Scowling, Autem demanded, “How can it be anyone’s fight? They have a dragon and what do we have?”
Chuckling, Agatha assured, “Do not be afraid of the dragon, Husband. I have come up with a solution should House Magnus rebel and use their dragon against us. However, what I am proposing is a strictly forbidden art that some say is the way of the False God.”
Curious, Autem asked, “What is this solution and forbidden art you have in mind?”
“A form of alchemy that is fueled by blood magic. With what I am proposing, we will become as feared as the Magnuses are now. In order to fight dragons, we need to create monsters of our own,” Agatha further explained.
“How does it work?”
“With this form of blood magic, we require blood from someone you love, blood from someone you hate, and blood from yourself. When the ritual begins, we will combine our blood with the blood of Randolf Morwen’s corpse. Then we will dump the animal carcasses in and let the alchemy do the rest. Understood?”
After hesitating for a moment, Autem answered, “Aye. When do we begin?”
“We will begin the first test right now,” Agatha took up the dagger and instructed, “Hold out your hand, Husband.”
Sheepishly, Autem did as Agatha asked and she made a light cut across his palm. When Autem’s blood dripped into the pit, Agatha began to chant in an ominous and strained language. The red liquid that filled the pit began to emit black steam as Agatha’s voice filled the chamber. She then cut her own hand and let her blood flow into the pit, causing the large cauldron to become ever blacker. Rising slowly to her full height, Agatha strode to Randolf Morwen’s body and kicked it into the sinister mixture. Still chanting like a madwoman, Agatha then pushed the pile of animal carcasses into the pit, the pool erupting in a blast of filth and smoke. With all of the ingredients together, Agatha raised her arms to the ceiling and a noxious smell filled the air followed by the bellow of a monstrous voice.
With the ritual complete, Autem and Agatha watched the pit patiently as they waited for the fruits of their labors to emerge. When nothing happened, Autem asked, “Was all of that just for show? Do you take me for a fool, Witch?”
Raising a hand, Agatha cooed, “Patience, Husband. It will rise any minute now.”
As if on que, the red liquid of the pit began to bubble and ripple as though something was alive beneath the surface. Eventually, the bubbles became so large and frequent that the fluid gave way to something large and menacing. The monstrosity that revealed itself was massive, horned, and concealed by shadows.
At first, Autem was horrified by what he saw, but after a while, he smirked and said, “This will do. Well done, Darling.”
Bowing her head, Agatha replied, “I live to serve my emperor.”
After that exchange, the couple kept their eyes fixed on their unholy creation. In that moment, the world of Gradaiachanged forevermore . . .
Acknowledgement
I wish to thank my friends at the Society for Creative Anachronism for providing me with all the medieval inspiration I needed. I want to thank my family and loved ones for their love and support as I pursued this project.
Numen the Slayer (Magnus Dynasty Saga Book 1) Page 20
