in flame. Had he not seen it happen already, he would have feared for her safety, if not her life.

As before, sparks flew from the fire, this time shooting out much further afield. Sparks fell on both the altar and surprisingly on the Locilus. To Ian's imagination, they appeared to briefly shimmer with blue light. The Priestess stepped from the flame and it abruptly died from around her body but left a softly shimmering blue light hugging tightly to her skin and a bright blue flame lustily burning in the crown on her head.

She held her hand over the still burning blue fire pit. The shimmering blue light seemed to drip off her hand into the fire. Immediately blue smoke poured forth. Ian expected it to rise upwards, but it surprised him by hugging the ground. As it spread, it encountered the other fire pits, which began to belch forth smoke in the same colours they had burned in: white, yellow and red; mixing thoroughly with the blue smoke from the inner fire as the red fire was engaged, then spreading throughout the large chamber.