(Interlude) Fragment of the Past VIII: An Abyssal Link (Jura/Yuria)
A dark fog settled in the air. Figures clad in dark robes stood over a pool of deep dark waters. The group was composed of individuals of varying ages, from younger to older folk, all carrying some sort of bone shards and bone pieces, the younger ones carrying less and the older ones garbed in more bone trinkets.
They began offering a steady chant, an ominous but sincere prayer above the water's bank. "Oh, Great Abyss, offer us gifts of life, give us protection, and clothe us with their bone and hide." An old woman who seemed to be the leader walked forward and into the water until it was ankle deep. "Please grant our wish, our kin are slowly diminishing, for we can no more bear child. Renew the life of the witch of old, give to us the servant of your dark." Two from the crowd pulled a large cloth sack, bound, and wrapped, and dragged into the water.
Another one of them produced a vial of blood from their person and dropped into the water as well. The two objects were carried by a current and sank deep below the surface, until they were no longer visible. "That which comes from the abyss, shall be returned to it. We who emerged from the dark will be returned to it.". Sounds beneath the surface could be heard, the squelching of flesh and snapping of bone. A person in the crowd watched intently. They wore the same garb but it seemed ill fitting to them. They did not chant along with the others but only observed, hidden from view and blended in. They sported a hood, and a faceplate all of their face except his eyes.
His eyes widened as the shadowy limbs raised a child from the water. It floated to the surface and was promptly picked up by them, saying thankful praises and had tears of joy. The child appeared to have blonde hair and an unchanging expression but he could not see any more details from that distance. Jura looked into the water and spotted one singular white flower, but from the stem upwards it was still a green bud. It was unassumingly growing on the side of the pool of water. As the others clamored over the abyss-given child, he walked quickly and reached into the water. He cut the stem off it and picked up the flower and had it in one hand and held his pickaxe in the other.
The old woman saw him in the corner of her eye. "No!" The pool of dark water began to rapidly evaporate and drain as she splashed around and scooped palmfuls in panic. "You! How dare you do this!" The old woman cried out. "Tsk." Jura took a step back. They muttered amongst themselves, startled and furious. Then nearby sounds of metal clanking and footsteps could be heard. The abyss-worshippers drew daggers and bone weapons in preparation for combat, but the old woman stopped them as soon as she recognized him. "You! Why did you do this? Old one, surely you know its importance!" She said to Jura.
A group of knights carrying torches and swords emerged and surrounded them. A mustached knight carrying a heavy axe led them and proclaimed: "The knights of Lodeleth have declared this as immoral cultist action, your crimes and blasphemy against the kingdom will be punished with death!" The knights ran forward as the cultists attacked trying to hold them back. The old woman ran with the child and then tripped in the drained waters, causing the child to be momentarily in the air.
Jura quickly sped past the knights and leapt in to catch it. His wolf-hide disguise quickly flew off, as he swiftly picked the child up from the air, and leapt once again, jumping over the knights, and quickly disappearing into the knight. "Sir, one got away!" Siegmund stares at Jura carrying the infant and plainly states: "Leave them be, we'll never be able to catch him." As Jura ran, he looked at the child who had not even shed a single tear since it came into this world. As he was running, he stared back as it looked at him with its hollow but bright blue eyes.